Chapter Thirty-Eight

How the hell did he talk me into this? Fallon shook her head as his hand tightened around hers. She had things to do, but instead of finalizing plans in Seattle, here she was on a Monday morning walking across Deception Pass Bridge with Ian Cavanaugh. When he glanced at her and smiled, she got her answer. There wasn't anywhere else she longed to be.

Ian wore a black shirt, body-molding blue jeans, and his Seahawks jacket. He had this look of pure contentment on his face. His gray eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and love as he met her gaze.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked as he stopped and pressed her between his body and the railing.

Fallon looked down at the dark water of Deception Pass then her gaze took in the lush greens of the surrounding vegetation. "Absolutely."

Ian had shown up at six in the morning and told her he was taking her away for the day. He'd stopped her lists of protest with a kiss. And now, standing there with his masculine scent surrounding her as his powerful body pressed into hers, she was so glad she'd let him convince her to come along.

His warm breath teased her as his hands splayed across her belly. "I love you, Fallon," he whispered.

Turning her head, she pressed her lips against this jaw, loving the feel of his stubble against her skin. "Likewise, Detective."

"Why don't you call me Ian when we're alone?"

She rotated so her butt was against the metal rail and slid her arms along his sides, on the inside of his jacket. "I'm sorry." Fallon looked up as he bent his head to meet her gaze.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are?" he asked brushing his lips across her temple.

"Not in about an hour," she said teasingly. Closing her eyes, Fallon pressed her head against his chest and listened to the beating of his heart. It was moments like these that she wished there were more of in her life. Unfortunately, she knew they had to be getting back and get things done.

Her phone chimed, telling her she got a text message. Fallon reached in her pocket, licked her lower lip, and smiled as she saw it was from Paul. She pressed the button to open the message.

Melinda knows.

Call ya in 2 days.

Luv ya.

Fallon read it twice before she swore and closed the message. Her body shook with rage.

Ian asked, "What is Paul doing sending you texts and who's Melinda?"

Fallon easily picked up on his jealousy and despite her own anger, she saw to him first. Shoving the phone back in her pocket, she looked up at him. His mercurial eyes were angry and he had an adorable tic in his jaw. With a small smile, she slipped her arms around him and rubbed her cheek against the softness of his shirt.

"Paul sent me a coded message. He's telling me the cops have tapped my phone and the ship is coming in two days." Fallon pulled away from him. "We need to get back, I have work to do."

"What? Why the hell would they tap your phone?"

"My guess, they want to know if I've found the evidence and if so what I'm planning on doing with it." With a final glance out over Deception Pass, Fallon took Ian's hand and began the walk back to where they'd parked his car.

"Fallon?"

"Yes?" She kept them going even though she felt his step stutter.

"How did Paul know about your phone?" He stopped and used his strength to halt her forward progress. "Fallon, how'd he know?"

"My phone is kept under observation so they know if someone has tapped it." She looked at him. Frustration etched across his handsome face. "'Melinda' was our way of letting the other know someone was listening to what we're talking about."

"Do you still think we shouldn't bring anyone else in on this?"

Did she? "Yes and no. Yes, just on the fact it's a lot of people involved and no because there's no telling who's in on it. And if they've tapped my phone, I'm damn sure yours is as well."

His brows scrunched together. "My phone?"

"Of course. They're gonna want to know everything you're doing and with whom you're doing it."

A low string of curses that would make a trucker blush left his mouth as his eyes shot silver flames. Fallon tugged off a glove and laid her bare hand against his cheek. "It'll be over soon." Her insides shuddered as he pressed his lips against her palm.

"But will it end well?" He whispered his question.

She stroked her thumb along his skin. I hope so, Ian. "Come on," she said with forced cheer, "I'm hungry. All this exercise has worked up my appetite."

Instead of walking, Ian gathered her in his arms, pressing his chest against her back. He lowered his head down to the curve of her neck and kissed her. "Thank you for spending the day with me, Fallon." She shivered beneath his touch. His arms wrapped around her waist and his kisses changed to nibbles.

"Stop," she said, "that tickles." He held her tighter and continued his assault. Laughter bubbled up out of her. "Stop," she begged as they got knowing looks from others passing them by.

"Tell me what I want to hear," he rumbled against her pulsing jugular.

"Ian," she panted as his tongue began to tease her skin.

"God, I love the way my name sounds, rolling off your tongue." He tightened his hold and Fallon could feel his hard cock as it pressed into her.

"Feels like it," she sassed before she slipped out of his grasp. "Come on, old man. Let's go." Throwing him a challenging look, she set off at a jog.

***

Ian watched as Fallon got further from him. His eyes took in her easy, effortless gait. She wore loose-fitting jeans and had her green military jacket on over a shirt that said, Stop looking, we both know I'm cute. A decorative banana clip gathered up her thick hair.

Shaking his head, he set off after her. She glanced over her shoulder and grinned. Turning so she was moving backward at a fast walk, Fallon beckoned to him, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Come on, you can catch me."

His cock twitched at the idea of catching her before having his way with her. He loved how she looked at that moment. So carefree, beautiful, and happy. Instead of running to her he stopped. She slowed to a halt as well, cocked her head to the side, and stared at him.

Ian used one hand to point at her and back to the ground before him, then crossed his arms. He held her gaze, not missing a single emotion that flashed across her stunning brown face. She shoved her hands in her jacket, braced her feet shoulder-width apart and kept eye contact. Using the hand resting on his bicep, he crooked his finger at her. He groaned as her tongue snuck out to wet her full lips. Fallon shook her head at him before she smiled and nodded at the people who walked by them on the bridge's sidewalk. Ian crooked his finger again and nodded when his eyes caught her nonverbal refusal.

"Come here, Fallon," he commanded. At the first sign of her negative response, he reiterated his order. "Fallon, come to me."

Ian knew he was being an arrogant and high-handed, but he couldn't give Fallon all the power. Please, more like I don't want her to know she has all the power. He arched a brow at her, determined she would come to him.

"Fallon," he said in a low rumble.

With the ease he'd come to expect from her, she moved toward him. Her body flowed with endless grace. Her gaze held his as she stopped before him, exactly where he'd pointed.

"Yes?" she asked softly.

Ian was at a loss for words. He loved her so much it hurt and that scared him more than he wanted to admit. She stared at him, waiting for him to say whatever was on his mind.

"Do you know what you do to me, woman?" He reached for the spot on her jacket right above where the zipper stopped and pulled her close. "Do you have any clue?"

Her expression gentled but she didn't say a word. The wind picked up and moved the silken strands of her hair gently in front of her face. Ian reached out, rubbed it between his fingers, and tucked the hair behind one ear. His thumb skimmed her cheekbone.

"I don't want to lose you, Fallon Delu," he murmured softly, bringing his other hand up to her smooth face. You've changed my life. I can't go back to how it was before you. Her amazing eyes stared back at him, gentle and inviting.

"Let's just enjoy the present, Detective." She touched the back of his right hand with her left and smiled. "Now feed me."

Ian knew that was her way of avoiding discussing where their relationship was going. We're going to talk about this, Fallon. "I'll let it go." He paused. "For now."

Sorrow was the only word he could come up with to explain the emotion that flashed in her gaze. His heart sank. Did she not see a future for them as he did?

Tightening her hold on his hand, Fallon turned and pulled him behind her as she led the way to his car. Quickening his steps until he walked beside her, Ian glanced at her. His eyes skimmed over her features. They were set in her look of endless patience.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked as the car came into view.

Resting her head against his upper arm, Fallon tightened her hold on his hand. "How much fun I had today."

Ian smirked arrogantly as he remembered their explosively passionate encounter in a secluded area. "It was fun, wasn't it?" He grunted as her elbow rammed into him. "What?" he asked innocently as he pulled his keys out of his pocket.

"Not what I was talking about."

Ian looked at her, her gaze was waiting for his, and he saw humor and exasperation in the brown depths. "Well, what'd you elbow me for? I agreed with you."

"I saw that smirk," she tossed out.

Ian grinned sheepishly. "Oh that."

"Yeah, that."

He leaned down and brushed their lips together. "Can't deny it, Fallon. That was amazing as well." As he stared at her, passion swirled in her eyes.

"Yes," she said throatily, "yes it was."

His cock stirred to life as her husky voice flowed over him, strumming his nerves. One corner of her mouth tipped up in a slight smile and Ian knew she realized what her affect was on him.

"Get in the car, Fallon," he ordered, unlocking the passenger door.

"Let me drive," she purred as she sashayed her tight ass around the front to the driver's side.