Strategically Wed Page 14

  Fate had preordained a life of solitariness for him. He had put every bit of his energy into his job. That had always been enough for him.

  A whine jarred him.

  “What’s the matter, sweetie?” Maggie asked the dog, who’d just wakened from his nap.

  Maggie gently nudged Griff, and he forced himself to move so she could lift the small animal.

  As Maggie straightened, Griff saw the flush of color adorning her cheeks and realized he wasn’t the only one who was affected by their closeness.

  “I should take him outside. He probably needs to run around a bit,” she said before rising to her feet.

  Griff knew he should be grateful for the canine’s presence. If the dog hadn’t intervened, who knows what could have happened?

  You’d have made love with her. That’s what would have happened. Not even a cast or stitches would have stopped him.

  Instead of the dashing of cold reality such a thought should have triggered, Griff found himself resenting the intrusion even more.

  Maybe there was only one way to get rid of this foolish need. A quick bounce on the sheets would douse the burning lust and eliminate the sizzling tension between them.

  How much longer before he bit the bullet and begged Maggie to put out the fire inside him?

  He heard the outside door close behind Maggie. The silence became unbearable.

  Left alone amidst her treasures and lingering scent, Griff noticed her absence even more.

  You’re in big trouble, Murdock. Big trouble.

  Chapter 12

  Because of Dwight Conrad’s tracking their whereabouts, Wylie didn’t return to the cabin for fear of someone following him.

  The next week stretched on as Maggie unapologetically used Lucky’s presence to enforce a dividing line between Griff and her.

  Whenever the weather cooperated, she took the dog outdoors and played with him. The greatest danger to her sanity had become the increasing sexual awareness between Griff and her. She had trouble worrying about the unidentified shooter who was behind their forced retreat from Pendleton.

  After Griff threatened to remove his cast himself, Wylie arranged for them to drive to the Michigan Upper Peninsula to see a local doctor.

  It had been less than twenty-four hours since a shorter cast had been put on, allowing Griff greater mobility.

  And the atmosphere between them had become unbearable.

  Maggie spent most of the morning outside, throwing sticks for Lucky to retrieve.

  Griff had stayed inside, taking another stab at the police files.

  It was the middle of the afternoon when he walked down to the dock.

  An army of gooseflesh lined Maggie’s arms as soon as Griff stepped outside.

  Instantly she sensed a change. A new determination radiated from him. And she knew it had nothing to do with the case.

  Grasping for composure, she kept her face trained away from him so he wouldn’t see how raw and exposed she had become.

  She’d been mentally kicking herself for her foolishness in attempting to comfort Griff. Nothing had been the same between them since then.

  How could she have been so stupid as to take him into her arms? Griff Murdock wasn’t a small child who needed a hug.

  He was a strong man who could take care of himself.

  The puppy took a flying leap into a pile of newly dropped leaves. Then he scampered back to Maggie. She reached down and rubbed his ears, earning a grateful lick in return.

  As soon as she finished, the dog trotted over to Griff and collapsed at his feet.

  Griff leaned down and patted the dog’s head. The dog responded by flipping onto his back and letting Griff scratch his outstretched belly. “You’re quite the little beggar, aren’t you?” Griff asked.

  A smile tugged at Maggie’s mouth. “He’s not afraid to ask for what he wants.”

  Griff’s gaze zeroed in on hers. He didn’t disguise the hunger radiating within him. “Maybe that makes him smarter than us.”

  “He’s too young to know what’s good for him.”

  “That’s one theory. Or he could realize that life’s too short, and each of us has to take advantage of the few opportunities that present themselves.”

  “Since when did you start speaking in clichés?”

  “When did you start running?”

  Desperation surged through her. “This isn’t a good idea, Griff. We both should be running.”

  Griff shook his head. “That’s what we’ve been doing and it hasn’t worked. Has it?”

  “This situation is unnatural.”

  “Wanting to make love is completely natural.”

  She almost gasped aloud as he laid his desire out in the open.

  He hadn’t moved a step, yet Maggie felt surrounded by him. She struggled to stay in control. “This Indian summer is undermining our good sense.”

  “The weather has nothing to do with the dreams I’ve been having.”

  “Nightmares?” She made a stab at being glib.

  “No. More like fantasies woven with unfilled desires.”

  The glimmer of amusement appearing on Griff’s face should have lightened the atmosphere between them.

  It did the opposite.

  He was sexier, more approachable—dangerously so.

  Maggie tried to contain the yearning to trace the creases on his face. He wasn’t being fair. She couldn’t think when he alluded to an ecstasy that would never last.

  Or could it?

  Griff’s gaze burned into hers. “Have you ever wanted something so much that you were willing to risk your soul to have it?”

  Her mouth dried at the expression on his face. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Dad.”

  Griff seemed to give her statement some thought. He looked down at the puppy curled at his feet before raising his gaze to hers again. Maggie saw the renewed determination in his expression. “You can’t continue to throw BJ between us.”

  She should turn and walk away. That would be the smart thing to do. Her feet refused to move. “You’re more of a risk than I’m sure I can handle.”

  “Maybe you think I’m just like Conrad and every other weak pervert.”

  He’d given her the perfect excuse to escape. She could hide behind the fears that had held her captive for too long.

  Few men had ever earned her trust or respect. Why should she believe Griff was any different?

  Because he was, the voice in the back of her head said.

  But her personal code of ethics wouldn’t let her evade the truth. In all the years she’d known him, Griff had never been anything but honest. He’d saved her from herself when she’d been caught shoplifting. If she’d continued her wild life of petty crime, she wouldn’t have been able to look herself in the face as an adult. Griff could have ignored her and let her take the consequences.

  Perhaps he’d wanted to save his partner from the repercussions of her actions. His reasoning didn’t matter to her at this point. Griff had always been straight with her.

  And that made him more lethal to her than any other man alive.

  It also made him the most attractive.

  “You’re not anything like Dwight Conrad,” she said.

  “No.”

  “You’re not like my father, either.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Don’t paint any halos on me, Maggie. I’m still just a man.”

  “Is that a warning?”

  “Do you need one?

  “I’m not sure,” she said. “What about you?”

  “I’ve never been more scared in my entire life. The hunger I have burning for you inside me is bringing me to my knees. But I’m also tired of being semi-aroused from halfway across the room. If you don’t want this, Maggie, then say so.”

  She shook her head. “That’s the trouble. I do want it. I just can’t see where it’s going to lead. Where it will end.”

  He offered a half smile. “And after you find the answer to that, you can solve wor
ld hunger.”

  She looked away. “You don’t want to get involved.”

  “So I keep telling myself. But my body refuses to listen.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  He held out his hand to her.

  The decision rested on her shoulders. The few feet of ground that separated them seemed filled with potholes.

  The number of sexual encounters she’d had could be counted on one hand. But it wasn’t a lack of experience that made her hesitate.

  She’d always been able to hold back a part of herself when she’d been with a man. That had protected her from whatever disappointments she’d faced.

  Would she be able to raise that same resistance against Griff?

  That’s what worried her.

  “Maggie, come to me.”

  It was the need in his gray eyes that seduced her. She couldn’t turn away from him, even if she’d wanted to. And the truth was, she didn’t want to.

  The moment her fingers touched his, time became nonexistent.

  He didn’t release her hand as he scooped the dog into his other arm and limped the few steps to the cabin.

  Once inside, Lucky nestled into his homemade bed.

  Griff closed the bedroom door behind them and reached for her. Maggie thought she heard her own muffled groan as his mouth descended to hers.

  The touch of his lips made her body sag into his. This wasn’t like the public kiss in the ER. Griff took his time to thoroughly taste her, while she did her own sampling.

  She hadn’t realized her nerves could sing to the beat of her pulse rate. Every part of her body clamored with need.

  She wanted to feel the heat of his skin against hers.

  As soon as the thought came, she realized her hands were already yanking at the buttons on his shirt. Griff’s were equally as busy, tugging at the lower edge of her short-sleeved sweater and lifting it over her head.

  He tossed it aside and unclasped her bra, dragging it from her body and causing her nipples to harden.

  “Ah, Maggie, you are incredibly beautiful. Do you have any idea how long I’ve dreamed of this?”

  “How long?” She liked hearing the sound of his voice at the same time his hands caressed her bare skin.

  “Since the day you showed up for work at the department.”

  Her fingers halted in their quest to unzip his pants. She remembered that day all too well. “You looked furious. I thought you wanted to lock me in a cell and throw away the key.”

  “I did.” His slow, crooked grin made her heart pick up speed as the back of her knees bumped against the mattress. “But I wanted to be in that cell with you.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me? Why were you so cold?”

  He gently pushed her down on the bed and removed the rest of her clothes. “You were my partner’s daughter and you hated my guts. I figured it was safer for both of us if I kept my distance. Neither of us was ready for this.”

  As he shucked off his jeans, she noticed his bandaged thigh. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this. What about your injuries and—”

  “I don’t need a nurse. I need you.” His words were accompanied by the shedding of his boxers.

  Maggie forgot to breathe. He was beyond magnificent. His desire for her produced a rush of feminine power.

  Why had she waited so long to make love to Griff? The ache inside of her was overwhelming.

  “Griff.” His name came out as a husky moan.

  “What do you want, Maggie?”

  “You.”

  He lowered himself onto the bed next to her and brought his lips down on hers. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and reveled in the width of him.

  This kiss was every bit as mind-boggling as the first one. It was both hot and sweet, accentuated by his hand stroking the curve of her hip.

  She was equally as brazen with her caresses. He had an exceptional body, hard and toned, the kind that any artist would savor. Despite the growing ache in the midsection of her body, she took her time exploring each curve and indentation, loving the sexy growl she earned each time her palm found a new plateau.

  He tasted male and sexy.

  As she solved each new mystery, Griff performed his own investigation. His uninjured hand cupped the weight of her breast before his mouth caught the rigid nipple between his teeth and tugged.

  Sharp desire shot through the core of her body.

  “Griff,” she moaned, hungering for the weight of his body upon hers.

  He lifted his head. “You’re so sensitive to my touch.”

  She reached out to grab his hand and halt his torment of her breast.

  She tried to twist away, but he held her tight and lowered his fingers between her legs. The instant he touched her, she thought she’d explode.

  “Let me touch you,” she begged.

  “If you do, I’ll come apart.”

  Tension heightened in her body. He had total control of every nerve ending, and she instinctively tried to resist him by clamping her legs shut.

  He stopped but didn’t remove his hand. His gaze culled her secrets. “Do you want me, Maggie?”

  “Yes.” She could barely hear her own voice. She was beyond want.

  “Then open your legs for me. Take me inside.”

  She didn’t have to think twice as he released her hands and lifted over her. She reached down and guided him into her.

  Her gaze connected with his as he drove deep inside her. He wasn’t bothering to hide the depth of his need. He made her feel exquisite and cherished as his hands stroked her overly sensitive skin.

  She’d never felt so much a part of anyone in her life. It was as if his body had become part of hers, and she didn’t want it to end.

  She clasped her hands around his shoulders and gloried in the heat and mastery of his possession. For each thrust, she met his.

  The friction between them built. She thought she’d go crazy with the intense pleasure.

  Her hips created their own primitive rhythm and Griff framed her face with his hands. “Slow down, Maggie, or we’ll both go up in flames.”

  “I can’t.”

  Before he could argue, she raked her hands down his back and rotated her pelvis in such a manner that ignited more friction between them.

  “Maggie—”

  His attempt to corral her movements came too late. A climax ripped through her at the same time Griff’s shout muffled into her hair.

  For a long moment afterward, neither of them could move. Griff finally pulled himself from her and rolled to his side.

  “You’re a dangerous woman.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I wanted this to be special for you.”

  “What about for you?”

  “It was perfect.”

  “Really?” Unable to resist, she used her index finger to trace his whiskered jaw. “On a scale of one to ten, I’d say that it was a six.”

  “You’re awfully brazen for a naked woman.”

  “I can run faster than you.”

  Her retort made his eyes narrow. Then he leaned back and laughed.

  Maggie leaned deeper into the covers and watched him collapse on the bed next to her, his chuckles ringing in her ear.

  She’d never seen this side of Griff. There was no sign of the usual coolness he exhibited in the past to hold others at a distance.

  It occurred to her how vulnerable she was at this moment. The true peril spun from the feelings she was beginning to have for the man at her side. She didn’t want to just make love to him again; she wanted to be with him tomorrow and the next day.

  Griff didn’t want that kind of commitment.

  Would he think she expected it?

  Suddenly she felt very conscious of her nakedness. She quietly turned on her side and slipped to her feet.

  “Where are you going?” Griff asked.

  She reached for her shirt and pulled it over her head, feeling strangely exposed. “I thought I heard Lucky. He probably has to go o
utside.”

  “I don’t hear anything.”

  Not bothering to answer, she swung open the door and hurried into the other room. Lucky raised his sleepy eyes and wagged his tail at the sight of her. He didn’t seem eager to move from his bed. Nevertheless, she lifted him into her arms and carried him back into the bedroom.

  Keeping her eyes away from Griff’s naked body, she said, “I think he was missing us.”

  “You almost have him convinced.” Griff’s tone didn’t mask his cynicism.

  She knew the color was rising in her cheeks, but she refused to make any apologies. Lucky squirmed in her arms, so she set him on the bed.

  Griff covered himself with a bedsheet as Lucky curled up next to his side. He saw Maggie grab up the rest of her clothes and dart into the bathroom. So much for his fabulous lovemaking skills. She couldn’t wait to escape the bed.

  Lucky snuggled closer to him. At least the dog liked him.

  A few minutes later Maggie emerged from the bathroom.

  “You didn’t have to get dressed on my account,” he said.

  Her head jerked in a quick nod. “I thought it was safer if one of us was clothed.”

  He tried to search for hidden truths but couldn’t scale the wall she’d resurrected between them. “What happened, Maggie?”

  She turned her head away from him so he couldn’t decipher the thoughts whirling through her head. After a pregnant silence, she said, “I’ve never been very good at pillow talk. I thought I’d just save us both from the awkwardness.”

  He didn’t buy her explanation. “One of us must have been underwhelmed.”

  Some of the rigidity left her body. “You know better than that. Making love with you was like a glimpse of heaven.”

  “But…?”

  “Where do we go from here?”

  “Does that question have to be asked now? We’re not going anywhere.”

  “Then when?” she asked, with stark simplicity and no anger.

  Griff wanted to ignore the truth in her words. “It’s just sex.”

  She flinched at his brutal answer. “If that’s all it was, then we should be able to walk away. Nothing lost. Nothing gained.”

  He wanted to argue but didn’t know what to say. They should be able to walk away. Only he didn’t want to.