Running Wild

"Oh, yes, come," he cried, when he felt the bite of the boots on his skin, the scratch of her nails and the spasms inside her. "Oh dear god, Tina, I want you..."

It made him fiercely possessive, seeing her come that way. It made him proud. Bending over him, her hair brushed over his face while she stroked him gently and kissed him. She touched him for a long while, before she unlocked the cuffs and released him.

He took her into his arms, relieved to have that ability again, and as she lay there he stared deep into her eyes, his hands stroking over her body, gently.

As he admired her, he realized she was everything he had hoped for, and so much more. She was a woman who would always be his personal challenge—a woman who demanded the best of him, a woman who had the ability to inspire him every single day.

"You love it, don't you, playing the game like this?" he whispered, kissing her throat and the soft skin at her collarbone. He wanted her to say yes, he wanted her to say that she loved him too, but she didn't

The look in her eyes was assessing and thoughtful. How could he blame her for being cautious with him? He'd set the rules. It was up to him to break them down. He just needed a sign that she wanted more. He stroked her, silently.

"Do you always have to win?" she asked, eventually.

Again, she surprised him. "No, but I admit that I find it hard to concede defeat."

"I just made you do that." Her smile was cheeky.

He felt exposed, but somehow relieved. "So you did."

He chuckled and kissed the end of her nose, holding her close in his arms, loving this woman.

Tomorrow, tomorrow he'd tell her how he felt. If she felt the same, if she wanted more, he'd make it happen.

Chapter Six

Never before had Tina felt so cosseted, so cherished, as she did that night. They held each other close, wrapped around each other, barely dozing. They exchanged kisses in the dark and she knew he was studying her all the time. What was he thinking about? She could almost hear the cogs clicking and whirring. Did his mind ever rest?

In the morning they showered together, long and slow, soaping each other down and bringing each other to climax by hand, staring into each other's eyes as they did so. He'd wrapped her in a big towel afterward, rubbing her gently, squeezing the dampness from her hair with a hand towel. It made her feel a little embarrassed, but he seemed determined to do it for her.

But now she was sitting across the breakfast table from him, and a frown darkened his expression. Thankfully none of the other guests had appeared. It was still early. While they put the coffee percolator on, the tension had built between them. He was getting ready to tell her he was leaving, she could tell. What she was curious about most of all was how he was expected her to react. Did he think she'd get upset? Is that what he wanted, was that the proof he needed? She hoped not, because deep down she suspected that what he really needed was to respect her, to believe she would always be strong. Whining and crying wouldn't do any good with a man like him. It might boost his ego, but that was short lived. There were deeper issues at stake now.

"You look as if you have something on your mind," she prompted eventually.

Shaun nodded and gave her a wry smile. "You're an astute woman."

He moved his key chain around on the surface of the kitchen table before reaching for his coffee cup. "I won't be around, soon. I'm leaving London, for Switzerland. Zurich."

He made the statement casually then sipped at the potent coffee. He looked as if he was about to add something, but waited for her response before doing so.

Tina noticed he didn't mention the fact it wasn't a permanent move. He wanted her reaction to the idea of losing him first, presumably. She set her cup down, carefully. "That's a shame."

He looked deep into her eyes.

She stood up as if carrying her cup to the sink.

For a split second shock passed over his face. "Yes, isn't it?"

His voice was gruff. He stood up as well, latching his key chain onto his belt and tucking the end of it into his pocket, distractedly.

He'd expected her to be upset. He'd obviously planned around that. Would he have soothed her with promises, or backed off, hating her neediness? She couldn't take that risk, but she'd thrown him. Would that make it easy for him to back off? She didn't want that, so she stepped over and pulled the chain back out of his pocket.

"Can I have it, as a souvenir?" She tugged on it.

"You want a souvenir...of us?"

"Yes, because I'll miss you." Again she tugged at the chain. "I can think of you when I play with it," she added suggestively.

He stared at her, and then his frown broke and a look of relief surfaced in his eyes. "You're a bad girl, how's a man supposed to get any work done, thinking about that?"