by Zara Keane
Shane’s cousins erupted with laughter. Flash, unsure of their intent, pawed at Shane’s leg and whined to be picked up. “Don’t listen to those eejits,” he said as he scooped up the puppy. “You’re smarter than the pair of them combined.”
“Why’s he here, anyway?” Dan asked, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “What’s he done to your apartment?”
“What you’re really asking is what’s he about to do to your gym. Nothing—as long as I keep an eye on him. It’s when I don’t pay attention that the trouble starts.”
“If he chews on anything he’s not supposed to, he’s out on his tail,” Dan warned. “I’m serious, Shane. I can’t have him pissing all over the place.”
“I’ll make sure he behaves. I brought his cage in the hope he’ll snooze.”
Dan eyed the dog warily. “He looks wide awake to me.”
“When’s Ruthie due to arrive?” Lar asked, bouncing back and forth in a boxer shuffle. “Because we don’t want to cramp your style. Five’s a crowd and all that.”
“Five’s a crowd…and yet you made sure to be here.”
“Unless you want us to stay,” Lar added slyly. “Seeing as she’s just an old pal…”
“It’s Dan’s gym. You can do what you like.” Shane pulled on his gloves and headed for the bags, Flash at his heels.
“Tell you what,” Lar said, bringing up the rear. “Dan and I will go into a ring and spar for a bit while Gen goes to the weight room. That’ll give you and Ruthie some privacy.”
“We don’t need privacy. I’m hardly going to bone her with you three prowling the premises.”
“So you have considered it?” Lar punched his palm and beamed with delight. “I knew it. A much better choice than Adam Kowalski’s ex.”
Shane bit back a nasty retort. His irritation with Lar was only partly to do with the teasing over Ruthie and the dog. Looking his cousin in the eye was hard to do these days, yet he had to maintain a semblance of normality in their interaction.
“Hey, do you want to watch a film or something this evening?” Lar asked. “Gen is meeting Emma for drinks, and I’m home alone.”
“And you find yourself at a loose end.” Despite his efforts to keep his tone neutral, Shane registered the irritation in his voice.
Lar met his eye. “I’m sorry I’ve been busy lately. With starting the company and Gen moving in, I haven’t had a chance for downtime.”
Shane took the steps up to the area that housed the training bags. Lar followed him.
“Come on, man. What’s up? You’ve been moody for weeks.”
Shane stiffened, and a surge of fury burned his chest. He wanted to rant and rave at his cousin, but he needed to keep his cool for a while more. Just long enough to find out what information Lar had passed on to the government. “I’m okay,” he said, “really.”
“Bollocks. It’s not like you to be surly and uncommunicative.”
“We can’t all be as charming as you,” Shane said dryly. “In case it’s escaped your notice, I’m always quieter than you are.”
“Yeah, but with outsiders. Never with family and friends. Is Frank giving you a hard time for joining the Triskelion Team?”
“He’s not pleased.” This statement was true but it wasn’t the reason for Shane’s aloofness.
Lar sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry, cuz. Breaking away from Frank’s influence is bound to be harder for you than for Dan and me. Why don’t you come round to my place later? I’ll stock up on whiskey and we can watch a shite film and have a laugh.”
“Not tonight,” Shane said quickly. He wasn’t ready to be alone with his cousin, faking sociability.
“Ah-ha.” Lar grinned. “Are you meeting Ruthie?”
“Yeah,” Shane replied, seizing on the excuse. “I’m cooking her dinner.”
“Are you now?” asked a very familiar female voice. “What’s on the menu?”
Shane and Lar spun around. Ruthie stood at the top of the steps, clad in workout gear and wearing a knowing smile. Shane’s heart skidded and thumped against his ribs. She looked so damn sexy in her boxing shorts and the tight tank top that showed off her firm upper arms. Had circumstances been different, he’d have shoved her against the wall and kissed her, long and hard. And then he’d have stripped her out of those shorts and taken her right there and then and screw the consequences.
“You know he’s a lousy cook, right? You’d better stock up on indigestion tablets.” Lar slid into charm mode, flashing Ruthie the killer smile that had seduced countless women over the years. Shane wasn’t even sure his cousin was aware of his natural charisma, but he was painfully aware of his lack thereof. All through their teen years, girls had flocked to Lar and ignored his geeky sidekick. Shane had gained confidence over time, but there were moments he still felt overshadowed by his confident cousin.
In contrast to just about every other instance of Shane and Lar talking to the same woman, Ruthie’s eyes slid toward Shane’s. She held his gaze for a long moment, and then a sly smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “No need to worry. I’ve agreed to give Shane a cooking lesson.”
Shane’s body tightened. She managed to make it sound like a lesson in a lot more than cooking.
“Shane is learning to cook?” Gen climbed up to join them, glanced curiously at Ruthie, and smiled. “Hi, there. I’m Gen, Lar’s girlfriend.”
“Ruthie Reynolds. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Had she? Not from him. Big Mike must have mentioned Lar’s new girlfriend.
“If you’re in Dublin for a while, I’m sure we’ll run into each other again,” Gen said smoothly, shooting Shane a mischievous glance. “Maybe even next Saturday.”
Jaysus. Gen didn’t do subtlety. Although inviting Ruthie to Siobhan’s party had crossed his mind…
A grin suffused Ruthie’s face. “Once I’ve taught Shane to cook, maybe he can cook us all dinner.”
“Haha. Very funny.” Not that she could know, but dinner with Lar was the last thing Shane wanted to do. He ran a hand over the back of his neck. Shit. It was too early in the morning to deal with all these people, especially ones who stirred up strong emotions. “Want to get started?” he asked Ruthie.
She nodded. “Sure.”
An amused smile tugged at the corners of Gen’s mouth, but she took the hint. “Let’s leave them to it, Lar. Will you be at the office later, Shane?”
He grunted his assent. “Gotta hand in a report.”
“I’ll see you then.” Gen nodded at Ruthie. “Nice to meet you.”
Lar’s gaze moved from Ruthie to Shane and back again. “We’ll leave you two to punch each other’s lights out in preparation for your romantic evening together. I can see it now—matching black eyes to go with the lovey-dovey expressions.”
Shane’s cheeks grew warm. “Get screwed.”
Lar’s laughter echoed back at them as he descended the stairs. “I’ll leave that pleasure to the two of you.”
“Don’t mind him,” Shane said after Lar and Gen were out of earshot. “He’s a dork.”
Ruthie raised an eyebrow. “Did I sense an edge to that exchange?”
She was too sharp for his own good. “It’s…complicated.”
“And you’d rather not talk about it,” she finished with a grin. “Got it.”
“How did you get in? I didn’t hear my phone ring.”
“I knocked on the back door on the off-chance you’d hear me and Dan let me in.” She cocked her head to the side. “So…were you serious about dinner?”
“Assuming you don’t have plans, sure.”
She flashed him a cheeky grin. “I’m not sure how great a teacher I’ll be if you want to learn how to cook. I can just about boil water.”
He laughed. Man, having Ruthie around even made mornings bearable. “How about takeout?”
“That sounds like an excellent plan.”
Shane checked his gloves. “Ready to get to work?”
“Definitely. I haven�
�t had a good workout since I got back to Dublin. I’ve gone jogging, but it’s not the same. There’s something cathartic about practicing my punches.”
“It’s a great stress reliever.” And stress relief was what he’d needed over the last few weeks.
“I know what you mean.” She grabbed a bag, then got her fists into position. “Okay. Here goes. Thirty minutes or bust.”
Once they started, conversation ceased. For the first few minutes, Shane was hyperaware of Ruthie’s presence, but the familiar rhythmic pounding and the sound of their footfalls bouncing back and forth eased him into a state of extreme focus. Flash snuffled around the room for a while before he settled onto his blanket and fell asleep.
Thirty minutes became forty and then fifty. Gen and his cousins called goodbye when they left, leaving Shane and Ruthie alone in the gym. After they’d been working out for a solid hour, they were both covered in sweat and flushed from their boxer’s high.
“Gosh, I needed that.” Ruthie mopped her brow with a towel. Even wet with sweat, she was hot as hell. “But now I need a shower.”
A vision of Ruthie naked turned his mouth to ash. Her eyes met his and darkened with a desire that matched his own. He took a step toward her, noting her intake of breath. “Want help with your shower gel, Miss Ruthie?”
“Oh, yes,” she said, her voice a husky whisper that made him throb with need. “But on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
She smiled and drew a fingertip down his torso, pausing just above the waistline of his shorts. “I get to help you with yours.”
14
Shane dragged her toward the shower room and pushed her against the wall. When he claimed her mouth with his, the last vestiges of Ruthie’s self-control shattered. Oh, God, yes. He deepened the kiss, turning her world into a kaleidoscope of physical reactions. She ran her palms down his chest, pausing to tease first his nipples and then his navel.
“You’re gorgeous,” he murmured. “So beautiful.”
His touch sent a ripple of desire through her body. She stared, mesmerized, at his muscles. He was strong and well built by nature, but hours of training at the bags had added to his bulk.
She traced a tattoo of a mermaid. “I like this one,” she said. “It’s new since I first saw you with your shirt off.”
“I’ve added a few tattoos and piercings since then, but I have a long way to go before I catch up with Dan.”
“New piercings?” She tweaked his nipple rings. “I didn’t notice any.”
His rough laugh had an aphrodisiac effect, especially when coupled with him touching her bare arm. “That’s because we didn’t get far enough last time for you to see them. I’m happy to model them for you now.”
Her mouth grew dry and her body ached with need. She’d wanted Shane all those years ago, but the intense desire she felt now made those tentative feelings pale in comparison. “I’m more than happy to let you put on a private ‘modeling’ show for me, Shane Delaney. Dare I hope it involves you getting naked?”
His laughter intensified. “It would be hard to show you all my piercings if I didn’t.” He tugged at her top and pulled it over her head. Underneath, she wore her sweaty sports bra.
“I wasn’t planning on being seduced,” she whispered.
“You look beautiful, Ruthie. You’re perfect as you are.”
“I’d have preferred to wow you with sexy underwear.”
“Nah,” he said and tugged at her bra strap. “It suits you better than latex or lace.”
“Latex?” Ruthie shuddered. “I can’t imagine wearing latex underwear.”
He grinned. “Like I said before, I’m used to seeing lingerie at my father’s club. It takes all sorts, I guess. But right now, the only woman’s underwear I’m interested in is yours…and my main concern is removing it.”
Ruthie took a deep breath. I can do this. He doesn’t need to know. She reached behind her and snapped her bra open.
Shane eased the straps down over her shoulders until she let it fall to the floor. “You’re perfect, Ruthie,” he said in a hoarse voice. “Absolutely perfect.” And then he bent down and claimed one of her nipples with his mouth. She gasped and pressed her head back against the shower wall. God, it felt good. His beard tickled the soft skin of her breast while he suckled her, and his free hand roamed over her torso to tickle her belly and massage her other breast.
Ruthie’s breathing changed in tune with her arousal, and by the time Shane claimed her other nipple, she was achy with need. A thought danced through her mind. I should tell him. I should warn him that I’ve never…
A new sensation jolted her back to reality. Shane had trailed kisses over her abdomen and was now teasing her inner thighs with his lips and skimming his thumbs underneath the sides of her knickers. She should tell him to stop, say they needed to talk, but stopping was the last thing she wanted him to do. He tugged her knickers over her hips and down her legs. When they reached her ankles, she kicked them off, her stare never leaving Shane’s face. As he raked her naked body with his eyes, his pupils dilated. “You’re gorgeous, Ruthie.”
Her cheeks burned and her heart beat a little faster. Here goes. She straightened her back, stuck out her chest, and resisted the urge to hide her naked body. “There’s only one problem with this scenario,” she said, enjoying watching him watching her. “You’re still dressed.”
Shane grinned. “Not for long.”
Ruthie’s reached out to touch his chest at the precise moment Shane dropped his pants. Her gaze dropped southward.
And she sucked in a breath.
His smooth shaft was already hard. And much bigger than she’d anticipated.
She exhaled in a whoosh as all her old fears flooded back. She couldn’t do this. She’d waited too long to lose her virginity. Who was still a virgin at twenty-five? Ruthie squared her shoulders and slammed her insecurities back in the mental drawer where they belonged. No way was she letting her lack of experience chafe at her self-confidence today. Even if Shane wasn’t sexy as sin, she had a job to do.
He closed the space between them. A wicked smile tugged at his lips. “Time to get wet, Miss Ruthie.”
She blinked in confusion. “What—?”
Before she could register his intent, he’d reached behind her and switched on the shower. Warm water cascaded over her body, washing away the sweat from her workout.
He raised one eyebrow and held up a bottle of shower gel. “Want me to get to work?”
“I…” Her mouth grew dry, her breathing shallow. “Yes.”
He started on her arms, massaging the shower gel onto her skin. He worked it into a lather on her back, and his hands moved to her front. By the time he touched her breasts, Ruthie’s knees had turned to mush. Shane caressed her breasts with a sinful reverence that made her ache for him in all the right places.
“They’re perfect,” he murmured, rolling her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re perfect.”
“My turn,” she whispered. “I want to soap you.”
His broad smile brought a twinkle to his eyes. He handed her the shower gel. “Be my guest.”
Ruthie started on his torso, working the gel into a lather while tracing the lines of his tattoos. “A triskelion,” she murmured, pausing at one.
“I got it when I joined the Triskelion Team. That’s the name of Lar’s new private security firm.”
“Dad mentioned it.” And even if he hadn’t, the name was included in the agency files she’d read before traveling to Dublin. Her head spun in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. She wanted this. She wanted him. But how much of her willingness to push past her fears was down to her need to get into his confidence—and better still, his computer?
Shane took her into his arms and kissed her. In the heat of his searing kiss, Ruthie’s doubts evaporated. She melted against his chest, relishing the sensation of his wet, soapy skin against hers. Before her brain registered what her hands were doing, she wa
s stroking his erection. Silky-smooth skin contrasted with rock hardness. Her movements were tentative at first, but curiosity soon won out over shyness. Ruthie explored his balls, laughing when he groaned in pleasure. She drew her hand up his shaft to tease the tip.
“You’re killing me,” Shane grunted. “I don’t know how much time we have until the guys start arriving to train.”
She trailed kisses along his bearded jawline, sighing when it tickled her skin. “In that case, we’d better make the most of the time we have.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Shane said and slid to his knees.
Ruthie’s heart skipped a beat. “What are you doing?”
He grinned up at her, a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “Something you’ll like.” Shane started with her toes, teasing each one in turn before shifting his attention to her ankles, calves, and behind her knees.
“Shane, where are you going?”
“Somewhere you’ll like. Now shush and relax.” He continued his torturous path of kisses past her knees and up her inner thighs. Her chest rose and fell with each rapid breath. Would he kiss her…there…or keep going? An insistent throb between her legs told her exactly how her body felt about this prospect.
Shane paused at the top of her thighs and placed his hands on her behind before resuming his trail of kisses. And then he put his mouth between her legs. She cried out the instant his tongue met her clit, but he ignored her, continuing to dance his tongue around her clit until he finally sucked it. She moaned with pleasure. Nothing she’d ever done to herself had felt this good. But half the excitement wasn’t what he was doing to her, but who he was. She’d been hot for Shane for so long, had imagined him making love to her a thousand times. No man she’d met on her travels had come close to eclipsing Shane’s place in her heart. Loving a man who was a virtual stranger was crazy. Loving a guy she was paid to spy on was even crazier.
Shane sucked and teased her nub and tickled her until she was close to losing control. He seemed to know when to increase and decrease the pressure without her telling him. Which was just as well, because she hadn’t a clue what she was doing. Oral sex was new territory for her. The mere act of letting go and allowing someone such an intimacy was an enormous step for her, but Shane made it seem natural.
