“How did they die?” Trevor asked.
He had on his investigator hat now.
“A drug raid went bad and my dad was shot. My brother was shot trying to help him out of the building.”
Sympathy darkened his eyes. “That’s terrible. Are their killers in prison?”
“For the rest of their worthless lives.” Jocelyn drank a hefty sip of her wine.
“Maybe it’s time you let them go,” he said. “Do what you want to do with your life. Do it for you, not them.”
“Why are you so interested in what I want? Do I not do a good job?”
“You’re one of the best. But I can see your heart isn’t all the way in it. It’s my job to analyze. Don’t take any of this personally. It’s just an observation, that’s all.”
“What do you want out of your life? Why are you an agent?” If he could ask her all of these things, he’d better be willing to share his side. “Was it because of your father?”
“All of us do what we do because of Matthew Colton. I consider it a privilege to work on homicide cases. It’s my honor and my duty to protect people from monsters like him.”
“Then we have that in common, Agent Colton. It’s my honor and my duty to protect my fellow officers from monsters like the ones who killed my dad and brother.”
He met her gaze, a deep discovery of kinship warming the energy between them.
“What would you have done with your life had your father not murdered your mother?”
She knew all about his past because of the case. The serial killer copied his father’s technique.
“I don’t know. Justice is all I’ve ever craved.”
Craved. One of the sexiest things about him was his drive and determination, his ambition to catch killers and his finesse in doing so. She’d learned a lot from him.
Had she just thought the word sexy about him? And then she realized the word had come up before now. She eyed her near-empty glass of wine in suspicion.
“A family of my own would be nice someday.”
He shocked her with that announcement, so mirroring what she’d left unspoken.
“But I think that’s a dream and not a reality, not for me,” he added.
“Why do you say that?” She felt the same way sometimes. Her life would never settle down. The hours and demands of her days took too much out of her. But most of the time, the rewards outweighed the regrets.
“I think you know.”
His intelligence and smooth, friendly way of talking tickled her softer senses. She’d never felt more drawn to him. There had always been an underlying attraction, a physical one. This meeting of minds had only occurred on the job.
“I’m thinking about making it my reality,” she said.
Never had she revealed this to anyone. Why Trevor? Why now? Sure, she talked about babies, but they were always other people’s babies.
She sat close to him, with his dark eyes giving her a rare glimpse of a softer man behind a hardened exterior. Did he want what she wanted but think he couldn’t have it?
The fantasy of having a more peaceful, happy life fell over her. She let it engulf her, no darkness interfering, only light and joy. The excitement in entertaining the possibility of drastic, pleasing change gave her temptation. With none of the restraints of work in the way, her new knowledge of him warmed an intimate place in her heart. His handsome face captivated her. She allowed herself the luxury of taking in every detail.
She leaned closer, propping her chin in her hand. “Who would have thought that a family man lurked behind the dark eyes of the great, intimidating Agent Colton?”
“You like to tease me.”
She smiled, intoxicated with attraction. “You think I’m teasing?”
“When you talk like a poet, yes.”
“I’m just surprised, that’s all. Pleasantly.”
His eyes lowered, bestowing her lips an invisible caress. When his gaze lifted, she felt heat roar to life.
Not giving it a second thought, Jocelyn stood from her chair and swiveled him to face her before taking his face between her hands and pressing her mouth to his.
“What are we doing?” Trevor asked.
Jocelyn had shut her eyes and seemed to drown in a heavy dose of passion.
“Getting personal.”
He smiled against her lips and she took his lower one between hers for a sensuous taste, stirring answering passion in him.
“I got that part.”
Her mouth trailed over the rim of his upper lip. “I love your mouth.” She kissed him as though taking a soft, juicy bite out of a peach. “It’s so full.” She moved to the corner of his lips. “Manly.”
“Just say what you mean.” His heart slammed with excitement. She’d made him hard with the first kiss. And now she coaxed logic clean out of his head.
“I love something else about you, too.” She climbed up onto him, straddling his thighs and rocking herself over his hardness. “That.”
“How can you love it? You’ve never done this before.”
“I’ve seen it. In your pants.”
“You have not.”
She smiled, sexy and alluring, rocking and rolling her hips in slow gyrations.
“Why are you doing this?” Some logic still remained in him. Why and how had this sudden desire reared up tonight? Or was it sudden? Maybe it had been building ever since they started working together.
“I don’t know. It’s just happening. It feels good.”
“Yes.” She felt amazing on him.
She pulled up his shirt and tossed it onto the floor. That invited him to do the same to her. She raised her arms to allow him and then looked right into his eyes as she unclasped her bra.
He stopped a thought that she worked with him. Right now, she didn’t work with him. Right now, she was a woman he desired intensely.
He cupped her breasts. “You’re so beautiful.” He kneaded her and thumbed her nipples. “I knew you would be.”
“So are you.” She kissed him again and ran her hands down his chest to his abdomen, her fingers dipping beneath the waistband of his jeans. Trevor thought he would die of exquisite torture. Reaching for her ponytail, he tugged the band and slid it off. Silky strands of long dark hair slipped free and fell forward, tickling his chest. When she withdrew from a long kiss, he slid his fingers into her hair and looked into her sultry hazel eyes.
She rocked on him again and he reached the threshold of his restraint. In a smooth motion, he stood with her and walked down the hall off the living room, finding the master bedroom and taking her to the platform bed. Depositing her there, he unbuttoned her jeans and took his time pulling them off. Then he removed his while she watched with hot anticipation.
When they were both naked, Jocelyn scooted back on the bed and lay on her back. He crawled over her, nudging her knees apart.
She slid her hand down to his abdomen and beyond, encircling his hardness. He clenched his jaw in a fight to slow his urge to push into her. He reached for her soft wetness, sinking his finger inside. Her mouth parted with a passionate gasp.
He