When he stood, and motioned for her plate, she nodded her head for him to take it. He took both
their plates and placed them in the sink, along with the
assortment of dishes he·d used to prepare the
meal.
The muscles in his bared back flexed and bunched when he reached for the soap and began to wash
the dishes. The smooth play of his corded muscles reminded her how it felt to be the recipient of all that
power.
All that concentrated power.
Sienna shuddered.
´My mother passed, soon after I left for the army.µ
Ánd your father?µ she asked after a moment of silence.
´My dad?µ He laughed. This time, his laugh held no humor, was instead almost painful to hear. ´Hell,
even when my mom was alive, he wasn·t there much. Papa was a rolling stone, as the old song goes.
When Mom died, he stuck
around for a while, and then he took off.µ
Í·m sorry to hear that.µ
He turned to face her, swiping his hands on a small dish towel near the sink. Í wasn·t. Most of the
time, when he was around, he was drunk or wasted. He did us a favor when he left.µ Mac went to the
coffeepot and poured them both a mug of the steaming brew and set her cup beside her.
´Thank you,µ she murmured after taking a sip. Íf you were in the army, who took care of your sister?
µ Despite her intention of enjoying him for the moment only, Sienna found herself wanting to know
everything about him.
Óur aunt³my mother·s sister.
As soon as I was stationed in a stable duty station, I sent for Chrissy.
By that time, she·d gotten pregnant, and had no one, besides me. My aunt came along with her, and her
son, to help. I was deployed a lot. She was young. She needed someone with her when I was away.µ
Sienna·s heart clenched at the level of his commitment to his sister, his dedication. She felt tears
threatening to fall and turned away.
´Hey, what·s wrong?µ he asked, turning her back around to face him, one calloused finger beneath
her chin.
Ńothing,µ she said, her voice hoarse, clogged with tears she refused to allow to fall. She understood
what it was like, trying to care for a sibling. She·d spent her entire life caring for her brother.
For a while, she thought he was going to question her further as he stared intently into her eyes.
When he dropped his hand, she released a pent-up breath.
Whether it was from relief that he·d let it go, or
disappointment that he didn·t demand she answer, she chose to ignore.
´How did you go from the
military to private
investigation?µ
Í was Special Forces. After nine/eleven, my battle buddy and I³my partner, Kyle Hanley³
were sent
to Afghanistan. It was a mess, chaos everywhere, a real hot spot. We got caught in an ambush. I took a
direct hit, shot in the leg. The close range shattered my
kneecap.µ
´God, that·s awful.µ Nausea swelled. She had to swallow down the taste of bile in her mouth.
Sienna studied his face. Little or no expression showed, yet the pain of his experience was reflected in
his eyes.
She remembered the terror, chaos, and fallout in the States after the attack, and could only imagine
what Mac faced.
´Yeah, it wasn·t pretty, that·s for damn sure. I was medevaced out and sent to Walter Reed,µ he said,
mentioning the large army medical facility in DC. Í got a medal for my efforts, medically discharged from
the army, and wondered what the hell to do with my life. I·d planned to make a career with the military.
The army was all I knew. But time wasn·t a luxury for me. I had to take care of my sister, as well as her
son.µ
His dedication to his sister was obvious again. Sienna knew if she stayed around him for much longer,
she would be in jeopardy of losing her heart to him. She shoved the uncomfortable
thought away.
Śo I took a couple of courses in law investigation at the local community college, was pretty damn
handy with a weapon, and after I recruited my battle buddy to go into business with me, I
received my
license. The rest, as they say, is history.µ
´But you didn·t want to live in DC,µ she said.
Ńo, actually, I own a small house in Hampton, Virginia.
After I was discharged from the service, I
returned. Once she got on her feet, a few years back, my sister and her son had moved out. But my aunt
stayed on and took care of everything while I was away.µ
Í didn·t even wait around to get my high-school diploma, two months shy,µ Sienna said, wanting to
share more of her own history with him.
´Your home life was that bad?µ
he murmured.
´Yeah. Even though I hadn·t graduated from high school, it was time to go. I was just biding my
time.µ
´How long before you hooked up with Marks? Before you started stripping?µ
Restless, not wanting to see any censure in his eyes, Sienna jumped up and carried her cup to the
sink. She rinsed it, taking much more time than needed to rinse the mug out, before placing it in the
strainer by the sink.
She didn·t hear him approach her. Startled, she jumped when his warm hands settled on her shoulders, turning her around to face him.
Ĺook, I·m not condemning you.
You did what you thought you had to, to survive.µ
Í had choices. At the time, that one seemed the best. I was stupid.µ
Mac started to speak, then abruptly clamped his mouth shut. Instead, he gathered her in his arms,
tilted her head back, and lowered his head.
His warm breath fanned her cheeks. He planted small, heated kisses over her face, across her closed
eyes, down the bridge of her nose, until he reached her lips.
She shivered when he kissed her, pressed biting caresses down her neck, burrowing his hands in her
hair. He tilted her face up and captured her lips, devouring her with his kisses, enveloping her in his
warmth.
Her hands quickly circled his broad shoulders, completely giving in to his toe-curling kiss.
His tongue
swiped at the seam of her lips, demanding entry.
He tugged at her lower lip, sucking it into the warm cavern of his mouth, before releasing it.
Sienna moaned at the expert way he handled her. No man had ever made love to her, much less
kissed her, the way Mac did. He gave attention to her mouth in the same exquisite way he loved her body
³with hot, detailed, mind-blowing precision.
When he pulled away from her, she whimpered in protest.
13
M ac rested his face on top of her head for a fraction of a moment before easing her away.
She sucked her swollen full lower lip into her mouth; hesitancy and uncertainty reflected in her eyes.
He bit back a groan.
Damn! If he kept kissing her, he wouldn·t stop. He·d take her right there on the kitchen island, and
not stop until he·d gotten his fill of her, rutting in her until they were drained, sore, and
satisfied.
Śin, would you consider staying with me? For the weekend.µ
He saw the flare of hesitancy in her eyes. ´You could go to work at nights. Just spend the weekend
with me. Please,µ he added when she said nothing.
He waited for what felt like an eternity before she spoke.
Ókay. I·ll stay with you,µ she finally said, a
nd Mac released a breath he hadn·t realized he was holding.
´Good,µ he said brusquely, clearing his throat. ´There are toiletries upstairs in the bathroom. In the
cabinet mounted on the wall, you·ll find a spare toothbrush, as well as a robe that should fit you, on the
inside hook.µ
Mac knew she thought he
brought women to his temporary digs, regularly, because of the amenities
he kept in the bathroom. He started to reassure her that due to the nature of his job, he often needed to
keep these on hand in case one of his clients needed them.
But he resisted the urge. He·d never explained himself to anyone before. No matter how much he
wanted her, how different he felt with her, he wasn·t going to start now.
´Thank you,µ she said quietly, staring into his face.
With a final, contemplative look at him, she pulled completely out of his arms and left the kitchen.
She gathered her hastily
discarded clothes from last night, strewn across the sofa.
With one final
glance over her shoulder at him, she headed back upstairs.
Standing in front of the large vanity beside the glassed-in shower, Sienna loosely tied the ends of the
borrowed robe. She peeled the packaging from the toothbrush and squeezed a dollop of paste on the
bristles and started brushing her teeth.
As she brushed, her gaze fell to her breasts, peeking through the gaped vee of the robe. Memories of
the way Mac had handled her last night, until the earlymorning hours, filtered through her mind. Her
spiked nipples became
unbearably sensitive against the soft, silk robe.
She washed away the last bit of toothpaste from her mouth and, with hesitant fingers, pulled the robe
farther apart, her small breasts spilling free, fully exposed.
She·d turned on the shower, allowing the steam to fill the room, and now her skin was dewy from the
humidity. Her breath hitched.
Closing her eyes, her fingers feathered over the rosy, tight buds, imagining it
was Mac·s thick fingers pulling at her.
The sensation caused a chain reaction.
Moisture eased from her vagina, down her thighs. Lost in her thoughts, longings, and lust for Mac,
her other hand found her moist heat, and her fingers delved between the swollen folds of her vagina.
Í hope it·s my hands you·re imagining on your body. My hands between your thighs.µ
Her eyes flew open and she stared into the fogged mirror.
The object of her desire stood framed in
the doorway, nostrils flared, eyes half-closed, gloriously naked, watching her touch herself.
14
A s Mac walked into the room, he kept his eyes glued to the mirror and her startled gaze.
ͳI didn·t hear you walk in,µ
she stuttered, quickly removing her hands from her body, closing the
robe and belting it tightly.
He stopped, standing behind her, close. So close, she could feel the heat from his naked chest against
the thin robe. He kept his gaze on hers and lowered his head, his lips grazing the side of her neck.
´Hmmm,µ Sienna moaned in
appreciation, rolling her neck to the side.
She closed her eyes when she felt his tongue snake out and leisurely lap a caress against her skin.
The moisture increased
between her thighs. After last night, she didn·t think she·d be able to bear any
more of his heated kisses.
She was wrong.
His hard body blanketed hers, his erection thick and insistent, lying against the curve of her back.
As he kissed her, he reached around her body, inserting his big hand inside her robe, and palmed one
of her breasts. The other hand pushed aside the robe and trailed to the triangle at the top of her thighs,
brushing back and forth over her springy curls.
Her eyes flew open when one lone finger eased inside.
In the mirror, she watched their twin reflections.
She, with her eyes glazed-looking; he, watching her, his hot gaze fanning her body.
A cry escaped from her lips when he opened her wide, two fingers separating her vaginal lips, another
smoothly pushing deep inside.
She arched her back, her
buttocks popping against his groin when he
withdrew from her and pinched her clit³not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make her feel the
stinging caress.
He released his hold and turned her toward his body, swallowing her whimpering cries.
His tongue shoved into hers, swirling inside her mouth, suckling her top rim. She felt the kiss deep
inside her body.
Turning fully into his embrace, Sienna leaned up, on tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his
shoulders, bringing him closer.
With a harsh groan, he pulled away from her, lifted her into his arms, and walked the small distance
to the shower stall. Once inside the steamy shower, Mac placed her in front, her back to his chest, and
withdrew a sponge and liquid gel from the caddy.
Ĺet me wash you.µ
breasts, down her stomach, leaving a sudsy trail the warm water quickly washed away.
He paid careful attention to her body, cleansing her even as he heated her with his touch.
She widened her stance when he nudged her thighs apart, and she moaned when she felt the sponge
glide between her folds,
lathering the soap along the seam of her pussy.
He pulled her head back with one hand and covered her cries with his mouth, his other hand continuing to manipulate her, the soap running down her thighs.
Suddenly he flipped her around and pulled her closer. He raised her legs and wrapped them around
his waist, the long, hot length of his shaft nestled between them.
She ground against him,
impatient to feel
him inside her body, anywhere, just as long as he entered her.
Sienna was frantic, crazed, with the need to house him inside her. She held her breath, her heartbeat
speeding up when he lifted her higher. He grasped his cock and rubbed the rounded tip over her anus. In
breathless anticipation, her heartbeat kicked up a notch as he feathered it back and forth.
She wondered if
he·d take her there, in virgin territory, a place none had ever entered.
He seemed to hesitate before he adjusted her legs, moved his cock away, and slowly pushed into her
pussy, past her tender tissue, until he was balls deep inside her.
Óooh, yes. Oh yes,µ Sienna cried, despite the tender almost painful feel of his hard dick shafting her.
Her forehead rested against his water-slicked chest. ´Just like that, please,µ she begged, biting her lower
lip, screwing her hips around his dick, her buttocks pressed tight against the wall of the shower.
He raised her hips higher, angling her clit so that it hit the top of his groin as he began to grind into
her.
He set a smooth rhythm,
slipping in and out of her drenched heat as his fingers bit into her hips,
thrusting and grinding, rotating the twin globes of her ass cheeks, screwing his hips clockwise as he
plunged inside her.
Her head dropped to her chest, her breathing labored, while he fucked her in short, tight thrusts.
´We can·t finish this way,µ she panted. Í·m not on any
protection. I³µ She screamed when he slipped
a hand between their close bodies, stroking the seam between her pussy and
ass, before easing a finger
inside her anus.
He slammed her body against the shower wall, and she
helplessly rolled her buttocks against his
finger. Tears slipped down her cheeks in ecstasy as she
accepted his thrusting strokes in both ends.
The hard length of his dick competed with the unyielding shower wall, the friction exquisite, until the
pressure built to unbearable proportions and spilled over.
The orgasm ripped through her body. Her body jerked when the spasms hit, hard. Replete, she slumped forward against his chest. Had he not had such a tight hold on her, her body would have
crumpled, falling down against the marbled tile wall of the shower with the power of her release.
Mac ground his teeth and bit back his own release. He held off until he was assured she·d completed
hers. Once her cries died down to a mewling whimper, he pulled out of her clenching, warm sheath.
Grabbing the base of his cock³
and with two, three jerks, yelling³he emptied his seed.
His thick cum jetted
over her belly as he held her hips steady with one hand.
Once his own racing heart calmed, he eased her legs from around his waist. Grabbing a sponge, Mac
washed away his semen from her breasts and followed the sticky trail to her stomach with shaky hands. He
turned off the showerhead, still holding her quivering body close to his.
He opened the shower door and stepped out, grabbing a towel before he turned back to her.
Without
bothering to dry himself, he ran the towel over her and lifted her into his arms, carrying her out of the
bathroom and into the bedroom.
In his arms, she lay quiet, her eyes closed, lashes fanning the swell of her high cheekbones, and Mac
felt his heart clench at the picture she presented of
trusting, sated innocence.
Laying her down on the bed, he swiped his body with the towel before gathering her, laying her on