“I’ll double bag,” he offered.
Of course, he wouldn’t want to risk a pregnancy. And honestly, she didn’t dare risk one either. She had her hands full already raising one child as a single mom.
“Good idea. Thanks.” Her enthusiasm and the lusty thrill of the moment had fizzled. Had she completely ruined the mood?
Her question was answered when she looked back at Dillon as he peeled off his underwear. His glorious erection hadn’t lessened at all.
She drank in the sight of his beautiful body. Broad shoulders tapered to narrow hips. Well-developed pecs with a sprinkling of curly black hair gave way to awesome abs. Muscular thighs and calves spoke of many miles of running. His chiseled features, intense blue eyes, and thick black hair topped off a handsome-as-hell package.
After applying the condoms, he climbed onto the bed between her legs.
“Now where were we?” he teased.
His lips, tongue, and teeth blazed a trail of heat from her belly to her breasts, to her neck, to her mouth. By the time they reached their destination and captured her lips in a bone-melting kiss, she was squirming again. She tried to align herself with the tip of his dick, but he kept pulling away.
“Dillon,” she finally groaned in exasperation, “I want you inside me.”
Gently, he brushed the hair from her face and pecked a kiss on her nose. “I know. But if we go straight to the main course, it’ll be over too soon.” He tapped her lips with his finger. “Maybe a more substantial appetizer will help.”
He nibbled his way back down her body until he was nestled between her thighs. After stroking her, slowly, tantalizingly, he flicked her clit with his tongue.
“Ahhh,” she cried, almost levitating off the mattress.
He spread her legs farther apart and held them in place with his strong hands. His tongue and lips tortured her until she shattered into a million pieces of pleasure. After the pieces floated back to earth, she opened her eyes to find Dillon watching her with such a tender expression that it brought happy tears to her eyes.
“Better?” he whispered.
She nodded weakly.
“Good.”
He grasped her legs and flipped her onto her stomach. Then his fingers began a slow exploration of her back, from her nape to her tush. They massaged and tiptoed and traced, leaving tingles of desire wherever they touched. As he trailed his fingers along the length of her spine again and again, she couldn’t help but arch in response. She lost herself in the rhythm until his fingers dove between her thighs again and invaded her. Dillon’s moan said he couldn’t resist any longer.
He rolled her over and moved between her thighs. Staring directly into her eyes, he asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Ready?”
She nodded, but she wasn’t really ready because when he pushed inside, inch by inch, she almost burst into tears. Not because he hurt her, but because he was making love to her. Sure, she had been ready physically, but the emotional jolt of having him inside again undid her composure. She clenched her jaw and scrunched her eyes shut to ward off the emotional tsunami.
He grasped her hands and held them over her head. His thrusts grew deeper, faster, hungrier. Her insides coiled, her muscles tightened, until she was close to exploding again.
“Come, Katriona, come,” he ground out.
She did, and he immediately followed her over the edge.
* * *
Dillon spooned her back against him, draped an arm across her middle, and hooked one leg over hers. God, she still fit perfectly, like they hadn’t been apart a single day, like they should fit together forever.
Physically, he was satisfied, but emotionally, he was drained. Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea, although when he first kissed Kat on the couch, he couldn’t have stopped for anything. But now, in addition to an overall feeling of doubt, something specific really bothered him.
“Why aren’t you having sex?” he finally got up the nerve to ask.
“Hmmm?”
“Don’t play that game, Kat. You heard me.”
“Haven’t felt like it, okay?”
He braced himself up on an elbow so he could see her face. “Did I spoil you so no one else is good enough?”
“In your dreams.”
“You always have been. But seriously, how long have you gone without a man?”
“None of your business.” She turned her face into the pillow.
“Don’t be childish, Kat. I’m just…worried.”
“Or gloating.”
Scowling, he untangled himself and sat up. “Gloating? About what?”
“That you’ve been having sex, and I haven’t.” She huffed and sat up also, facing him, defiance written all over her. “Gloating that I haven’t had sex since two nights before…uh…since the last time with you.”
“Holy shit,” he muttered. “That’s two years.”
“Two years, one month, one week, and six days, but who’s counting?”
He couldn’t do the exact math that fast, but damn, it sounded right. Now his worry ran deeper. “Is something wrong? Are you…okay?”
“If you mean physically, then yes, I’m okay.” She gulped. “It’s more of an emotional hang-up, I guess.” She leveled a piercing glare at him. “I take it you haven’t had any problems moving on.”
“Not in the sex department. Guys are different.”
“You don’t say.”
“Yeah. Our first reaction when we’re dumped is to prove to the world and ourselves that we’re still awesome studs. We can’t handle the idea that we’re not good in bed and that might be what ruined the relationship. So we screw anyone who offers.”
“I see.”
“I doubt it. You’re not a guy; you can’t fully comprehend the Neanderthal intensity of it. Anyway, once I got past that phase, I’d say my sex life became more normal. Male normal.”
“Goody for you.”
“I’m not gloating.” He took one of her dainty hands in both of his. “This isn’t a competition, Kat.” He swallowed twice to loosen the tightness in his throat. “Do you…think you might not want to sleep with other guys because you believe we should still be together?”
Her lips trembled, and her emerald eyes glistened. Kat’s defiance and sassiness vanished before his eyes. She opened her mouth, but then shut it before words came out.
He drew a deep breath. Emotional shit wasn’t his forte, but there was too much at stake here to let this moment slip away just because Kat was speechless. “We should give us another try.”
“Why?” she breathed through her swollen, well-kissed lips.
“Because I…I still love you. And I think you still love me.” He exhaled. Holy hell, he’d said it. Equal parts panic and hope made his heart race.
First she looked away and then down at their clasped hands. An eternity passed while he waited. Women liked to be told they were loved, right? Honesty should count for something too. How could she refuse after such a heartfelt confession?
When their gazes reconnected, a tear meandered down her cheek. “Oh, Dillon. Love was never the problem. I can’t imagine being more in love than…we were.”
“Were? Past tense?”
“Yes. Things change. Priorities change. People change.”
“People? Are you saying you love someone else?” Hurt and anger got caught up with panic and hope. All four emotions battled deep inside. “So you were lying about not sleeping with anyone since me.”
“I-I didn’t lie. It…it’s complicated.”
“Complicated? I don’t think so. You’ve either fucked him or you haven’t.” He snorted with disbelief. “Unless you expect me to believe that you’re in a platonic relationship with a guy you love more than me?”
“Something like that. Remember, there are different kinds of love.”
His eyes widened. “Holy shit. You’re in love with a woman?”
“Good grief.” She hung her head. “Yo
u are sooo from Mars.”
Mars or not, he needed space before his temper sent him into orbit. He’d just laid his soul bare, and Kat had kicked it to the curb.
He climbed off the bed and pulled on his clothes while she watched silently. “I’m going to check outside to be sure there’s no sign of the Hummer. I’ve got my key so don’t open the door to anyone.” He didn’t wait for a response.
Outside, the chilly, damp air helped cool his anger as he marched across the grounds and around the buildings. What he really needed was a ten-mile beach run, but being that far away from Kat wasn’t a good idea right now. Besides, the elephant sitting on his chest would make running difficult.
He furrowed all ten fingers through his just-fucked hair and sighed. What the hell had he been thinking? He’d been a damn fool to confess he still loved her. Since she’d already admitted that the problem had been the no-babies ultimatum, no amount of love could change that.
He swore when the burner phone rang in his pocket. He’d forgotten the handy little thing was there. “What’s up, Chaos?”
“You gotta see this, Shadow. How soon can you be online?”
Chapter 17
Kat pounded her fist into the pillow. Sobs racked her body, and tears flowed fiercely. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she gasped between sobs. How could she have ever thought making love with Dillon was a good idea? How could she have ever thought it would be no-strings sex? Their feelings for each other were still too strong for sex to be meaningless.
And even worse, Dillon had professed his love. Why the hell did he have to go and do that? Thank God she’d clung to a thin thread of sanity and not done the same. If she had, he’d never understand why she didn’t want to give “us” another try.
She’d almost blown it with her comment about “different kinds of love.” Only his machismo had saved her. Another woman? Just like a man to jump to that conclusion. But thankfully, he had.
Of course, she’d been talking about her darling Skye. Kat snorted at the irony.
Dear God, what was she going to do now? The last thing she had ever wanted was to hurt Dillon again, and yet, she’d managed to do just that. The resulting pain in his eyes had nearly crushed her. She couldn’t let things get any more out of control.
When her tears finally stopped, she knew what she needed to do. Quickly, she slipped on her gown and returned to the couch. Sighing heavily, she pulled up the sheet. With any luck, Dillon would believe she was asleep or be so angry he wouldn’t care that she’d left his bed.
She played possum when the front door burst open. Dillon barely spared her a glance as he hurried through the living room.
“Get dressed,” he snapped loudly and marched down the hall.
“What?” she called after him, and then sat up but didn’t get up. Was he throwing her out? Taking her back to her house? Was he so hurt that he couldn’t stand to have her under his roof for one night?
He stomped back into the room. “You can wear your gown and robe if you want, but we’re leaving in five minutes. Maybe sooner.”
“Seriously, Dillon? Can’t you wait until morning to take me home?”
“Home? I told you it’s not safe.”
“Aren’t you kicking me out? I thought…you know…because…” She gestured toward the bedroom, hoping he’d fill in the blanks so she wouldn’t have to say it.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not a little boy, Kat. I can handle rejection. Again.”
“If it’s not…” She blinked in confusion. “What’s going on?”
“I need to get back on the computer,” he said, glancing at his watch. “Four minutes.”
“There’s a laptop on the desk right over there.” She pointed as if he didn’t know where his desk was.
“Not that computer. The ones in the man cave.”
She closed her eyes. Grant me patience. “Since it’s the middle of the night, could you please, pretty please, use that one?”
Now he looked annoyed. “No. That one can be traced to me.”
Traced? Alarm bells pealed in Kat’s head. “D-Does this have something to do with me?”
He rolled his eyes. “It has everything to do with you. Now get moving. Please.”
She threw off the sheet and stood up. “Can you at least tell—”
“I will. Later. Right now, I need to get online before—” He stopped abruptly. “Just trust me, Kat.”
Yes, she could do that. She’d always been able to trust Dillon. He was the most trustworthy person she’d even known. The intensity in his body language said she could count on him this time also.
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Three minutes.” He strode toward the kitchen. “I’ll grab us something to eat.”
When she joined him three and a half minutes later, he had filled a plastic bag with bananas, packages of trail mix, and protein bars. But what really caught her attention was the gun in the shoulder holster he’d put on, plus the one in his back waistband that he’d taken on his little walk.
“Ready?” he asked, but when he noticed her staring at his weapons, he added, “Don’t worry. They’re just insurance.”
Insurance, my ass. Something’s wrong, and he’s afraid to tell me.
He grabbed the bag and her arm. “Let’s go.”
He did a quick search of the area before leading her across the parking lot to his garage. Once they were underway, he patted his thigh to signal her to lie down out of sight. What he probably meant as reassurance freaked her out even more.
When they reached the storage facility, he went through the same process of pulling the truck inside and closing the door before he let her out. Each precaution only increased her anxiety.
She sat on the futon and watched without saying a word while he got both laptops running. When he dialed a cheap-looking cell phone, she strained to hear his whispered conversation but couldn’t. He typed furiously as he talked with it wedged between his ear and shoulder. Within a few minutes, the large monitors filled with images.
She shot off the futon when recognition registered.
* * *
Dillon braced himself. Kat wasn’t going to like this. Not one bit. But it was the only way he knew to find out what was going on at Diablo Beach.
“What the hell?” she blurted out when she landed by his side. “That’s…that’s…” Her mouth gaped as her words evaporated.
She swayed precariously, and he jumped up to steady her.
“Sit down, Kat.”
She dropped onto the chair and splayed her hand across her forehead. “I keep forgetting…”
“I know.” He knelt beside her. “Deep breaths. Try to relax.”
“How can I when I don’t know how…?” She pointed a shaky finger at one of the monitors.
“Okay. It’s time to explain. First, you need to meet someone.” He tapped a button on the burner phone he’d muted the moment he heard her leap from the futon. “You’re on speaker, man. I want to introduce you to someone…an outsider. You cool with that?”
“I am, if you are, Shadow.”
Kat turned to him and mouthed the word shadow, a million questions in her eyes.
He exhaled. Anonymity was so important to TSK that Chaos’s willingness to meet someone outside the group spoke volumes. He couldn’t violate the guy’s trust. “Thanks, man.” He drew another deep breath. “Chaos, meet…uh…Scotty. Scotty, this is Chaos.”
Kat’s lips moved silently as she stared at the phone.
“Scotty? As in ‘Beam me up, Scotty’?” Chaos asked.
“Not exactly.” Dillon put a comforting hand on Kat’s shoulder. “Say hello, Scotty.”
“H-hello,” she breathed.
“Damn, Shadow. It’s a woman.”
“You got a problem with that, Chaos?”
“Uh, well, I guess not.” He hesitated. “Can I still cuss?”
“Damn right, you can. Now hang on while I explain to Scotty what we’re doing.”
�
��Gotcha.”
Dillon gently turned Kat’s face from the phone to look at him. “Scotty,” he said, nodding at her, “Chaos and I have hacked into Diablo Beach’s computer system to help you figure out what’s been going on.”
Her eyes widened. “That…that’s illegal.”
“Yeah, we know. But this is the important part. We’ve discovered that someone else has been getting into the system from the outside. We tracked his access to this computer’s MAC.”
“Mac?” she asked, bewildered. “We use Dells, not Macs.”
“MAC, as in ‘machine address code.’ Every computer has a unique identification. Understand?”
She nodded slowly.
“Good. Chaos has been comparing information in the IT department files to personnel records and floor plans to figure out whose computer this is. We think we know, but if you recognize the office, you can confirm our conclusion.” She stared at him. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “Trust me, Kat. We’re trying to help.”
She released a shaky breath. “That’s my boss’s office.”
“Asad Farook?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you catch that, Chaos?”
“Fuck yeah, dude. That agrees with the IT records. Holy shit, is he a terrorist?”
“He sure as hell isn’t Ronald McDonald,” Dillon said.
“But D— Uh…Shadow, Farook usually wasn’t at the plant when the discrepancies occurred, and he shouldn’t be there now. Does his computer look like it’s on?”
“I think it’s in hibernate mode, but he could have remote access.”
“He’s not supposed to,” Kat explained. “None of us are.”
“I bet he’s not supposed to change the computer programs either,” Dillon said.
“He’s reprogramming the system?” she asked incredulously.
“Yeah. It looks like he’s testing different things but just for a moment at a time. For example, he’ll turn off the alarms and then turn them back on. He’ll shut down the cooling system and then start it back up. Exactly what you noticed, but I bet he was hoping nobody would.”
“Why would he do such a thing?”
“I can only speculate, Scotty.”
She gulped loudly. “Do you think this is all…an experiment or a test?”
Wanted (FBI Heat Book 3) Page 11