Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom

by Magda Alexander

  “Ro. Don’t.” Justin was back in the living room.

  Don’t what? Scold him in front of Shane? Yell at him? Question his motives? Yell at Shane for giving him a job.

  “Justin. You’re 18 now. You can do whatever you want. I just think there’re other things you can do with your time. And Shane,” Rowan turned back to him, piercing him with a death stare. “You put him in a situation where he gets hurt or gets in trouble, you will have to deal with me. Got that?”

  Shane looked up at Justin and then glanced back to Rowan, smiling, “Easy Mama Bear. Justin’s really good at this stuff and can handle himself better than most out there. But I get your message loud and clear.”

  Justin laughed as he walked away, repeating Mama Bear over and over again like that was the biggest joke in the world.

  Rowan’s eyes softened and she relaxed. “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  “I guess I owe you an apology, too. I left this morning a little, um, abruptly.”

  “That’s okay. I told you, it doesn’t matter, this is happening. I can wait out your panic attacks.” Shane stepped forward.

  “Panic attacks?” God, was she that obvious?

  Shane smiled at her and closed the gap between them. “Yeah, babe. I told you, I can see when your brain is working overdrive. You’re a mystery most of the time, but that I can see. I think it’s kinda cute, actually.”

  “Kinda cute?” Rowan said on a laugh. “That’s a little strange, even for you.”

  He reached up and wrapped his large hand around the base of her neck, his thumb caressing her chin.

  “Even for me, huh? Like I’m deranged or something?” He smiled at her, his face dipping down close to hers, his lips brushing lightly on hers.

  “Excuse me.” Justin’s voice broke through the room.

  Shane and Rowan broke apart and looked up at Justin.

  “So, um, Ro. I’m going to shower and go out. Are you going to be here or at Shane’s tonight?” Justin asked, looking anywhere but at Rowan.

  Rowan froze. Justin was dating someone! And he wanted the apartment again. Good God!

  “Justin, do we need to have a chat?” Rowan raised her eyebrow at him questioningly.

  A laugh forced its way out of his mouth and he just looked at her. “Yeah Ro, you’re a few years too late on that one. Are you going to be here or not?”

  Rowan sucked in her breath. Jesus.

  “She’ll be at my place.” Shane stepped in and saved them both from the most awkward conversation two people could have.

  “Great. Thanks.” Justin looked at Shane and turned around.

  “Justin!” Rowan called out to him, “We’ll revisit this later.”

  “Great. Can’t wait,” Justin muttered, sounding exactly like the teenager he was.

  *****

  “Why don’t you change into something nice and I’ll take you out?” Shane said after Justin disappeared into the back.

  “Out out?” Rowan asked.

  He smiled at her. God, she was beautiful. In her confusion her eyes were round saucers filled with glowing brown orbs.

  “Yes. Out out. As in nice restaurant. As in date with my girlfriend,” Shane challenged. He knew he was pushing her, but he wanted her to know how serious he was.

  “Oh,” she said, then smiled. “Okay. I’ll come down to your place when I’m ready.”

  He kissed her and turned to leave. “Don’t take too long, or else I’ll come back and drag you out of here,” he said as he walked out the door.

  Nearly skipping down the stairs because she didn’t balk at the girlfriend reference, his heart was soaring as he opened his apartment. He’d take a quick shower and clean up the place a bit. He knew just where to take her, even had the connections to get a table, so he had time to prep for the after dinner part of the evening.

  Twenty minutes later he was showered, dressed in slacks and a nice shirt, no tie-he thought that would be a little over the top. It was still too hot for his leather jacket, but cool enough that long sleeves would be comfortable.

  Forty minutes later his apartment was clean, a bottle of wine was in the fridge, and his bed had fresh sheets on it. He had candles set up for later, putting the final dishes away and wiping down his bathroom counters.

  Fifty minutes later he was pacing. Fifty minutes. How long does it take to get ready? He checked his watch for the millionth time. He would wait one hour then go back up there and get her. She was probably in another panic attack because of his girlfriend comment. He shouldn’t have said that. Too early. Way to blow it, Adams.

  Sixty minutes later and he’d had enough. Grabbing his keys and storming to the door, he flung it open, blood pumping, ready for a fight, and nearly slammed right into her. He jerked himself back, hoping like hell he didn’t run into her.

  “Hi,” she said shyly.

  Taking her in, he felt his blood race again, although this time not from fear or anger, but from desire. She was stunning. She wore a purple dress that hugged her body like a dancer and fell loose around her legs, accentuating her sinfully perfect curves. My god, he might die of a heart attack; he’d never seen such magnificent beauty in all his life. His breath simply stopped.

  “Um. Are you okay?” she asked again after a few seconds.

  Shane let out the breath he was holding. “Yeah,” he croaked out, “Yeah. I’m perfect.”

  If it was possible, her eyes glowed even brighter at his response. She shook her hair out of her eyes and tilted her head, watching him. “You ready?”

  “Yep,” he said again on a breath, this time regaining some ability to speak. “Let’s go.” Offering her his arm after he shut the door, he shook his head a little trying to clear it.

  Smiling, she slipped her arm in his. Shane couldn’t even feel the ground; he was floating so high right now. He had, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman alive on his arm. And, it would appear as if she had agreed to be his girlfriend. His chest was filling with something he couldn’t explain and that was okay with him; he was happy.

  And proud: This was better than solving the toughest case out there, better than winning a million dollars, better than anything in the world. He couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face.

  He opened her car door for her and watched her settle into the seat. Closing it, he practically skipped over to the driver’s side. Jesus, he needed to get a little control over himself.

  They drove in almost silence to the restaurant. Shane kept stealing glances at her, afraid that if he waited too long to look at her she would disappear. Every once in awhile he would catch her eye watching him, too. He hoped that was a good thing.

  “Can I ask you something?” he broke the silence.

  “Maybe?” she answered, coyly.

  “What are you thinking right now?” Grabbing her hand when he spoke, he just needed to touch her. To remind himself that this was real.

  “I’m thinking that you look really happy. And handsome.” She turned her head away from him when she spoke.

  “Hey.” He gently grabbed her chin and brought her head back around to him. “Don’t be shy, Rowan. You can tell me anything. Nothing you say to me should make you embarrassed.”

  “I was thinking that you look really good tonight. Hot, even.” She looked him right in the eye, heat making her eyes glow even in the dark car.

  Shane felt his cock move in his pants. This woman was going to bring him to his knees. She had no idea, but she already owned him.

  “Thanks,” he said, forcing his eyes back on the road.

  His heart was racing again. Easy, Adams. Tonight wasn’t about a quick roll in the hay. This was about showing Rowan how serious he was about her. This woman had flipped his world upside down. Never had he been this serious about a woman. He’d had plenty of girlfriends, one-night stands, even a few friends with benefits in his time, but never had they elicited such a reaction from him.

  His heart was both elated and scared. Rowan made him want to sh
out from the rooftops that she was his and stash her away, all at the same time. He felt completely confident they were meant for each other, but he was so scared she would run from him and disappear, he could barely breathe. If he let the feelings take over he might curl up in a ball and never move, so he was plowing through this the only way he knew how: One moment at a time.

  Glancing over at Rowan, he caught her eye and they both smiled at each other. Truth be told, she looked exactly like he felt. Oh please, let that be true! He hoped she was feeling just as wild about this whole thing as he was.

  Pulling into the Sheraton Teahouse, he stopped in front of the valet.

  “Wait, where are we?” She suddenly had that panicked look in her eyes again.

  “This is the nicest place in town. Is this okay?” he turned to her, having pulled his keys out of the ignition.

  Before she could answer, both doors opened and a hand was offered to her. He turned and got out the car, handing the keys to valet.

  “Mr. Adams, nice to see you again,” the valet said, handing him his ticket.

  “Hey, Frank. How’s it going? Still seeing Becky?” Shane asked him.

  Frank was a good guy, a little young, but he freelanced with him whenever he needed extra money.

  “You know it. I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid.” Frank wiggled his eyes at him and slipped into the Kia.

  Shane walked over to where Rowan was standing, looking like a deer in headlights.

  “Rowan. Seriously. Are you okay?” he asked as they walked into the restaurant.

  She shook her head slightly, but looked pale and tense. Her shoulders were up around her ears, her eyes looked vacant.

  “Rowan.” He stopped her and spun her around to meet his eyes. “It’s okay. We don’t have to come here.”

  “No, it’s fine. I just didn’t know where we were going. I’m feeling, um, a little under dressed. That’s all.” She paused and smiled a tight smile at him.

  “Mr. Adams, how nice to see you again,” the maître d’ said, greeting them both.

  “Do you know everyone here?” she asked under her breath, glaring at him.

  She sounded really mad. Maybe that’s just her feeling insecure, but man, she sounded pissed that he knew the people that worked here. Women! Fuck if he knew what the hell just happened.

  He stepped up to the maître d’ and smiled, holding Rowan’s hand tight, dragging her along with him.

  “Hello, Mr. Edwards. How are you this evening? We would love the most romantic table you have,” Shane said, not letting Rowan get more than an arm’s length away from him. He was not going to let her run because she felt under dressed. She was the most beautiful woman here, by far.

  He heard her intake of breath on his request. Pulling her closer, he wrapped his arm around her, his hand settling on her low back. He guided her as they followed Mr. Edwards to their table. As they arrived, he held out her chair and she sat with all the grace of a queen, placing her napkin on her lap.

  Shane watched as her features changed from upset to resigned to masked. The more masked she became, the more graceful she seemed. All the hard edges melted away and she sat looking poised and ready. Whatever was going on in her head, she was not relaxed or enjoying herself. She was putting on a damn good front, but it wasn’t fooling him.

  He settled into his chair and waited for the Mr. Edwards to leave. Finally, he turned to her and watched as she scanned the room with cold eyes. She was back to her usual habits, he noted.

  “You have nothing to be wary about, Rowan. You are the most well dressed, elegant, beautiful woman here,” he told her quietly.

  Rowan gave him a hard stare and opened her mouth. But then she closed it again and looked away. When her eyes returned to him they were softer, her features less masked and her shoulders had fallen a few inches from her ears.

  “This is lovely, Shane. I just didn’t expect to come here. That’s all. I was taken by surprise. I’m not really a surprise kind of person,” she said on an exhale.

  Shane laughed. “Right. So no surprise birthday parties, then. When is your birthday?”

  “8-3-83.” Rowan answered in rhyme.

  “Oh, so you just had one, then. Just last month. Now I have to wait a whole year to celebrate with you.” He paused, his eyes shining into hers.

  She laughed. “Well, it’s never been much of a celebration. But yeah. Just turned 31. God, that sounds so old.”

  “Easy. You’re talking to a 32 year old. From where I’m sitting, 31 looks mighty fine to me,” he said, hoping she’d get his double entendre.

  Her eyes flashed for a second and then she laughed again, relaxing back to the Rowan he was used to. No more extra grace, no masks, just two people having a nice dinner.

  She didn’t seem to have an opinion on the food or the wine, so Shane ordered a variety of small plates for them to share, liking the idea of the two of them eating off the same plates. Of course, now that Rowan was back to her old self, he was much more relaxed and looking forward to the rest of the evening.

  *****

  The wine was amazing and the food left her dizzy, it was so good. She was well fed and her head was swimming with all the appreciative looks from Shane. He was so attentive and kind. Every look he gave her, every question he asked her, every touch of his hand, opened her heart a little more. Before the end of the evening she felt like she was truly in a bubble. There was nothing wrong in this place. No need to run, no need to worry, no need to scan the room for people or exits. Jolly never existed here and never would. This was her safe place. Her special cocoon with Shane.

  When they first arrived she thought she was going to throw up. It was too late to change meeting places with Lina. She would just have to risk it and hope that nobody remembered her. Of all places Shane could have taken her, what were the odds that they ended up here? And he knew everyone! She thought she was going to die of fear those first few moments.

  But then Shane was so kind and thought she was just nervous about being in a really nice place. It never occurred to him that anything else was at play here. That was one of the things she loved about him. He was just so sweet and open. Yes, he was a PI, so he had to be suspicious by nature, but with Rowan he never suspected anything. She could completely relax with him. He would never hurt her. She knew that now.

  She watched as Shane paid the bill, again making her feel like a real, treasured princess. At they stood, he once again placed his hand on her lower back. She felt his heat radiate across her body, relishing the feeling. She just felt so, so, what was the word. Dare she think, loved?

  Her breath lodged in her throat with the thought. He paused and looked at her quizzically. She shook her head, clearing her brain of those thoughts, and smiled up at him as he led her back out of the restaurant to the valet.

  “Mr. Adams.” The same valet spoke to him when they stepped outside. “Your car will be right out.”

  Shane nodded then nuzzled his head into hers. She couldn’t help but lean into his touch. She loved the feeling of him surrounding her. Her skin reacted to his touch like nothing she had ever felt before. It was as if her cells were speaking to his and she was just the conduit between them. She liked being the conduit.

  Shane growled low and deep into her ear, causing her nerves to fire. She looked up at him through her lashes and smiled a knowing smile.

  “Home, then?” she asked, coyly.

  “Oh yeah, home right now. You need to be in my bed, naked,” he all but growled at her.

  Her skin pebbled with the sound of his voice. She could feel her nipples harden and moisture slick her panties. Letting out a breath, she shook her head.

  Just then, the car drove up and Shane opened her door for her. Slipping in, she watched him as he made his way across the car, handing Frank a tip.

  “Call me anytime,” he said to Frank as he opened the door.

  When they pulled out of the parking lot, Rowan asked him, “So, you and-Frank, was it? How do you know e
ach other?”

  “Frankie freelances with me every once in a while. He’s pretty good, too, but he only does it when he needs some extra cash,” Shane explained while holding her hand.

  “I didn’t know you could just slip in and out of PI work?” she said, genuinely interested.

  “Well, only if you know a PI. Rob and Cody are my partners, but sometimes you just need someone to sit in the car with you to stay awake. Frank tells a mean joke and never drinks coffee, so he is an ideal stakeout partner.” Shane laughed at whatever joke he was remembering.

  It was nice to see Shane so relaxed and happy about his work. With a small regret, Rowan realized that she had never asked him about his work. She was just too afraid of it all. Tonight she wasn’t afraid. Tonight she was just his girlfriend. Her heart lifted with that thought; she was Shane’s girlfriend.

  “So, that’s what you do? Sit in cars all night?”

  “Yeah, that’s part of it. We also find missing people and track down evidence for lawyers. Rob has had some intense missing persons cases where we’ve found several young women in bad shape. I think they were headed into forced prostitution.”

  Rowan was shocked; she sort of remembered him mentioning something like that a long time ago, but she never really registered what he had been telling her. These guys were rescuing girls from forced prostitution? She had no idea that PIs did that kind of thing. She had never really thought about it before. She just knew that PIs could be hired to find people. People that most likely didn’t want to be found.

  Shane kept his hand on her body the whole way back, only taking it off her leg to shift gears and then he would wrap his large hand around her thigh again. She liked the feeling of it. She could feel his warmth sinking into her, and the loss of it when he needed his hand to drive.

  Rowan didn’t know what was happening here, but she was so tired of fighting it. Letting her head fall back against the seat and closing her eyes, she didn’t want to be on the run anymore, she didn’t want to worry about tomorrow, she wanted to let go of all of it. Couldn’t she do that-just let go of it all and really feel what was happening to her? The closer they got to the apartments, the more relaxed she became. She was going to be Shane’s girlfriend. She had never been anyone’s girlfriend before. Loving the sound of it, she giggled a little.