Strong And Sexy

Chapter 23

Back in Los Angeles, Shayne walked Dani to her door. He had a sinking feeling in his gut that this was it, that when he said good-bye here, she was going to walk out of his life.

“Thanks for the flight,” she said, turning to face him. “It was almost painless.”

The “almost” hung in the air, while the pain she’d just professed not to feel sat in her eyes and grabbed him by the throat. “Dani, you sure you don’t want me to come in?”

“Not necessary.”

Just down the hall, Alan’s door opened, but instead of Alan, a pretty brunette came out, straightening her slightly crooked clothes with a silly little smile on her face.

“Oh,” she said in surprise and pulled up short. “Dani.”

Dani blinked. “Reena?”

“Reena…from your work Reena?” Shayne asked.

Dani nodded, her eyes on the woman. “You…and Alan? But…” She looked blown away. “But…when?”

“We met when he brought you pizza that night, remember? And then you turned him down for another date, so that left him free.” She lifted a shoulder. “And I needed a pick-me-up.” But she softened. “You’re not mad, right?”

“I’m not mad. Of course I’m not mad.” Dani glanced at Shayne, then back at Reena. “I’m just…”

“Surprised? Yeah, well, other people have stuff going on too, Dani. Other people get lonely, have needs, too.”

“I know that.”

“Do you? Because it seems like sometimes you don’t.”

“Reena-”

“No, never mind.” Reena rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want this to be a problem.”

“It’s not.”

“Okay, good. Then I’ll see you at work.”

“Wait.” Shayne glanced at Dani, who was looking a little shell-shocked. “Wait up.”

Reena looked him over. “I know you. You’re the rich pilot. Not sure which karma god Dani kissed lately, but she’s on a roll.”

Shayne asked, “You think nearly getting killed, several times now, is on a roll?”

Reena’s smile faded as she turned to Dani. “Can you believe I nearly forgot? Did they catch the shooter?”

“No,” Shayne said. “Nor the person who was in her office. The one who caused her concussion and five stitches.”

“What?” Reena grabbed for Dani’s hand. “What?”

“You don’t know what happened to her at work?” Shayne asked.

“Oh, God. Something else? I haven’t been in, I had today off. What happened?” Reena’s self-protective smile had vanished, replaced by a freaked-out expression that could have been faked but seemed genuine. “Dani? What happened?”

“There was a dead body in my closet.”

“A dead…” Reena staggered back against the wall. “My God.”

“I freaked, tripped over someone, and fell. Knocked me unconscious.”

“Oh, Dani.”

“When I woke up, no body.”

Reena just stared at her, slack-jawed, and slowly shook her head. “Have you considered the fact that you must have royally pissed someone off?”

“Yes, actually,” Shayne said.

Reena looked at him as understanding dawned. “You think that I-My God. She’s never pissed me off.”

“What about the promotion?”

“Well, yeah, I was jealous,” she admitted to Shayne. “And then there’s you…I mean, hello, have you looked in the mirror?” She looked at Dani, eyes luminous. “I know I can be a jealous, petty bitch, but I’m not a vindictive one. Tell me you know that.”

Dani stared at her, and then nodded. “I know it.”

“Okay, good.” Reena hugged her hard, then pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Stick with him until this is over. He’s pretty, but he also looks fairly capable, as far as guard dogs go.”

Shayne watched her go, then found Dani watching him.

“She comes off the list too,” she said very quietly, then turned to her door.

“The list is getting a little short for my comfort.” For the first time he really had no idea at all what she was thinking, and he decided he liked it better when she wore her emotions out on her sleeve.

She unlocked her front door, opened it, peered inside, then turned to face him, one of her fake, polite smiles crossing her lips. She’d been giving him the fake, polite smile ever since the flight back.

“Thank you,” she said.

He looked at that fake, polite smile and tried to figure out where it was coming from. “I think we should talk, make a new list.”

“I’ll do that. Tomorrow.”

“By yourself.”

“Yes.” She stepped over the threshold, still careful to block his way.

He got it. He wasn’t coming in. Under any circumstances. “Dani.”

“Yes?”

Since she was looking over her shoulder into the dark apartment, he tugged her around.

Another brief flash of that fake, polite smile. “We’ve already said good-bye.”

So he hadn’t gotten tired of her as planned. That was scary enough, but nothing to the fact that somehow the tables had gotten turned and she’d tired of him. Letting go of her, he just stood there, a little stunned, and ridiculous as it seemed, a whole lot hurt. “Fine.”

Cocking her head, she gave him a look. “What’s fine?”

“Every damn thing.”

“Now you’re just pouting.”

He gaped at her. “I am not pouting. I never pout. But if you think the fact that you’re tired of me means I’m going to let you walk in there alone after all the things that have happened to you, you are crazy.”

A funny look flashed over her face. “You…think I’m tired of you?”

“Sure. It happens. No hard feelings.” Now he flashed her his own personal brand of the fake, polite smile and turned away.

And this time, it was her turn to grab him and force him around. “You think I’m tired of you,” she repeated.

Given her incredulous tone, he had to reassess. “Uh-”

“Are you kidding me?” With jerky movements, she yanked open her purse and pulled out a string of five condoms. “I bought these to keep on me because you and I? We tend to need them in a hurry. I’ve never bought condoms in my life, Shayne, so you tell me. Is the fact that I did, that I went to the store, trolled the condom aisle, and picked out a box just for you the actions of a woman who’s tired of you?”

Before he could respond, she’d tugged him inside her apartment, kicked the door closed and shoved him up against the wood with shocking strength, then clamped her lips on his.

That’s when all the blood in his head drained for parts south as her mouth ravaged his.

Finally, when he was breathless and stone hard, she lifted her head. “Does that feel like I’m tired of you, Shayne? Or this…?” She tore one of the condoms off and slapped it against his chest.

“Jesus.” His vision actually blurred. His hands went to her face, guiding her mouth back to his. He had to have her mouth on his, now, right now.

Her hands were already pulling open his pants and tearing at the condom packet when he spun them around, pressing her to the door now, needing the leverage. Her top went sailing over his shoulder, as did her bra. “Kick off your shoes,” he commanded as he dragged down her pants, taking her panties with them, leaving her completely and perfectly naked as he slid his hand between her legs, groaning roughly at how ready for him she was.

“Told you.” She yanked his shirt off and sank her teeth into his shoulder. “Not done with you yet, damn it.”

He stroked her with his thumb and her head thunked back against the door, exposing her throat for his mouth, where he did some biting of his own. Lifting her, he wrapped her legs around him, which opened her more fully to him, and helpless to the pull, he sank in deep with one powerful stroke.

Just her low gasp of sheer pleasure turned him on so much that he had to go still a moment. “Don’t move,” he demanded gruffly. If she did, if she whispered his name in that sexy-as-hell whisper, if she so much as breathed, he was going to come.

“Have to.” She rocked her hips, and his vision blurred.

“God. Dani, not yet.” Gripping her tight, he held her still, but she sighed his name and he felt lost. Just as whenever he was with her, he was also found. Terrifying, and utterly, overwhelmingly simple.

“Oh, Shayne,” she said, sounding as if maybe, just maybe she felt the same way. She was wet and hot, sucking him into a chasm of pleasure so deep he couldn’t see his way out. Didn’t want to see his way out. This wasn’t just sex, he knew that now. This was a heart and soul connection, and he opened his mouth to tell her, but she fisted her hands in his hair and bit his lower lip, tugging on it, bringing a sweet stab of pain until she released it and then licked the spot while he pounded into her, the sound of her hips hitting the door, of him sinking in and out of her driving him to the very edge of his mind.

Past the edge, where there was no cognitive thought, only the sensations. Hot and wet and deep and overwhelmingly amazing. It was all he could do to hold on to her. “Dani, I’m going to-”

But she burst first, his name on her lips as she came all over him in gorgeous, violent shudders that sent him skittering into it with her. Then his knees collapsed, and they sank to the floor in a tangled, naked, damp, and sweaty heap.

“Jesus,” he breathed. “Did you get the license of that truck?”

She rolled to her back and stared up at the ceiling, and even stripped of all energy from the wild sex, he recognized trouble. Coming up on one elbow, he looked into her face. “Why do I get the feeling we just had make-up sex without making up, after a fight I didn’t understand?”

“That wasn’t make-up sex. That was just sex.”

Okay, definitely, he’d missed the fight. Damn, he hated that. “Come here.”

She didn’t. “Do you always cuddle and talk after sex?”

“I wouldn’t call lying on the wood floor, butt-ass naked, cuddling.”

Turning only her head, she gave him a long look. And he had to concede. “No. I don’t usually cuddle and talk afterward.”

“So why me, Shayne?”

He wished he knew. When she made a soft noise and turned away, he pulled her back. “If I had the answer to that, this would be simple, but…”

“I know. Not simple.”

“I’m working on it. I swear I’m working on it.”

She stared at him for a long moment, then nodded and set her head on his chest. A gift. She was this rare, precious gift. Pulling her in close, he held her tight and did some ceiling watching of his own, wondering what the hell was wrong with him that he couldn’t just tell her.

After a few minutes, Dani pulled free and stood up.

“We have got to start making it to a bed,” Shayne murmured, and rolled to his back in all his naked glory, and there was lots of glory. “Where are you going?”

Throat tight, she managed a smile. “Just getting some water.” She couldn’t have said another word without giving herself away, that being the fact that she couldn’t hide from it anymore. This bone-deep, desperate, insatiable yearning clawing at her? Love. She moved into the kitchen for the water she didn’t really need and tried not to panic.

And failed.

Gripping the counter for strength, she pressed her head to the cool tile and gulped for air.

She loved him.

“Dani.”

Jerking upright, she turned around just as Shayne flipped on the light, and she realized two things at once.

One, she was still naked, and standing beneath the harsh fluorescent kitchen lights in that state was probably a worse nightmare than getting caught in a green mask with an entire carton of ice cream and one spoon.

And two, there was a piece of paper stuck to her forehead. Shayne’s gaze narrowed in on that, and also naked, he strode toward her, but even with the unflattering light cast over him, he still stole her breath.

Pulling the paper from her forehead, he looked down at it, face tight with tension.

Peering over his arm, she went still at the words she read: You’re next.