He seemed unbothered by her presence or her anger. “Watch the mattress. It's a little lumpy."
She climbed gingerly onto the bed, keeping a good foot between them as she leaned back against the pillows. She opened the camera again and surveyed the room through the viewscreen. “Still barely sixty-two in here."
Reed was silent for a moment, then reached back and rapped his knuckles on the headboard. “Anybody home? Come out and talk to me, why don't you?"
Sara held her breath, watching him in silence. The stillness of the room was almost eerie, the sort of quiet that she was unused to. She'd never realized how much noise the simple electronics in her apartment made, or how accustomed she'd grown to the sound of footsteps in the apartment above her or vehicles rumbling by in the street.
No such sounds broke the stillness of the room. The only sounds were their breathing and the soft pounding of her heart in her ears as she stared at Reed and struggled against temptation.
Chapter Three
Sara was watching him again.
Reed shifted uneasily on the heavy bedspread and tried to ignore her gaze as it burned into him. She was impossible to figure out. Every time he thought he had a handle on her, she did or said something inexplicable and confused him once again.
Finally, he sighed and turned his gaze to hers. “What did I do this time?"
It was too dark to be sure, but he thought she might have blushed. “Nothing."
"Then why are you staring at me?"
She jerked her gaze to the ceiling. “You're the medium. I figured if anything interesting happened, it'd be around you."
He smirked at her. “Ghosts don't pop out of my ears, or anything, if that's what you're thinking."
"Too bad.” It was muttered just low enough that he was sure he wasn't meant to hear it.
He decided to let it slide. “Place seems kinda dead, anyway. No pun intended.” He sat up and surveyed the room. “Hey! Medium, right here. Come and get it!"
"Oh, Jesus. Is this how you conduct a professional investigation? Taunting?"
Reed bristled. “Sorry. I'm supposed to be staring at someone's ass instead, right?” He didn't tell her how to do her work, and he sure as hell didn't need her telling him how to do his. “Why don't you let me handle the hard stuff, okay, princess?"
"Princess? Princess?” A balled up fist hit him in the shoulder, hard enough to hurt. “Get the hell over yourself!"
He should have yelled. He wanted to, even ... just not as much as he wanted to kiss her. She was right there, her eyes sparking with anger and something else. Something he could feel curling in his own belly.
Desire.
He wrapped his hands around her shoulders and dragged her closer, his lips covering hers. A muffled sound escaped her, something that could have been protest—but probably wasn't. Not when her mouth opened under his as she tilted her head to the perfect angle.
He slid his hands up into her hair and urged her mouth open with his tongue. “Kiss me, Sara.” It was crazy, ridiculous. She hated his guts, and he wasn't much fonder of her. “I want you. Kiss me."
She moaned, soft and a little desperate, and he heard a faint thud as she let go of the camera and it tumbled off the bed. A moment later her hands were on his shoulders. She clutched at him and returned the kiss, her tongue venturing out to meet his with a timidity that faded when he cupped her breast and thumbed her nipple.
He laid her back on the bed, his head buzzing with passion. He tore his mouth from hers and kissed a path down her jaw to her neck. “You broke the DVR."
"Shut up,” she whispered, her voice fierce. Her hands dragged at his shirt, pulling it up until her fingers brushed across his lower back. “Shut up and touch me."
He rose up on his knees and yanked it over his head, then reached down to tug at hers. “This is crazy."
"I said, shut up.” She lifted her arms over her head and let him pull the blouse away, revealing a surprisingly expensive looking bra edged in pale blue ribbon.
"Nice attitude.” He stretched out over her and guided one strap down her shoulder. “Are you always this pleasant when you're getting lucky?” He licked the hollow of her throat and groaned when she arched her h*ps up against his.
She dragged her fingernails up his back as she pressed up against him again. “Talk about something sexier than the damn DVR if you want a positive reaction."
"I knew you'd be high-maintenance.” He bit her neck and caught her mouth again, seeking her tongue with his. She wiggled under him, and the insanity of their current situation drifted away to the back of his mind. All he could think of was getting her out of her prim, pressed khakis.
He had no idea how long they kissed. Long enough that she was breathless and panting when she tore her lips away from his, only to move them to his jaw. She licked her way to his ear and bit his earlobe. “Even when I hate you the most, sometimes I can't help thinking about how hot you are. How much I wish you'd pin me against my office door and f**k me."
"Why do you hate me?” He slipped the button on her pants free and pulled the zipper down with a quick jerk.
"Because you're so damn good.” Her underwear matched her bra, tan with baby blue ribbons threaded through the hem. She moaned and curled her fingers around the comforter when his finger traced the edge. “And so damn hot...."
"Yeah? That's a stupid reason.” Reed slipped his fingers under the fabric and down between her legs. “I'm hot and good, and that makes you hate me?” He traced the outer shell of her ear with his tongue. “You're hot. I don't hate you."
She wasn't just hot, she was wet, too. She moaned as his fingers slicked against sensitive skin, the sound ringing in his ears. “I—I'm not as—” Another noise, this one a low whimper as her legs shifted apart to give him better access. “God, who cares."
He did. At least, he should have, but her dislike of him wasn't doing much at the moment to dissuade the throbbing in his cock. “Not me.” He moved his hand, rubbing soft circles over her clit. “Hate me all you want."
"I wish I could.” The words were soft and almost grudging, and swallowed by another moan as she pushed her h*ps up against his hand. “I got dumped because of you."
That stopped him. “You what?"
Sara groaned in protest and clutched at his back. “Fuck, don't stop, don't—” He felt the prick of fingernails in his skin. “Don't stop—"
"You're going to explain that later.” He delved deeper, sliding one finger inside her. “Later, we're going to talk. A lot."
She hissed out a breath and rolled her h*ps up. One hand fell to the waistband of her underwear, shoving at it with a tiny whimper that made his heart pound.
"Off?” he rasped, tugging at her pants. “Dammit, shoes—"
"Off,” she gasped. She twisted, managing to get one shoe off before she ended up tangled in her pants. “Help, Reed."
He rolled off her and sat up. He yanked off her other shoe and dragged the khakis down her legs along with the lace panties, then reached for his own belt. After a few seconds, he groaned. “Fuck it.” She'd started to sit up, but he pushed her back down and urged her knees apart, settling his upper body between them.
Sara propped herself up on her elbows and her auburn hair tumbled over her shoulders to frame her face. “Fuck what?"
"My belt,” he groaned. “Too complicated.” He stroked her with his thumb, then bent his head and rasped his tongue over her clit. “Later."
"Oh—oh God—” She let out a throaty moan. “The belt's too complicated but you can still handle oral sex?"
"No belt right now,” he confirmed, licking her again. “I'm busy.” She filled his senses, and he groaned against her skin. “Jesus, I want you."
"Yes. Yes—” Her h*ps jerked when his tongue circled her clit. “Jesus Christ, Reed, you can do anything you damn well want to me."
"Good.” He raised his head for a moment and grinned wickedly. “Hold on to something."
She fisted her hands around the bedspread as he eased his hands under her ass and lifted her hips. He started slow, barely letting the tip of his tongue touch her, then hummed against her skin. “Do you like it like this, or faster?"
"I—” Her voice broke. “I don't know. Just don't stop."
He didn't. He kept up his easy, teasing pace until she was twisting beneath him, arching off the bed. He steeled himself against the Siren call of her aroused cries and moans as he pushed his finger inside her again and sped the movement of his tongue.
"Reed.” One of her hands left the covers to curl in his hair. “God ... God you're good at this.” She gasped and pulled his hair a little. “Fuck—fuck—"
"Hadn't you heard?” he whispered. “I'm good at everything.” He thrust another finger into her and intensified his efforts, determined to show her just how good he was.
He was rewarded with a broken cry as she arched again, and he groaned when her body tightened around his fingers, tight and wet and God, it would be good to have his c*ck inside her, to feel that clenching heat around him...
He didn't have to imagine how she'd look in the clutches of release. He crooked his fingers a tiny bit and groaned again when she screamed raggedly and came. Her h*ps writhed and her cunt spasmed around his fingers and his name fell from her lips in a throaty, hoarse refrain as she rode out the pleasure he'd given her.
When she finally calmed, he kissed a path up her stomach to her breast. He tugged down the edge of her bra with one shaking hand and circled her nipple with his tongue. “Still hate me?"
She whimpered a little, her hands dropping from his hair and moving to tug at his belt. “Maybe, but not as much as I want you. Remember the last time we fought in my office?"