Breathlessly, she struggled to refuse, butshe missed him so damn much she didn’t want to stop. “I’m still madat you.” Verbally, she tried to resist, but her damn traitorousbody, and her heart, weren’t listening. She knew he would stop ifshe really wanted him to. Rather than pushing him away as she knewshe should, she pulled him closer.
…
Trailing kisses along her shoulder, her neck,her forehead, he needed her to know how he felt. With each kiss, hetold her he loved her. Needed her. Wanted her.
He poured his soul into his kiss and hiswords, letting her know with each touch that she was the mostimportant thing in his life. Returning to her lips, his kiss, histouch became more desperate, the raw need exploding betweenthem.
With a feral growl, he pulled her closeragainst him and kissed her deeply. No more soothing, no more gentleseduction. He plundered.
And she responded unreservedly, granting hima temporary reprieve. She didn’t have it in her to ignore herheart, as much as her mind was furious with him.
Fire igniting, each could no longer discernwhere one ended and the other began. Lowering her back down to thebed, Ronan followed close behind and tore off her flimsynightclothes.
Greedily, he grasped her breast with one handand devoured the other, licking and suckling until she cried outhis name. He shifted and moved down her body, leaving a blazingtrail with his tongue. Ravenously, he pressed his tongue againsther core.
She gasped, breath coming faster and fasteras she lost control. Riding the wave of her erotic response, hesweetly tortured her with circles, pressure, and vibration untilshe couldn’t hold back the uninhibited cries of pure pleasure.
Still writhing in ecstasy, he flipped herover on top of him, putting her in control. Letting her know thathe was at her mercy. Guiding the pace, she lowered slowly onto him.Tormenting them both, she rocked her hips back and forth until shefound her rhythm. Taking what she wanted, what she needed.
Her back arched, head thrown back as shetriumphantly climaxed. She cried out as the orgasm ricochetedthrough her. Enthralled, Ronan tried to hold back his own releaseto prolong hers.
As her movements slowed and the orgasmreceded, he couldn’t wait any longer and grasped her hips andrenewed her rhythm. Gasping, she crested again, driving him evenwilder as she refused to leave him behind this time. Body tensing,nearing his release, he increased the rhythm, carrying them boththrough a torrential wave of ecstasy.
Limbs tangled, breath calming, neither spokefor several minutes. Thunder rolled overhead, flashing lightninglit up the room in dramatic applause. The sharp clinking ofraindrops on the roof evolved into a relentless roar.
Slowly, the magic of the moment faded.Reality came crashing back. He could feel her pulling away,emotionally as she did physically. Making it clear that he hadblown it, big time.
Cautiously, he propped himself up on hiselbow. After a quick check of the room, still undisturbed, heturned and rested his eyes on Payson. She looked so amazing, sobeautiful. He hadn’t come to ask for her forgiveness, nor to takeadvantage.
Needing her touch, he’d made love with herwith nothing held back. If she had resisted, he would have stopped.They hadn’t had a condom; he didn’t exactly have time to stop topick some up when he’d rushed across the Mediterranean to protecther from the danger that followed her.
Terrible as he felt that they hadn’t made thedecision together first, to risk it, he was thrilled at theprospect of making a family with Payson. Brought out some ratherprimitive, territorial feelings as well. He nearly laughed athimself and that odd testosterone-driven line ofpossessiveness.
His future was so clear now, that path hisdad had described was no longer hidden. Payson, him, maybe livingin the apartment above Flotsam together. He could pop downstairswith their little one anytime. Maybe he’d write during the day;he’d enjoyed writing way back when. Coach a little league teamevery summer, their little one bouncing on Payson’s knee. Or, maybeshe’d coach alongside him; those kids wouldn’t get away with athing with fun-loving, competitive Payson urging them on.
…Shit.That time in the shower in NewSussex. They had both been so caught up in the moment. Whatif…?
Shaking his head, he couldn’t think like thisright now. Getting lost in fantasy was downright dangerous when onan op. First, he had to get them both home. Safely.
“What time is it?” Still dark, Ronan couldn’ttell how long he’d slept by her side, before the not-so-gentleflick on the forehead.
Her fury with him had returned in full force.She held her expression neutral, but he couldn’t miss the firesparking in those fairy green eyes. Blandly, she replied afterglancing at her phone, “Six in the morning.”
“I’m going to grab a quick shower. Is thereany coffee or food around here? I’d like to explain, everything,but I need a shower first. I’ve been in four countries in the lastthree days. I stink.” Warily, she nodded in assent. Every muscle inhis body aching and tight, he hobbled across the room to theshower.
Payson climbed out of bed and tossed on acotton dress that didn't quite come to her knees. Avoiding watchinghim slip into the steaming spray of the shower, she was out of thesuite before he reached the bathroom.
A few minutes later, she returned with freshcroissants and coffees for them both. As Ronan pulled on his blacklow-slung cargo pants and a fitted black t-shirt, Payson set uptheir snack on the small table near the window. She went to openthe curtains to watch the sun rising over the vineyards, but Ronanstilled her hand. “Not yet.”
She sat and sipped her coffee, watching him,waiting, suspicious of his every movement. He sat in the otherchair and devoured his croissant within seconds. Laughing athimself, his terrible manners, he apologized, “Sorry, I haven’teaten in a while. As soon as I found out you were on your way here,I didn’t stop moving.”
She continued to stare at him, arms folded.Still furious. He wasn’t used to the silent treatment and didn’tcare for it. She wasn’t giving him an inch.
Knowing she wasn’t talking until heexplained, he leaned back in the undersized metal chair and sighed,considering where to begin. “My last mission still haunts me. Everynight, the disfigured images of the people I failed to save tormentme. The mission stalled; I did as much as I could, as much as I wasallowed, but then I was shot. Forced into retirement.”
He leaned back in his chair, staring downinto the dark liquid of his coffee cup as it chilled in his steadyhands. She remained still, arms folded across her chest. “Irecently learned there was… more to my sudden retirement. Forcingme on the disabled list was an easy way to get me out of thepicture.” He paused, reflecting on the words he’d finally saidaloud.
It wasn’t the toughest case he’d had to solvein his career, and it was proving to be the most personal. Tensinghis jaw, a snarl escaped from his tightly drawn mouth. Fists balledup, he quieted for a moment, listening for unusual sounds, ever onguard. He managed to gulp the remaining coffee and set down the cupbefore he chucked it across the room; restless, angry, unsure.
