Page 55 of Protector

“I’m so sorry. What a horrible thing for her to go through, and here I am feeling sorry for myself and my situation.”

“You can’t think of it like that. And Jade wouldn’t see it that way either. In fact, before the shit went down last night, she offered this place up for you many times.”

“Really?” Something in the light of her eyes tells me Jade’s approval means something to her.

“She did. She might look and act hard on the outside, but she is all marshmallow on the inside.”

Poking a finger at my bare chest, she squints. “Just like her brother.”

I grab her wrist, and our eyes lock, heat emanating between us. “You really are a dangerous woman, Shay.”

“I don’t know about that”—I let her remove my hand from her wrist, but then she places it over her bra-covered breast—“but I am in the mood to play with fire.”

I close my hand around her plump flesh as she leans forward, presses her lips to my chest, then drags them up my neck before placing a soft kiss behind my ear. “How close is Jade‘s room to this one?” she whispers, and the vibration against my ear sets me on fire. And just the mere suggestion brings out the beast in me. Nudging her back down on the bed, I hover over her, my lips brushing hers. “Far enough,” I say into her mouth, then nibble at the skin on her neck. “Plus, she runs three miles every morning, so I bet she’s not even here.”

“Maybe I’ll join her sometime, but I think we can get enough exercise right here, don’t you?” She lifts her thigh, running it up against mine and rounding it over my hip, her soft curves pressing against all the hard edges of my body.

I lift and catch her smiling, as she’s clearly enjoying this teasing game. But I’m not going to push her away this time. Instead, I cover her naughty grin with my mouth, kissing her deeply as I run my hand down her stomach to the waistband of her underwear. We’re both already breathing heavily, but I don’t want the sense of urgency racing through my system to cause this to be over too quickly. For both our sakes. I need to savor every moment with Shay when I have her like this, but I’m going to do it with nothing between us, so I make fast work of getting those panties down her legs before removing my own boxer briefs. She assists me in slipping off her bra, and the heat of our naked bodies layered on top of each other is like a heady mix of bliss and pain.

As our mouths devour each other’s, Shay’s hand finds mine, and we lace our fingers together. It’s tender and sweet and makes me ache for things I’m not sure I deserve or can hold on to. Still, I take the moment for what it is—until, that is, I can’t wait another second to have both hands on her. I want to show her everything I feel, bring her every pleasure she deserves.

After not nearly long enough of me worshipping her body, her own sense of urgency hits a peak, and I know she can’t wait any longer. “Brooks…”

I never thought hearing my name could have such an effect on me, butholy hell,the way it just came out of her mouth, breathy and needy, like I alone held her future in my hands. Gripping her thighs and pulling them around my waist, I enter her slowly at first, my mouth connecting with hers, stealing more moans from her mouth.

Her arms grasp tightly around my shoulders, and she tilts up into me as we move together, finding our rhythm, like a beautiful dance we both know the steps to, like it was made for us and us alone.

I’m so acutely aware of Shay’s body, her needs, I know the moment she’s ready to fly. “That’s it, Shay baby. I got you…”

The second her lips let out those hot little pants in my ear, I’m gone, too, flying right with her. Then her body shudders and holds me tighter, quiet groans escaping her lips as she brushes them over my neck and then my face. I capture her seeking mouth, and we touch and take and caress until the last pulses of pleasure leave our bodies.

Still breathing heavily against my mouth, Shay whispers. “Oh, Brooks, that was…” She pauses, and I feel the words she doesn’t say. I kiss her more, soft and slow, but when I pull back, there’s so much emotion on her face, her eyes soft and glassy.

“You okay?” I whisper.

“I am. I just…”

“What? I’m right here. What is it?”

Our breathing is calm now, and I flip our bodies, still slick with sweat, so I’m on my back, Shay plastered to my chest. I pull the sheet all the way over her, brush the hair out of her face. It’s clear to me now what she’s feeling, and I have to admit, my gut is already churning, anticipating her words.

Since she still hasn’t said a word and is resting her cheek on my chest, I rub her back for a few moments. “This was amazing. You’re amazing, Shay. I care about you so much.” Two people don’t share an incredible experience like that, something so powerful, without it meaning something. I just can’t make her any promises with everything in limbo like this.

Shay kisses my chest. “Don’t say any more,” she says, her voice filled with emotion. “I won’t let you break my heart, Brooks. Just…” Her hips start to move against me as she continues to kiss me, my pecs, my neck, my lips, firing me instantly back up. Then she pushes up to sit, straddling me, the sheet falling off her, and it’s the most stunning sight I’ve ever seen.

So, I do as she asks, don’t say a word as I grab her rounded hips and take us to the place that belongs only to us.

* * *

Shay and I are both on our laptops as Jade stands at the counter making her famous guacamole, using avocados fresh from the trees out back. She likes to fill every moment of her time, so hiding out here is sometimes a challenge for her. Which is one of the reasons she insisted on making us breakfast; of course, Shay wouldn’t have it and insisted on helping as well as doing the cleanup. And damn it if I wasn’t having fantasies about living with Shay like normal freaking people, having meals together and being annoyingly happy. I shut down those dangerous visions damn quick, though.

I’m just about to pull up the security footage from last night when Shay’s voice grabs my attention. I can tell she’s talking to a friend and just hope it’s not Rio. She already talked to her mom early this morning.

“I know… I promise I’m fine, Cal.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I turn my attention back to the computer, pull up the footage and start watching. Even though I know the time I caught Stalker Sam in the act, we don’t know how long he was on the property, so I start a few hours before just to be sure.

Shay comes up behind me and watches over my shoulder. “See him yet?”

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