Bite him?
"Just promise me, Gaby. Your reactions are not all that trustworthy and I don't want to lose my tongue."
His tongue. The tingling turned to a warm energy filling her whole body. "I won't bite you."
The second the words left her, his mouth covered hers. When his tongue touched her lips, Gaby remembered to part them. He dipped in, just a little, and the slick feel of his tongue, the taste of him, did crazy things to her.
She liked it. A lot.
Her hands clenched on his shoulders.
Continuing to tease her, he licked his tongue over her lips, her tongue, her teeth.
Deeper.
They were both breathing hard when he drew back and whispered, "Now, when I put my tongue in your mouth, I want you to suck on it."
Wow. Gaby nodded, and gladly accepted his tongue back. As instructed, she sucked—and it was wildly exciting. For both of them.
Who knew?
The kissing grew hotter, deeper. Both of Luther's hands held her face. He pulled back yet again. Eyes dark and hot, he stared at her, studied her.
Oh no. Did she look different again? Had she changed, as both he and Mort claimed she did?
The panic had just started when, voice rough, Luther instructed, "Don't think, Gaby. Give me your tongue. I'm going to suck on it so you can see how it feels."
At his instruction, worrisome thoughts scattered.
She didn't need any more encouragement than that. Gaby plastered herself to him and mimicked what he'd done to her.
Luther moved closer so that his whole body pressed hers. But, oddly, he didn't touch her with his hands. He kept them flattened on the brick wall at either side of her head.
He freed his mouth with a groan. "Gaby?" He kissed her chin, her jaw. "I'm sorry, but we have to stop or I'm going to lose it."
For one of the few times in her life, she couldn't think of a single smart retort.
"Here's the thing." Putting his cheek to hers, he whispered directly into her ear. "As good as that feels to us both, it's so much better when it's not just a tongue you're sucking on."
Oral sex. Images worked through her mind, vivid and sensual, making her acutely aware of Luther's body against hers. "You're hard."
"I keep imagining your mouth on me, and hell yeah, I'm hard."
She could see why. The idea excited her, too. "As long as you're being so talkative and honest, I have another question."
"God help me."
Because she had to know. Gaby asked with tentative uncertainty, "Do I look different right now?"
Luther kissed the bridge of her nose, her forehead, her chin. "You look sexy. Turned on. But also a little afraid." His warm smile took the insult from the words. "All reasonable reactions from a virgin."
"But I don't look… weird?"
He smoothed back her hair—and measured his words. "I'll admit that you change so much, I can't keep up. And yes, you look different from how you normally look." The smile evaporated, replaced by concern and reassurance. "But never would I use the word weird. Just different, Gaby."
Shit. Ashamed, she turned her face away, and Luther brought it back around.
"Your features are sharper, more defined. Stronger. But you're still you, Gaby. No doubt about it. And I like you. A lot. So whatever affliction alters your appearance, please don't let it add to your sadness."
Her sadness. Gaby frowned. Luther saw too much, and made her care far too easily.
Recognizing her expression, he said, "Here we go," with a lot of resignation.
"I'm not afraid, smart-ass, just curious and a little confused."
He widened his stance and looked down his nose at her. "About what?"
"All this sucking business. I mean…" She nudged her belly against his erection. "I might be unschooled on sexual things, but I understand anatomy, so I see how it'd work on you. But for a woman…"
The sound he made was half laugh, half groan. "You'll have to trust me on this. Women have other places that are equally… receptive to a tongue, or a soft suck."
"Where?"
He groaned again. "I can't talk about this anymore." Leaning back to look at her, he whispered, "But one of these days, I'd like to show you."
"Yeah, well, don't hold your breath. What either of us wants won't matter in the long run. Sex for me isn't likely."
She couldn't see it anywhere in her immediate future, for sure.
Though she'd like to.
Especially now, after this little demonstration from Luther. "That's why I shouldn't have asked you about this, I guess. But Mort wouldn't tell me—"
"I'd have punched him if he had."
Gaby shoved Luther back the length of her arms. "Mort is my friend now. Don't hurt him."
"I was kidding. He's my friend, too." He put his forehead to hers. "But I'd rather you come to me with those types of questions. Okay?"
"I don't know. I don't like feeling this way. I meant it when I told you it was cruel to get all this started. There's so much that we still have to do. Those cancerous things are still loose and someone hit you in the head, and Dr. Marton—"
Yet again, his hand covered her mouth. "I'm sorry if I've frustrated you, Gaby, if I've made you more aware of things you wanted to pretend didn't exist. But I don't want you involved with any of my police work."
She fried him with her gaze.
Disgruntled, Luther sighed. "I can handle it, I swear."
She shook her head. He couldn't, and that was the plain simple truth.
Just that easily, Luther turned back into a cop instead of a lover. He released her and took a step away. "Damn it, Gaby, promise me you won't get involved."
"I can promise you I will." She sidled out from between the wall and his bricklike body. "And before you start threatening to arrest me again, remember that you gave me your word, too."
"Only to keep our conversation last night between the two of us."
Anger sent the lust away. "Fine. So I could trust you last night, but not today? I should have realized that. I won't make the mistake again."
She turned to walk away, and Luther caught her arm.
Bad temper had her swinging before she thought better of it. Luckily, given his concussion, he twisted enough that her fist landed on his shoulder and not his already injured head.
"Enough."
His blustering didn't faze her. She lowered her fists and curled her lip. "Let me guess. Horniness makes you meaner than usual."
Left eye twitching, Luther stared at her. His eyes narrowed more. Then he nodded. "I suppose it does."
That reply so took her by surprise, Gaby almost grinned. The lighthearted feeling was so alien to her that it left her disconcerted. "And you call me dangerous."
"Gaby, wait."
"For what? You want to tease me more?"
"No, actually…" He straightened to his full height. "I want to ask you out on a date."
"Are you out of your fucking mind?"
Well, Luther thought, he should have expected just such a reaction. On some topics, Gaby could be very predictable.
Especially when she made cavalier confessions about stabbing rapists in the dead of the night.
It wasn't easy, but Luther tamped down his temper again. The best way to protect Gaby and to learn all her secrets—secrets he felt certain would help unravel his current mystery'—was to get closer to her.
He liked that idea on several levels, only one of them being personal interest.
If it turned out she really was just a confused, mixed-up product of her upbringing, great. But if she was somehow involved with the murder of that man, and his attack, he'd prosecute her just as he would any other criminal.
Regardless of how it'd hurt him to do so.
He'd thought about it, and he knew how to counter the many arguments she'd have against a growing relationship. "No, I'm sane enough. I think."