SEALs of Honor: Shadow (22 page)

“Arianna. Is this home?”

She murmured something unintelligible and opened her eyes. When she saw the building beside her, she cried out in joy. “Oh my God. I’m home.”

And he realized he’d done the right thing bringing her here. He got out and grabbed her bag from the back then brought her crutches to her. On the sidewalk she looked up and beamed.

“You know how many times I figured I’d never see this place again?”

“Just goes to show you that life is full of surprises.” He led her to the stairway then scooped her up, crutches and all and carried her to the porch level. “Have your keys?”

“I do.” She rummaged around in her pack and triumphantly pulled out a set.

He took them from her and opened the door. And paused to let her go inside. She hobbled forward, her happy sigh making him smile. “I’m so damn glad to be here,” she whispered. She stared at the stairs in front of her. “But doing those stairs with my leg is going to be a bitch.”

He laughed and shut the door behind her. Turning, he swept her off her feet again and carried her to the second floor. And her bedroom. She flicked the light switch on flowing the soft colored room with warm light. “Oh my God. Even better, my bed.”

Still grinning, he laid her down on the covers. She immediately bounced to her feet and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Thank you for seeing I made it home.”

“I told you I would.” Hating to leave but knowing it was time, and he had a long drive home, he hugged her close then stepped back. “Now get some rest.”

And he walked to the door.

He glanced back to see her fighting to hold back tears. “Hey, it’s going to be okay.”

She shook her head. “If you walk out that door it won’t ever be okay.”

He froze. He wanted to stay. Of course he did. Any man would. And it would certainly be his desired next step but what about…her reasoning…

“This can’t be just so you don’t have to say good-bye.”

She shook her head. “It’s not,” but her voice was low, soft.

He narrowed his gaze at her. He’d only stay for the right reasons.

In a low but more confident voice, she said, “Just stay the night, then. You don’t want that long drive back right now. Sleep. Rest.”

So had he misjudged what she was asking? Damn he hated this.

He was no good at pussy footing around the issue. Better to know now. “If I stay it won’t be to sleep on the couch downstairs.”

And her smile was breathtaking. “Then you’d better sleep here.” She stood up slowly and in spite of her best attempts to not show it, winced. And he knew he shouldn’t leave her alone to fend for herself tonight at all. She motioned at the bed. “With me.”

“Come on. You’re in no shape for anything right now.”

She shot him a look. “Really? How do you feel about taking a shower with me?”

And that smile of hers set him on fire. He shouldn’t. She was hurt. But damn he wanted to.

She hobbled to the bathroom, her shirt tugged over her shoulder and tossed on the floor beside him. He hesitated.

“I haven’t had a shower in days and I’m covered in blood.” Her bra was tossed outside to land in the middle of the floor. He swallowed hard. Oh shit. There was only so much resistance he could put into place here, and knowing it wasn’t in her best interest was fast waning as an excuse. When his pants and yes her panties were flung out the door, followed by two small socks, he couldn’t think of anything else but her standing with that damn bandage in the shower. Alone.

When the water turned on he knew he was lost.

He stripped off his clothes and left them in a pile beside hers. And walked into the bathroom, already heavily aroused. Blood pounded through his body. He needed her. Like now.

Calm down, Shadow. She needed a careful lover not a fast, take her hard against the shower wall, type of lover. He stood outside the frosted glass doors and watched the water sluice down her slender from. He closed his eyes, willing his body to slow down, reaching for the last bit of control.

“Are you going to join me or just watch?”

And she opened the door inviting him in.

S
he hadn’t wanted
him to leave. It was one of those moments where she knew that if she didn’t say what was needed to be said then she’d regret it for the rest of her life. She wanted Shadow forever. If she only got one night then she only got one night. It was more than she was going to have if she didn’t tell him how she felt. Even then it felt stilted, awkward. Partly because he didn’t come rushing over to take her into his arms. Followed by her own realization of how dirty she was. And then she understood what she needed to do.

Now seeing him standing on the other side of the glass watching her… Oh God. She could be standing in ice water right now and she wouldn’t notice. She needed him and now. She knew her leg was an issue. But she knew they’d find a way. And if she had a little pain to go with the joy, then that was all right too.

He stepped inside the large shower and picked up the bottle of shampoo. She couldn’t see him clearly through the water in her eyes but when he turned her so he could shampoo her long hair, she could feel him hard and ready, nudging her hip. When his fingers slid through her locks and then dug in lightly to her scalp, she moaned.

“Feels so good,” she whispered.

And he massaged her scalp a little more. When he turned her to face him, she leaned her forehead against his chest and accepted the ministrations. She loved the careful way he worked shampoo through her hair. When his fingers worked down to her neck and shoulder muscles she groaned and looped her arms around his back to snuggle up close. Her breasts pressed against his chest, his erection nestled against her belly.

She didn’t want the moment to end. When those wonderful fingers slid down her spine carefully massaging the bank of muscles on either side, she whimpered in joy.

“How can I be so sore?” she asked. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Running and twisting, climbing trees, sitting in the truck for hours in a position not conducive to relaxing and then there were the hours in the store…”

“Well, if you’re going to put it that way,” she muttered with a small laugh, “I guess all of me is going to be sore.”

His hands slid down to her hips and dug deep, working the muscles inside. She melted. When they slipped lower to cup her cheeks and pull her up against him, she shivered.

“Feels so good,” she said.

“You feel good,” he whispered against her ear, and the heat of his voice sent tingles down her spine. Then he kissed her ear, gently tracing the outside skin with his tongue and dropping kisses behind and below, his mouth tracing down her long neck to the curve of her shoulders. Her arms slipped up his hot wet chest, her fingers sliding into his thick hair. She clung to him as he retraced his steps, dropping kisses on to her chin and over to her mouth. He’d kissed her several times already but when he took her mouth this time it was like nothing she’d experienced ever before. It was heart stoppingly beautiful. And she couldn’t get enough. When he withdrew his head she followed. She needed more. So much more. He kissed her again, tiny gentle kisses across her eyes and temple, all the while hugging her close.

So tender. So caring. So loving. She could feel his restraint, felt the shudders of thinly held control work their way down his strong body. He was afraid of hurting her. And she couldn’t have cared less. After what she’d been through this…his touch…being here with him…heaven.

“Love me, Shadow, please love me…”

He slid his hand into her hair and tugged her head back. Something had shifted. This time when he took her mouth it was deep and dark and possessive. His other hand slid up her sleek wet body to cup her breast. She cried out, but he inhaled the sound looking for more. She whimpered as he squeezed gently, his finger rubbing the nipple, waking her body. She slid her hand between their bodies and found him. Hot. Hard. Ready. And she squeezed his length, her fingers sliding down then back up as she explored the size of him.

His groan was heaven to her ears. She slid her hand back down to cup the sacs below, he gasped and pulled her hand away.

“Too much.”

“Not enough.”

He gave a half groan. “Impatient.”

“With you…yes.”

His free hand slid down to cup her left cheek, in one scoop he bent, lifted her thigh over his arm and raised her high and using his body, pinned her in place against the tiled back of the shower. She gasped as he nudged up against her center. She wrapped her legs around his waist. So close. And so damn far away.

“Are you sure?”

She groaned in laughter. “Never more so.”

But still he hesitated.

She dropped tiny kisses on his chin, his neck, her hands frantic on his back and arms. “I’m protected, if that’s the concern.”

A shudder rippled across his body. “It wasn’t but it should have been,” he said in a midnight dark voice. “You make me forget everything.”

“Good,” she said rubbing her breasts slowly from side to side against his chest. “It’s only a fraction of what you do to me. And yet, it’s not enough.”

He kissed her again, his other hand sliding up and down, teasing, tantalizing, stroking her to a fevered pitch and just when she didn’t think she could stand it anymore, he slid his hand down, grabbed her hip.

And entered her on a deep surge.

And stilled.

She gasped in shock and in joy, wanting to weep as emotions poured through her.

“Did I hurt you?” he muttered, his body shuddering in place.

“No, never,” she cried. “But if you don’t move, I’m going to hurt you.”

And with a deep chuckle, he plunged again and again. Pinned against the wall, her feet not even on the floor, she was slammed by his passion, her need rising but her response stymied because she couldn’t move. She was completely helpless. Left to his mercy. And his timing.

And Lord, he was good. Just when she didn’t think she’d reach that peak, so damn close and so frustratingly far away, he bent and took one nipple deep into mouth and suckled hard.

The pulsations started deep inside and worked outward in ever increasing waves as the climax rolled through her. She cried out, her body lay in a state of wonder as he pounded and pounded and…ground against her, his own groan melding with hers as he found his own release.

She rested her head against her chest and grinned happily. When she could trust her voice, she said, “I always knew SEALs were good in the water.”

He gave a great shout of laugher, wrapped her in his arms and pushing open the shower, he reached for the towel hanging beside the door and wrapped it around her back. Then, he carefully carried her to her bed and slowly lowered her down.

“Now sleep. I’m not going anywhere.”

She reached up and kissed him, lovingly, pouring all the emotions that were overwhelming her and bringing tears to her eyes. “I don’t want you to go anywhere ever again.”

And she slept.

*

He watched her
crash, physically and mentally, emotionally. As if overload had happened and it had been too much. She literally closed her eyes and was out. He slowly withdrew and stood up. With the towel he dried her off. And wondered at the leg. Leave it wet? Dry it? Change it? Deciding that leaving it as is for the moment was likely to cause the least amount of damage in the long run, he gently tugged the bedding out from under her and covered her back up. He returned to the shower and cleaned up the bathroom floor as much as he could. They’d tracked a lot of water on the way to the bed and he didn’t want her to slip and fall if she needed to go to the washroom in the night. She murmured in her sleep. He returned to her side and stood for a moment watching her. She shifted uneasily. He reached down and placed a hand on her temple. “Easy, sweetie, you’re safe now.”

Instantly, she stilled and fell into a deeper sleep.

He stared around the small room and wondered why he couldn’t sleep. His instincts wouldn’t shut down. He was tired. Could use a power nap but with no one to watch her back while he was out, he couldn’t do it.

Something was wrong and he didn’t know what. He grabbed up his phone and wandered the bedroom, his fingers searching for information that would shed light on this mess. He also sent a couple of texts. Had he spent too much of his lifetime looking for bad guys and competent ones at that…that the idiot bad guys seemed to be just too simple. Still, he had nothing to go on. But he hadn’t been kidding when he’d said the reasons for doing this was going to boil down to sex, power, or money. And sometimes all three.