by Elle Boon
“Shayna, wake up.” He kept his tone low.
She blinked a few times, her body going from relaxed to rigid in seconds. “Where am I?”
He would not find her adorable while she rubbed her eyes. Fuck, who was he kidding? “You were walking in your sleep.” Mike kept his hand on her much smaller one.
“I haven’t done that in years,” she said in a sleep roughened voice.
Mike had no reason to continue holding her hand, other than he loved touching her. Yeah, he might really like the feel of her soft skin beneath his, but right now his worry lay at her dainty feet. Feet that had nails painted a vibrant red.
“How about we get you something to drink, and you explain.” Mike shuddered at the thought of Shayna walking around a strange city. Hell a strange country.
“I think I’d like that glass of wine now.” Her body trembled.
A drink of something much stronger was calling his name. “What kind of wine do you like?”
Her smile when it came lit up her face. “I’d like to say something sophisticated like a Sauvignon Blanc, but I like my wine like I like my coffee, sweet.”
“Lucky for you I have what is considered a dessert wine. How about Moscato, is that sweet enough for you?” Mike held a bottle up from his wine fridge.
She gave a happy clap. “Perfect.”
He poured her a glass of wine, and him a healthy shot of George Dickel. The amber liquid went down smoothly, a slight burn that he enjoyed. He refilled his glass, watching Shayna sip her own drink. The second drink he savored as he watched her stare into space.
“Alright, so spill. You do that walking around shit a lot?” If she did, he’d need to figure something out about their sleeping arrangements. No way in hell could he rest knowing she might get up at any minute and walk out the door without him being any wiser.
Chapter Three
Shayna rolled her eyes. He made it sound easy. “When I get overly tired I tend to walk in my sleep. Although, I don’t think I’ve ever left my rooms. My parents put alarms on the doors when I was a kid just in case I did happen to walk outside during one of my excursions.”
His eyes went to her arms. “You’re cold.” It was a statement, but the way his eyes looked her up and down, had goosebumps popping up on her body for another reason, other than the cool air.
“I think the wine will help me sleep,” she said.
He nodded. “You’ll be in my room, that way I’ll know if you decide to take a stroll again.” He held his hand up. “I’ll sleep on the sofa. Your virtue is safe with me.”
How was she supposed to tell him she didn’t want to be safe with him? Or that he wasn’t safe with her. He hadn’t put anything on since she’d woke with a start, and seeing him in nothing but a fluffy towel was playing havoc on her female parts. The happy trail disappearing into the terry cloth made her want to rip the offending material away and see if he manscaped, or not. Being the betting gal she was, she’d say definitely manscaped.
“Eyes up here, or I won’t be responsible for the tenting of the towel, nor the view you’ll be getting.” Humor filled his deep voice.
She shook the image of him naked out of her head. “Seriously, Mike, I don’t need to sleep in your room. You have alarms on your doors, right?” At his slight nod she continued. “Well there you go. If I happen to step outside your home, then you’ll be alerted before I get too far.”
A loud sigh came from the frustrating man. “What if someone was lying in wait and got to you before I did?”
Did the man think that was a real possibility? “What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” Maybe if she didn’t think about sleeping in his bed...without him, she could get through the night.
“I’ll check in with Grey, then take you sightseeing.”
Her heart flipped, then took up a fast beat. Never had a man looked at her as if he looked forward to a day spent doing touristy things. Or, she could be seeing things she wanted, when he was only looking forward to a resolution to the situation they were in.
“Alright. I’m ready to go to bed if you are.”
She thought she heard him growl something under his breath, but then his face showed nothing other than the mask of a professional. “Lead the way.” Mike stepped back and waved his hand for her to go first.
Not wanting to accidentally touch him and make a fool of herself, she made sure to keep a couple feet between them. Inside his room, she inhaled the spicy scent she would always associate with the man. During the home tour he’d given her, she’d only had a glimpse of his bedroom. Now, she padded over to the huge king bed. The side he’d slept on still had a dent from where he’d laid. Turning around, she faced the object of her desire. “I forgot my violin in my room.” She took a step toward the door, stopping when he stepped into her path.
“I’ll get it and the rest of your things. I’m assuming you hadn’t unpacked yet?” When she shook her head, he gave a clipped nod. “Let me go grab them, and be right back. Make yourself comfortable. Bathroom is through there.” He tilted his head toward the open door on the other side of the room.
Licking her lips, she waited until he left before sinking down onto the bed. Once he was out of eyesight, she lifted the pillow to her nose and inhaled. Before he came back and caught her, she put it back and hurried to use the bathroom. Like the bedroom, it was huge, and masculine like the man. Not wanting to look like a bunny boiler, she climbed into the bed on the side he hadn’t been using. Good Lord, the man had the most comfy bed in all the world. She sighed as she lay back. Even the pillows felt like she was lying on clouds. Her long flight from Perth, along with the stress of the past weeks, had her falling back to sleep, secure in the knowledge Mike would be there.
****
Mike closed up her suitcase after he’d grabbed all her bathroom supplies. The woman truly was a conundrum. She kept her violin next to the bed as if she didn’t want to let it out of her reach even in sleep. He’d almost expected to find it in the bed.
He did a quick once over before turning off the lights and strolling back to his own room. Not sure what he’d expected, but finding his own sleeping beauty wasn’t one of them. As quietly as possible, he sat the floral case on the bench at the end of the bed, and the violin next to a sleeping Shayna. Standing over her, he looked down at the dark crescents her eye lashes made on her cheekbones. In sleep she looked even younger than the twenty-eight he knew her to be. At thirty-five, he felt a generation older. Hell, he was a lot older if you went by experience and life lessons.
Glancing at the sofa, he looked longingly at the bed. With a sigh, he grabbed a pillow and the extra blanket from the shelf, then lay down.
He used the remote to turn the lights off, closing his eyes with thoughts of the alluring woman playing in his head. Shit! He needed to think about his nuts in a vice, or seeing his grandparents kissing. Yeah, that’s enough to wilt even the stiffest dick.
Morning sunlight streamed in through the French doors across the room, waking him just hours after he fell asleep. Mike stood and stretched, the blanket falling at his feet. He scratched his chest, glaring at the offending sun that woke him. A gasp from the bed had him turning toward it to find Shayna staring wide-eyed at him.
“Um, you might want to cover that.” She pointed at him.
He squinted at her, then understanding dawned as he remembered he’d fallen asleep in nothing but the towel last night. Of course, he usually slept in the nude, he’d planned on making an exception for Shayna’s benefit. Seeing her gaze still trained on his morning wood he almost put on a little show for her, but being the nice guy he was, he grabbed up the discarded cloth and wrapped it around his waist.
“Sorry about that, it’s not my fault though. What’s Beyoncé say? I woke up that way.” He smiled thinking she would have no clue what he was referring to since she was a lover of classical music and all.
“I’m pretty sure she was meaning her beauty, not the state of arousal.” Shayna sniffed, her eyes dancing wit
h mirth.
Mike placed his hands on his hips. “You listen to modern music?”
Sitting up higher in the bed, she crossed her arms over her chest, making his mouth water at the picture she made. For fuckssake, did the woman not realize it wasn’t good for his morning wood to be tempting him so?
“I don’t only listen to classical if that is what you mean. That is rude of you to put me in a box just because I play a violin. I mean, look at you.” She waved a hand at him. “You look like you work out eight hours of the day, but you don’t just work out. However, I could think you were just a juice head.”
His mind blanked. Yes, he worked out. A lot. He was on missions that required them to be physically fit, and many times they had nothing to do but wait for the marks to make a move, leaving them hours with nothing to do. He wasn’t one to sit and do nothing “Point taken. Alright, I’m going to shower in the other bedroom, you can use this one. I’ll make us some breakfast, come out whenever you’re done.”
He strode from the room before he said or did something he might regret. He definitely wasn’t going to rub another one out though. Maybe if he refrained from pleasure, he wouldn’t want her so much. Didn’t eunuchs not want sex after they had their shit clipped?
In the shower across the hall, he pretended his dick didn’t exist even though the damn thing was waving like a flag in the wind. The ice cold water helped, making him hurry through the process of showering and shaving.
As he entered the hall, he listened for any sound from his bedroom, cursing the thick door and walls. With a shrug, he strapped his watch in place, checking the smart device for alerts and emails while he walked. Times like these he wished he had a personal chef, then smiled at the thought of another person in his home who would be underfoot. The only time he was comfortable in those situations was when he was cooking the morning after a great night, and that was only if he allowed them to stay the night. Most times his liaisons happened at their place, which made it easier for him to leave. “Wow, I sound like a dick,” he muttered.
“You always talk to yourself?” Shayna asked, looking way too alluring for his peace of mind.
He grunted, pulling out the makings for an omelet. “I hope you like omelets, toast, and fruit.”
“Sounds great. Can I have a cup of coffee? I’m not human without my morning cup. You’re lucky I’m not grunting like you right now.” She walked around him, taking a pod out of the holder and putting it into the machine.
Mike kept his next grunt to himself, wishing he’d grabbed a cup of coffee first. Damn, he never did anything without his own strong mug of java. The sound of the machine hissing as it finished Shayna’s drink signaled it was his turn. He imagined her voice and the noises she’d make while he fucked her. Grunting would definitely be one of the many sounds, but it wouldn’t be because she hadn’t had coffee.
“Do you have any cream and sugar?” Her voice came from beside him.
His hands froze in the process of cracking eggs in the bowl. Her tone held a note, he’d bet his next orgasm, she was imagining him the same way. “Cream is in the fridge, and sugar is over there.” He motioned to the counter next to where she had been.
Once he had several eggs in the dish, he washed his hands then moved to get his own drink. The sexual tension driving him nuts.
“Need any help?”
Mike took a deep breath, letting it out before he told her exactly how she could help him. “Nope, just have a seat and enjoy the peace and quiet.” Hopefully she’d get the hint.
The coffee, when it was done, was a welcome kick to his system. A sigh escaped him as he drank his fill, then went back for another cup. Some thought it was crazy he didn’t use a coffeemaker that made coffee by the pot, but he liked the ones with the single serve pods.
“Feeling better?” Shayna smiled from behind her own mug.
He raised a brow. “Are you saying I was a bit of a bear?”
Shayna raised a hand, rocking it back and forth. “Just a wee bit, but I totally get it. I am not all that nice before the liquid gold that is coffee. Of course, I add enough sugar to make it taste like candy, where as I notice you like yours black.”
“I like mine a lot of ways, but first thing in the morning, I like it strong.” He watched a blush creep up her neck and face, and wondered if she was thinking the same as him. Dirty girl indeed.
“Um, so what are we going to do today?”
He allowed her to change the subject, knowing it was the safest route for them both. “How does a trip down to Miami sound. We can stay the night and visit a friend of mine’s club. Do you like to dance?”
Her green eyes lit up. “I love to dance. What kind of club? Please tell me it’s a Latin club.”
Picturing her moving her body to the beat of any type of music was enough to fire his blood. “Miami Inferno plays all kinds, but yes, they are known for their Latin music as well.” He didn’t add the little fact about the women go-go dancers.
She looked down at her jeans and off the shoulder shirt. “I’m not really dressed for a nightclub.”
“Sweetheart, you look gorgeous.” And she did. Her natural beauty would outshine any of the other women in attendance, but he knew women didn’t think on the same level. “However, if you want to go shopping when we get there, I don’t mind holding your hand, or being your shopping buddy. I will even go into the dressing room with you and help you change. I’m a giver like that.” He winked, letting her know he was kidding. However, he could picture her stripping in and out of outfits, and in all honesty, he didn’t mind it at all.
“That is so sweet of you.” She batted her lashes, smiling like the thought intrigued her.
They ate, and then were loading into his car for the four and a half hour drive down to Miami, with the violin safely tucked into his safe room. He’d assured her nobody could get into the room short of a bomb that would level the entire neighborhood. The pause after his declaration made him think she was still going to insist they bring the instrument, but then she’d nodded, and allowed him to open the room. Yes, that was exactly what she’d done. Allowed him, an ex-CIA operative, a man who was more than twice her size and had killed on more occasions than he liked to think about, but this tiny slip of a woman allowed him to secure a damn violin in his safe room. He snorted.
“What was that?” Shayna asked.
****
The way Mike did everything with an economy of movements was enough to make even a woman who’d been around the world a half a dozen times swoon, and she was not the swooning type. However, she knew that sound he’d just made. Had heard it enough times from men who were not happy with something. If she was to guess, she’d say he was still smarting over her insistence of seeing where her precious Guarius was going to be while they went on their little jaunt.
“Would you like a drink for the road perhaps?” Mike shifted the gear on his sports car instead of answering her.
The flex and play of the muscles in his thigh mesmerized her. He was one big man, but not overkill. Oh no, he was perfect from his head to his feet. Perfectly manicured feet at that. He’d put on a pair of white linen pants and a top in the same material, but the shirt was a coral color that accented his masculinity. The loafers he wore screamed money as well, making her wonder exactly what he’d done before joining the Omega Team, and if Athena would tell her his secrets.
“A bottle of water would be great.” She tore her eyes away from the expanse of skin exposed at his throat, finding everything about him too handsome.
The gas station he pulled into was just this side of shady, yet he got out without an ounce of trepidation. "Keep the doors locked until I get back.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. As soon as the door shut he engaged the locks, and she sat in silence waiting for him to return, hating that she depended on a man for protection. Damn it, why couldn’t she be more like Athena? The confident swagger had men and women alike watching Mike as he made his way back toward the vehicle,
the locks popping open.
“Can you teach me the basics in self-defense?” She blurted the question out before she could change her mind.
Mike placed two bottles of Smart Water in the cup holders, then turned to look at her. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I don’t like feeling this way.”
His assessing gaze took her measure. “I can show you a few things while you’re with me.”
The breath she’d been holding came out in a loud exhale. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me until after our first session.” He fired up the engine, then put his shades on, hiding his eyes from her.
“Is that your way of saying be careful what you ask for, you just might get it?” She crossed her legs.
The charming grin sent a shiver up her spine. “Something like that.”
Shayna imitated his grunt, making him bark out a laugh. “I’ll take it easy on you,” he shifted the gear, then continued. “The first day. After that, all bets are off.”
Chapter Four
Mike was glad he had his shades on during the four and a half hour trip. It gave him a chance to study Shayna in the light of day without her seeing. He was sure she wouldn’t be as beautiful as he’d thought she’d been the night before. He was wrong, she was even more gorgeous with the sun streaming in, giving her an ethereal look.
He allowed her to choose what they listened to, and was surprised to find her taste in music was as eclectic as his, switching from one station to the next, but never in the middle of a song.
“I’m surprised you like rock as much as you enjoy country. Who is your favorite band?” he asked when they were close to Miami.
She shrugged. “I love a lot of bands and musicians.”
He was going to ask her more, but a vehicle swerved in his lane, making him have to take the shoulder, nearly causing a multiple car pileup. “Sonofabitch, hold on, baby.” He maneuvered the sports car, uncaring of any damage it may sustain. A glance in his rearview showed there were no accidents and the view in front showed the reckless driver had driven away without a care for the damage he could have caused. “You okay?” His hand automatically reached for hers, which was clenched into a fists.