Page 64 of Point of Contact

She lifted her hands toward the ceiling, eyes on his face as he peeled her sweatshirt up and off. He moved to her knit pants, working them down to her ankles before slipping off her shoes and socks, followed by the pants. When he stood up, her eyes met his.

He wrapped his arms around her, fingers going under the elastic edge of the back of her sports bra. "What?"

"Why didn't you let Pierce yell at me?"

It was a good question. One that would be easy to blow off—to pretend was nothing—but they both obviously knew it was important. "Because you don't deserve to be yelled at." He lifted his chin. "Arms up again."

Again Courtney's hands lifted to the ceiling. "Yes I did. I was awful when I was here before. I wasted everyone's time. Alaskan Security's resources. Money."

Reed carefully worked the fitted garment past her full tits before skimming it up her arms, doing his best to ignore the way her dark nipples puckered when the cool air hit them. "I don't give a fuck if you wasted a million dollars and a year’s worth of man hours." He took a steeling breath before hooking his fingers into the waistband of her panties. "You just wanted somebody to give a shit about your existence and the only way you could make that happen was to pay for it."

There was no way to temper his tone. No way to keep from sounding as pissed off as he was. It was bullshit. Bullshit that she'd been left to fend for herself for so long, the only real way to get anyone at her side with money. No wonder she was so needy. So desperate.

He skimmed her panties down to the floor, pushing back to his feet without setting his eyes on what he'd revealed. "In the shower."

Courtney's feet didn't move, even though she was starting to shiver. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did." There was no way in hell he would let her believe he was one more person who didn't have her back. Not just because she'd had his on more than one occasion. But because even if she hadn't dragged his unconscious ass through a swamp, or broken a bench so she’d have something to help fight with, Courtney deserved to have someone stand up for her. Someone to cut the shit and make sure she was treated right.

Someone to protect her from a world that had unleashed nothing but shit on her head.

He rested his hands on her shoulders, urging her back, holding her steady as she stepped into the walk-in basin. He tried to step away, but her hand jumped to his chest, fisting into the fabric of his shirt. "Don't go."

He brought one hand to hers, ready to loosen her grip. "I’m not leaving. I'll be right outside the door."

Courtney shook her head, fingers gripping tighter. "I need you to stay."

He searched her face, looking for some explanation of why she was acting the way she was. He'd been at her side since they got out of the RV, but maybe he missed something. "Did somebody say something to you?" His hand clenched into a fist at the possibility. If anyone had upset her he would—

Courtney shook her head. "Nobody said anything." Her eyes moved over his face. "This is about whatyousaid. What youdid." Her fist relaxed, but one finger reached out to jab him in the center of the chest. "You're the problem."

His chin tucked in surprise. "I'm the problem?"

Courtney’s chin lifted as water cascaded over her skin. "Yes. You’re the fucking problem. You were just an asshole to your boss for me." She flung her hands out, slinging water droplets through the open glass door, hitting him and the wall beside him. "You need this job. You have to take care of your parents. You can't go around being a dick to Pierce. You should have just let him yell at me."

Reed almost smiled. There was the woman he knew. The woman he was already too fucking attached to. Her sudden outburst brought them back to more familiar territory. Unfortunately, it was also more combustible territory.

"Fuck. That." He enunciated each word, so she knew exactly where he stood on this. "I don't give a shit about Pierce."

He stopped short of finishing the thought. But it was clear from her expression that Courtney knew exactly what he wasn't saying.

That he didn’t give a shit about Pierce, but hedidgive a shit about her.

Her hand came back to the front of his shirt, grabbing hard and yanking him into the shower. Their bodies collided, her arm looping around his neck as his mouth hit hers, lips bumping, her back hitting the tile wall as water soaked his clothes.

She grabbed at his shirt, fighting the waterlogged fabric as she shoved it up his chest, wrestling it over his head before letting it drop to the basin with a heavy slap. "We're back in Alaska now, so you need to fuck me."

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

COURTNEY

SHE’D BEEN DESPERATE for many things in her life. Attention. Affection. Connection.

But this was different.

It was different because she had attention. She had affection. She had connection. Reed offered all of them.

But instead of being satisfied, thrilled that she finally had so much of what she always wanted, it made her greedy. Made her want more. More of this thing she couldn't have even imagined. Especially not with him.

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