Out of the Dark (11 page)

The sound of soft, whispery snores woke Emily from a sound sleep. Aware she wasn’t home in her own bed, Emily blinked several times to get her bearings. Squinting into the dimness, she saw Mac McKinsey slumbering sweetly on
her
side of the bed. One of his legs stacked on hers, chest snuggled against her back, and his arms held her captive in a cage of flesh. 

Dim light streamed through the window to confirm that the day was soon to begin. After the restless night
she’d had, sunshine would be welcome relief. Rubbing her eyes, Emily swore this was the longest night of her life.

At first she wanted to wake her bed partner, and let him see that she was indeed on her side of the bed. But she didn’t want the hassle. Much too early to argue.

However, she wasn’t letting him off the hook.

Hell no. After the little stunt he pulled earlier, she wanted to smother him with his own pillow.

She shifted away from him, but the moment she moved, his grip tightened and he clutched her closer. In a way she couldn’t blame him. The temperature in the room had to be close to zero. The air conditioner must be frozen. Regardless, she wasn’t in the mood to cuddle.

After several minutes, Emily managed to untangle herself and sit up on the edge of the bed. The mattress squeaked loudly as she stood. 

“Em,” he muttered.

Well, at least he hadn’t called her by another woman’s name. Oh yeah, now she remembered why.
He forgets all his women the next morning. 

Lucky guy.

“I’m just going to the bathroom, but since you’re awake, you might notice where you’re lying. I’m not the only one who takes up the entire bed.”

She didn’t wait around to see if he followed her suggestion or not because she went into the bathroom and closed the door. Now, she wished she hadn’t been so generous with her last two
Advil. At the moment she could use them to get rid of a raging headache.

Rubbing her temples, Emily
would bite her tongue off before verbalizing that Mac had the most powerful and widest chest she’d ever been held against. That she loved the way he held on to her like a life raft. That, too, would never be said aloud.

She couldn’t continue this constant friction between them. It was too unnerving and drained all her energy. She wanted him and his sexy eyes all over her, but Mac not only wasn’t her type, he’d made it clear he didn’t want to be anyone’s permanent anything.

Flipping off the light switch, Emily opened the door and stepped out. Deliberately trying to not disturb Mac’s sleep, she made her way to the bed by memory, and shivered when she crawled beneath the blanket and fluffed her pillow.

Mac’s arms instantly came around her waist and he pulled her against his hard body. His scent raked over her like a thick mist of desire, wrapped around a body too long without affection. The rhythmic sound of his heart beating caused her to still.

Determined to safeguard her emotions, she wiggled away, but he held tight. His nose nuzzled her hair, his lips touched the rim of her ear, and Emily practically melted into the mattress. She tried to ignore the fact that his touch scorched her body and made her want what she knew she couldn’t have.

  
Him
. 

   Slowly
, Emily moved the arm from around her and put as much distance between them as she could by scooting to the far edge of the bed.

“Still mad?” he murmured, in a voice so sexy it should be used in every suggestive commercial in the world. “Come back over here, I’m cold.”

God she wanted him.

“Mac,
I don’t want to cuddle with you.”
Too dangerous.

“Just look at it as a survival technique.” That said, he snuggled against her. When she struggled he said, “I wouldn’t do too much wiggling around, if you know what I mean?”

“I don’t want to survive with you. I want you on your side of the bed and me on mine.”

He nestled closer, “I’m really sorry I penned you down. That wasn’t a nice thing to do. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I promise I’ll never do that again.”

His words sounded so sincere and caring she almost believed him.

“Now you’re claiming you have a nice side?”

“Shhh,” he hushed in her ear, “Let’s sleep.”

Emily had no id
ea what to think of Mac. Was she safe or wasn’t she? Would he harm her? She didn’t want to think so because he worked for one of her best clients. However, she knew little about him. Ironically, here she was, sleeping with the guy, and wanting him so badly her teeth hurt.

Emily closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep only to be roused by the loud ringing of the telephone on the table. Mac groped in the dark and finally picked up the receiver, then immediately hung up. 

“Was that the wakeup call,” she asked, burrowing deeper into the warmth of the blanket. 

“Yeah, but we have a few minutes.”

Mac rolled back over and resumed his previous position, which was them being as close as two people could get without going at it. Damn, he was horny as hell. And Emily felt like heaven in his arms. They fit together like they’d been poured out of the same mold. Her hair smelled clean and intoxicating. The scent inflated his desire, making it hard to resist the urge to make love to her.

Horny or not, Mac knew better. Not only could it be stupid to get involved with the company lawyer, but he had a job to do. However, it wouldn’t hurt to just lie here for a few minutes and keep her warm. Enjoy the feel of her feminine body, inhale her sleepy scent.

Slowly, Mac brushed his hands beneath his shirt she wore and cupped her warm breasts. Her breathing increased but she didn’t stop him. Reverently, he nibbled the back of her neck, and kissed behind her ears. A soft moan tumbled from her mouth. A mouth he fully intended to kiss.

She turned so they faced each other then he captured her mouth and his lips nudged hers open. When she responded, he deepened the k
iss and his tongue joined the Discovery Channel. With a whimper she opened her mouth and allowed him complete access.

Mac’s whole body came to attention as his hard dick brushed against her soft stomach. She ran her fingers through his hair as her other hand on his back coaxed him closer.

Then he rolled them over, putting her on top. God, she looked beautiful. Sitting on his lap with her body opened to him vanished all reasoning from his mind. Uncontrollable need drove them both. Mac rose to capture one perfect breast with his mouth while his thumb and index squeezed the other nipple. With a groan, Em threw her head back and closed her eyes.

For a moment he relea
sed her only to pull off the shirt and her red bikini panties. She was naked and mouthwatering. Bucking up and ignoring the pain in his side, he pulled off his boxers. Em gazed down at his erection. Her smile gave him the ultimate compliment every man craved. Mac’s gaze went down and he smiled at her Brazilian wax job.

His mouth watered, his head spun and every muscle grew taut. He captured her lips and kissed her long, hard and demanding. His lips opened and closed as he sucked on her bottom lip, nibbling softly with his teeth. He inhaled her familiar scent and felt her warm, feminine body against his.

His hand went between her open legs where he rubbed her, parted her, and probed her with two fingers. She cried out in pleasure, as he withdrew only to slowly lick his fingers.

Delicious!

Mac wanted nothing more than to spend the whole day in bed, making love.

He flipped her over.

“Mac, I want you inside me.”

“That exactly where I want to be
. Damn, you’re sweet.” He kissed her again as his hand fumbled for the wallet on the nightstand. He wasn’t having any luck. Mac realized if he didn’t get the condom soon, this was going to be the first time he had unprotected sex.

Em broke their kiss, took his wallet off the nightstand and removed the foil package. Smiling, she waved it in the air. “Looking for this?” She arched her slender brow.

Sweat peppered his forehead as he entered her slowly. In then out, further in then back out until finally Mac couldn’t stand it anymore. Her body had such a hold on him, he thought he’d explode.

Gritting his teeth, Mac pushed deep into her body, and felt her squeeze tight as a clenched hand around him. She closed her eyes as he rocked back and forth, in and out, the pressure growing stronger and harder...fierce.

Em clutched his back and he kissed her deep and hard and desperately. He raised his head. “Open your eyes, Em. I want to see you come.”

She complied.

He took her hands in his, threading their fingers together. Out of need, and long awaited release, he thrust hard, going deeper. He increased the pace and he felt her body tremble with desire. Her honey brown eyes turned a soft golden color that pulled at his heart as his muscles tightened and he fought to hold back until she reached her satisfaction.

Then it happened. She arched her back as tiny pulses pulled at his dick, and Em cried out just as wave after wave of pleasure tumbled him right into paradise. Mac tried to hold on to that part of himself he never gave away,
but he couldn’t. The intensity almost blinded him. And it went on until they were both satiated and limp.

She lay
beneath him completely sated and a mellow, sexy smile on her face. Mac removed the condom, pulled her closer then kissed her. “You okay?”

“Oh yes,” she breathe out.

Wrapped in each other’s arms, they both fell into deep slumber.

***

Later, Mac opened his eyes, yawned and stretched before he noticed he was alone. Worried about Em, he stood. The room spun. Closing his eyes, he shook his head to clear the cobwebs. “Em,” he called. 

Relief, like he’d never known, coursed through him when he heard the sound of running water and Em softly humming in the shower. Closing his eyes, Mac slumped against the headboard. Then all the memories of what
had happened earlier slammed into his brain like an all-out offensive. Mac tried to take a deep breath only to find he couldn’t. His emotions were too raw and exposed.

Remembering their lovemaking, he sat on the edge of the b
ed and scrubbed his face. His wristwatch lay on the nightstand. Once his eyes focused, he picked it up. 9:30. They should have been at Stanley’s by 8:00.

Since the day he’d enlisted in the Navy,
gone through BUDs training and became a SEAL, Mac had always done what he was directed to do. He rarely failed, and never stepped out of line with something as serious as getting involved with a civilian.

A person he was trusted to protect. Even taking Angelina from the nunnery had been sanctioned by Frank and the Agency.

Frank was going to chew him up and spit him out then kick his ass to Canada.

The noise in the shower stopped. After a few seconds Emily stepped into the dressing area outside the bathroom.  Mac slipped on his pants and picked up his cell phone.

God, he wanted her again...and again. 

After clearing his throat, Mac asked, “Ah, can I get in there?”

She turned and their gazes collided. She looked the happiest he’d seen since this mess started. “Yes, I’m finished.”

She had a white towel wrapped around her hot little body, and the other twisted around her hair, which meant he’d be drying off on a small hand towel.

Em strolled toward him, a sultry smile that silently asked if he would be interested in a repeat of last night. Her warm brown eyes, delicate brows and kissable lips all summed up one gorgeous woman. And that body was made for a man to love,
forever
.

Uncomfortable as hell, Mac kissed her quickly on the forehead then practically ran into the bathroom and closed the door.

Man up, Slick,
he tried to convince himself.

He stripped, turned on the shower then stepped into the tub. The warm water felt good against his cold flesh and his sore muscles.
Maybe his ribs hadn’t been broken after all. After his shower, he dressed in the bathroom since he wasn’t sure where Em was, and he was in no hurry to face her.

Yes, he felt like a royal jerk.

But he could never handle the next morning very well. That’s why he never brought dates home. Never allowed anyone to spend the night, and would rather be out the cost of a hotel room than experience the goodbyes. If he spent the night at a woman’s place, he made damn sure to always be long gone before daylight.

And he made that
clear in the beginning.

Yes, it was shallow and lot of other shit, but that was who he was, and the thought
s of change never entered his mind.

Strange, but sex with Em
had been mind-blowing and wonderful.

Special.

This meant he had to end it now. And make damn sure it never hap
pened again. He was a smart man, and someone who couldn’t screw with the emotions of a woman like Em. She deserved better.

Hating himself for what he had to do, Mac took his phone off the sink and dialed Frank.