“I would have told you if there were any issues before we made love the first time,” he said.
Of course he would have. She stroked him hard and he lost his pressure on her. When his hand fell away, she slid up his body and positioned herself over him.
He grasped her hips and held her motionless as his gaze found hers. Gwen smiled and leaned forward to take his lips. Her knees bumped the side of the tub as he lowered her onto him. Between the warmth of the water and the thickness of her husband, Gwen couldn’t remember ever feeling so full. Neil moved within her, guiding her hips with his strong hands in a way she couldn’t inside the tub.
Water splashed from the tub but neither of them bothered with the mess. It was the only time Gwen had made love to anyone without protection and she was going to savor every moment. It was the first time she made love to her husband and not just a man she’d grown to care for…and she’d do everything she could to fulfill his needs.
His strong fingers gripped her hips to move her faster. She squeezed him tight inside of her. “I’ll lose control if you do that,” he told her.
She did it again.
He growled and slid a hand between them, found the center of her pleasure and forced a moan from her. The angle of the tub made it hard to get closer but Neil worked her into an explosive orgasm within seconds. He followed her into bliss, spilling himself deep inside her womb.
A cramp in her leg had her wiggling off him much sooner than she’d have liked. “Bathtubs aren’t ideal for making love,” he said as he rubbed her hip to ease the pain.
“They’re great for cleanup.”
He laughed and looked at the floor. “And mopping.”
She sighed. “I suppose we should clean this up before retiring. Wouldn’t want our hosts to think the worst of us.”
Neil helped her from the tub and covered her with a towel. When he left the room to find something to mop up the mess, Gwen glanced at her appearance in the mirror.
I’ve fallen in love.
Chapter Twenty-Five
How was he going to leave her? You’re in deep, Mac! Real deep.
They’d made love so many times the night before, and in so many positions, he didn’t think she’d be walking come morning…but she was. They’d thrown all caution out the window with the lack of condom use and he couldn’t bring himself to care. The thought of her carrying his child made him feel like a god. And that was new.
He’d all but bullied her into marriage, lied to get his way. At some point he’d come clean…after.
Early in the morning, he’d called Rick to see how close he was. He’d made great time and was on his way up the mountain to scout out camp. Rick also made a phone call to Neil’s landline in California to get the attention of the dirtbag who stalked them. He and Rick had to think of every scenario. Raven could have access to a plane, or even a commercial flight, which would bring him there within hours. Or Raven might have to drive. It was hard to judge. Neil didn’t know if they’d wait out the guy for a few hours or a few days. In that time, he couldn’t risk contacting Gwen. If anything, Neil wanted Raven to think he and Gwen were hiding out together. The lure of a vulnerable woman was what this man went after, and Neil would exploit it to his fullest.
That beautiful woman had fluffed the pillows on the bed for the third time in ten minutes and was doing a poor job of hiding her anxiety.
“You’ll be safe here.”
“It’s not my safety I’m concerned about.”
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Too late.” She attempted a smile. “I’d feel better if I knew what you were planning on doing.” Gwen picked up one of the pillows and pulled it into her lap as she sat on the edge of the bed.
“We’re going to bait him, bring him to justice.” The answer was simple, the execution…not so much.
“Sounds easy. How do you know he’ll find you up there?”
“I won’t be hard to find.”
“Won’t he catch on to that? He might think it’s a trap and not show up at all.”
That was always a possibility. “I doubt that will happen. The longer this guy is hidden, the more people will be watching for him. Now with you out of harm’s way he has no choice but to come after me.”
“Unless he gives up.”
“I could gauge that better if I knew exactly why he was coming after me. But I don’t. I doubt he’ll walk away, Gwen.”
Neil moved to her side and removed his wallet from his back pocket. From it, he took a still photo of him and his regiment before their last mission.
She took the photograph from his fingers and pointed him out. “That’s you.”
Several years younger with less of the world’s weight on his shoulders. “That’s Rick,” he said as he pointed to the man standing beside him. “We call him Smiley. He’s the one coming up with me to find this guy.”
Gwen pointed to the next man. “Who’s this?”
“That was Billy. The one they say committed suicide.”
“He looks so young.”
“He was.” Now he was dead. “That’s Mickey…the only other one alive.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“Top secret, and I don’t have a clue. This was Boomer and Robb.” There hadn’t been enough of them left to bring back to bury, but he didn’t tell Gwen that. “Linden almost made it out alive. They were great guys. I failed them once and can’t do it again.”