Page 34 of The Hijack

“It’s true,” I responded. “But also because I used to sleep with my marks.”

Nana wasn’t fazed. She helped herself to a bite of mashed potatoes and changed the topic. I could see that Theo was uncomfortable with my admission, but I couldn’t imagine why. It’s not like this was a normal ‘meet the family’ dinner. We were on the run from two of the most powerful governments in the world. Gretchen had all but said she was an assassin, hiding out her last few years in a remote cottage on a distant island. We were well beyond pretending that none of us had sex.

We finished up dinner with no more awkward conversation. Nana asked to be filled in on our adventures since we’d had our run-in with Regg. I explained what had happened to me while Theo went over his trials and tribulations. I was astonished to hear that he had been taken in by an ex MI6 agent on the mountain and pleased that Lukas had extended a hand to help when needed.

Theo looked pained when I talked about waking up in the ship’s hull, partly naked. But he rejoiced when I told him I’d kicked the guard’s ass, even though I was subsequently captured again.

“I’ve never been out in quite such a storm,” I said, chewing on the last bite of beef.

“It looks like you did just fine,” Nana approved.

Theo sighed, setting his fork and knife down atop his plate. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to try closing my eyes for a few minutes.”

“Of course,” Nana said, wiping the corners of her mouth on a napkin. “Where are my manners?” She stood up, intending to clear the table.

I beat her to the punch, reaching for Theo’s plate as I took my own into the kitchen. I stayed to clean the table and put everything back in the fridge while Nana showed Theo to our room. She returned alone, shoeing me away when I tried to start the dishes.

“Go,” she said. “You’re probably exhausted by now.”

“I’ll live,” I quipped.

“Then see to that boyfriend of yours,” she insisted. “He’s just about to fall asleep on his feet.”

I grinned, knowing it would be wise for me to take a nap. With things the way they were, every second was precious. I never knew when I would be called to race into action, and since we seemed relatively safe, it was a good time to doze off.

I gave Nana a kiss on the cheek and left the dish towel on the counter. Climbing the stairs, I checked left and right before finding Theo in a room at the end of the hall. He had his shirt off already and was sitting on the bed facing the window.

I climbed onto the mattress behind him, putting my arms around his shoulders. I kissed his ear, allowing myself a moment of pure tranquility. Following his gaze out the window, I wondered at the secluded beauty of his grandmother’s home. Deep blue waters stretched away into the distance, bordered on two sides by deep green foliage and a strip of sandy beach. It was heaven.

“Do you think maybe she’ll rent the place out to us?” I whispered, nibbling on his earlobe.

“I think we can find someplace equally as beautiful,” he replied, raising a hand to stroke my hair.

“But if we lived with her, we could enjoy homemade meals every day,” I said, trying to entice him to give in. I didn’t know why I’d taken to Gretchen so easily and completely. She reminded me of me if I ever managed to get out of the game alive. What I wouldn’t give to kick up my heels and do a little bit of gardening with a strong yet silent handyman and my soul mate, Theo, by my side.

“Do you think she’ll mind if we break in the guest bed?” I asked, sliding around to prop myself up in his lap.

“Are you sure it hasn’t already been broken in?” he teased, gazing up at me instead of out at the view.

I kissed him, easing myself forward and back on my hips to limber up. He held my waist lightly, letting me get comfortable. When I gazed down into his eyes, I saw an abundance of love. It looked like whatever tension had passed between us on Gretchen’s ship had disappeared. We were back in the right frame of mind and on the same page.

Theo slid his hands up and down my back, giving me an idea. Suddenly, I wanted a different kind of foreplay, and I wasn’t above bullying to get it.

“Give me a backrub,” I said, lifting my shirt up and unlatching my bra.

Theo didn’t answer immediately. He circled one breast with his fingers, lifting the nipple to his mouth. I felt the tension unwind as soon as he slipped it between his lips, and I almost gave up my quest for a massage.

But Theo hadn’t forgotten my request. He released me with a satisfied smile, easing up with his hips to flip me onto the bed. I lay on my stomach, confused when he left the bed. Turning around to look, I saw him taking his pants off. It was going to be that kind of massage.

Smiling happily, I lowered my head to the mattress. A happy ending was in store for me after Theo worked on my muscles. What more could a girl want? The bed sagged in the middle as Theo climbed back on. I felt him settle into place beside me. The anticipation was growing. I knew that I was the one who’d demanded the massage, but I found myself eager to skip to the conclusion.

Theo put his hands on my shoulders, sliding his palms across my skin. I forgot all about the happy ending as he smoothed down my spine with the concentration of a chiropractor. His hands were huge. I had a hard time remembering that, considering that they were in line with the rest of his body. But when applied to my back, I could feel his fingers wrap clear around to my hips.

I let myself drift. Theo got in there with the heel of his palms, gently circling my pressure points. I moaned, amazed that anything could feel so good. I resolved to ask him for a back rub each time we hopped into bed.

He fired up my muscles with his magic touch, stroking and soothing them until they gave up all their tension. He worked on the knots that had burrowed themselves into the back of my neck and the small of my back. I felt dual shocks of agony and pleasure as he applied his knuckles to the worst of it.

Finally, after fifteen minutes of delicious attention, Theo released me and flopped down naked on the bed.