She grinned. “Good. That was the plan.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. Then his expression turned serious. “Beth – ”
“Don’t.” She pressed her fingertips against his lips, and his eyelids drifted shut at her feel of her gentle touch. “This weekend has been wonderful, Shane. Please don’t spoil it by bringing up my past.”
He kissed her fingers, then gently pulled them away from his mouth. She’d guessed right, but now he couldn’t bring himself to ruin the moment. “That’s not what I was going to say.”
Her relief was palpable. “Oh. Then what?”
“I was just going to say how much I enjoyed this weekend.” He gave her a long and lingering kiss.
“Oh.” She relaxed against him and smiled. “I did, too.”
Shane pulled her close for a long, breath-stealing kiss. His hand covered her breast through her blouse, his thumb teasing her nipple until it pebbled beneath his touch. She shivered in his arms.
He made a rough sound deep in his throat and pulled back to look at her, shaking his head. He’d had her three times in 24 hours, and he figured that was enough. She had to be sore.
“What?” she said.
Shane looked at her, amazed. She made him feel all kinds of things he’d never felt before, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. For a guy like him – someone who liked to be in control, of himself and of his environment – that sucked. But he realized he’d rather sit here and do nothing with her than do anything with anyone else. “When I’m with you, nothing else matters.”
Beth rose up on her knees and scooted closer to him, her lips hovering over his. “That’s how I feel, too,” she whispered against his lips. She pressed her lips against his, then opened her mouth. When her tongue stroked along the seam of his lips, he opened his mouth to let her tongue slip inside and tangle with his.
He kissed her back, like he was a man drowning and she was his lifeline.
“I should go home,” Beth said.
It was nearly ten o’clock, and they’d been lying on the sofa making out like teenagers, all hands and lips as they indulged in each other. The only reason he hadn’t taken it to his bed was because he didn’t want her to be sore the next day.
“If I’m not home soon, Gabrielle will start to worry.”
“All right,” he said reluctantly, hating the idea of her leaving. He wanted her with him all the time because there was nowhere safer for her than under his roof. “Let’s gather up your things, and I’ll take you home.”
* * *
Shane double-parked in front of Beth’s townhouse and turned off the engine. He was very much aware of an uneasy feeling in his gut. They had no plans to see each other again before the following weekend, when he’d be taking her to the children’s hospital benefit. That was six days away – too long. Hell, one day was too long.
“Will you have dinner with me tomorrow evening?” he said.
Beth smiled. “I’d love to.”
“Good. I can’t stand the thought of going 24 hours without seeing you.”
He carried her overnight bag as he walked her to the front door. She felt oddly bereft, knowing that they would be parting shortly. She’d spent pretty much the entire weekend with him, and now the idea of being separated from him left her feeling slightly anxious.
He followed her inside. “I won’t stay,” he said, his hands going to her shoulders. “I’m sure you’re tired. I’ll just kiss you good night.”
He was right, of course. Still, she felt tempted to ask him to stay the night with her. How had she become so dependent on him so quickly?
When he walked her slowly backward until she came up against the wall and lowered his mouth to hers, she felt a tiny thrill. She opened her mouth to his, and his tongue swept inside and found hers.
Shane reluctantly released her mouth and sighed. “If I don’t stop now, I won’t stop at all,” he said, reaching out to stroke her cheek. He glanced around, taking in the quiet house. “I guess Gabrielle’s not home yet.”
“She’s still at work. She’ll be home around midnight.”
“I’ll pick you up for dinner tomorrow after you get off work. Do you want me to pick you up at the library, or here at your house?”
“Here, if you don’t mind. I’d like to come home first and freshen up a bit.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “What time do you get home?”
“Six.”
“I’ll be here.” He gave her a quick parting kiss. “I’ll miss you.”
Beth smiled. “I’ll miss you, too.”
When Shane left, Beth locked up. The house was dark and quiet. Usually she liked that, but not this evening. It was late, and she needed sleep because tomorrow was a work day. But she was way too wired to sleep.
As she ran up the stairs, she felt a slight twinge deep inside, but she welcomed the soreness. Finally, at the ripe old age of 24, she’d done something she thought she’d never be able to do. And not only had she done it, but it had been spectacular!
She changed into shorts and a tank top in her bedroom, grabbed her iPod and ear buds, then went to the spare bedroom to use the treadmill. She might as well put all this energy to good use. She walked hard and fast, listening to her favorite exercise playlist, hoping to burn off some of that excess energy as well as some of the decadent calories she’d consumed over the weekend.
Her mind raced as fast as her heart as she replayed their time together over the weekend. It didn’t surprise her that she freaked out on him the first time they’d tried to have sex. No, the surprise had been in the way he’d handled it. He didn’t ridicule her. He didn’t called her a freaking nutcase, like someone else had. He’d been patient and understanding, and he figured out how to get around her defenses.
She felt a little thrill when she recalled that they’d be seeing each other the next day after work. It was a little scary, how quickly she’d begun to rely on him. Was it possible to be in love with someone you’d known such a short time? Her parents had only known each other a couple of months before they’d gotten married, and their marriage had been a very happy one.
After a brisk two-mile walk on the treadmill, Beth felt herself start to lag. She took a quick shower and got ready for bed, crawling between the cool sheets with her Kindle. She read for a few minutes, but soon her eyelids were too heavy to keep open, and she shut off her reader.
She turned on her side and cuddled with the spare pillow, wishing it were Shane. She flushed hotly when she remembered the sex they’d had in the foyer. She’d never been so excited in her life! She couldn’t really fault Shane for forgetting to use protection when it hadn’t occurred to her either. They were both to blame for that.
She tried to think back to the date of her last period, but she never bothered to keep track. It had to have been at least a couple of weeks ago, which put her in the ideal window of her cycle to conceive. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She wasn’t really scared, which surprised her. She slipped one hand underneath her nightgown and laid it on her belly, feeling its soft roundness. For a moment, she imagined it swollen with a child, her skin stretched taut. She imagined Shane lying beside her, his large hand caressing her distended belly. The idea wasn’t as scary as it should have been.
It was a fanciful idea, she concluded. Her period would probably arrive as scheduled in a couple of weeks, and the incident would be forgotten. And after seeing how he’d reacted to the oversight, Beth doubted Shane would ever let such a lapse happen again.
Chapter 26
Beth arrived at work Monday morning to find that a new shipment of vintage medical journals had arrived on loan from a medical college on the east coast. She got to work processing the new items while Mary helped a pair of medical school students begin work on a new research project.
Beth’s office phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID, not recognizing the number. “Special Collections. This is Beth.”
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
/> At the sound of Shane’s voice, she felt a tingle race down her spine. “Shane!”
“I hope I’m not bothering you. I just wanted to find say ‘hi’ and see how you’re doing.”
“You’re not bothering me. It’s great to hear your voice. But how did you get my work number?” she said.
“I called the main campus switchboard. Did you sleep well last night?”
She chuckled. “Actually, I did. I walked on the treadmill after you left, and then I dozed off pretty soon after my head hit the pillow. It was a pretty busy weekend.”
“It was indeed.”
Beth could almost hear his satisfied smile through the phone line.
“I missed you in my bed last night,” he said. “I could get used to having you there all the time.”
Her heart missed a beat. “I missed you, too.”
“Is everything all right?”
Beth knew exactly what he was asking, but it was far too soon to know anything. “Don’t worry, Shane. I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“I know it’ll be fine, because we’ll make it fine,” he said. “I just wanted to be sure you were okay.”
She chuckled. “You mean not freaking out, don’t you?”
“Well, yes. I was more than a little concerned.”
“I’m fine. Whatever happens, happens.”
“Still, you know there’s nothing to be afraid of, right? I’ll take care of you. Never doubt that.”
His words gave her all kinds of feels. “Shane, I’m not worried. Honestly.”
“All right.” He sighed heavily. “Hey, you promised to have dinner with me tonight, and I’m going to hold you to it.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Good. Where do you want to go?”
“I know a place in my neighborhood I think you’d like,” she said. “And it’s within walking distance of my house. Would that be okay?”
“That sounds great,” he said. “I’ll be at your place around six.”
Beth hung up just as Mary walked into the office.
“What are you so happy about this morning?” Mary said, dropping into her desk chair.
“Oh, nothing.”
“I saw that smile Beth. That wasn’t a ‘nothing’ kind of smile. Out with it.”
She shrugged. “I just got a phone call from... a friend. That’s all.”
“A friend?” Mary looked skeptical. “Or, a friend?”
Beth blushed as she turned her attention to her computer monitor and busied herself checking for new e-mails.
“Friends usually don’t put smiles like that on a girl’s face,” Mary said.
“Well,” Beth said, grinning. “I am sort of dating him.”
“Sort of?”
“It’s kind of new. I just met him.”
“Ah, a new boyfriend. Those are the best kind,” Mary said. “So, where did you meet this new boyfriend?”
“At Clancy’s downtown. We’ve gone out a few times now, I guess you could say. And we have plans for dinner tonight.”
“I take it from the blush on your face that you really like this new guy?”
“I do,” Beth said. “He’s – well, he’s kind of wonderful.”
“As long as he treats you well,” Mary said. “That’s what matters.”
Beth had turned her attention back to cataloging the newly arrived periodicals, mostly to get her mind off Shane, when a text came through on her phone.
Looking forward to dinner tonight.
She smiled. So much for getting her mind off Shane.
* * *
Shane hung up his office phone and leaned back in his chair. He was officially pussy whipped – Jake had been right. Just hearing her voice over the phone made him want to go straight to her workplace, drag her out of there, and take her back to his apartment. He knew Miguel was on duty outside the library at that moment, and he knew where Kline was at every moment of the day, but still it made him nervous to be separated from her. He’d feel a lot better if she had close personal protection when she was away from him. He’d have to talk some sense into Tyler.
“Hello? Earth to Shane?”
Shane looked up to see Jake standing in his office doorway, leaning against the door jamb looking like a recalcitrant thug.
Jake often resembled the dark angel of death. Even now he was dressed in all black: jeans, t-shirt, combat boots, with a pair of dark sunglasses hanging from the neck of his t-shirt. There was a gun holster strapped around his lean waist, sporting a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. His hair was thick and black as night, his eyes a deep, dark brown. He was the most ruthless of the four McIntyre brothers, often taking the bull by the horns and dealing with things head on, usually the hard way. Shane reasoned his way out of trouble. Liam charmed his way out. And Jamie... well, Jamie was smart enough not to get in trouble in the first place.
“What do you want?” Shane said, scowling at his brother. He knew what Jake had come to talk about. And the worst part was, Jake was right.
Jake sauntered into the office and dropped into one of the chairs in front of Shane’s desk. “It’s not what you think.” Jake tossed a sheet of paper onto Shane’s desk.
Shane picked up the print-out of an e-mail and read it, frowning as the words sunk in. “Fuck.”
“My words exactly, brother.” Jake leaned back and crossed one booted foot over his knee.
“Does he have the gun in his possession yet?” Shane said.
Jake shook his head. “Not yet, but it’s in the mail. He’ll probably have it by Wednesday.”
Shane ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. “Any asshole can buy a gun off the Internet these days, even a paroled kidnapper. Does Tyler know about this?”
“No,” Jake said. “I just received this from the electronic surveillance team a few minutes ago. Do you want me to notify Tyler?”
“I’ll do it,” Shane said. “I want to talk to him about close personal protection again. I want someone in that room with Beth.”
“Maybe this will be the leverage you need to talk him into it.”
“I’ll certainly try, but I’m not holding my breath. Tyler Jamison is one stubborn S.O.B.”
“I recommend we get Beth out of that townhouse, Shane,” Jake said. “The security is pathetic. It took me less than three minutes to break into that house, bypassing the security system altogether. Now that Kline has a gun, the risk of her staying there is too high.”
“I’ll talk to Tyler,” Shane said. “But I doubt he’ll agree to moving her.”
“You’ve got to get her out of that house, Shane,” Jake said. “We need to relocate the redhead, too. It’s not safe for either of them in that house. It’s either that, or let me redo the security system in that building, and we can tie it into our own response center.”
“I’m planning to ask Beth to move in with me at the Lake Shore apartment.”
“Whoa. Do you think she’s ready for that?” Jake said.
Shane shook his head. “Probably not. But it’s the only way I’ll be able to relax.”
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you,” Jake said.
Shane looked at his brother. “That has occurred to me, yes,” he said.
“It’s kinda soon, don’t you think?” Jake said.
Shane shrugged. “I’ve been with a lot of women in my life, Jake, but I’ve never felt like this. I couldn’t sleep last night because she wasn’t in my bed. I came really close to driving to her house in the middle of the night, just to sleep with her. So, there you go. If that’s love, then I’m in it.”
* * *
The rest of Beth’s day moved at a crawl. She did her best to keep her mind on work and off of Shane, but that turned out to be easier said than done. When five o’clock finally rolled around, she grabbed her purse and sweater and headed out to the street. The weather was perfect – clear blue skies with a gentle breeze – so instead of catching the bus home, she decided to walk. It was only a 30-m
inute walk, which would give her plenty of time to get home and freshen up before Shane arrived at six.
She’d barely walked a block from the library when someone called her name.
“Beth! Hey, wait up!”
She turned to see Andrew Morton jogging toward her.
“Hi, Beth,” Andrew said when he reached her. He was breathless, his face flushed from his exertions.
Andrew was the last person she wanted to see, but good manners prevailed. “Hi, Andrew.”
“Where’re you off to?” he said, panting for breath.
“Home,” she said.
“I have class at six,” Andrew said, adjusting his backpack. “But it’s just a stupid ethics class. I can blow it off. Let’s go grab a beer.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t. I have dinner plans tonight.” And even if she was free, she wouldn’t be spending her time with him.
“You at least have time for one beer. Let’s go to Tank’s. It’s just down the block.”
“I’m sorry, but I really can’t. I have just enough time to get home and get ready for my date.”
“Date?” He looked horrified. “You have a date?”
“Yes,” she said. Andrew Morton gave her the creeps.
“You can make time for one drink,” he cajoled, reaching out and snagging her wrist. “I’ll buy.”
“I’m sorry, but no, Andrew.” She said it with a little more force than she had intended, so she smiled and tried to soften the blow. “Thanks anyway.”
Why couldn’t he just take ‘no’ for an answer? She tried to extricate her wrist from his grasp. He wasn’t hurting her, exactly, but his hold was strong. He was a big guy, and he had a large hand. She would have to use considerable force to break free if he didn’t willingly let her go.
“Andrew, please,” she said, tugging on her wrist as she began to feel trapped.
“Just one drink, Beth,” he said, as if she were the one being unreasonable.
“Andrew, let go,” she said, her anxiety steadily rising. Her heart rate kicked up and her chest tightened. Despite the fact that the sidewalk was crowded with students, she felt very much alone.
Vulnerable: (McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series - Book 1) Page 23