Page 33 of Cast in Shadow
It was sloppy and very out of character for her. Additionally, she didn’t seem particularly upset that he’d caught up to her. A niggling unease skittered down his spine. Maybe she had deliberately led him out here. Then, he gave himself an inner shake. He was overtired and overanalyzing.
“That’s all you’re going to say?”
“What else is there to say? I told you, I’m tired. I’ve been through a lot in the last week. I’m going to bed. Fair warning: if you try to drag me out of here before noon, I will hurt you.”
With that, she stepped up to the raised bed, shimmied out of her robe to reveal a silky sheath that left nothing to the imagination, and slipped between the covers.
Chapter Sixteen
Aggie
Aggie was aware of Zeke’s pacing well into the night, though he had to be as exhausted as she was. It went on for a while before she heard him go into the bathroom. The quick shower he took was a testament to his self-discipline. She’d lingered for much longer. Once she’d gotten under the therapeutic massage showerheads, she hadn’t wanted to leave.
Of course, she knew why he’d made it such a quickie. He was afraid she was going to ditch him again. Her theory was confirmed when the first thing he did after emerging was make his way over to the bed and confirm she was still present and accounted for.
She smiled into her pillow when he grunted softly. He did that a lot. He was somehow able to manipulate the muscles in and around his throat to produce this soft, subtle, and wholly masculine sound that, in one short burst, spoke entire sentences. She interpreted this last one to convey something like, Well, damn, she really is still here.
Regardless, he needn’t have worried. She hadn’t been kidding about not going anywhere for a while. The trick was going to be getting him to stick around long enough for her to get the information she’d come for.
She heard him moving around the kitchen and breathed easier. She was glad he’d decided to unclench a little and get himself something to eat. The cupboards were well stocked with nonperishables, and the Sub-Zero had enough protein to last several months at least. The poor guy had to be hungry. Maintaining a physique that lean and muscular probably required ten thousand calories a day.
As tired as she was, sleep remained elusive. She audibly tracked his movements through the chalet. Knew that after he satisfied his immediate need for food, he would scope out all the possible entry and exit points. He might even fashion warning devices in case she tried to sneak out in the middle of the night.
Eventually, he returned to the room. He did so silently, but she didn’t need sound to know he was there. She felt his presence in her very core, like a heavy static charge that hung in the air right before a powerful thunderstorm. Building. Imminent.
She could feel his intense stare, too, as he stood there in silence beside the bed, the soft pop and hiss of the gas fireplace creating soothing background noise. He was probably carefully weighing his options, deciding what to do next. There was only one bed in the suite, and she was in it. He needed rest, but he wanted to stay close, so crashing in one of the other bedrooms was a no-go.
Would he lay himself out on the floor at the foot of the bed or in front of the door? Or would the allure of a mattress and a down comforter prove too tempting to resist?
Then, she heard him grunt softly—she was really becoming absurdly fond of the sound—and felt the bed shift under his weight.
Her smile widened. The bed was big enough to hold them both comfortably. They could both lie there all night and never touch, which was no doubt what he had in mind. But the opportunity was simply too good to pass up. The hotel rooms they’d stayed in had two queens, but here, there was only one California king.
After several minutes passed, she rolled over in her feigned sleep, closer to him. Close enough to feel his body heat and fill her lungs with the scented soap from his recent shower.
She pressed against him lightly and sighed. His body stiffened, then eventually relaxed. Then, and only then, did she give in to the heavy pull of slumber.
* * *
He snored. As his heavy, powerful arm held her tightly against him, the low rumbles vibrated through her entire body. It wasn’t unpleasant.
She took a few minutes to appreciate the sensation. Relished the feel of smooth skin and coarse hair beneath her cheek and thigh. The steady, strong beat of his heart and the rhythmic rise and fall of a sculpted chest.
And why shouldn’t she? It had been a long time since she’d allowed herself to get close to anyone, and it probably would be an even longer period before she allowed it to happen again. She might as well enjoy it while she could.
Eventually, the call of nature grew too strong to resist, and she had no choice but to relinquish her living body pillow and heed the call. She managed to extricate herself without waking him. After taking care of personal business, she donned her robe and padded out to the kitchen in search of the two-thousand-dollar coffee machine there.
Worth every penny, she thought a short while later, sipping her first cup at the highly polished granite breakfast bar.
She fired up her laptop, unsurprised to see an urgent message from her brother.
She tapped the icon and took another heavenly sip while the secure signal ricocheted and bounced among a network of private towers and satellites across the globe, making it impossible to trace.
She hadn’t yet lowered her cup when his concerned face appeared on the screen.
“What’s wrong?” he asked by way of greeting.
Her chest loosened at the sight of him, even as intense amber eyes lasered into her. Everything would be all right because her brother would make sure of it. They’d been looking out for each other for as long as she could remember. He was as protective of her as she was of him, though neither of them ever admitted it.
