“If you don’t now, you might not get a chance till night time. They keep early hours here.”
“Ugh.” She rolled out of bed, stumbled to the clothing stack, grabbed a handful of clothes, and made her way to the bathroom. By the time she finished her shower, she was more awake.
Shane went into the bathroom as soon as she left. The shower started running again.
Clean freak, she thought, remembering his middle-of-the-night shower. Well, he is part cat. They’re always washing.
The shower was still going when she heard a metallic clunk. The door opened, revealing Dr. Elihu and his security guard escort.
“Where’s Garrity?” Dr. Elihu said immediately.
“Taking a shower,” Catalina replied. As if he couldn’t hear it!
Though you could see the entire room, including under both cots, at a single glance, the doctor took a long, careful look around. Then he jerked his thumb at a guard. “You. Check. The rest of you, cover him.”
Catalina hastily stepped out of the line of fire as the guards raised their tranquilizer guns.
The guard Dr. Elihu had indicated warily knocked on the bathroom door. “Garrity?”
There was no response.
“He probably can’t hear you,” Catalina said.
“Open the door,” Dr. Elihu ordered.
The bathroom door didn’t lock from the inside. The guard yanked it open, revealing Shane stepping out of the shower, naked and dripping wet. He seemed unperturbed at the guards drawing down on him, not to mention Catalina and the doctor staring at him.
It was a sight glorious enough to wake her up, even at that ungodly hour. She knew she shouldn’t stare, but he was just standing there, without so much as a towel in his hand. She forced her gaze away from his big cock and the elegant hollows of his hip bones, up to his perfect six-pack, broad shoulders, and sleek hair. His wet eyelashes framed his piercing eyes, and water outlined every muscle.
“Can I help you?” Shane inquired politely.
T
he guard slammed the door. But Catalina had seen plenty. And since she’d probably never see it again, she’d just cherish the memory.
“Come with me, Mendez,” the doctor ordered. “I have more tests for you.”
That day was just like the first, only with different tests and minus the encounter with the dark-eyed man. Once again, she couldn’t stop thinking of Shane as she had more blood drawn and ran an obstacle course and did multiple tests measuring her hand-eye coordination. How long were they going to keep him locked up in that room? What was it that haunted his dreams? Was it possible to spontaneously combust from sexual frustration?
The guards returned her that evening. When they opened the door to her room, Shane was down on the floor doing push-ups with his shirt off. The muscles of his back glistened with sweat, and his hair was soaked. He was counting quietly to himself, but stopped and sat up when the door opened.
Two of the guards managed to avert their eyes, but he caught the other four with his predator stare. Two flinched but held steady, one staggered backward, and one actually dropped his tranquilizer gun. The remaining guards instantly leveled their guns at Shane, who hadn’t so much as blinked.
“Think of your weapon as an extension of your hand,” Shane advised the guard who had dropped his gun. “Then you’ll never drop it.”
Swearing, the guards slammed the door.
Catalina laughed. “Never not funny.”
“I’m glad someone appreciates it,” Shane remarked.
Catalina sat on the floor beside him. “Looks like your ribs are doing better. How many push-ups was that?”
“One thousand, eight hundred, and twelve,” Shane said. “I’m trying to beat the world record.”
“Did you?”
“Got me. The record is two thousand, two hundred, and twenty in one hour. But I don’t have a watch.”