Stripped Bare

by Lacey Thorn

  “So really the only thing you even have to make you think she was taken was the 9-1-1 call?” Blake asked.

  “Yeah,” Shep agreed. “Otherwise it would look like she just got out and walked away from her car.”

  “I’d like to see the car,” Ally said. “I think that would be my best chance to connect with her.”

  “I’m sure we can talk to Stace and see about picking it up tomorrow,” Shep said glancing at his watch. “I honestly didn’t think about it today when Stace and I were there or I would have suggested it then. The lot’s closed now.”

  “So where is this Stace you keep referring to?” Blake asked.

  “She took a run and then hit the shower,” Shep said. “I’m sure she’ll be down any minute. So did you two go to the birthday party?” He knew they had. Her cousin Ben was the dad and as the two cousins had only reunited in recent years Shep knew that Ally and Blake would have stopped in.

  “Yes, I can’t believe that little Thomas is already a year old,” Ally smiled. “Katie had the house all decorated and the cake was so cute. She and her mom Katherine had everything perfect. Oh, and you missed the big announcement since you weren’t there.”

  “What announcement?” Shep wanted to know. There was always something going on with one of them. The Danielses and the large extended Madigan family that he was part of seemed to always be in the middle of something.

  “Well maybe we shouldn’t tell you. Maybe it would be better if you just learned about it when you head back home,” Ally said with a laugh.

  “Just tell me that everything is okay,” Shep said.

  “Yes, in fact things are wonderful,” Ally said with big grin. “Both Moira and Cass announced that they are pregnant.”

  “What?” Shep said and then grinned like a loon too. Moira was the daughter of his boss Jack Madigan and Shep had known her since she was a teenager. She was like a sister to him. And the same could go for Moira’s best friend Cass. And both the women had married into the Daniels family. “That is fantastic news. I can’t wait to see them both when I get home. I’ll have to stop in at the club.”

  Moira owned and operated a fitness club and Cass helped manage it. Both of them were fitness instructors as well. He wondered how they would juggle their pregnancies with the club but knew that those two would manage just fine. He felt like he was going to be an uncle. It was great news.

  “What is fantastic news?” Stace asked as she walked into the room.

  Shep turned to look at her and was struck again by just how naturally beautiful she was. Her dark brown hair was back in another ponytail and her flawless face was without makeup. Still she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  “Stace,” Shep said reaching his hand out to her and pulling her further into the room. “Meet Ally and Blake. Ally, Blake. Stace Anders.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you,” Ally said as she stepped forward and took Stace’s hand. Stace noticed immediately that Ally was a very natural person. She could see by the way the couple looked at each other, by the way the carried themselves that they were very much in love.

  And Ally wasn’t what she’d expected. The woman was dainty, maybe five feet even in her bare feet. She had long black hair that was braided down her back and big green eyes. She looked like a tiny fairy. And as Blake was as tall as Shep, it was hard to picture the woman in the middle of them.

  “I’m glad that you agreed to come and see what you might be able to do to help,” Stace said. “I’ll take all I can get.”

  “We’re sorry to hear about your sister,” Blake said as he stepped up to take her hand and shake it. “Hopefully Ally will be able to lock onto something.”

  “I’m curious and tend not to keep my thoughts to myself,” Stace said. “How exactly does your psychic thing work?”

  “I usually use an object that the other person has touched, or been in contact with in some way, something recent,” Ally said. “If I’m lucky then maybe I can use that object to find a connection with that person.”

  “Have you ever not been able to make a connection?” Stace asked.

  “Yes,” Ally said. Stace liked the way the woman didn’t defend her talent. It was easy to see that Ally was just herself and it was up to the person whether they believed her or not.

  “Did you ever find out why you couldn’t connect on those times?” Stace queried.

  “Because the person I was trying to connect with was already gone,” Ally said softly.

  Stace knew what Ally meant. The person had been dead. “So will you two want a room of your own or will you be sharing with Shep?” she asked and only realized what she had said when dead silence filled the room. Shit she had been thinking that but hadn’t actually meant to say it out loud.

  “Well, I did say that I had a hard time keeping my thoughts to myself,” Stace finally said. “I would apologize but it won’t change what I’ve just said.”

  Ally smiled at her and reached her hand out. She didn’t touch her hand like a normal handshake but let her fingers connect with the watch Stace was wearing on her wrist. “Hmmm,” Ally said. “I’ve never thought of that.”

  “What?” Blake asked and Shep was eying them all.

  “Shep didn’t tell us that you two were sleeping together,” Ally said and Stace just raised her brow. “Which is unfair since he obviously told you about the three of us.”

  “You could tell we were sleeping together by touching my watch?” Stace asked.

  “No,” Ally laughed. “I could tell that the moment you walked into the room. It’s in the way you look at each other. I don’t usually touch people to get a read,” she laughed again. “Fortunately that’s not the way it works. Man that would suck.”

  Stace got that. She had made a similar observation about Ally and Blake. And yeah it would suck if you couldn’t touch someone without being blasted by some type of psychic wave. “So what had you never thought of?”

  “How awkward it could be to meet the woman Shep finally dated and have her know that I’ve had sex with him,” Ally replied.

  “Apparently you’re a tart,” Stace said with a grin. “I’m the only one in the room who hasn’t been with you. But the night is young so there is hope yet. Who wants a beer?” Stace turned and headed toward the kitchen.

  Ally threw her head back and laughed. “I like her,” she said. “I really like her.” And Stace heard her footsteps following, leaving the men alone in the other room.

  Chapter Seven

  Stace wasn’t surprised when Shep followed her into her room once they headed upstairs. Ally and Blake were settled into the second bedroom downstairs as she hadn’t changed the bedding in the room that Griff had stayed in. They’d ended up having a good night talking and she really liked Blake and Ally.

  They were going to pick up her sister’s car tomorrow since that was what Ally wanted to see. Ally wanted the keys her sister had been using and the phone. Ally would wait at the house as she wanted everything in place before she did whatever it was she did and tried to connect with Chloe. Stace really prayed that it worked.

  “Do they intend to sleep with me?” Shep said as soon as he closed the door but thankfully he was laughing. “I guess that’s one way to break the ice.”

  Stace sighed. “I hadn’t planned on saying that but I’m not sorry that I did.”

  He came over to her and pulled her close. “You make me laugh. You make me hotter and harder than any other woman I’ve ever known. And you melt my heart when you just let me hold you while you cry. You’re an amazing woman, Stace Anders.”

  “I like you a lot too, Donavan Shepard,” Stace said.

  “You remember that name, huh,” he said with a laugh.

  “So why the nickname Shep, instead of something to do with Donavan?” she asked.

  “Well for one we tend to go by last names in the military,” Shep said and Stace nodded knowing that well since she had been in the Marines herself. “Funny thing is that Chetan, you remembe
r him?” Stace nodded. “Chetan is his middle name, Michael Chetan Donavan. So even after the military I stayed Shep and he became Chetan.”

  Stace nodded. A lot of people she’d served with she still called or referred to by their last names. It was a hard habit to break.

  “Now back to what I was saying,” Shep said leaning down to kiss her. His lips were smooth and soft and hers parted naturally to admit his tongue. He swept it inside touching and stroking every inch of her mouth and she sucked at it. When he finally pulled back they were both out of breath.

  “I want a chance, Stace,” Shep said. “I think we can have more than just great sex. I’d like the chance to get to know you, to spend time together and see if there might be more here.”

  “I’d like that too,” Stace said. “But I can’t make any promises. Finding Chloe comes first and when we do find her,” she sighed and her eyes closed briefly. “When we find her I will have to deal with that.” If her sister was still alive she would need healing and Stace meant to be there like she hadn’t been in the past. If her sister wasn’t alive, well then she would have to deal with that as well.

  Shep nodded. “I understand that. I can help or I can wait,” he said. “What I don’t plan to do is just go away.”

  “I’m glad,” Stace answered honestly. She was so glad that she’d met Shep though she really wished that it had been under other circumstances. She would love to see her sister around Shep. Chloe would like him just because Stace never had a boyfriend around. Chloe would get a kick out of that.

  “I’m not sure how I feel about your suggestion though,” Shep said and she looked up at him. “About sleeping with Ally. You don’t strike me as the type.”

  Stace laughed as she was sure he had intended. “I don’t know, Ally is very beautiful, and sex is sex.”

  “You really think so?” he asked as he moved into her letting her feel every inch of his long hard body against hers. “Think it would be just as good with a woman?” he whispered the question as he nibbled his way from her ear down the column of her neck.

  “I don’t think it would be as good with another man,” she replied and he pulled back to grin down at her again. She hadn’t exactly meant to say that out loud either.

  “You make me feel ten feet tall,” he said and took her mouth again. This time it was soft and slow like he was making love to her mouth.

  His hands slid down to the hem of her t-shirt and they broke apart long enough for him to pull it over her head. He was back quickly, his hands touching all of her bare skin as his mouth went back to feed from hers. She wanted to feel his skin, wanted the brush of his chest hair over her skin. There was just something so erotic about a man rubbing his chest hair over her nipples. The sensation was incomparable.

  She started at the bottom button of his shirt and began undressing him. The slip of each button revealed more flesh for her hands to touch and explore. She needed to taste him. Pulling from his kiss she shoved him back until his knees hit the bed then kept pushing until he sat with a chuckle. Quickly she freed the rest of the buttons and practically tore it from his back.

  She urged him back onto the bed following him down. Briefly she kissed his lips before slipping lower over his jaw and down his neck to his broad shoulders. She loved the taste of his skin. The salty flavor exploded over her tongue with each nibble and suck. She found a flat nipple and scraped it with her teeth. She felt Shep flex beneath her, heard his groan. She sucked the nipple into her mouth and then nipped it before moving on to the other one.

  He had one hand pulling her hair free from the ponytail and the other was rubbing over her jean-clad ass. He made her so hot. She moved down his rock-hard stomach tracing each ridge of muscle with her tongue. She followed the trail of blond body hair down to his button-fly jeans and her hands got busy again. He was more than ready and even while her hands were busy her mouth was already exploring each hard inch as it was revealed.

  She sucked him through his boxer briefs and Shep groaned and she could feel his abs rippling above her head. Finally she had the fly spread wide and gently tugged his briefs down enough so that his cock sprang free. She immediately laved the head of his cock and then sucked it into her mouth. She didn’t want to take her time. She wanted to suck him deep into the back of her throat until he came spilling his taste into her mouth.

  She let her hand stroke up and down his shaft while she sucked and tongued the tip. She was so hungry for him and she could tell that her excitement was building his even higher. She opened her mouth and followed the glide of her hand letting the head of his cock brush the back of her throat before sliding back up off him. Once more she wrapped tight around the head and sucked hard at it while her hand stroked. Again and again she followed this pattern until Shep was breathing hard. He had one hand gripping her hair holding it out of her face so he could watch her while the other softly brushed her cheek.

  She let her eyes connect with his and held that connection while she took his length again. This time she took him into the back of her throat and swallowed around him. She had to fight her gag reflex but she did it and then she did it again and again.

  “I’m about to come,” Shep moaned and she moved her mouth back to the tip and sucked greedily at his flesh.

  His whole body felt like a tightened bow and then with a groan from him she felt the first splash fill her mouth. She swallowed quickly and sucked for more. Two more spurts filled her mouth before she felt his body sort of melt into the mattress beneath him. She didn’t want to give his flesh up, wanted to keep sucking, keep him hard and get more of his cum. But he was already tugging gently at her hair to get her to release him. Reluctantly she lifted her mouth and instead placed a trail of soft kisses along his lower abdomen.

  Shep took a deep breath and the next thing she knew his hands gripped her beneath both arms and pulled her up to lie against his chest. He kissed her softly on the lips and she felt his hands undoing the back clasp on her bra. She lifted one arm at a time so that he could pull the straps free and then with a tug she got her earlier wish and his chest hair was against her nipples. She rubbed against him and her nipples got harder and tighter with each pass.

  With a quick move Shep reversed their positions and she was on her back beneath him on the bed.

  “My turn,” he said but as his lips moved down her throat toward her chest she thought it was more like her turn.

  He moved his lips and teeth along her collarbone to her breasts and she’d never realized how sensitive the undersides of her breasts were until she felt his tongue and then his teeth there. It was almost more sensitive to touch than her nipples were. Almost. Then his mouth was moving up one breast until his lips wrapped around one tight bud and sucked hungrily at it.

  She was arching off the bed, gasping and moaning as he worked between the two nipples making both hard wet nubs of sensation. His teeth scraped then nipped lightly before his tongue soothed over them. Then he was sucking again before moving over to the other one. God, she could come just from this treatment alone. It felt like there was a string connecting her pussy to her nipples and each deep pull had her cunt clenching in need.

  When he finally moved from her breasts down over her taut stomach she was so close to the edge already. His mouth skimmed her abs stopping and paying avid attention to her bellybutton while she felt his hands working on the button and zipper of her jeans. He shifted from her and she lifted her hips as he gripped her jeans and panties and pulled both down and off her legs so that she was completely naked. His eyes were just as hot a caress as his hands and mouth were.

  “You are sweet perfection,” he breathed as he fell to his knees in front of her.

  He helped her move lower so that her hips were right at the edge of the bed. He spread her legs and she maneuvered to drape them over his shoulders as he lowered his head to her dripping wet pussy. He used the fingers of one hand to spread the lips of her sex and ran his tongue from her opening all the way up to brush over her engorged
clit.

  “Shep,” she cried out as he continued this torture. She wanted to feel him, any part of him, inside her clenching channel. She wanted his mouth paying homage to her clit. Most of all she wanted to come.

  One finger slid into her pussy pumping slow and easy as he kept a constant licking over her clit. It was torture of the most erotic kind. She dug her head into the bed rolling it back and forth as he continued. One finger finally became two and his lips wrapped around the bud and sucked gently on it, too gently. He seemed to be taking his time, savoring and enjoying her. She wanted him to dive in and drive her up and over the edge quickly.

  His lips moved down and his fingers were pulled free. Before she could beg he had switched their position and now his thumb rubbed slow firm circles over her clit while his tongue played at her opening. He rimmed and flicked her for several moments before slowly pushing his speared tongue inside her. Her pussy clenched as it had around his fingers trying to hold him there. She felt his lips covering her opening as he thrust his tongue in and out.

  Slowly he sucked at her and it was incredible. He flattened his tongue inside and began twisting it around rubbing her walls. The pressure of his thumb grew firmer. He went back and forth between the tongue-fucking and the suction and she was twisting and thrashing. She could feel the pleasure mounting inside her and knew that she was very close to orgasm.

  His finger joined his thumb and now he was tugging and pinching her clit. He went back to fucking her with his tongue. It was wicked the way he used it. He flicked, rubbed and plunged and with a long low moan she was coming. He sucked her juices into his mouth before plunging his tongue deep once more and rubbing about for more. He went back to soft slow caresses easing her down from the extreme high she’d been on until finally he pulled back completely and placed a kiss on her thigh.