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Thursday. Bed and Breakfast, Seattle, Washington.
Merida shoved her arms through the plush robe that had been hanging on the back of the bathroom door. There just wasn’t time to put her clothes back on, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Her whole body was throbbing. She was pretty sure even her pretty, silky panties would rub her the wrong way in her current state.
She scooped up her phone, resigned to spoiling her good mood when she saw Zain’s name. It would be too much to hope for some happy news.
“Hey,” she said by way of an introduction.
“You weren’t asleep were you?” Zain’s voice was strained.
“No. What have you found out?” She paced around the bed, sparing a glance for the roaring fire.
Finley must have done that.
God, that man.
No.
Her brain had to be on work.
Zain’s tone was still grim. “They were able to unearth a few of the bodies about an hour ago. Two were in good enough condition to run through facial recognition.”
“And?”
“And they’re Lebanese Special Forces.”
“Oh, God...”
“No, sorry. This is good. In a way, I guess. We know exactly how many came into the country and according to your accounts they’re all dead. I’m not sure who is going to get to do it—CIA, FBI, State Department—someone is going after them. You saved the day. You and your neighbor, Finley the Marine who has a pretty spectacular record, by the way.”
“Zain.”
“What? Did you seriously expect to just drop a name and me not look into him?”
Merida wasn’t sure what changed. She simply knew she wasn’t alone anymore. She glanced over her shoulder and glanced at Finley. He had a towel around his hips and water ran down his face and chest.
She wanted to lick him. It was a crazy, irrational desire and yet there it was.
Damn, but he looked good.
“So you’re telling me the threat has been eliminated and I’m basically on vacation until it’s good to start looking at real estate?” she asked.
“Affirmative,” Zain replied. “Is he standing right there? Andrea has questions and is looking at me. If you don’t give me something I’m going to be in big trouble with the wife.”
“Well, that’s your problem, Zain. Seeing as the office just got blown up and you’re routing all work through the main office, I guess I’m going to turn my phone off and enjoy Christmas.”
“Damn it, Merida. You can’t leave me hanging like this.” Zain groaned. “When I get back, I want to meet this guy. I’m not joking around.”
“Merry Christmas,” she said in a sing-song voice then hung up.
A double date with her boss? Now there was an idea. Merida adored Zain’s wife. Andrea was good for Zain. Would Finley hit it off with everyone else?
Her nerves began tying themselves in knots.
Now she had a whole new thing to worry about.
Great.
“Are you really turning it off?” Finley asked.
“No.” She sighed and eyed the other notifications. The preview of the texts from Melody alone told her others knew the office was gone. “I’ll just turn it on silent and look at it every now and then.”
He chuckled. “That’s what I thought.”
Her head snapped up. “Fin, my job—”
He grasped her by the shoulders and looked down at her. “Is important.”
She blinked a few times. “That was not what I expected you to say.”
“Don’t forget, I’ve been on your side of things.” He slid his arms around her waist.
Merida quickly turned her phone off and tossed it on the bed. It wouldn’t kill her to have it powered down for a little while.
“So, any plans for your unexpected vacation?” he asked.
“Well, there’s this guy I like.” She couldn’t help but grin. “I was kind of hoping I’d get to spend some time with him.”
“Must be a real lucky guy.”
“I think he is.” She flushed and her heart picked up the pace as his head dipped toward her.
A sly grin spread across his face. “Well, too bad he isn’t here now.”
Finley kissed her before she could sputter a laugh or a reply to that statement. She curled her toes into the plush carpet and let herself enjoy this.
His hand slid past the robe to cup her breast. She gasped into the kiss as he toyed with her nipple, which only granted his tongue entry to her mouth. Her knees were wobbling and she found it hard to remain standing there without holding onto him. As fuzzy headed as she was she couldn’t keep track of all his injuries and where she couldn’t touch him.
Finley walked her back to the edge of the bed. She sat down, because it was that or turn into a puddle on the floor.
Merida looked up at Finley and felt like her future had grown legs. She’d always known what she wanted and how to get it. Her career had been her focus until him. And now here he was, telling her he wanted her back.
He gently slid the robe from her shoulders.
“You’re beautiful,” he muttered.
She opened her mouth to refute the comment then stopped herself. Why should she? If the one man she wanted to like her thought she was beautiful, who was she to say otherwise.
He leaned over her until their noses bumped. “I want to make love to you.”
“You do?” Her voice trembled.
“I do.” His gaze lowered to her breasts.
“Fin?”
“Hm?”
“I don’t want to use condoms.” It was a split second thought and she’d just said it, but it felt right.
“What?” His gaze jumped back to her face.
“I’m on birth control. And I don’t want to use condoms with you.”
He opened and closed his mouth. “You’re sure?”
“You did say you loved me.”
“I could be saying that to get in your pants.”
“You didn’t have to say it the first time.”
He scowled, clearly not finding humor in that joke. She tugged him down for a quick kiss. Or she meant it to be quick. He pressed her back until she lay on the mattress, him over her, their fingers threaded together. He kissed her until she was breathless and her head spinning.
“Are you sure?” he whispered.
“Yes,” she said between breaths. “Any reason why we shouldn’t?”
He didn’t hesitate. “No. None at all, I’m just...surprised.”
“Why? You said you loved me, and I said I loved you long before you loved me, so...why?”
“It’s just...fast.”
“It feels right to me, but if it’s too fast—”
“No.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “I want everything with you.”
“Me, too,” she whispered. Her stomach fluttered, but she needed to say it. Really say it again. “I love you.”
His nose bumped hers and his lips curved into a smile. “I love you, too.”
Fingers stroked her folds. She gasped as he touched her.
His voice was deeper now. “Someone is very wet.”
“Mm.” She tried to lift her hips, but he had her pinned to the bed.
“Have you been a good girl this year?”
“Not in the slightest. I’ve had very naughty thoughts about a certain someone all year long.”
Finley’s frown turned into a hungry stare.
“Fin, save the teasing stuff for later, I just need you, okay?” She’d beg at this point.
He pushed up and kissed her, giving something to focus all her need on.
A moment later she felt the blunt head of his cock—his bare cock—press against her. He still stood at the side of the bed, leaning over her. She knew he’d never be anything except this big, powerful, in-control kind of guy. And that was something she loved about him.
He stared down at her as he eased into her body, their gazes locked. She shuddered at the feel of him, the intimate sensation of skin on skin. Now wasn’t the time to share the fact that she’d never allowed this with another man. That could happen later. Right now she just wanted to be with him. To revel in this love they’d found. They were alive, and they were going to get to figure out what came next. Together.
Finley worked his cock into her, taking it slow. He watched her and she knew he saw everything. Each sigh, any wince of pain or soreness, whenever she moaned, he knew.
“God, Fin.” She dug her nails into his ass, trying to urge him deeper, but he wouldn’t be hurried.
Instead he pulled almost all the way out and kissed her.
It was torture, wanting so desperately to be filled by him and yet not have him.
At long last he arched his back and she felt his pelvis press against hers, their sexes grinding together.
“God, yes,” she whispered.
He bent his head and licked one breast, sending a zip of sensation straight to her clit. She clenched around him, clutching him with every muscle in her body.
Now it was his turn to groan.
“I need you to move,” she managed to get out.
He pressed a hard kiss to her lips. “Fine.”
Though his mouth turned soft, the rest of his body did not. He wrapped one arm around her waist and thrust. She shuddered and clutched him.
“Oh, yes,” she hissed.
He swallowed her words, taking her mouth like he took the rest of her. He thrust, rubbing all her sensitive places. Driving into her with a need she felt in the depths of her soul.
Maybe they’d always been the other’s half, from the very beginning. She didn’t know if it was something they were born into or something they just lucked into, but they were here now. She held tight to him as he pistoned into her. The bed squeaked as he moved harder and faster at her urging.
She fisted the comforter to keep her hands off him, mindful of his wounds. God, she wanted to hold on to him.
Finley dug fingers into her hair and pulled, hard, tipping her chin back. He thrust at the same moment he kissed her. Her body went limp at the same moment her sex went tight, spiraling out of control. She moaned into the kiss, her orgasm a sweet release in his arms.
One thing was for sure, she only had to tell the man a thing once for him to learn it. If she hadn’t already loved him, she’d be falling right now.
FINLEY HAD JUST ENOUGH energy to gather their breakfast tray and set it on the floor out of the way. He was eternally grateful to their hosts for taking pity on them and delivering breakfast to the cottage after a short explanation for their sudden and extended booking.
Merida lay curled up on her side, still naked under the sheets. Her eyes were closed and her hair had dried into a wild mess of curls that he loved.
Maybe he should be content with what he knew, but he couldn’t help but feel like he needed to know more than the threat had been handled and she had time off. How could he look after her if he didn’t know?
He draped his arm over her waist and studied her face.
He’d been a fool to wait so long.
“You aren’t going back to sleep, are you?” she said without opening her eyes.
“Afraid not,” he said.
She sighed and cracked one eye then the other open. “What is it?”
“Is everything really okay? What’s going on?” He knew he couldn’t know the full extent of the mess from last night and he was okay with that. What he needed to know about was the threat to her.
“Yes, everything really is okay.” She scooted a little closer, wrapping an arm and leg over him. “We know exactly who the people were and we know who sent them. The government is going to have a field day going after them. They’re pissed, and that means we’re behind a big layer of protection on top of everyone who came after us being dead already.”
“You’re sure?”
She smiled. “You don’t know Zain, so you don’t know how funny that question is. Yes. I wish I could tell you the rest, but...”
“You can’t and I don’t need to know.”
Her face scrunched up. “Are you really okay with that?”
“Yeah.” He lifted a shoulder.
“Zain also might have done a little research into who you were.” She ducked her chin. “And he might want to meet you.”
“Okay.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“Babe, you work for a company who does top secret things for the government. I know how this works and I understand you can’t tell me everything. I’m fine with that. I also know from the way you talk about Zain that he’s crazy about his wife so if he’s looking into me it has to be because he’s looking out for you. I can’t be mad at someone who has my girl’s best interest in mind. Besides, I don’t have anything to hide. Did he find anything?”
“No.” She blew out a breath. “From the way he sounded he might offer you a job.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.” His gaze drifted over her shoulder. “I left the Marines because I liked it too much. I’m happy where I’m at.”
Merida kissed his shoulder next to the bandage. “No one said you had to take the job.”
“It’s nice to be wanted, but I like the garage. I like fixing things and working with my hands.” He’d seen too much death to want to go back.
They lapsed into a comfortable silence snuggled up in bed together listening to the crackling fire.
“Have you heard from the landlord?” Merida asked.
He peered down at her. “What do you think?”
She sighed.
“I was thinking...” He slid his hand up and down her side. “What if we stayed here over Christmas? They have availability. It’s nice. The heat works. There’s no flooding. On the off chance Zain’s wrong no one would know you were here.”
“Is that what you want to do or is that what you need to do?” she asked.
He understood what she meant. As a soldier there were some things hard-wired into him. Like his need to protect her.
“I want to,” he said.
She glanced over her shoulder at the room. “There isn’t a real Christmas tree. That three foot thing doesn’t count.”
“I could fix that.” A thought tugged at him and he turned to the night stand. “In fact, I have the first ornament.”
He grabbed the gift he’d been looking at yesterday when this all started and turned back to show Merida.
She grinned. “It’s a light saber made out of a spark plug.”
“Yup.” He grinned back, pleased that she saw what he’d been going for.
“I like it.” She glanced at him. “You were just walking around with this?”
“I was going to give it to you yesterday, then, well...”
“So, we stay here. Then what?”
He knew she wasn’t talking about next week.
For him it was simple, but then again it had been more or less decided from the moment he laid eyes on her.
“I guess that depends on what you want,” he said slowly.
She arched a brow. “What I want?”
“Look, when I said I love you, I meant it. I meant I’m all in whatever happens. But that’s fast and you might not be ready for that.”
“Wow.” She blew out a breath. “It’s one thing thinking that. It’s another to hear it.”
He watched her stroke the light saber and waited for her to explain.
“I guess... I think. No, I feel like that’s where my head is, too. But that feels fast and crazy. Doesn’t it?” Now she looked at him, nose wrinkled.
Finley understood what she was saying and how she felt. What she wasn’t taking into consideration was how long they’d been close. Their relationship had started before they’d realized it. Still, some things needed more time.
“It feels right.” He covered her hand with his. “How about this? We keep living next to each other. We keep having dinner together when we can. We hang out. We just also make time to go on dates. Real dates. Both of our leases are up in six months. I think that would be a smart time to make a decision on what comes next. Don’t you?”
“That sounds reasonable,” she said slowly.
“You don’t like it?”
“I think I was a fan of the fast and crazy more.”
“Oh, I can give you more fast and crazy.” He rolled her to her back.
She laughed and the very sound seemed to make his soul a bit lighter.
Merida made his life better, and he hoped he could do the same for her. And in six months they’d take another step. Maybe then she’d be ready for the plunge?
