Chapter Seven
Talia
I wake up feeling sore in the best possible way.
I don’t have a single regret about last night.
How many people receive second chances? It isn’t like we are talking about forever, something I don’t believe in, anyway.
Even my parents, as in love as they were, had their lives cut short.
People die. Leave. It is better to keep things casual, and that is what I have with Shane.
No matter how fantastic the sex or how much I like and admire him, this is a passing fling.
Besides, we live very different lives, his a fast-paced rush of adrenaline in his line of work for McKay-Taggart, and mine with long hours in the lab.
Neither of us has time for relationships.
His job cost him his marriage. No matter how much I enjoy his company, no matter how my feelings for him are continuing to grow, I have to remember reality. And act accordingly.
I ought to look to his actions now, as well. Shane is all business as we rush our individual showers—because he insists we don’t have time for him to get distracted by my naked body—and though I don’t sense he has any misgivings, he isn’t getting all soft and mushy, either.
We gather our things and hit the road, agreeing to stop for gas and food at the first place we come across.
When we finally reach Portland, the first order of business is to leave the handwritten note asking Jonah to meet up with us tomorrow at a nearby Starbucks.
I know he’ll pick up the mail at four p.m. on the dot and will be there for me in the morning, after which we’ll be close to ending this nightmare.
Which means the end of my time with Shane.
I push the depressing thought aside, because at that moment, Shane pulls into the parking lot of a glittering high-rise hotel.
“We’re staying here?” I ask. It is so much nicer than any place we’ve been able to find so far.
“I think you’ve earned a night in a decent bed without worrying about security, don’t you?” he asks, a grin lifting his sexy lips.
“Why do I suspect you’ll still be worrying?” I ask.
“Because that’s my job. But I can assure you nobody’s going to be breaking down your door. And Ian’s got connections with people he trusts to get us a room. It’s all good.”
“I am not going to complain.” We exit the car, leaving it with the valet, the only choice, and stride into the lobby.
The hotel is a far cry from the roadside motels we stayed in up until now, and I take in the mirrored and gold-plated walls, crystal chandeliers, and marble floors. I know this is a five-star hotel, and if it means my safety and it gives Shane a night to relax a little, I am all for the expense.
Check-in is easy, as promised. Ian already arranged for the room on the lowest floor, giving us a stairwell escape route should it become necessary.
Once in the room, Shane locks the door and flips the security bar, a bonus we didn’t have in previous places.
I take in the king-sized bed, something Shane requested and received, and grin.
I know we’ll make good use of the large mattress.
The one thing I’ve discovered is that my bodyguard and I are extremely sexually compatible.
That is a big deal I’ve never truly had with another man. Sex? Yes. Explosive orgasms? No.
Speaking of orgasms, there is no point in wasting this luxury. I glance over my shoulder at Shane, who put his bag on the bed and is studying the room. So intent. It is time for him to relax.
“We can eat in the restaurant downstairs,” he says, planning ahead as always. “Or order in room service.”
“Either sounds good, but I think I’d like a shower first. Wash off the grimy feeling of being in the car for hours.” I bite down on my lower lip. “Care to join me?” I ask in my most provocative voice.
His gaze darkens at the suggestion. “I think that can be arranged,” he says in a husky voice.
I pull my shirt over my head and walk to the bathroom, feeling the heat of his gaze on my back as I walk.
The bathroom is large and luxurious, spa products set up on the countertop and in the open shower with the overhead rain showerhead.
I turn on the water and undress the rest of the way, stepping underneath.
The warm drops cascade over me. I feel so good and tip my head back, wash and condition my hair, and am rinsing it out when I feel the heat of Shane’s body as he joins me.
He steps in, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me, his big hands cupping my breasts.
“Mmm.” I lean my head back against his shoulder and sigh in aroused delight.
I wonder what it would be like to have this kind of time with Shane without the pressure of being followed and on the run. For the next two days, at least, we can pretend there is no one else around.
He reaches for a small bottle on the shelf and pours a nice amount of scented liquid into his hand before returning to his task.
Now soapy, he lathers my body. Starting with my breasts, he takes the time to cup the full mounds in his hands and pluck my nipples with his fingertips, rolling them around, causing waves of desire to ripple through me.
My sex clenches with yearning, and I turn in his arms. He backs me against the wall, kissing me hard, his hand sliding down my side, my hip, and around to my stomach.
His fingers dip downward, gliding through my folds, my sex damp, and not just from the water.
His fingertips are rough and feel good against my slick flesh.
One finger penetrates me, and I suck in a shallow breath.
He adds a second, and I tip my head, hitting it on the wall behind me.
But I can’t focus on that slight pain when the incredible sensations being delivered are so intense.
Every pump of his fingers hits a sweet spot inside me, and pleasure builds quickly, white sparks of desire flickering behind my eyes.
“You’re going to come, and I’m going to watch,” he says in a gruff tone, his voice a turn-on along with his words.
I so am.
I just don’t expect what comes next. He drops to his knees, braces his hands on my thighs, and buries his face between my legs.
His tongue lashes my clit. Over and over, he licks, sucks, and teases the nub with his teeth, soothing again with his tongue.
I grasp his head, pulling at his hair, while at the same time holding him in place, never wanting the powerful sensations to end.
I gasp, pant, and lose all sense of time and place as the sudden orgasm overtakes me, bringing me up and over the edge. I cry out, invoking his name, God’s name, and a host of other things I can’t recall by the time I sag against the wall, dazed and satisfied.
But he isn’t. He rises and slides his lips over mine, letting me taste myself on his tongue before breaking the kiss.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a soft bed.” He shuts off the shower before facing me once more.
He grabs a towel and dries me off, then takes care of himself, quickly and efficiently. He drops the towel and swings me into his arms.
I clasp my hands around his neck and laugh. “Shane!”
He grins as he deposits me on the bed and comes down over me, his heavy erection pulsing against my belly, pressing deliciously against my clit, sending ripples of awareness through my veins. Arousal awakens inside me again, my sex wet and ready for him.
“Are you going to get a condom?” I ask.
He dips his head and lets out a groan. “We used what I had on me. Fuck.”
I blow out a shaky breath. “I get shots,” I say, meeting his gaze. “It’s just simpler for me.”
His blue eyes turn serious and intense. “You’re sure?”
“For you? Yes.” He doesn’t need to know that I’ve never had sex without a condom or that I trust he won’t do something reckless and put me at risk. His honor is one of the things I admire about him. Even after all this time, I know he won’t hurt me.
He nods, his jaw clenched, as he takes in the implications of my suggestion. This will change things between us on a deep level neither of us can take back.
“Are we good?” I ask shakily.
“Yes. Do you want to know why?”
I nod, running my hands over his damp hair.
“Because that means I’m going to feel every sweet inch of you,” he replies, bracing his arms on either side of the bed and pushing himself into me in one swift thrust.
I certainly feel every last inch of him. I arch my back, pulling him deeper, clenching around him, and delighting in the waves of desire that overtake me.
This feels different. He feels different. Raw, powerful…and meaningful, I think, and moan as he slides out, only to drive back in with a loud groan.
“God, you feel incredible,” he mutters, rocking into me, sensually, slowly, when I expect another hard, fast taking.
He places his arms on either side of me and pushes himself up as he continues his passionate assault on all of my senses.
He smells good, his skin feels hot beneath my hands, and I am lost in sensation, so when my orgasm comes, it comes differently than before. I am swept away in an incredible wave of pleasure that takes me higher and carries me over into pure bliss.
* * *
Shane
In a complete one-eighty, Talia falls fast asleep right after sex, and I lie awake, thinking. Because that…that was …something else.
Talia is something else.
I always knew she was different. And if I was a different kind of man, I’d be thinking more serious thoughts about my little brainiac.
In our short time together, she’s blasted through the wall I erected since my divorce.
I’m not worried about her fragility, because she’s more than proven herself strong and capable.
She doesn’t panic. She isn’t afraid. She stands up for what she worked so hard for.
And she is a woman who knows her own mind, understands what she wants out of her career. Out of her life.