She shook her head but snuggled up close as though she needed to feel him against her. Glad for the opportunity to hold her, Sean wrapped both arms around her and stared out his window into the darkness.
It seemed like a short trip from the hospital back to the outskirts of Baltimore. Zahra’s eyelids were drooping, lulled by Sean’s body heat and the rhythmic purr of the engine. With eleven stitches, a tetanus booster and some codeine in her system she was good to go. The ER staff had debrided, irrigated and stitched the wound, verified there were no fractures, then gave her a prescription for pain meds. She was relieved to know she wouldn’t need any further treatment. After being delayed another hour by interviews with both the police and the FBI agents Evers had sent to meet them at the hospital, she just wanted to crawl into bed.
She covered a yawn and sat up when Gage exited off the freeway and headed for Alex’s place. She’d never been there before, not in all the time she’d known him, and she was surprised that he wanted her to stay there now. It filled her with warmth to know he cared so much about her and knew he was upset about what had happened to her these past few days.
But she was more worried about Sean’s reaction to everything. He’d been silent since leaving the hospital and she could feel him pulling back from her mentally. She knew it was because he felt guilty and responsible for what happened, but that was fucking stupid. The man had held off two shooters in almost complete darkness to protect her, and had managed to hit both men from what she was willing to bet was a hell of a lot farther away than the shot she’d taken.
Having never fired a weapon before let alone at someone, she thought her conscience would be bothering her but it wasn’t. In fact, she felt vindicated by her actions. Empowered, in a way. She knew Amir would have killed her if he’d had the chance tonight so pulling the trigger had been an act of self defense, pure and simple.
She sat up a little and reached for Sean’s hand. He glanced down at her and she was relieved when he wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed. Despite the pain meds her leg throbbed like a separate heart beat and all she wanted was to get to Alex’s place so she could be alone with Sean. She needed to feel him against her, skin to skin.
Gage pulled into the driveway of a white two story Colonial style house in a quiet residential area with mature trees lining the street and dropped them off. Sean carried her inside and up to the guest room Alex showed them to. Poor man had fielded calls all the way back from the hospital and his cell rang again as he opened the bedroom door for Sean. From what she’d overheard, she was pretty sure this latest conversation was going to be about the mole.
Alex sighed and pulled out his phone. “You guys need anything, I’ll be downstairs in my office.”
“Thanks,” she said, secretly glad that she and Sean would have even more privacy.
Sean shut the door behind them and carried her over to the queen size bed. He pulled back the covers and gently set her down on her side, using the extra pillows to prop up her leg and relieve pressure on the wound. “You need anything? Food? Want to ice your leg for a bit?”
“No, I just want to get out of these dirty clothes. Can you help me into a bath if I prop my leg over the side?”
“Sure.”
She sat up slightly to peel the sweater up and over her head. “Help me with my jeans?” Undoing the button and zipper, she hooked her fingers in the waistband and eased them over her hips. Sean helped her drag them down over her legs, slowing to get the left one over the wad of bandages. The hospital had cut her jeans to make their job easier but it was still a tight fit. She flinched and he swore.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay, just get it off.” She couldn’t wait to wash the scent of blood and the forest off her.
He tugged them off as gently as he could and tossed them aside, then helped her with her panties while she took off her bra. At the sight of her naked he swallowed and stood up. “I’ll start the water. Hang tight.” He disappeared into the connecting bathroom and started filling the tub. When he came back and scooped her up, she looped her arms around his neck for the ride into the bathroom. Gently settling her into the water, he piled a few towels up under her leg to cushion it from the edge of the tub, then stroked her hair back from her forehead. “Okay?”
She nodded, just wanting to be alone for a few minutes. “Thanks.”
Seeming to understand that, he nodded and stood. “I’ll be outside if you need me.”
He closed the door behind him. Zahra closed her eyes and leaned her head back with a tired sigh. The hot water felt good, soothing her tight, sore muscles. She grabbed the soap and washcloth he’d set out for her and cleaned up as best she could. Sean must have heard her drain the tub because he came back in seconds later to wrap her in a towel. Touched by his attentiveness, she smiled into his shoulder when he carried her back to the bed, removed the damp towel from her body and covered her up.
Then he straightened and ran a hand through his hair, looking exhausted. “I need a quick shower.”
“Go ahead, I’m fine.” Just kind of numb and…empty.
He turned off the light on the nightstand and went back into the bathroom. The shower turned on. She envisioned Sean standing naked beneath the rush of hot water, fat rivulets of it running down his muscled body. She hugged her pillow tighter, aching to feel his arms around her, his body pressed flush against hers. Those terrifying moments in the forest tonight had torn her wide open, leaving her raw and emotional. Only Sean could heal her right now.
He emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later in a cloud of steam and flicked off the light before she’d gotten more than a glimpse of him wearing nothing but a towel around his lean waist. The image of all those muscles sent a wave of arousal through her. His footsteps were hushed against the carpet. “Still doing okay?” Her eyes adjusted to the soft outside light filtering through the blinds above the bed. He seemed hesitant, as if he didn’t know what to do next.
Zahra snagged his hand and pulled. “Just lie down with me.” Thankfully he didn’t hesitate. He stretched out next to her on his side and she immediately reached for him, grabbing those wide, strong shoulders. She held on tight and buried her nose in the center of his chest, squeezing her eyes shut on a sigh when he wrapped his arms around her.
They laid that way for a few minutes, pressed close to one another in the darkness, the only sounds their breathing and the throb of his heart close to her ear. He felt like heaven, warm and strong around her. The hot, hard length of his erection pressed into her stomach. Her skin tingled all over, goose bumps skittering over her body as arousal ignited. Even though she was exhausted and in pain, she needed him to make love to her.
His hand stroked her back. “Cold?”
She shook her head. Not cold at all. She felt horny and needy and fragile all at once.
Letting her emotions guide her for once, she ran her hands down his muscular back to his ass and squeezed, bringing that rigid column of flesh harder against her. Sean swallowed audibly and hugged her tighter, thankfully didn’t resist when she reached between them to wrap her fingers around him.
He made a low, tortured sound and grabbed her wrist. “Baby, you’re sore and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It hurts more without this.” She trailed kisses across his chest, licked and nibbled at the tight beads of his nipples and earned a sharp intake of breath. Her fingers stroked his cock slowly, her core wet and ready for him. “I need you inside me.” Needed it in a way she couldn’t put into words.
Strong fingers wound into her hair. He tilted her head back and took her mouth in a scorching kiss. Moaning, Zahra grabbed the back of his head with one hand and thrust her tongue against his, moving her hips in tiny circles against his thigh to give her the friction she needed. She was already wet, the motion of her hips rubbing over the swollen bundle of nerves at the top of her sex. As good as it felt, she wanted the feel of him sliding into her, stretching and filling her, possessing her. She reached down and started to push him into her.
With a soft growl, Sean pulled back. “No condom.”
“I’m clean,” she panted against his mouth. “Are you?”
“Yeah.” He caressed her tongue with his. “Still can’t though.”
She made a frustrated sound. “Just pull out later. Please, Sean, I
need
you inside me.”
He sat up and got off the bed, leaving her feeling cold. Confused, bereft, she eased up on an elbow and opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong when she realized he was only coming around the other side of the bed. He slid in behind her this time, those beautiful hands roaming over her skin. Once she was arching into his touch he positioned her back on her side with a pillow propping her leg up and gently eased her thigh forward, opening her to him.
She moaned when he fitted himself behind her, molding her curves to his hardness. “Stay still for me,” he ordered. “You let me do all the work or this doesn’t happen.”
All she could do was nod and pray he’d hurry up already. Her inner muscles squeezed in greedy anticipation of the moment he’d finally thrust into her. She reached back to wind a hand around the back of his neck. “Not too gentle though. I need to feel you take me.” It was the best way she could explain what she needed.
He made a low, hungry sound that sent a flare of heat bolting into the pit of her stomach, and nipped the tender place where her neck and shoulder met. “Just don’t move,” he warned, soothing the little sting with his tongue.
Zahra closed her eyes and allowed her body to relax into his care. He captured a nipple between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed, rolling it as he circled his cock against her hips and lavished her neck and shoulders with hungry, open-mouth kisses. Humming in pleasure, she bit her lip when he skimmed a hand down her belly and between her thighs.
He groaned as his fingers stroked the swollen folds. “So damn wet, Zahra.”
“Please,” she whispered, her body so full of tension she wanted to scream.
His hot breath fanned against the back of her neck. “Gonna fuck you so deep now, baby.”
Oh my God.
“Please,” she repeated in a desperate voice, fingers digging into his nape, spine arched taut as she waited for him to stop tormenting her.
The hand between her thighs eased back and a moment later she felt the hot, blunt head of his cock against her opening. She held her breath, trembling, dying for the moment when he drove inside. He rolled her nipple again and plunged deep with a single twist of his hips that dragged a shattered cry from her.
Sean released her nipple and covered her mouth with his palm to stifle the sound, breathing hard against her neck. “God, you’re so fucking hot and perfect around me.” His voice was hoarse, strained.
The feel of him buried so deep inside her, the incredible fullness and heat made her whimper. To be held and filled and loved by this man was the most shatteringly beautiful thing she’d ever experienced. Emotion swamped her, tearing past all resistance until tears flooded her eyes. She made a choked sound and strained back against him, hoping he realized the crying was cathartic and not because she was in pain.
Thankfully he seemed to understand. Keeping that hand cupped over her mouth he pulled back and eased forward, fucking her in a slow, deep rhythm as his fingers played between her legs. Pleasure jolted through her entire body, magnifying each time he slid over that sweet spot inside her. Her moans turned desperate, her core clamping down on him as the pressure built. The low, strained sounds he made only added to the heat, telling her how good it felt and how much he enjoyed being inside her. He was so hard, so hot, stroking every quivering nerve ending inside her.
The wave built higher, higher as he pumped and stroked and groaned against her neck. When it finally hit she sobbed and let go, her muscles cording up. A flare of pain shot up her wounded leg but she didn’t care, the pleasure and emotional release eclipsing everything else. As she came back to earth she realized tears were rolling down her face. Sean had released her mouth to hold her tight, still buried deep inside her. He breathed roughly against the back of her neck, his muscles so tight she knew he must be in agony needing to come. Tightening her inner walls around him she circled her hips slightly.
His arm contracted around her waist and he sucked in a harsh breath. “Don’t.”