Chapter 21
Twenty-One
It was another day before the doctors let Lila out of the hospital. Ian felt a little guilty about getting the doctors to keep Lila there, but once he explained everything, she had been through in less than a week, they agreed with him.
He pulled into his driveway. He had taken her to Kauai.
Luc and Conner had been adamant that Ian take another week off, and he had wanted to keep Lila all to himself.
He’d told their families where he was taking her.
Well, Stryker knew where he was because they had once again used his jet.
But he did it for Lila. She needed peace and quiet and he knew Kauai would give that to her.
Glancing over, he found her still dozing. She would never truly admit how much rest she had needed. Over two years of running did things to your body. He planned on spending the next week pampering her, feeding her as much food as she could take, and just letting her rest.
He hurried out of the car and went to unlock the door and key in the security code. Then, he made his way back to the car. He opened the passenger side door and undid her seat belt. As gentle as possible, he lifted her out of the car.
“You know my legs work, right,” she mumbled.
“I like carrying you.”
She said nothing else, but her sigh was filled with happiness.
After getting her settled in the bedroom, he brought in their bags.
She was sitting up in bed looking sexy and rumpled, her unique eyes filled with sensual promise.
Of course, his unruly dick shoved against his fly.
Fuck, the woman had him by the bollocks.
He wanted her more than he wanted his next breath, but she needed rest. He was not an animal. He could control his urges. Maybe.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He blinked. “Like what?”
She shrugged. “It’s weird.”
It was another non-answer from her. He knew that was what she did to protect herself, but why was she using it now?
Did she regret saying she loved him? Did she just say it before because she thought she was dying?
She slipped off the bed. “There it is again. Listen, if you’re irritated with me, you don’t have to take care of me. My grandmother wanted to take me back to England.”
Panic had him striding to the bed. “No.”
She gave him a long blink. “Excuse me?”
“You can’t leave.”
“I think I can do whatever the hell I want.”
He opened his mouth as he tried to order her to stay. She was irritated, but beneath that, he sensed pain.
Ian sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better.”
Her eyes widened. “Do you think that’s why I want to leave?”
“You want to leave?”
“No. I want to stay in Hawai’i, but you don’t have to have anything to do with that.”
“What the bloody hell does that mean?”
She sighed and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Well, too damned bad.”
“It’s embarrassing, okay. I know you feel obligated to take care of me.”
“You’re damned right I do.”
“See! Listen, I can call Stryker and get a flight out of here, or I’m sure my grandmother will come get me.”
He took a step toward her, keeping his gaze on hers. “Tell me.”
With horror, he watched her eyes fill up with tears. The sight sent a shaft a pain to his heart. He had never had this connection with another person in his life. She backed away from him, but he followed her. She was shaking her head, but he still pulled her into his arms.
“Love, I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
Still, she said nothing as she sobbed into his chest, so he did the only thing he could do at that moment and that was to hold on tighter. By the time she calmed down, his shirt was damp.
She pulled her head back to look at him. “I’m sorry. I don’t cry.”
He frowned. “I have seen you cry more than once.”
Another fresh wave of tears filled her eyes. “I know. It’s embarrassing.”
“Tell me.”
“I shouldn’t have told you I love you.”
He said nothing for a moment because those words pierced his soul with pain.
“Are you saying it isn’t true?”
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
“Love, you’re breaking my heart now. Tell me the truth.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”
He shook his head. “Never.”
“Fine. Okay, I love you, but I won’t bother you with it.”
“You’ve been bothering me since Sarajevo.”
She blinked. “What?”
“It’s been about five years, right? You in my ear, giving me shite, being all sassy.”
“I am not sassy.”
She sounded so offended that he snorted. “You are. Do you know what was happening during all that time?”
“I irritated you.”
“Yeah. A lot. I mean, some American in my ear telling me I suck, that irritated me.”
“Let me go.” She tried to twist away, and normally he would let her go. But not now. Now she was stuck with him, and she had to understand that.
“I can’t. I love you.”
Instead of stopping, her struggles increased.
“You do not.”
“Are you telling me that I don’t love you?”
“You’re just saying it out of pity.”
He laughed and she stopped struggling.
“Don’t mock me.” Hurt dripped from each word.
“Love, I am not doing this out of pity.” He sighed knowing he was going about this all wrong, but then that was them, right? The two of them would never be normal. “I started falling for you from that first time. I didn’t know it, but I was. I started looking forward to every call.”
She continued to look at him, unshed tears shimmering in her bicolored eyes. She would always stun him no matter what. All that beauty and an amazing brain, he was a goner the moment he saw her. Hell, like he had said, he had been falling for her while trading jabs over the phone.
“Then, I found out that beneath that steel exterior, you had a soft heart. You cared, putting yourself in danger for other people. The moment I saw you in person, you owned me. You crawled right into my heart, and I don’t think you’ll ever leave.”
“Ian.”
“I’m not good with words.”
“You seem to be doing a pretty good job right now,” she rasped.
“You bring it out in me, love.” He set his forehead against hers. “I’m insanely, completely in love with you, Lila.”
“Ditto,” she whispered, then she kissed him. He had been careful to keep their kisses light over the last couple of days. Every bit of him wanted to claim her, take her to bed and never let her out. Hell, they could live there and be happy, he was sure of it.
But she was still healing and he needed to let her rest, so he pulled away. Lila stopped him by grabbing hold of his shirt.
“Where are you going?”
“You need—”
“You. All I need is you.”
He should insist she rest, but Ian knew he was helpless to resist her.
She tugged him to the bed, kissing him the entire time.
His legs hit the edge of the mattress. Before he knew it, she had unbuttoned his shirt and was shoving it off his shoulders.
Her hands were going to his waistband, but he stopped her.
“Hold on. You get me naked, and I won’t be able to hold back.”
She smiled up at him. “That’s the plan, Mix.”
Need filled her voice. He never thought he would like hearing her use his nickname at a time like this, but right now she could say anything in that throaty voice. It wrapped around him, sending sparks of heat surging through his blood as his dick shoved against the front of his pants.
“But I want you there.”
Her eyes sparkled and her smile turned into a grin. Fuck, he loved this woman.
“I’m pretty much there. I mean,” she said slipping her hands up her body to cup her breasts, “my nipples are hard.”
He licked his lips.
She dropped her hands and leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “My panties are drenched.”
A shudder ran through him, and he was helpless to resist her. He knew that he would want her until the day he died. No one had ever gotten close to capturing his heart. So, he let her undo his pants and shove them and his knit boxers down. She wrapped her soft hand around his length.
He groaned on the first stroke. The woman was wicked with her fingers, dragging her thumb over the crown with each pump.
A pearl of precum wet the head and she moaned.
He knew before she dropped to her knees what her plan had been all along.
Ian wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to hold himself back for long, but he wanted her wet mouth around his cock.
She licked the head of his penis before she took it completely into her mouth. Again and again, she took him into her mouth. He slid his fingers through her silky hair, surrendering to her ministrations, but only for so long. She took him right the precipice, but he wanted her with him.
“Not yet,” he said, pulling away and urging her up. It only took him seconds to get her naked and have her on the bed with her legs spread out for him.
With his mouth, tongue, and fingers, he brought her close to orgasm, but he didn’t let her go. Instead, he pushed her there over and over and stopped short of letting her fall.
“Ian Charles Smith.” Irritation and need dripped from each syllable of his name.
He smiled as he rose to his knees, reached over to his bedside table to grab a condom. He had the package opened and rolled down his cock in record time. He looked down at the woman who had become the center of his universe and knew exactly what she needed.
He easily reversed their positions, while being careful of her thigh wound.
She looked down at him as she straddled him, then took him in.
With the setting sun casting a glow in the room, she rode him slow and easy at first. Her tight core clung to him, and he almost came the moment he first felt its clasp.
Soon, her rhythm increased, as she added a twist of her hips. He knew she was close and he definitely wanted to be there at the same time.
“That’s it, love. Fuck, you feel so fucking good.”
He slipped his hand down to where their bodies met to press against her clit. It sent her hurtling over into bliss as she screamed out his name. Her inner muscles clamped down hard on his dick, pulling him deeper into her heat. Ian surrendered, joining her in pleasure.
She collapsed on top of him, their breaths the only sound in the room. Long moments later, he slipped out of bed to rid himself of the condom. He joined her back in bed, and like always, she rolled over into his arms. He never had to ask, and he had a feeling it would always be like this.
Her breath evened out, telling him she had fallen asleep. They both needed to work out how this was going to work. He didn’t want her to leave. In fact, if he had his way, she would just move in with him. He would also love it if she would work for Dillon. Those were problems for another day.
Right now, all he needed was this. The woman he loved safe in his arms.