Holding Out For A Hero: SEALs, Soldiers, Spies, Cops, FBI Agents and Rangers (122 page)

He knew when to cut his losses. So he’d confessed to the crime, and today his attorney plead the charge down to the more minor misdemeanor charge plus a fine with no incarceration.

He also told the cops that Kandi was totally cray-cray. What he didn’t know, was where Kandi had disappeared to.

He’d confessed about the same time that Con had broken the encryption on the Las Vegas emails. The poor guy was pretty broken up about the fact that his mother was the one who’d been harassing Shelley.

But now Kandi was in the wind.

Between him and Shelley hiding out in this damn room together, they were both beyond tense. The urge to jump her was growing stronger. He really wanted to lay her out on the bed and ravish her.

Never in his fucking life had he used the word ravish. He was going crazy and he was pretty sure Shelley wasn’t far behind.

Not to mention the fact that she was still pissed at him for questioning Connor.

Shelley counted off the steps to the floor to ceiling windows. Then she paced to the sectional sofa. “You know I hate to complain, but I’m going nuts.”

Before he could answer, she started babbling.

“Actually you don’t know I hate to complain. Because you don’t know me. But I do. I hate it. I’m used to being swamped.”

Ric thought about security. He thought about Jack’s influence. Maybe he could do something about their combined antsiness. They needed to get the hell out of this hotel room.

“Give me half an hour.”

She stopped dead in the middle of the room. Interest, speculation lit up her bright green eyes. “For what?”

“I don’t want to get your hopes up.” Ric pressed a number on his cell.

It took more like forty-five minutes, but Ric managed to get them entrance into the closed fitness center and spa.

The security guard who escorted them to the secured facility and let them in admonished Ric, “Call when you’re done. Use the phone at the desk. Your cell won’t work in here. And please, don’t leave a mess.” Ric had a feeling this wasn’t the first time he’d escorted guests into the supposedly closed spa.

The previously soothing reception area was bathed in darkness except for one soft spotlight over the registration desk. The fountain in the corner was silent.

“Oh my God.” Shelley giggled, practically giddy with the forbidden. In her pale gray and neon yellow running shorts and tight gray and white spandex halter top, her sleek form taunted him. “I can’t wait to get some action.”

Action. He wanted to groan. He needed some serious physical action to keep his mind out of the gutter and off of getting some action with Shelley.

She bounced on her toes as she waited for him to open the doors to the exercise room. Ric quickly averted his gaze from the jiggle of her breasts. He tried to block the memory of her riding him, tits bobbing as she slammed down on him.

Ric wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm. Shit. Was it hot in here?

Shelley zoomed over to the treadmill and hopped on. Her ass, cupped lovingly by the shorts, swayed enticingly as she started a brisk warm up on the treadmill.

Ric figured that in the closed spa, with only the security staff and Jack knowing they were here, she was safe enough. However he was still armed. He placed his weapon on top of the water cooler next to an open treadmill. Ric vowed to stay alert. To keep his focus on the surroundings and off his principal.

He started running. The slap of his shoes on the treadmill beat a cautioning taunt in his head,
don’t look, don’t look
.

But he couldn’t help himself. Shelley was flat out running at an incline. Her breasts bounced with each stride. Her rich auburn hair had drifted from her pony tail to wisp around her face. A light sweat gleamed on her skin and her cheeks were already a little pink from the exertion.

But what drew him like a fucking moth to a porch light was her beaming smile. Her lips curved with happiness and her moss green eyes sparkled. Her joy at the simple fix nearly knocked him over.

“Oh my God.” She huffed out her breath. “Thank you. I could totally bow down to you right now.”

An image of her on her knees bowing for a completely different reason flashed in his brain. His cock reacted immediately to the carnal thought.

She must have realized how her words could be misconstrued because her face flushed bright red. “Um, you know, in thanks.”

Ric snorted. He couldn’t help it.

She wasn’t trying to be suggestive.

“I’ll just shut my mouth now,” she said.

They ran in silence, the only sound in the heating room was the swish of the treadmill belts and the thud of their feet.

Shelley grabbed her water bottle and drank. Ric was mesmerized by the graceful arch of her neck. Now he was rhapsodizing over her neck. What the hell was wrong with him?

“This feels so good.”

“You work out a lot?” he asked, thinking if he could get her talking he could ignore his body’s reaction to watching her run.

“Most of my exercise comes from working on the farm. But I do try to get a run in a few times a week.”

“Tell me more about the farm.”

“I bought the land. I have several full time employees. The rest are transient. But we grow the crops, harvest the produce, and then the crop yield goes to the food bank.”

Ric watched as her face blossomed with animation. “Isn’t that expensive?”

“It is but we’ve implemented a program where people adopt an acre. So they pay the operating costs.”

“Smart.”

“It’s a fantastic program.” She gestured with enthusiasm. “That’s what the stupid article was supposed to be about.”

“The article that prompted this whole thing?” Ric asked. “I thought it was a local piece.”

“It was. Except it got picked up by a syndicated paper and things just sort of snowballed from there.”

Kandi’s companion had told the police that she’d seen the article about Shelley and gone completely wacko. She believed that she should have Shelley’s money, Shelley’s life.

“Although the original reporter,” Shelley grimaced. “Skewed the article to be more about me and the Stone mansion, the farm and the program got some good publicity. Our donations are up.”

Ric admired her dedication.

“So overall I’m happy.” Shelley continued to run. “Really, I can’t complain.”

She took the extra attention on her personal life, and unexpected irritation of dealing with the stalkers, with grace. “Why aren’t you more pissed?”

Shelley pressed the buttons to slow her pace. “My life is pretty damn amazing. I may have had some tough times but now I am grateful for every day and my healthy children and the ability to help other people.”

Ric stopped his treadmill and hopped off. He grabbed one of the pristine white towels and rubbed down his face.

“You are extraordinary.”

“How can I complain? I’m blessed,” she said softly. Her eyes softened and her smile widened as her treadmill slowed to a halt. “But, thank you.”

Yet whenever the subject came up she was more worried about her kids and their happiness.

Sweat gleamed over her skin.

“Trust me.” Ric said, “Plenty of people complain.” He tossed a clean towel to Shelley.

Shelley shrugged. “I feel sorry for people who don’t ever find happiness.”

After grabbing his weapon from the water cooler, he dropped onto a weight bench and straddled the black leather seat. “Do you ever think about your own happiness?”

“Not really.” Shelley wiped the sweat from her face. “I just focus on other people. That brings me happiness.”

Maybe that’s why he had been discontent lately. She was making him think about things. Assess his life, assess his priorities.

He realized that being trapped in a hotel room with her had still been some of the best days of his life. In fact the last two days had been a revelation. He liked her. His restlessness in the hotel room had more to do with their incredible attraction than a desire to get away from her.

In fact, he didn’t want to get away from her. He wanted to spend more time with her.

“I’d like to make you happy,” Ric blurted out. Then felt incredibly stupid. She didn’t need him to make her happy.

But he’d certainly like to try when this whole situation with Kandi was over.

Shelley’s eyes widened in surprise and she stumbled as she stepped off the treadmill. She appeared to gather her thoughts and then she visibly relaxed, smiled.

“I’d like that.” The gleam in her eyes turned speculative. She gripped the ends of the towel in her fists as her gaze skimmed his body. He’d stripped off his t-shirt once he started really sweating leaving his chest bare.

“I can think of a way you could make me really happy.” Shelley’s smile was full of innuendo as she eye fucked him.

He laughed. “Shelley.” His laugh broke when her gaze snagged on his steadily growing cock. Shit. No way to hide that while wearing his navy mesh basketball shorts.

Ric took a large gulp of water hoping to cool down his arousal, and his reaction to her blatant come on.

She was making him happy with just her words.

“I’d really like a happy ending.” Shelley sauntered closer to where he sat.

Ric choked on the water and some trickled from his mouth and down his chin. She couldn’t be saying what he thought she was…could she?

“That’s really—”

“A great idea,” she interrupted. “A fucking fantastic idea.”

“What’s gotten into you?” Ric raised his eyebrows totally trying to stall her, distract her, anything to keep his brain off what she wanted.

“Nothing today,” she grumbled. “That’s for damn sure.”

Ric nearly choked again. He’d unleashed a monster. A sexed up, horny monster apparently.

She stalked closer. “How about a skinny dip?”

“I’m sure they frown on—”

“The only reason we had our suits on yesterday was because you were in the Aquavant room with us.”

Ric swallowed again.

“So you want to….”

“Have sex in the hydro-spa pool.”

Ric coughed again at her blunt, uncompromising words. “Pretty sure their patrons don’t usually have sex in the pool.” She stood in front of him now. Her legs straddled the weight bench and her hard nipples were level with his gaze. Her entire body radiated heat and arousal.

Slowly, so slowly, he had plenty of time to back away, or to push her away, Shelley lowered her body until she sat on his thighs. “Okay. You win.”

Thank Christ.

“No sex in the pool.”

His erection was harder than the barbell bar and about to burst from the elastic waist of his shorts.

“We’ll just have sex right here,” she whispered.

“Um, Shel.”

Damn, but her sweet, toned ass sliding along his thighs was a special kind of torture. Before he could say another word, she pressed her palms to his cheeks and her lips brushed ever so lightly against his mouth.

Her bold tongue licked at the entrance as she rocked her hot pussy against his erection.

Fuck it. They were alone in the fitness center. There were no cameras. No one could get in.

Ric groaned into her mouth and when her tongue touched his, his control broke. He palmed her ass and rocked her harder into his cock. The heat from her sex seared him.

She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his pectorals exploring his skin with firm strokes.

He scraped her top up her body, the blade of his palm slid along her breastbone until he curved his hand around one exquisitely formed breast. Ric broke away from her erotic kiss and bent his head to taste the aroused bud.

He rolled her hardened nipple on his tongue like a sweet berry and he sucked. Hard.

Shelley moaned, her head tilted back, and her fingers gripped his shoulders like she was clinging to the side of a mountain and about to fall.

He speared his other hand beneath her shorts and along the smooth skin of her ass until he stroked her sex. Damn, she was soaking wet.

How could he resist her?

Shelley sat on Ric’s thighs, his legs tightened beneath her ass. She marveled at the sculpted muscles of his chest. A smattering of black hair dusted his pectorals and lead in a happy trail down to the waistband of his basketball shorts. The bulge beneath the mesh was large, thick, and growing every second.

Her head went light when she thought about all that power inside her.

His biceps bunched, his brawny strength held in check as he tweaked her nipple with his callused fingers.

His cock pushed the waistband of his shorts and the purple mushroom head wept with pre-come. Shelley licked her lips.

Ric’s scent mingled with the musk of their arousal and wafted in the air like a super charged aphrodisiac. She scraped her fingernails lightly along his scalp, triumph rose as he groaned into her mouth.

The last few days trapped in the hotel room with him had stoked her libido. She’d gone from an asexual being to becoming nearly obsessed with sex. Or maybe it was him. Maybe he brought out all these new, forbidden sensations in her. As if he was high-powered fertilizer, her sexual desire had grown from tiny to mammoth with every moment in his presence.

It wasn’t just that. When he’d said he wanted to make her happy something had snapped to attention inside her. She was used to looking out for herself, making her own happiness. And if someone else tried, there was usually an end benefit for them. But there hadn’t been any calculation in his gaze. No judging the effect of his words. He’d seemed almost surprised when he’d blurted out the statement.

He ripped her top over her head, the spandex caught on her ponytail holder, and her hair came tumbling down. Ric pulled his mouth away from hers. She sat on his lap, her bare breasts exposed to his gaze.

They definitely weren’t as perky as they had been twenty years ago and while her abs weren’t as tight either she thought she looked pretty good. She fought the urge to defend her body.

“Damn. You’re gorgeous.” If the expression on his face was indicative, he wasn’t complaining.

With his index finger, he traced the blue vein that ran from her neck down to her breast. That one single point of contact was like a lightning strike, electricity shimmered over her skin. Her nipples tightened into nearly painful peaks.