Chapter 27

Alec stood up as soon as Brent came in the door. “What happened?”

He stopped and placed both hands on his hips and looked her up and down. “You’re a mess.”

Glancing down at the dirt, grass, and dust covering her, she shrugged. “When Jac said you guys were headed back, I decided being grubby could wait a few more minutes.”

“I’m just too tired to care how I look,” Ian said quietly from the chair he sprawled in.

Brent moved over and stood beside the wall they’d used as a whiteboard. Rubbing the back of his neck, he sighed loudly. “The meeting at the yacht didn’t happen. Christian Veritas and Vance Shaw were there until Veritas got a call, then they lit out of there like their asses were on fire.”

“Someone tipped them off?” Alec sat back down to keep her legs from quivering like they were.

Brent shrugged. “Had to be that.”

Ian got up and went over to his bar and poured a drink. Turning, he offered Alec a glass, she shook her head. “So now what?” He asked no one in particular.

“The feds are tailing them, and we meet in the morning. They’ll be waiting to debrief the two of you.”

Alec dropped back into the chair and rubbed her hands over her face. “Shit.” She glanced around at Ian. “We don’t have a whole lot to tell unless they want a count on scrapes and bug bites.” Getting up, she blew out a breath. “I guess I’ll go home and get cleaned up and get some sleep then.”

“Negative.” Brent tucked his hands in his pockets. “Ian is, at this point untraceable, but they know you. The feds wanted to put in you a guarded hotel, but I told them you would probably rather just crash here until morning.”

“I’d rather just go home.” Cursing under her breath, she stared at the floor. She didn’t want a babysitter.

Ian walked over to her. “Look your beat. Why not just grab a shower and crash for tonight? You can rip their heads off in the morning about going home.”

She smirked at his accurate description. “I don’t want to be a pain.”

Grinning, he went back over and picked up his drink. “I’ll be lucky if I don’t pass out before I reach my bed. It’s been one fuck long day.” Downing the contents of the glass he set it down and leaned against the bar.

Tucking her hands into the back pockets of her jeans she nodded. “Yeah. Okay,” she nodded and looked at Brent, “I’ll stay put tonight.”

Brent smiled at her and held out his hand to Felicity. “We’ll see you in the morning.” Turning, he looked over at Jac as she set the papers down. “You need a ride?”

“No. We had Reid’s car.” She nodded at Ian and then smiled at Alec. “Glad you’re all right, see you in the morning.”

As soon as the door closed behind them, Ian moved toward her. “Normally I’d be a more gracious host, but I can’t stand my own smell for one more second so I’m going to head to the shower.”

She heard the door close and the water start. Walking to the door of his room, she stood in and looked around. It was void of anything personal as well. Alec understood why she didn’t get attached to material things, but what was Ian’s reason?

Gritting her teeth, she turned around and went back out. The last day had left her physically drained and emotionally messed up. Talk about brain spew, that’s all you’ve got going on up there right now. This case had her reeling, trying to sort through it all and puzzle out every step, Ian had her stumbling along unsure of what she was feeling. That wasn’t completely true, she knew what she was feeling, and she didn’t like it.

Sighing she turned around and looked at the closed bathroom door again. The thought that Ian was on the other side of that door, naked, water cascading down over his body... she shivered, and it wasn’t because she was cold. Having sex with him would just complicate her life. She liked her uncomplicated life, and that was the end of it, she told her brain.

Ian stood under the water, hoping the spray would pound the tension from his shoulders. He’d prayed by the time they got back things would have been resolved, or at least well on the way. That someone had tipped off Veritas that they knew about the meeting didn’t sit well. He knew once Alec wasn’t dead on her feet, she was going to get so fringes hyped up over it would be like trying to contain a tornado. He grinned, just the way he liked her.

Turning, he let the spray hit him in the face. When had he fallen for her? Because he had and he was admitting it right now. Tomorrow, probably not, but he had just spent the last day freaking out inside because she was in danger. He may have appeared he had it all together, but inside was another story entirely.

It had been harder than anything he’d ever done, watching her look so drained and out of her comfort zone. He was insane, he knew this, preferring a pissed-off, uptight, armed, and dangerous woman that was so out of his league he didn’t know what he was going to do.

And every time he touched her, or kissed her...

His body tensed. Shaking his head under the spray, he put his hands out and leaned against the wall. He needed to think about something else. It was going to be torture enough knowing she was sleeping in the same building as him.

He heard the shower door slide open but didn’t turn. Maybe he was more tired than he thought and was hallucinating. His heart froze in his chest when her hands slid up over his back to his shoulders. He wasn’t imagining it, she had climbed in the shower with him. There must be a god out there somewhere that liked him. Ian didn’t move when he felt her body move against his back as she moved to speak close to his ear.

“Read my mind,” she whispered.

Grinning, he turned around; taking her arm and making sure she stayed close to him. He looked down over her wet body with a slow appreciation and then reached up and cupped the back of her head. “I’d rather read your body.” His mouth captured hers before she had a chance to change her mind or think.

He wanted to touch and taste every inch of her, but he wanted her so bad right now he knew he couldn’t go slow. Pulling her body into his, he groaned as her bare skin connected with his. She fit against him perfectly. Turning so the water wouldn’t drown him, he moved his mouth down over her throat and across her shoulders. The sounds she made each time his lips and tongue moved over her flesh made him harden further. She may appear to be ice on the outside, but inside she was so hot he’d be lucky if he didn’t burst into flames.

Her hands gripped his hair tight as he moved his mouth down and slowly licked over one hard nipple. Her chest expanded with another gasp and she pushed her body into his. He was definitely going to go up in flames and he couldn’t wait.

When she reached down to grasp his hard length, he caught her wrist and straightened up. He bit her bottom lip as he pushed her hand against the wall and held it there. “I lead in this, Alec.” He licked over where he’d bitten. “Maybe not all the time, but most of it.”

Reaching, he pulled her hand from behind his head and moved it so he could hold both of her wrists together. Her breathing accelerated. He watched her pale green eyes fill with an anxious look and knew at that moment that she had never given anyone control. Brushing his lips over hers in as gentle of a motion he could manage at this moment, he held her eyes with his. “I won’t hurt you.” He skimmed his lips down her throat. “All you have to do is ask me to stop.”

Lowering his mouth, he scrapped his teeth over her nipple. She gasped and pushed her hips into his. “Do you want to stop?” Rubbing his rough cheek across the nipple he glanced up at her, she shook her head.

Reaching down, he ran his hand across her stomach while laving her breast with his tongue. “I’d like to take my time, but I’m tired so my control isn’t what it normally is.” Placing his hand between her legs, he cupped her. He straightened and crushed her mouth beneath his, teasing her tongue in rhythm to the movement of his hand stroking over her wet folds.

Pushing two fingers inside her, he groaned when he felt how hot and wet she was. With each moan and mewling sound she made his body tensed, his restraint wasn’t going to last much longer. He’d wanted the first time to be different, but now that he had his hands on her he doubted under any circumstances he would have been able to hold off long. Breaking the kiss, he lowered his mouth to her ear. “It’s going to be fast and hard, babe. You’re destroying me.” He bit her ear lobe and thrust his fingers into her with more force. She squirmed against his hand while trying to pull her hands free. “You’re so fucking hot.” Dragging his teeth against the sensitive skin on her neck, he tightened his hold on her wrists and stretched her arms up further so she couldn’t move down onto his hand.

“Ian...” she gasped out his name and then moaned when his hand connected with her sensitive flesh again.

Leaning back, he watched her face as he moved his hand faster. “Do you like that, babe?” He felt her muscles tighten around his fingers as he pushed the third one inside her. She groaned and bit her bottom lip.

Panting, she opened her eyes and looked at him. “I want...”

He ground his hand against her, his own legs shaking with need as he watched her face change when her body began milking his fingers. Hearing her moans as she came on his hand shattered any control he had left.

Dropping his hand, he grabbed her leg and lifted it to rest on his hip, and drove his body into hers. Her muscles were contracting around him, gripping him so tightly he almost came undone. Pulling from her, he tried to slow his breathing and savor the feel of her body when she tugged at her hands again to break his hold.

Tightening his grip on her wrists, he slammed up into her again causing her to gasp. Unable to stop, he kept thrusting so their bodies smacked together. He wanted to be deeper, buried as far inside as he could be. Releasing her hands, he grasped her other leg and pushed her up the wall until her legs could wrap around his waist.

She held onto his shoulders, her fingers digging into his flesh. Needing more of her, he sought her lips with his and kissed her, trying to consume her mouth as he buried himself in her with almost bruising thrusts.

When Alec began moaning into his mouth, his body tightened and his own release triggered as her muscled clamped down on him. Growling, he tore his mouth from hers and fought for air while trying to hold both their weight from hitting the floor.

Panting against his neck, Alec made soft purring noises. He smiled and nuzzled his face into her wet hair. “Give me a...” Blowing out a breath, he tried again. “Second to catch my breath.”

Her arms tightened around his neck. “Not going anywhere,” she gasped next to his ear.

With trembling arms, he lifted her off his body and lowered her to stand on the wet surface. Without releasing his hold on her body, he leaned over and flipped the shower off, briefly noting that neither of them had washed anything. Guilt hit him, “I didn’t use anything.” He watched the fog clear from her eyes.

“I’m on the pill...” she looked down for a second, “I’m clean.”

Pulling her tight into his body, he kissed her forehead. “I’ve always used...” she relaxed into his hold, her mouth brushing against his shoulder. Turning, he pushed open the door and grabbed a towel off the shelf. Wrapping it around her, he quickly got another one and started to towel off her hair. She stood there clinging to the towel and giving him a look of surprise. Had no man ever put her first? He had to wonder. Smiling, he finished with her hair before getting a towel and wrapping it around his waist. “Bed.” He said softly and led her out of the bathroom.

He helped her dry off and then pulled back the covers so she could get into bed. She hesitated at the edge of the bed. He gave her a serious look. “Don’t even say the word couch or we’re going to have some serious words, Detective.”

With a somber look, she climbed under the covers and watched while he dried off and got in bed.

“Ian...”

He knew she wanted to talk and rationalize and make excuses, but he just couldn’t. Not tonight. Rolling onto his side, he reached under the covers and pulled her across the bed until her body was tight against his. With tenderness, he kissed her over and over keeping her silent. Her lips trembled under his. “Get some rest,” he said softly against her mouth and kept kissing her until her response was slower and slower.

Leaning back, he looked at her to see her eyes closed and face relaxed. She was beautiful and she didn’t know it yet, but she was definitely his.