“I love food, I can’t help it,” Lexi said before she tried the first bite. She stifled a moan, it was the best thing she had ever eaten.
“I like a girl who enjoys her meals,” Shane said with a smile. He picked up his fork and began to eat. Lexi watched him as she took her next bite. He was so controlled and graceful. Lexi slowed down her eating, trying to savor the delicious taste of the pasta sauce and chicken.
Lexi was thrilled when they brought over a soufflé for desert. She speared a bite of the chocolatey cake on a fork and her eyes rolled back in her head. This was the best thing she had ever eaten. It was soft and melted in her mouth. Sweet and tart. When she opened her eyes, Shane was staring at her.
“What?” she asked.
“I’ve just never seen anyone enjoy their food so much.” She flushed, feeling silly. “I don’t mean it in a bad way, it’s adorable.”
Lexi could feel herself blush. She pushed the soufflé dish towards him. “You try it. It’s amazing.” He took a bite and chewed slowly.
“You’re right, this is fantastic.”
When the waiter brought the check Shane grabbed it before Lexi even was able to lift her hand. His reflexes were incredible. He wouldn’t let her pay. He moved to help her out of her chair, and placed his hand on the middle of her back, guiding her between the tables.
Right as they reached the door, a man stepped to block their path. He had dark hair, like Shane’s but he was a bit shorter. They had some similar features but the way they held themselves was completely different. Shane was all power, where the man was purely posturing. Shane apparently knew him because once he was aware of him, he growled, “Matt.” Shane pulled Lexi closer but slightly behind him, as if shielding her from the man’s gaze.
“Pretty girlfriend, Shane.” The man, Matt said. He didn’t seem to recognize the hostility in Shane’s voice, but Lexi sure did. Shane did not like Matt. One bit.
“This is our first date,” Lexi clarified. Matt’s expression didn’t change, but Shane’s grip tightened around her middle. Lexi wasn’t sure what was going on, but Matt made her uncomfortable.
“Well, enjoy your time with Shane, dear. While it lasts.” Matt brushed past them, and walked into the restaurant.
“What did he—” Lexi started, but Shane interrupted.
“Let’s go. I’ll drive you to the hospital.” His hand went around her wrist and he pulled her forward. She wanted to yank her arm away, but she figured that if Shane had good reason to keep her away from him then best to go with it.
Shane opened her door and helped her in. It would have been polite if she hadn’t felt like she was being shoved inside. He moved quickly, she would have called it inhumanly quick, and was peeling out of the parking lot in seconds. She was sure he broke at least ten traffic laws on the drive there. He pulled up at the front and took her hand before she got out of the car.
“Text me when your shift is over and let me know when you get home.” He seemed both worried and angry all at once.
“I will.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I had a good time today.”
“Me too. I’ll call you later.” She could feel his eyes on her as she entered the hospital.
Chapter 6
Shane texted her constantly and always called her when she got home in the evenings. They went out a couple more times over the next week. She was absolutely enamored. He was always so calm, and collected. He talked about his business with such competency that it almost made Lexi want to switch professions. Almost. It was strange to have something to do when she wasn’t at work. Usually, when she wasn’t at work she was wishing she was. But she looked forward to spending time with Shane.
She was itching to ask him more questions about the night he was shot, and about Matt, the man from the restaurant but she couldn’t quite figure out how to pose the questions.
It was a Friday evening when Lexi was at the hospital. It was relatively early in her shift, and one of the nurses scurried over to her. “Doctor Green! There’s someone asking to see you. He’s in the waiting room.”
“Thanks Gracie.” Lexi turned towards the waiting room and peaked through the glass window in the door. She assumed it was Shane, but she didn’t see him. Instead, it was the man from the restaurant. She frowned. She wasn’t sure why he was here, or what he wanted. Hell, she didn’t know how he knew where she worked. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She walked into the on-call room, and dialed Shane’s number.
“Lexi, did you get off early?” his voice soothed her.
“No, I just had a quick question.”
“What’s up?”
“Remember that guy who stopped us at lunch the other day?”
“Matt? Lexi, what’s going on?”
“Uh, he’s here at the hospital. One of the nurses said he was asking for me.”
“Fuck. I need you to clock out and wait for me at the back entrance of the hospital. Don’t talk to anyone. Tell the nurse to say it’s your night off or something. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Shane you can’t—I have to work!”
“Lexi, you need to listen to me. He’s a dangerous guy. Do what I told you. Now. I’ll call you when I’m here.” Lexi lowered the phone from her ear, heart hammering. How could she trust Shane? She hadn’t known him for long. But she wasn’t about to not listen if someone told her that Matt was dangerous. Who wouldn’t listen to something like that?
With her heart hammering in her chest, she popped her head into the floor supervisor’s office. “Gwen, I just got a phone call. There’s an emergency at home with my sister’s kid. It’s a slow night, is it okay if I take off?”
Gwen pursed her lips. “Don’t put me in this position ever again Lexi. Yes, you can go. Let Feinstein know you’re leaving so he can cover your patients.”
“Thanks so much Gwen. It won’t happen again.”
“I know it won’t Lexi, you love it here too much.” Lexi smiled tentatively and backed out of the room. She managed to find Feinstein in the hall and let him know she was leaving. He looked pissed but there wasn’t anything she could do. They would call her if they needed her that badly.
Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Shane. I’m here.
She grabbed her bag and headed to the back exit. He was standing outside his car, his posture rigid and his mouth set in a hard line. He looked so hot. He pressed a fast kiss to her lips. “Get in the car.”
“Shane, what’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you on the way.” He shut the door after she got in and floored it. His jaw was clenched and she could see the muscles in his neck tense and release. He was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white.
“Tell me,” she said fiercely.
“Matt is my cousin. A couple weeks ago I was told that I’d be taking over the family business. Matt was angry. He thought that he deserved the position, even though my business track record is better than his. Lately, he’s been crazed. It started small, just him trying to turn people I work with against me. But he was the one responsible for me getting shot. And now I think he’s trying to go after you to hurt me.”
“But we’ve only been dating for like two weeks!”
“It doesn’t matter. He knows I care about you so he wants to get me where it hurts. I’m taking you home with me.”
“Why aren’t we calling the police?”
Shane laughed. “There isn’t a whole hell of a lot they can do.” Lexi knew the truth of that. If it hadn’t been for a fantastic female detective who believed her story, even without proof, she’d still be under the thumb of her sadistic ex. “I can protect you Lexi. I know you have no reason to believe me, but try to trust me. I can keep you safe.”
“Okay. I trust you.” The second the words left her mouth she knew them to be true. She did trust Shane, for whatever reason. They didn’t speak until they pulled into an underground parking lot. Lexi’s heart hammered with nerves.
Shane took her hand. “I live in this building. Try to relax.”
She followed Shane to the elevator. His whole body was tensed as he walked. His eyes darted around, as if waiting for some attack. In the elevator, he positioned them so he was closer to the door. It was like he was using his body to protect her if anything bad was on the other side of the elevator. The door dinged and opened to a wide hallway. Shane had his keys out and quickly opened his door.
He stepped inside, and held her back with his arm. He took a deep breath, and looked around, and then let her in. “No one is here,” he muttered. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to hear it or not.
“How do you know?” He didn’t even go room to room, he just sniffed.
“I know.” She knew she wasn’t going to get any other answer out of him, so she followed him into the apartment. “I’ll show you the guest bedroom.”
He took her hand and led her further into the apartment. He pushed open a door revealing a tastefully but sparsely decorated bedroom. He walked in and pushed open another door. “Here’s the bathroom.”
“Thanks for keeping me safe,” Lexi said as she rubbed her arm. She took a tentative step towards him, and stood on her tip toes to press a kiss against his lips. He looked shocked for a moment, but then he moved so quickly he was almost a blur.
His lips crashed down onto hers and his hands went to her hips, pulling her closer. Her heart pounded against her chest. Her hands went around his neck, keeping her anchored to him. His tongue explored her mouth; somehow he was plundering sweetly, and she wasn’t sure how. He was a complete contradiction. His body hard, but his hands held her gently, as if he was afraid to break her. His hands moved up her back, and came to rest at the base of her neck. He angled her head back, and his lips left hers. She stifled a moan at the loss of contact but his lips moved down her neck. He sucked and bit at her skin. Her nerve endings felt raw and exposed, like he was somehow kissing every part of her at once. She had never needed someone so much in her life.
“Strip darlin’,” he breathed in her ear the barest hint of a southern accent pushed through in his raw whisper. She hadn’t realized he was southern. She assumed he had practiced the crisp, accentless speech when he came to New York. Something about him forgetting to keep up his perfectly curated appearance turned her on.
She raised an eyebrow, as if daring him. She wanted to see what he would do. He was so much coiled, masculine energy. She wondered what it took to make that coil snap. The thought of him becoming undone made her feminine juices flow. She could feel her panties getting wet.
She wanted to, so badly. But she couldn’t. Her voice sounded thick with tears even as she willed herself not to cry. “I can’t.”
He stepped back. “Fuck, I’m so sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t have pushed you like that. This is brand new.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not that.”
He took her hand and pulled her along with him to sit on the edge of the bed. “Tell me.”
“I just…” She took a deep breath. This is why she didn’t have sex. This is why she didn’t date. The shame of what her ex-boyfriend had done to her body. She lifted the hem of her shirt, displaying the long scar that started at her right hip and moved around her back.
“Who did this to you?” He didn’t sound disgusted, and for that she was relieved. Instead, he sounded furious. It both scared her and turned her on.
“My ex-boyfriend. He’s in jail now.”
Shane pulled her into his lap, and ran his hands along her back. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” She relaxed into his embrace and let his scent wash over her. His warm hand against her back felt so good. “Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes searching her face.
She nodded and leaned into him. He relaxed backwards, bringing them both down onto the bed. He rubbed her back gently, and she slid her hands under his shirt. His skin was warm, almost too warm. He followed suit. His hands pressed against her stomach, his fingers traced the long line of her scar. Somehow the way Shane looked at her, his eyes thick with desire, made her abandon her self-consciousness. She shivered.
He slowly pushed the hem of her shirt up and over her head. He kissed her gently, and she let herself fall into the sensation. She felt safe with Shane, protected. He carefully cupped her breast, massaging it gently. She reached behind herself and unclipped her bra, giving him full access. They continued to kiss as his fingers brushed against her skin.
His lips left hers and he trailed them down her neck. Kissing, and then blowing on her neck. The sensation made her shiver, and he pulled her closer to him. When he reached her breasts, he took one in his hand, and ran his finger across the hardening nipple. He took the other one in his mouth, his tongue circling. He sucked gently, and she arched forward, needing more. He switched to the other breast, and when the cold air hit her she moaned.
She tugged at his shirt, silently letting him know what she wanted. He paused, and pulled the fabric over his head. She ran her hands down his hard abs, marveling in the solidness of him. His breath hitched as she reached the edge of his low-slung jeans. She unbuttoned the top button and slowly slid the zipper down. Her bravery was rewarded with the tip of his hard cock. She ran her fingers along the head, marveling in the smoothness of it. He drew in a sharp breath.
“Not fair, sweetheart,” he said, his voice thick with desire. “Now you’re overdressed.”
She wiggled out of her scrub bottoms and his fingers brushed against the thin fabric of her underwear. For a moment she wished that she had worn sexy underwear but he didn’t seem to care. He was looking at her like he wanted to devour her. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” he whispered against her bare skin. She blushed. Gorgeous was never a word she associated with herself, especially because of the scar.
He moved down, kissing and laving at her skin. He settled on his elbows between her legs, and slowly slid her panties off. He ran a finger between her slick folds, and groaned. “You’re so wet.” And she was. Kissing him made her come undone. He kissed her right thigh, and slowly moved closer to her pussy. Her eyes fluttered closed, waiting for the touch of his tongue and lips. But when he got to the junction of her thighs, he jumped to the other thigh, ignoring her need.
“Shane,” she groaned.
She opened her eyes and looked down at him. “Good things come to those who wait, darlin’.” He continued to kiss her left thigh. His hand moved up to massage her right calf, slowly moving upward. She moaned as he worked out the knots in her legs. Then, finally, he went where she needed him to go. His fingers spread her apart, exposing her to his lust-filed gaze. He looked at her for a moment, before licking a slow line up her slit. His tongue found her clit and pressed down. She nearly jumped at the pressure. He sucked on the bundle of nerves, and slowly slid one finger inside of her.
Pressure built in her stomach, and she grabbed hold of his hair, holding him to her. He added another finger, curling it to hit the spot inside of her that made her shake. He rubbed and her toes curled. She was on the precipice of an orgasm, and then it hit. Her hands tightened on his hair, as she arched upwards. His tongue didn’t stop. Instead, he picked up his pace. It was too much and she fell over the edge again, a second orgasm rolled through her, leaving her panting.
He lifted his head, and moved up, over her body. He turned to the side, and pulled her into him. She felt like jello, like every bone in her body was liquid.
She felt his hardness against her back and she turned and took him in her hand. He took her wrist. “Later,” he said. “I wanted this to be about you.” She raised an eyebrow. “I promise, I’m fine. Fuck, you looked so hot when I was making you cum.” The male pride in his voice was so obvious.
He pulled her naked body close and ran his nose along her neck. “You smell like me,” he muttered. Her nose scrunched. How could he tell? To her everything just smelled like sweat and sex. Maybe a super sense of smell came with his weird healing abilities. She had to remember to as
k him in the morning. His fingers traced up and down her stomach, almost tickling her. “You’re so beautiful. And you’re all mine.” Shane’s words washed over her as she fell asleep in his arms. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it were so, she thought as she drifted off. But she knew he was keeping something from her, something about Matt and this feud. And she was going to find out what.
Chapter 7
Lexi rolled over, and was met with a large solid mass of warmth. Her vision was blurred with sleep. She could only see the outline of a bare, masculine back. She took a deep breath, panic threatening to overwhelm her. He was back. And she could only imagine what he was going to do to her as punishment for his time in jail.
She slid as slowly as she possibly could away from him, trying desperately not to make the mattress move. She stopped and pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart was beating so fast she was sure it was audible to him as well. She made it to the edge of the bed and was just about to lower a leg onto the ground when he rolled over and put his arms around her.
“Good morning,” he whispered into her neck. She was silent, willing herself not to cry or scream. And then he looked up, and her breath left her in a sob. “Lexi?” His voice was urgent. “What’s wrong?”
She buried her head against his chest. “I’m sorry, Shane. I just sort of freaked out a bit when I saw you.” She didn’t need to tell him that she thought he was her ex. He knew. And he wasn’t angry. Not like the few guys she’d dated soon after. They always seemed to be upset at her for the reactions caused by her trauma. Shane was different.
He put her hand in the middle of her upper back and pressed down gently, grounding her. Her breathing calmed. “I’m here,” he whispered against her skin. The roughness of his day old stubble against her skin was somehow so comforting. “I’m here and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
He hummed gently and rubbed her back. It took a few moments but she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. He brushed a bit of her hair out of her face and cupped her cheek. He slowly pressed a tentative kiss to her lips. “Good morning, darlin’. How about we get up and I make us breakfast?”
Bears of Burden: STERLING Page 22