“It’s nice to meet you,” Shannon sounded surprised but pleased.
“And you as well.”
“Well then, I’ll just leave you two alone,” Shannon said while trying, and failing, to stifle a smile. They both watched as he walked away. As soon as he was out of sight, Weave asked, “Do you want to ride with me or follow me home?”
“There’s really no sense in me leaving my vehicle here, so I’d prefer to follow you, if that’s okay?”
“That’s fine, but the house is in a gated community. You won’t be able to slide in behind me. You have to know the code.” He pulled a pen from his back pocket and reached for her hand, scribbling some numbers on it. “This is the code. I’ll see you soon.” He tugged her hand gently, pulling her into his arms, and twined his tongue with hers. God he would never get tired of the taste of her.
***
Kera followed Weave’s taillights, thankful to finally be going home. She hated the thought of being stuck in this cocktail dress and heels much longer. She did, indeed, need the security code to get through the gate, and she was rather proud of the community for timing the gate in such a way. The house was beautiful, and she wasn’t really surprised—the apartment in Manhattan had been wonderful. He had described the house to her in detail, but she hadn’t had a chance to see it yet for herself, since work had kept them apart. Despite the fact that Weave worked security, you could practically smell the money pouring off him. His suit alone cost more than most people spent on their rent in a month, and the watch he wore, while not appearing that expensive, actually cost as much as her car. Of course, when your father was the world’s leading computer hacker, like say … hers, money was fairly unimportant since really it was only a computer click away. Yep. That was her family. Not real disturbed with what was technically considered legal, but injustice: that was something they couldn’t stand.
She tugged her bags out of the car, and Weave grabbed the ones left over, before leading her to the door. “Welcome home.”
Kera didn’t even try to hide her curiosity as she looked around. The house was huge, but it looked lived in. She took a quick look at the living room, noticing the couch looked comfy, and she caught a glimpse of a swimming pool through one of the windows. She wasn’t concerned with taking a tour right now, instead she kicked off her heels, tossed down her bags and threw herself against Weave. If he hadn’t been a solid wall of muscle, he might have been knocked to the floor, but, as it was, he only grunted against the impact. Waiting for the night to end had been like a slow torture, but now she had him right where she wanted him. She didn’t want to wait a second longer to have him inside her.
She walked until she had him backed against the edge of the couch while she tried to kiss every inch of his bare skin. He sat down hard, and she straddled his hips, causing her dress to ride up high. Weave ran his hands over her back, sliding down her zipper while pushing her dress the rest of the way up until he had it pulled over her head. He had her panties in his pocket, and her dress didn’t allow for a bra, so that was all it took to leave her completely nude.
She pushed his jacket over his shoulders, and he leaned forward to help her. With his jacket off, she quickly unbuttoned his shirt and repeated the motion until he was bare-chested before her. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, and she buried her hands between their bodies, trying desperately to unfasten his pants. When she finally managed to set his erection free, she nearly groaned aloud in relief. She lifted up, taking him fully inside.
They both froze, and Weave reached up to brush his fingers along her jaw line. “I’ve dreamt of you every night. Does that sound crazy?” he asked quietly.
“It’s not crazy at all.” He buried his hand in her hair, bringing her mouth down to his, touching his lips lightly to hers. The motion was so sweet it brought tears to her eyes, making her heart squeeze in her chest. She rocked against him, and he grabbed her hips, surging up against her. She gasped at the feel of him buried deep inside of her. She wanted to savor every moment, but it didn’t take long for her mind to be carried away on a tide of pleasure, and she found out first hand that he hadn’t only been boasting: she did end up crying out his name.
***
The familiar smell of antiseptic reminded him that he’d been down this hall before. Every pair of eyes he met held a hint of accusation, as his thoughts ran in circles. How could he only be sixteen? He was dead? How could he only be sixteen? The hospital bed came into view, and he braced himself against the sight of what his rage could do, except it wasn’t him; it wasn’t Daniel. Weave stared down at Kera in confusion. Why was she here? Fear clogged his throat, and he grabbed her arm, praying to a feel a pulse. Her eyes shot open at his touch, and she met his gaze steadily “Wake up Weave.”
On a gasp, Weave sat straight up, his eyes going directly to Kera’s side of the bed. She had burrowed so deeply beneath the covers that only the top of her head showed above the blanket, and he had to shake his head at the sight. He’d never understood how anyone slept with their face covered. She didn’t snore, or even breathe deeply, and he felt a moment of renewed panic. Trying his best not to wake her in case he was only being paranoid, he slid his hand beneath the blanket to make sure she still breathed. He let out a sigh of relief when she snuggled deeper at his touch. A huge part of him wanted to curl himself around her and stay there all day, but the dream continued to creep into his mind, and he slipped silently from the bed.
***
She knew right away that she was alone in the bed as soon as her eyes opened, but the sound of rhythmic pounding let Kera know that Weave hadn’t gone far. She dug around, finding an old t-shirt and followed the sound. She found him in a bedroom that had been converted into a gym; he was working out on the bag. He wore only a pair of workout shorts, and his muscular back rippled with every movement. The sight was enough to give any girl heart failure, especially one that was already in danger of her heart failing. She could see the ear buds of his MP3 player, and she knew he hadn’t heard her approach. Instead of moving into his line of vision, she chose to spend a few minutes watching him unobserved. She found it a bit amazing that he wanted her. His body was a work of art, and she was only average, but the proof was in the soreness of her body. He made a few quick jabs and one short kick causing the muscles to flex in his back. Of all the things that death would steal from her, he was what she regretted the most. She found herself blinking rapidly to stave off the tears, and Weave spun, catching her gaze. His eyes lit up from the inside out, and he smiled as if she were the answer to all the world’s problems. She knew then that she would stop at nothing to assure his happiness.
“I believe that I was promised breakfast.”
His voice held a hint of laughter. “Yes, I believe you were, and if you would let me snatch a quick shower, I’ll get right on that.”
“I’d be happy with lunch instead if you need someone to help wash your back?”
“Oh yeah, I do have this one spot that I can never reach, so if you could help me out with that, then I’d be more than happy to fix lunch.” When his eyes shined with laughter, the way they were now it made everything better in her world. She had missed him so much.
***
Manhattan-
The bed was a mess. The sheets were twisted in a heap, as if he’d tossed and turned all night. A pair of worn jeans rode low on his hips, and his muscular back was bared for her viewing pleasure. He didn’t turn at her arrival, but kept his forehead pressed against the windowpane, as he stared sightlessly at the busy street below. His hands were braced on either side of the window, causing the muscles to bunch across his back and shoulders. She could stare at him all day. She longed to run her tongue along the indention in the center of his back. Wanting him day after day like this was killing her. It was truly unfair for one man to be so incredibly sexy.
“Are you thinking about jumping?”
He didn’t startle at her words, proving he had known she was there all along.
“Maybe,” he answered so quietly she almost didn’t hear him.
He turned and her mouth went dry. His short-cropped hair stood on end, as if he’d been running his hands through it. The wide expanse of bare chest narrowed as her gaze lowered over a set of six-pack abs, but her eyes latched onto the top button of his jeans that had been left undone. She licked her parched lips before meeting his eyes. They had shadows beneath them, proving he hadn’t slept, but they burned blazingly nonetheless.
“Perhaps I could give you something else to occupy your mind?” she offered.
Weave watched her unmoving. “Like what?”
Kera crossed the room with quick strides. “Like this,” she answered, as she pulled his head down to hers, sealing her mouth over his.
***
Weave was a selfish bastard, and he knew it, but he couldn’t get enough of her. The poor woman didn’t end up getting any lunch either, but by the time dinner rolled around, she had more or less put her foot down about being fed, and he had conceded. Even though it was only 37 degrees outside, he did what manly men do; he put on his coat and went out to fire up the grill. If you fed it enough gas, it would stay lit. It might not get as hot, but that only meant they had more time to prepare the side items. His woman was getting red meat. That’s what she had reduced him to; a caveman ready to beat his chest, kill their food and then drag her by the hair back to his manly cave. Damn, he had never been so possessive over a woman before her, nor had he ever met anyone that brought out a desire in him to take care of them, but he wanted to make sure she was taken care of. Fuck the whole rest of the world, so long as she had what she needed. They spent the meal trading stories. She told him about her trip, and he told her what he’d been up to while she was gone. Jacob had explained Safe Haven to him back when he had been offered a job, and Weave was relieved since that would have been one huge secret sitting between them otherwise—he didn’t think that was a good thing for a relationship.
When the conversation died down, she moved to the sink with their dishes and began washing them. He moved to her side and dried them as she finished with each one. It was such a domestic moment, one that closely mirrored the normal life he truly desired, that he wanted to hold on to the moment forever. His feet moved before he gave it any conscious thought, and he found himself boxing her in with his arms. He leaned his chest against her back and pressed a light kiss against the side of her neck. “Why do you smell like coconuts tonight?”
“It’s my lotion,” she answered, sounding breathless.
He inhaled the scent deeper into his lungs while brushing his fingers down her arms. Chill bumps formed over her skin. She turned, twining her arms around his neck, and the soft look in her eyes left him feeling like he’d been punched in the chest. He loved this woman. He had since the very first moment he’d laid eyes on her. Love at first sight was a lot like being struck by lightning. The odds of it happening were low and you never dreamed it would happen to you, but he had dreamed of her before meeting her, he was sure of it. Those eyes were the same eyes he’d seen each time he’d closed his eyes for over a year.
“Are you officially home for good?” he asked, hopeful.
At her nod, Weave carried her to his bed, making love to her, slowly soaking up every moan and ragged breath. When he finally fell asleep, she continued to invade his mind, sneaking her way into his dreams. A pounding on the front door woke Weave out of a deep sleep and pulled him away from his dreams. After putting on a pair of shorts he moved quickly to the door. Swinging it open wide, he found Bob standing on the other side with Kyle sleeping peacefully on his shoulder. “I need a favor.” He flicked a glance over Weave’s shoulder, and Weave turned to find Kera standing silently behind him. She was, thankfully, dressed and had her hair pulled up into a ponytail. She looked cute as hell.
He flashed a quick grin before turning his attention back to Bob, “Sure. Anything.”
“I need you to take Kyle for a few hours.”
“Of course.” Weave reached out and gently plucked the baby from Bob’s arms. He made a small snuffling noise in his sleep, but settled back down immediately. Kera stepped forward, taking the backpack Bob held out.
“Is everything okay?” Weave asked, but the closed look on Bob’s face let him know he was about to be shut down.
“I have something I need to take care of.”
At two o’clock in the morning?
It was on the tip of Weave’s tongue, but he knew better than to let the words fall. He was just happy Bob had come to him with Kyle.
“He hasn’t been sleeping very well so I drove him around for awhile until he fell asleep in his car seat, so he should sleep for awhile. I hope to
be back before he wakes up again, but if he does happen to wake up before I make it back, just call my cell.”
“We’ll be fine,” Weave reassured him “He knows his uncle.”
“I know,” Bob said with a half-smile, “I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Take your time. I got this.”
“I know,” Bob said once more, and Weave hoped he wasn’t only trying to reassure himself.
CHAPTER THREE
Bob was still awake only because he was fueled on pure rage. His life was falling apart around his goddamn ears, and the last thing he needed was fucking Lily and her bullshit. He threw his SUV into park when he reached her apartment, taking the steps two at a time. The door shook underneath the force of his knock. When it opened, Lily looked surprised to see him “Forty one text messages?” he asked without preamble.
She stood clad in a long sweatshirt that hung all the way to her knees, and nothing else. When she shrugged one shoulder, the huge bow neck slid down revealing a bare shoulder. “I was missing you,” she answered unrepentant.
“Fine.” He stepped through the doorway, forcing her to take a step back, and he kicked the door closed behind him. Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he pulled it over his head. “Let’s get this over with, since we both know this is all you really want from me.”