A Reason To Live (Reason #3)

by CP Smith

  “But I need you inside me.”

  “When I’m done,” he whispered, nipping my earlobe so I’d pay attention.

  He pulled his head back and watched my face with hungry eyes as he rolled my clit. My release erupted like lightening, burning a path through my brain until it shut down in pleasure and I groaned low in my throat.

  He kept working my core with his fingers even after I’d peaked, and my hips rose in response, searching for another release like a drug addict searches for drugs—desperate for a fix. Stars burst behind my eyes and my vision blurred when the second orgasm ripped through my body, leaving me weak.

  “You’re fuckin’ spectacular when you come,” Shane grunted, his hand still working my core.

  My body bucked at the contact, the nerve endings in the bundle of nerves between my legs hypersensitive. “Too much,” I groaned. I was on fire, and the slightest touch was a sensual shock that took my breath away.

  He stepped back at my plea, and I heard the whoosh of his jeans leaving his body. Then he grabbed my waist and lifted me before moving toward the bed. He grunted through the pain in his shoulder as he placed me facedown on the cool, crisp sheets. “Are you on the pill?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then spread your legs and lift your ass, I don’t want anything between us tonight.” I did as I was told. He mumbled, “Good girl,” as he stepped between my legs.

  He rubbed his cock between my slick folds, coating his length with the wetness he’d created. I gasped when he entered me, stretching my tender flesh. I slammed back at the intrusion, wanting him deeper inside, and was rewarded for my efforts with a hiss.

  Shane surged forward, then retreated, kneading my ass cheeks as he held on. When I surged back again, a sharp sting fell on my right ass cheek. “Don’t move until I tell you,” he ground between his teeth. Instead of pulling away from the burn his hand created, my breath froze as the warmth spread and kicked my hunger to a fevered pitch. He rubbed his hand across the heat he’d created before striking my ass again. “That’s for turning around on the raft.”

  I could have come from the spanking alone; it was wickedly arousing. The resulting sound that rose from deep within my throat was foreign even to my ears. I finally understood the meaning of the phrase ‘pleasure from pain’ and knew I would piss him off in the future if this were my reward.

  Retreating then slamming back in, Shane declared, “You belong to me now.”

  I whimpered my agreement.

  “I’m gonna work you all night until your body forgets who came before me and only craves mine,” he growled, his pace increasing.

  If I could have spoken, I would have told him my body forgot all others the minute he kissed me the first day we met, but his hand came around, found the bundle of nerves at the apex of my legs, and he rolled it. My mind blanked. A white-hot storm erupted and I died a thousand beautiful, passionate deaths with the orgasm that shot through my body. I couldn’t speak. My lungs froze and my body quivered. My walls contracted around Shane’s shaft, and he grunted low in his throat.

  Thrusting once more, he grabbed my hair, pulled my head back, and devoured my mouth as he spilled into me on a guttural moan.

  Twenty-nine years I’d been alive and my earliest memories were of heartache and pain. For the first time in my life, despite being in danger, I felt safe.

  Safe to breathe.

  Safe to love.

  Safe to dream.

  Ten

  Gunnison

  “You shouldn’t have picked me up,” I admonished as we lay beneath the covers of my bed. Running his hand through my hair as my head lay on his chest, Shane grunted. “I’ve been shot before. Nothin’ was keepin’ me from you tonight.”

  Rising up so I could see his face, I checked to see if he was lying.

  “You’ve been shot before?”

  “Yep.”

  “While you were in the Army?”

  “Yep.”

  I pulled back the covers and scanned his body.

  “Where?”

  Shane rolled to his side and I saw the puckered skin. I ran my fingers across the scar then leaned down and kissed it. I scanned his body as he rolled back, taking in all the hard curves and plains. He was beautiful inside and out, and I wanted him again.

  Starting at his chest, I ran my hand across the hard muscles and circled one nipple. His breath hitched when I flicked the bud, and I looked up into his gray eyes.

  “You’re gonna be a handful, aren’t you?”

  I smirked at him.

  “It’s not my fault you look like this. If you don’t want me coming on to you all the time, you should stop working out.”

  One second I was on my side and the next I was underneath him, my legs spread wide to accommodate his hips.

  “You sayin’ you only want me for my body?” he asked, a grin pulling across his mouth.

  I caught something in his eyes, a hint of insecurity in the tone of his voice, so I didn’t tease back. I placed my hand on his heart and shook my head. “I want you because of your heart. It called to me from Emma Jane’s letters. If you hadn’t been overseas, I would have made excuses to come to the base and visit Emma Jane as often as possible just so I could meet you. After what we lived through, I know what’s inside is more important than the outside.”

  Shane froze for a moment, his jawing working as I spoke. I knew bringing up Emma would be hard for him, but he needed to talk about her, to hear me talk about her, so he could continue to move forward.

  “I’d have beaten any man who looked in your direction,” he finally said.

  “Would you have?” I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck.

  “Still will,” he grinned.

  My stomach growled. Shane looked down and chuckled.

  “Did you eat?”

  I scrunched my nose. “Not since lunch. I was nauseous earlier.”

  “Time for nourishment then. You’re gonna need your energy.” Shane grinned a sexy grin, then kissed my nose, my lips, and then moved to my stomach before he started to rise.

  I tried to follow him out of bed, but he pointed a finger at me and ordered, “Stay.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of making a sandwich.”

  “Don’t care. I want you resting.”

  I looked down at my naked body, then looked up and raised a brow. “You call what we just did resting?”

  “What we just did was part of the healing process.”

  “You’re saying that was the doctors’ orders?” I teased.

  “It’s Doc’s orders . . .”

  I eyed him with suspicion. “Nice try . . . Emma wrote me about your nickname.”

  Buttoning his jeans, Shane flashed me another grin and then winked. Then he grabbed a gun I hadn’t noticed from the nightstand and shoved it into the back of his jeans. My attention was trained on the weapon. I’d forgotten about my stepfather while wrapped in Shane’s arms. My brows furrowed and I bit my lip. Shane leaned in and tilted my head up with a finger until I looked at him. Heat was still burning in his gaze from our earlier activities. He said nothing, just scanned my face for a moment, then inch by infinitesimal inch he crossed the distance until my heart was racing and my breath hitched. He brushed a kiss across my lips, feather light. It wasn’t meant to set my blood on fire, it was supposed to distract me from the gun, but the effect was all the same. I was putty in his hands. And he knew it, too, if the devilish grin he awarded me with was anything to go by.

  “Stay here and don’t get up,” he ordered before crossing the room and opening the door.

  I muttered, “Bossy,” as he exited and giggled when I heard him call out, “Get used to it.”

  Lying back on the bed, my mind raced with everything that happened. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact Richard was alive. Closing my eyes, I replayed the moment when Shane turned back to look up the river, essentially shielding my body from Richard’s shot. I kept seeing the look on his face when he was hit, the blood
that seeped from the wound as I tried to stop our fall. I could still feel the impact of the icy water as we fell over the falls. All of it swirled around my head, making my heart race all over again. It hit me like a bolt of lightning how close I came to losing Shane, and I began to shake.

  “I won’t let you take him from me,” I whispered to the room.

  I was no longer the weak girl he’d preyed upon. I would fight him with my bare hands if I had to, to keep those I loved safe.

  “You’re a coward.”

  The sun was still out, which kept the demons at bay, so I got up, put my robe on, and moved to the window. He was out there somewhere and I wanted to make sure he didn’t sneak up on us again. Lifting the blinds, I searched the front lawn and the forest beyond. There was a police cruiser parked outside, but I couldn’t see the officer. I moved to the other side of the window and scanned the opposite side of the yard.

  Nothing.

  “Where are you?”

  Snapping the blind shut, I moved to the door and out into the hall.

  I listened.

  Nothing.

  Maxine was asleep, but I should have been able to hear Shane puttering around the kitchen.

  Taking a deep breath, I followed the hall to the living room and then through the great room to the kitchen.

  It was empty.

  Movement caught my eye out the back window and I froze. It was Shane. His gun was drawn and sighted as he swept the yard. He looked like the soldier he was as he moved on swift but silent feet.

  I jumped when gunfire rang out and Shane dove for the cover of a tree.

  Screaming, “Shane,” I ran to the back door and ripped it open. The body of a police officer was slumped on the deck, with blood pooling around his head.

  I cried out in surprise and Shane looked over at me, thundering, “Get Maxine, and get the fuck out of here!”

  A bullet splintered the wood next to my head and I fell on my ass avoiding it. Gunfire bounced off the trees as I got to my knees. I could see Shane returning fire as he ran to the deck. He crouched low as he came up the stairs and then dove through the door, taking me with him. He kicked the door shut, got to his feet, and hauled me with him as he ran through the house, pulling out his phone as we went. Maxine met us in the living room with a pink-handled ax. Even in the chaos of the moment, I was stunned that she did, in fact, sleep with an ax under her pillow.

  “Chester, I got a man down, repeat, man down. We’re under fire,” Shane growled into the phone as he herded Maxine and me into the hallway. He listened, then barked out, “Roger that,” before hanging up.

  “Is Chester coming?” Maxine asked.

  “Quiet,” Shane ordered sternly and we bit our lips. He pulled out a magazine from his pocket while his attention stayed focused on the front window. He never looked down as he discharged his empty magazine, inserted the full one, and racked the slide. When he was done, he turned to both of us and commanded, “Don’t fuckin’ move. Not a sound out of either of you. Do you understand me?”

  Maxine and I both nodded, our eyes wide at the transformation in Shane’s face. He was focused, alert to everything around him. At that moment, he was a warrior, ready to slay the dragon with his bare hands if it breached the cabin.

  God Bless the United States Army!

  Without another word, he raised his gun, sighted it, and moved into the living room, sweeping back and forth like he’d done outside.

  I looked at Maxine and mouthed, “WOW.”

  She nodded and mouthed, “HOT.” She wasn’t wrong. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the time to think about how turned on I was watching him take control.

  Shane disappeared from our sight for a minute or two, then made his way back toward us. Maxine was still gripping her pink-handled ax, ready to slay a dragon herself if need be. I decided she had the right idea and made a note to buy a pink-handled ax for myself the minute I could.

  Shane positioned himself near the window and kept watch as we waited. Five minutes later, sirens cut through the twilight air, then came to a stop outside the cabin.

  Shane’s phone rang and he answered, grunting, “Maxine is fine, the house is secured.” The roar Shane received in reply identified the caller as Max. He listened as Max railed, then grunted again, “Right. On it,” and ended the call. He looked back when someone pounded on the front door and said, “Cavalry’s here. Both of you pack your bags; we’re leaving with Max and Mia.”

  “Leaving for where?” Maxine asked.

  “ . . . Gunnison, Colorado.”

  ***

  Laughter raised the roof of C-Terminal Baggage Claim at Denver International Airport. Shane grinned as he watched Sage, Mia, Maxine, and Jenn laughing.

  “Jesus,” Jack grumbled, his eyes narrowed as he took in the women. “It’s like a gaggle of geese.”

  “It was your idea,” Max pointed out.

  “Temporary insanity,” Jack grunted.

  “I hear it runs in your family,” Shane replied, eyeing both men with a smirk.

  “Just on the female side,” Jack deadpanned.

  All three mouths tugged into a grin and chuckles rumbled low in their throats.

  “Of course, I knew Sage was meant for Shane as soon as I heard her name,” Maxine beamed.

  Jack looked at Shane and rolled his eyes.

  “What’s my name got to do with it?”

  Maxine looked over her shoulder at the men and smiled. “Jack and Jenn. Max and Mia. Now Shane and Sage,” she pointed out. “And the best part is, you don’t have to change your initials when you get married.”

  “Christ, she’s planning weddings now,” Shane muttered.

  “Better tell Chester to steer clear of women named Christina,” Jack advised.

  A buzzer rang out and the conveyor began to turn, indicating the luggage was on its way out. Shane turned and stepped forward along with Max and Jack to wait.

  “My buddy in the FBI will be here in the morning,” Jack said. “Got a call from Chester while you were in flight. National Guard is on its way to help search. They’re putting up roadblocks between Trails End and Fairbanks. If he heads that way, they’ll detain him.”

  “What about Sage’s mother?”

  “Anchorage PD has been alerted. Mrs. Sloan was interrogated and shocked to find out she’s still married. Seems she’s been in a relationship for the past six months and they were discussing marriage. The boyfriend made her pack a bag and move in with him.”

  “That’ll help Sage relax,” Shane answered.

  “You got someone you can trust runnin’ the company?” Jack asked Max.

  “Buddy’s handlin’ it until we can return. We need to find this bastard quickly, though, Jack. I’m not goin’ through what we did before. If he comes near Mia or Mom, I’ll kill him the same as I did Stetson.”

  “You’ll have to get in line,” Shane rumbled.

  Jack raised his hand and silenced both men. This was why he’d suggested they lay low in Gunnison. He knew Heller was a dead man if he got near Mia or Maxine. Killing one man in self-defense was one thing, twice would raise eyebrows. He didn’t want his cousin in prison for protecting his family.

  “There’ll be no killing in my jurisdiction,” Jack ordered, pinning each man with hard eyes . . . “Unless it’s me who’s doing the killing,” he added.

  “He’s taken a shot at Sage twice in the past twenty-four hours,” Shane bit out, his voice ice cold. “We nearly drowned because of this guy and I’ve got a hole in my shoulder. If you want me to restrain from killing Heller if he shows his face, then you better lock me up.”

  Max crossed his arms and raised a brow at his cousin. It was clear he held the same sentiment as Shane. Lock him up or he’d kill Heller the minute he saw the white of his eyes. Looking back and forth between both men, Jack sighed, raising a hand to his neck to rub the tension of the past twenty-four hours free. Max was as much a stubborn Gunnison as Jack. He should have remembered that.

  Their luggage tumble
d onto the conveyor and Max pointed, moving toward it. When Shane moved to retrieve his own bags, Jack stayed him with a hand on his chest.

  “I understand how you feel, Shane, but I’m tryin’ to protect you and Max from prosecution. Especially Max. He’s already killed one man, and as you well know, that chips away at your soul, justified or not.”

  “I already have one black mark on my soul, one more won’t matter. If Heller shows, I’ll be the one doin’ the killin’. Plain and simple.”

  “You do know you just confessed to an officer of the law you’re ready to commit murder.”

  “No,” Shane answered, shaking his head. “I’m tellin’ Max’s family I’ll protect what’s mine and his if need be. I’m a soldier. I’m better trained to handle Heller than you. I read his file. He was Army before he became a cop. I know how he thinks; I know how he was trained. I’ll be able to anticipate his next move better than anyone if he finds us.”

  Jack noted the hate burning in Shane’s expression, his stubborn chin, and knew he wouldn’t be swayed to leave it to him. Jerking his head in acknowledgment, he slapped Shane on the left shoulder, mumbling, “Let’s get you to Gunnison.”

  “Jack,” Shane said between gritted teeth.

  Looking back at Shane, he answered, “Yeah?”

  “Bullet hole in my left shoulder.”

  Jack looked down where he held his arm stiffly and grimaced.

  “What’s takin’ so long?” Maxine shouted, causing all three men to turn and look. “We aren’t in Trails End where the sun stays out all day and night. I want to see my town before the sun sets, then hit Tully’s for a drink.”

  Jack grimaced again.

  “I hope they catch this fuckin’ guy soon,” he mumbled low. “I’m not sure Gunnison can handle Maxine for long.”

  ***

  With his back against the headboard, his eyes cast down at our connection, Shane ordered, “Give me your mouth,” as he raised his head.

  I was straddling his hips, riding him hard, sweat dripping between my breasts, but I leaned forward and captured his mouth like he asked me to.