Fighting (52 page)

"But
how did you find me?" I asked.

"Ollie,"
Spencer said.  "Ethan noticed his jacket was missing and remembered that
he put his ear bud in his jacket pocket.  Ollie tracked you by the GPS tracker
in the ear bud.  Satellites work even in the middle of nowhere."

I
raised my eyebrows.  "I didn't even know they were wired that way."

"Me,
neither," Spencer said.

"Yeah,
but it took me way too long to notice that it was missing," Ethan bit out.

I
floated my face inches above his.  "If I hear you blame yourself again,
I'll withhold sex from you indefinitely," I whispered so low that only he
could hear me.

I
was shooting for a smile but instead, he closed his eyes and palmed the back of
my head to press my forehead against his.  I loved it when he did that. 

And
then a thought occurred to me and I sat up straight.  "But what about the
men Fletcher sent after you?  He told me you were all killed."

"And
you believed him?" Ethan asked, offended.

"Not
at first, but then I overheard someone asking about where to put the bodies and
I knew.  Or I thought I did."

"Fletcher
sent three guys to the house while we were tracking your signal, but they
didn't even make it inside before we took them out," Brooks said.

"Ethan
heard them approaching," Spencer said.

I
looked back at Ethan and smiled affectionately.  "Of course he did."

He
traced my lips with his fingers gently, noting the scratches and bruising
already on my face.  "It's over now," he said.

"Yeah." 
I placed my palm on his chest.  "It's over now.  Where are we headed to
next?" I asked Brooks.

"Hospital,
and then hotel.  Those guys knew where our house was, so we went ahead and
cleared out in case any of the survivors come looking for us.  All of our bags
are in the back behind you."

"Won't
they have to report a gunshot wound to the police?" I asked.

"Yes. 
Thankfully, I'm a resourceful guy who likes to be prepared and has a genius for
a nephew.  The man lying in your lap right now is an undercover cop
investigating a kidnapping ring.  We all are.  We have papers, badges and
everything."

I
gazed down at Ethan as his fingertips skated over my bloody and cracked
knuckles.  "You need tending to, too," he murmured.

"You
want to be my nurse?"

He
grinned.  "Do I get to see you naked?"

"Whoa,
guys.  We're still in the car," Brooks cautioned, amused.

I
ignored Brooks and nodded at Ethan.  "Then hell yes," Ethan said.

"What's
your cop name?" I asked.

"How
about Officer Invincible?" Spencer asked.

I
frowned at Spencer.  "Don't put ideas in his head," I said.  "He
already thinks he's tough as nails."

"But
I
am
tough as nails," Ethan argued.

I
softened my expression as I looked down at him and brushed my fingers through
his hair.  "Yeah love, you're tough as nails."

His
eyes sharpened.  "Like that," he whispered.

I
remembered him saying that before and now I realized why.  I grinned and fanned
my fingers through his beard affectionately.

"Magical
fingers," he muttered with drooping eyelids.

We
pulled into the hospital emergency bay and Ethan was rushed away. 
Surprisingly, it didn't take all that long for them to sew him up and declare
him fit to leave.  We got back in the car and Ethan insisted on lying in my lap
again.  Who was I to deny the wounded and drugged up love of my life?

Darkness
was falling as we swung by the police station and picked up Ollie and August
(who I attack-hugged repeatedly) and checked into a hotel.  Spencer and I
hauled Ethan inside and the rest of them carried the bags.  We gently deposited
a lethargic Ethan onto the bed and Brooks dropped off our bags by the door.  I
bid all of them goodnight and was glad to say that I did not get overly
emotional, even though I felt a torrent of emotions swirling around and
mingling in my chest.

I
locked us inside the room and turned around to find that Ethan was completely
knocked out unconscious on the bed from the drugs they gave him.  I yanked the
covers from under him and stripped his clothes off, leaving him sound asleep in
just his underwear.  I covered him up and left to take a shower, eager to be
cleansed of all things Fletcher. 

I
turned the hot water on and steam overtook the bathroom as I took my clothes
off.  I sat on the edge of the tub to shuck my boots and then stood to very
literally
peel
my jeans off.  They were covered in grime and dried blood
and sweat, so they were adhered to my body like a second skin.  I stood in
front of the mirror to take off my shredded shirt and was left standing in only
my bra and underwear.  I gave my body a once over, then stripped completely and
stepped closer to the mirror to examine my injuries.  They were mostly
concentrated around my face and torso because that's where I was struck the
most.  I stepped back and took in my appearance from head to toe, noting how
filthy and grungy I looked.  And Ethan had kissed me like this; what a
courageous man.

I
stared at the pile of clothing I had just shed and then threw every single
piece into the trash.  I could never wear any of those clothes again without it
being a slap in the face reminder of this day, but more than that, they were
stained with Ethan's blood. 

That
was a demon I wasn't going to willingly foster.

I
stepped into the shower and cleaned all of the blood and filth from my body,
thinking back on the day and trying to convince myself that every single one of
those bastards got what they deserved, especially Fletcher.  Once I was clean,
I palmed the wall with both hands, cocked my hip and bowed my head to stare at
my legs and feet and lean under the cascading warmth.  I was anchored to the
spot, a statue in repose and reflection, to let the heat soothe my sore body
that bitched at me with every move I made. 

I
adjusted the water temperature so that it was burning against my skin in such a
way that promised me that I really was alive to feel it as I marveled at how
Ethan effortlessly chased away that debilitating coldness that had stripped my
body of all hope.  It was a scary thing to know what I was really capable of
when it came to protecting or, in this case, avenging those I loved.  Brooks
told me it would surprise me, but I wasn't so much surprised as I was shaken
from how deeply I was affected.  I never wanted to feel that numb again. 
Fearlessness is akin to recklessness because there is
literally
nothing
to fear, so consequences become irrelevant, even at the threat of self-harm.  I
shuddered to think of the damage I could have gone on to cause if Ethan hadn't
protected me from that.  I would have torn that building to the ground in my
single-minded pursuit of Fletcher, even if I was still inside of it and it
crumbled on both of us. 

I
fought to survive and protect, even at the cost of lives.  I looked at my hands
that were pressed against the wall and they looked clean.  But were they?

My
thoughts were shattered as the shower curtain was suddenly whipped open.  I
jumped, reflexively covering my chest with my hands and arms and twisting my
lower body away from Ethan so he could see part of my ass.  He wasn't looking
at my ass though, he was looking into my eyes while rubbing one of his eyes and
nerves shot through my body. 

"What
are you doing?" I asked over the sound of streaming water. 

He
tensed and frowned at my hands that were still covering me.  "Lex?"
he quietly prompted me.

I
knew he hated it when I hid from him, but it was in my nature to shield
myself.  I wasn't used to sharing my body with someone else so freely, but I
had to remind myself that this was
Ethan
I was hiding from.  There was
no one else I trusted more in the world and though it was still a choice I made
every time I gave my body to him, I knew without a doubt that I'd always choose
the same.  I had flashbacks of how hard we fought to get to each other, for
each other, and I knew that this was the very last time that I would ever
hesitate around him, even on a reflexive, subconscious level.  We both knew he
had me, I just had to let go.

He
was watching me think, knowing I was coming to a decision, giving me time to
choose.  I deliberately dropped my hands to my sides and turned my body to face
him in total surrender.  He recognized the choice I made and his eyes warmed
and his body relaxed.  He reached out for my waist as his eyes rained down my
naked body and I shivered. 
Shivered
under the scalding hot water.  Damn
that man and his power over my body.

He
met my eyes and said, "I need to shower."

"Okay,"
I said.  "I'm done." 

He
shook his head and dropped his hands to his waistband.  "No, you're
not."

He
stripped and I saw he was already hard.  He climbed into the shower behind me
before I could protest.

Not
that I especially wanted to.

He
closed the curtain and turned me around to face him.  I glanced at his
bandages, thinking of how close I had come to losing him.  I looked back into
his steady gaze and carefully placed my hands against his chest as we came
together at the same time.  I kissed him softly and my nerves melted away as he
reciprocated.  I closed the remaining distance between us and felt him press
against me across the length of our bodies, absorbing the unease my conscience
harbored.  His arms wrapped around my back and I moved my arms from around his
neck to slide under his arms and around his waist.

He
turned us and pressed me against the wall to kiss me earnestly.  With no
argument to resolve and no one to interrupt us, we weren't rushed.  He kissed
me languorously, his lips lingering on mine with every tug as the water
showered down on our bodies from the side, drenching his skin and hair.  His
tongue leisurely caressed mine and I skimmed my hands over his back in lazy
circles. 

He
pulled back when I reached the dimples in his lower back and said, "I want
to keep kissing you, but I do actually need to shower."

I
chuckled.  "No sponge bath?"

"Later,"
he whispered, leaning in for another kiss.

I
grinned against his lips and kissed him back fervently.  He pushed off of the
tile behind me and reached for the soap as I reached for the shampoo.  He
lathered his cloth and I lathered my hands.  I scrubbed my hands through his
hair as he cleaned his face and then body.  We had to step apart for that and
we both shamelessly checked each other out.  His eyes darkened as they swept
over my body and I was definitely wet in more than one way. 

He
tugged me to him and his kiss grew more hurried as he stepped backward under
the stream of water to rinse his body clean.  He turned us slowly in a circle,
letting the water do all the work to rinse the soap bubbles off of him and then
disconnected with me to turn the water off.  We climbed out and didn't even
have to confer with each other before we dried each other off instead of
ourselves.  We both smiled and wiggled the towels around each other's scalps. 
I wiped at his chest and back and then he cupped my breasts through the towel. 
My eyes flicked to his as he slowly dragged the towel down my body to collect
the beads of water on my stomach, hips and thighs.  He lowered his chin and
watched me through his lashes as he swept the towel around to my back and then
abandoned it to press against the small of my back and tease his bare hand
between my legs.  I dropped his towel as my lips parted and I sucked in a
breath.  He dropped to his knees and my eyes flashed wider at the abruptness of
it as nerves assaulted my system again. 

"Ethan,"
I said, a tiny thread of anxiety in my voice.

His
fingertips touched my thighs so lightly that I almost didn't feel it at all. 
He leaned forward to kiss right below my belly button and then looked up at
me.  "Don't be nervous.  You're safe with me," he said softly.

This
powerful, undefeated man who towered over everyone else in his life willingly
dropped to his knees in front of me and looked up at me like I was his
everything, like he loved me above all else.  It was as humbling as it was
empowering.  I brushed my fingers through his hair as a sweet warmth radiated
throughout my body.  He misread my nerves as fear, so that particular assurance
was unnecessary and didn't relax me.  But the fact that he thought to make sure
I knew that I was safe on more than a physical level with him? 
That
relaxed
me. 

I
got down on my knees so we were on the same level.  "I've never felt
unsafe with you."

"Then
why are you nervous now?"

I
smiled a little.  "Because you make me nervous."  He looked slightly
worried.  "Not because I'm scared of you.  It's good, excited nerves, like
what you might feel before going on stage to sing your favorite song in front
of a crowd, only it's in front of the one person whose opinion matters the most
to you."

"Your
favorite song?" he grinned

I
leaned closer.  "Being with you?  Yeah, that'd be my favorite."

He
kissed me so deeply, I felt it all the way down to my toes.

"Stand
up," he murmured after he broke away.

I
did, without hesitating, and he smiled.  His eyes dropped to between my legs
and he skimmed his hands up my legs and pushed them apart right at the apex,
his fingertips brushing against my already sensitive skin.  He pushed my hips
against the wall and kissed right above my clit.  My hands flew to his hair to
tug and I was already throbbing as his tongue glanced through my core and
around the inside of my thighs.  His finger teased my opening and I whimpered. 
He slid a finger inside and then groaned against me.  Loudly.  He scooped me up
and cradled me in his arms and I looked at him in alarm.

"Your
shoulder!" I yelped.

"I'm
fine," he said.

He
gently positioned me in the center of the bed and then crawled over me.  He
kissed me and ran heavy hands over my breasts, stomach and along my sides, down
to my thighs.  He slid between my hips and pressed my bents knee against his
hips.  I felt him hard against me and then his fingers were there, sliding
through my wetness. 

I
moved my hands that were on his back to slide into his still wet hair.  His
tongue tussled with mine as I pulled him harder against me so his chest pressed
firmly against mine.  I felt his arm muscles flex against my body as he
manipulated his fingers against me.  I wasn't nervous anymore and he knew it. 
His finger pushed inside and we broke apart at the same time.  I opened my
mouth to speak but was cut short when I cried out because he pushed another
finger inside and pumped in and out as he palmed my clit. 

"Shit,"
I exhaled, already worked up into a frenzy.

He
ghosted a grin at me and lowered his lips to mine. 

"Smug
bastard," I panted.

"You
love it."

His
lips devoured mine as I raced to the edge.  Right as he was about to push me
over, his mouth left mine and he removed his hand to hold himself up off the
bed to kiss down my body.  I didn't protest because I knew he was going to
finish with his mouth, and I wasn't apprehensive this time.  I was just
excited.               

He
spent a few glorious seconds licking his way around my nipples and occasionally
sucking and then migrated south.  He swept his tongue down in a straight path
from my belly button down to my clit to lick lightly, teasingly and I breathed
out his name several times in quick succession. 

"What,
baby?" he spoke against me.

"Don't
stop," I pleaded.

He
smiled, which was weird that I knew he did without looking at his face, and
then his tongue did magical things to my body.  He pushed his tongue in and out
of me a few times and then replaced it with two fingers as he sucked on my clit
eagerly.  My hips partially rose from the bed because he was only using one
hand to hold me down.  He let go of my hip and his hand reached up to squeeze
my breast possessively and I came.  He released my clit and withdrew his
fingers but didn't stop licking until my body settled heavily to the bed and I
threw my arms out to the side of my body, exhausted but sated.

He
crawled partially up my body, dropped his weight on me and laid his cheek
against my breastbone.  His hand teased my breast that was right in front of
his face but he didn't say anything as my hands tickled over the skin of his
back and I came back to myself.

He
rotated his face so that he was looking at me with his chin resting in the
valley of my breasts.  His expression was somber when he murmured, "Missed
you today."