EIGHTEEN

 

 

Raid was downstairs when she woke up. At least, he wasn’t upstairs, she knew that for sure.

Shea stretched and took herself into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

She’d been asleep when he returned to the house in the middle of the night. He didn’t wake her up to kick her out. No, he’d woken her with a kiss and scooped her body beneath his. She’d been happy to welcome his kisses, his caresses, and his dick into her pussy.

They didn’t talk. When they were spent, he’d rolled over and gone to sleep. She’d been so sated and pleased that he hadn’t asked her to leave, that it was possible she’d had the best night’s sleep of her life.

The Laird did like to leave her with more questions than answers though and the light of day brought back her pondering. All the possessions she’d left at his before were still there, even though he’d claimed to be done with her. While contemplating what the latest developments might mean for their relationship, she stepped under his massage jets.

Given his performance in the mess, the whole compound knew they were together. That meant she didn’t have to worry about smelling like him, so she elected to use his soap instead of the mild company soap that everyone else used.

Once she was done with her shower. It didn’t take Shea long to dry her hair. It was while she was swiping on mascara that she heard the masculine voices down the stairs. She couldn’t work out who Raid could be talking to, because it didn’t sound like a walkie-talkie voice that was responding to his and no one else would come to visit him at home.

Grabbing the shirt she’d used as a robe that morning, she swung it around her shoulders and tiptoed to the top of the stairs, trying to discern who the guest could be. Before she had to worry about doing any spying, she heard a familiar laugh. Realizing who’d come over, Shea gasped and forgot about discretion.

Running down the stairs, she stopped halfway when Raid and Diego came into view at the bottom, probably on their way to the balcony.

“Are you kidding me?” she asked, landing her glare on both of them.

“We have to get you a robe,” Raid said.

Glancing down to check what he was so unimpressed about, she discovered her shirt was swinging open. Clasping each of the edges in one hand to bring them together, she wasn’t going to shrink or ignore their audacity just because her bra and panties were on show.

“Not on my account,” Diego said. Raid’s scowl moved away from her figure to land on his lieutenant, but Diego was too busy smiling at her to notice it. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“Yes. Yes, it is, Diego,” she said. “It is what it looks like. It’s exactly what it looks like. Our Laird has been home for less than twenty-four hours and already he’s dragged you from your hospital room to do work.” She burned her anger onto Raid. “You know he was in a coma for two and a half days, right? He’s not supposed to be out of his bed for anything except physio for at least two weeks.”

Diego sucked in a breath. “That’s kind of an arbitrary number,” he said. His casual dismissal of the doctor’s orders meant to keep him safe and healthy increased her irritation and he must have noticed. “Look, Pest, it’s not that. I’m not working.” She blinked her pointed look to the report in Raid’s hand. “Okay, yeah, I brought those over, but that’s it. That’s all I’m doing… It’s exercise. It’s prescribed.”

Exaggerating, she made a show of scanning the lower floor. “Funny, I don’t see your physio around here.” Her friend didn’t have an answer. She sighed. “This is ridiculous.”

Diego could have lost his life for the compound. He might be willing to do that if it was necessary or as a reason to save the mission or one of their comrades. It made no sense why he’d risk hurting himself or delaying his recovery just because he was bored or impatient.

Squeezing her lips tight together, Shea didn’t know if she was more disappointed or hurt. All she wanted was for her friend to be at full strength and that wouldn’t happen if he kept skirting the rules. Raid was pissing her off too. He had the power to order Diego to follow the doctor’s directions. Instead, he was choosing to facilitate and even encourage Diego’s flouting of procedure.

Forgetting that she wasn’t dressed, Shea was tempted to show both men just how unhappy she was by stalking away from them both and leaving them to their irresponsibility. She certainly wasn’t going to condone it.

Raid must have sensed her frustration. “I’m thinking about adding a security pad to the inside of this door,” he said, gesturing toward the front door.

“So she can’t storm out in various states of undress like she did last time?” Diego said and bobbed his head. “I think that might be a smart plan, boss.”

Pointing her nose to the sky, she flounced down the remainder of the stairs, and paused between both men. “You’re going to drop down dead,” she said to Diego without looking at him and then switched the direction of her chin to address Raid without looking at him either. “And you’re not getting laid until my mood lifts.”

“Could be a while,” Diego said. Much as she didn’t like to think of them agreeing behind her back, she carried on to the coffee machine that she’d figured out how to use last night. “You know, Pest, I actually came over here to see you.”

Yeah, right, her suspicion spiked. “How did you know I was here?” she asked, putting coffee beans in and turning the machine on.

Leaving the coffee machine to do its thing, she went around the island and hopped up to sit on it, propping both feet on one of the leather stools that stood on the living room side of the island.

“Wasn’t a tough guess,” Diego said. “Your escapade in the mess was pretty much broadcast over the wire. Then your boyfriend showed up in my room to grab his paperwork smelling of sex and well… you.”

One of his eyes narrowed as he glanced at Raid who wasn’t giving much away to either of them. “We should have conversations like this when he’s not around,” she said, unaware of how Raid might react to the sudden lack of deference in his midst.

As if surrendered to the fact that the conversation was going to happen either way, Raid held up the report and turned around to walk toward the balcony. “I have reading to do.”

“Thank you, baby,” she called after him. “I’ll bring your coffee out!”

Raid went outside and took a seat on the patio couch where he began to read his report. She smiled at the sight of him sitting there reading without fuss. “You spent the night?” Diego said, his volume low.

Shea had almost forgotten he was still here. “Yeah. He told me to.”

He propped himself against the island beside her. “Seems like maybe it’s not so over,” Diego said, becoming shrewd. “Hmm, I wonder who it was who said that?”

She smacked his chest. “You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?” she asked. “I gave him another chance. You told me to, so you can’t mock me for it. He said there’s no ‘out there’ girl, so…” Hopping down from the counter, she was going to return to the coffee machine, but paused to squint at her friend. “Would you tell me if he lied to me?”

“Would I—no, probably not.”

Punching her fists to her hips, she forgot about the buttons on her shirt until Diego held up a hand to block his view of her body, turning his eyes upward. “We do have to get you a robe.”

Huffing, she fastened a few buttons over her chest. “I’m wearing underwear, I’m not naked. You might be an idiot, but I guess you have seen the female form before.”

“Not in this house,” he said and put a hand on the kitchen counter for support.

Grabbing for his waist, she directed him onto a stool. “Shit, Diego, why did you come over here? If you wanted to talk to me, you could’ve called on the walkie, I’d have come to you.”

“I needed to get out of that bed,” he said. “Raid and I talked last night, he’ll let me deliver the reports, and go to movie night. Other than that, I’m stuck in the infirmary.”

“He shouldn’t have done that, he’s not a doctor,” she said and cupped his face. “Do you need to lie down? You can go upstairs if—”

He smiled. “I’m not lying in your sex sheets.”

Shea was too concerned about him to consider joking around. “Would you be serious? If you collapse up here, I don’t know if we’ll get you down the stairs. It was tough enough getting you out of the yard. I don’t know if anyone’s ever told you this, but muscle is heavy.”

And Diego was all muscle.

“I’m fine,” he said. “I’d kill for a coffee though.”

Caffeine was not on the approved list. “I’ll give you a half cup,” she said, making sure he was steady before going to the coffee machine to pour three drinks.

“Boss said you’d need entertained today,” he said. “Thought we could veg out and watch a movie or something.”

“It’s movie night tonight… Why would I need to be entertained today?”

“Guess he figured you’d want time off after carrying this place alone for five days.”

“I wouldn’t know what to do with time off and don’t you always have a debrief together when one of you has been off-base,” she said, bringing his coffee to him.

“Yeah,” he said, taking the cup and inhaling the steam. “I don’t exactly have much to report from the infirmary.”

She licked her lips. “I can debrief him,” she said. One side of Diego’s mouth rose and he lowered his cup from his lip. There was nothing subtle about the mischief dancing in her friend’s eyes. “I can talk him through what happened.”

“Usually, he gives me a rundown on what’s going on out there too. It’s a two way process.”

“I want to know what’s going on in the world,” she said. The mischief faded and she knew what his more solemn expression meant. Just because she’d bailed them out didn’t mean she was being trusted with facilitating the mission. So, she was on R&R duty… exactly what she didn’t need. Shea sighed. “Don’t suppose there’s anywhere to swim around here.”

“Couple of klicks down the mountain,” he said, probably trying to get her mind off that harsh truth as fast as possible. “I can get one of the guys to drive us there.”

For a second, she was stunned and the slight was quickly forgotten in light of this shock. “I… I can leave here?”

He sipped from the cup she’d just given him and smiled. “Only one way to find out.”

Tipping his head sideways, he indicated the balcony and got up to begin walking over to go out. Hurrying to retrieve Raid’s coffee, she was quick about going outside. By the time she got there, Diego was lowering himself into the chair at the far end of the table.

Shea put Raid’s coffee down next to the stack of paperwork he was working through, some of which she recognized as hers. With a furrowed brow and the tip of his pen running down a list, Raid was deep in concentration, and didn’t acknowledge the drink.

Opening her mouth, nerves zipped through her atoms. When she made eye contact with Diego, he encouraged her on with a nod. “Raid, baby, can I go swimming on the mountain?” she asked in one long rush of breath.

“Have you got a bathing suit?”

Her jaw swung loose. Turning her wide eyes to Diego, she found he wasn’t doing a great job of hiding his amusement, but she wasn’t doing a great one of hiding her disbelief. “Fuck, man.” Her friend laughed. “I think you just sent her mood into orbit.”

After glancing at Diego, Raid drew his oblivious eyes around to her.

Pushing her Laird’s pen hand aside, she climbed onto his lap and took his face in both hands to push her tongue between his lips.

Raid grabbed her to force her away. Now he was unimpressed and scowling, but she didn’t care.

“You are a good, kind, handsome man, my Laird,” she said and tried to kiss him again.

He bowed back, avoiding her mouth. “What’s gotten into you?”

Lifting her from his lap, he dumped her onto the couch beside him. The way he shifted his pants made her think he wasn’t so grumpy because she’d kissed him; he was grumpy because he couldn’t control his body’s reaction to her.

Infused with excitement, Shea didn’t want to miss this chance. “Who knows the way?” she asked Diego.

“I know the way.”

She shook her head. “You’re staying in the infirmary. No way am I letting you leave the doctor.”

Diego was a pro at handling objections. “We’ll take him, make a real party of it,” he said. “Is a lagoon party a thing?”

That gave her another shot of enthusiasm. “It’s a lagoon?” she swooned, clasping her hands in her cleavage.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s more of a grotto. It’s half in a cave with a waterfall above it.”

The more she heard about this place, the more she loved it. “Who else knows the way?”

“Lev,” Diego said. She rejected that idea with another head shake. “What’s wrong with Lev?”

“Nothing. Everything’s right with Lev. But, with you up to your eyeballs in meds and me off-base, Raid needs someone to have his back.”

“Raid can have his own back,” her Laird muttered, having gone back to his paperwork.

“I will not leave him here alone,” she said to Diego like Raid hadn’t been the one to interject. “Does Curley know the way?”

Diego’s brows rose. “You want to strip down to your bathing suit with Curley? Alone with Curley on the mountain?”

“You think I couldn’t handle myself?”

“I think the guy has to know his way around the defenses to begin with. Curley hasn’t left base in three years. He’d go over a mine for sure.”

Her options were dwindling, but she wasn’t giving up. “Does Sharkey know the way?”

Diego’s lower lip pushed out as he shook his head and considered options. “You’ve got a real hard-on for that boy. You promoted him through the ranks on your first day in office.”

She smiled and pulled her feet up to the seat. “He’s cute and he’s really eager to please.” Diego snickered. “Not like that. Besides, he was my jailor for weeks. He’s the closest I’ve come to living with a man in years… He said he likes it when I sing.”

“The boy’s tone deaf.”

“It was a nice thing to say whether it was true or not,” she said. “And I’ll have you know, I can carry a tune and I was an amazing piano player.”

“Was?” Diego asked. “What happened? You lose a finger? Burst an eardrum?”

Her eyes went left then right like the answer to his question was self-evident because as far as she was concerned, it was. “I moved to a place where pianos ceased to exist.”

Her friend laughed again. “Moved? I like how you use that word as though you had a choice.”

Proving that he was still listening, even though he didn’t seem to be, Raid got involved. “There’s a piano in the music room,” he said, flipping the page in front of him.

Diego pointed at Raid. “There you go, piano in the music room,” he said and then scowled at their busy Laird. “When was that last played, is it in tune?”

“It’s in tune,” Raid murmured.

She and Diego made eye contact. “Raid can play pretty much every instrument that ever existed. If he tuned it, it’s tuned,” Diego said. “His mom was a music teacher.” Raid lifted his head slowly and although she couldn’t see it, she’d bet her lover had just glared at their friend. “What? I figure if you’re here, it’s not talking about you… We’ll do equal exchange, what did your mom do, Shea?”

“My step-father,” she said and laughed when she saw the surprise flash to Diego’s face. “It’s okay. She wasn’t really trained in anything. She had a bunch of jobs when I was little. She was a cocktail waitress and that’s where she met my step-father. She thought he was rich, or he sold it that he was, he wasn’t… Well, I guess that’s not fair, he was rich compared to what we were, which was dirt-poor.”

“What about your dad? Your real dad?”

Commandeering Raid’s coffee, Shea sipped it and then returned the cup to its previous place. “I don’t know. My mom said he was killed overseas. She played it like he was some military hero, but it was bullshit. I don’t know who he was.”

“Where’s your mom now? Do you still talk to her?”

“Not for years,” she said. “She’s still with my step-father, spending what money he does make and ignoring the fact that he’s a moron.” It had been a long time since she’d talked about her mom, or even thought about her. “Some women can’t be without a man. I never understood women like that, women who get all of their validation from a man.”

“Right,” Diego said. Catching sight of his feigned understanding, she grinned. “Bet you’re missing your raccoon now.”

She laughed. “My last real girlfriend? Yes, I guess I am. Maybe I could find a new pet when I go swimming.”

“No,” Raid said, speaking without giving any hint he was interested in being a part of the discussion. Her Laird spoke only when he had something relevant to contribute, or to give orders. “You’re not bringing an animal in here.”

“I guess you’re right,” she said, leaning over to dig her teeth into his shoulder. “You’re all the animal I need.”

“And, on that note, I’m out,” Diego said, slapping his thigh and getting up. “If we’re not vegging out here, or leaving the compound, I’m going to find myself a card game.” She inhaled to object; he cut her off before she could get a word out. “Cards are portable, Pest. The guys come to me in my hospital bed. Pathetic figure makes for an easier hustle.”

He opened his hand in a static wave and left the balcony to walk into the house. “Do you think I should go with him?” she asked, twisting all the way around to watch Diego’s progress toward the front door through the window.

“There’s a gofer at the bottom of the back stairs waiting for him,” Raid muttered. “But go if you want.”

She flipped around to look at him. “I don’t know what’s worse: that you just called whoever it is a gofer or that you made him wait outside instead of inviting him in.”

“Until I can be sure that you won’t be coming down the stairs half-naked, no one except you, me, and Diego gets in here.” Finally taking his focus from the paperwork, he landed his displeasure on her. “There are going to be strict rules about what you’re allowed to do with that body now that it’s sleeping in my bed.”

Another frisson of excitement, except this one had a different source. “There weren’t strict rules before?” she asked, watching him gather up his paperwork.

“They’ll be stricter.”

“And I thought they might relax.”

Raid stood up with the files in his arms. “Why would they—”

“I want to wear my skirts,” she said. He looked down at her. Shea peeked up. “It’s summer! I have never worn jeans anywhere in my life as much as I wear them here. I have a bunch of dresses and skirts in my closet. I haven’t worn any of them!”

Clinging to his patience, he sat back down. “How short?”

It meant something that he was at least hearing her out rather than just laying down the law. “Does it matter? No man’s going to touch me now that you’ve claimed me,” she said, sliding both hands onto his thigh. “And I promise not to go near the inmates.”

“You’ve seen how fast things can change around here.”

Hope spurred her on. “I promise I’ll always wear panties,” she said and smiled when he rolled his eyes to the heavens like he was appealing to some God out there for strength. Teasing him a little, she leaned in to whisper. “Unless you order me not to.”

A rough breath left his lungs. “Shea,” he said, either exhausted or just fed up. Pushing her hands off his thigh, he met her eye. “I can’t let this impact my work.”

“I know. Diego’s in the infirmary. I could help you with paperwork. I have no problem with being in the office to—”

“You cannot be in my office.”

The strength of his vehemence took her aback. “Are you… you don’t trust yourself?”

“I don’t trust either of us,” he said. “It’s time you had your own responsibilities. I’ll allocate them and you can work in the office opposite Diego’s.”

“That’s the one next to yours.”

“Yes,” he said. “But it’s not in mine.”

“Okay,” she said, with a smile.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I think you’re misunderstanding me.”

Flattening her lips, Shea did her best to conceal her amusement and be serious. “No, I’m not.”

Turned out that she wasn’t doing a great job of playing it cool because his skepticism only grew. “Then why are you smiling like that?”

Being straight with him was the best way to encourage him to be straight in return. “Because I was worried that maybe once I left here things would change between us and you wouldn’t want me back in your house… I thought maybe last night was a one off.”

“I told you it wasn’t.”

“No, you didn’t,” she said, shaking her head and edging closer. “You told me that you owed me.”

“And then I told you to stay the night,” he said like that was somehow a clue to his intentions. While it had been nice not to be kicked out, it was hardly an explicit declaration on what he wanted their future to be. “And I said, just now, that your body is going to be in my bed…”

“Are you asking me to move in?”

Most men would give some reaction to that question, positive or negative, Raid didn’t flinch. “With all that crap you’ve got upstairs, I’m surprised to learn that you haven’t already,” he said. “Sleep where you want. But, it’s smart for you to keep your own space on the compound.” She didn’t like the implication that they should remain separate. As though he sensed her wariness, he brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek almost in reassurance. “It’s close quarters here, and we both have… volatile personalities…” She crooked a knowing brow. “Yeah, okay, I have a shorter temper, but not by much. We’re going to need space of our own to get away from each other sometimes.”

This was her Laird applying his sense and experience to the personal instead of the professional. “You’re being smart,” she said. “Making sure I always have a bed and don’t go traipsing off into the forest.”

His expression hardened. “If you even thought about it, I’d put you back in your cell and visit you there when I want to fuck.” She smiled, but he wasn’t appeased and took his hand from her face. “I don’t know what this is or what it will be. I don’t know if it will last forever or if it will be over in a week. What I do know is that we both have to be prepared for anything going wrong at any time; both at work and in our personal relationship.”

She sighed. “I just gave you a whole other headache to deal with, didn’t I?”

“You’ve been a headache since your plane first blipped on our radar,” he said. “Least now I’m getting laid.”

His voice was as cool as ever, though the tease in it made her lean in. “Anytime you want, my Laird…” Taking her time about moistening her lips, she admired his while sharing her thoughts. “You’re right. And, we have to be open with each other; even if what we have to say is hard to say or to hear. There are things I want to… make clear to you.”

That startled him. “Make clear to me?” he asked. “To me? Like what? I don’t take orders from—”

“Not those kind of things,” she said, taking his hand. “I want you to know that I understand your role here. Even if we’re fighting or upset with each other, I’ll never question your authority.”

“I appreciate that.”

Taking his palm back to her cheek, Shea pressed it against her and moved her head, making him caress her. “Though, you realize that might make me seem crazy sometimes.”

“Crazier than normal?”

“Sure. If we have a fight at home and I’m pissed at you and I don’t want to talk, then on the compound I’m all ‘yes, sir, no sir,’ you might think all’s forgiven. But, when we get back home, we’re alone, and I’m telling you I have a headache…”

He nodded in understanding. “There will be an inverse. Even if we’re in a good place here, I may have to do things that seem harsh on the compound. You can’t take it personally if…” When he trailed off and his gaze drifted, she brought it back by squashing his hand to her face again. “I’m talking like we have a future.”

“We have a future,” she said, pushing his paperwork back onto the table and climbing onto his lap. “Whatever happens, Raid. I don’t think either of us can deny feeling something for each other.”

“How long will that last? How long until we break it? If we can’t stand the sight of each other—”

She put her fingertips on his lips. “I think you need to relax,” she whispered and kissed him, rising onto her knees to unfasten his belt.

“Babe, we don’t have time for—”

Kissing him to silence him, she didn’t stop. “If you’re telling me I’m not getting any at the office, then I want it here before we go in,” she said and brushed her mouth over his as she freed his dick. “Please, baby.”

With his misgivings etched on his expression, he exhaled. “This is going to work out bad for both of us, Poppet,” he said and grabbed her hips to haul her forward. Hooking her underwear aside, her Laird slid himself into her.

Shea didn’t know if he meant the sex or their relationship. Either way, she didn’t agree. They’d make it work, they’d find a way. They’d have to because life meant life and now theirs were entwined.