Chapter 8

Mac usually needed four alarm clocks set five minutes apart and positioned in different places around the room to force herself to get out of bed in the morning. And that was when she got up at a reasonable time like eight o’clock. But last night, she’d set all four clocks for 6:00 a.m. so she could get to the SWAT compound before Gage had to run off and save the world like he’d done yesterday.

But he and half the team were already loaded up and ready to roll by the time she pulled into the parking lot. Not about to let him leave without her this time, Mac jumped in the passenger seat of the SUV Gage was driving.

“You’re perky this morning.” Gage gave her a sidelong glance as he followed the big operations vehicle out the gate. “Guess you slept well.”

After everything she’d seen yesterday at the hotel, it wouldn’t have been a leap to think sleep would be a long time coming last night. But she’d gone to bed with only one thing on her mind—Gage. And thoughts of him had brought her the best night sleep she’d had in…well…forever.

Mac’s smile quickly turned into a frown when she noticed the tight lines etched around Gage’s mouth. He looked more exhausted than he had when he’d dropped her off at her place.

“Did you get any sleep last night?” she asked.

“Yeah, I got a few hours. But unfortunately for me, I don’t look as good as you this early in the morning, especially when I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

Gage must have noticed her concern, because he chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m off duty for the next two days, so I’ll be able to catch up on my rest.” The look he gave her made her breath hitch. “Unless I have something better to do, of course.”

“Like have dinner together?”

The words sounded casual enough, but her pulse was going a mile a minute. All she could think about was what had happened between them the last time they’d had dinner together.

A grin tugged at one corner of his mouth. “You feel like Chambre Francaise again?”

She licked her lips. “I thought maybe I could make dinner for you again. Say tonight?”

His grin broadened. “Sounds good to me.”

Mac opened her mouth to ask what he wanted for dinner, but the radio squawked with a bunch of static, then all those codes and police jargon Zak always translated for her. Gage picked up the hand mic and spoke a few terse sentences into it. Something about maintaining the perimeter and not using any sirens.

“So, what do we have?” she asked.

“Drug lab…meth probably.” He glanced at her, all business now. “An anonymous caller reported all of the typical telltale signs of a meth lab. They also reported seeing automatic weapons, so the on-scene commander asked us to go in first.”

Where just a few moments ago, a warm, pleasurable sensation had been, now a cold, stomach-clenching fear existed. She’d almost forgotten what Gage did for a living.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

Gage shook his head. “They won’t even know we’re coming until we kick in the door. That’s why I told them to maintain the perimeter at four blocks. Plus, half the people in those labs are usually drugged out of their minds. We’ll be in and out of there in ten minutes.”

He sounded so confident and sure of himself Mac almost found herself believing him. Then she remembered all the shooting and blood from the day before, and her stomach clenched even more tightly.

***

Mac promised Gage she’d stay in the operations vehicle, but right after he left, the signals on the monitors kept going in and out. She supposed it was because they were parked so far away. Regardless, she couldn’t see or hear anything. She wished Zak were there. He’d know how to fix the darn things.

She pulled her small camera from her back pocket and climbed out of the operations vehicle. She still couldn’t see Gage, but at least she could see the house. Plus, she could take photos. There were a half dozen uniformed officers and detectives behind the big vehicle with her, so she was safe.

After she and Gage had arrived, he’d had a short conversation with Lieutenant Weaver, the lead officer from the narcotics division, then instructed Trevino to take up a sniper position on the roof of a nearby building. Gage, Cooper, and Delaney had immediately disappeared around the left side of the suspected meth lab, while Xander and the other three members of his squad had gone around the right. Mac kept her ear glued to the radio in Weaver’s hand, waiting for the signal that SWAT was about to enter the building. Gage had told her that as soon as they took the automatic weapons out of play, the rest of the cops would go in.

Mac chewed on her lip as she clicked a few pictures of the house. The place didn’t look like much. While it was dilapidated, there wasn’t anything about the two-story structure that made her think it was a drug lab. Granted, the paint on the casement window was a little suspicious, but a lot of homeowners did that so people on the sidewalk wouldn’t be able to see into their basement. Obviously the person who’d reported it to the cops knew more than she did.

“We’re in position.” Gage’s voice was soft and sure as it came through the radio. “Breaching the doors in ten. Over.”

Mac jumped when she heard the battering rams strike the doors. It was immediately followed by the sound of flashbang grenades exploding. She braced herself for the weapon fire she knew was coming next, but there wasn’t any. Ten seconds passed, then fifteen, but the inside of the house was quiet. That was a good thing, right?

Next to her, Weaver thumbed the button on the side of his radio. “Dixon, what the hell’s happening in there?”

Gage didn’t answer.

Weaver swore under his breath and thumbed the button again. But whatever he was about to say was lost as a deafening boom echoed in the air. Pieces of wood, metal, and concrete sailed over the operations vehicle, raining down on Mac and the cops with her.

She ducked, covering her head with her arms. What the hell?

It took a minute for Mac to make sense of the smoking debris around her. It was Weaver shouting into his radio, ordering dispatch to send as many ambulances as they had, that finally broke through the fog enveloping her.

She scrambled to her hands and knees to see around the operations vehicle. The dilapidated-house-turned-meth-lab was gone, leveled to the ground, and in its place, was a heap of rubble.

Gage.

Mac was up and running across the street toward what was left of the house as fast as her legs could move. She was halfway there when someone grabbed her arm and dragged her to a halt. She fought against the grip, but it was as strong as steel and wouldn’t give an inch.

“Mac, stop!”

The hand on her arm spun her around and she found herself looking up at Alex Trevino. Where the hell had he come from? “I have to get to Gage,” she told him. “He and the other guys were in there.”

Trevino transferred his grip to her shoulders, holding her still as he looked deep into her eyes. “I know. And I’m going to get them out. But I can’t do that and worry about you, too. I need you to stay here. Can you do that?”

She thought she nodded, but she wasn’t sure. It must have been good enough for Trevino because he ran toward the house.

Mac followed despite her promise, but stumbled to a halt within a few feet. Trevino was right. She couldn’t help Gage or the other men by climbing into the smoldering wreckage of the house. She’d only get in the way.

So, she stood there, feeling useless as the other police officers caught up and passed her. She watched as they joined Trevino in the remains of the building, shouting for the SWAT officers by name.

While smoke was rising steadily from the remains of the house, there wasn’t a lot of fire. That had to be good.

But there was still so much damage. Most of the walls were gone, along with the roof and a good portion of the second floor. Jagged pieces of beams and steel pipes stood up in crazy angles, a testament to the force of the blast that had destroyed the place. She’d seen photos of meth labs that had blown up, but in person, the aftermath was a hundred times worse.

Mac was almost afraid to move closer, but she couldn’t hang back anymore, either. As the minutes slowly ticked by, she lost more and more hope. There was just so much damage. No one could survive a blast like that, no matter how much training they had or protective gear they wore.

She couldn’t explain why, but it felt as if she’d lost something that would have been very important in her life. Not something—someone.

Mac didn’t realize she was crying until she tasted tears on her tongue. She choked back a sob. She couldn’t stand here and watch while they pulled Gage’s body from the rubble.

“Over here!”

She spun around, her heart pounding. Trevino was clawing at the chunks of concrete and pieces of brick like he was possessed.

Mac hurried over, trying to see around the cops who’d stopped searching other parts of the house and moved to help. She was afraid to hope, afraid to believe.

Alex grabbed a section of what used to be part of a brick wall and tossed it aside like it weighed nothing. Underneath, there was a set of steps leading under the house and into the basement. Mac’s heart beat even faster. Just because some of the SWAT officers might have made it to safety and survived the explosion didn’t mean Gage had been one of them. But as Trevino reached down into the blackness, she couldn’t stop hope from surging through her.

A bloody hand grasped Alex’s. The team’s sniper pulled, yanking a man from the rubble. He was covered in black soot and bloody scrapes, but there was no mistaking Xander. A uniformed cop tried to throw a thermal blanket around the squad leader, but Xander shrugged it off, instead turning to help pull someone else out of the basement.

Men climbed out one by one. First Cooper, then Delaney. And after them, Becker, Lowry, and McCall. Mac hadn’t realized she’d climbed into the wreckage of the house until Trevino and Xander had dragged the last man out of the basement.

When she saw Gage, Mac’s tears flowed even harder and faster than before. He was covered in soot from head to toe, but he was alive.

Thank you, God.

Mac heard Weaver ask Xander if there was anyone else in the house, but she didn’t hear his answer as she stumbled through the rubble at a run and threw herself into Gage’s arms. She almost knocked him back down into the basement, but he didn’t seem to care. He hugged her to his dirty uniform as she buried her face in the curve of his neck and cried.

She completely forgot they weren’t alone until she pulled away and saw Cooper standing there with a knowing grin on his face. Embarrassed, she lifted her hand to wipe the last traces of tears from her cheeks when she caught sight of Xander’s arm. He was bleeding. So were Lowry and Becker.

“Oh God, I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know you guys were hurt. I saw Gage and I…”

Xander’s mouth edged up in what looked like a smile, though it was difficult to tell under all the soot. “Don’t worry about it. We’re fine.”

“Like hell you are,” Weaver said. “You’re all a bunch of bleeding pincushions and everyone is getting a free ride to the hospital.”

None of the SWAT guys looked too happy about that. Remembering how Martinez had declined medical attention when he’d been shot, Mac wouldn’t be surprised if they got in their vehicles and went back to the compound to treat their cuts, scrapes, and abrasions themselves.

But Gage squashed that idea. “He’s right. Everyone’s getting checked out—no exceptions.” He grinned at her, and suddenly she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “You ever ride in an ambulance before?”

***

Gage knew he wasn’t the only one who was steaming mad. His entire pack would walk out of the hospital with him if he gave the word. Unfortunately, the doctors and nurses weren’t going to let them out of here anytime soon. Which meant he had to lie in this damn hospital bed and stew. He wasn’t really mad at the medical staff. They were just doing their jobs, even if they were a pain in the ass with all their stupid tests. No, he was pissed because that freaking meth lab they’d been lured into had been a trap, and he knew exactly who was behind it.

Walter Hardy had tried to kill them, and if they’d been regular cops, he would have succeeded. The only reason they weren’t dead was because werewolves were damn hard to kill.

That said, they were still beat up. Of all of them, Xander and Becker had gotten the worst of it, which meant they’d probably be staying in the hospital overnight for observation. But as soon as Gage could leave, he was going to pay Walter Hardy a visit and let him know exactly how SWAT took care of its own.

Gage dropped his head back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Werewolves or not, he and his men had been lucky. They’d all sensed something was wrong the second they’d breached the doors and entered the house. Instead of coming face-to-face with people wielding automatic weapons, the place had been empty. It had smelled wrong, too. Gage hadn’t been able to place the odor, but Cooper recognized it. Gage and the others had already begun to spread throughout the first floor with weapons at the ready when the explosives expert had shouted out one word—bomb.

Gage knew in his gut that there was no time to get everyone out of the house before the device detonated, especially since whoever had set it was probably somewhere nearby with his finger on the remote. Even if they managed to escape, they would never have survived the blast and frag that went with it. That was when he’d ordered everyone into the basement.

Unfortunately, he, Cooper, and Delaney had been too far away from the stairs leading under the house to even consider them. So, he’d done something he rarely ever did anymore and let the beast inside free, allowing most of his upper body to shift more than it had in years. His shoulders, arms, and chest had bulked and twisted so quickly it was painful, but the temporary agony was worth it as he crouched down and drove his fist into the cheap linoleum floor in the kitchen. Two savage punches later, the floor caved in, leaving a ragged hole barely large enough for him and the other two men to fit through.

He’d shoved Cooper and Delaney ahead of him, then followed. He hadn’t even hit the basement floor when the explosion came. It smashed him into the concrete of the basement floor like a jackhammer, knocking him senseless. When he came to, Cooper and Delaney were dragging him toward the far side of the basement as the floors above rained down on top of them. Thick black smoke filled the air, making it hard to breathe, and he feared he’d saved his men from the blast only so they could burn to death in the fire. But luckily, the fire only smoldered after the blast and the smoke cleared. In the dark of the partially collapsed basement, he, Cooper, and Delaney had crawled around until they found the rest of the Pack.

Becker and Xander had been trapped under hundreds of pounds of rubble, but not before they’d gotten skewered by jagged pieces of wood. While Cooper and Delaney worked quickly to free them, he’d searched for Lowry and found him pulling a piece of metal from his leg. Werewolves were tough and hard to kill, but they still needed oxygen like every other living thing on the planet—which was in short supply underneath the collapsed house.

Gage had just been looking for a way out when a shaft of sunlight penetrated the darkness of the basement. Even though he and the other guys had only been trapped down there for a few minutes, it seemed like a hell of a lot longer. Probably because he’d hurt like a son of a bitch all over. But all the aches and pains had disappeared when he climbed out of the basement to see Mackenzie running toward him.

She’d been crying so hard she was shaking all over. But that was nothing compared to how fast her heart had been beating. That made him hurt worse than anything. He’d wrapped her in his arms, wanting to protect her from every pain in the world. But of course, he couldn’t do that because she wasn’t crying over her pain—she was crying over his.

As dumb as it sounded, the ride to the hospital together in the ambulance had been one of the most pleasant times he’d spent with a woman. Mackenzie had simply sat beside him and held his hand, leaning down to kiss him whenever the EMT wasn’t fussing over him. That was when he’d finally decided to accept Cooper’s silly-ass theory that she was The One because as far as he could tell, she was.

Apparently, the rest of the Pack had come to the same conclusion. After seeing the way she’d reacted, it was obvious she wasn’t playing him. Even Xander couldn’t dispute that.

Gage turned his head on the pillow, looking for her. She’d been in and out of his room several times over the past two hours, but kept getting chased out by the nurses and their damn tests. He smiled when he saw her. She was sitting in the hallway with Mike and Zak. His senior squad leader had gotten to the hospital minutes after Gage and the rest of the guys had been brought in. The photographer showed up fifteen minutes later, telling Mackenzie he’d heard about the blast on the scanner.

Gage was just about to get out of bed and go join them—screw the nurses—but then he saw Mackenzie, Mike, and Zak stand up quickly. That could only mean the doctor had finally come back. About damn time. They’d been taking X-rays, running a dozen tests, and re-checking his vitals to cover their asses. He couldn’t blame them, he supposed, but he needed to get out of here. He had someplace to be.

The doctor walked in with Mackenzie on his heels. She looked concerned and more than a little scared. Shit. Gage hoped that look meant the good doc hadn’t told her much of anything. Zak and Mike followed, but stayed near the door.

“What’s the word, Doc?” Gage asked.

He smiled at Mackenzie. She smiled back, and some of the aches and pains that still lingered magically felt better.

“You’re damn lucky, that’s the word.” The gray-haired man gave him a surprisingly stern look. “You came through the explosion surprisingly intact, but whatever accident you had recently caused a lot of damage. You have stress fractures to half a dozen bones, including two ribs and both bones of your right forearm. You shouldn’t even be on duty, much less raiding a meth lab.”

Mackenzie’s eyes went wide. “You were in an accident? When? What happened?”

Gage swore under his breath. Between punching his way through the kitchen floor and getting smashed into the basement, he’d done more damage than he thought. Of course his X-rays wouldn’t show much. Just a couple of two-week-old stress fractures—werewolves healed fast. If the doctor took X-rays again in a couple of days, they wouldn’t show anything at all. But Gage would make sure that didn’t happen.

“It was nothing. Just a training accident while rappelling. I didn’t even realize I’d hurt myself,” he told Mackenzie.

The doctor’s eyes narrowed suspiciously behind his glasses. He was probably wondering how a cop with all those stress fractures had walked around for two weeks without major painkillers.

“I’ll get some rest, Doc. Promise,” he added. “What about my team?”

“They’re doing as well as can be expected considering they almost got blown up. I’ll be keeping three of them…” He glanced down at the clipboard in his hand. “Becker, Lowry, and Riggs. They’re fine, but I want to keep them overnight to watch for signs of concussion. They should be able to leave in the morning.”

All three men would hate staying here, but it was actually a good thing. Cooling his heels for the night would give Xander time to calm down, not to mention keep him from doing something stupid, like inviting himself along when Gage confronted Walter Hardy.

After putting on the spare uniform Mike had brought him, Gage stopped in to see Xander, Becker, and Lowry before meeting up with the other guys. Mackenzie hovered beside him the whole time as if she was worried she’d have to catch him any second when he fainted from exhaustion. He had to admit, it was kind of cute.

When they reached the parking lot, he automatically followed Mike and the others, but Mackenzie darted in front of him and put a hand on his chest.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To the compound for a few hours to catch up on some paperwork,” he told her.

It wasn’t entirely a lie. He did have to write up the incident report for the raid on the meth lab that wasn’t a meth lab. But his main purpose was to find out where Hardy lived, then go scope out the place. One look at Mackenzie told him she wasn’t going to cooperate with that plan.

“No way,” she said. “You just promised the doctor you’d get some rest, and I’m going to make sure you do. Your paperwork can wait.”

He’d known Mackenzie Stone was strong willed, but he didn’t know she could be so fierce, too. But damn, she looked as if she could make a grizzly bear back down. He knew where she was coming from—he really did. She’d watched someone drop a house on him, and it had scared the hell out of her. But he needed to send a message to Hardy that the shit that’d happened today would never be allowed to happen again, and he needed to do it fast.

But as he stood there gazing down at Mackenzie, he realized something. If Cooper was right about them being cosmically connected—a possibility that was looking more and more likely by the minute—then he needed to make decisions based on what was important to her, too.

That was a big leap for him.

“Okay,” he agreed. “But I do have to brief the deputy chief on what happened today.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but Mike cut her off.

“I’ll brief the deputy chief,” he said. “Go home and get some rest. Don’t worry. I know what to say to Mason.”

Which was Mike’s way of telling him that he wouldn’t say anything about the bomb to the deputy chief. If Mason knew it was an assassination attempt, he’d want to put the entire SWAT team in protective custody until they could bring Hardy up on charges. Luckily, it would take a while for the arson investigators to piece everything together.

But Gage still hesitated anyway. Then he noticed that Mike and the other men were all grinning at him. Gage shook his head. He was outnumbered.

He turned his attention back to Mackenzie. She still had her hand on his chest as if she could hold him back with nothing more than her willpower. He was starting to think she could probably do it, too.

“So, Ms. Stone, what do you have in mind?” he asked. “To make sure I get my rest, I mean.”

She gave him that devastating smile. “Well, I did offer to make you dinner, so how about we start with that?”

“I don’t suppose we’re invited, too?” Cooper asked.

“No,” Gage said before Mackenzie could answer. “But since you’re being nice and filling out the reports on the explosion at the meth lab for me, I’ll make sure Emile gets you a table at Chambre Francaise the next time you want to impress a woman.”

That seemed to satisfy them. After a reminder to take it easy, they headed across the parking lot, leaving Gage and Mackenzie with his senior squad leader and her photographer.

“Mind if I talk to Mike for a second?” he said. “If I’m going to blow off work early, I need to make sure a few things are taken care of.”

Mackenzie regarded him suspiciously. “Okay, but don’t be too long. You need to get some rest.”

Gage wasn’t sure how much rest he was going to get if he went home with her, but he nodded anyway. As soon as Mackenzie and Zak were out of earshot, Gage turned to Mike.

“I need you to find out where Hardy’s going to be tonight.”

Mike lifted a brow. “We’re moving on him tonight?”

“Not we, just me. I’m going to deliver a message to him—one he’ll be sure to understand.”

Mike’s brows drew together. “You sure you want to do this on your own? A man like Hardy is going to have a lot of muscle protecting him, especially after what he pulled today.”

“I know, but that’ll make the message that much more effective. I walk in there all by myself and show him I can get to him anytime I want,” Gage said. “I want him focused on me. I don’t want him targeting the entire team like he did today.”

Hardy might have sent his goons to the restaurant yesterday to pick Gage up, but there was no way for the bastard to know Gage would be in that house today. He’d kill everyone on the SWAT team to get to Gage if he had to.

Mike glanced at Mackenzie and Zak. They were standing beside the photographer’s car, talking. “I’ll text you the information,” he said. “But how the hell are you going to slip away from Mac? She’s not stupid. If you say you’re running to the store for a carton of milk, she’s going to know what you’re up to. And I don’t think she’s the kind to let you do it.”

No kidding. She was already looking at him impatiently. “Then I guess I’ll have to make sure she’s so exhausted when I leave that she won’t know I’m gone.”

And he knew exactly how to do it.

***

Mac knew what Gage had been talking to Mike about before they’d left the hospital parking lot and it sure as hell hadn’t been paperwork and duty rosters. They were discussing what they were going to do about Walter Hardy and the assassination attempt he’d made on Gage and his team. While she’d been waiting in the hallway outside his room, she’d overheard Cooper tell Mike there’d been a bomb in the house. She’d been terrified Gage was going to make up a reason to leave so he could go to Hardy’s place and beat the hell out of him, at the very least.

But that had been an hour ago, and since they’d arrived at her place and she’d started throwing together another simple pasta meal, he hadn’t indicated he was going to bail. So maybe she’d been wrong. Or more likely, he simply knew how worried and upset she’d be if he left. And there was really only one reason she could think of that Gage wouldn’t want to worry her. Somehow in the last few days, he’d come to care for her.

She’d realized Gage had feelings for her earlier today, while she’d been waiting for the doctors to come out and tell her how badly hurt he was. When he’d climbed out of the rubble left by the explosion, she’d been the first one he’d looked for. And when he’d found her, the emotion on his face had been real. She’d seen it, and so had his men. That certainly explained why they’d been so tense around her yesterday, and why Cooper had asked all those strange questions. They knew their boss was falling for her and were worried she was playing with his heart just to get a story.

The horrible part was that she had been playing him, at least in the beginning. She felt even worse because she’d secretly accused him of doing the same to her. It was obvious now that he hadn’t. His friends wouldn’t be worried about him getting hurt if he had. And after this morning, she was ready to admit she was seriously attracted to Gage, too.

When that house had exploded, her heart had exploded with it. The whole bottom had dropped out of her world, and all she could think about was running into the smoking rubble to pull him out. Waiting while Alex and the other cops had dug through the wreckage had been like holding her breath underwater, drowning second by second. When they’d finally pulled Gage out, she could breathe again. Suddenly, her whole world had seemed a lot different. And a lot clearer.

Gage gestured at her plate with his fork. “Aren’t you going to eat any more?”

She looked down to see that she’d barely touched her food. “I’m full.”

She expected Gage to point out that she’d hardly eaten anything and that she couldn’t be full, but instead he put down his fork and picked up hers, then twirled some angel hair pasta on it and held it out to her.

“Don’t stare at it,” he prompted gently. “Eat it.”

Mac couldn’t help but smile. She’d said the same thing to him in the parking lot of the fast-food place last night. The gesture was so endearing that she opened her mouth and let him feed her even though she wasn’t hungry.

As she chewed, he loaded the fork again. “I know what you saw today bothered you. But I want you to know that I’m okay. Really okay.”

When she opened her mouth to respond, he slipped the forkful of pasta right in. She frowned at him, but finished chewing before she answered.

“I know you’re okay, but it still scared the hell out of me. I didn’t realize seeing you in danger would affect me the way it did.”

Gage gave her a piece of chicken, then more pasta. He was really good at feeding her—he didn’t even make a mess. Plus, it was kind of sexy.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” he said softly.

“It’s not your fault,” she told him equally softly. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

He kept feeding her, and she kept eating for him. There was something so fascinating about such a big man using her fork so carefully. It made her wonder what he’d be like in bed. Just as slow and considerate as he was at the table, she was sure.

“I think I really am getting full now,” she said with a smile.

He speared another piece of chicken. “Eat a little more. You’re going to need your energy for later.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I thought the plan was for you to get your rest?”

He grinned as he fed her the piece of chicken. “There’ll be plenty of time for rest. I’m off for the next two days, remember?”

Mac laughed. “I remember. But if we’re not going to be resting, what are we going to be doing?”

He put down her fork and pushed his chair away from the table, then stood and moved around behind her. He leaned down so his mouth was right near her ear. “I thought we might burn off all those calories from dinner.”

Mac couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through her. After the last few days of playing the sexual equivalent of hide-and-seek, she was so ready to burn some calories.

She laughed as Gage tugged her to her feet. She put both her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss as his hands slid down to her waist and lifted her easily off her feet. She wrapped her legs around him as he carried her to the bedroom.

When Gage draped her across the queen-sized bed, then joined her, she discovered it wasn’t quite as roomy as she’d thought. With Gage’s broad shoulders and long legs, the two of them were going to have a hard time fitting.

“I think we’re going to need a bigger bed,” she said.

Gage let out a throaty chuckle. “Don’t worry, we’ll make do. Just stay close.”

As if demonstrating, he leaned over and trailed scorching kisses along the curve of her jaw and down her neck. God, that feels amazing.

“I can do close… Close is good,” she whispered, letting her head fall back on the pillow as he nibbled his way along the V-neck of her shirt toward her cleavage.

She twined her fingers in Gage’s short hair and urged him lower. That earned her another chuckle.

“Thanks for the guidance, but trust me, I know where I’m headed.”

“Just wanted to make sure,” she said as he kissed his way to the first button of her shirt. “I know how men hate to ask for directions.”

That got her a growl and a little nip. “Okay, you asked for it.”

He reached up and yanked her blouse open, sending buttons flying. Then his hot mouth was on her again, moving over the exposed parts of her breasts. She couldn’t stifle the moan that escaped her lips, but whether it was from the feel of his mouth on her or the animalistic way he’d torn her blouse, she couldn’t say. She’d never had a man tear her clothes before, but decided she definitely liked it—as long as Gage was the one doing the tearing. She wondered if her other clothes might end up in a similar condition.

Gage kissed his way down to her belly button before moving back up to tease her nipples through the silky fabric of her bra. She couldn’t resist grabbing at his hair again, silently begging for him to stay right there for a while.

“God, that feels good,” she whispered. “Please keep doing that.”

He didn’t complain at her additional guidance and direction this time. Instead, he ran his hands up her torso to squeeze her breasts together while he suckled on her nipples. Mmm, she’d always appreciated a man who knew how to take his time.

He slid one hand under her back and popped the clasp on her bra. And he had nimble fingers, too. That boded well.

Then his mouth was back on her nipple, this time without the nuisance of the intervening fabric. She arched with a whimper, pushing her breast more firmly into his mouth. Damn, did he have a talented tongue or what? And there were so many other places he had yet to visit with it.

She was so lost in what he was doing to her nipples she didn’t even notice when he undid the buttons on her jeans. He stopped feasting on her breast to yank off her jeans. When the hell had he taken off her shoes? She seriously didn’t remember that.

As Gage continued to work his magic on her nipples, she realized she was completely naked—okay, she still had her panties on—but Gage hadn’t taken a single stitch of his uniform off yet.

That just seemed unfair—and kind of hot.

Especially when he stopped nibbling and sat back to gaze at her with eyes positively brimming with yearning. Talk about a boost to her self-esteem. Every woman wanted to be lusted after, and that was definitely what Gage was doing right then.

She laid there trembling as his eyes wandered up and down her body, devouring every inch of her. If all that nibbling and suckling hadn’t made her wet, the heat in those eyes sure as hell did.

Mac sat up on her elbows, looking at him. “I couldn’t help noticing that I’m almost naked and you’re still completely dressed. Are you planning on doing anything about that?”

The smolder in his eyes as he grinned was almost enough to make her moan. “There is one thing I could do.”

Holding her captive with nothing more than his eyes, he tucked his fingers in the waistband of her panties and slipped them off as smooth as silk. She was left gasping by the heart-thudding sexiness of the move.

Gage moved off the bed to stand there gazing at her—all of her—in absolute hunger. All she could do was lean back on her elbows and enjoy the pleasure of being his object of adoration. She could definitely get used to this.

“That’s better.” His gaze lingered on the triangle of downy curls between her legs. “Completely naked suits you. In fact, you should stay that way all the time.”

She parted her legs just enough for him to get a glimpse of the wetness there. “Something tells me I’m going to be this way a lot when you’re around.”

His mouth edged up. “Probably.”

Gage seemed more than satisfied to stand there and devour her with his eyes for the rest of the night. But if he did it much longer, she was going to start touching herself. He must have sensed her desperation because he smiled and unbuttoned his uniform shirt. Once that hit the floor, he shed his black T-shirt in that casual way guys did—just whipped it over his head like it was nothing.

Her gaze immediately locked on the epic display of perfect muscles. Broad shoulders, pecs that looked like they could bench-press a car, and abs so tight they almost made her want to get down on her knees and worship him.

And there was more where that came from.

She watched in fascination as he took off the ankle holster holding his backup pistol and placed it on the bedside table. His boots and uniform pants joined the T-shirt on the floor, letting her get a good, long look at his tanned, muscular legs. But as mouthwatering as his chiseled body was, she was almost more captivated by the part of him she couldn’t see—the blatant bulge in his tight, black boxer briefs.

She was done with passively lying back and watching. Time for her to be in charge of the final reveal. Sitting up, she wiggled to the edge of the bed. Gage chuckled as she hooked her fingers in the waistband of his underwear and tugged him closer until he was positioned comfortably between her legs.

She was tempted to simply yank down his briefs—there was a big part of her that yearned to see what he was hiding in there—but she controlled herself. She ran her hand over the bulge, teasing herself, and him, a little first. His shaft felt so hard through the fabric of his underwear. Slipping her fingers in the waistband of his briefs again, she carefully hauled them over his erection.

Mac tried to act nonchalant as his hard, thick cock came into view, but she was pretty sure she failed. He was just so…perfect.

Giving in to the overwhelming desire to taste him, she dipped her head and wrapped her lips around him. The growl he let loose was almost as rewarding as the flavor that awaited her—almost. She told herself she’d only take a little taste. No need to go too crazy. But once she started, she couldn’t control herself. He tasted like heaven.

Gage slid his hand in her hair, encouraging her to keep doing what she was doing. She let herself go, licking and nibbling up and down the shaft, swirling her tongue around and around the head, moaning as his essence filled her mouth and coated her tongue.

She didn’t know whether to be thankful or annoyed when Gage took charge and gently nudged her back on the bed. She suspected her lover had other plans.

Her pulse quickened as he spread her legs and kissed his way up the inside of her right leg. For such a big man, he had the gentlest touch. Her body quivered as he moved higher and higher. By the time he reached her inner thigh, she was practically squirming.

He lifted his head, a smile tugging playfully at his mouth. “Is this too much? I can stop if you want.”

She shook her head. “No. I’m fine. Keep going.”

He chuckled and spread her legs even more, then pressed his very warm lips to the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. But whereas he’d moved quickly before, now he practically went at a snail’s pace, which just about drove her crazy. When he got to the tender flesh just inches from her sex, he lingered there, teasing her. She bit back a scream of frustration and got her fingers in his hair, tugging him right where she needed him.

He didn’t fight her, and she almost let out a cheer as that talented mouth of his finally settled onto her very wet pussy. His tongue moved up and down the folds, swirling around her clit every time it reached the apex.

“Oh yeah,” she breathed. “Just like that.”

He probably didn’t need the directions—in fact, he was doing just fine without them—but she couldn’t stop herself from babbling. Talking soon became impossible as Gage spent more time focusing on her sensitive nub. Moaning was still an option, though. She did a lot of that.

Mac ran her hands over his scalp, loving the feel of his short hair under her fingers as he ravaged her with his mouth. She especially liked the way he slipped his big hands under her ass and lifted her up to devour like she was a juicy slice of watermelon.

It didn’t take long before she felt the familiar tingles that told her an orgasm was on the way. She clenched her fingers into the hair on the back of Gage’s head and wiggled her hips in tight, little circles. He must have picked up on her signals because he pulled her tighter to his mouth and focused solely on her clit.

Mac tensed, her breathing coming faster and faster as the tingles got stronger. This was going to be a strong one—she could feel it.

“Please don’t stop,” she begged, not thinking for a second that he would.

Gage continued moving his tongue in that perfect rhythm, pushing her higher and higher until it was hard to breathe. The pressure of her orgasm building was like a flood that was barely being held back. When the dam finally broke, she screamed loud enough for the whole apartment building to hear. And when the wave crashed over her, it swept her up and carried her out with the tide until her whole body spasmed.

The first wave receded, only to be followed by a second one that was almost as strong. The third, fourth, and fifth waves weren’t nearly as intense but they were just as pleasurable. Gage kept licking her, using the perfect amount of pressure to make her body tremble for a long time. Damn, even the aftershocks were better than a lot of the orgasms she’d had.

When she finally surfaced and figured out which way was up, she lifted her head to see Gage regarding her with a very satisfied smile.

“You look beautiful when you come, did you know that?”

She felt her face heat. Or maybe her face was still flushed from orgasm. “Thank you,” she said softly. “Though I must admit, I’m impressed with your multitasking—making me come and watching me at the same time? I didn’t think guys could do two things at once.”

Gage nipped her inner thigh. Not hard, but enough to make her jump. While she was still recovering from that surprise, he smoothly climbed up her body until his eyes were level with hers. Wow, he was really nimble for a guy his size.

He gave her a wolfish grin. “I’m going to enjoy showing you how many things I can do all at the same time.”

His erection pressed against the inner thigh he’d just bitten, as if he was kissing it to make it feel better. “I look forward to it.” She reached down between her legs to wrap her hand around him. “But maybe we should start with this first.”

He sucked in a breath. “Condoms. Do you have any?”

Mac felt a moment of panic. She still had some from when she’d gone out with that guy from the mayor’s office a few months ago, didn’t she?

“In the top drawer of the nightstand.”

She hoped.

She was forced to let go of his cock so he could get the condom. Thankfully, he moved quickly, and was soon kneeling between her legs again. She caught her lower lip between her teeth as he rolled the thin latex down his shaft.

He braced himself with a strong, muscular arm on either side of her head and nudged her wet opening with the tip of his erection. “Where were we?”

“I think you were about to impress me with your multitasking skills,” she said.

He grinned. “Oh yeah, I remember now.”

Gage dipped his head, capturing her mouth with his at the same time he slowly eased himself inside her. She was wet and oh-so-ready for him, but it still made her catch her breath. He was just as built below the belt as he was everywhere else.

But he moved carefully, waiting for her to relax before going deeper. Mac was more than a little eager for him to pick up the pace, but he refused no matter how much she lifted her hips. Even when she wrapped her legs around him and urged him to giddyap with her heels, he continued his leisurely thrusts.

He definitely had the multitasking thing down, too. He kept up a perfect steady rhythm with his hips while kissing her so thoroughly she was almost dizzy from it.

She slipped her hands up his powerful arms, their muscles bulging from the exertion of holding himself perched above her, to his broad shoulders, and finally around the back of his head, where she got a firm grip so she could kiss him hard. Their tongues tangled, and she moaned at how delicious he tasted.

Letting out a sound that was half growl, half groan, Gage pumped his hips faster. With him pounding deep inside her like that, she found it impossible to keep kissing him, and she tore her mouth away from his.

“Who’s the one with problems multitasking now?” Gage asked huskily.

Mac would have answered with a snappy comeback, but her mind was a complete blank at the moment. Every time his cock bottomed out, little shocks of lightning shot through her body. She mumbled something unintelligible and squeezed him tighter with her legs, silently begging for more.

He gazed down at her, his eyes almost gold in the soft light coming through the bedroom window. “Do you need me to do it harder and faster?”

She nodded.

But instead of going harder and faster, Gage slowed down, hesitating when he pulled out, then sliding back in inch by glorious inch. She whimpered.

“What’s wrong?” Gage asked softly.

She shook her head, unable to do more than mutter incoherently.

He kissed her again, sucking gently on her lower lip before trailing his mouth over to her ear. “Tell me exactly what you need, Mackenzie.”

She had no idea why, but the way he whispered her name—her full name—in her ear that way, demanding that she communicate exactly what she wanted him to do turned her on like mad. She probably wouldn’t have been able to say it, not if he’d been looking at her. But with his mouth by her ear like it was, that wasn’t a problem.

“I need you to take me hard and fast, Gage.”

He gave her exactly what she asked for, pounding into her with a powerful rhythm that threatened to break the bed.

On either side of her head, Gage’s arms were tense as he balanced above her in an effort to keep his weight from crushing her. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down even as she lifted her hips to meet his. Instead of feeling smothered by his big, muscular body, she felt protected by it. And that only made the orgasm rolling through her even more powerful.

She buried her face in the curve of his neck and dug her nails into the rippling muscles of his shoulders. She didn’t mean to hurt him, but she was too far gone to do anything about it. She cried out, squeezing him so tightly with her legs she had no idea how he could even keep thrusting. But he did, and it transported her to a world of pleasure she hadn’t known existed until tonight.

When she felt him stiffen above her, felt every muscle in that spectacular body of his contracting at once, she knew he was coming with her.

It was amazing. It was beautiful. It was perfect.

Gage rolled onto his side and pulled her into his arms. Mac snuggled up to him, throwing her arm possessively over his chest. This felt so completely right—like she’d won the boyfriend lottery. Gage was the guy she’d been looking for without even knowing she was looking.

She laughed at how crazy that was.

“What’s so funny?” Gage asked softly.

Since it might be a little early to confess she might be falling in love with him, she decided to fib. Men could get so squirrely about stuff like that.

“Nothing.” She traced her fingers over the perfectly sculpted muscle of his chest. “It’s just that was the best sex of my life.”

That hadn’t been a fib, though. Sex like that was probably illegal in some states.

It was his turn to laugh.

She tilted her head to look at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” he mimicked. “It’s just that you’re talking like the night’s over when it’s only just getting started.”

“Seriously?”

He rolled her onto her back, balancing above her. His eyes had taken on that smolder she was getting to be familiar with. “Seriously.”

That was when she realized the cock pressing against her was well on its way to getting hard again. She sucked in her breath as he slid his shaft up and down her pussy like a sex toy.

“Mmm.” She sighed. “And what do you have in mind this time?”

He gave her a lazy grin. “I don’t know. Maybe we’ll try out a half dozen different positions or so until you find one that’s your favorite. Then we’ll just stay in that one until you tell me you can’t come anymore.”

Fresh heat pooled between her thighs, and she bit her lip. “I think I can come a lot before calling it quits.”

“Then I guess we’re in for a really long night.”

Gage rolled off her and repositioned her on her hands and knees. His breath was warm on the skin of her lower back as he pressed a kiss to her bottom.

She buried her face into the bedding and moaned. “The longer the better.”