“Yeah, baby, I’m fine.” He turned to face me; the water trickling down his beautiful body as he pulled me closer and lowered his mouth to my neck. “I’m even better now.”
His hands slipped around my waist as he leaned over to me and pressed his lips firmly against mine. I wound my arms around his neck as his calloused fingertips roamed down the curve of my ass. There was something about his touch that made the rest of the world disappear. I quickly forgot about the exchange we’d had in the bar, the suspicious wound on his arm, and all the words that had been left unsaid. At that moment, it was just him and me. Nothing else mattered. A soft whimper escaped my lips as he deepened our connection. The kiss was hungry and full of desire as the water cascaded down our bodies.
I was lost in the moment when I felt myself being lifted, my back pressing against the cold, wet tile. Seeking more, I released his mouth and tilted my head back, letting the water flow down my breasts. Noah trailed kisses along the curves of my neck to my collarbone, and ever so slowly, he moved his hand up and down my slick side. His fingers brushed against my breasts, working their way to my hips, and I groaned with pleasure as his hand found its way between my legs. His fingers slipped inside me, moving ever so gently as he whispered, “I want you to know, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Remington. Nothing.”
“I know,” I gasped.
“Good. ’Cause you’re mine, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you and keep you safe.”
I was so riddled with emotion I could barely respond with a whisper of his name. “Noah.”
He made love to me in that shower, taking his time to claim every inch of my body. When he was done, he dried us off, then lifted me into his arms and carried me to bed. As soon as we were under the covers, he slipped his arm around my waist and pulled my back against his chest. His body was still warm from the heated water, and I could smell the fresh scent of soap when he nestled in behind me. I kept waiting for him to say something, but all I got was silence and the subtle exhale of his breath at the back of my neck. He was so still and quiet, I might’ve thought he was sleeping, but I knew he wasn’t. I could feel the tension radiating off of him as he lay there next to me, staring at the back of my head. I remained perfectly still as I whispered, “You okay?”
“Um-hmm.”
“Got something on your mind?”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“You thinking about what happened tonight?”
“Yes and no.”
“Okay, then. What’s got you so tense?”
His voice was low and filled with turmoil as he answered, “Just ready for this to all be over so we can get on with our lives.”
“I completely understand.” I rolled over to face him. “I feel the same way. So, what can we do about it?”
“I’m still trying to figure that out.”
“I wish you would just listen to my idea.” I laid my head down on the pillow next to him as I snuggled a little closer. “I really think it could work.”
“Where did you come up with this idea of yours anyway?”
“It just kind of came to me.” With a giggle, I admitted, “I watch a lot of CSI, and I’ve learned a thing or two.”
“This isn’t some TV show, Remington. You’re talking about your life here, and I don’t want anything putting you in danger.”
“I wouldn’t be in danger. At least, no more than I’m in now with that Detective Mathews still out there looking for me.” I glanced up at him. “Besides, it would be a quick in-and-out kind of thing. And you and your brothers would be there to make sure nothing happened.”
“Okay, give me this idea of yours.”
“Well, it’s pretty simple. We just make it look like Detective Mathews kidnapped me.”
“And how are we supposed to do that?”
“Well, first we’ll need to know where he lives or if there is some secret property that he owns. Once we get that info, the rest is pretty simple.”
I went on to tell Noah everything about my plan, and to my surprise, he didn’t tell me it was crazy or that there was no way in hell we would ever do it, but he didn’t tell me we would either. Instead, he simply leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. “I’ll think about it.”
As much as I wanted to push harder to convince him it could work, I decided it was best to leave it alone. His arm, on the other hand, was a different matter. I skimmed the top of the bandage with my fingertips. “I don’t like that someone hurt you, Noah. It scares me.”