Killing Lies Read online

  When the last aftershock died away, he shifted so he was looking directly into her eyes. “Good?”

  “Better than I imagined.”

  He nipped at her earlobe. “Me, too. But oh, god, Sarah, I have to be inside you again. Right now.”

  Positioning himself, he entered her again with one slow stroke, pausing only to give her time to adjust. This time there was no foreplay, no drawing things out, but it was just as cataclysmic. At last, they collapsed, spent, hearts thudding, breath rasping, a fine sheen of perspiration coating their bodies. The heady aroma of musk mingled with Sarah’s perfume and his aftershave, filling the room with the carnal scent of sex.

  “Are you all right?” He stroked the scar with a gentle touch. “I’m so afraid of pushing you too hard.”

  “I’m fine. I promise to let you know if I’m not.”

  “We may not live to see Christmas at this rate,” Reno joked, then he tightened his arms around her. “It’s a wonder we haven’t killed each other tonight with all that pent-up sexual energy.”

  She turned a deep pink, and Reno laughed again.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone blush all over before.” He caught her hand. “You’re beautiful naked, Sarah. Don’t cover yourself, okay? I want to look at you and be able to touch you whenever I want to.”

  She nibbled on her bottom lip again then nodded. Her eyes dropped to his cock, still large and heavy even at rest.

  As if he could read her mind, he said, “Yes, you took it all. Every bit.”

  She blushed again.

  “I should get the wine to celebrate, but I think that’s beyond my energy level right now.”

  “We don’t need wine. This was better than a drink.”

  “I wanted to drink to the future,” he told her. “To us.”

  He buried his face in her neck. “God, Sarah. When you were shot and Molly was taken, I died a thousand times. The thought of life without the two of you was so bleak I couldn’t even contemplate it.”

  “Then isn’t it nice we’ve been given this second chance, and you don’t have to.”

  “Yes, it is.” He tucked her up against him and pulled the covers up.

  “Don’t you think it’s strange,” she asked, “that we’ve both had such…erotic dreams about each other?”

  “I think someone was trying to send us a message. And I think that’s why everything tonight has been so explosive. It’s been building all this time.”

  “I just hope we don’t kill ourselves,” she teased.

  ****

  When morning arrived, they were still wrapped around each other, naked bodies pressed together. And despite Reno’s morning woody, it was more emotion than passion.

  “I think I could use a long, leisurely bath,” Sarah told Reno.

  “Why don’t you take one? Then I’ll take you and Molly out to breakfast. It’s Sunday, and we have the whole weekend to do as we please.”

  “Mmm. That sounds good.” She pressed herself against him.

  He stroked her back and arm with a gentle glide of his fingers. “Do you think we made a baby last night?”

  She tensed, and he looked down at her. “Sarah? Is that a problem? I thought—”

  She searched for the right words. “There’s something I probably should have told you before, but the terms of our bargain made it irrelevant.” She bit her lip. “I was sure it wouldn’t matter so I just kept it to myself.”

  “What is it, Sarah?” Suddenly, he was the voice of concern, shifting so he could reach out his hand and touch her. “What didn’t you think you needed to tell me? Are you sick? Is it something we can take care of?”

  She shook her head, then dropped her gaze. “Not sick. No.” Her sigh was heavy enough to split the thick silence. “After my miscarriage, when Mike was killed, the doctors told me I’d probably never conceive another child.” She raised her eyes to look at him again. “Molly may be the only one we’ll ever share. That’s why this is so important to me. Why I wanted us so desperately to be a family.”

  He pulled her into his arms, holding her against his body. “I am so sorry. No wonder you thought I was such a heartless bastard where Molly was concerned.”

  “When Aguilar took her that day—” She shook her head. “I don’t even want to think about it.”

  “Then don’t. It’s over and we move forward.”

  “If by some miracle we make a baby, I don’t want Molly to be relegated to second place.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  “You say that now, and I know how you’ve been with her since the hospital, but…” She bit her lip. “What if you have flashbacks about Maggie and that awful scene?”

  “I promise I won’t close up, okay? I’ll tell you, and we’ll deal with it.”

  “I can’t ask for more than that.”

  “I held that child every day for two weeks when she was born,” he said, his eyes staring at a point beyond her. “I rocked her in my arms and felt her tiny heart beating against mine. She was my child, my flesh. Then, in seconds, I found out what a cruel joke it all was.” His face twisted in pain. “Now I hate myself for all I missed out on. And all that Molly missed.”

  “This is a new beginning for all of us. Including Molly.”

  He hugged her, then grinned. “You may have to give me regular treatments to keep me in line, though.”

  At that moment, they heard Molly calling out her usual babbling from the nursery.

  Sarah gave a mock groan. “I guess Mommy and Daddy time is over. She needs to be changed and fed.”

  “I’ll do it. I’m getting real good at this. You take your bath.”

  She wasn’t about to turn down that offer.

  The soothing bath did much for her sore and aching body. She leaned back and let the scented foaming water drift over her as images of the night just past kept floating at the edge of her consciousness. Her body began to tingle just from the memories, and she lay there for a long while with a smile on her face.

  Dried and sprayed with her favorite perfume, she dressed in a new sweater and a pair of tight, chocolate, suede jeans she’d bought in a moment of frivolous impulse. They clung to her hips and accentuated her legs. The outfit was so different from her usual dull, functional wardrobe. She put on what she thought of as her wedding earrings and brushed her hair out until it fell in thick, shimmering waves.

  In the mirror, she saw an unfamiliar image, a woman full of life and exhilaration. Her eyes sparkled, and she glowed with passion and joy.

  “You’re so beautiful. You take my breath away.”

  She looked up. Reno stood in the doorway, clad in chinos and a bright blue sweater that stretched over his powerful muscles and accentuated his dark hair and features. She saw such emotion in his eyes that her heart turned over. She went to him and wrapped her arms around him. “You make me beautiful.”

  “You should dress this way all the time,” he told her. “Except other women would most likely object. They’d pale into insignificance.”

  She laughed, not used to that kind of compliment. “I’m going to call Lindsey and see if it’s okay to drop by. They might have plans.”

  But Lindsey was thrilled they were coming out and insisted they stay for dinner. “Come on out. We’re excited to see you guys.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The day was one of Texas’ glorious winter gifts, the sun blazing yellow, the sky a heavenly blue. To Sarah and Reno everything seemed newly washed, the way their lives had suddenly become. The air had a fresh scent to it, and even the birds seemed to be singing just for them.

  When they pulled up at the ranch, Sarah got out of the car and Reno came around to her side, pulling her body to his. He leaned down and kissed her with such thoroughness her knees were weak. He had held back for so long. Now the dam had broken, and he couldn’t keep his hands away from her.

  “Careful,” she told him, “or we night find ourselves naked in the dirt right here.”

 
He chuckled. “At least, it will give those idiots peering out the window something to look at.”

  Sarah looked over his shoulder to see Lindsey racing toward them from the house, followed more slowly by Nick and Tony.

  “I’ll get Molly,” Reno told her.

  “Sarah, it’s so good to see you out and looking so great.” Tony winked at her. “My brother’s lucky he got to you first, or I’d give him a run for his money.”

  “Well, she’s taken,” Reno told him, even as he smiled.

  Lindsey hugged Sarah. “You look absolutely amazing. As if you’re a whole new person.”

  “I feel like it,” Sarah said, laughing.

  “And you’re recovered from your surgery?”

  Sarah nodded. “The doctor said I heal fast. I’m glad, because I want us to put that whole nightmare behind us.”

  Lindsey looked over her shoulder to where Reno was holding and cuddling Molly.

  “But something good came out of it,” she reminded Sarah.

  “A lot of good.” She lowered her voice. “He told me about Maggie last night.”

  Lindsey’s eyes widened. “Good for him.” She hugged Sarah. “I see all good things ahead for the two of you.”

  “Me, too.”

  “For the first time in what seems like forever, he’s relaxed and at ease. He’s actually smiling.”

  Reno shook hands with both men. Nobody said anything, but the emotion that passed among them all was almost tangible.

  “I think Molly’s about ready for her nap. Is the other crib still set up?”

  “It is. Let’s get her upstairs. Jason’s already napping. We’ll have a few hours to act like adults.”

  The afternoon was tranquil. That was the only word for it. They watched football games, Sarah and Reno next to each other on the couch so close not even a sheet of paper would fit between them. He held her hand most of the time, the rough texture of the warm skin feeling good against her palm. Even when they ate, he found excuses to touch her in some small way.

  When it was time to leave, Sarah got Molly ready. She smiled as Reno, without prodding, put the baby seat in the car and took Molly’s things from Mary. She loved seeing the two of them together. If they never had a biological child of their own Molly would be plenty for them.

  The little girl dozed on the ride home and barely woke when Sarah took her in the house. When Sarah came into her room after settling Molly in her crib, Reno was stretched out on her bed, stark naked, hands behind his head and a lazy grin on his face.

  “We should think about redecorating the room,” Sarah told him, dragging her eyes away from his swollen, waiting cock. “Something that would personalize it and make it truly ours. New colors, new furniture.” She tilted her head. “Does that appeal to you?”

  The look in his eyes told her he was only interested in one thing. “Sounds interesting. We’ll talk about it in the morning. Tonight, you’ll have to be satisfied with just me.” He reached out a hand to her. “Come to me, Sarah.”

  She drew her sweater over her head, tossing it to the side, then shimmied out of her jeans. After the previous night, she found herself surprisingly unselfconscious undressing in front of him.

  “You take my breath away,” he told her as she joined him on the bed.

  “Same goes.”

  They made love as if they’d been doing this forever, knowing the secrets places on their bodies and how to move just so.

  “I hope we get ourselves under some kind of control soon,” he muttered when they lay back, spent. “Otherwise we’re going to die from happiness.”

  Sarah laughed, a warm, bubbling sound. “They say that’s the best way to go.”

  He rolled onto his side and tucked her up against him, pulling the covers over them both. “I love the feel of you in my arms,” he told her. “Sleep, baby. We’ll have good dreams.”

  ****

  When Sarah brought Molly downstairs the next morning to feed her, she found Reno already in the kitchen. She was grateful to see he’d brewed a pot of coffee and poured a cup for each of them. He leaned against the counter, drinking his while he watched her feed Molly.

  He wasn’t dressed in a suit today, even though it was Monday. He’d pulled on gray slacks and a red V-neck sweater. Casual clothes. While she finished with Molly, he called Angela, his new secretary, to tell her he’d be out for the day. Sarah wondered what that was all about.

  “You don’t have to stay home today,” she told him. “We’ll be okay.”

  “Much as I hate to admit it,” he said grinning, “I think they’ll get along at Guardian without me. I just hope they don’t find out.”

  Sarah settled Molly in her playpen with her favorite toys and turned on the mobile attached to one side. That would keep her occupied while she fixed breakfast for herself and Reno. She could feel his eyes on her as she moved around the kitchen.

  They were some time getting through breakfast, because it turned into a sensual exercise. Sarah made scrambled eggs and sausage, and Reno insisted on feeding her the sausage by hand. As he placed each spicy piece on her tongue, she sucked at his fingertips, touching the edges with her tongue. That made him lean over and trace her lips, licking the taste of the sausage from them. He fed her the eggs one forkful at a time, first himself, then her, his tongue tracing her lips after each taste. When he thrust his tongue into her mouth, she sucked on that, too, loving the mingled taste of coffee and Reno.

  Cleaning up became even more of a challenge. She stood at the counter in her nightgown while Reno cleared the table. With each delivery she felt his hot erection probing at her buttocks. She had barely gotten the last dish in the dishwasher before he swept her up in his arms and carried her upstairs.

  Pulling the covers back with one hand, he deposited her on the bed, pulled her gown over her head, stepped out of his sweat pants, then mounted her. She was wet, as she always seemed to be when he touched her. In two days, she had gone from ice maiden to wanton, carnal need consuming her so strongly she couldn’t shut it off.

  His mouth took hers in a hungry, greedy kiss, his tongue dueling with hers, her own twisting against his. He licked the roof of her mouth and the inside of her cheeks, each stroke of his tongue sending sensations straight to the heart of her pussy. She threaded her fingers through the heavy silk of Reno’s hair, pulling his head even closer to her.

  His hands slid down her body to find her nipples, pinching and rolling them until they stood up in hard, stiff peaks. Her heart raced and her pulse throbbed as her body responded to his touch. He shifted his body back and forth so his cock rubbed against her clitoris, driving her need higher than she’d thought possible.

  She slid her hands around to find his flat nipples, pinching them as he had hers and scraping her fingernails over them. Reno lifted his head, the rhythm of his breathing changing and becoming uneven.

  “I want you now,” he rasped.

  She opened her legs as he moved into position. They were both so ready, when he slid his cock inside her, she took the entire length of him in one stroke. They lay still for a moment, savoring the feel of her slick inner muscles grasping at his shaft. Then the room was silent except for the sound of skin against skin, heavy panting, and their mingled shouts of joy as their climax crashed through them.

  Reno collapsed against her, catching his weight on his forearms as they struggled to drag air into their oxygen-depleted lungs and calm their galloping hearts.

  “That was…incredible,” Sarah said in a weak voice when she could speak again.

  Reno kissed her softly. “Every time with you is incredible.”

  “Did we save enough energy to transfer all your clothes to my room?” she asked. “That’s on our agenda for this morning. Remember?”

  “I don’t think I could move my body, much less my clothes.” Reno chuckled, but he slid off the bed and pulled his pants back on. “All right, woman. I’m up and on my feet. Let’s get busy.”

  When they were finished moving
his clothes and personal belongings from one room to the other, Sarah surveyed the results with great satisfaction. To her, the sight of their things mingled together was an affirmation of the pledge they had made to each other and the night before.

  “Pretty pleased with yourself, aren’t you?” Reno wrapped his arms around her from behind and tucked her head under his chin.

  “You bet. Now I feel as if we’re married.”

  “Oh, we’re married all right,” he told her in his deep voice. “Trust me. There’s no doubt about that.”

  “Don’t forget, I want us to think about making some major changes in here.”

  “We will. We’ll do something. But I have other things on my mind at the moment.” He stood for a long moment, looking at the closet again, scanning the clothes. He had the same speculative look in his eyes Sarah had noticed in the kitchen.

  Sarah hugged herself nervously, wondering if something about the closet bothered him. He turned her around to face him, a somewhat unsatisfied look on his face. Was something making him uncomfortable?

  “Is my face smudged?” she asked at last. “Why are you staring at me that way?”

  “Because it gives me enormous pleasure.”

  She could see desire smoldering in his eyes. And something else, something she couldn’t quite identify.

  “What’s going on behind that smile?” she asked. “Are you hatching something?”

  “You bet.” He grinned at her. “Do you think your folks would take Molly until after supper?”

  “I’m sure they would if they don’t have plans. They love having her with them. Why?”

  He rested his hands lightly on her shoulders. “I want to take my beautiful bride shopping, if that’s all right.”

  “Shopping? For what?” She was totally bewildered.

  “A new wardrobe.”

  “But Reno, I have—”

  “Not what I want you to have. You need more things like the outfit you wore yesterday. It gives you, oh, I don’t know, electricity?” He placed his hands on either side of her face and studied her. “Please let me indulge you. I had such a scare when you were shot, I don’t think I’ll ever stop wanting to do things like this for you.” He winked. “And wear that outfit from yesterday.”