Lainey (Dreamcatchers Romantic Suspense Series Book 4)

by Jamie Garrett

  Aaron lowered her back to the bed. He caressed her breast, running his fingers over the sensitive flesh before brushing over her nipple, squeezing lightly. Fuck, he was going to make her come and he hadn’t even got her pants off yet. As if hearing her thoughts, his hands roamed toward her waistband as his tongue took over on her breast, leaving cool trails across her nipple. She gasped, her entire body clenching tightly as his hand lowered her zipper and then slipped into her pants. His teeth bit softly into a nipple as his fingers stroked and pressed against her core.

  God. She was going to scream.

  Sensation rippled over her skin. He could touch any part of her, anywhere on her body, and a trail of electricity would spark over her. Each jolt gave heat to the fire within her and then sensations growing in her core sent her reeling. It washed over her, a rhythmic dance that held her in its thrall. His tongue and fingers moved in sync, adding more fuel to the fire until it exploded, trails of flame rushing through her as she came. Aaron kept up the pressure on her clit, grinding into her with his palm as he slipped a finger inside, adding another when she moaned deeply and spasmed around him. His tongue never left her skin.

  Finally the world slowly returned. A stroke to the bare skin of her back, the whisper of her pants sliding down her legs. Lainey smiled, her eyes still closed as she reveled in Aaron’s kisses, trailing down her legs as he slid her pants off. She’d just come and already she wanted more, his touch stoking the fire again.

  She opened her eyes as his hands left her, only to see him standing in front of her, jerking his jeans down off his hips. His eyes met hers and he smiled, his own passion adding to the swirling colors in the room. His boxer briefs followed his jeans and her eyes widened at her first look at his cock, bobbing upward as he stood at the foot of her bed. He was grinning now, as he took himself in his hand and stroked leisurely upward. “Like what you see too, Baby?”

  Lainey nodded. Speech was impossible. She bit her lip and it was Aaron’s turn to groan. He bent down quickly and reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a condom and putting it on, rubbing his hand down his hard length again. He knelt back on the bed, climbing over her before positioning himself between her thighs, rubbing the head against her still sensitive core. “Are you sure?”

  “Please,” she begged. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

  Holding his weight above her on one arm, Aaron took her mouth again, tangling his tongue with hers before thrusting his hips forward, pushing deep into her. “Oh!” she gasped. He stilled, giving her time to adjust to his intrusion, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. “For fuck’s sake, move!”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He thrust forward again, then again, setting a fast pace that gave her no time to recover between each pistoning of his hips. Bliss raced through her with every thrust. He pushed through every barrier, every wall she’d ever built around herself, and took her deeper than anyone ever had. He had her, mind and soul. Their bodies collided, intertwining. Aaron hooked his arm under her knee, lifting her leg up and resting her ankle to sit on top of his shoulder, making her gasp. He could move faster now, thrust even deeper. With every pulse of his hips, he hit a spot deep inside her that overwhelmed her world, driving everything away except the feeling of him inside her. He stared into her eyes, looking deep inside her as his body took hers to heaven.

  Her hips pushed up, meeting his thrusts, and Aaron’s hand gripped her, likely hard enough to leave bruises. She didn’t care. All that mattered was here, all that existed was now. A bolt of electricity shot through her body and overwhelmed her mind. Aaron groaned and grew harder still inside her as she rippled around him. He pressed deeply inside her as she exploded, the red passion bursting from inside her, saturating the entire room. He thrust deeply once more and then held himself hard against her as he pulsed inside her core, jerking and crying out her name before collapsing against her, breathless. His arms pulled her close and Lainey’s eyes closed as she sunk into sleep, safe.

  28

  Lainey

  A soft touch was the first thing Lainey felt, a gentle drag over her skin. She smiled, her eyes still closed. A kiss next, placed on her shoulder, followed by the sweep of her hair across her neck and then another kiss, just behind her ear. She opened her eyes and rolled over. Aaron was smiling down at her, his finger brushing against her cheek before he took her mouth, deepening the kiss. “I wish I could keep you here forever, where you’re safe.”

  The soft reds and oranges of dawn crept from the bedroom curtains, seemingly dismissing any danger. Lainey didn’t want to think about it. She and Aaron had spent the rest of yesterday—and the night—making love and then sleeping in each other’s arms, over and over again. She just wanted him, here in her bed, and at work. That’s how things were supposed to go, how her life was supposed to turn out. Find a good man and love him well. Not the nightmare that had come right along with finding him. For right now, at least, she could refuse to think about it. Her stomach rumbled. “You know, right now all I want to think about is breakfast. We’ll worry about the rest later.” She padded out to the kitchen and dug out bowls and spoons, followed by the milk and several boxes of cereal. Using her newfound abilities wore her out. It was probably even what made her pass out on the beach the day before. Tiredness still tugged at the edge of her mind and she didn’t have the energy for anything more complicated that morning. Aaron could either cook or deal with Froot Loops.

  She poured the colorful circles into a bowl and splashed them over with the milk. They bobbed to the surface, the colors improving her mood. Aaron padded into the kitchen, took one look at the boxes of cereal, and opened the refrigerator. After a few moments of rustling around, he reappeared with a loaf of bread, shredded chicken breast, and a few salad vegetables Lainey had forgotten were even in there. He made himself a sandwich and then pulled out the chair next to her. She took another bite of her cereal. She could see the tension forming in him, pushing back the pinks and reds they’d built the night before, but he clearly didn’t want to be the one to burst the bubble. Neither did she, but it was inevitable. She could at least be the one to start talking. “Payton and Cole should know about last night.”

  Aaron raised an eyebrow at her and grinned. Huh? Oh my God. Lainey felt her cheeks turn scarlet and she buried her face in her hands. “Not that!” Aaron chuckled, and he ducked his head down to meet her gaze, peeling away one of her hands. “I’m pretty sure Payton’s gonna know anyway.” Lainey’s blush deepened. How the hell was that even possible? But he was right, there was no way she would be able to hide anything from her best friend. In fact, Payton would probably know the instant she walked in the door just by looking at them. She knew she was right, though; they did need to know that Josh had tried to take her again, and more importantly, what had happened when he did. Her hands shook slightly at the memory and Aaron took them both, holding them wrapped inside his large grip, warming her. “It’ll be okay, Lainey. I’ll make sure of it.” He ate the last bite of his sandwich and then pushed his chair back. “I’ll call them now.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Lainey was still in the shower when she heard the front door open and close. She quickly dried herself off and threw on a sun dress. “Hey,” Payton said, rushing over. “Are you okay?”

  Lainey nodded. “Yeah.” Aaron had already told them what happened, judging from Payton’s reaction and the deep frown on Cole’s face. He sat right on the edge of a chair, as if ready to react to anything.

  That’s because he is.

  Aaron was too. She looked over at him, and even through the stress in the air his eyes smiled at her. How had she gotten so lucky? “You didn’t,” Payton said. “You were just yourself. That’s all you needed to be.” Damn, Aaron was right. Lainey should be used to it by now, but it was still a little unnerving when her friend echoed her unspoken thoughts. Payton was getting more powerful, even just in the few weeks since she’d told Lainey the entire secret. Was that what was happening with her
, too? Why?

  She sat down next to Aaron, who put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “All I know is that I’m done with this. I’m not just sitting around anymore, waiting for the next person to try to kill me.”

  Payton opened her mouth to speak. Her voice was clear, but she was apprehensive. “We should call Emily and Keila.”

  Aaron’s head shot up and Cole looked over at Payton, his brow furrowed. The room filled with a cloud of anxiety and she tried to send out calm, but she didn’t have enough energy to affect anything much. Damn it. Did she have to be in danger for whatever the hell this was to work? “Do you trust them, Payton?”

  Payton sighed. “I do,” she said. Cole opened his mouth, but Payton spoke first. “I don’t want to, but I do. We don’t even know for sure whether Josh is part of the organization or just some raving lunatic. We need more information, and I bet Emily and Keila have it.”

  “Lainey?” Aaron asked. “You’ve seen them, right? Were they sincere?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was overwhelmed with Payton’s energy that day and I was so concerned about her I didn’t look at anyone else.” She looked over at her friend. “I didn’t who they were, then.”

  Payton’s head dropped. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d be keeping you safer by not pulling you into this world. Now I know that doesn’t matter. They’ll find you anyway. We need their help, whether we want it or not.”

  Payton pulled her cell out of her pocket and pressed to dial the number, putting the phone on speaker. An unfamiliar voice answered within two rings.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Keila.” Payton stood up as she talked. “There’s been another attack.”

  “What happened?” Keila’s voice was instantly hard.

  “The man Cole told you about before attempted to take Lainey again. His name is Josh, and he’s been causing trouble for us up here.”

  “Who is he?, Do you know how he found you?”

  Lainey glanced at Payton and shook her head. Payton had probably seen it inside their heads anyway by now, but she wasn’t outing Aaron. Not until she knew she could trust these women. Payton cleared her throat. “We just wanted to let you know what’s going on, and to ask if you’ve learned anything more.”

  “Not yet. I’m still watching this girl. It’s fucking weird. She’s . . .” Keila’s voice trailed off. What had she been about to say? Was she hiding something? Lainey’s brow furrowed. She forced herself not to jump to conclusions. After all, they were keeping a few things to themselves too. “I still think you all need to join us here. I can’t leave, but Emily and Reece can make the trip down, bring you back.”

  Payton caught Lainey’s gaze, a halo of fear circling in her eyes. Was Payton scared of Keila, of going with them, or of staying here? It was so frustrating! She could read people’s emotions, and Payton could see their intentions, but without the other side, neither of them ever got the full story. It was starting to really piss her off.

  “I’ll think about it,” Payton said, and Lainey nodded. They’d talk about it later, when they were truly on their own.

  “Alright. Just be careful.” Keila’s voice grew quieter. “I don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”

  “You too,” Payton said, and pressed to disconnect.

  “She sounds like we can trust her,” Lainey said. “But I’ve never tried to do this with just a voice before. I’m not even sure I can.”

  “Maybe we should leave,” Aaron said. He stood, pacing, his aura swirling with gray again.

  “I . . .” Her apartment, the juice bar, Aaron’s gym. She didn’t want to leave it all behind. Besides, where would they go?

  Aaron rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t think we have a choice. Not while Josh is still missing. So far I can’t tell if he’s trying to hurt you or just abduct you, and it all turns to shit.” His face twisted. “What if he comes back with bigger firepower? I’d give my life for you, but even I can’t protect you against everything. What if he comes back with a .50 caliber? He could have a fucking rocket launcher, for all we know.”

  “I don’t want to leave,” she said. “I’m not ready.”

  Aaron pulled her up, crushing her to him and kissing her. His tongue slid against hers as his cock hardened against her belly. “And what if he decides he’s had enough and just takes you out, takes us both out?” Wetness formed in the corners of her eyes, and Aaron tugged on her chin, forcing her gaze up. “Hey,” he whispered, wiping away a falling tear with his thumb. “This isn’t easy for me either, but I’d sacrifice anything for you.” He kissed her again. After a moment, Lainey broke away and looked over at Payton and Cole. They stood together, eyes closed and foreheads touching. They were having their own private moment. Lainey could almost see the thoughts passing between them. She knew Payton didn’t want to leave any more than she did. Lainey had built roots here, and flourished. She loved her life here, at least she had. If she went on the run, she’d feel like she was blowing along in the wind—vulnerable to whatever came her way.

  “I’ll be there,” Aaron said. He touched his lips to hers again, then again. “I won’t leave you, no matter where this takes us.”

  “Where would we go?”

  “Anywhere but here.”

  29

  Aaron

  The decision was the right one. It seemed like the end was never going to come. Lainey would always be hunted by a psychotic killer until he caught up with the bastard himself, and they couldn’t do that unless he had more information about what the fuck they were dealing with. He could call Mike, but that would just tip the old man off that something was going down. What if he’d been involved more deeply the entire time than Aaron had realized? The thought shocked him to his core. They couldn’t trust anyone but themselves right now. Not without cold, hard proof. He looked down at Lainey, who had tucked her head against his chest. He frowned. Her skin was pale and she still looked tired. “I need to go get everything closed up, talk to Rico about taking over for awhile. But I don’t think Lainey should be traveling around right now.”

  “I’ll stay with her,” Payton said. “I don’t have much I need to take with me, and Cole can grab it all anyway.” Aaron hesitated. Payton was strong, but could she hold her own against Josh?

  She smiled at him. “I’ll even shoot first and ask questions later, if it’ll make you feel any better.”

  “I won’t be long.” He leaned down and kissed Lainey again before leaving with Cole, going their separate ways once they were out the door. Was this going to be their life from now on, always moving from one place to another?

  No. I’ll figure this out, we all will.

  As he drove his car over to the gym, the image ran through Aaron’s head. A time when they could all be free—free of any worry and the threat looming over them. It was swiftly replaced by an image of Lainey lying on the ground covered in blood. The Jeep swerved violently and Aaron swore as he yanked the car back into the lane. Josh was the lowest form of human Aaron had known, even worse than Anna’s boyfriend, Max. They’d both drugged themselves to the point of oblivion, both made Aaron shiver at the very sight of them the first time he laid eyes on them. How could men that pathetic cause so much damage?

  Because they’re so fucked up they don’t care who they hurt.

  He couldn’t drive fast enough. It was still early enough in the morning that he didn’t bother stopping at the red lights. Instead, he looked swiftly for incoming traffic and then barreled through. He had to get this done and get back to Lainey as quickly as possible. He pulled up outside his apartment. He’d be in and out within minutes. The breeze from the ocean blew across his skin as he jumped from the Jeep. He’d miss this place, sure, the water, the little beach he had to climb down a cliff to get to. He wanted to go back to their beach, look out on the pier again.

  The pier . . .

  An image of Lainey lying unconscious flooded his mind, her body lying limp in between the giant wooden support poles. H
e’d thought she was dead then, but that morning he was still holding her in his arms, warm and breathing. That was all that mattered. He could leave everything else behind. He pushed his apartment door open and grabbed a bag, throwing in clothes his hand touched. Just the basics, the rest meant nothing. He’d lost someone that had meant the world to him the night Anna died, and he wasn’t going to be stupid enough to sit there pawing through simple belongings while someone else took the only other person he loved. Instead, he grabbed every bit of cash he had hidden around the apartment, plus his personal papers, before reaching around behind his bed and pulling out his weapons stash. At some point, he’d have to go back and get the pistols he still had at the gym. He’d do that when he spoke to Rico.