“Yep. You’re the boss,” Justin said, sitting back in his seat, rolling his shoulders a bit.
Shane put the Kia in gear and drove out of the neighborhood. As they approached the apartment complex, Justin spoke again.
“So listen, it would be best if we kept this between us. I’m not sure Ro would, um. It would just be easier if you let me tell her. Okay?”
Another piece of the puzzle, interesting. “Yeah, sure. I’ll let you handle Ro. You want to go out again?” Shane smiled.
“Yeah, whenever is fine. I’d rather be doing this than flipping burgers, so yeah, let me know.” Justin smiled back at him. And nodded his head a few times, pleased with the progress of the day.
“You got a phone?” Shane asked.
“No. No phone. But I’ll let you know where I am if I’m not at Ro’s.” Justin laughed dryly, as if the thought of having a phone was ridiculous.
They pulled into the lot and parked.
“Thanks, man,” Justin said as he opened the door and jumped out of the car.
“No worries.”
He watched as Justin bounded up the stairs and opened the door to Rowan’s apartment. If he was curious about her before his day with Justin, he was even more so now. Justin had only managed to whet his appetite and he wanted to know more. Much more.
*****
Walking into her apartment, Rowan smiled when the clean smell of Comet and bleach hit her. Ah, welcome smells after a day behind the greasy grill. Walking into the kitchen, Rowan found Justin mopping the tiny floor.
“Hey you. I see you haven’t forgotten how to be a good ‘Enviorator’!” Rowan laughed, using finger quotes to remind him of their old terms from back home.
“Oh god. Don’t even go there. I’m simply cleaning because this place smelled like old grease and sweat-a lot like you, in fact,” he said while rummaged around under the sink. “Here,” handing her a plastic garbage bag, “Put those stinky clothes in this and hit the shower. You need a new job!”
Rowan laughed and took the bag. She wasn’t going to disagree with him on any front. She stunk, the apartment stunk, and she needed a new job. She’d have to get on that, and soon. She saw the pool schedule today. The pool pretty much shut down after Labor Day.
As she let the warm water rinse off the grease and grime of her day, she let her mind wander back to Shane. She knew he was a PI, but she also knew he was a decent man and wouldn’t hurt her. She still didn’t know why, but she just knew that. She didn’t trust him though; she’d never make that mistake again. But, she wouldn’t mind a night underneath him. Her body quivered at the thought of it.
Things were just a little more challenging with Justin around. They’d have to leave the apartment, which meant that he was going to have to invite her over. As the water slipped down her body, caressing her inner thighs, her resolve got stronger. She would just have to invite herself over to his place. And soon.
She thought of Shane’s dark eyes and short cropped, almost spiky, hair, his lean muscles and flat stomach, and of his masculine hands. She thought of Shane at the pool in his board shorts, a happy trail leading down his lower abdomen to underneath his shorts. She shuddered at what lay covered by the thin cloth. Yes, she was definitely going to invite herself over. Tonight.
She washed her short hair and stepped out into the heat. The evenings seemed to be the hottest part of the day here. The heat dragged on and on long after the sun went down. As if it was leaking out of the concrete that surrounded them, the heat penetrated long into the night.
Choosing shorts and a tank top, she dressed quickly, hoping to spend a little time with Justin before bolting to Shane’s.
“You hungry?” She heard Justin ask from the kitchen.
“Yeah, but it’s so hot. I almost don’t want to eat anything,” She called back.
“Ro. Come here,” Justin shouted.
She sprinted into the kitchen. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Jeeze. I made a tomato and cucumber salad. I was thinking of going out later. Ya know, check out the scene. But thought we could eat first.” Justin was stirring the bowl, looking perfectly relaxed.
“Nice.” Rowan tried to calm her nerves. “Hey, how’d it go finding work today?”
“Ya know how it is,” Justin said vaguely.
“Yeah. I know. I’m going to have to start waiting tables again. I tried bartending, but that didn’t go well,” she told him, as she gathered the plates and forks.
“You’d make a pretty good bartender. What happened?” he asked.
“I tried going to the bar and tasting the different drinks. Making notes. But ended up with a little too much tasting. Anyway, got my ass out of there, and that was that,” Rowan answered him, a little sheepishly.
Justin stopped and looked at her, amusement clearly written all over his face. “You got drunk?”
Rowan could tell he was holding back his big belly laugh. “Oh, shut up!”
Justin roared with laughter. Rowan started laughing too. Thank God Shane had been there.
“You can thank Shane for driving me home. It was stupid, and just ‘cause I did it doesn’t mean you can,” she scolded him.
“Shane was there?” Justin asked abruptly.
“He wasn’t with me. He was there and noticed that I needed a ride.” She trailed off, not wanting to discuss Shane with Justin.
“I hold my liquor better than you, anyway,” Justin said as he served the salads.
“Since when do you drink, Mister?” She looked at him with what felt like her sternest look.
“Ro. I went to public high school. I’ve been drinking,” he told her matter of factly.
Oh, she hadn’t thought of that. He did have to fit in, after all. That made sense. She took her salad and moved to the bean bags.
“As long as it doesn’t get out of controlâ” She started, but Justin cut her off.
“Don’t,” he said, a warning in his voice.
They ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The salad was good and just what Rowan needed. She forgot how caring and empathic he was with her. He always seemed to know what she needed. She smiled at him.
“Don’t go there, either,” Justin told her, smiling.
“I was just going to say thanks for the salad. It really hit the spot.” She ruffled his fuzzy hair as she walked back to the kitchen.
The knock on the door made them both jump. Justin stood and waited. Rowan opened the door a crack and sighed when she saw it was only Shane.
“Hi.” She opened the door all the way to let him in.
He stepped in and nodded to Justin, then turned his attention to Rowan.
“So, I was thinking, do you want to come back to my place for a while?”
Rowan’s heart rate spiked, but she played it cool. Or thought she did.
“Yeah, well, you guys do whatever you want. I’m outta here.” Justin put down his salad bowl and walked back to the bedroom.
“Justin. You don’t have to leave,” Rowan called down the hall. She looked at Shane and put up a finger, asking him to wait a second. She headed down the hall. “Justin. I’ll leave. You stay here. It’s okay. This is your place too.”
Justin was shoving his wallet into his pants. “Don’t worry about it. I need to bounce. I won’t wait up for you,” he said as he walked down the hall, grinning. “Shane.” He nodded to Shane as he left and walked out the door.
Shane and Rowan stood looking at each other. In that moment, Rowan knew. Tonight would be her night with him. It was early, and for that she was thankful, because she wanted this one night to last as long as possible. Shane’s eyes flashed at her as he seemed to read her mind.
“I guess we should go, then,” Rowan said, a little more breathy than she intended.
Shane smiled and his dark eyes flashed again as he turned and opened the door. She flipped off the lights, grabbed her keys, and followed him out. As if already understood, Shane put his hand on her low back while they walked
down the stairs to his apartment. Rowan felt his body heat seeping into her system, causing her body to both relax and ramp up at the same time.
Shane opened his door and waited for her to enter. Obviously he was expecting her; the lights were low, there was a bottle of wine breathing on the table, and soft music was playing. Rowan grinned.
“I’m guessing you thought I was a sure thing, huh?” she said.
“No, but a man can dream, and every once in a while, get lucky,” he said, his eyebrows rising.
They both laughed. Rowan noticed that she wasn’t nervous. Excited yes, but none of the awkwardness she usually experienced with her lovers was present. His apartment was so much nicer than hers. So much more permanent. Heavy bookcases lined the walls and a large TV sat in an entertainment center with stacks of DVD cases and a stereo. His kitchen had an actual table and four chairs. She sat in one of them, grateful of their presence. Maybe she should get some chairs. Even folding chairs might be nice.
Shane poured the wine. As he came close to her, she flashed on the feeling of his hand stroking her thigh. A small shudder eased across her body at the memory. He handed her the glass of wine, watching her as she sipped it. Looking up, she saw something cross his eyes briefly.
“You okay?” she asked, not knowing if that was desire, fear, or something else.
He paused, looked her square in the eye, and laughed uncomfortably. “Yeah. Nothing really gets past you, huh?”
Not sure what that even meant, Rowan just laughed and drank another sip of wine. She felt him watching her again. Never had a man just watched her like he did. Her blood warmed at the thought.
Suddenly too warm under his scrutiny to sit, she stood and started to study the bookshelves. She loved books. That was truly the one thing she missed these last few years, being surrounded by her books.
She could hear him chuckling behind her, but she continued to peruse the titles. Mostly popular mysteries and action paperbacks lined the shelves, but there were some unusual titles as well. Injuries Children Could Never Acquire Themselves, and Trade Secrets of the Best PIs in the Business. Run But You Cannot Hide gave her a moment’s pause.
“That’s some nice reading, there. Not too pretty, but great insights into the business.” Shane’s voice was close. She could feel his hot breath on her neck.
“Yes. I can see that. I think I’d rather read Lee Child than the one about injuries.” Rowan laughed a little.
Electricity skidded across her skin as he continued to stand so close to her. Goosebumps broke out across her arms, and her heart fluttered as he laughed deeply behind her.
His hand caressed the back of her head as he pulled her hair off of her neck. She felt his hot lips brush against her soft skin.
With a deep exhale, he told her, “God, Rowan, you are so beautiful. Please tell me this is okay.”
Her entire being tightened. Heat flashed up her body, and just as quickly a shiver wracked her insides. His hot mouth slid up her neck, tiny kisses following all the way back down to her shoulder.
Holding her wine glass so tightly, Rowan was afraid she was going to break it. Her entire body was on fire, waiting for more. Torn between wanting to turn and devour his mouth and wanting him to continue his delicious assault on her neck, she stood motionless, panting.
Slowly, he turned her, kissing her collarbone and neck as she moved in his arms. He took the wine glass out of her hand and set it on the shelf. His five o’clock shadow gently scraped across the delicate skin along her neck as he placed slow, open mouth kisses down to her collarbone.
She opened her eyes to see his, dark and stormy, staring at her, his question lingering in the air. “Yes,” she breathed, “Yes, this is okay.”
With that he leaned into her, his lips hovering just over hers, waiting. She could feel his breath on her mouth, and with each passing second she wanted him more. No, needed him to kiss her. Finally, she leaned into him, their lips colliding. His lips were soft and warm and she sank into them. When his tongue found its way inside her mouth, her brain felt as if fire works were shooting out of it.
With her hands now free of the useless glass, she ran them up his strong arms, across his shoulders. His muscles were flexing and twitching under her touch. She ran her nails up his neck and drove her fingers into his hair. What little there was of it, the softness with his short cut surprised her. Her fingers felt like they were running though silk.
A low growl from deep within him let loose as his mouth found her breast. With quick hands, he lifted her shirt and pulled it off her head. As his mouth came back down over her lace covered nipple, Rowan shuddered.
Each touch, each kiss, felt as if hot wax was dripping into her veins. Soon her body felt like molten lava. Strong hands smoothed along her thighs and cupped her ass, squeezing. She pushed up on his shoulders and jumped up into him, wrapping her legs around his waist.
The moved seemed to surprise him, and another moan escaped as he took her ass with both hands and carried her away from the forgotten books. Rowan knew they were moving, but didn’t care where. She knew only his touch. All other thought, worry, and mantra were blown away. His touch scorched her skin, heating her blood so fast she feared she might combust.
Even while he walked, his magic mouth nipped and kissed her along her neck. His hands kneaded her ass, teasing her like no one had ever done before. He sat her down on the bed and started to toe off his shoes. She unsnapped her bra and slid off her shorts, swallowing hard as he whipped off his shirt, exposing his hard abs and large chest.
Nothing ever looked so tantalizing. His eyes flashed again, that look made her slick between her legs instantly. He paused, panting.
“Jesus,” he said under his breath.
Rowan smiled, her eyes dancing. “Yeah. I’m right there.”
With that he slammed down on top of her, covering her naked body with his. His hands slid across her skin in long sensual strokes. He continued to kiss her neck, just under her ear, all while his large hands swept up and down her body, running along her hips and ribs, down her legs. Rowan leaned her head back, drowning in the sweet feel of his rough hands.
Shane worked his way down her sides, kissing and running his tongue along her ribs. His hand smoothed along her right side while his mouth worshipped her left. As his mouth kissed the soft part between her ribs and hips, her pelvis flew off the bed, arching toward him. The need she felt was driving her wild.
“Shane,” she moaned. “Please. I need you inside of me.”
He didn’t move, but she felt him smile into her hip as he continued his sweet torture. His right hand glided toward the center of her flat stomach, slowly slipping down. His fingers light, barely brushing across her skin. His mouth, still hot and wet, worked its way down to her center.
“Shane,” Rowan cried out with a rough, deep voice, hardly recognizable.
His fingers found the small bit of hair covering her mound. His tongue slid down, meeting up with his hand, as if he planned it that way. Again, her hips thrust up against him, arching, reaching, begging.
“Easy,” Shane breathed out, his mouth inches from her sex.
Rowan stilled. Panting, feeling his hand and his breath on her, waiting. Right before she was going to completely lose it, she felt his tongue slide across her. A cry fell out of her and he held her hips steady. Rowan saw stars behind her eyes with his second pass, his tongue dipping inside of her briefly. She growled.
An actual growl erupted from her throat. If Rowan had had her mental facilities, she would have been shocked, but as it was, she didn’t even notice. Electric currents were shooting from his tongue up her body, curling her toes and making her scalp tingle. When his mouth settled around her clit, she felt herself vibrating.
Nothing had prepared her for this. She somehow always knew that sex with Shane would be explosive, and even though it had been a long time since she had been with anyone, this was still beyond anything she could’ve imagined. None of her lovers had ever had her on ed
ge like this. Never had she seen stars, or felt like she was drowning in the sensations of her own body.
“Jesus, Rowan. You taste so fucking good.” Shane groaned while flicking his tongue over her clit.
The orgasm that hit was something out of this world. Suddenly, her brain exploded with pleasure while her insides pulsated and flooded. The scream that Rowan heard must have come from her, but she was too far gone to hear it or even register that it came from her throat. It would only be later, when she felt the rawness, that she would know for sure.
*****
Looking down at the most beautiful and sexy creature Shane had ever seen in his life, his heart squeezed and he almost stopped breathing. She lay there, spread open, wet and panting. Her eyes were glowing hazel. Glowing. He had never seen anything like it before.
His tongue ran over his lips and he could taste the sweetest flavor: her. If he thought her noises and movements were fucking hot before she came on his tongue, afterward there was nothing better. His mind was completely blown, and he hadn’t even been inside of her yet.
He needed to be inside of her right now. Stepping back to get a condom was almost painful, he didn’t want to take his eyes off her. He still couldn’t believe she was there, in his bed, open and waiting for him. A shudder ran through his body as he thought about what was next.
Grinning like a fool, he slipped the condom over his rock hard length and covered her body with his. Rowan arched up to meet him, pushing her perfect breasts into his chest as their bodies met. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer.
His cock jerked as he felt the heat of her skin so close to him. His mouth went back to her neck. Oh, that glorious neck, so long and edible. He couldn’t get enough of it. Sliding his hand across her body once again, he felt her tremors underneath his fingers all the way down. Reaching into the center of the two of them, he grabbed his cock and positioned himself right at her entrance.
Rowan sighed as her eyes fluttered. He wanted to go slow and enjoy every inch as he sunk into heaven. Watching her and listening to her purr like a cat, he couldn’t wait. He needed to be balls deep, right now. He slammed his hips down and drove all the way in.
Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom Page 117
