Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
~SHANE~
“ D id that just erase itself?” Ivie demands, panic laced through her sexy voice.
“It seems so.”
“Damn it.” She reaches out to start working on the keyboard again, but I stop her. “Maybe I can get it back.”
“If we keep trying, it’ll corrupt itself, and we won’t get anything at all.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
“I’m calling a friend.” I pull my phone out of my pocket, tap the screen, and then reach out and push my fingers through Ivie’s hair as I wait for him to answer.
“Cox.”
“I need your help.” I give him a brief report on what we have going on. “The sooner, the better.”
“Yeah, I can look at it. Just send it through. I’ll get to it later today.”
“No, I need you to come here. I’m not sending this out anywhere.”
There’s a brief pause. “Are you in Colorado?”
“At the ranch,” I confirm and wink at a waiting Ivie. “The sooner you can get here, the better. Wait, are you out of the country?”
“No, I’m in Seattle. I can be there later this afternoon.”
“I owe you one.”
“You owe me about a dozen.”
He clicks off, and I methodically shut down the system and pull the drive out of the slot.
“So, who is Cox?” Ivie asks.
“Cameron Cox is a friend. An old Army buddy and the best computer genius in the country—maybe in the world. I’ve been on missions with him all over the globe. I’d trust him with my life, or yours.”
“And he’s based in Seattle?”
“On an island not far from the city,” I confirm. “His family is there. He’ll be here later today.”
“And he’s just going to drop everything and come here? Just like that?”
I lean back in the chair and watch her. I do enjoy looking at her. The way her hair falls around her face. I want to kiss the little beauty mark next to her eye.
“Cox and I have been through hell and back together. If you get a call asking for help, you help.”
She nods, thinking it over. “If Annika or Nadia needed me, I’d be there in a heartbeat.”
“Exactly.”
“So, you were in the Army?” She follows me up the stairs, and I lock the door behind us. I’ve never had anyone break into my place, but if they did, that room is the last place I’d want an intruder.
“For a few years.”
“But you still work for the government?”
I like Ivie. My feelings for her are strong, more intense than I’ve ever had for a woman before. And I trust her. That’s not the issue. But most of what I do can’t be talked about with anyone. Even if we were married, I couldn’t tell her.
“I do work for the government here and there.” We walk into the kitchen, and I set our dishes in the dishwasher.
“What kind of work?”
I sigh and lean on my hands. “I don’t want to lie to you or mislead you. If you were anyone else, I’d say none of your damn business and go about my day, but you’re not anyone else. I can’t tell you what I do. Everything I do is classified. Locked up so tightly, only the president herself knows all the details.”
Ivie’s eyes widen in surprise. “So, you’re a mobster and a government operative?” She swallows hard and sits on a stool.
“Okay, talk to me.”
“You’re exactly the type of man I’ve avoided all my life. All I ever wanted was a nice, simple life. Nothing illegal going on, nothing to be afraid of. And I had that—until yesterday. I always saw myself with someone boring like an accountant or a small-business owner. Or just something safe. ”
“You can still have those things.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Ivie’s mouth closes, and her brow furrows.
Jesus, I’m a grade-A asshole.
“Of course.” She offers me a polite, fake smile. “I’ll just be in my room.”
“Ivie.”
“I’m fine.” That smile disappears as she turns to leave.
“Stop, damn it.”
But she doesn’t. She flees into the guest room and shuts the door, but I open it and walk right in after her.
“Ivie.”
“I’m not upset,” she says, but tears swim in her eyes, breaking my heart in two. “Really. You haven’t made me any promises. I was silly to think that just because we talked a lot, and you flirted with me, and are so hell-bent on protecting me that this could go anywhere.”
“You’re not silly.” I shove my hands into my pockets because I don’t know what else to do with them. “You’re not silly at all. I’m an asshole for chasing after you when I knew good and well that I could never have you.”
She scowls at me now, and I don’t even flinch because I deserve it.
“I’m right here,” she says, spreading her arms wide. “I’m not married. And I’m not saying no. So why can’t you have me?”
“Didn’t you hear me out there? I can never tell you about my job, Ivie. Ever. I’ll be out there in the world doing some really shady shit that you can never know about. And you said yourself that you don’t want that kind of life. You want a stable one. And while I could always provide for you financially?—”
“I don’t want your money.”
“—I can’t promise you that I’ll always come home from every mission alive.”
She swallows hard. “So, what, you’ve just been playing with me for these months? Was I just something fun to do when you’re not off doing God knows what, God knows where?”
“No.” I push my hands through my hair, pissed at myself. “I told you earlier, you’re addictive. I hate not being able to speak to you when I’m gone. And hearing your voice or seeing you is what I look forward to the most when I come back.”
She shakes her head and crosses her arms over her chest. “I don’t believe you. Shane, I’m not the girl who guys fall for like that. I’m the one they play with. Ask out on a dare. Laugh at me because I’m good with computers and am a little clumsy. I’m not Nadia or Annika.”
“Stop it with this.” Unable to hold myself back, I cross to her and take her shoulders in my hands, mindful that she’s still sore from yesterday. “If that happened to you, it’s because boys are fucked-up in the head. It had nothing to do with you. ”
“Look.” She shrugs out of my hold. “You don’t owe me anything. It was only some harmless flirting. I get it. I’m a big girl, and you’ve just made it perfectly clear where we stand. Understood.”
“Fuck.” I drag my hands down my face in frustration. I want her. I want every inch of her, for today and for the rest of my fucking life. And that makes me the biggest, most selfish jerk in the world because this can’t work. “Ivie, you’re a beautiful woman. You’re funny and smart, and your clumsiness makes you all the more fun. I think you’re amazing.”
“But you don’t want me.” She nods and motions for me to leave. “You can go.”
“No, damn it.” I advance on her and pull her against me, fold my lips over hers and take her. This kiss is desperate, full of fire and frustration. After a long moment, her hands fist in my shirt at my sides, and she holds on as I take us both on a ride. “I want you. I want you so badly it’s fucking killing me.”
“I’m right here. ” A soft sob escapes her throat as I kiss my way down to her collarbone. “Wait.”
She takes my face in her hands and looks deeply into my eyes.
“You’re afraid.”
I start to deny it, but she holds me tighter.
“You are. Why are you scared?”
I tip my forehead to hers and let out a long, even breath.
I’m afraid of falling in love with you and then leaving you here alone.
But I can’t say that. I just can’t. Not right now.
“I’m afraid of a lot of things,” I say at last and brush my fingertips down her cheek. “You being hurt is at the top of the list.”
Her eyes clear, and all of the anger and confusion from a moment ago just evaporates. What’s left nearly takes my breath away.
“Don’t fall in love with me, little dove.”
“No. That would be ridiculous.” Her lips twitch into a small smile. “Are we done fighting now?”
“I feel like that’s a trick question.”
“Looks like we are. Let’s get out of this house. Show me around. I just have to change my clothes. Can we walk the ranch, or will we be in the car?”
I know what she’s doing, and it won’t work. But I don’t want to see the happiness in her eyes disappear.
“We can walk it.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I brought some sneakers. I’ll be ready in ten.”
“Why do you have a bunker?”
We’re standing at the opening, staring down into the black hole.
“Are you a prepper?” she asks before I can reply to the first question.
“I’m the king of preppers,” I say with a laugh. “I’m always prepared for anything.”
“I see that.” She glances around. “Like the nuclear apocalypse.”
“Hey, you never know, right?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “If there’s a nuclear apocalypse, I don’t want to survive it. Do you know how horrible it would be? Horrible. That’s a solid ‘no, thanks’ for me.”
I laugh and tuck her hair behind her ear. “This isn’t here for that. If someone ever breached my property, and all hell broke loose, this is the most secure place on the ranch.”
Her eyes go wide, and she looks down again. “Jesus, Shane. You’re intense.”
“You have no idea.”
I look up at the sound of an engine, just in time to see Curt making his way over to us on an ATV.
“Hey, boss,” he says when he cuts the engine. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks. This is Ivie. Ivie, this is Curt.”
“Ma’am.” Curt offers her a nod. “Everything okay at the house?”
“It’s great. Cox is coming this afternoon.”
“He called me,” Curt confirms. “He should arrive around oh-sixteen-hundred. Been quiet around here while you were gone.”
“We like it quiet.”
“So, Curt, how long have you lived here?” Ivie asks, trying to make conversation.
“Oh, going on about eight years or so now, I guess.”
“Nice. And where are you from originally?”
Curt smiles politely but checks his watch. “I have some things to see to. Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
He nods and takes off to the other side of the ranch.
“What did I say?”
“He doesn’t like to talk about himself much.”
“He’s much younger than I expected,” she admits. “You said he doesn’t like to be around people?”
“No. He saw some bad things in action and has some pretty severe PTSD. He does better being a little isolated. The ranch suits him.”
“Poor guy,” she murmurs. “Okay, do I get to see this super-safe bunker?”
“Sure.”
I lead her down the stairs to the large room below. I flip on lights and step to the side so she can look around.
“Holy shit, Shane. This is huge.”
“Yeah.” I grin and take it all in. “Tunnels run throughout the ranch. There’s one to my house, Curt’s cabin, the barn, and the helipad. All hidden from view, of course.”
“Why are you showing me this?”
“I don’t know, I think it’s pretty cool.”
She laughs and leads me through two bedrooms, a bathroom, and the kitchen. “It is cool. Is this your toy? Like, some guys get expensive cars, and others like boats, but you have a crazy bunker?”
“Something like that, I guess.”
She grins. “You really are 007.”
I chuckle as she steps to me and drags her hands up my arms to my shoulders. Ivie’s never been the aggressor, so I wait to see what she’s got on her mind.
Those hands climb into my hair, and with her breasts pressed against me, she offers me her lips.
I won’t turn down an offer this gorgeous.
This time, the kiss is sweet and slow but no less full of passion. I boost her up so she can wrap her legs around my waist and carry her to the wall so I can let my hands do a little wandering over her gorgeous curves.
She bites my bottom lip, making my already-hard dick jump in surprise.
“God, you’re something.” I nibble my way down her neck, enjoying the scent of lemons on her skin. “I want to fucking consume you.”
“Three months of foreplay is a long time,” she says and hums in satisfaction when my lips return to hers.
Barely holding myself in check, I yank her shirt out of her jeans and let my hand roam over the warm, smooth skin of her side and stomach before cupping her firm breast.
She arches into my hand in invitation.
“Find a bed,” she instructs me. “We need more room, Shane. Somewhere softer.”
“Right. A bed.”
I carry her through a door to a small bedroom and tumble us both onto the unused mattress. No one has ever stayed down here.
Which means, we’ll be christening this room.
I take the tab of her jeans in my teeth and yank the button free, and just as I start to urge them down her hips, my phone beeps.
“Damn it,” I growl and look at the message. “I’m getting really sick and tired of being interrupted by technology.”
“What is it?” Her voice is breathless, and her eyes are on fire.
“Cameron just landed.”
“Oh, he has at least an hour until he’s here, right?”
“No, sweetheart.” I cover her again and kiss her softly. “He just landed on the helipad.”
“Well, damn.”
“Don’t worry.” I kiss her once more and then help us both to our feet. “The first time I have you isn’t going to be in my bunker. It’s going to be in my bed, where I can take my time and memorize every gorgeous inch of you.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, Shane Martinelli.”
I laugh and help her right herself. When we’re both put back together, I kiss her temple. “Let’s go put Cameron to work, shall we?”
“Oh, absolutely. I can’t wait to see what he does to bring that thing back to life.”
“He has tricks and secrets. He’ll get it figured out, and then we’ll know what your father was doing.”
“I’m not sure I want to know.”
“There’s no going back now.”