Page 43 of Taylor’s Warrior

Something fluttered in her belly. What Rhys had said was open to interpretation—whatever way he’d meant it, it didn’t scare her. “I wish we had all the time in the world right now, but Wolf will be here soon.”

“We could save some time by showering together.”

Taylor couldn’t help but laugh at the suggestion. “Seriously? If I have to share a shower with you, I can promise you, it will not save time. If anything, it’ll take much, much longer.”

Rhys grinned in a way that made him look carefree and years younger. “Okay, you have a point, because there’s no way I would be able to keep my hands off you. You go first, and I’ll make a start on breakfast. But remember this—sharing the shower is only postponed, not cancelled.”

She was looking forward to it already.

After the fastest shower of her life, Taylor dressed quickly and threw some clothes and other essentials into a bag, ready for their side trip to Las Vegas. In the kitchen, she finished off what Rhys had started, and timed the completion of breakfast perfectly for his return to the kitchen. His dark hair was still damp, and a perfect match with his black t-shirt and combat pants. Boots on and bag deposited beside hers by the doorway, he was ready to go. Taylor watched him fill two glasses with orange juice and bring them back to the counter just as she set the two plates of food down.

They made a great team.

“Sure you’ve got everything you need?” Rhys asked between mouthfuls of scrambled eggs.

Taylor sipped her juice. “I think so. We won’t be gone long, will we?”

“It’s difficult to say. What if you find you want to spend some time with him?”

The quiet question gave her pause for thought. A round-trip traveling time in excess of ten hours wouldn’t allow for a long visit; the truth was, Taylor hadn’t given much consideration to anything beyond an opportunity to find out what was going on, and she kind of knew why.

“I guess the priority has to be finding out what made him send the flash drive and the documents, and why he’s held onto everything for so long. If he cooperates, it’s a five, ten-minute conversation. Whether I stay longer or not depends on those answers.”

“Whether we stay or not,” Rhys countered. “Where you go, I go. Where you stay, I stay.”

“Is that the bodyguard thing?”

He mock-scowled at her. “It’s the bodyguard/lover thing.”

A delicious shiver raced down her spine. “Is that what we are now? Lovers?”

He arched an eyebrow. “I damn well hope so. Boyfriend-girlfriend is a little… immature once you’re no longer a teenager.”

“True. I’ll go with that.”

While they took care of the dishes, Taylor’s mind replayed her memories of the previous night. She couldn’t help but smile. “Last night was amazing. I can’t wait until we can do it again.”

He pressed a kiss to her lips, fast and hard. “You’re not the only one. We need to stock up, though.”

Taylor knew exactly what he was referring to—she’d been both relieved and thankful that he’d been able to produce a condom out of thin air, or so it had seemed. “There’ll be plenty of opportunities to do that on the way, and even if there aren’t, I have no doubt Vegas won’t come up short.”

“Fair enough. Point me in the right direction, and I’ll make sure we have enough for me to keep you in bed for the next six months.”

Taylor spluttered. “Seriously?”

“You think I’m joking? Fy nghariad, there are some things about which I never joke, and making love to you is one of them. You have a lot to learn about me.”

Taylor lifted her chin. “As do you about me, stud.”

He shot her a look, and then laughed out loud. “This is going to be fun.”

“Oh, I hope so,” Taylor responded. Then she sobered. “I’ll be glad when I know what’s happening with Pops. Whatever the truth is, even if it’s not what I want to hear, it’s what I need.”

Rhys took her hand and gathered her in his arms. “I promise you—whatever it takes, we will find out the truth. And whatever it is, I’m right here for you.”

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A short time later, Rhys and Taylor were in the center vehicle in a convoy of three SUVs—all hired to avoid identification of personal vehicles. Wolf and his wife Caroline led the way, with Abe and Dude bringing up the rear.