Her hands twist in the front of my shirt. A rough sound comes from her throat as she buries her face in my neck. The dam breaks.
A heartbreaking sob tears out of her. I tear up with my chest laboring for air.
“Easy, sweetheart. It’s all okay now,” I whisper through the barbed wire in my throat.
Tears soak my shirt as Gunnar paws at my leg, sensing River’s upset too. I reach down and scoop him up, bringing him into the hug.
“But who?” she asks between sniffs and sobs, her hand lovingly stroking his head and if I didn’t already love River more than I can express, I’d have fallen another fifty feet watching how gentle she is with him.
I want this story behind us, so we can get on with the night. With our life.
“His brother died in a friendly-fire accident that he thinks I was involved in. Sad. Crazy story. It was all a rumor. Now he’s going to prison for attempted murder of a man that wasn’t even in the same country as his brother was that day.”
Gunnar jumps up, grabbing on the collar of my shirt. The fabric rips and somehow we both manage to laugh as all the tension of the last few days starts to burn away.
“I think he’s telling me I need to change shirts.”
“Yeah?” she meets my gaze. “You in the mood to wear pink?”
“Damn right, cowgirl.”
When I kiss her this time, River’s tongue matches mine, hungry, stroking deep. No resistance, just pure heart.
CHAPTER 23
I lean against Diesel’s shoulder, admiring how we look in the mirrored door of the elevator. We look good in our matching shirts. But mostly admiring the hungry way he’s looking at me.
All night he’s been watching me. Undressing me. Owning me with nothing more than a hand on my lower back and those dark, hungry eyes.
The elevator climbs slowly. The bell chimes and we pass another floor and Diesel spears his hand into my hair, dragging the band out and knocking the braid loose.
“I’ve been wanting to get this around my fist all night,” he murmurs, tilting my head back.
Like always when he’s dominant, touching me like he owns every inch of me, I melt. The only way to stay upright is to cling to him.
“You did go kind of caveman,” I say, breathless, heat climbing up my neck. “All it took was that guy from Silver Valley Saddles getting close to me.”
“What did you expect? You’re mine. I don’t share.”
He bites my neck, and I squeal, but it turns into a gasp when he backs me against the wall, pinning me with all of his tall body.
“Fuck, that sound is so hot, you are driving me crazy.”
His gigantic hand finds my butt and drags me upward against his belt buckle, as he rocks his lap against me.
I can’t see, feel or think about anything other than him. It’s magical. Hot. Consuming and I never want the moment to end. But the elevator chimes, and before we can break apart, a man in a security uniform strides in.
Diesel laughs quietly as he tucks me under his arm, kissing the top of my head.
“Evenin’. Busy night?” he asks the guy.
“Not too bad. But it’s early. Right now I’m going to check on a barking dog.”
I bury my face in Diesel’s chest, trying not to giggle with all my might.
Oh my god.Stone’s babysitting Gunnar.
The elevator door slides open and we follow the man, keeping our distance as he strides to my room and knocks on the door.
