Forget Jeff and Tyler. Shane’s attention zoomed right to this newest information. They’d uncovered the truth about someone...then made friends with him? The shift didn’t make any sense. “I doubt that.”
“I’ve been skeptical, too, but he’s done good work for us.” When Makena finished her water, Tyler passed her his and kept right on talking. “Came clean and is making amends.”
“That makes your website sound like a twelve-step program.” Shane said the first thing to pop into his head. It was either that or smash water bottles together. Tyler and Makena looked comfortable at the table. There was a quiet intimacy between them, as if they spent a lot of time together.
One more thing Shane hated.
“I think that’s where he learned about amends.” Tyler’s eyebrow lifted as he talked. “I can put a list of other possibles together for you.”
“Clearly this leads back to the site.” Makena reached for Tyler’s water bottle, then stopped. “The attacks on me. The break-in here.”
Shane slid his bottle over to her while he talked to Tyler. Didn’t even try to be subtle about the choice he offered her. “Who else knows about your connection to the site and where you live?”
“No one except Makena,” Tyler said.
She froze. “Wait a minute.”
“No, I’m saying the list of people should be really short.” He turned the tablet back around and started typing.
“Maybe someone followed me here last week?” She looked at Shane as she grabbed his bottle and took a sip.
“Possible.” He tried to ignore the satisfaction surging through him and the quick glance Tyler took in her direction as she drank. “But why go after the two of you now?”
Tyler shrugged. “Someone finally put the pieces together and traced the site back to me. Then used Makena.”
Not good enough. It all seemed too coincidental for Shane’s taste. All the big security measures failing at one time? Unlikely. This was about something bigger led by someone with access to money and resources. Hiring criminals wasn’t impossible, but the ones who’d attacked Makena had had skills. That took some knowledge.
“What happens now?” Shane knew how he intended to proceed with Makena’s protection, but Tyler was the wild card. He could go somewhere or do something that unraveled everything.
Tyler glanced up from whatever he was doing on the tablet. “With what?”
Seemed obvious to Shane, but he spelled it out anyway. “Your address is known. Do you shut down the site and—”
“No.” Anger seeped into the other man’s voice for the first time since he’d lowered the gun. “I have other places to go.”
And an unlimited supply of money, apparently. “Where?”
When Shane had Connor and the team check into Tyler, his finances would be on the list. A nice house in a good neighborhood, no full-time job other than the website, according to Makena, and now a safe house somewhere. Those kinds of preparations cost money. Connor had payments from their missions to set up what they needed. Big checks from big companies. Shane doubted Tyler had that sort of access to money.
Tyler smiled. “You’ll understand why I’m not sharing that information.”
Either this guy thought he was a Rambo type or he really was. Neither option made Shane feel any better about him. “We’ll need a way to contact you.”
“I’ll give it to you. But that means the only people who know will be you. If something else happens...” Tyler stopped and cleared his throat. Even shrugged. There was nothing subtle about any of the gestures.
Makena’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
But Shane got the point. Hard not to. “You think I’m behind this?”
“I don’t know you,” Tyler said.
“Funny, but I was thinking the same thing about you.” But Shane would. Within twenty-four hours he’d know everything about Tyler Cowls, and then they’d talk again.
Chapter Eight
Makena waited while Shane did his usual visual and physical check of the safe house. He looked under and over everything. Checked the traps he’d laid at the doors and windows to see if anyone had tripped a wire or moved a crumb.
He came back into the living area, tucking his gun away and dropping his keys on the kitchen table. Those long strides and the determined look on his face suggested he had a lecture just waiting on his tongue to be delivered.
She loved to watch him move, all lethal and stealthy. He stalked like a panther and rarely lost focus. But that didn’t mean she was in the mood to hear him complain about whatever was on his mind. Not when she had a point of her own to make.
“You hated him.” She meant Tyler, but she guessed Shane knew that.
He exhaled, long and loud, before lifting his head to stare at her. “Yep.”
The force of his gaze almost knocked her backward. They stood on either side of the table with the furniture between them as a shield of sorts. She couldn’t help but think they stood on the edge of a verbal war, though she did not know why.
“You didn’t exactly hide it.” Which touched off a bit of an angry fire inside her. That website meant a lot to her. Having Shane wave the work off as if it meant nothing put a bigger wedge between them than the table.
“Neither did he.”
Something in his tone grabbed her attention. The words didn’t sound right. “Meaning?”
Shane rested his palms on the chair in front of him. “He wanted to climb all over you.”
A hiss escaped her lips at the ridiculous comment before she could stop it. “What are you talking about?”
His eyes widened and his mouth dropped. “Do you really not know this Tyler guy has a thing for you?”
But they were...he’d never... Her mind started spinning as the memories of all their meetings flipped past in her head. Talking over coffee. Meeting for dinner at his house. But she’d kept it professional.
Tyler had a boy-you-crushed-on-in-high-school look to him. Very cute. Friendly and charming. But she didn’t feel anything more than respect for him. The older she got, the more she loved Shane. That had started blocking out her attraction to anyone else, making it impossible for her to move on. But Tyler didn’t know that, and now she wondered about the signals she’d sent.
Guilt smacked into her. On top of the fear and adrenaline spikes of the past twenty-four hours, she could not handle one more emotion. So she packed it away to deal with later. And she would. She and Tyler. She’d make him understand.
“We work together. He’s never made a move.” All true, but now she wondered about the little things. The way he remembered her coffee order and made sure she ate. The glances he threw her. Why hadn’t she seen it?
“Yet.” Shane leaned harder against the chair. The wooden legs creaked and his hands balled into fists. “When he does make a move, what will you do?”
“We’re not talking about this.” Opening up about her love life with Shane could not happen. She needed to preserve some dignity.
He pushed off the chair and walked around the table toward her. “Are you interested in him?”
No, no, no. “Shane, you can’t be this clueless.”
“So, you’re not.”
Totally clueless. “Obviously not, as you should know.”
“You’re talking about the kiss.”
She couldn’t breathe. Could barely draw in enough air to speak. “It didn’t mean anything to you.”
“Did I say that?”
For every step he took, she took two in the opposite direction. They were all but ringing the table. She needed to leave. That was the answer. He could play this game on his own. She headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
His question stopped her. She turned around to face him with her hands behind her, locked on the doorknob. “I need a walk.”
“It doesn’t work that way, Makena.” Then he was right there. In front of her and so close. “I stay here. You stay here.”
“You’re the o
ne I want to get away from.” The words shot out of her before she could call them back.
Instead of being offended, he smiled. His hand caressed her cheek and he moved in closer. “Am I?”
She had no idea what this was or how to react. She knew what she wanted to do but went with dropping her head back against the door. “You’ve made it clear you’re not interested.”
“Now who’s clueless?” His hands rested on either side of her waist, and his stance widened until his legs straddled hers.
“You practically ran out after we kissed.” The comment came out as a whisper as she searched his eyes for some explanation of his sudden interest.
“That’s not true.” His fingers tightened on her waist. “But you are Holt’s sister.”
She’d known his name would come up. She could almost see the moment when Shane remembered his best friend and began the emotional push away from her. “Don’t use him as the excuse.”
“Fine.” Shane put a hand against the door right by her head. Wrapped her in his warmth without touching her. “You’re the commitment type and I’m a failure at that. What’s the plan? We have sex a few times and then go back to acting like nothing ever happened?”
His words touched something deep inside her. She could hear the pain he hid underneath the sensible sentiment. He wasn’t a man who failed at anything, but he viewed his private life as a war zone. His father failed at everything and ran through marriages. For some reason, Shane lumped himself in with the man who’d spent a lifetime ignoring him.
She put her hand against his chest and felt the thudding of his heartbeat. “Why do you think you’re a failure at commitment?”
“I’m still paying off my divorce lawyer.”
“Shane, no.” When he started to pull away, she grabbed on to his forearms and held him still. He could have thrown off her hold, but he didn’t. He stayed, and she took that as a good sign that he was at least willing to listen. “You guys were all wrong for each other. That needed to end.”
Makena knew she walked a fine line. Patty had never wanted to be a military wife and resented every minute. Shane acted true to who he was, and this pulled them apart, to the extent that were ever really together. Makena wasn’t convinced. She’d never seen a spark and he’d never talked about having a wife as anything more than a convenience...until it became very inconvenient.
“I made her promises about leaving the army and didn’t.” He exhaled. “I messed up.”
She refused to let him take all the blame. Not after the whispers she’d heard from Holt about how difficult Patty could be. “You both did.”
Shane shook his head. “How did we get on this topic?”
Because his marriage colored everything and talking about it was inevitable. The question was whether they could pivot and talk about them without him bolting. “You seem to think I need a ring.”
His thumb traced over her lips. “I’m trying to be responsible here.”
Wrong answer. “Maybe I don’t want you to be.”
“Makena.” He said her name like a plea.
“I am a grown woman.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in tighter against her. “This isn’t about my brother or your ex or even your dad. This is about us. What we feel for each other.”
His hands rubbed up and down her back. “If we start down this road—”
“Kiss me.” Enough talking. They could talk this to death and never get anywhere. She was done with that.
His chest moved in harsh breaths now. “I won’t stop.”
“I don’t want you to.”
That was all it took. His mouth covered hers in a blinding kiss. The type that whipped around and shattered all control. She held on through the smack of heat while need pummeled her.
Her fingers slipped into his hair as she wrapped her body around his. The blood drained from her head, and a wave of dizziness hit her. With an arm around her waist, he lifted her off the floor. She didn’t fight the need to get closer, to burrow in deeper. She wrapped her legs around his thighs and held on.
He lifted his head. “Bedroom.”
She couldn’t say anything, so she nodded. Anything to hold on to the feeling and keep him from breaking away. She feared his brain would kick in and he’d go on the defensive. Shove her away. But none of that happened. He carried her through the small house, pushing the bedroom door open with his shoulder and carrying her inside.
Desire took off in a wild frenzy inside her. She held on because she never wanted to let go.
The room spun and her back hit the mattress. When she opened her eyes, he loomed above her, balancing on his elbow. She ran a fingertip over his eyebrow and across his cheek. Down to his mouth, then over that sexy scruff on his chin. “I love this.”
He treated her to a husky chuckle. “That almost guarantees I won’t shave it off.”
The sound of his voice skimmed over her like a caress. The way he looked, who he was...she loved it all. “Good.”
“Be sure.”
She could feel his erection against her thigh and sensed the control it took for him to hold back and wait. But there was no need. She wanted this, wanted him. Had for what felt like forever. “I am.”
He nodded and started to get up.
“What are you doing?” She grabbed him and tried to pull him back on top of her.
His smile remained as he leaned down and kissed her. A lingering kiss that left her breathless after he lifted his head again. “Condom.”
In her haste she’d ignored the precautions. She was on the pill, but that wasn’t the point. Heat hit her cheeks. “Right.”
He winked. “The blush is cute.”
He left the bed but only for a few seconds. She watched his back as she heard him root around in his bag, then he turned around again. He stripped off his shirt as his knee hit the bed. The mattress dipped and she rolled against him. Then he was on top of her, his hands everywhere at once. His leg slipped between hers as his hands snaked up under her shirt. When his palms touched the bare skin of her stomach, she almost jackknifed off the bed. When they ventured higher, right to the band of her bra, she stopped breathing.
His hands cupped her breasts, massaging and caressing before he lowered his head. He used his teeth to pull the shirt out of the way. One second she wore it and the next her hands rose and he drew it off her and threw it on the floor.
A mixture of want and need bombarded her. A warm breath blew over her as he peeled the material of her bra down and put his mouth on her. His tongue, those lips. It all hit her like a jolt to her senses. Her fingers slid through his hair and held his head tight against her.
Their legs tangled and her hands traveled down his back to his belt. She couldn’t see, but she heard the clank of the buckle as she opened it. The tick of the zipper came next. He lifted his body off hers long enough to kick off his jeans. When he reached for his gray boxer briefs, she stopped him. Put a hand over his and guided her fingers to his erection. Cupping him, holding him, she tested every inch. Smoothed over his length.
He went wild. He shoved the briefs down and kicked them off. She had seconds to drink in the sight of him before he covered her again. His weight pressed her into the mattress as her hands ran over his skin.
When his mouth started traveling down to her stomach, she struggled out of her bra. By the time she rested her back on the mattress again, he was tugging on her pants. He’d gotten them open and now they slid down her legs. With the material gone, his mouth touched bare skin. He pressed a long line of kisses up her legs to her upper thighs. Between her legs. On her.
Her head fell back and her hands wrapped in the sheets as his tongue went to work. He licked and enticed. With each pass something inside her tightened. Those tiny internal muscles clamped down as her breath morphed into panting.
“Shane.” She thought she said his name once, but it echoed in her head until she couldn’t tell if the chant was real or imagined.
He kept kissing her,
touching her, until her body felt inches from going up in flames. His hands pushed her legs farther apart. He slipped up, between them, until she cradled him. She heard a ripping sound and knew he’d found the condom packet where he dropped it on the bed.
He pressed against her, slowly sliding inside her, inch by inch. She blew out long breaths as her body adjusted to his. Then he was moving, pressing in and pulling out. The steady rhythm hypnotized her. The bed shook. The friction of their bodies sent her control crashing.
They touched everywhere. His mouth met hers as his body plunged inside her. When his hand slipped between their bodies, the tightness inside her snapped. Her body bucked and her legs clamped against him.
Her whole body shook as the orgasm overtook her. She lost all sense of time and felt the energy pulse through her. Heat rolled over them as sweat beaded on his shoulders. The waves of pleasure had just started to die down when his body stiffened and his head dropped down. He buried his face in her shoulder as he whispered her name.
It could have been minutes or seconds later when his weight pressed harder against her. He lay still as she threw back her head and struggled to regain her breathing. Slow and steady in, but it kept shuddering out of her. And she couldn’t stop touching him. Her hands roamed over his shoulders and one skimmed up his arm.
He lifted his head and stared down at her. “Wow.”
“Eloquent.” She tried to bite back the laugh, but it crept out. She laughed until her whole body shook. When it finally died down, the amusement in his eyes matched the lightness running through her.
“No regrets?”
She shook her head as well as she could on the pillow. “None.”
She waited for him to say something and ruin the moment. Ground her back teeth together as the dread hit her.
“Good.”
Relief flooded her. “I think so.”
He lifted off her and shifted his weight to her side, but their bodies never lost contact. He ran his fingertips across her collarbone and over her neck. The gentle touch had her nerve endings firing back to life. He’d exhausted her, wrung every ounce of energy from her, but could still bring her to want more.
Tamed (Corcoran Team: Bulletproof Bachelors Book 3) Page 7