Their eyes searched the room. Shawna spotted Jessica and they walked over to say goodbye. Ryan offered his friend cab fare, which she declined. She made a remark about not having to be concerned about getting a ride home and then suggestively cast her eyes in the direction of one of the attorneys standing near the window speaking to two other people. The man lifted a corner of his mouth in a flirtatious smile at her before resuming his conversation.
Ignoring the elevated brows of Gabe Benson—whose eyes didn’t miss the handholding—Ryan and Shawna said goodbye and thanked him for his hospitality. They waited around for a while and searched a few other rooms, but they never did see Jerome again.
After some prodding, Shawna agreed they should leave. Jessica promised to let Jerome know they were gone whenever he made an appearance.
Outside in the chilly air, Ryan removed his jacket and draped it over Shawna’s shoulders. “You’re not dressed for this weather.”
“I’m a woman. I’m used to suffering for fashion.”
He shook his head, and it made her happy to see the lazy smile back in place. “Where to?”
“My place,” she suggested.
They climbed into the truck and she slid across the seat to rest her head on his shoulder. “I can’t drive like this,” Ryan complained good-naturedly.
Shawna wrapped her arm around his chest. “Figure it out, because I’m not moving.” Now that he was back, she resolved to stay close to his side.
“Demanding woman,” he said, putting his arm around her. He squeezed her tight, relishing the feel of her in his arms. Then he kissed the top of her head and pulled out of the parking lot.
****
Ryan and Shawna drifted in and out of sleep, whispering to each other and telling silly jokes. The last time he had awakened her with his erection prodding her thighs and his hands cupping her breasts. When they finished with a short, passionate bout of lovemaking, they’d fallen asleep with him still inside of her, their bodies curled into a semicircle.
The dull whir of a telephone caused Shawna to wake up. She nudged Ryan with her elbow. “That’s your phone.”
He didn’t like having his sleep disturbed. He rolled away onto his back with a groan, and she immediately missed his warmth and the intimacy of their connected body parts.
The vibrating phone continued to buzz and he hopped off the bed to grab it from his jacket pocket. “Hello?”
She watched his naked silhouette against the window, wondering who could be calling at this hour. She heard him curse, say a few curt words, and then end with, “I’ll be right there.”
Shawna sat up and turned on the lamp beside the bed. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone broke into the shop.” He started putting on his clothes.
“Oh, no. Did they take anything?”
“Fortunately, no. The police arrived in time to stop them. Two teenagers, they said.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” she asked.
“No, it shouldn’t take long. They rammed their truck through the front entrance, so the police need me to come down there to secure the building and answer some questions.”
“What would they want in your workshop?”
“They may have planned to steal some of my tools, machinery, the computers, or the software I use for my design work. It could be anything.” He slipped on his second shoe and walked over to her side of the bed.
Shawna pouted. “Hurry back.”
“I will.” He cupped her face and gave her kiss.
When his mouth lingered, she started to giggle and pushed him away. “Go.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot what I was supposed to be doing.” With one last kiss, he rushed out the door.
After he left, Shawna slid down into the bed to catch some sleep until he came back. Thinking about the next day, she realized she didn’t have any food to make breakfast in the morning. She looked at her cell phone screen to check the time. Despite the hour, the store a mile or so down the road would be open. If she hurried, she could pick up a few items before they closed.