“I don’t,” he said. “But it’s our first night co-habitating, and I have you in my bed. I’m not going to miss out on this.”
“It’s only temporary, though, right?” she said. She didn’t want to read too much into his motives for having her move into his house.
He shrugged. “Let’s take it one day at a time. Who knows, maybe you’ll like it here so much you’ll decide you want to stay.”
Shane had been hoping to stave off this conversation for a while. He didn’t think she was ready to contemplate moving in with him permanently. When they’d discussed it in the hospital, she’d agreed, but with the caveat that it was temporary. He’d agreed at the time, for the sake of getting her here. But the truth was, he wanted this to be a permanent arrangement.
He removed his trousers and draped them over the back of an armchair in front of the hearth. Then his hands went to the waistband of his boxers. “I normally sleep naked. Is that a problem?”
Beth blushed, her eyes following the trail of dark hair that ran down his muscular abdomen, disappearing beneath the waistband of his boxers. Dear God, he looked edible. “I don’t mind.”
He shucked off his boxers and strode toward the bed, completely comfortable with his nakedness. Beth’s eyes widened appreciatively at the sight of him, his penis rousing right before her eyes, defying gravity as it lifted from the nest of dark hair at his groin.
“Sorry,” he said, glancing down dismissively at himself. “Ignore that.”
Ignore it? Impossible!
He turned off the overhead lights, then he walked over to the lamp on her side of the bed and switched it to a nightlight setting. “Is that enough light?”
Beth nodded, unable to speak. He didn’t judge her for her fear of the dark. He just accepted it and took it in stride, undoubtedly inconveniencing himself in the process. Gabrielle was the only other person, besides her mom and Tyler, who didn’t chide her for her fear.
Shane crawled into bed beside her and pulled the covers up to his waist in an attempt to cover his inconveniently burgeoning erection. He snuggled up beside her, taking care not to jar her ribs, and kissed the top of her head. “Are you comfortable?”
“Mmhmm,” she murmured, feeling her eyelids grow heavy.
“Good. Try to sleep, sweetheart. Your body needs rest to heal. I’ll be right here if you need anything in the night.”
Her body did indeed crash as soon as she closed her eyes, desperately needing sleep, but her mind just wasn’t cooperating. Every time she was just about to drift off to sleep, she’d flashback to the attack. The mental image of Andrew’s heavy boot coming at her face was so realistic that she’d actually flinch, waking herself up. Twice now, she’d been half asleep when she jerked awake.
“Sweetheart? Are you all right?”
“I keep seeing his boot coming at me. It won’t stop.”
He leaned forward and kissed her temple. “Do you want to take something to help you sleep?”
“No. I don’t like sleeping pills.”
“You need a distraction,” he said, his lips in her hair. “How about if I distract you?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Don’t move a muscle,” he said, skimming his fingers up underneath her nightgown. “I mean it. Lie still.”
“That’s easier said than done when you’re doing that,” she said.
His fingers traveled up her thighs to the apex of her thighs, surprised to find her bare bottomed beneath her nightgown. He chuckled. “What happened to the panties I brought you?”
“They’re in the bathroom.”
“And why is that?”
“When you came into the bathroom wearing just your pants, it gave me ideas, so I left them off.”
“You’re an optimist,” he said. “There’s no way in hell we’re having sex anytime soon. Not while you’re recuperating.”
“Then why is your hand up my nightgown?”
“There are other ways to distract you, you know.” He chuckled as he came up on his elbow to lean over her, gazing down at her face.
She reached up and caressed the side of his face, and he pressed his face into her hand. Then he turned his face into her palm and kissed it.
“I want you,” she said.
He frowned. “It’s too soon. I won’t do something that’s going to hurt you.” He gave her a wry grin. “But I can distract you.” Then he kissed the side of her throat, right over her pulse. It was one of the few places that was unmarked. His left hand slipped between her thighs. “Open your legs,” he said.
And she did.
“You are so beautiful,” he said. “I could lie here and look at you for hours.”
Beth opened her eyes, surprised by the reverence in his voice. She gazed up into his beautiful blue irises. His index finger brushed across the top of her mound, skimming through her curls. When his finger slipped closer, he traced the seam between the lips of her sex. Then his finger dipped inside, searching for the wetness collecting inside her channel. She started trembling from the anticipation alone. She wanted him, inside her.
“Do you like this? My fingers on you?”
“Yes,” she breathed, closing her eyes as she reveled in his touch.
“Open wider,” he said, nudging her thighs apart.
Taking his own sweet time, he explored her sex, his fingers sliding through her wetness, drawing it up from her core to bathe her clitoris. Her body began to tremble when his finger applied the lightest pressure on that tiny bundle of nerves. Gently, so very gently, he the little nub of flesh, slowly and methodically. Her hips began to rock with the rhythm of his stroking.
“You have to lie still, Beth,” he said, his voice low. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“Lie still?” she said, incredulous. “Are you kidding?” Yes, her ribs were killing her and every little movement hurt. But there was no way she could simply hold still.
“I mean it. You have to hold still, or I’ll stop.”
“Don’t you dare!” she hissed, and then she gasped because his long index finger had slipped inside her wet channel and pushed deep, searching.
He began a slow and methodical stroking inside her body, and it wasn’t long before she felt it, an elusive sensation building deep inside her, spiraling as he kept up the slow stroking. Desire blossomed inside. A whimper escaped her lips.
“Look at me, Beth,” he said.
Her gaze locked onto his, and the intensity in his gaze shocked her. Feeling too emotionally exposed, she closed her eyes.
“Beth?”
“Hmm?”
“Look at me. I want to watch you come.”
She opened her eyes and looked at him.
Shane watched Beth’s face as he stroked her. He was mesmerized, completely ensnared by her expression. She clearly reveled in the feel of his finger inside her, stroking her. He wished it could have been his cock, but this would have to do until her injuries were healed. He continued stroking, and then his thumb joined in by rubbing her clitoris. She gasped, and her hips raised as she pressed herself into his touch.
“Hold still, baby,” he said, his voice rough, the low rasp unrecognizable even to himself. He was the one torturing her body, and yet he found himself just as aroused as she was.
She did this to him. It was as if she held some intangible power over him, and his body recognized it. He’d never in his life felt this with anyone, this desperation to be near her, to be needed by her. When she’d walked out of his office saying she was done with him, his world had stopped spinning. Now all was right again because she was here. God help him if she ever realized how much power she had over him. Or if she ever left him again.
Her internal muscles tightened on his finger, and he knew she was near. “You’re close, aren’t you?” he murmured. “I can feel your sex tightening on my finger.”
She nodded, her eyes widening as she drew nearer to the precipice. She made a faint sound, a whimper.
He leaned cl
oser, his lips near her ear. His warm breath ruffled her hair as he whispered to her. “I love watching you like this, knowing I’m the one making you come.”
His quiet words pushed her right over the edge, and she whimpered as her climax swept through her like a wave of molten lava. Shane continued stroking her gently, even as her wet sex clamped down on finger. He trialed soft kisses along her neck and collarbone, nibbling her soft skin and breathing in her warm, sweet scent. “God, I’m addicted to the smell of your skin,” he said.
Beth lay in his arms, boneless and satiated, so tired she could barely move.
Pulling back, he looked into her peaceful, relaxed face. “Please don’t leave me again, Beth. If there’s a problem, give me a chance to fix it. I’m good at fixing things. And I’ll do anything to make this work.”
Beth’s hand came up and cupped his face. “I shouldn’t have walked out on you,” she said. “I panicked and I was scared.”
“Promise me,” he said. “Next time there’s a problem, promise me you’ll let me fix it.”
Beth nodded. “I promise.”
Chapter 45
The next morning, Shane lay awake watching Beth sleep. Despite the bruises and the cuts on her face, she looked peaceful bathed in the morning light coming through the glass doors and tall transoms. She lay on her right side facing away from him, with her slender hand tucked beneath her cheek.
He’d been awake for a little over an hour, but he just couldn’t bring himself to leave their bed. It was a relief to see her so relaxed. After the sweet orgasm she’d had last night, she slept through the entire night without incident – no nightmares, no panic attacks. Maybe he should do that for her every night.
He should get up and get back to work. He’d missed a lot of work that week, first dealing with Beth breaking up with him, and then dealing with the aftermath of the attack. He knew without asking that Jake had taken over for him, and between Jake, Liam, and Cooper, everything in the Chicago office was under control. But it was time to pull his own weight and get back to work. Beth was safe, she was under his roof now, and he had no more excuses for slacking off.
Right now, though, he just wanted to lie here and watch her sleep. It gave him tremendous satisfaction having her here in his home, knowing she was safe, knowing she would be cared for even when he wasn’t here. Elly and George would take good care of Beth, as would the rest of the household and security staff on the premises. Especially Elly. He’d seen the look on Elly’s face when she’d caught her first glimpse of Beth’s battered face. Elly seemed to have taken to Beth like a mama bear taking to an orphan cub.
He checked his phone for the latest updates on Kline. There was nothing urgent on that front – or Cooper or Jake would have alerted him – but he still wanted to know what that fucker was up to.
He was studying the bruises on the side of Beth’s face when someone knocked quietly on their door. After pulling on his trousers, he found Elly standing outside their room with a serving cart laden with two covered plates, a pot of coffee, orange juice, cups and utensils.
“I thought Beth might like to have breakfast in bed this morning,” Elly whispered. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s still asleep,” Shane said.
Elly nodded. “Good. Sleep’s the best thing for her right now. Do you want me to bring this back later, when she wakes? I can keep it warm in the kitchen.”
“Shane?” Beth’s voice sounded groggy.
“I’m right here, sweetheart,” he said, looking back at the bed.
“Good morning, dear,” Elly said, pushing the cart into the room. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“You didn’t,” Beth said. She looked at the bedside clock. “Wow, I can’t believe I slept so long.” It was almost ten.
“I brought you some breakfast,” Elly said, parking the cart beside the bed.
“Thank you,” Beth said, struggling to sit up.
“You’re very welcome, honey. What would you like for lunch later? Any special requests?”
“She’s going to spoil you rotten,” Shane said, helping Beth sit up in bed, propped against a stack of pillows against the headboard. He handed her a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.
Beth took a bite of the eggs and moaned in delight. “Ohmygod, this is so good.”
“How do you feel?” he said, sitting beside her, digging into his own plate. “Did we overdo it last night?”
“Maybe a bit,” Beth said, wincing as she shifted. Every muscle, every movement hurt. Still, she grinned at him. “But it was worth it. You will not hear me complaining. I haven’t slept that well in a long time.”
“I think I’ll have to give you an orgasm every night before bed,” he said.
After they finished eating, Beth headed to the bathroom on her own two feet to get cleaned up and dressed.
“After we’re dressed, I’ll take you on a tour of the house,” he said.
“Most of the fun stuff is down here,” Shane said, as they stepped off the elevator on the lower level.
They were moving slowly, but at least Beth was walking on her own, which she had insisted on doing.
Shane showed her the movie theater that sat twenty people in lush reclining armchairs arranged in stadium seating.
“Cup holders,” Beth said. “Nice.”
Next he showed her the pool room, which housed an Olympic-sized pool with diving boards, a two-story twisting tube slide, and a separate hot tub. The exterior wall in the pool room was made up of large arched windows, which let in plenty of sunlight and overlooked a spacious lawn that led down toward a sandy beach.
“I just found my favorite room,” she said, taking in the smooth surface of the clear water. Sunlight streamed through the tall, arched windows, lighting up the water. The pool had a zero entry walk-in at one end, and at the far side there were three diving boards, including one high dive.
They were standing in the hallway outside the pool room, observing through a huge picture window, when Beth noticed someone in the water, swimming laps with clean, efficient strokes. She watched the swimmer for a moment, admiring his incredible speed and precision.
“Who’s that?” Beth said.
“That’s my brother Jamie.”
“He’s a really good swimmer,” she said, admiring Jamie’s powerful strokes. He cut through the water, propelled by his long, muscular arms and legs.
“He should be,” Shane said. “He was a SEAL.”
Beth looked at Shane. “A SEAL? As in a Navy SEAL?”
Shane nodded. “He was, until about three years ago. He was blinded in an explosion.”
Beth watched Jamie reach the end of the pool and execute a perfect turn. “He’s blind?”
“Yes.”
“Completely?”
“Yes.”
“How awful. Is it safe for him to swim alone like this? Shouldn’t someone be in there with him?”
Shane laughed. “Nah. Jamie’s drown-proof. If I jumped in that pool and tried to drown him, I’d be the one who ended up at the bottom of the pool, not Jamie. Trust me, Jamie doesn’t need a babysitter.”
Further down the corridor, they came to an interior window that overlooked what appeared to be a martial arts studio.
Beth stood at the window and watched Jake pummeling the hell out of a large black punching bag that was suspended from the ceiling by a heavy chain. Jake was barefoot and dressed only in a pair of black mesh boardshorts. His hands were wrapped in white tape, and he was attacking the punching bag as if it were his worst enemy.
“That’s gotta hurt,” Beth said, as Jake hammered the bag mercilessly with his bare hands. He really did look like he was trying to kill the thing.
“Shouldn’t he be wearing gloves?” she said, wincing when she noticed blood stains on the tape.
Shane shook his head. “Jake doesn’t wear gloves.”
Beth stared at Jake’s muscular torso. It wasn’t the incredibly ripped and chiseled abdominal muscles that had caught
her attention – it was the large, black tattoo that ran down his left side – a combination of letters and numbers. She stared at him as she made out the pattern. “Is that a date? March 3, 2005?”
“Yes,” Shane said.
“What’s the significance of that date?” she said.
“It’s a long story,” Shane answered. “And it’s not mine to tell. You’ll have to ask him.”
In the center of the room, Lia was sparring with her twin on the mat. They went at each other furiously, hitting, kicking, and punching.
“What are they doing?” Beth asked.
“Krav Maga,” Shane said.
“They’re going to hurt each other,” she said, when Liam grabbed Lia and slammed her to the mat, coming down on top of her with a knee to her chest, his hands pinning her wrists to the floor.
Shane chuckled. “If either one of them is stupid enough to get hurt, he – or she – deserves it. They both know what they’re doing.”
Beth watched, entranced, as Lia shot to her feet and came at her brother with a vengeance. Liam was much taller and more muscular than Lia, who was just five-five to Liam’s six-feet. But still, she managed to hold her own. She drove him back several feet and got a few impressive hits in before he began pushing her back.
“Is he taking it easy on her?” Beth asked.
“No. Lia’s good. People underestimate her because she’s a female and because of her size, but she could easily take down a man twice her size. Besides, Liam wouldn’t be doing her any favors if he gave her a break. An opponent’s certainly not going to take it easy on her if it comes to a real right.”
Beth watched Lia on the mat, envying her power and her stamina. If she could learn to do what Lia did, then no one would be able to hurt her like Andrew did. She’d be able to protect herself.
“Shane?”
“Yeah?”
“I want to learn how to do what they’re doing.”
“You want to learn Krav Maga?”
Vulnerable: (McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series - Book 1) Page 40