Page 23 of Twister

She groaned. “Really? Do you have to do that? David is already hostile.”

He tapped the stop button, and the elevator paused. He turned to her to face him. Always a powerful presence in every way, he was especially overwhelming in this small space. She understood that he wasn’t looking for a fight here, but he had an always ready-for-action vibe. “Exactly. We need to deescalate that and make him understand that his behavior needs a check.” He reached up and brushed back wisps of her hair, his touch light and lingering. There was something in his eyes that revealed a depth of disquiet that hit home that he was convinced of everything he said. Stone cold reasoning. She responded to his worry, unable to resist caressing his taut face with immeasurable gentleness, trying to smooth away his concern. “The bottom line here is do you trust me or not, Sadie?”

She sensed that this was important, not only in their professional relationship but their personal one, too. His gaze was unwavering, and her voice was steady as she answered softly, “I trust you, Shane.” She was so drawn to this man’s power and tenacity, and she wanted to draw his energy into her body and mind. “Everything in me feels so disoriented, but on that one issue, I know for sure that you have my unwavering trust. I get you have strong opinions, and I do love your direct way of communicating. It’s refreshing and real.”

The muscle in his jaw twitched and he abruptly looked away, his expression still a bit guarded. Whatever had happened in hislife had most certainly left some scars. She wasn’t a stranger to them either. Maybe those wounds needed healing as much as hers did, and it left him unconsciously wary. She watched him, compassion stirring in her as she gently took his face between her hands and finally gave him what he was demanding she reveal, dreading where all this might lead.

“I had a relationship with Dylan Mercer, the diver who was murdered.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t?—”

“Please, don’t be. Dylan and I parted on very bad terms. He and David fought about me all the time. I didn’t think it was worth that much energy. I’m not anything special.” Twister frowned at those words but didn’t interrupt. “But Dylan was the weaker one in that relationship, and David tried everything he could to break us up. Finally, he told Dylan that it was either me or him. He chose me, but there were problems I wasn’t aware of until he started talking about us getting married, having children, and how I would have to give up my career to be the mother of those children.”

“Whoa.” Twister tightened his hold on her as she nodded. He shook his head, his eyes connecting frankly with hers. “Presumptuous that you went through all the training to then give it up in a few years. Very unreasonable.”

She hesitated as she considered what to say. It wasn’t going to be easy to not show David in a bad light. She really didn’t owe him anything but did understand that his friendship with Dylan was everything to him, and that’s what led to his terrible behavior toward her. She didn’t excuse it or condone it. Just was aware how much it must have hurt him. “Yeah, that was crazy talk because that wasn’t going to happen. I only knew him for about six months, and to be honest, I wasn’t feeling our relationship by the time dive school was over. We got separate assignments. I went to MDSU-1, and he went to 2. He wasballistic and even accused me of requesting a transfer so that I wasn’t in the same locker as he was. New divers don’t get a choice. He got unreasonable, and I broke it off before leaving Panama City. He sent me some ugly texts, and I blocked it all. I haven’t spoken to him since, but when I run into David, he likes to remind me what a bitch I am for breaking Dylan’s heart. My guess is they reconciled as friends after I was out of the picture and became an ‘I hate Sadie Club.’ It’s so strange to me that he would even care about me. He got back with Dylan, and that should have made him happy, but it didn’t.”

“That’s because he secretly wanted you all along, and truthfully, Dylan got in the way.”

“No, he was always so mean to me.”

“Ever seenLove Actually?” he asked.

She thought about the guy who was secretly in love with his best friend’s girlfriend and how nasty he was to her, so much so, she wanted to try to make it better, unaware of his feelings. “Oh,” she said softly.

Twister slipped his hand into her hair, cradling her head against his shoulder. Enfolding her in a close embrace, he nestled his cheek against her hair. “None of that matters now,” he said. “We’ll keep an eye on him.”

With her arms around his neck, she saw her watch, realizing that their time was slipping away. Neither of them could be late for the briefing. “We really have to go, no matter how much I wish we could turn this damn elevator around and go back to my room and just shut out the rest of the world.”

He took a hard breath, and she turned her head, pressing her face into the curve of his neck, and Twister’s hold tightened as he said, “Fuck that sounds so damn good.”

The huskiness in his voice infused her with a sudden weakness, and Sadie’s breath caught as her body responded to the closeness of his. But as much as she wanted to give way to thedeep pulsating need that was swelling in her, she knew that they just didn’t have time.

Somehow, she found the strength to resist the nearly overpowering attraction of his mouth, wondering how she was ever going to endure it when she had to let him go.

“There is one thing we can look forward to,” she said.

“What’s that?” he growled.

She grinned as she idly raked a nail across the dark hair on his face. “We are going to get some time off,” she whispered as his eyes glinted sharply like the edge of a steel blade. “And when we do…I hope all that energy I feel in you can last a good long time.”

He exhaled a long sigh. The gleam in his eyes intensified. She liked that he was so tall. He widened his stance and locked her hips against his, fusing their bodies together from shoulder to thigh in a perfect, intimate match. She sensed he was fighting his own battle, and struggling for some thin thread of composure, she turned her head and buried her face in the strong notch between his chin and shoulder.

He let his breath go in a rush of exasperation. “That statement isn’t conducive to me letting you go, woman.”

“I have some more good news to impart. I have a contraceptive implant, and I’m clean, so no need for condoms, unless….?”

“No, I’m clean,” he said, “and for us to continue with our professional job, you have to release me.”

With his arm angled across her back, he slid his hand up the back of her neck, his hold oddly protective. Sadie eased back into his embrace and gave him a terse look as she traced his enticing bottom lip with her thumb. She said in a throaty voice,” I don’t want to let you go, so I have conflicting emotions. Do you want to fight about it?”

He laughed. “Not right now. Although maybe later.”

“I’ll count the minutes.”

The laughter went out of his eyes as he gazed at her, the pulse in his neck suddenly noticeable. He spanned her jaw with his hand as he answered softly, “Now you’re giving me sass.”

Sadie read his intent, and a shudder ran through her as she hesitated while his eyes darkened. If he kissed her now, her resistance to him was so low she would be lost. And in spite of how much she wanted it to happen, she didn’t want either one of them to get in trouble.

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