Inside Out (14 page)

“No,” he answered. “Your eyes are the only thing that keep me sane.”

Olivia’s eyes swung to his and saw he wasn’t joking. Shane seemed to be hanging from her very lashes and then she understood what she couldn’t explain. They had a bond, somehow, and he needed her. In silence, she nodded and her skin tingled when he exhaled in relief.

She couldn’t draw to save herself. Let’s hope she knew how to carve skin at least.

Olivia worked for the next hour, just like she had seen on London Ink, glad that some of Hunter still was inside her after all.

When she finished, she pulled a mirror up for him and he grinned. “I like it. Come here.”

She kissed him sweetly, eyeing the door when Shane’s penis stiffened. If Randy came in, there’d be hell to pay.

“Okay,” she chimed, breaking the kiss. “Now, go home. Don’t sleep on it.”

“Well,” he grinned, “it’s a bit too stiff to do that, but I’ll give it a go to make you happy.”

“Silly. Go, I’ve got things to do now.”

Shane ducked his lips to hers, his voice softer, coaxing. “Things…like this?” he murmured, running his tongue along her lips.

God, he was the strongest, sexiest man she’d ever met, and she loved him beyond belief.

“Come away with me,” he murmured into her ear.

Ask me once more and I will
, she almost said aloud.

“And do what?” she asked coolly, reaching into Hunter’s bag to light herself a cigarette for his benefit, although she had no intention of inhaling. The thing made her sick. And her hands already shook at the thought of another monumental orgasm with him soon.

Shane gently took it from her fingers and stubbed it out as Olivia watched, conscious only of the desire to have him inside her again. And again. If he spent time with her, could it be that behind his plan of debunking the band, he also had some genuine interest in her that went beyond Hunter’s awesome body?

“I have a house in North Devon,” he said. “A beach house. I need to be alone with you, and know you’re safe and out of London. Will you come with me?”

And let him make love to her again, even though he was so obviously bent on sending her and Randy’s mob to jail?

“Hell yeah,” she answered before she could stop herself.

“Brilliant.” He beamed at her. “I’ll come pick you up at your place.”

“Uh, I don’t think so. With Randy on my back? I’ll meet you somewhere.” She considered a place not too close by. “Do you know The Beehive in New Eltham?”

Olivia and he had ended up there once during a pub crawl. If Shane remembered, he didn’t show it.

He nodded. “I hate that Randy has this power over you. Why don’t you dump the little shit?” he whispered as he nuzzled her neck.

“I will. But not yet.”

“Why?”

“Because I…need to tie up some loose ends first. So I’ll see you at The Beehive.”

“The Beehive. Right. Saturday morning at eleven.”

She nodded, trying to not look into his eyes and say,
Please take me home with you now.
“Go, now. He might come in any minute.”

* * *

“So I hear you had company,” Randy prompted as he came into the shop out of the blue as Olivia closed the cash register for the day. She tensed, wondering how much he knew. Obviously, Skin Deep didn’t provide her the privacy or safety she thought. She only hoped the joint wasn’t bugged. Olivia blushed at the memory of what had happened in there with Shane.

She feigned a laugh. “Who, the Hart guy? Crazy as shit. He wanted a tattoo.”

“Did you give him one?”

“Of course. Screamed the whole time.”

Well, that was partly true. Shane did not come quietly. Olivia bitterly made a note that he’d never come like that before when
she
was alive.

“So he has no idea of who you are?” Randy murmured, running his fingers along the bottles of ink lined on the shelves. Apparently he cared more about his business than her. That was good to know.

Olivia turned toward him, fighting the revulsion forming in her throat, threatening to spill all over the counter. “What do you mean?”

“That he is close friends with the guy that’s been trying to nail you since you ran away from home six years ago.”

“So?”

Randy turned to look at her. “They’re onto us.”

“What?”

“Hunter, babe, let’s be realistic here. You’re gorgeous, yeah, but why would a man like Shane Hart, the richest and youngest banker in London want you except for a fuck and some information? I’m telling you Campbell’s fishing for a reason to throw us in the clink. If they find out, we’re dead.”

“Find what out, Randy?”

But Randy only laughed and pointed at her. “You’re good, babe. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Randy might not want to talk about it, but Olivia was now certain he knew about Hunter and Randy kidnapping Olivia
.
She could nail Jimmy in a heartbeat. Which was partly true. How the hell was she going to nail him without getting herself involved?

Randy caressed her jaw, his eyes soft. “Just swear to me you haven’t slept with him.”

Man, he sure did know how to play the part. Olivia shrugged, willing herself not to blush. “Nah, he’s just got the hots for me. Only, he’s too shy to come out and say it. With all his money, he still lacks your guts.”

Randy guffawed, pleased, but Olivia knew Randy didn’t love her. Wanted her, craved her, yes, but nothing more. He just toted her around as an accessory. He didn’t care who desired her, whereas she knew Shane was jealous. Crazy jealous. Although he tried to hide it.

But Olivia had one advantage that neither Randy nor Shane had. She knew Shane was helping Alfie collect evidence against her. It didn’t take a rocket scientist. Hell, she was looking for the same evidence. She couldn’t bring herself to be angry at Shane. She knew he tried to fight against his attraction to her. She knew Hunter set him on fire despite his will.

The way she never had. Could Shane love Hunter more than he loved her?

“You need to see him again, Hunter. Make sure it’s just your pussy he’s interested in and not our business.”

Well, you sure are a prize of a boyfriend.
She had to concentrate to stop smiling. He didn’t love her, but he wouldn’t let her go.

“He’s asked me to his place for the weekend with some friends. In Cornwall,” she added, feeling her cheeks go hot as they always did when she, very rarely, lied. But now Olivia knew she had to keep their home in Devon safe from these filthy pilferers.

Randy thought about it. “Then Campbell will be there too. Go. Find out how much they know. String Hart along, luv. Just don’t sleep with him. You’re good at making up excuses.”

Olivia wondered if Randy referred to the slump in Hunter and his own sex life. He was sure going to have a long wait.

Chapter Seventeen

“She said yes,” Shane informed Alfie who sat back in his chair and beamed up at him.

“Brilliant. See how far in you can get. Use any method; I don’t give a shit. Shag her, threaten her, trick her. Just as long as you get a confession.”

Shane never operated like this. He never betrayed a woman’s confidence, nor did he ever lead them on. But he needed to find out exactly how involved she was in the gang. Shane rubbed his arm.
Damn,
it hurt.

“Shane, mate. Your arm’s bleeding.”

Shane looked down at his bicep. “Shit.”

“What happened to you?”

“Tattoo.”

Alfie shook his head. “On second thought maybe you shouldn’t go. She’s more dangerous than a war tank. Someone like her, you need to blow her up from the inside to destroy her.”

Shane flinched at his friend’s words. Destroy her? No way. He was going to love the lights out of her. Only a few more hours separated him from their rendezvous.

Shane could feel his friend’s eyes digging into him. “Will you at least step away from it after this is over?”

Shane shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

“Your mum should’ve called you Crazy Horse, you know that?”

“Two days, Alfie.” He didn’t need any more to get a confession—and any more than that might wring one from him.

Shane went home, packed, and took out Lottie’s traveler case, food, blanket, and soft toys. Everything else he needed for her, he’d left at the beach house last summer. The last summer he and Olivia had spent together. How could he have known that those romantic strolls along the beach, hand in hand, were going to be their last?

When Olivia had disappeared, Lottie had moped around for weeks. Even now, she would look through the window facing the Thames and almost seemed to hear the elevator and the delicate clack-clacking of Olivia’s heels. Shane could swear Lottie would let out a sad sigh every now and then.

Shane’s throat dried at the memory of Olivia, so beautiful, so sweet and selfless. She always put him and his needs first. If it hadn’t been for her, Shane wouldn’t be successful today. If she hadn’t died, Shane would still be a happy man, instead of someone caught in this frenzy, blinded by a passion he’d never experienced before and that left him dumbfounded.

Where Olivia was soft-spoken and sweet, Hunter was vibrant and demanding. Olivia had never challenged him on any level, let alone sexually, happy to lie back and enjoy his cautious lovemaking. Always a bit of a maverick, Olivia had, in her own way, tamed Shane. With her, sex was delicate, respectful, and loving. He liked being capable of bridling his deepest passions. Being an SAS, he had learned to tame his wildest instincts.

But with Hunter he was back to square one, erasing all his inhibitions. With Hunter he was unleashed, out of control, releasing his most primitive emotions because he knew she would let him—and do the same. The memories of Hunter’s guttural cries as she pivoted on top of him, blind to anything but the sensations she felt, drove him over the edge. But it wasn’t just that. Hunter was the woman Olivia could’ve been if her upbringing hadn’t stood in the way, being too ladylike to masturbate. And because he loved her so much, he happily obliged, ignoring the feral call inside him, the need to let go for real and bring down the roof beams. With Hunter he could and did.

If only she would confess so Alfie could put the gang behind bars once and for all. Shane would help her change her life, come clean of whatever she’d done. He wanted to be there every step of the way for her. She had to trust him.

Shane sighed and packed his underclothes, toiletries, a few T-shirts, cotton sweaters, and wool for the colder evenings, and his boat shoes that were never far from him. He placed the groceries he’d had delivered into a large basket and packed food for more than two days. Much more.

* * *

Shane glanced at the dark clouds assembling on the horizon. He hoped it wouldn’t rain. But then again, he didn’t plan to spend any time outdoors at all. The Beehive lay tucked away in Brentwood Close, New Eltham, in south London on the way to Kent. Hunter was already there, leaning against the wall out front, a bag at her feet. She wore a white summer dress—that showed off her dark skin—flat sandals, and hardly any jewelry. Gone were the noisy bangles, the black nail polish, and the heavy makeup. She’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail that revealed the beautiful curve of her jaw. He did a double take. Even her eyebrow stud had disappeared.

“Oh, she’s
adorable
,” Hunter cooed, throwing herself at Lottie who licked her face, her tail wagging furiously as Hunter repeated, “Yes, who’s such a pretty little girl?” just the way Olivia used to.

Shane stopped and watched them, a pang of longing in his chest. He had to move on. Things were getting better now. He watched them as a grin spread his lips. Yes, it was love at first sight.

Shane’s heart thumped like a schoolboy’s on a first date.

“She loves you already,” he said as he picked up her bag that weighed a ton. Women.

Hunter stood up from Lottie, a frown creasing the skin between her eyes.

“Relax, she doesn’t bite, Hunter.”

Hunter’s demeanor shifted visibly as she snorted. “She’d better not, or I’ll bite her back.”

Shane grinned despite himself. “That’s strange. Lottie hates anyone but me now. She loved Olivia with a passion. Olivia used to feed her bone biscuits when I wasn’t looking. Olivia used to spoil her rotten and once she even—” Shane stopped himself and drew a deep breath. “Right. You ready?”

Hunter eyed him strangely, then nodded and they got into his car, Lottie happily jumping onto her lap like she used to do with Olivia. Shane glance at the familiar picture, thinking all that was missing was his beloved wife. As Lottie licked Hunter’s face, she rolled her eyes, although her hands rested delicately on the dog’s back, caressing her fur affectionately. How the hell could he forget Olivia when everything reminded him of when he was happy? Lottie and Hunter looked very comfortable with each other, as if they’d been in love forever. Uncanny.

Chapter Eighteen

As the sky fell open, Shane parked the car in front of their beach house, and Olivia stiffened. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the place until she set her eyes on the duck-egg cladding and white trim. It looked more like a New England Maritime home than a British beach house, and she adored it. She and Shane had spent years together house hunting and had bought it before they even got married, as a sign of their mutual faith. Faith that they would be together forever. Shane had helped her decorate it with a gazillion trips to the shops and even tying furniture to the hood instead of sending an impersonal van to get it. It had truly been a labor of love.

And now she was back, dripping in the foyer, her white linen dress plastered to her body. She should have never worn something so pretty and romantic. She should have stayed inside the protection of Hunter’s leather suits. At least now she wouldn’t feel like her old, vulnerable self again. Olivia swallowed hard and forced herself back into Hunter’s persona.

“Blimey, my very first trip to posh Devon and it’s pissin’ down with rain!” She pouted as they stepped over the threshold.