“I’m pretty sure he followed the signal on this thing,” he lifted the tag between two fingers, “here to the hotel.They probably waited for you to go outside, planning to follow you and recapture you when it was convenient.”
“They?”she was afraid to ask, but still felt like she knew what he meant.Still, she needed to know it wasn’t just her own brain coming up with the worst case scenario.
“I don’t think he’s alone.I mean if it were me, I’d have brought help, so I assume he did too.By the way, Mr.Smarmy’s name is Jacob Harper.He’s the man in charge of the commune, according to our intel.”
Selena stared at him, not sure what to say.She knew the man had a name but had never thought that Sackett and the others had information on the group and might know names and faces.She couldn’t think about that now.She pushed it out of her mind, choosing to focus on something more immediate.
“If they tracked us here, are we safe tonight?”She looked up at him, knowing he’d tell her the truth, good or bad.
“I think so.They’ve taken only calculated risks.They didn’t try to take you in public this morning or all day.Once you spotted him, I was careful not to give them an opportunity.But I think if there’s a chance for witnesses or evidence, they won’t risk it.Even if they track us to this room, they have to get past me.And that’s not going to be easy.”
She stared at him for several long seconds.Her chest ached and she didn’t know what to do.She trusted him but what if they got the drop on him?
“Hey, don’t worry.I’ve got this.”He stepped close and held his arms open, as if seeing she needed reassurance, but not wanting to do something she wasn’t comfortable with.
Selena stood frozen for a moment, staring at him.Then, without overthinking it, she stepped into his arms.She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him.His arms came around her, making her feel safe.She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent and releasing the tension that had been building back up since he discovered the tag.
He had this.She trusted him.If he said they were safe, then she trusted him with that.Still, it was hard for her not to worry about it.She was used to being the one in charge.The one who thought of everything and took care of all the details.Letting someone else step into that role took more presence of mind, more reminding herself that she wasn’t the only one who could do it than she’d been prepared for.
She stood there, wrapped in his arms and her head resting against his chest for the space of several moments.After a while she loosened her grip enough she could look up at him, her chin propped on his chest.
“Thank you,” she said.
“For what?”He tipped his head to look down at her.
“Everything.”She took a deep breath.“For getting me out of there, for staying with me, for making sure I’m safe.For all of it.”She maintained eye contact as she spoke, trying to read what she saw there.Was that warmth?Desire?
Hoping she wasn’t wrong in what she thought she saw, hoping he wouldn’t reject her advances, she lifted up on her toes, stretched up and brushed a kiss across his lips.
37
Sackettfrozeasherlips brushed his, hesitant at first then with more pressure.He couldn’t keep his arms from tightening around her just in case she decided to flee.Instinct had him hesitate for an instant, giving her a moment to make sure this was what she wanted before he returned her kiss.Careful at first to mirror her pressure and intensity he held back what he wanted, what he needed, as he got his first taste of her mouth.After a moment, as her fingers curled into his muscles and tugged him closer, Sackett lost his grip on the tight rein he held on his desire.
He poured all of his pent up want into their kiss, shifting his hips slightly so the erection he couldn’t prevent wouldn’t press so hard into her stomach.Not that he didn’t want her to know about it or keep her from feeling what she was doing to him.But he didn’t want her thinking he was expecting more.He would take what she willingly gave and be happy with it.
He wouldn’t deny, at least to himself, that he would likely walk away wanting more.Selena wasn’t the kind to go from a kiss to a nice hard fuck in the few minutes he wanted, but he’d take what he could get and not pressure her for more.
Selena stepped into him.Her body chasing his even as he tried to protect her.Her fingers curled into his back where she’d wrapped her arms around him and tugged him closer.She wasn’t going to let him get away.
As if he wanted to be anywhere but here.After several minutes of their tongues tangling as they taste each other, her hands fumbled with his shirt, tugging it up so she could run her hands up and down his torso.She didn’t hesitate when her hands encountered the pistol holstered at the small of his back, but simply skimmed her hands over it and continued to work his shirt upward.
Heat washed through him, his fingers ached to touch her, but the first thing he did when the kiss broke was to peel his shirt off and toss it aside, giving her the access she wanted.He looked down at her face for a moment, wondering if this was a way for her to release some of the tension and anxiety that had haunted her since she’d spotted Harper in the saloon that afternoon.
Not that it mattered, he’d take it either way, but he couldn’t help but wonder.He debated for a moment then pulled his pistol, holster and all from his belt and set it on the nightstand where he kept it while they slept.
When he turned back to Selena, he found she’d pulled off her shirt too, leaving her standing in the jeans she’d worn this morning and her bra.A quick scan told him she’d even toed off her shoes.He took a deep breath and made a decision.
He moved close and placed a single, soft kiss on her lips.
“You are so beautiful.”He skimmed one hand over the curve of her shoulder, then down her arm before he lifted his head and looked down into her eyes.“I can’t wait to taste you everywhere.”He kissed her again before forcing himself to step back.“If I don’t do this now, it will be a problem later.”He sat on the edge of the bed, adjusting himself so his suddenly far more uncomfortable jeans didn’t break his hard dick and began unlacing his boots.
“Want me to undress?”
The hesitancy in her voice made him stop what he was doing and look up at her.
“No, I want the pleasure of doing that myself, sunshine.”
“Sunshine?You called me that earlier too.”She frowned.