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He watched the color drain from her face and he grabbed her mug, afraid she was going to drop it.
“What?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
“I just realized that I had no idea you’d been watching me that closely and maybe I hadn’t been doing as good of a job at hiding as I’d thought.”
“I’d say you’ve been doing a pretty good job,” he said. “You’ve been on the run for months and you’re still alive.” His lips twitched and he watched her take another sip. “It just so happens that I’m more exceptional than most in the observation game. You caught my notice at first because you looked familiar at first glance. But you kept my notice because you are quite possibly the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
She scoffed and said, “You barely said hello to me a handful of times in the two months I lived there.”
“I would’ve talked to you eventually,” he said and then he grinned. “Especially considering the way you watched me. At some point I would’ve stood at your door with your mis-delivered Chinese food and talked my way into sharing it with you. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you my days of being alone and detached were numbered.”
She was steadier than she had been before she’d fallen asleep, though there were still dark circles under her eyes. He’d lain next to her while she slept, stroking her hair when she cried in her sleep.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
She stared down blankly at her half-full cup and let out a slow breath. “I’m sad. I’m sad that my friends paid a price they never should’ve had to pay. You can tell me it’s not my fault, but the truth is, they’re dead because they knew me. So it is my fault.” She held up a hand to stop him from protesting.
“It is my fault,” she said, steadily. “And it’s something I’ll always have to live with. My family and my friends, all gone because my last name is Valentine. Which makes me angry. And anger is the emotion I need to focus on right now. Angelo needs to pay. He’s destroyed too many lives. And I want to be the one to bring him down.”
Shane nodded. Anger was something he could understand. Anger could motivate like nothing else could. She would have to live with her guilt, just like he did. And eventually she’d have to forgive herself. Just like he was starting to do.
“Come on,” he said. “I’ll make you some eggs and bacon. Anger burns a lot of calories.” He held the bedroom door open for her, ignoring the temptation of pushing her back toward the bed. Her hair and clothes were rumpled and there was a crease along the side of her cheek. It was inevitable. And he knew it.
“And one more thing,” he said, moving past her to get the eggs out of the fridge. “If you’re tired of the name Valentine you could always take my name. Rachel Quincy has a nice ring to it.”
ChapterThirteen
The next two days were some of the best of his life. Shane couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so much. He’d forgotten that feeling of getting to know someone—every detail of their life—and staying up for hours absorbing every piece of information.
He’d also never been so tortured. Spending that much time with Rachel in close quarters had wreaked havoc on his body. He wanted her. And there had been moments in the night, when she was curled in his arms, where they’d let their lips wander and explore. She was as frustrated as he was, which was the only consolation to his torture.
He needed her to know that she was more than just a warm body in a tense situation. Even if it killed him. But when this was over…
“Penny for your thoughts?” Rachel asked, coming out of the bathroom in the thin shorts and white T-shirt she liked to wear to sleep in.
His mouth dropped open and became dry as dust at the sight of her. He knew what her skin felt like—soft and smooth—but there was strength beneath the softness. His eyes traveled over every inch of her, eventually reaching her full lips, lingering there for a moment before meeting her gaze.
He saw laughter in her eyes. She knew exactly what she was doing to him, and she didn’t seem to care.
“Cat got your tongue?” She approached him slowly, her fingers skimming over his chest and down to his stomach.
“You are playing a dangerous game,” he said.
“Really?” she asked. “I appreciate your noble intentions. It’s very gentlemanly of you. But I’m tired of you being a gentleman.”
Shane swallowed hard and held on to her hands so they’d stop roaming. “It’s for your own good. When I make love to you I want you to know it’s for no other reason than I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Sex is easy. It’s everything else that’s hard. I don’t want anything to cloud the issue when it comes down to you choosing me.”
She kissed along his jawline and his body temperature spiked. “You’re driving me crazy, Shane Quincy. It figures I’d fall in love with the only white knight left in the business.”
His breath caught in his chest. “You love me?” he asked, seeking the truth in her eyes.
“I have it on good authority that time is relative. I feel like I’ve known you forever. And I trust you more than I’ve ever trusted anyone. That’s saying a lot.”
Shane felt the tremulous hold he’d kept on himself start to crack and he took her mouth in a kiss meant to devour, a kiss meant to let her know how much he loved her.
He’d lost control of the situation. All of his well-laid plans went right out the window at her touch. Her nails bit into his back and he realized his shirt had disappeared. The red haze of lust flashed behind his closed lids as his lips explored her. He was past the point of no return, and he resigned himself to the fact that temptation had gotten the better of him.
He picked her up in his arms and was carrying her to the bed when he heard the series of beeps alerting that someone was entering the front door. Shane dropped her on the bed and reached for his gun on the nightstand. Unmindful of his nakedness, he ran into the living room, thinking only of protecting Rachel and giving her a head start to escape.
