“Do those feet fit in these shoes?” He held up her pink stilettos.
“Are you Prince Charming?” Unable to resist, she opened the door wider. “If my foot fits, will you carry me away to your castle to be your princess forever?”
“I’ll arrest you for leaving the scene of a crime.”
Laughter bubbled up in her chest. This was so absurd. So utterly unlike Jay. He’d done this for her. Dressed up for her. And this game—this role play—was something he must have known she would love. A thick warm rush of feelings swirled through her, cloaking her in warmth. Before she had even made the conscious decision, she had fully opened the door.
“That’s not very romantic.” She moved to the side to let him in. “I suppose you can check the place out if you must, but you won’t find any stolen property here. It’s just me and my cat. My roommate is out on a hot date”
“We’ll see about that.” Jay stepped into the apartment, his uniformed presence filling the room. She was suddenly and acutely aware that beneath her robe she wore only an old T-shirt and plain white cotton pants.
Marmalade padded over and rubbed himself against Jay’s legs to say hello. Jay broke character to give Marmalade a good pet before crossing his arms over his massive chest. “Let’s get started.”
“I need to freshen up. I wasn’t expecting visitors. You can check out the kitchen.” She turned and raced for her bedroom, giving him a suggestive wiggle. Behind her, Jay gave a soft grumble of approval.
Closing the door, she put on the lingerie he had liked so much. Deep red with lace edging, the balconette bra and barely there panties had been an extravagance, considering she had sworn off relationships for life. She had just belted her robe when he slammed open the door.
“Kitchen is clear.”
“There isn’t much to check in here. Just the closet. Feel free to have a look.” She sat on the bed and leaned back on her hands, letting the robe fall open just enough to give him the smallest peek.
Jay didn’t even glance in her direction. Instead, he pulled open the closet door and rummaged inside.
“What’s this?” Jay held up an unused personal vibrator, still in its box.
Zara’s cheeks flamed. “That’s not mine. Someone must have put it in there.”
“Very suspicious.” He placed the box on the dresser. “I’ll leave it out for further inspection.”
After he finished with her closet, he opened the dresser drawers one by one, giving her a lovely view of his perfect ass. “Nothing here. Time for the personal search.”
His hard, searching gaze sent a thrill of arousal down her spine. She bit back a moan, her skin flushing with heat.
“Something wrong?” He took a step closer, loomed over the bed. In the dim light, his body seemed larger, menacing, his muscles tight and hard. He was so believable in his officious confident arrogance that it was almost too easy for her to get lost in her role as the thief who’d been tracked down to her lair. “You seem nervous. Are you hiding something from me?”
Zara licked her lips and scooted back on the bed. “No. Of course not.”
Without warning, Jay reached over and grabbed her belt. With a hard yank, he pulled her toward him. Her robe slid up her thighs and Zara licked her lips in shameless hunger. Did he know how wet she was? How her breasts ached? How desperately she wanted him?
Jay gave a satisfied growl, holding her in place. “The law requires your consent for a search.” He pulled her closer, his gaze hot and roaming. “I have to warn you. I am very thorough.”
“I have nothing to hide.” She was burning. Liquid fire rushed through her veins, pooling between her legs. It was like Jay had plucked her deepest darkest fantasies from her mind and was making them all come true.
He gave a small, calculating smile. “I don’t leave anything untouched, sweetheart.”
“I’m not your sweetheart.”
“You will be when I’m done with you.” He devoured her with his gaze, his eyes so dark they were almost black. “Robe off. I need to assess the search area.”
She slid the robe over her arms and lay back on the bed. “How’s this?”
He inhaled sharply, his gaze raking over her body, and then again more slowly in blatant sexual appraisal. “I see you’ve decided to make things difficult, but I can’t be distracted.”
“I’m not afraid of you.” She arched her back, parted her legs just enough to tease. Did he think he was the one in control?
“You should be.” His voice dropped to a husky growl. “Hands over your head. If you don’t think you can keep them there and out of my way, I’ll make sure you do.” He yanked the belt from her robe and dangled it in front of her.
Zara understood right away what he was asking, but she was up for anything tonight. Anything to avoid the elephant in the room. His unspoken question. Her unknown answer.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to stay still. Who knows what could happen if my hands were free? I might get into all sorts of trouble.”
He tied her hands together above her head with the soft terry belt. “Problem solved. Now let’s get to the search.” Standing at the foot of the bed, he removed his sunglasses and then unfastened his utility belt.
“What are those for?” Her eyes flicked to the handcuffs, then up to his face.
“You get those if your hands don’t stay above your head.” He straddled her thighs, the soft wool of his trousers an erotic burn against her skin. Without lifting his gaze, he ran the tips of his fingers over her nipple hard beneath her bra, sending a bolt of pure need straight through her body.
“I thought you were conducting a search,” she gasped.
He grinned at her, his mouth now hovering over her breast. With one deft move he slid his hand behind her back to flick the catch of her bra then shoved it out of the way. “I am.” The rasp of his tongue over her nipple tore a strangled cry from her throat. She writhed on the bed, but his body weight kept her lower half still and the belt kept her hands from moving.
“The first part involves lowering your defenses,” he continued. “How am I doing?”
“Well, since I can’t move and I can’t think because my brain is fuzzed with lust, I’d say pretty well.”
“Excellent.” He licked his lips. “Let’s continue.”
She shivered as he circled one breast, and the other, dragging his hot, wet tongue over her nipples until they peaked. When she didn’t think she could take any more, his palms engulfed her breasts and he squeezed and stroked until need coiled tight in her belly. She was ready. So ready. Her hips tilted up slightly, inviting.