Crime & Passion 3: A Fraudulent Encounter

Dax called in the order for pizza, then shaved, showered, and changed. He threw on a pair of jeans and a red and black plaid, button-down flannel shirt. Outside of his work clothes, he didn’t have an expansive wardrobe, didn’t need it, but tonight, he wished he had something more appealing to wear. When Jillian was alive, she’d always kept him in the up-to-date trends.

Jillian.

He swallowed hard. His sweet wife. Guilt soared through him and he broke out into a sweat. Could he do this? Was he really ready to date? Four years was a long time to hold on to someone who was never coming back. His knees weakened, forcing him to take a seat on the edge of the bed.

Natasha.

She was a sweet woman, too. The concern she showed for her brother, and the way she cared for him today informed him of just how devoted and caring she was. The fact she actually considered not going on her vacation proved she could love unconditionally. These qualities reminded him of Jillian.

Maybe there was hope he could find true love again.

A glance at his watch let him know he needed to get a move on so he wouldn’t be late. Lifting his gaze, he eyed himself in the large mirror connected to his dresser. Pull it together, man. He’d been a party of one for too long. He swiped his sweaty palms over his pantlegs, rose, and headed out.

At precisely seven o’clock, he knocked on Natasha’s front door, pizza in hand.

She answered with a cheery smile. Her facial features seemed relaxed. Completely the opposite of how stressed she’d looked in her office a couple of hours ago.

“That smells fabulous. I’m starving,” she said as she stepped back to let him pass.

He walked through the living room and into the kitchen, then set the pizza on the counter.

Natasha grabbed two plates from the cupboard, and two forks from a drawer, and set them on the countertop. Then she twisted at her waist to look at him.

“What would you like to drink? Soda, milk?” Her smile stretched. “Miller Lite?”

She had his brand of beer, and judging from the pleased look on her face, she knew it.

A beverage with alcohol sounded great and perhaps it would calm his nerves.

“Beer.”

“That’s my choice tonight, too.”

She forked a few pieces of pizza on a plate and handed it to him, then made one for herself. He sat opposite her at the table.

“How’s Joey?” he asked.

Her face lit up, showing just how much she loved her brother.

“He’s good. Said he took a nap and felt much better when he woke up. Steven will check on him while Barbara and I are gone.”

Wow. She’d actually decided to go. He would have bet she wouldn’t leave her brother, and he couldn’t help but be proud of her for choosing to step back and let someone else handle things so she could take her vacation and get the rest she deserves.

“That must be a relief for you.”

“It sure is.”

Dax swung his gaze around the room, and then focused on the floor, in particular, the empty spot where the cat’s food dish was the last time he’d been in her kitchen.

“Who’s taking care of Cocoa while you are gone?”

“He’s already at my brother’s. Steven’s cat comes here sometimes when they are on vacation, so Cocoa is used to Tiger.”

Dax nodded. He would have cat-sat all the while trying to win him over to stay in the good graces of Natasha. It was probably better this way since cats were so finicky.

“Are you all packed?”

“Yes. I am ready to go. I’m going to leave at about six in the morning. Our flight is out of Green Bay at eight-thirty.”

“The weather looks clear for your drive.”

She nodded and took a bite of her pizza, which was followed by a few minutes of awkward silence, but it didn’t take long for the conversation to flow and begin to feel comfortable. At first, he resorted to talking about work, but then the conversation turned more personal. She spoke more about her family and he reciprocated.

Once they finished eating, awkwardness resumed. He wanted to stay longer, but wasn’t sure how to make that happen.

Good God, how can I be so awful at this?

Natasha rose, grabbed his plate, and set them in the sink.

He closed up the empty pizza box.

“Would you like another beer?” she asked.

She’d just opened the door for him to stay longer.

“Sure.”

She grabbed one out of the fridge and handed it to him. The see-through brown glass of her bottle revealed she still had about a third remaining in hers.

“Let’s sit in the living room.”

He spun to follow, his attention drawn to her shapely legs covered by black leggings with a light gray diamond pattern. Her long, red sweater clung a bit to her hourglass figure. It was the outfit she’d worn to work, minus the tall, black boots. Now, she wore fuzzy pink slipper socks.

He watched as her gaze bounced between the recliner and the couch. After a brief hesitation, she motioned for him to sit on the couch. A little thrill snapped through him when she chose to sit next to him.

She set her beer on a coaster on the cocktail table. Then, she flipped on the television. The station was a twenty-four-hour news channel, and she left it there with the volume turned low.

“I don’t watch regular television much. I stream.”

“Me, too.”

“Is there something specific you want to watch?” she asked.

He slung his arm around her, pulled her closer to his side, and twisted at his waist a bit to face her more directly. “I’m already watching it.”

She blushed, almost as red as her sweater, and she averted her bright emerald gaze.

The one thing he’d learned already about the smart and attractive woman sitting next to him was that her self-esteem was in the dumper. That ex of hers had really done a number on her. Beautiful, inside and outside, she had absolutely no reason to feel that way. At work, she was a respected department head. Everyone relied on her financial expertise and institutional knowledge. Both were invaluable. And, the way she interacted with her brother, Joey, showed just how caring a person she was. Too bad for her ex, he was an idiot who didn’t realize what he had. But good for me. I can see it.

Dax placed his fingertip under her chin, then slowly guided her head to face him. Correspondingly, her emerald gaze returned to his. He leaned forward and lightly touched her lips with his, then pulled back to find her leaning in for more. Happy to oblige, he pressed his mouth to hers again. Her soft, sweet lips met his savoring pace.

Just like two nights earlier, they kissed and kissed and kissed. But tonight, it didn’t seem enough. He wanted to share more with her—needed more.

Earlier, when he’d picked up the pizza, he’d caught a glimpse of the pharmacy on the corner. Of course, he knew the store was there. He drove past it every day. But today, it drew him in like a magnet, and he nervously purchased condoms. Something he hadn’t done since his early twenties when he’d first started dating Jillian.

Good God, he was forty-eight years old. He was allowed to have sex, so why was he so skittish about buying condoms?

Natasha’s mouth opened wider. There was nothing skittish about how she kissed him. He dipped his tongue deeper into the warm depths of her mouth. She parted her lips farther. The exquisite woman in his arms climbed over his lap to straddle him. Her sweet kisses turned hotter and deeper.

He slid his hands down her sides, over her hips, and trailed them to the hem of her sweater, and then he slid them lower, under her, gripping her butt and lifting slightly to pull her tighter to his torso. His dick pushed against the confines of his jeans and practically begged him to get inside her. His pulse raced. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this excited.

While keeping her lips on his, she leaned back and lowered her hands from his shoulders to his chest. Her slim fingers moved fluidly to undo the top button on his shirt, then the next, and the next before she flattened her warm palms to his bare skin.

His flesh heated, and he took her maneuver as an invitation to do the same. Sliding his hands up and under her sweater, he paused briefly at the first touch of her naked skin to his fingertips absorbing the exhilarating sensation of her flesh. Setting his hands in motion, he glided them over her stomach to her breasts. Even through the thick cloth of her padded bra, he felt her nipples harden.

She sighed into his mouth. Encouraged, he kissed her harder and kneaded those incredible breasts of hers. She ground her hips to him. All coherent thoughts, other than those of her breasts, left him. He plunged his tongue deeper into the depths of her delicious mouth, but only briefly before he pulled back and lowered his hands to grip the hem of her sweater. In one swift movement, he lifted it over her head, and his gaze landed on those plump mounds of hers. His mouth watered, and his heart raced as if he were a teenager seeing breasts for the first time. Well, it had been a while.

Lifting his hand, he used his forefinger to trace over the tiny string of lace on the top rim of her bra. Her body shivered slightly. Pleased with her response to his touch, he wondered what he could draw out of her when he dipped his fingertip down into the valley between her breasts. Moving slowly, he did just that, drawing a throaty moan from her. Music to his ears. Wanting more, he leaned forward and traced his tongue over the path his fingers had taken. Goosebumps rose on her flesh, sensitizing his tongue. He reached around her and undid the clasp of her bra. The garment loosened, and she shrugged out of it letting it fall between them.

He edged back to take in the sight of her nakedness. Hardened, raspberry-colored nipples pointed at him, calling out to his tongue. She was ripe and ready for the taking. With both hands, he reached up, cupping those full globes. Squeezing slightly, he pulled an erotic moan from her as she pushed harder toward him, grinding against his erection. Need and desire raced through his veins so quickly he couldn’t see straight.

He released one of her breasts, replacing his hand with his mouth, and flicked her taut nipple with his tongue. She groaned again, so he repeated his action and then suckled it.

She lowered her hand to between their bodies and applied pressure to his groin. His dick swelled and his mind reeled. He needed that small, soft hand of hers around him without the barrier of clothing, and he wanted it now.

With her in his arms, he rose, and she wrapped her legs around his hips.

Leaning back slightly, she met his gaze. The desire and heat in her eyes were unmistakable.

“Please tell me you have condoms,” she whispered huskily.

Holy hell, was he ever happy he’d popped into the pharmacy.

He nodded, then moved in the direction of the hallway.

“Last room on the left.”

With her still in his arms, he entered the master bedroom. She unclasped her ankles. Once her feet planted on the floor, she reached down, undoing the buttons on his shirt that she hadn’t gotten to in the living room. His shoulders cooled slightly when she pulled the garment from him, letting it fall to the floor. But when she placed her tiny hands on his chest, traced them upward, leaned in, and kissed his pecs, every cell of his being heated to near boiling.

Fluidly, she slid her hands down until her fingers reached the button on his jeans. She unfastened it, then lowered his zipper, but left the jeans in place. He pushed them down and kicked them off. Her gaze landed on his tented boxers, her eyes darkened and her tongue ran over her swollen, well-kissed lips. He’d thought he could not possibly be turned on any more, but about a millisecond ago, he realized he was wrong. His dick jerked and needed in her.

He cleared his throat. She lifted her gaze to meet his and a flush crept into her cheeks. Probably realizing how she’d been looking at him. He liked the way she gawked. He liked it a lot.

Hooking his thumbs over the elastic hem of her leggings at her sides, he lowered them along with her silky, black panties. Then, he yanked down his boxers and stepped out of them as he edged her back to the bed. She sat, and when she averted her gaze, his heart sank. Was she going to call this off? He hoped not. It had taken him a long time to get to this point with another woman. He really liked her and that itself was a miracle he’d never thought possible. And, on the verge of making love, well that was certainly something he hadn’t seen coming at all.

What would she do? If she wasn’t ready, she wasn’t ready. He’d readily accept that. He waited for a few more beats and was just about to call it off himself when she slid her gaze back to him and patted the spot next to her on the bed. Thrill snapped through him like a whip. He snagged his jeans off the floor, pulled a condom from the pocket, and set it on the nightstand.

His lover’s questioning gaze bounced between him and the tiny piece of furniture.

“I’m not quite ready yet. I want to study you—feel you,” he informed her.

The desire in her gaze couldn’t have deepened any more, but he would try his best to see if he could intensify it.

He slid onto the bed and snuggled in beside her throwing the covers over them. As he kissed her, he splayed his hand over her warm stomach, and slowly moved it down, over her mound, to her thighs, as far as he could reach without breaking contact with her lips. Her soft skin felt amazing.

The touch of her fingertips burned paths over his shoulder and back.

His lips tingled as he trailed kisses down from her mouth, over the side of her jaw, to her earlobe. She squirmed when he touched his tongue lightly to the indentation behind it. A slight quiver of excitement raked through him at discovering one of her ticklish spots, and he could hardly wait to locate more of them. From that area, he took his time trailing kisses down the side of her neck working his way toward the front.

Tilting her head back, she gave him better access. He didn’t stop until his mouth reached the swell of her breast where he ran his tongue over the smooth skin.

He drew his hand upward from her thighs and placed it on her mound. She parted her legs slightly and ground into his hand. He dipped a finger into her moist channel, then withdrew and circled it over her tight bud. Her breath hitched, and her hips rose.

“Not yet,” he whispered.

She sighed.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins at her responsiveness to him.

He skimmed his hand up not stopping until he reached a breast. He kneaded it as he lowered his mouth and captured the taut nipple of her other breast between his lips and tugged slightly. Doing the same with his fingertips on the opposite breast he drew another satisfied moan from her lips.

Her hand clasped around his dick, and she stroked. His heart hammered. He’d nearly forgotten how much he loved—desired, needed— a woman’s touch.

When she ran the pad of her thumb lightly over the tip of his penis, urgency hit him so hard he couldn’t stand it. He needed to be in her.

Dax spun away from her and snagged the condom off the nightstand. His hands shook slightly as he sheathed himself, then he willed his nerves to calm, to slow himself down. More than anything, he wanted to make this special, not hurried like a sex-craved teenager.

The second he caught hold of Natasha’s emerald gaze, it was like the world stopped. He stared at her and studied the depths of her beautiful irises. His racing heart calmed. This was so right. Despite their hard pasts and how they’d gotten to this moment, he was ready—she was ready.

She reached up, placing her palm against his heart. No words were spoken, but much was said.

He positioned himself over her, bathed in her welcoming green gaze for just a moment longer before he kissed her and pushed into her. Long, slow strokes.

Lovingly, she met his slow pace. Her hips rose and lowered. Her mouth melded with his. Her hands slid fluidly over his back and shoulders.

Being in her felt so good, soft, warm. He tamped down the urgency for as long as he could, but his strokes quickened. His heart raced.

His lover’s tiny hands clamped onto his ass and pulled toward her as her orgasm overtook her. She pulsed around him. He drove deeper, harder, faster. His muscles tightened and his vision went opaque as he exploded with pure pleasure.

He collapsed on top of her, taking a couple of seconds for his muscles to loosen.

Reluctantly, he rolled off his lover, figuring he’d better strip off the condom before he fell asleep. Sleep. He couldn’t, not at her house. People would notice. But, as he rolled off the bed and locked onto her gaze, he couldn’t conceive not falling asleep with her in his arms.

“I’ll be right back,” he whispered.

He slipped into the bathroom, and when he returned to the bedroom, he found Natasha with the covers pulled up to her chin, her long hair fanned out over the pillow. She lifted the covers, and he slid in beside her, wrapping her in his arms.

She snuggled in at the crook of his arm and rested her palm on his chest. Warm breaths floated over his neck, and her silky strands of hair tickled his chin. The comfort of holding her was more than he’d bargained for tonight.

Her slow, even breaths indicated she’d fallen asleep.

Inhaling deeply, he took in her tantalizing scent. Vanilla. The same scent his late wife had worn.

Jillian.

His heart seized. Guilt saturated every cell of his being. His limbs went cold and numb. He’d never imagined he’d feel strongly about a woman again, but he had. It had come out of nowhere and hit him hard in just a short time. Yeah, he’d known Natasha for a while now and admired her. She was smart and well respected at work. But suddenly, he saw more of her on a personal level—beautiful, inside and outside.

Natasha stirred and reached up, tucking the covers under his chin.

His muscles tensed.

His lover lifted her head and looked at him. “Are you okay?”

Was he?

Concerned green eyes studied him. The warmth of her gaze pushed his unease aside.

“I couldn’t be better.”

A full smile stretched across her face before she leaned forward and kissed him. He eyed his jeans on the floor; he’d need another condom.

Natasha’s skin sensitized under Dax’s fingertips. Those leathery hands of his turned to velvet as he fluidly slid them over her. It had been so long since she’d felt a man’s touch, she’d nearly forgotten the thrill of it.

Her lover’s hand closed over one of her breasts. He squeezed slightly then dipped his head. The warmth of his tongue washed over her nipple, then he sucked it into the heat of his mouth and circled it. The need building between her legs was off the charts.

With one hand pressed to the back of his head, she pulled him closer as she skimmed the other from his shoulder over his back. Soft skin stretched over hard muscles. It was no secret this man exercised. She’d be lying to say she hadn’t noticed how his powerful thighs stretched the fabric of his clothing, but the rock-hard feel of them at her fingertips, and between her legs earlier when he drove into her, made her realize just how fit he was.

His skilled mouth moved to her other breast. She arched toward him. Good heavens, she needed him in her.

“Dax.”

Cool air hit her moist breast when he lifted his head to meet her gaze.

“Yes.”

“I need you in me.”

A satisfied smile lifted on his face.

“Me, too, Sweetheart. Me, too.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the endearment. In her entire life, she’d never been called Sweetheart, and she liked the way it sounded coming off his tongue.

Dax rolled away from her, reached down, grabbed his jeans off the floor, and pulled another condom from the pocket.

He moved back toward her, and she snagged the package from his hand. “Let me.”

His irises darkened, and he offered a slight nod as he lay on his back.

She sat up, tore open the wrapper, then studied his magnificent, jutting member. Yeah, that was definitely what she wanted. After sheathing her lover, she straddled him and took him in, moving slowly as she rose and fell. His large hands kneaded her breasts with the pace she’d set. The temperature rose deep in her core.

He slid his hands down, over her stomach, then to her sides where he firmly gripped her hips and pulled her down as he thrust harder. She met his need for more, increasing her pace, grinding firmer against him, working to build those glorious sensations leading to climax. Her muscles coiled tighter; she was close, teetering on the edge of that cliff where just the slightest push would topple her over into orgasmic paradise. She closed her eyes relishing in the climb.

Dax released her left hip and slid his hand to where they were joined. His finger encircled her swollen bud. Her breaths came quicker.

“Open your eyes,” he whispered huskily. “I want to see you.”

She lifted her lids as he’d asked.

His gaze captured hers.

She rose and fell.

He circled and circled.

Lightly, he pinched her sensitive bud. She exploded. Blissful sensations ripped through her as her inner walls pulsed, gripping her lover firmly.

His fingers dug into her hips, lifting and lowering her. His body stiffened and then jerked as he groaned out her name. It was beautiful. The sound of his pleasure. The feel of his pleasure. The scent of his pleasure. It was all beautiful.

She floated forward until their lips met lightly before she rolled to the side of him.

Natasha reached over Dax and shut off her alarm. With as much as she’d looked forward to this long overdue vacation, the last thing she wanted right now was to leave the warmth and security of the curvature of her lover’s arm. But she needed a quick shower before she hit the road to meet her sister at her home, then off to the airport.

“No,” Dax groaned as he pulled her back into place, wrapping her snuggly in his arms.

She giggled. “I’d love to stay in this warm, cozy bed with you, but I need to get up. I don’t think the airline will hold the plane for me.”

She made a move to roll out of bed, but he gripped her more firmly and pulled her onto him. His mouth met hers. Sweet, light kisses turned more urgent. She knew if she didn’t get out of bed this instant, she’d miss her plane.

Mustering all the willpower she could, in one swift movement, she pulled her lips from his and rolled off the mattress.

By the time she finished showering and dressed, the aroma of coffee wafted through the house. She found Dax dressed and sitting at her kitchen table.

He looked up from his phone. “Just checking the weather. You should have a clear drive to the airport.”

Having about fifteen minutes before she needed to leave, she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat across the table from her handsome lover.

“I’d offer you breakfast, but I emptied my refrigerator because I’ll be gone for the week.”

“That’s okay.” He winked at her. “My appetite has been more than satisfied.”

Her cheeks heated, and she giggled nervously. Those were such odd words from such a reserved man—the side of him she saw at work.

She glanced at the clock and pulled a frown.

In response, he rose and made his way to her front door with her in tow.

He paused and spun to face her. “Have a great trip. I will wait impatiently for your return.”

He leaned forward and gave her a lingering peck on the lips.

With her fingers pressed to her tingling lips, she kept her gaze on him until he climbed into his truck and pulled away. Though it would be a week filled with fun in the sun, it would be a long week without him.