You have to give the right wink and hand signal to the clerk. There’s also a wine bar.”
She snorted. “Whatever. Is that like the freshman class kit for FBI?”
“More like the graduate level bag.” He put on more gauze. “Sit up now and let me check your wrists.”
“I’m not an invalid.” But she sat, blinking at the change in elevation, and tentatively moved her leg, once and again. She pulled the sheet to stay over her chest.
“That’s not what you claimed a minute ago when I threatened to spank you.” He raised one eyebrow.
“Well, of course. I mean, in that instant I was an invalid, Sloan. These things come and go.” She waved her hand, and he grabbed it, turned it over to examine the marks. “You have to respect the emotional flow.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Healing nicely.” He took the other one. “Good. And I’m glad you have your sense of humor.” But he didn’t let go; he stayed holding her hands in his, until she met his eyes.
“Kate.”
“Yes?” Her voice came out soft.
“This is going to be all right. I promise you.” His voice was low but empathic. “I will get you through this.” His eyes held hers, the light tracing the edge of his face like a touch. “I’m sorry you got hurt. Nobody wanted that, okay? When we started the sting, we never imagined you’d get caught up in this. This will get better.”
She nodded, swallowed. “It’s scary and surreal.”
“I know.”
His lips were looked so soft and firm at once. Without thinking, she reached up and brushed across his mouth with a finger, and traced it down the stubble at his jaw. “Sloan?” she whispered, excited by the way his muscles stiffened under her touch, the way he leaned into her, his eyes darkening with passion. He wanted her too, and he’d wanted her back in the coffee shop, she was sure of it, just as badly as she wanted him.
“Kate.” His voice was gruff. But their faces were closer, his breath mixing with hers in the cool air of the cabin. “I’m responsible for you.”
In response, she pushed forward until her mouth barely brushed his and let her tongue flick at his lower lip, and he groaned, a sharp burst of sound before his hands were on the sides of her face.
“Fuck,” he swore, and then he was kissing her in earnest, pulling her into his embrace and exploring her mouth with his tongue, breaking off to nip her neck, then taking her mouth again in a kiss so deep and profound that it left her breathless. She grabbed at his shoulders, then put her hands in his hair, then ran her palms down his arms, squeezing his muscles. His body was coiled with tension and she could feel the passion coming through his touch, through his breath. The sheet slithered down her body, and her nipples pebbled in the cool air. She moaned into his mouth for just a second before he pulled back and put his dark head to her chest, his tongue flicking at her taut skin.
“Sloan, oh, God, yes,” she whispered, running her fingers through his hair. When he nipped her gently, she could barely handle the arousal. “Please.” It was all she could manage. She shifted her hips and reached out one hand to touch his hard thigh, wanting more, needing more of him.
He pulled away suddenly, leaving her wide-eyed with surprise and disappointment. “We can’t.”
She wiped her mouth, her hand trembling. His eyes glittered and she saw the evidence of his arousal in his jeans. “But…”
He stood up. “Kate, I’m sorry. I would be taking advantage. You need my protection now, not—this.”
She felt tears well up in her eyes. “But—”
“This won’t happen again.” He shook his head and took a breath. “You go ahead and get dressed. I’ll put my gear away. Then we’ll talk.”
Again he turned his back, giving her privacy, and she put the sweats on, watching him the entire time to see if he’d look, but he didn’t. She wiped her face, touched her lips. That kiss! How could he just… stop? She
She snorted. “Whatever. Is that like the freshman class kit for FBI?”
“More like the graduate level bag.” He put on more gauze. “Sit up now and let me check your wrists.”
“I’m not an invalid.” But she sat, blinking at the change in elevation, and tentatively moved her leg, once and again. She pulled the sheet to stay over her chest.
“That’s not what you claimed a minute ago when I threatened to spank you.” He raised one eyebrow.
“Well, of course. I mean, in that instant I was an invalid, Sloan. These things come and go.” She waved her hand, and he grabbed it, turned it over to examine the marks. “You have to respect the emotional flow.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Healing nicely.” He took the other one. “Good. And I’m glad you have your sense of humor.” But he didn’t let go; he stayed holding her hands in his, until she met his eyes.
“Kate.”
“Yes?” Her voice came out soft.
“This is going to be all right. I promise you.” His voice was low but empathic. “I will get you through this.” His eyes held hers, the light tracing the edge of his face like a touch. “I’m sorry you got hurt. Nobody wanted that, okay? When we started the sting, we never imagined you’d get caught up in this. This will get better.”
She nodded, swallowed. “It’s scary and surreal.”
“I know.”
His lips were looked so soft and firm at once. Without thinking, she reached up and brushed across his mouth with a finger, and traced it down the stubble at his jaw. “Sloan?” she whispered, excited by the way his muscles stiffened under her touch, the way he leaned into her, his eyes darkening with passion. He wanted her too, and he’d wanted her back in the coffee shop, she was sure of it, just as badly as she wanted him.
“Kate.” His voice was gruff. But their faces were closer, his breath mixing with hers in the cool air of the cabin. “I’m responsible for you.”
In response, she pushed forward until her mouth barely brushed his and let her tongue flick at his lower lip, and he groaned, a sharp burst of sound before his hands were on the sides of her face.
“Fuck,” he swore, and then he was kissing her in earnest, pulling her into his embrace and exploring her mouth with his tongue, breaking off to nip her neck, then taking her mouth again in a kiss so deep and profound that it left her breathless. She grabbed at his shoulders, then put her hands in his hair, then ran her palms down his arms, squeezing his muscles. His body was coiled with tension and she could feel the passion coming through his touch, through his breath. The sheet slithered down her body, and her nipples pebbled in the cool air. She moaned into his mouth for just a second before he pulled back and put his dark head to her chest, his tongue flicking at her taut skin.
“Sloan, oh, God, yes,” she whispered, running her fingers through his hair. When he nipped her gently, she could barely handle the arousal. “Please.” It was all she could manage. She shifted her hips and reached out one hand to touch his hard thigh, wanting more, needing more of him.
He pulled away suddenly, leaving her wide-eyed with surprise and disappointment. “We can’t.”
She wiped her mouth, her hand trembling. His eyes glittered and she saw the evidence of his arousal in his jeans. “But…”
He stood up. “Kate, I’m sorry. I would be taking advantage. You need my protection now, not—this.”
She felt tears well up in her eyes. “But—”
“This won’t happen again.” He shook his head and took a breath. “You go ahead and get dressed. I’ll put my gear away. Then we’ll talk.”
Again he turned his back, giving her privacy, and she put the sweats on, watching him the entire time to see if he’d look, but he didn’t. She wiped her face, touched her lips. That kiss! How could he just… stop? She
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