Talia woke up feeling sore in the best possible way. She didn’t have a single regret about last night. How many people received second chances? It wasn’t like they were talking about forever, something she didn’t believe in, anyway. Even her parents, as in love as they were, had their lives cut short. People died. Left. It was better to keep things casual, and that was what she had with Shane. No matter how fantastic the sex or how much she liked and admired him, this was a passing fling.
Besides, they lived very different lives, his a fast-paced rush of adrenaline in his line of work for McKay-Taggart, and hers with long hours in the lab. Neither of them had time for relationships. His job had cost him his marriage. No matter how much she enjoyed his company, no matter how her feelings for him were continuing to grow, she had to remember reality. And act accordingly.
She ought to look to his actions now, as well. Shane was all business as they rushed their individual showers—because he insisted they didn’t have time for him to get distracted by her naked body—and though she didn’t sense he had any misgivings, he wasn’t getting all soft and mushy, either.
They gathered their things and hit the road, agreeing to stop for gas and food at the first place they came across.
When they finally reached Portland, the first order of business was to leave the handwritten note asking Jonah to meet up with them tomorrow at a nearby Starbucks. She knew he’d pick up the mail at four p.m. on the dot and would be there for her in the morning, after which they’d be close to ending this nightmare. Which meant the end of her time with Shane.
She pushed the depressing thought aside, because at that moment, Shane pulled into the parking lot of a glittering high-rise hotel.
“We’re staying here?” she asked. It was so much nicer than any place they’d been able to find so far.
“I think you’ve earned a night in a decent bed without worrying about security, don’t you?” he asked, a grin lifting his sexy lips.
“Why do I suspect you’ll still be worrying?” she asked.
“Because that’s my job. But I can assure you nobody’s going to be breaking down your door. And Ian’s got connections with people he trusts to get us a room. It’s all good.”
“I am not going to complain.” They exited the car, leaving it with the valet, the only choice, and strode into the lobby.
The hotel was a far cry from the roadside motels they’d stayed in up until now, and Talia took in the mirrored and gold-plated walls, crystal chandeliers, and marble floors. She knew this was a five-star hotel, and if it meant her safety and it gave Shane a night to relax a little, she was all for the expense.
Check-in was easy, as promised. Ian had already arranged for the room on the lowest floor, giving them a stairwell escape route should it become necessary.
Once in the room, he locked the door and flipped the security bar, a bonus they hadn’t had in previous places.
She took in the king-sized bed, something Shane had requested and received, and grinned. She knew they’d make good use of the large mattress. The one thing she’d discovered was that she and her bodyguard were extremely sexually compatible. That was a big deal she’d never truly had with another man. Sex? Yes. Explosive orgasms? No.
Speaking of orgasms, there was no point in wasting this luxury. She glanced over her shoulder at Shane, who’d put his bag on the bed and was studying the room. So intent. It was time for him to relax.
“We can eat in the restaurant downstairs,” he said, planning ahead as always. “Or order in room service.”
“Either sounds good, but I think I’d like a shower first. Wash off the grimy feeling of being in the car for hours.” She bit down on her lower lip. “Care to join me?” she asked in her most provocative voice.
His gaze darkened at the suggestion. “I think that can be arranged,” he said in a husky voice.
She pulled her shirt over her head and walked to the bathroom, feeling the heat of his gaze on her back as she walked.
The bathroom was large and luxurious, spa products set up on the countertop and in the open shower with the overhead rain showerhead. She turned on the water and undressed the rest of the way, stepping underneath. The warm drops cascaded over her. She felt so good and tipped her head back, washed and conditioned her hair, and was rinsing it out when she felt the heat of Shane’s body as he joined her.
He stepped in, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her, his big hands cupping her breasts.
“Mmm.” She leaned her head back against his shoulder and sighed in aroused delight.
She wondered what it would be like to have this kind of time with Shane without the pressure of being followed and on the run. For the next two days, at least, they could pretend there was no one else around.
He reached for a small bottle on the shelf and poured a nice amount of scented liquid into his hand before returning to his task. Now soapy, he lathered her body. Starting with her breasts, he took the time to cup the full mounds in his hands and pluck her nipples with his fingertips, rolling them around, causing waves of desire to ripple through her.
Her sex clenched with yearning, and she turned in his arms. He backed her against the wall, kissing her hard, his hand sliding down her side, her hip, and around to her stomach. His fingers dipped downward, gliding through her folds, her sex damp, and not just from the water. His fingertips were rough and felt good against her slick flesh.
One finger penetrated her, and she sucked in a shallow breath. He added a second, and she tipped her head, hitting it on the wall behind her. But she couldn’t focus on that slight pain when the incredible sensations being delivered were so intense. Every pump of his fingers hit a sweet spot inside her, and pleasure built quickly, white sparks of desire flickering behind her eyes.
“You’re going to come and I’m going to watch,” he said in a gruff tone, his voice a turn-on along with his words.
She so was.
She just didn’t expect what came next. He dropped to his knees, braced his hands on her thighs, and buried his face between her legs. His tongue lashed her clit. Over and over, he licked, sucked, and teased the nub with his teeth, soothing again with his tongue. She grasped his head, pulling at his hair, while at the same time holding him in place, never wanting the powerful sensations to end.
She gasped, panted, and lost all sense of time and place as the sudden orgasm overtook her, bringing her up and over the edge. She cried out, invoking his name, God’s name, and a host of other things she couldn’t recall by the time she sagged against the wall, dazed and satisfied.
But he wasn’t. He rose and slid his lips over hers, letting her taste herself on his tongue before breaking the kiss.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a soft bed.” He shut off the shower before facing her once more.
He grabbed a towel and dried her off, then took care of himself, quickly and efficiently. He dropped the towel and swung her into his arms.
She clasped her hands around his neck and laughed. “Shane!”
He grinned as he deposited her on the bed and came down over her, his heavy erection pulsing against her belly, pressing deliciously against her clit, sending ripples of awareness through her veins. Arousal had awakened inside her again, her sex wet and ready for him.
“Are you going to get a condom?” she asked.
He dipped his head and let out a groan. “We used what I had on me. Fuck.”
She blew out a shaky breath. “I get shots,” she said, meeting his gaze. “It’s just simpler for me.”
His blue eyes turned serious and intense. “You’re sure?”
“For you? Yes.” He didn’t need to know that she never had sex without a condom or that she trusted he wouldn’t do something reckless and put her at risk. His honor was one of the things she admired about him. Even after all this time, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her.
He nodded, his jaw clenched, as he took in the implications of her suggestion. This would change things between them on a deep level neither could take back.
“Are we good?” she asked shakily.
“Yes. Do you want to know why?”
She nodded, running her hands over his damp hair.
“Because that means I’m going to feel every sweet inch of you,” he replied, bracing his arms on either side of the bed and pushing himself into her in one swift thrust.
She certainly felt every last inch of him. She arched her back, pulling him deeper, clenching around him, and delighting in the waves of desire that overtook her.
This felt different. He felt different. Raw, powerful…and meaningful, she thought and moaned as he slid out, only to drive back in with a loud groan.
“God, you feel incredible,” he muttered, rocking into her, sensually, slowly, when she’d expected another hard, fast taking.
He placed his arms on either side of her and pushed himself up as he continued his passionate assault on all of her senses.
He smelled good, his skin felt hot beneath her hands, and she was lost in sensation, so when her orgasm came, it came differently than before. She was swept away in an incredible wave of pleasure that took her higher and carried her over into pure bliss.
* * * *
In a complete one-eighty, Talia fell fast asleep right after sex and Shane lay awake thinking. Because that…that had been…something else.
Talia was something else.
He’d always known she was different. And if he was a different kind of man, he’d be thinking more serious thoughts about his little brainiac.
In their short time together, she’d blasted through the wall he’d erected since his divorce. He wasn’t worried about her fragility because she’d more than proven herself strong and capable. She didn’t panic. She wasn’t afraid. She stood up for what she’d worked so hard for. And she was a woman who knew her own mind, understood what she wanted out of her career. Out of her life.
In another time or place, she’d be his perfect woman. But nothing could change the fact that he was a man always in dangerous situations, rarely home, and she was a woman who deserved commitment. A man who’d be there for her at the end of the day.
Of course, she didn’t want that kind of relationship. What was it she’d said?
With love comes inevitable loss. I’d like to minimize any more pain in my life. I keep my relationships light.
He could relate to the sentiment…even if, looking at her, he wished things were different. For both of them.
He shouldn’t have been surprised he’d gone from another chance to sleep with this woman to thinking such serious thoughts.
This was Talia, after all. The girl he’d had a thing for when he’d been too young and stupid to know what to do with her, how to take care of her better. He knew now. And no matter how fast his heart beat around her, no matter how much he enjoyed her or wanted her in his life, that was a lesson he’d learned. How to put others before himself. How to put her first.
So he’d get her to her professor friend, figure out how to keep her formula safe, and go back to the life he knew. He had no business considering relationships. At all. No matter how much a part of him wanted to.
* * * *
Dinner in the downstairs restaurant consisted of the most delicious steak meal Talia had ever had. A juicy filet, creamed spinach, a baked potato loaded with sour cream and she was in food heaven.
Shane was alert and wary, but he’d also relaxed enough to enjoy both her company and the food.
“Dessert,” a waiter said, placing the cheesecake Talia had ordered in front of her.
She cut a piece and tasted it immediately, groaning at the flavor as it melted in her mouth. “This is so good.”
Shane eyed her, an amused smile on his face.
“What?” she asked, laughing. “I worked up an appetite earlier.” She pointedly referred to their session in the shower. And in the bed.
His eyes heated at the reminder. “I just enjoy watching you eat.”
“Want a bite?” She scooped a piece onto her fork and held it out for him.
He shook his head. “No sweets for me.” He paused, a killer smile edging his lips. “Except for you. Then I’ll let myself indulge.”
She laughed, as amused as she was secretly thrilled by his comment. “I see. So that’s how you keep that killer body.” She nodded in approval.
At the compliment, he sat up a little straighter in his chair. “Are you trying to get me to drag you back to the room again?”
She twirled the fork in her hand. “I wouldn’t object,” she murmured, only partly teasing.
He glanced up, his gaze catching the waiter’s. “Check, please.”
* * * *
Shane walked by Talia’s side, keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious-looking…but he didn’t see anything to alert him. Which didn’t mean he’d let his guard down. Although her locket had seemed like the obvious choice for a bug, that was almost too easy. His gut didn’t like the odds that they’d lost the people following her or their ability to track Talia.
Once back in the room, he double locked the door and put a finger over his lips, indicating she shouldn’t talk just yet. He headed straight for his bag and began a thorough scan of the room and all likely places a bug could have been placed while they were at dinner.
Large pharmaceutical companies had big money at their disposal. A maid or a front desk clerk could be bribed to let someone into the room and search for the formula…which they’d kept with them during dinner.
While Talia watched, bottom lip pulled between her teeth, Shane worked his way around the room. When he reached the bed, he ran the wand around the headboard, and damned if he didn’t get a loud beep when he scanned the main piece.
He patted behind the wooden board and found the sucker, pinned to the back. Fuck. He held up the small bug and placed a hand over his mouth, indicating she should be quiet.
So it hadn’t been the locket, he thought in frustration. She’d dumped the memento for no reason, and it was his fault. Guilt gripped him hard, but he needed to handle this situation before he could deal with their emotions.
He left the offending bug on the dresser, grabbed Talia’s hand, and led her to the bathroom, where he ran the shower for extra noise.
“Don’t panic,” he said, looking into her wide eyes as he spoke in hushed tones.
“They broke into our room while we were at dinner?” she asked, appalled.
“Probably paid someone to let them in,” he said. “But that doesn’t explain how they keep finding us.” He scowled, frustrated that they’d gotten the better of him at every turn.
She shrugged. “I’m at a loss, too. But it wasn’t the locket,” she whispered, sad at the memory of what she’d had to leave behind.
His gut twisted as realization dawned for her that she’d thrown away her last link to her mother for no reason. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. Let’s just focus on what we can control. What do we do now?” she asked about the bug.
“I have an idea.”
She straightened her shoulders, bucking up as she always did, and he was so damned proud of her in this moment.
“I’m listening.”
He spoke in a low whisper. “We’re going to go back out there and lay out our plans for tomorrow, except we’re going to lead them somewhere else completely.”
He pulled out his cell and began to search hospital names in the area. “We don’t want them near Dr. Goodwin, so you’re going to mention that we’re meeting him here.” He showed her the name of a medical center on the other side of town.
Shane wasn’t convinced the ruse would take care of the problem, however, because these assholes had managed to catch up with them every time.
She blinked in surprise. “What if they follow us anyway?” she asked, her brain following the same line as his.
“We’re going to specifically mention that you don’t have the whole formula, the man you’re meeting does, but it won’t be with him.” He didn’t want to set Goodwin up as an immediate target, either.
Hopefully the plan would buy them time to meet with the good doctor, drive to the cabin, get their hands on the rest of the cure, and turn it over to Dr. Goodwin’s ex-wife.
“Once we have a location where your mentor lives, I’ll call Ian, and he’ll send a team to have our backs. Just in case.”
She visibly swallowed hard. “Okay.”
He grasped her forearms in a sign of reassurance. “Ready?”
She nodded.
Grabbing her hand, he led her back to the bedroom, standing by the bug. “You’re sure there’s no way to contact your mentor faster?” he asked. He gave a squeeze of her palm to let her know to answer.
“I can’t. He’s eccentric. He already knows to meet us at Providence Portland Medical Center, where he has an office. Hopefully he has the rest of the formula with him there.”
He winked at her, mouthing, good job. He deliberately gave a loud yawn. “I want to turn in early. I’m exhausted. You wore me out,” he said with a laugh.
She narrowed her gaze.
He placed a finger over his mouth and gestured to the bathroom again, where they could talk in private.
She followed him into the room and turned on the shower.
“What’s going on?” she asked in a whisper.
“I don’t want to sleep in here. We’ll get another room and come back in the morning to shower before we head out. No reason to be aware of a bug all night. We’ll be up tossing and turning. Let’s just go back out there, make some noise, and pretend to go to sleep. Then we’ll sneak out again.”
She nodded, eyes lit up at his plan. “Sounds like a good idea to me.”
Acting on impulse, he leaned over and pressed a kiss on her lips.
Just because he wanted to.