Energized (21 page)

“So not worried.” She laughed and tried to move faster.

“Hannah, I'm on the edge here.” Niall's eyes were wide and dark. Most of the green had been swallowed by his pupils. “I want you so fucking bad.”

“I'm right here, Marine.” She kissed his shoulder, his neck, his chin. “Take me now. Hard and fast. I want you. All of you. Don't hold back.”

She felt his cock jerk at her words. His eyes went darker.

“You won't hurt me,” she whispered. “Do me, Marine.”

Love me.
But she didn't dare utter those words aloud. They might just make him come to his senses and erect the walls she'd fought hard to bring down.

“Hannah.” His eyes softened, some of the green edging back. He let go of her right hip to touch his fingertips to her face. “I never want to hurt you. I-I care about you.”

He was in control again. Slowing down, being gentle with her.

She didn't want gentle. She didn't want control. She wanted him, all of him.

Hannah lifted her hips, then let herself drop onto his shaft.

“God!” she cried out at the same time he said, “Fuuahhh.”

Then she lifted her hips and slid down on him again. Niall gripped her hips and ass with both of his big hands and controlled her speed.

Or at least, he controlled her speed until she kissed him with all the love and passion she felt for him. He kissed her back with matched intensity. His thrusts quickened. Harder and faster until her head banged against the wall. Somewhere nearby, something fell and shattered.

If Niall heard it, he didn't react. He kissed her mouth, her neck, her shoulder.

Hannah was with him one minute, then flying with such an intense orgasm it sucked the air from her lungs. She'd
barely recovered from the first when the second started to build. She wanted to share this amazing feeling with Niall. Leaning forward, she bit his earlobe. Like before, she witnessed his control splinter.

“Hannah!” He cried out her name only moments before she was flying again.

This time was so much better because he was right there with her.

As she sank back to herself, one thing became abundantly clear. They'd been against the wall for quite a while. The muscles in Niall's arms bulged and his knees shook.

Slowly, Niall slid her off of him and lowered her to the floor. He pressed his fists against the wall, panting for breath. Hannah was breathing heavy too but she hadn't been holding another person in the air all that time.

“You're naked,” Hannah managed between gasps of air.

“You're not,” Niall replied with a sexy half smile.

She glanced down. She still had on his shirt. “Kind of like a love slave fantasy.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Niall said, pulling off the condom and disposing of it. He kicked his boxers and pajama bottoms into a corner, and gathered the unused condoms from the floor. He dropped them on the nightstand. Then he turned to her. “You know, it's hot the way you boss me around in bed.”

“We're not in bed. Yet. But I think that's where you should take me next.”

“You think so?” He loped toward her. The sexiness and raw masculinity in his gait made her shiver.

“Oh, yeah,” she said, breathily. “Judging by your fast-rising erection, you like that. A lot.”

“Oh, yeah,” he echoed before gripping her shirt by the hem. “May I?”

She lifted her arms and the shirt was off.

Niall then dropped to his knees in front of her and whispered, “You stole my control.”

“You loved it. And so did I.” She ran her fingers through his hair.

“It was outstanding.” Niall nodded, then leaned forward.
He ran his tongue on the underside of her breast and up across her nipple. He slid two fingers back and forth teasingly across the center of her before sliding them deep inside.

Hannah gasped at the sensation. Her nerve endings were still sensitized from their rigorous lovemaking. She shivered. Her knees went weak, but he cupped her thighs, holding her in place in front of the bed. “Niall, we haven't made it to the bed yet.”

He blew warm air across her core and licked her from navel to nub before pulling back. “I see that. I'm not ready for bed.”

“Wh-what are you doing?”

Niall lightly nipped her right hip, then her left. All the while letting his fingers slide in and out of her. His thumb circled and pressed against her core in a rhythm so languorous it was driving her mad with desire. When she whimpered in need he chuckled devilishly and said, “Isn't it obvious? You stole my control. It's my turn to steal yours.”

H
ANNAH
CURLED
AGAINST
Niall's back with her arm draped over his waist. She'd tried to sleep but ended up listening to him breathe instead. Reveling in the sensation of him relaxing in her arms. He didn't exactly snore, but he made an adorable little noise. Something she could really get used to hearing.

Holy frack!
She couldn't do this to herself. She'd offered him one night, knowing he'd take it. Knowing she had enough self-esteem not to beg for more. But she wanted more. So much more.

Who was she kidding? She didn't have time for more. Her life was in shambles. She'd come to Tidewater to find her sisters. Sisters she had been mere feet from earlier tonight.

Her chest ached. She'd been so close to talking to them. If only Sadie and her freaking visions hadn't gotten in the way. Visions of a murder so vicious that Hannah was afraid to sleep. She let herself grieve for a moment more, then shoved away the disappointment. She was still in town.
There was still time to meet Shelley and Jules. Hannah would make certain nothing interfered again.

Niall shifted in bed, his breath falling on her arm.

Hannah couldn't keep the smile off her face. No, she hadn't accomplished everything yet, but she had found her Marine. And made love to him again, and again. And again.

She ached in places she never had before and yet she still wanted him. She wished he'd wake up and love her again.

“When did you get this?” Niall stroked a finger over the tattoo on her right wrist.

Hannah swallowed back the yelp of surprise. “I thought you were out.”

Niall yawned, rolled onto his side, and propped his head on one hand. “I'm a Marine. We sleep light. It's ingrained.”

“You're not in the service anymore. Shouldn't you get out of the habit?” She mirrored his pose, then pulled the sheet up to cover her breasts.

“Once a Marine, always a Marine.” He tugged the sheet down exposing her nipple again. He fingered it, sending ribbons of shivers through her body. “When did you get inked? You didn't have this last time. I'd remember.”

“Oh, uh . . .” she managed when Niall shifted and took the nipple into his mouth. “I-I can't think with you doing that.”

He let go with a resounding pop.

“Hey! I didn't say you should stop.”

“I'll get back to that. Promise.” He danced his fingers over her sensitized skin, then pulled the sheet up. “Let's put those away for now. Too distracting. I want to know about the tattoo.”

Hannah tugged the sheet down, teasingly. “Sure you wouldn't rather?”

Niall groaned and lifted her wrist to his mouth. He kissed it lightly, then stared at the three roses. A peculiar look crossed his face. Quietly he asked, “Who's Scott?”

“Jealous?” she teased, then decided it might be better to allay his fears quickly. “It's me. I was born Hannah Eleanor Scott. I didn't become a Halloran until I was three and a half.”

He tugged her wrist closer, then rolled away to switch on
the light. In an instant he was back in bed and examining the roses that decorated her skin. “Are there names in the roses?”

“Yes. Mine and my sisters'.”

“I thought my tat was detailed but yours . . .” He shook his head. “You didn't ink yourself but did you design it? It looks like a one of a kind.”

She smiled in spite of the sadness that always crept inside at the thought of her first mother. “No, my mother did. Remember I said my mother's house was where the Boxing Cat is today? Well, I know that because of a vision I had. In that vision, she had a painting on the wall. Three roses, one yellow, one red, and one purple, all wrapped in a green ribbon. It hung on the wall in her kitchen. That's where the tat came from. Until I had that vision, I didn't even remember the painting. I never wanted to forget it, so I drew it and had it tattooed.”

He stroked a thumb down her cheek, his green eyes warm and soft. “Maybe you did it in honor of her too?”

The tide of sadness washed away and she grinned. “Very astute of you, Marine. Is that why you got inked? In honor of Iggy and Danny?”

A tick worked in Niall's jaw. He released her wrist and ran a hand over the large Marines tattoo covering most of his left upper arm. The eagle had a banner in his mouth that read
Semper Fidelis
. The initials D.M. and R.I. were etched on an axis above and below the anchored earth.

Niall was quiet for so long, Hannah feared she'd blown the intimacy and their night together. She struggled to think of a topic change when Niall met her gaze again. In his eyes was a pain so profound, she physically ached for him. “Yes, I did it for them. Do you know what
Semper Fidelis
means?”

She shook her head.

“Always faithful. Like you, I never wanted to forget.”

And that was Niall to the core. He'd brought Danny home, had probably done the same for Iggy. Then he'd returned to the Marines to finish out his tour. When that was done, he came home to Tidewater to help his family's business. And somewhere in there, he'd kept his word about calling her. Always faithful.

Now he lay naked, barely covered by a thin sheet, and looking as lost as she'd ever seen him.

Well, she could fix that.

“Hey, Marine, I think I'm done talking for a while.” She tugged the sheet down to her waist and crooked her finger. The light in his eyes returned. It was heady, this power she had to turn him on. Although, if she were being honest with herself, he turned her on just as much. “Want to see how fast I can make you come this time?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Niall lowered his head and took her breast in his mouth.

“Still not the minister's wife,” she managed on a groan. “But I can run to the kitchen and bag your groceries if you prefer.”

Niall laughed around her nipple, then rolled his tongue around it.

Her heart hammered, her mind blanked, and her core went wet.

He rolled her onto her back, and nestled himself between her legs. With a loud pop, he let go of her nipple and reached across her body for the condoms. “Clearly I haven't done my job if you're still able to talk. I'll just have to try harder to wear you out. You need your rest.”

“You're doing this for me?” she said as he rolled on a fresh condom.

“Yes, ma'am.” He thrust into her all the way to the hilt. “I could sleep now but what kind of man would I be to leave you hanging? It's a hard job,” he said, sliding out, then back in. “But I'm the right man for the job.”

“You're truly an altruist.” Hannah gasped as that incredible build started in her midsection. She wanted more. She'd learned their first night together that if she cupped him, he went crazy.

Hannah reached to touch him, but he stopped her by shackling her hands above her head. “Not fast this time, Hannah, let me . . .”

What was he going to say? Let me shag you, ride you, love you? Frack it, she needed to stop analyzing this relationship. She never planned. Never begged. She always waited for the universe to send her a sign. But Niall made her want more.

His rocking hips slowed. He released her wrists and touched her face with his fingertips. “Hey, where'd you go?”

“I'm here.” She smiled at him. When he didn't move, she kissed him, then cupped him.

His back arched, and he growled a laugh. “That's dirty pool.”

“Show me how you use your cue stick.”

He nipped her shoulder, making her laugh. Then he moved again, slow with long, deep strokes. Sensation built higher and higher in her midsection. He had her strung so tight, she thought she might explode from the impending climax. Still, she wanted more. He was so right. While she loved it when he rode her hard and fast, this languid pace of his kept her spinning until finally . . . finally . . . she snapped free. Like the faithful Marine he was, Niall drew out her orgasm, only giving into his own when she was well and completely spent.

His roar of her name was the sweetest music she'd ever heard. Despite their short time together, her heart belonged to a man with a tattoo of fallen Marines, a soul scarred by war, and a heart so guarded, she doubted he even knew how to give it away.

Sinking into sleep she grinned when his arms wrapped around her. He pressed a kiss to her hair. “Sleep now, Hannah. I've got you. Don't worry about the nightmares. I'm right here. I won't let you go.”

If only that could last a lifetime.

*   *   *

N
IALL HAD ALREADY
been up for an hour, showered, dressed, and had made it to the donut shop and back before Hannah opened her eyes. He'd wanted to surprise her with coffee and breakfast in bed, then maybe have another lovemaking session before he had to open the restaurant.

But the damned floor creaked near the end table. She rolled over. He all but threw the food and drinks down as he tried to strip off his shirt before she opened her eyes.

“Where'd you go?” she asked, stretching like a cat. Naked
and unabashed, she let the sheet fall to her waist as she smiled up at him.

“Got breakfast.” He gestured to the end table, then toed off his sneakers and climbed onto the bed wearing only his jeans. “Wasn't sure what you'd like so I got a little bit of everything. There's coffee, herbal tea, donuts, hash browns, sausage, eggs, ham, and biscuits.”

She blinked at him. Her face alight with pleasure. “You really did think of everything.”

Hannah grinned but then glanced around the bed, rolled to her side, and bent over it to peer at the floor, giving him a glimpse of her glorious naked ass. Images of what he could do with her in the position arrowed straight to his cock.

His jeans grew uncomfortably tight. “What're you doing?” His voice cracked like an untried teen's.

“Looking for my shirt,” she said, pushing to a sitting position, only to crawl across the bed and bend over it on the other side. This time her ass was close enough to nibble.

He might have gone in for a bite, but she sat back, waving the shirt triumphantly in the air. “Here it is.”

The naked goddess disappeared beneath the brown tee. Damn.

“You hungry?” She held out a sausage biscuit.

“Yes, for you.” When she laughed, he accepted the food. Okay, new plan. Eat as fast as possible without choking. Then love her all over again. He quickly opened all the food and spread it out on the bed.

“Thank you for last night,” Hannah said, then took a bite of the egg sandwich.

Niall didn't know how to respond. He wasn't ready for their time to be over.

“You were right, talking did help.” She paused a moment before adding with a grin, “So did the incredible sex.”

“Any time.” With a start, it occurred to him that he meant it.

Clearly, she didn't believe him, if the doubt on her face was anything to go by. “Well, I do feel better. Not sure what I'm going to do today.”

“Stay in bed with me.” The words were out of his mouth before he'd even realized he'd given voice to his wish.

“Ooh, don't tempt me.” She took another bite of her sandwich. “But I meant, do I go to the police again?”

“No. The last thing you do is go back to the cops.” Niall's stomach turned over at the thought of Hannah possibly being arrested. “Hannah, those cops thought you knew too much before. Now you know even more. What can you do, really? The guy's already dead. They've probably identified the body by now. You can't help him.”

“What if Mercy kills someone else?” Color washed out of Hannah's cheeks. “If I don't do something, tell someone, it'll be my fault.”

“No, it won't. It'll be that psycho's fault.” Niall set aside their food and took Hannah's cold hands into his. “You told me last night that you know that Mercy is crazy. Crazy and a killer. What if Mercy finds out you're going to the cops with information? Right now, you can't identify her. That psycho could come after you. And I wouldn't know how to protect you.”

“Protect me? I do a pretty good job of that all by myself, thanks. So, what? I'm supposed to do nothing? Pretend I didn't have those visions?” She tugged free of his grasp and shrugged. “I don't know what I'm doing. The signs are all messed up. I have no place to live, no job, and I still haven't managed to meet the sisters who I came to find. I need time to think. Time to get my head on straight.”

“Come with me to the Boxing Cat,” Niall said, surprising them both. But it made sense. If she were with him, she'd be safe-ish.

“You fired me,” she reminded him, then sighed. “Crap! This isn't even my shirt. It's yours.”

“I didn't fire you.”

Hannah arched an eyebrow and stared at him silently.

“Okay, yes, I thought your last day would be yesterday. When I said that I wouldn't need you past Saturday—”

“You thought I was a stalker who'd given you a fake phone number, then hunted you down.” She rolled her eyes.
“Doesn't say much for your opinion of me, does it? And still I slept with you.”