Her legs dangled and she was talking and waving her hands in animated fashion. Her cheek dimpled with a smile and her eyes twinkled. It dawned on him that she hadn’t smiled much and certainly not so unreservedly.
Micah was right. She was fucking beautiful.
Her eyes dimmed when she caught sight of him and she crossed her arms over her chest as she stared past the cops. They turned and followed her gaze to where Connor stood, and he got the impression he wasn’t a very popular guy right now.
He folded his arms in an imitation of hers and cast a baleful look in her direction.
One of the cops, a guy who made Connor feel small, and Connor wasn’t a small guy, headed in Connor’s direction, a frown etched into his face.
“You the guy who’s supposed to be looking out for Lyric?”
Connor sighed and nodded. “You Sergeant Willis?”
“Yeah, I am. Lyric said you were being a dickhead so she took off. She stopped me to ask me for an escort. Said some crazy stalker is after her.”
“Well, at least she had the sense to ask for help,” Connor muttered.
“She shouldn’t be out on her own.”
Connor stared the officer down. “Try telling her that.”
Sergeant Willis nodded. “We did. We sat her down after we figured out who she was. We gave her a Breathalyzer. I thought she’d been drinking.”
Connor chuckled. “She’s a handful.”
“She’s nice. Not at all uppity like some of the magazines say. She gave all the boys autographs and let them take pictures with her. She even offered us tickets to the rodeo the night she’s performing.”
Leave it to Lyric to make conquests and make Connor look like a first-class asshole for not falling under her spell. She could be positively charming when she wanted to be.
“Can I take her home now?” Connor asked cautiously.
Sergeant Willis hesitated. “If she wants to go.”
Connor scowled. “She’ll go. She’s been enough trouble for one day.”
He stepped around the sergeant and strode to where Lyric was still sitting on the edge of the desk.
“Are you ready to go?”
Lyric frowned. “No. I don’t want to go anywhere with you. You’re fired. These nice officers have offered to take me back to my hotel.”
Connor sighed and resisted the urge to wrap his hands in her hair and kiss her right there on the desk. The last thing he needed was to get arrested.
“You can’t fire me, Lyric. We’ve been through this before.”
Her frown grew fiercer and she glanced toward Sergeant Willis. “He can’t make me do anything, right?”
Sergeant Willis shook his head. “No, ma’am, he can’t. If you want him gone, say the word. You can even get a restraining order.”
“Oh, for the love of God, Lyric. Be reasonable.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Me be reasonable? You’re the asshole here. I’ve been accommodating. I’ve done everything you asked me to. I even wore this ridiculous outfit so I wouldn’t offend any of your friends. I agreed to let you stay in my hotel room. How am I the unreasonable one here?”
He arched one eyebrow. “What the hell’s wrong with your clothes?”
She gave him a look of disgust. “I’m wearing jeans and a T-shirt and no makeup what so ever.” She glanced up at the officers and let her lips quiver. “He humiliated me in front of his friends.”
They all turned and glared at Connor. Hell. Just what he needed. A bunch of pissed-off cops with their protective instincts riled. He glared back at Lyric, not at all fooled by her acting job. Next she’d probably turn on the tears and they’d all kick his ass.
“Are they going to be able to stay with you every hour of the next two weeks?” Connor challenged. “The threat against you is for real, Lyric. I need you to take it seriously.”
“I take it very seriously,” she gritted out. “If you took it so damn serious, you’d work harder not to piss me off.”
Okay, so she had a point. He blew out his breath and shoved his hands into his pockets. “All right, Lyric. Truce.”
She stared suspiciously at him.
“It’s late. You need rest. You’ve had a headache all day. Let’s go back to the hotel so I can give you some more medicine and get you to bed.”
As he’d hoped, the other cops nodded their agreement. Score one for him.
“It’s a good idea, Ms. Jones,” Sergeant Willis said.
She scowled at the sergeant. “I haven’t forgiven you for cuffing me yet, so you don’t get a vote.”
“You cuffed her?” Connor demanded.
It was the sergeant’s turn to look uncomfortable. “I thought she might be a little unstable.” He tapped his temple as he spoke to indicate what he meant.
Lyric’s mouth popped open in outrage. “Is that what ten ninety-six means?”
Sergeant Willis gave her a sheepish look. “Yes, ma’am. We don’t normally use call signs, but I thought if you understood what I was saying over the radio, you might prove more difficult.”
“Men,” she muttered. “All assholes. I ask you for help and you think I’m psycho.”
Connor held in his laughter at her disgruntled look. “Can we go now?”
“Oh, all right. I’ll go with you. But if you piss me off again, I’m going to get that restraining order Sergeant Willis said I could have done.”
Every single one of the policemen fished a card from his wallet and thrust it toward Lyric. All with the assurance that if she ever needed anything, she had only to call.
Lyric smiled and took each of the cards and thanked the officers for their help. Connor had to hand it to her. She knew how to work a crowd. She had every one of the cops eating out of her hand. Hell, if she kept it up, she’d have him eating out of her hand.
“The BMW is still at the gas station,” Lyric mumbled when she got to him. “How are we getting to the hotel?”
“I’ll call a cab.”
“One of us will be happy to drive you back to the gas station to pick up the car,” Sergeant Willis offered. “I’m assuming you have the keys this time.”
Connor pulled the keys from his pocket and then turned to Lyric. “You and I have a lot to talk about, starting with how the hell you learned to hot-wire a car.”
CHAPTER 10
Angelina walked into the bedroom where Micah was already lying on the bed. Propped on his elbow, he watched as she closed the bedroom door and the glitter in his eyes told her what was to come.
Her breath hitched in her throat. She never got tired of that look. It was tender and possessive. It was dark and loving. It was all the things that made her feel cherished beyond measure.
“Undress for me,” he commanded in a quiet voice. “I want to see you and our baby.”
She obeyed without question, her hands sliding to the buttons of her shirt. Slowly she pulled away her clothing, letting the shirt and then her pants drift to the floor until she was clad in only her panties and bra.
Then she reached behind her to undo the clasp of her bra. The straps slid over her shoulders and the cups came away, baring her breasts to his avid gaze.
They were heavier now. She’d always been a bit small, or at least she considered them small. Micah had never complained. But now she’d gained at least a cup size, and they were tender and swollen from her pregnancy.
Micah took extra care when they made love. As demanding and as dominant as he was, he was terrified of hurting her. He was no less commanding than ever, but he was exquisitely gentle now that she carried his child. She hadn’t felt the kiss of a whip in months. Hadn’t felt the thrill of the rougher edge of his dominance.
In time it would return. For now they delighted in a new way to make love. It was as much a discovery as the rest of their relationship, and Angelina cherished every moment.
When her underwear whispered down her legs to coil at her feet, she heard the swift intake of Micah’s breath.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked in a hoarse, low voice.
She raised her gaze to meet his and drowned in the warm chocolate of his eyes. They burned with so much love and desire. Her heart swelled with love. Her love for him. He was hers. She was his. They had created a child together. They had created love.
“I feel beautiful when you look at me,” she said honestly.
His eyes softened. “I want you to always see how beautiful you are when you see the way I look at you. I want you to know how loved you are.”
She smiled and waited quietly for his command. She loved moments like these when she awaited his pleasure, knowing he was content to just look at her.
“Come to me,” he said.
She crawled onto the bed and sank to her knees as she stared down at his muscled body. So perfect and beautiful. He was dark—nearly as dark as her own skin, though he had no Hispanic heritage. His hair was dark brown, so dark it looked black.
The same dark hair coiled at the juncture of his thighs and his cock lay to the side, semierect as if awaiting her attention.
She remained still, content to wait for Micah’s command.
He ran his hand up her thigh, to the curve of her waist and then higher to cup the swell of her breast. He toyed idly with one nipple, careful as always with the highly sensitive tips.
“You look tired tonight, Angel. Is your back still hurting?”
“It was earlier. I think I stood too long. It’s better now.”
“Come here.”
He pulled her down, arranging her so she faced away. His hand glided up and down the curves of her body. He ran it over her hip and up to palm her belly. Then he lowered his head and kissed the curve of her neck.
A delicate shiver raced down her spine, spreading goose bumps in its wake.
There was a dip in the bed as his hand left her and he repositioned his body. Then he began rubbing and kneading her back, his hands working sweet magic over her tired, aching muscles.
She moaned softly as he worked slowly down to her buttocks and then back up again to massage her nape.
“Feel good?” he murmured.
Tears pricked her eyelids. It was wonderful, but every day with him was wonderful. After surviving her attack months before, she was grateful for every moment she had with Micah. She lived as if each moment could be their last together, and it was ridiculous because she had the power to cement their lives together.
“Hey, are you okay, Angel girl?”
The worry in his voice made her heart squeeze. How could she find the words to tell him she’d never been better than right here, right now, in his arms?
She turned awkwardly, and in the end, he had to help her as she rotated to face him. Their noses were just an inch apart and she twined her legs with his, allowing his heat to seep into her body.
“Are you going to ask me to marry you again?” she whispered.
There was a brief flash in his eyes she could swear was pain. He stroked her cheek with one finger and then ran it slowly back and forth over her mouth.
“No, Angel. I’ve been pushing too much. I swore I wouldn’t pressure you but I’ve been doing just that.”
She put her finger to his mouth to cut off the words.
“Ask me again. Please.”
A wild spark lit his eyes and the pupils dilated, turning the brown to black. There was hope and fear simultaneously, one warring with the other. She hated the insecurity and hesitancy she saw as he came to grips with what she’d asked.
To her surprise, he pushed himself up and got off the bed. For a moment she wondered if she’d royally screwed up. But he reached for her, holding out a hand.
She slid her palm over his and he helped her to the edge of the bed until she sat with her legs hanging over the side, her feet just brushing the floor.
Still holding on to her hand, he knelt on the floor so they looked each other in the eye. Nervousness bunched in her stomach and her breathing shallowed until she realized she was holding it.
Micah raised her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss into the softness of her palm. Then he slowly pulled it away and gazed directly into her eyes.
“Will you marry me, Angel? Will you spend the rest of your life with me? Love me the way I love you? Have my children, grow a family with me, grow old with me and spend a lifetime allowing me to love you the way you deserve to be loved?”
Completely undone by the heartfelt words, she stared in wonder as tears slid silently down her cheeks. She raised her hands and cupped his face, gazing into the eyes of the man she adored—had always adored.
“You once told me that when I knew without a doubt that you loved me more than life and that when I trusted you with my heart, it was then you wanted me to marry you. I should have said yes a long time ago,” she whispered. “Yes. I’ll marry you. I love you. I’ll always love you.”
He rose up and crushed her to him. He held her tight, his entire body trembling against her. She felt every breath, every beat of his heart as it pounded wildly against her throat.
“Oh God, I love you, Angel girl. So much. So damn much. I thank God I didn’t destroy your faith in me, that I didn’t destroy your love. I couldn’t live with myself if I had. You and Nia are my world. I love you both so much.”