Page 59 of Abducted

“Can I come?”

“Not this time, babe. But I won’t be long, and I think you’ll be pretty happy with what I bring back.”

Her eyebrows rose. “It’s a surprise?”

“Yup.”

“Okay, you get brownie points for that one.” A smile returned to her mouth, easing the frown lines on her forehead. She stood from the island, her plate not yet finished.

Her fingers clasped his, pulling him to his feet. He took a hasty bite of his pancakes before he let her drag him away. “I think I need a shower… and so do you.”

The hunger in his belly died. His body went on alert. Good God, he loved her sexuality. He winked at her, sending her laughing and scampering to the master bedroom. He chased her into the bedroom and swooped her up and into his arms.

He could get used to this.

CHAPTER 20

They lazed aroundall morning until Ethan showed up. While Cal was gone, Lana put her sweats on and made use of the workout room. Her usually lithe and flexible muscles were as tight as a guitar string. The sun creeped over the mountains, lighting the sky with its pink and orange glow. She stretched out on a mat. Her hips—as well as other places—ached from sex. A delightful shiver raced through her. Amazing sex, but nonetheless, her body was sore.

Fuzzy warmth spread through her veins at the memory. The scar on his chest had been a harsh reminder of how different they were. But did it matter? Couldn’t they try to make things work? It hadn’t been an issue so far, but when she went back to her old life, it could be a problem. She would always worry about him. He was strong and capable, but he wasn’t invincible. At the same time, she didn’t want to come between him and his career.

Aside from that, there was her family to think about. Her mom had always been supportive, and if she knew Lana was happy, that would be enough for her. Her father, on the other hand… He cared about her happiness, undoubtedly. But to him, security and social standing were also important. Not just for her, but for his own image. As he’d told her a million times before, professionalism came first in order to be successful. That was why he’d always been so strict about her personal life.

She pushed herself up to a downward-facing dog pose, releasing the tension in her shoulders. She wasn’t a child anymore. For God’s sake, her mother had been twenty-two when she’d married Lana’s father and twenty-three when she’d had Lana. Their marriage had lasted twelve years.

Her mother had told her that they’d divorced because her father hadn’t been able or willing to slow down. He’d been too busy growing his empire to spend time on his marriage. Eventually she’d had it, and she’d left.

At twenty-six, Lana didn’t need his permission or approval regarding her personal life. Distaste filler her mouth. She didn’t want to fight with him, but he would have to respect her decisions.

After her workout, she passed Ethan in the kitchen on his phone, talking to Cal. “She’s right here, do you want to talk to her?” he said.

Lana paused, waiting.

Ethan nodded, then, “Sounds good, we’ll see you in a bit.” He hung up the phone.

She balanced her hand on her hip, her eyebrows lowered. “Cal didn’t want to talk to me?”

He gave a slight shrug. The movement was awkward on his enormous frame. “He said he wouldn’t be long.”

That was odd. Why wouldn’t he at least speak with her? She shrugged. Soon he would be home and she could ask him herself.

“All right. Can you tell him to come find me when he gets home? I’m going to shower.”

Ethan’s ears turned pink. He scratched his head, his gaze at the floor. “Ah, sure—”

“I mean…” Oh God. Her cheeks burned. How was she going to clarify that one?

He waved her off. She ducked her head and laughed as she exited the kitchen. In the shower, images of the night before branded her under the hot water. Cal’s mouth on her wet body, her insides quaking as he brought her to climax. God, he knew his way around a woman’s body.

She got dressed and applied her makeup. A glance at the clock showed her it was going on noon. He’d been gone almost two hours. What on earth was he doing that was so secretive?

Woof, woof!

She shoved the mascara wand back in the tube and straightened her shirt. Rufus’s excited barks echoed down the hall. She frowned. It wasn’t like him to carry on like that. Just as she approached the bedroom door, it opened. Cal’s shoulders blocked the doorway.

“Come here, babe.” He held his hand out to her. A wicked smile played over his mouth.

Her frown deepened. She curled her fingers into his palm. “What’s going on?”

---