Chapter Five
Shane
I ditch the car, buy a used sedan, and stop at a Target so Talia can replace the clothing and items she left behind. I don’t have a sister, am not used to shopping with women, except for the few times Amy guilted me into coming along to the mall. Not fun.
Still, I want Talia to get the things she needs, so I grit my teeth and walk into the large store, bracing myself for a long haul despite the fact that we are in a rush.
To my surprise, she breezes through the aisles, picking up leggings, a pair of jeans, T-shirts, bras, and underwear, all without missing a beat or trying anything on. The toiletry trip goes equally fast.
“This was much easier than I expected,” I say as we reach the line for the cash register. I keep an eye out for trouble, but so far it is quiet.
She shrugs. “I have no time to shop, so I usually buy things online. I know my size. It was easy. Why so cynical?” she asks.
I squirm under her perceptive gaze as we step closer to the register. “My ex-wife liked to go shopping and drag me along. Her idea of husband-and-wife bonding.”
“I take it it wasn’t your idea of a good time?”
“No.” I recall how she dawdled, browsing and taking her time over each purchase, oblivious to my frustration, while I was antsy to get home to take care of things around the house on my rare day off. She wanted me nearby. I wanted downtime alone. “We were different on so many levels.”
“How’d you get together?” she asks, placing the clothes from the cart onto the conveyor belt.
“My partner’s wife introduced us. We were attracted to each other. I was ready to settle down, or so I thought.” I shrug. “We didn’t take the time we needed to really get to know each other.”
The cashier begins scanning the price tags, and we turn our attention to paying.
But the words linger in my mind, because once again, I tried to paint Talia with Amy’s personality…
and was proven wrong again. It is a minor thing, but opens my eyes even more to how much I like and admire my little brainiac.
After we pay, she changes in the restroom while I keep watch outside.
She opens the unisex bathroom door and pokes her head outside. “All set. Everything I was wearing is in the trash.”
I nod. “Okay. Before we go, let me come in and scan you one more time.” I raise the duffel I haven’t let out of my sight that holds not just my necessities but the formula, as well.
She steps back to let me in, and I slide past her, breathing in the sweet-smelling scent of her shampoo as I enter the tight space and she closes and locks the door behind me. Just a whiff of her essence has me hard.
I frown, placing my bag on the ledge of the sink and pulling out the scanner Hutch gave me.
I need to focus on this. Keeping her safe.
Not the differences between her and my ex or the way she gets to me on a visceral level that has me thinking about sinking into her warm body at very inopportune times.
“Ready?”
She spreads her legs wide, arms following suit. “I’ve assumed the position,” she says on a laugh.
I chuckle and kneel down, managing an objective scan of her body, even though my eyes catalogue her full breasts beneath the thin T-shirt she wears and the tight leggings that hug her ass and hips.
Her breath catches on an audible hitch. One that goes straight to my cock.
“You’re clear,” I say, forcing myself to rise to my feet. As much as I am relieved, I am still uneasy. “We need to keep moving.”
“I know,” she says in a hoarse, too-sexy voice. Her gaze meets mine, distinct awareness in the clouded depths.
“So my plan is to get on the road and away from here, then pull over so I can catch some sleep.”
She nods. “Do you want me to drive?” she offers.
I shake my head. “I’m fine, but thanks.”
We gather our things and hit the road once more.
* * *
Talia
A short while later, Shane pulls over at yet another motel, where we check in and he settles in for a much-needed nap.
I was smart enough not to say a word when the motel had no double-double rooms, only one with a king-size bed. I’m not focused on anything except getting Shane some shut-eye. And though I might have told him I’d sleep, too, I lay awake, keeping an ear and an eye out for trouble.
He’s been so steady throughout the ordeal, for me, it is the least I can do. I place my glasses on the nightstand, turn on my side, and watch him sleep, his handsome face relaxing at last.
But he never falls into truly deep breathing. He is on alert even when he is supposed to be resting and rejuvenating.
I relax myself, but I don’t truly fall asleep, either, when after only a couple of hours, Shane comes alert in an instant, eyes opened wide, and turns to face me.
“You’re up,” he says, sounding surprised.
I smile. “Someone had to protect you while you slept,” I say, gesturing to my friend, the Taser I’d put on the night table.
“Tough and smart,” he says, his blue eyes twinkling.
I grin. “And so far so good because nobody’s found us.”
“So either we dropped the tail, or we got rid of whatever they were using to track you.”
I sigh. “Or we got lucky for now and we shouldn’t jinx it.”
“I don’t believe in luck.”
I can’t help but smile at his serious tone. “I like that you’re careful.”
“It’s my job.”
I don’t care about the reason. “Well, it makes me feel safe, and I need that right now.” I prop my head in one hand. “You make me feel safe,” I admit.
“I do now.”
I narrow my gaze. “What do you mean?”
“There was a time I didn’t. I know it’s ridiculous all these years later, but I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have—”
“Kissed me?” I blurt out. Shut up. Let him finish his thoughts, I warn myself. Hear the man out. Don’t blow it for once.
His lips turn up in a grin. “Oh, I definitely should have kissed you. I just shouldn’t have tried to take it further.”
“And I shouldn’t have overreacted, but…it was my first time.”
His gaze softens. “I figured you’d never had sex before.”
My cheeks burn, but I force myself to correct him. “I’d never been kissed before.”
His eyes open wide in utter shock. “Oh, man. No wonder you freaked out. I had no idea.” He reaches out and places his hand over mine, warm and comforting, alleviating my embarrassment somewhat.
“Why would you? You were so much more experienced than me in every way. And you were eighteen. I thought you were thanking me for helping you pass chemistry, but I didn’t want my first time for more than a kiss to be out of pity.”
“Pity?” He shakes his head, and before I can blink, he moves near, his lips close to mine. “There was no pity in that kiss.” His gaze meets mine.
“But… I thought you didn’t really want me.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You thought I didn’t want you?” he repeats in obvious disbelief. “Do you still think that?”
I pull my bottom lip into my mouth before releasing it again. His stare tracks the movement.
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
“I do.” And before I can breathe, his lips capture mine.
A sweep of his tongue, a low groan at the first touch, and I know. This isn’t a teenage kiss. This is hot and electric. This is everything.
His lips are soft one minute, rough and demanding the next, and for a woman with some experience but not much, I revel in the dominating way he takes control. Much the same way he’s called the shots from the minute I arrived at his house, he dictates this kiss.
His body comes over me, big and muscular.
He brackets me in heat, his heavy erection settling gloriously between my thighs.
Desire swamps me, and I slide my fingers into his hair, moaning under the onslaught of emotions rushing through me.
Excitement that this is finally happening, a strong yearning I never experienced before for any man, and disbelief that the need overwhelming me is reciprocated.
His mouth travels a hot path down my neck, suckling on my skin. Fire licks at my veins, and I am ready for so much more, but to my disappointment, he slows down, lifting his head and studying me.
“This is too dangerous. I’m protecting you. And I rushed things once before—”
“I’m not seventeen, Shane. I’m a woman who knows her own mind.”
“And I’m the man who’s supposed to keep you safe.” He rolls off me and pushes himself to his feet, his shoulders stiff with tension. “We need to get back on the road if we’re going to make it to Portland in time for you to contact your mentor.”
I sigh, but I can’t deny the timeline. I can, however, fight his sense of duty the next time we are alone. And I intend to do just that.
* * *
Shane
I brood for the better part of the drive to our next stop, annoyed with myself for making a move on Talia.
I can’t seem to get it right with her. She is vulnerable and in need of protection, and I took advantage.
But am I right in my thinking? Or am I thinking more about my past with my ex than what I know of Talia and the woman she’s become?
Clearly Talia was a willing participant in that kiss, so maybe taking advantage isn’t really accurate. I already know I haven’t labeled her correctly. When she showed up on my doorstep, knees buckling and panicked, I told myself she was like my ex-wife. Petite. Fragile. Afraid.
But what have I seen since? Strength of character. Someone who doesn’t buckle under pressure, who holds her own with an attacker, who didn’t give away the information they wanted in exchange for her safety. She even tased the guy before I could take him down and kept watch over me while I slept.
So clearly I not only need to reassess my characterization of my smarty-pants, I have to stop comparing her with my ex. And cut myself some slack for wanting her.
Around eight p.m., I pull off the exit and drive around until I find a roadside bar where we can eat dinner, and if my app is correct, there is a motel a half mile down the road where we can spend the night. No car followed me or was behind us for miles, so I feel safe enough stopping here.
Talia has dozed off again, and I gently shake her awake. “Rise and shine. Time to eat.”