He sat on the sofa, removed his boots, stood, took her hand and led her to the bathroom. Steam fogged the mirror as he twisted the shower knob. Rawley peeled off his clothes, muscles flexing as he stepped under the spray. Skylar watched, breath catching, then shed her own layers until they stood before each other, bare and unguarded. He reached for her, pulling her close, and their lips met in a kiss charged with warmth and longing. The shower roared to life around them, but in that steamy embrace, the world outside ceased to exist.
****
Rawley seized her face in his hands, crushing his lips against hers, devouring her with a hunger that left them both breathless. His heart thundered against his ribs, he loved her desperately, but the words would have to wait. He broke away, drowning in her eyes, his soul laid bare.
When she dropped to her knees, his entire body went rigid. A primal groan tore from his throat as she slid her hot, wet mouthover him. Her fingers gripped him like a vise while she took him deeper. He fisted her hair, his hips in rhythm as pleasure seared through his veins. He dropped his head back, closed his eyes, fighting for control that was slipping away by the second. When he couldn’t take anymore, he yanked her up and pinned her against the shower wall, the tip of his cock teasing her before he wrenched himself away.
“No condom,” he rasped.
“I’m on birth control,” she panted against his ear, her nails digging crescents into his shoulders. “Please, Rawley. I need this. I need you.”
He drove into her with a force that made the shower walls rattle, claiming her with savage thrusts that had her crying out his name. Her inner walls clamped down on him like a silken fist, her body convulsing as she shattered.
Her teeth broke his skin when she came, the sweet pain pushing him further. He pounded relentlessly until she screamed through a second, more violent climax. Only then did he surrender, his release tearing through him with the force of a lightning strike.
He let her down, then picked up the soap, rubbed it in his hands, then ran them over her body. He stared into her eyes and saw a tear roll down her cheek.
“Hey,” he said as he tilted her face up. “We’ll be fine. This is for the best. I don’t like those men being here and I am going to get them as soon as I can. I promise you that.”
Skylar nodded, then wrapped her arms around his waist and sobbed. It was killing him.
“I wish I didn’t have to go.”
“Me too, but as I said, you’ll be safer.”
“Promise me you’ll be safe.”
“I promise I’ll do my best.” He picked her up, placed her on the mat, then he washed as she dried off.
“I’ll be in the living room.”
“I won’t be long.”
He saw her nod, then she left the bathroom. He sighed. Damn, he hated the thought of her leaving, but he did think it was for the best. He’d do what he could to get those men so she could return to him.
****
Skylar woke up to golden sunlight streaming through the blinds, painting warm rectangles across the floor. She reached over to Rawley’s side of the bed, finding only cool, empty sheets. The bedside clock’s red numbers glared eight o’clock. Heart quickening, she flung off the covers, cinched her faded blue robe around her waist, and hurried into the living room. Empty. Even the dogs were gone. Through the front window, she saw only the depression in the snow-covered driveway where his truck had been parked.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” Her whisper hung in the silent house. In the kitchen, Cosmo’s tail thumped against the linoleum as she scooped out food from the can into his bowl. The coffee machine sat cold and unused, a folded piece of notebook paper propped against it. Her fingers trembled slightly as she unfolded it.
Skylar,
I didn’t want to wake you because I couldn’t say goodbye. I would have begged you to stay. Please be careful and call or text me.
Rawley
A hot tear escaped, tracking down her cheek and landing on the paper, blurring his signature. She pressed the note to her chest, the paper crinkling against her. God, she hated leaving, but the reasons for going hadn’t changed overnight. She wouldreturn though; the magnetic pull she felt toward him wouldn’t allow for anything else.
After savoring her first cup of dark roast coffee, she dressed in a blue sweater, jeans and her boots, then brewed a second and poured the steaming liquid into her travel mug. She buttoned her coat, yanked open the front door, then hoisted the suitcases with a grunt. The bitter air hit her like a physical blow, forcing a sharp hiss between her clenched teeth. Thank God the relentless flurries had finally ceased. She trudged through ankle-deep snow to her frost-covered SUV, started the vehicle, and quickly stowed the cases in the back, then scurried back to the warmth of the house, slamming the door against winter’s assault.
“Good Lord, it’s cold enough to freeze your eyelashes out there.” She scooped up Cosmo’s plastic carrier and placed it on the kitchen floor. The cat licked the last bits of tuna from his bowl, then padded over to his litter box. When he finished, she coaxed him into the crate with gentle words that turned to firm insistence. His blue eyes narrowed as he emitted a low, throaty growl of protest. “Yeah, tough luck, buddy. It’s either this little prison or you stay alone in an empty house.”
After double-checking each window latch and door lock, she hefted the carrier, stepped onto the ice-slicked porch, and secured the deadbolt with frozen fingers. Thank heaven she’d spent an hour yesterday hunched over the snow shovel, clearing the walkway. A light dusting of fresh powder covered the flagstone, just enough to capture the treads of her fleece-lined boots. She opened the back door, nestled the carrier onto the seat and secured it with the seatbelt, then slid behind the wheel. The engine coughed to life after two attempts, and she immediately jabbed at the seat warmer button, sighing with pleasure as the heat seeped through her jeans.
A blast of frigid air from the vents made her wince and quickly slide the knob to the off position. She’d wait until theheater had something besides cold air to offer. With one last glance at the small house, she reversed out of the slippery driveway and pointed the car south toward the promised warmth of California.
****
