Finally Home (Home Series) (43 page)

"Mike," she gasped when they exploded together.  "Oh, God," she cried over and over.

He pressed kisses all over her brow, rolling them to their sides, sealing his lips over hers.  She snuggled close to him, feeling that she couldn't get close enough.  His arms tightened around her, each struggling to get their breathing under control.

"You sang really well," he told her, making her laugh.

"Yeah?  You played well.  Maybe we should do that more often."

He chuckled.
"If it ends like this, absolutely."

"I do love to hear you play," she said, pulling her head back to look into his eyes.

"When things settle down and go back to normal, I'll play for you whenever you want," he said.  She knew it was an off-hand remark, but it brought to mind her thoughts from earlier.

"Yeah?  Where does this go after the Conroy situation is over, Mike?" she asked, looking into his eyes.
  "Do you stay here and I go back home and -"

His arm tightened around her. 

"I'm not letting you go, Lainey," he said, his tone serious.

She put her hand on his cheek.  "No?"

"I like you here, in my bed, in my space."

"I like being here," she said softly.  "
in your bed, in your arms.  I like sitting on the couch and working on my laptop while you're working at your desk.  I like cooking for you.  I like feeling your eyes on me several times during the day.  But do you know what I like best of all?" she asked.

He smiled.  "What do you like best of all,
cara mia?
"

"This.  I like talking to you, seeing you smile.  Laying here in bed with you, pressed skin-to-skin against you and knowing I have your undivided attention...and knowing that I can't wait to see your face and the look in those gorgeous eyes when I tell you that I have fallen completely and totally, one-hundred percent in love with you."

And looking into his eyes, she saw it.  Those beautiful, translucent eyes widened slightly then softened.  He sat up, bringing her with him, cupping her face in his hands.

"
Ti amo con tutto il mio cuore,
" he told her, bringing tears to her eyes. 
I love you with all my heart.

She wel
comed his kiss, clinging to him, tears pouring down her cheeks.  He pulled back and kissed them away.

"No tears,
cara mia
," he whispered.

She smiled through them.  "I can't help it.  I've become a crier."

"You're beautiful and I love you more than I ever thought I could ever love anyone."

Fresh tears pooled, making them both laugh.  She wrapped her arms tight around him and snuggled into his chest.

"Lainey," he said, just as she was drifting off to sleep.

"Yes?"

He chuckled, kissing her brow.  "Nothing, cara, go to sleep."

She kissed his chest.  "I love you, Commander," she whispered.

She felt him take a deep breath and kiss the top of her head.

"I love you, too,
cara mia
."

She drifted off to sleep, her body entangled with his, high on the knowledge that this powerful, elusive, dominant man was hers.

Mike was pretty sure he'd never felt quite like this in his life. He'd felt fear but it never consumed him.  He'd spent most of his adult life keeping his emotions locked tightly away; buried deep so they didn't interfere with what he had to do.  This blonde haired, green-eyed angel in his arms changed all of that, however.  He'd been terrified when Colt reported that Conroy was just outside of the building.  Beyond terrified.  His mind played back the phone call he'd gotten from Colt the day he'd learned that Sarah had been kidnapped.  He could still hear the terror in the big man's voice when he said
they took my Sarah
, and later that night, when Colt had come into the room where Mike sat going over the witness reports, he'd seen the fear in his eyes.    Mike thought he'd understood at the time how Colt was feeling.  After today, he realized he hadn't the first clue back then.

Lainey was
everything
to him.  If he were to fail in his efforts to keep her safe, if Conroy were to somehow manage to take her from him...he shuddered to think of how he would react.  He'd been surprised that he'd handled the situation with Colt not taking Conroy out as well as he did.  Perhaps it was because he understood Colt's reasoning.  Still, this could have all been over.  If Colt hadn't hesitated, if he had pulled the trigger when he'd had the chance, their lives could be going back to normal.  He was sure that if the roles had been reversed, he wouldn't have hesitated to take Conroy down, but then, he'd never been bothered with sentiment when it came to his work the way the others were.

Lainey shifted slightly in her sleep, drawing his attention back to her.  She was so small, so delicate, and so vivacious.  Her smile alone could rival the sun.  He thought about that first night he'd spent with her, when the nightmare woke him and she'd stubbornly sat in that chair in her office, glaring at him as he worked.  That damn Irish stubborn streak he'd always seen in Riley was alive and well in Lainey and had heightened his attraction to her.  She'd submitted to him that time at Melissa's
, but he'd seen that Irish burning deep in those emerald eyes.  She'd challenged him on many things, but she'd also been quick to stand at his side and defend him to his family.  She'd wanted him to be her escort for the Ball but when his mother pressed her on it, she'd stood with his decision and defended it.  For that alone, he knew he would always love her.

"
Ti amo, bellisima,"
he whispered and finally let his mind clear and sleep take him.

The dream that hit Mike was different.  For the first time, he wasn't dreaming about Mosul and Ab
dul.  He was at Lainey's office.  He had his gun on Conroy and Conroy had Lainey in his arms, gun to her temple.  She was so small that Conroy was having to stoop down to keep too much of his body from being exposed to an open shot.  Lainey wasn't crying.  She didn't really even look scared.  The look in her eyes was of absolute trust, like she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything would be fine. 

He could hear his guys report that none had a clean shot.  They were in the hallway between Lainey's and Kacee's offices so there was no window shot for Coop.  He didn't know what Conroy hoped to gain from this.  There was no way he was going to let him leave with her.  If Conroy somehow managed to get past Mike, Riley and the others were there to prevent him from leaving...no way he'd get past all of them. 

"You can't have her, Casiano.  She's too good for you," Conroy sneered. "You think she wants all your scars under her hands?  That she wants your messed up stuff inside her?  She's pure.  She's good.  Why would she want you when she can have me?"

As he said the last sentence, Conroy's body melted into Nick's. Mike felt his heart in his chest.  Now it was Nick who held Lainey against him, only he had no gun to her head, and as Mike watched, she turned in Nick's arms and stood on her toes to kiss him.

"He's perfect," Lainey crooned, her hand caressing Nick's unmarred cheek, "there are no scars on him, no demons lurking deep inside him.  Why would I want you when I can have him?  Carolina and I can share him."

As he watched, Nick dipped his head and covered her mouth with his, hands going to her breasts.  Mike couldn't breathe.  This couldn't be happening again.  Lainey loved him.  She said so earlier.  She was his, not Nick's.  This couldn't be...

"Mike!  It's just a dream.  Listen to my voice.  I'm right here.  Open your eyes, Commander."

He heard Lainey's voice once again pulling him from a dream. 
He opened his eyes to see her propped on an elbow, leaning down over him, her hand on his face. She leaned down to kiss him when she saw his eyes open, then pulled back, smiling at him.

"There you are.  Take a deep breath for me, calm your storm," she said, her hand shifting to rest over his heart.

He sat up and got out of bed without a word, going into the restroom.  Lainey sat stunned, staring after him.  She waited until she heard the shower turn on and then got up, grabbed her robe and went inside.  He stood in the shower, his back to her, arms braced on the wall, head down.  She knew that sometimes his nightmares left him feeling cold, she just hated that he seemed to be shutting her out.

"Mike," she said, causing him to look at her over his shoulder.  She gasped at the look on his face.  He looked...lost.  Pulling on the tie of her robe, she let it drop to the floor and literally flew into the shower with him, wrapping her arms around his waist.  "What is it?" she asked, looking up into his haunted eyes.

He shook his head, his arms loosely draping around her.

"Just a dream."

"This wasn't the same dream, though," she said and could tell he was surprised that she'd noticed that.

"No, it wasn't," he confirmed, again surprising her by lifting her and standing her on the shower bench, which had her slightly taller than him
.  "Hi," he said, smiling up at her.

"Hi, yourself, Sailor," she said, smoothing her hands over his face.  "Will you tell me about the dream?"

He held her gaze for a moment, then dipped his head to begin trailing kisses along her collarbone.

"Don't feel like talking just now," he said, bending slightly to capture her breast and draw her nipple into his mouth.

Lainey buried her fingers in his hair, clutching him to her while he feasted.  He wasn't talking about the dream, which concerned her, but right at this moment, all she could concentrate on was his hands and mouth on her.  Whatever demons had assaulted him this time, she was just glad she could be here to chase their vestiges away.

Chapter Thirty-One

Mike and the guys spent
the next few days on the hunt for Charles.  They took turns staying in the loft with Lainey, and a few times her dad came and stayed with her so all four of the guys could be out.  Lainey spent her days contacting her patients and talking to them on the phone, more just touching base with them than counseling them.  Listening to what was going on with them since the last time they talked.  A few times while she talked to her kids, she caught Mike watching her, a look on his face she couldn't quite describe...until once she saw him look at her belly.  A thrill ran through her then.  Was he imagining her pregnant with their child?  Instinctively, she'd rested her hand over her womb, wondering what it would be like to have Mike's child growing inside her.  Would their children have blonde or black hair, or some shade in between?  Would he give her twins?

The thought of one day having Mike's children stayed with Lainey.  She'd never really given much thought to a family of her own over the years.  Her mind had been on her work, and since she hadn't dated since Kevin, she'd never really thought of it. 
Since she'd caught that one look from him that started her on this path, she hadn't been able to put it from her mind.  Having Mike in her life, knowing she had his love, changed everything.

Riley had texted that Trevor's condition had improved enough that they were able to transport him and they would be bringing him home within the next couple of days.  Mike had arranged to fly a top medical crew over to be with him and monitor him on the flight home, yet another star for her to add to his list of good deeds. She was in the process of texting Riley back when an argument between the guys drew her attention.  They'd all gathered to discuss strategy in finding Conroy about an hour or so ago, frustrations high at their lack of progress.

"All I'm saying is, we keep coming up empty on these searches," Whit was saying.  "I know you don't want to hear this, Boss, but we've got to draw him out, and the best way for us to do that is to have Lainey go back to her life."

"I'm not exposing her needlessly," Mike said in dismissal.

"She wouldn't be exposed.  We'd all be right there with her every step of the way.  He keeps eluding us.  This isn't like being in the desert.  It's a lot easier to go to ground here.  We've got to draw him out."

Mike slammed his fist on the table, making Lainey jump. 

"I am not using Lainey as bait!"

"You aren't looking at this objectively," Whit insisted. 

"Would you be able to if we were talking about opening Melissa up as a target?" Colt put in.  "Because I sure as hell wouldn't expose Sarah that way."

"I'd have faith that my team could keep her safe," Whit countered.

Mike stood, hissing out a string of Italian curses and began pacing.  Lainey could tell he was seeing the logic behind Whit's words.

"It's a little different, Whit, when you're talking about exposing the woman you love to potential harm," Coop said quietly.  "I couldn't do it."

"I do understand, but I also know that this can't go on indefinitely," Whit said, turning to look at Coop.  "Lainey can't keep putting her life on hold.  Are you going to keep her locked in this loft forever?"

Lainey stood then, all eyes focusing on her as if they all just now realized she was still in the room.  She walked over to them, crossing her arms over her middle to ward against the chill their argument had brought on her.