“Only because you’re feeling overprotective,” she insists. “I’m just a burden, and I hate that.”
“Let’s get something straight.” I tip up her chin, making her look me in the eyes. “I don’t do much that I don’t want to in this life. If I didn’t want to be with you, I’d have put you in a safe house and staffed it with security. I want you here, Ivie. Hell, we’re friends. We’ve spent time together. And God knows I think you’re the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
She lets out a snort, and I narrow my eyes.
“Is something I said funny?”
“You don’t have to lay it on so thick.”
I don’t reply. I simply step into her and lay my lips on hers. Gently. As far as first kisses go, it’s not the way I’d planned to do it, but it works. She tastes like sin, and the little noise she makes in the back of her throat as she melts against me would make a weaker man lose control.
But I end the kiss and smile down at her.
“Does that feel like you’re a burden?”
She shakes her head.
“You’re here because I care about you, I want you safe, and I’m the only one I trust to do that correctly. I get the bonus of having you with me pretty much nonstop for the foreseeable future.”
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“Are you hungry?”
“Yes, actually.”
“Good. Me, too. I’ll fix us something.”
I lead her back out to the kitchen and get her settled on a stool while I set about making us a couple of omelets. Nothing fancy but full of veggies and nutrients to get us through until morning.
“So, was it your caretaker who stocked your kitchen for you?”
“Yeah. Curt keeps this place running when I’m gone. I haven’t been here in...” I stop, lean on the counter and think about it. “Fuck, I haven’t been home in two weeks.”
“Where were you?”
There’s no way I’ll ever tell Ivie about the horrors I see when I’m out on a mission. So I just smile at her and shrug a shoulder. “Here and there.”
“I have questions,” she murmurs.
“That makes two of us.”
She swallows hard and then nods. “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”
“That works for me. I haven’t slept in at least three days, and you look like you’re ready to drop.”
“I don’t remember ever being this tired before,” she admits.
“Are you finished there?” I gesture to her half-eaten plate.
“Yeah, I’m done.”
I clear our dishes and then kiss Ivie’s forehead. “Let’s go to bed, then.”
I escort her to her door, and after she closes it, I pad to another room that I didn’t show her. This isn’t as big as the operation I have in the basement, but it’s a convenient space where I have monitors set up to show me the security cameras around the property.
With roughly a thousand acres, there’s a lot of ground to cover. I shuffle through the live feeds, satisfied that everything looks calm tonight. After I send a note of thanks to Curt, I shut down everything and head to bed.
But at least an hour later, after a shower and some reading, I can’t get comfortable. It’s not like me to toss and turn like this after an exhausting operation like the one I just finished. Add to it the adrenaline of looking for Ivie, and my body is just about ready to quit on me.
But I can’t get comfortable. I wonder how she’s doing down the hall. Was she able to settle in and get comfortable? Is she having nightmares after her ordeal?
Does she need anything?
I’m just about to get up and go check on her when there’s a light knock on my door.
“Come in.”
The door slowly opens, and there’s Ivie, standing in the moonlight.
“Can I sleep in that chair?” she asks, pointing to the chair in the corner of the room.
“No.” I shift to the side and peel back the covers. “You can come sleep here.”
“Really?”
“Come on, honey.”
She closes the door behind her and turns to walk my way. Suddenly, she trips and lands on the bed, hard.
“Sorry, I didn’t see the floor there.”
I chuckle and tuck her in next to me, spoon up behind her, and breathe her in. She, too, had a shower, and her hair smells amazing.
But I don’t want to ravage her. I want to hold her. Another new emotion for me.
“You’re naked,” she says, glancing over her shoulder at me.
“Yes, ma’am. Do you want me to put something on?” I kiss her hair, still breathing her in.
“No, it’s okay. Just another surprise, that’s all. I was scared,” she admits with a whisper.
“No need to be,” I whisper back. “I’m right here. I’ve got you. Just sleep, baby.”
Chapter 4
~Ivie~
I hurt. My neck is sore, my ribs ache, and I feel like I got hit by a bus.
And then the events of the past few days come into my mind, and I sigh, even before opening my eyes.
No wonder I ache.
But then last night comes into focus, and I can’t help but smile. I was so scared in that bedroom by myself. I’m in a strange place, in the middle of the woods, and people are trying to kill me.
At least, I think they are.
I didn’t want to be alone. And Shane didn’t turn me away. Instead, he welcomed me into his bed, wrapped his big, strong arms around me, and held me all night. Naked.
So, so naked.
When I woke up in the middle of the night with a jolt from a nightmare, he soothed me until we both fell back to sleep.
I can’t remember the last time I felt this protected.
Have I ever been?
I shift a bit and realize that Shane’s hand landed on my left breast in his slumber.
I glance down, and sure enough… His huge hand rests over my breast, and I look up in surprise.
Damn, he has big hands. I’m a well-endowed girl in the boob department, but his hand completely covers me.
I blink rapidly. I wonder if that means he’s big in other areas.
I can’t hold the snort in, but then try to cover it up with a fake sneeze.
“Go back to sleep.” Shane’s voice is deep and gravelly, and he shifts, dragging his hand down my breast to my ribs as if we do this every morning.
“I’m asleep.”
“Then why are you talking to me?”
I grin and turn to glance at him but end up hitting him in the chin with the ball of my shoulder.
“Ouch.”
“Sorry.” I wiggle around until I’m facing him but cover my mouth with the blanket—because, morning breath. “So sorry.”
“You don’t sound sorry.”
I just smile from behind the blanket. Shane opens an eye and then chuckles. “How are you this morning?”
“Oh, I hurt everywhere.”
“Wait. What?” He sits up, pulling the blanket from my mouth. It pools at his waist.
Jesus, his chest and abs are sculpted.
“Wow,” I whisper, wanting to reach out and touch him.