Burned (9 page)

For what felt like the hundredth time she questioned the wisdom of coming tonight. Talking with Alex had allayed her fears but all she really wanted was to get through this and go home, change into her comfy robe and cuddle up in bed with a book for awhile. Maybe if all went well tonight she’d be able to sleep all the way through without waking up soaked in sweat and her heart pounding in her ears.

When he turned back to her, Sean’s dark eyes glittered with an erotic heat that stole her breath. He stood close enough that she had to tip her head back to look into his face, and held up a chocolate covered strawberry to dangle it in front of her mouth. “Open up, sweetness.”

Combined with the sexual awareness in his eyes, that deeply intimate tone sent a flare of heat into the pit of her stomach and between her thighs. Held prisoner by his intense gaze, she parted her lips as he placed the berry against them. And he didn’t stop the seductive move there. Instead of popping the morsel into her mouth, he eased it partway between her teeth and held it there, watching her closely as she bit down and sucked the juices away so they didn’t spill down her chin. Sean flashed a predatory smile and bent his head, stopping only when his warm breath feathered over the corner of her mouth.

“Wider.”

The erotic whisper made her grow slick and swollen as she envisioned another naughty scenario. Him holding his erect cock out to her like he was offering a treat, one hand gently pulling her head close enough for him to brush the slick head against her waiting lips. She shivered, struggled to concentrate.

As though he knew what she was thinking, he smiled and pressed the berry more firmly against her parted lips. “Come on, sweetness, open wide. I know you want it.”

God, did she. The suggestive way he said it made her go liquid. Licking her lips, she parted her mouth and allowed him to slide the berry in. She bit down, taking the rest of the fruit up to the stem, closing her hand around his strong wrist to hold him still. Meeting his stare, she boldly slid her tongue out to stroke across his thumb and fingertip, then closed her lips around them and gave a slow, firm suck.

Take that
, she challenged him silently.

The amusement in his eyes vanished, replaced by white hot desire. His gaze narrowed on her mouth, so full of heat it practically singed her face. When she released his hand and lifted her head, she wasn’t the only one breathing faster.

Sean reached up to glide his thumb across her lower lip, his expression absorbed. “Dinner,” he managed in a rough voice, then grabbed her hand and took her back to their table. She barely remembered what they ate or what everyone talked about during the meal. She sat through the speeches and awards without being able to concentrate, constantly distracted by the feel of Sean’s thigh pressing against hers or the feel of his fingers stroking over her bare shoulder when he draped an arm across the back of her chair. She shifted and pressed her thighs together to stem the throb there but it didn’t help. God, she wanted him so much it hurt.

When the man at the podium called her name Sean rose to pull out her chair and help her up. She smiled at him in gratitude, knowing he’d done it not only as a courtesy, but to spare her any embarrassment her stiff hip might cause her in front of an audience as she got to her feet.

Pulling in a deep breath she made her way across the room to the podium and accepted the award, aware of Sean’s eyes on her the whole time. Her entire body tingled and her heart raced with a mixture of excitement and pride. The award represented far more than recognition. It was a physical representation of everything she’d fought for, and would continue to fight for.

A lump formed in her throat as she accepted the plaque and headed back to her seat. Her mother wasn’t here to see this but Sean was and that warmed her to the soles of her feet. He was waiting for her when she reached their table. His proud smile touched every part of her heart and when he slid a hand behind her nape and pressed a lingering kiss against her forehead right in front of everyone she feared she might start crying.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur and finally it was over and she could be alone with him. It had been a long time since she’d been interested enough and had the guts to ask a man back to her place, but for him she was willing to put aside her fears. Even if tonight was all they had together, she wanted to do it. Needed to. Her body was on fire and he was the only one who could douse the flames.

Sean laced his fingers through hers and raised her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it on the way down to the lobby. Zahra pressed closer to his side and breathed in his clean scent, every nerve in her body humming with desire. She noticed him carefully scanning the lobby on the way through but even the reminder that they might be in danger didn’t dampen her arousal.

All the way through the lobby he kept her off to the side of the room, blocking her subtly with his body while they waited inside for the valet to bring their SUV around to the side exit, rather than the front where they’d be more exposed. By the time they were outside at the SUV where the valet had left it in a secluded spot that afforded them concealment and protection, she couldn’t wait another second to touch him. She dumped her plaque and purse on the ground and set her hands on his broad shoulders, her fingers pressing into the muscle beneath the tuxedo jacket. She tipped her head back to stare up into his eyes.

Sean gazed down at her with such hunger that she shivered and when he slid his hands into her hair she couldn’t control the soft sound of need that slipped out of her. His eyes darkened and he leaned in. Zahra rose up on tiptoe, expecting him to crush his mouth to hers, and let out a startled moan when he instead pressed his face against the side of her neck and inhaled deeply. Goose bumps flashed over her skin, pebbling her nipples until they chafed against the lacy fabric of her bra. Her fingers tightened on him and she closed her eyes when she felt his lips rub against her neck, the soft caress a stark contrast to the whiskers on his face.

“Zahra,” he breathed against her skin, nuzzling her with his nose and lips. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

“God, just kiss me,” she demanded, grabbing fistfuls of his hair to force his head up. People were walking past them just yards away and she didn’t even care so long as he didn’t stop what he was doing to her.

Sean resisted at first, instead opening his mouth against the sensitive place beneath her ear to let his tongue drag against her skin. She gasped and tugged harder and then he at last turned his head and kissed her. But he didn’t shove his tongue inside and fuck her with it as all the other guys she’d kissed had done. No, Sean seduced her with the glide and shifting pressure of his lips against hers. His hands held her still when she tried to take more, making her wait, building the need higher. When she whimpered in frustration and pressed her body against his to ease the ache in her breasts, he finally licked his way into her mouth.

Zahra squeezed her eyes shut at the exquisite feel of him. He tasted like the crème brulee they’d eaten for dessert and he took the time to caress every sensitive spot in her mouth with velvet soft strokes of his tongue. She quivered and melted, responding to the languorous caresses with a desperation she couldn’t control. By the time he lifted his head to breathe she was trembling all over, a mass of shivering need.

He seemed much more in control than she was. His gaze was tender and hungry on hers as he trailed his fingers across her hot cheek, the hard bulge of his erection lodged against her belly. He shifted his thigh until it pressed between her legs, his eyes flaring when she whimpered and rubbed against him, delirious with sensation. “I want inside you.”

“Yes,” she blurted, lifting her head for another kiss. Anything he wanted, she’d give him, as long as he took the terrible ache away.

Sean growled low against her lips and took her mouth more aggressively this time, though he continued to tease her with those sinful caresses of his tongue that turned her liquid in his arms. She’d never been kissed like this, like she was the most desirable woman on earth and he wanted to keep doing it all night. If he took that same approach while they were actually having sex, she didn’t know if she’d survive it. It had been so long and he made her forget all her inhibitions, all her fears about enjoying the pleasure her body craved.

She was ready to climb his body to find some relief when he tore his mouth away and buried his face into the curve of her throat. They were both panting. He released her hair and slid his arms around her back for a tight hug, then eased away and pressed her into the open doorway. “Get in.”

Still drunk on him, she did as he said, scooping up her purse and plaque from the ground. She fumbled for her seatbelt when he closed her door and came around to slide behind the wheel. She drank in the sight of his profile, hardly able to believe she was going to have him naked and all over her the moment they got to her place.

He shook his head as he steered through the parking lot, the muscles in his jaw clenching. “If you keep looking at me like that I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait until I get you home to peel that dress off you and make you come against my tongue.”

Zahra sucked in a breath and pressed her thighs together, desire slicing through her so deep she felt dizzy. The swollen bundle of nerves at the top of her sex throbbed as images of his dark head between her legs flitted through her brain. Her skin was hypersensitive all over, her silky dress and underwear suddenly chafing her skin. For one crazy moment she contemplated stripping naked for him right there in the front seat to see what he’d do, then thought better of it. She wanted to savor every moment of what was coming, in the privacy of her own bed.

To distract them both she reached out and switched on the stereo. Eddie Van Halen’s guitar riffs filled the air and the knife-sharp tension in the vehicle dissipated. She kept her hands folded in her lap, not wanting to distract him as he drove, knowing he was keeping an eye out in case anyone was trying to follow them. She looked over at him in surprise when he took her left hand in his and set it atop the console separating their seats. Smiling to herself, she relished the simple gesture and the gentle stroke of his thumb. The anticipation added an edgy sort of sweetness to the whole thing. Having to wait would only make it better once it finally happened and she could hardly bear it.

They didn’t speak, only Sean’s beloved Van Halen breaking the silence for them as he drove toward her place. She was so focused on the fantasy images of the two of them naked in her bed, savoring the little caresses he bestowed on the back of her hand, that she didn’t notice the change in him at first. Realizing that he’d just taken a third turn in a row and his thumb had stopped moving, she glanced at him. Immediately she noted the change in his posture, the stillness of him as he focused on something in the rear view mirror.

Suddenly chilled, Zahra tightened her fingers around his. “What’s wrong?” She knew something was wrong and the first flutters of fear curled in her belly.

A muscle twitched in his lean jaw and his hand shot out to kill the radio, plunging them into immediate, jarring silence. “We’re being followed,” he said, and pressed harder on the accelerator, speeding along the darkened, almost deserted road.

Chapter Eight

Sean had noticed the silver Ford pickup behind them about a mile from the hotel. After watching it stay in the rearview mirror on the highway, he’d taken an exit and turned onto a side street to see if they had a shadow.

Since this was the fourth turn he’d made into a quiet residential neighborhood and that pickup had just turned onto the same street, he knew this was no mere coincidence. He picked up the radio and contacted Hunter. “We’ve got company.”

“Where are you?”

Sean relayed their current position. Their best bet was to lose their shadow on the highway. Get on, dodge through the lanes of traffic and duck onto an exit before they could follow.

“Copy,” Hunter said. “We’ll get in the truck and head your way. Keep me updated.”

“Roger that.” He made another left turn and hit the gas. The sound of the engine revving filled the otherwise silent interior. He didn’t have to look at Zahra to know she was afraid. “Everything’s gonna be okay,” he told her. “Just sit back and make sure your seatbelt is locked tight.” He didn’t waste time explaining that he had advanced defensive driving training because he doubted it would make her feel any better. She jerked on the strap and sat rigid in her seat.

Keeping most of his focus on the road, he glanced back at their tail every few seconds. The driver had given up all pretense of caution now and was getting closer in the mirror. Sean was already doing well over eighty in a forty zone, so whoever it was, they were flying.

There were no other cars on this stretch of road. He knew the general vicinity where they were but didn’t know any of the streets. Up ahead the next traffic light was a stale red. He kept his foot on the accelerator as they approached, saw a car pull to a stop on the other side and then one drove through the intersection. Their tail kept coming, showed no signs of slowing at all. He pressed down harder on the gas pedal, counting on the light to change by the time they got there.

Zahra grabbed the edge of her seat and cried out. “Sean!”

Ignoring her, focused on getting them as far away from that silver pickup as fast as possible, he headed straight for the intersection. At the last moment the light changed. He flew through it at well over double the speed limit and didn’t let up. Checking in the mirror he saw the truck fly through a late yellow light. “Hang on,” he said grimly. He had to get them off this road and back on the highway.

Waiting until the last possible moment, he hit the brakes and cranked the wheel hard right. The tires screeched as the back end swung out. Zahra cried out and gripped the dashboard with one hand. “Just close your eyes while I get us out of here,” he suggested, bringing the vehicle back under control to hit the gas again. A flashing red light down the street signaled a four-way stop. This section of town was more crowded; he couldn’t maintain this speed without serious risk of killing someone in a collision.

The pickup was only a block behind them. He jammed on the brakes and took a sharp left, cursing under his breath when he had to bring them to a plunging stop to keep from plowing into the back of a minivan.

Zahra sucked in a breath. “Sean—”

“Just close your eyes,” he snapped, and jerked the wheel to weave around the slower vehicle. The street was filled with parked cars, increasing the danger that he might hit someone if they didn’t see him coming and stepped out onto the road. Silently raging at himself for picking the wrong goddamn escape route, he wound his way through the traffic amidst blasts of horns from pissed off drivers, narrowly avoiding another two collisions before he finally managed to get them onto a clear street.

The screech of tires and more horns alerted him that the truck was still coming even before it turned the corner. Sean was already making a hard right at the next intersection when the headlights appeared in the rearview mirror. Having the advantage for the moment and knowing they’d hit an on-ramp sooner or later on this road, he raced on. Only a few oncoming cars passed them and the next light was way off in the distance. The lights behind him disappeared suddenly. Startled, Sean didn’t ease up on the gas just in case.

“Is it gone?” Zahra asked shakily, turning in her seat to check.

“Dunno, and I’m not taking the chance that it’s not.” Up ahead he could finally see the big green sign that marked the on-ramp, stating it was just a quarter mile up the road.  The sooner he got them on the highway, the sooner he could get her to safety.

Zahra faced forward again. “Where are we going now?”

The on-ramp was dead ahead. Only a few more seconds. “We’ll meet up with Hunter once I get us clear. I want to make sure we can verify that your place is still secure.” He started to take his foot off the accelerator.

The pickup shot out of a side street ahead of them, directly in their path.

“Shit!” He hammered the brakes and wrenched the wheel to the left. The SUV swung around sharply in a controlled skid. Zahra cried out and grabbed hold of the dash to steady herself but as he righted the vehicle he heard her head smack into the window. He didn’t have time to see if she was okay because the truck had caught up to them during the one-eighty. Sean’s head snapped backward when the car smashed into the left rear quarter panel. Metal crunched. He heard Zahra’s frightened cry as the impact forced them toward the shoulder.

Swearing, Sean floored it. He caught the muzzle flash then the sharp thud of bullets hitting the side of the SUV. Another smashed into the left passenger window, putting a spider web pattern into the bullet resistant glass.

Automatically he reached over and grabbed the back of Zahra’s head, pushed. “Get down!”

Two more rounds hit his window. Zahra screamed his name and he released her head to grab the wheel with both hands. The truck rammed their left side again. The force of it spun the back end around and sent them careening toward the center line. Another car was coming at them in the opposite direction. On instinct he hit the brakes and shifted to neutral to turn them completely. It didn’t help. The pickup’s bumper had locked with the SUV’s and the added weight made the turn impossible. The combined momentum carried them across the center line and toward the trees lining the far shoulder.

He barely had time to yell “Brace!” before more shots peppered the SUV.

Motherfucker.
Despite the superior weight of the SUV Sean could do nothing but try to control the skid, couldn’t even release the wheel to grab for his own weapon and return fire.

In his peripheral vision he saw Zahra’s arms flail out to grab the dash as those trees raced toward them. The tires squealed and smoked from him locking up the brakes in a last ditch effort to slow their speed. They shot off the road and slammed into the trees head on. His airbag punched him in the face as his seatbelt snapped taut. He grunted as it jolted hard against his ribs.

Disoriented, scrambling to get his bearings, his only thought was to protect Zahra. He looked over to find her shoving at the airbag, gasping in short bursts. As he reached over to release her seatbelt, more shots exploded against Zahra’s window. She screamed again and ducked down just as Sean hit the release button, sending her to her knees on the floorboard.

He darted a glance over to see that the impact had wrenched the truck free from the SUV’s bumper. The asshole was now less than twenty yards away, taking pot shots at them. “Stay down and don’t move,” Sean ordered Zahra. Livid, running on pure adrenaline, he reached into his shoulder holster for his SIG as he muscled his damaged door open. It finally gave with a grating squeal of metal on metal and he scrambled around it to use the engine block as a shield. This bastard wasn’t using armor piercing rounds but he wasn’t taking any chances by making himself a bigger target. He heard the sound of the pickup’s engine revving as if the driver was planning to ram them again.

Rising to peer over the hood, Sean gripped the pistol and fired three precise shots through the driver’s side of the windshield. The rounds plowed through the glass and the revving stopped. He crept cautiously around toward the end of the hood for a better angle. Damn, with the glare of the headlights he couldn’t tell if he’d hit the bastard or not. He raised his weapon to fire again. Dirt sprayed up from beneath the Ford’s tires as it swerved suddenly and fishtailed back onto the pavement.

This idiot thought he could drive a truck shot up like that? “No you fucking
don’t
,” Sean growled and ran out from behind cover to fire again. Two more bullets hit the back window but all he saw was the shape of a head ducking down as the truck roared away, out of range. It lurched around the corner and disappeared from view.

Heart racing, furious that he’d nearly gotten Zahra killed and the shooter was getting away, he lowered the pistol and got pissed off all over again when he realized he hadn’t even gotten the complete plate number. Swearing at himself, he shoved the weapon back into the shoulder holster. A few oncoming cars had noticed the SUV and were slowing down to help. One driver rolled his window down, eyed him and the bullet-riddled vehicle cautiously.

“You okay, buddy?”

“Yeah. Call 911, would you?” Sean called back. He needed to get Zahra out of the SUV and someplace safe before that son of a bitch came back for more. He was only vaguely aware of the aches and pains in his body as he reached for the passenger door handle. The front end had only some crumpling because of the armor plating but the rest of the frame had sustained some damage as well. He had to set a foot against the body and use all his leverage to haul Zahra’s door open. The dome light came on to illuminate her.

She was huddled on the floor in a ball, didn’t look at him as he knelt down and reached for her. Because of the bullet resistant glass the windows were still intact so he wasn’t worried about her being cut up from bits of glass. The impact from the crash and the airbag concerned him though. “Hey, it’s over. He’s gone,” he said, pushing her hair away from her face so he could see her. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was rigid all over. A tiny cut over one eyebrow seeped blood sluggishly, probably from the airbag. He swept it away with his thumb.

“Zahra,” he tried again. “Are you hurt?”

She didn’t answer, merely sat there and shook, seemed to be struggling to breathe.

Cursing, Sean took her face in his hands, tipped her head up gently. “Honey, I need you to talk to me. Are you
hurt
anywhere? I don’t want to move you if you’re hurt.”

No response other than her pulling away and curling up tighter, those taut gasps coming from her.

Sean pursed his lips. Other than the cut over her eye he didn’t see any blood and she was moving her neck okay, so it was probably safe to move her. If the driver behind him had called for help it could still be a while before the cops and fire crew showed up, and he doubted the shooter would come back with a crowd around. He still planned to be vigilant though.

He reached in and slid an arm beneath her thighs and another around her shoulders. “We’re gonna sit here until backup arrives, okay? We’re safer in here than we are outside.” Thankfully she didn’t fight him but she didn’t try to help him either. She was frozen in his arms, almost catatonic, as though her body had shut down from the shock.

Worried, he left her in the SUV to accept a blanket from someone who’d come to help. Unwilling to talk to them about the shooting or accident, he said a curt thank you and returned to Zahra, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. Her eyes were open now. She curled her fingers around the edges of the blanket and stared through the windshield, not even acknowledging his presence.

Leaving her there for the moment he found the radio lying beneath the dashboard. He gave Hunter their location and told him what had happened, then turned back to Zahra. Several people had gathered around the vehicle, asking questions, trying to help. Sean told them all to back away then swiveled in his seat to look at her.

In the glare of the parked cars’ headlights her face was way too pale, her eyes glassy, pupils dilated. She continued to shudder, so hard he could actually hear her muscles vibrating. “Zahra. Hey, look at me, sweetness.”

The endearment seemed to get through to her. She blinked and focused on him.

“That’s my girl. Okay. Take a breath with me.”