Hearts & Diamonds by Nichelle Gregory

gaze running over Quin’s tapered back as he turned away from her.
    It wasn’t fair for him to be so sexy.
    He turned around as he ended the call. “I hate to do this, but I—”
    “Have to go, I understand.” She suppressed the urge to shiver as his gaze ran over her.
    “It’s work.”
    His expression was unreadable as she nodded, her eyes dipping down to the hard six-pack she hadn’t yet tasted. He obviously hit the gym with the same amount of dedication he gave his job.
    “Are you okay?”
    “I’m good.” She wasn’t. Her stomach was twisting in a million tiny knots of need and uncertainty as he stared at her. She could almost feel him pulling away, putting up a wall between them.
    “Your house will be under constant surveillance, so don’t worry about anything.” He picked up his sweater and slipped it over his head. “Hopefully, tomorrow, I’ll call you with some news about the case.”
    “Sounds good.” Nia almost laughed at her easy nonchalant response when she felt anything but nonchalant. Maybe it was best he was leaving, she really needed a moment to regroup. “Would you like some pie to take with you?” The polite question almost made her laugh after what they had just been doing.
    Quin’s grin was wicked…and incredibly sexy. “I can’t resist pie.”
    “Good.” She smiled back and moved past him towards the kitchen. Her eyes dropped to the knife that had fallen to the floor when he…
    Focus on the pie, Nia, only the pie.
    With a shaky hand, she cut him a generous slice, sealed it tight in a plastic container and walked over to the door where he stood fully dressed. “Here you go.”
    “Nia…” He took the pie and draped his coat over his arm. His voice had deepened, taking on the accented rough edge she now loved.
    “Quin.” Only an inch or two of space lay between them. For a brief second she saw something in his eyes that had the potential to melt every bone in her body then it was gone. She wanted another display of the heat and passion she knew he possessed.
    On impulse, she stepped forward on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She let out a small moan as he swept her up in his arms, returning her kiss with enough sizzle to melt all the snow around her block.
    When he finally pulled away, Nia was pleased to see emotion in his eyes again.
    Mission accomplished.
    “Good night, Quin.” She opened the door and shuddered as a blast of cold air washed over her bare legs.
    “Good night.” His gaze fell to her lips then he stepped past her and into the frosty night air.
    She watched him walk down the stairs into the drifting flurries until the freezing wind made her shut the door. They had said good night as if they hadn’t just been having hot wild sex. She’d half-expected him to say, we need to talk about what just happened.
    Nia stared at the knife lying on the dining room floor. Maybe what had happened between them meant absolutely nothing to him other than a quick screw.
    If it weren’t for the tingling ache between her legs and the silverware on the floor, she’d wonder if he’d really taken her on the dining room table. She padded across the creaky wood flooring and leaned over to pick up the knife. Images of his warm mouth all over her wet pussy popped into her mind as she squeezed her sticky thighs together and dropped the flatware again. With a whispered curse she snatched it back up, gathered their plates up from the table and strode into the kitchen. She half-rinsed the dishes, her mind replaying the hungry look of desire in Quin’s eyes as he’d thrust within her.
    He was easily the best lover she’d ever had, an intoxicating mixture of gentle and rough. She had never been as wet or turned on than under his tender…almost reverent attention to her sensitive flesh. He knew exactly what to do to take complete control of her body and give her the most pleasure.
    With the dishes loaded in the dishwasher, she headed to the bathroom