Falling Awake(59)
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz

He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, urging her to open her mouth for him. When she did, she felt the edge of his tongue gliding along her lower lip. With a soft little sigh, she gave herself up to the embrace, turning so that her br**sts were comfortably crushed against his chest.

He tugged her pullover off over her head and unfastened her bra. She unbuttoned his shirt with fingers that had started to shake.

Ellis fell backward onto the cushions, taking her with him. He kept one foot on the floor and raised his other knee. She wound up draped along the length of his body, cradled between his thighs. Somehow her clothes melted away.

“Tell me your dreams,” Ellis said against her throat. “The ones where we make love.”

She could hardly breathe. “What do you want to know?”

He slid his hand down the length of her spine and squeezed her derriere. “I want to know what I do to you in your dreams.”

She was suddenly on fire from head to toe and it wasn’t from passion. She had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. He wanted her to tell him the details of her erotic fantasies. She had a feeling he was not talking about the costumes she scripted for him.

“Tell me,” he coaxed, fingertips sliding up and down her spine.

A series of vivid dream fragments flashed through her brain. Words failed her. She couldn’t talk about any of those things out loud.

“Do I touch you like this?” He traced the curve that divided the twin globes of her bottom.

She dropped her head onto his chest. “Ellis.”

“Or like this?” His fingers moved lower. “You can just whisper the answer in my ear.”

“Mmmph.” There must be something she could say that would sound more seductive, more sophisticated, something a tango dancer would say, but she was rapidly losing the ability to think, let alone speak clearly.

“How about this?” He eased one finger slowly into her, probing gently.

“Ellis.”

“I take it the answer is yes?”

She could feel the firm, solid shape of his erection through the fabric of his trousers. Reaching down she unzipped him carefully and took him into her hand. His breathing roughened perceptibly.

She put her lips to his ear. “Definitely a yes.”

“Keep talking,” he said in a voice that was starting to grow hoarse. “As you can see, I respond well to positive reinforcement.”

“I noticed.” She tightened her grip on him. “That feels good.”

“How about this?”

“Yes.”

“And this?”

“Oh my, yes.”

And then she told him her dreams.

Some time later, he told her his.

28

ellis emerged from the bathroom zipping his pants. He walked back into the living room where Isabel was still sprawled on the sofa, a chenille throw covering her hips.

She yawned, opened her eyes and studied him through half-lowered lashes. “Is it morning yet?”

“Not even close.” He finished fastening his pants. “Eleven-ten.”

“Just as well, because I’m exhausted.”

“I’m not exactly ready for a marathon, myself.” He reminded himself that he had work to do. But it was hard to resist the contented, relaxed sensation that had seeped into his bones. “Got to tell you, I thought my late-night fantasies involved some fancy gymnastics, but yours make mine look like a walk in the park.”

“Hah.” She gave him a smug smile and curled herself into a more comfortable position, pulling the chenille throw over her mostly nude body. “After trying out a few of yours, I don’t think I could even take a walk in the park, at least not for another week or so.”

He surveyed her from her elegantly arched feet to her tousled hair. She looked incredibly sexy lying there, still damp from their lovemaking. The scent of spent passion lingered in the atmosphere. He could feel himself stirring, growing hard again.

He reached down and patted her bare shoulder. “The good news is that we’re both Level Fives. Between the two of us, we should be able to dream up plenty of interesting positions and techniques.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” she agreed demurely. “I haven’t even started dressing you yet.”

He laughed. “You want me to get dressed before we do it again?”

“Wait until you see the wardrobe I’ve been working on for you.”

“Wardrobe?” He was getting curious now.

“Never mind.” She stood, tightened the throw around her br**sts and kissed him lightly on the mouth before sauntering off toward the bathroom. “I’ll explain everything when the time comes.”

“Sure. Fine. I’m flexible.” He enjoyed the sight of her hips swaying seductively as she sashayed into the hall. “Just as long as this wardrobe you have in mind doesn’t involve any of those little leather thongs designed for the male anatomy or see-through briefs. I don’t do leather or see-through stuff.”

She gave him a look of sultry innocence and seductive promise. “Let’s make it a surprise, shall we?”

She vanished into the hallway.

He smiled, recklessly allowing himself to savor this unfamiliar kind of intimacy. He should probably be worried about the sense of possessiveness that had taken root deep inside him but he didn’t want to think about it now.

He crossed the room to the glowing computer screen and looked at the data that the highly specialized search program had collected while he was fooling around on the sofa with Isabel.

The name of the Brackleton Correctional Facility had popped up three more times. Excitement pulsed through him.

He heard the bathroom door open.

“Here we go,” he said over his shoulder. “Gibbs, McLean and the others did time in the same prison. They weren’t there together, but it can’t be a coincidence that they’re all linked to that place.”

Isabel emerged from the hall tying the sash of her robe. “What does that tell you?”

“I don’t know yet, but it’s a connection and I’ve been needing one of those real bad.” He slid onto the chair and started hitting the keys. “Damn well should have seen it sooner.”

“What now?”

“I’m going to search for everything I can find that relates to Brackleton Correctional Facility and hope like hell I get something I can use.”

She patted another yawn. “I’ll finish the rest of Dr. B.’s recent files.”

half an hour later she picked up the next to the last folder in the stack. Sphinx, comfortably resettled on her lap, twitched his ears.