A Safe Place To Fall (The Fall Book 1) (18 page)

“
The master bath is kind of old
school,” Drew admitted bringing her out of her fantasy, “but
the tub is really nice.”

More visions came flooding into her mind.
Her leaning back against his wet chest. Masculine hands scorching a
trail from her throat to another heated part of her body. Those
hands doing amazing things pushing her to the edge of bliss.

“
I'm sure you want to get cleaned
up,” Drew said as he pulled a towel and washcloth out of a
cabinet. “Just don't fall asleep.”

A blush spread across Lana's face at
being caught in her x-rated thoughts.

He turned to look at her, a slow grin
breaking out on his face. “What's going on in that pretty head
of yours?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

Strong hands wrapped around her waist and
pulled her to him. “Should I tell you what I was thinking
then?”

Her hands rested against his chest. “Do
I even want to know?”

Drew's hands slid into the back pockets
of her jeans. “Oh, I think you would like it.”

“
Oh, really?” Her hands
slide up his chest to link behind his neck.

“
Oh, definitely,” he
insisted, using his hands on her ass to pull her tighter against his
body. “I was picturing using that wash cloth on every inch of
you.”

Her body warmed in response to his words.
Nobody had ever got her going with just words. Now that she thought
about it--nobody had ever tried to get her going before. Pressed
against the evidence of his arousal she knew that she would not be
able to tell him no if he wanted to take things to the next level.

Drew lightly kissed her forehead before
he backed away from her. “Tonight is not the night.”

Suddenly, Lana found herself standing in
the bathroom alone and completely turned on.

*********************************

Drew sat in the living room cursing
himself for letting her know exactly what had been on his mind. With
everything going on the last couple of months, the last thing Lana
needed was to know he pictured her naked in a million different
scenarios. It would serve him right if she made him sleep on the
couch tonight.

A quick phone call to his father informed
him Shawn was still no where to be found. Damn it! The guy was
trying to kill Lana, but nobody could find him. Drew just wanted
this nightmare to be over. He did not know what he would do if
something happened to her.

His strong feelings for Lana still took
him by surprise. They had only known each other since September, but
in that short amount of time she had become his world. Everything he
did was to make sure she was happy and safe.

Without a doubt he knew she would be his
future. He just needed to keep Shawn away from her.

The bedroom door opening directed his
attention to the doorway. His breath caught in his chest. Lana was
standing there in one of his t shirts-- and a pair of panties.
Holy
mother of all that is good!
Blood surged south of the boarder as his eyes ate up the vision of
her. Was she trying to kill him?

Drew concentrated on breathing as she
made her way across the room to him. Then he forgot about breathing
all together when she straddled his lap and sat down. The good part
in him said to not reach out to touch her. Unfortunately, the
cave-man in him was demanding he tear her clothes off.

Hell, even he had to admit there was more
devil in him than angel.

The devil was to blame for his hands
reaching out to cup her breasts. Drew had nothing to do with his
mouth covering hers in a searing kiss. It was not the angel who
kissed and nibbled his way down her throat. His hands were not in
the process of pulling that baggy shirt over her head.

Her breathy moans propelled him up and to
the bedroom with her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. All
intentions of being the good boy while he had her here fled his mind.
Who could blame him for giving into temptation with her sweet, and
willing body pressed so close to his.

************************

Lana's heart pounded as she looked up at
Drew. She knew she could slam the brakes on this ride at any point,
and he would stop. He would not force her to do anything that she
was not willing to do. The pressure building between her legs told
her she was more than willing to ride this ride until it was over.

This was happening!

“
Take this off,” she demanded
with a shaky voice, tugging at his shirt.

Without hesitation Drew tore his shirt
over his head and tossed it over the side of the bed. His lips
sought hers immediately. The kiss could only be described as
ravaging.

Her hands found their way to his hair as
she returned his kiss just as hungrily. Her hips arched to move
against his arousal trying to relieve some of the pressure that was
building.

Drew stared down at her his lower half
rubbing against hers'. “Are you sure?” He cupped her
cheek with his hand. “I don't want to do anything you're not
ready for.”

“
I'm sure,” was all she could
manage to say.

In a matter of seconds he had both of
them completely exposed. A condom was located in the bedside stand.
She blocked out the thoughts of where that had more than likely come
from. There was no room for thoughts of anything else right now.

For a split second Shawn popped into her
mind when she felt the tip of Drew's erection pressing against her
opening. His lips on her chin, cheek, and finally lips chased all of
those images away. This was Drew, and there was nothing more she
wanted than to be right here in this bed with him.

Her breath caught as he slowly eased into
her stretching her until he completely filled her. He stilled above
her to allow her to adjust. When she wrapped her legs around his
waist he began moving slowly. Gradually he increased the speed and
she greedily took every bit he gave her.

Then the magic moment happened. Lana
cried out as the world fell out from under her. Drew grunted as he
filled her completely one final time as he followed her over.

The following days found them falling
into a routine. Each day they would both sit down to do their
assignments, and submit them to their professors. If the weather
allowed they would always take a walk around the property. Then at
night they would go to bed and show just how much they were beginning
to care for one another.

There were times when Lana could almost
forget Shawn was somewhere out there. When Drew had first taken his
hand gun out of his overnight bag she freaked out a little. She had
known he had one at the apartment, but he always kept it hidden.
Having it out in the open took some time getting used to.

Two days before they were supposed to
head back to Morgantown they decided to grill a couple of steaks and
baked potatoes out on the deck.

Lana curled up on the glider with a
blanket and watched Drew as he flipped a steak. He was hers'. She
was still trying to wrap her head around the fact she now had someone
to call her own. Just a few months ago when she ran to Morgantown,
she had not even considered getting into a relationship.

“
I wish we didn't have to leave,”
she admitted, enjoying the view of his back and perfect behind.

“
We could always stay a little
longer,” he told her.

She took a drink of her soda and shook
her head. “I need to get back to work.”

Drew put a steak and potato on a plate
and brought it to her. “I would rather keep you locked up here
for at least a month.”

Lana smiled at the image his words
brought to her mind. So many possibilities to waste a month here in
the middle of no where. If she thought he just wanted her to himself
she would have been tempted to stay. However, she knew he just
wanted her somewhere Shawn could not get to her.

She refused to spend her life hiding.

“
Have they found Shawn yet?”
she asked, cutting into the slightly pink steak.

“
Dad said his roommate hasn't seen
him since that day,” Drew informed her, sitting down at the
patio table. “Looks like he cut your lines and ran.”

Lana closed her eyes as a vision of her
car slamming into the side of another vehicle flashed through her
mind. She would never forget the fear she had felt when her breaks
would not work. Only one person's image had flashed through her
mind. Drew.

“
I'm going to kill him when I get
my hands on him,” Drew promised.

Drew had tried to hide his anger the
whole time they had been at the cabin. He did not think she realized
that he did a property check every night before they went to bed.
Every night she pretended he did not wake her up as he got out of bed
to once again check their surroundings. Being up here had not erased
the threat from his mind. He was more alert to danger up here than
he had been at home.

It had become all too real for them both
after the car accident. Shawn wanted her dead. It was as plain and
as simple as that. Could she even fathom a single reason for it?
Hell no. It's not as if he had faced going to jail if she had gone
about her life. There was no way she would have ever reported him.

Now it was all going to come out in a
trial. He was determined to destroy her life and there was nothing
that she could do about it.

**************************

Chapter
19

The text message on Lana's phone came
just as Drew's phone started ringing. Who could be trying to get a
hold of both of them at 3 A.M.?

Half asleep, Lana reached out to check
the message on her phone.

Unknown: See what happens when
you run?

Attached to the text message was a
picture of Ricky laying in a pool of blood. His body beaten and
broken. He seemed to be unconscious, or worse, dead.

“
Oh
God,” she cried, tears forming in her eyes.

No! No! God, no! Not Ricky!

Drew was talking to someone on his phone.
“When did it happen?”

“
No,
No, No,” she kept saying. Now fully sat up she rocked back and
forth, her arms wrapped around her middle.

He reached out taking her cell phone out
of her hands. Colorful curse words came out of his mouth when he saw
the gruesome scene on her phone. “She just got a picture of
it.”

How could someone do this to sweet Ricky?
Ricky never set out to hurt any-one. He was going to go places.
Now he could be dead, and it was all her fault.

“
Keep
me posted,” Drew demanded ending the call.

His arms were around her in an instant.
“Shh,” he murmured, running his hand up and down her
back. “I know it looks bad, honey, but he's alive.”

“
Why?”
she whimpered into his solid chest.

“
The
police ruled it a home invasion gone wrong,” Drew informed her,
holding her even closer. “That text you just received changes
things. I need to forward it to my dad.” His frustrated sigh
ruffled her hair. “I can't believe he got a hold of your
number again.”

“
Haven't
you figured out?” she asked, pulling away slightly wiping tears
from her face. “I can't hide from him. Whenever I try to
someone gets hurt.”

This was all her fault! If she had not
decided to hide out here Ricky would still be safe. Instead, she let
Drew talk her into leaving town. How would she ever be able to
forgive herself? Would Ricky ever forgive her?

Lana pulled away from Drew. If she had
any hope of gaining Ricky's forgiveness she needed to get to him.
She could not leave him in that hospital by himself.

When they had first arrived at the cabin
Drew had insisted she unpack her clothes. Now she tossed her clothes
back into her overnight bag in a hurry, not caring about wrinkles.
There was no time to waste; she needed to get out of there.

“
What
are you doing?” Drew asked from his side of the bed.

“
We're
going home,” she informed him, going to the bathroom and
tossing her bathing supplies into her bag. “I need to be with
Ricky right now.”

He appeared in the doorway of the
bathroom and leaned against the door frame. “Honey, I don't
think that's such a good idea.”

“
He's
in the hospital because of me,” Lana said to his image in the
mirror as she tossed her hair brush into her bag.

“
This
is not your fault,” he stated.

Zipping the bag, Lana turned to walk
passed him on her way out of the bathroom. “Shawn did this
because of me.”

“
I
think we should stay here until Shawn is arrested.”