“Oh yeah?”
“And the ‘right there’. You’re very vocal in bed. I like that.” He kissed her cheek and lay next to her, the warmth of his bare skin covering her in lieu of the quilt.
“Don’t see any good reason to be shy.”
He watched her with the strangest expression on his face.
She leaned up on one elbow. “What?”
“How do you feel?”
“Well fucked.”
He frowned and stared in silence for a minute.
“Am I supposed to feel something else? You’re a seriously good lover, TJ. I’m happy as a clam, or I would be if you’d get back to what you were doing a minute ago.” She caught a flash of sadness in his eyes, but as curious as it made her, deep introspection before she’d brushed her teeth was not in the books. “Hey, did you tell me there’s a shower?”
He kissed her nose before sitting up and resuming his magic touch on her body.
“Massage first. You can shower while I’m cooking breakfast. The water heater is a rapid-fire system and I turned on the pump last night. With a lake full of water and the propane generator, you can have as long a shower as you want.”
“This place is not nearly as rustic as it appears at first glance.”
“Only the best for you.”
She laughed. “So glad you had my comfort in mind when you shanghaied me.” She lay back to enjoy what the day would hold.
They sat overlooking the lake while a delicious sensation of fatigue stole through her limbs. Private excursions by Kidnappers R Us for the win. “Other than warning you I’m taking over the cooking, this day has been incredible. I loved the canoeing, and the hike to the lookout was fabulous.”
“Sorry about the grilled cheese sandwiches at lunch.”
“Hey, a little carbon is supposed to be good for the system, right? Clears it out.”
TJ smiled at her as he touched her hair. He’d been doing that all day long. Stroking her cheek, holding her hand. Even with him acting like some kind of weird stalker, she couldn’t muster any concern. It was all so innocent, and tender.
“I’m very thankful you’ve been so understanding about me…well…”
“The kidnapping? Forget it. I tried to get upset, but somewhere at about the fifteenth orgasm all my ability to be freaked out seemed to float away.”
“You haven’t come that many times.”
She laughed softly. “Well, then, you’d better get busy, hadn’t you?”
He moved closer, wrapped an arm behind her and let her lean against him. “Tonight. Right now, enjoy the view. I know I am.”
“You’re not even looking around.” Pam flushed. The man never seemed to take his eyes off her. “You’re staring again.”
“I know.”
“It’s very flattering.”
TJ tugged her head against his chest and she relaxed, letting him support her weight as they watched the sun approach the top of the mountain. Under her ear his heart pulsed evenly, the solid beat lulling her into a lazy state.
“You think you’d like to live up north?” he asked.
She’d thought about it, but moving wasn’t practical. “It’s pretty, but my job is down south. I need to get ready to train a new partner.”
“Partner?”
“RCMP, remember? My partner retired and I’ll need to go start the process again.” She sighed. “Damon was awesome. I miss him a lot.”
A strange choking cough shook TJ. “Damon?”
“Yeah. We were inseparable. Even on the coldest nights he warmed me up.” TJ tensed under her, and Pam turned toward him. His face was bright red and his lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. “You okay?”
He shook his head and cleared his throat a few times. “I’ll be fine. I’ve never had a woman tell me about an old lover like this, while we’re—”
“Lover?” What the hell? Oh shit. A laugh burst out. By the time she’d regained control, her stomach was sore and she was gasping for air. It didn’t help that every time she looked at TJ his expression set her off again.
“Sorry…don’t mean to be rude. Oh my God, you’re kidding me. Didn’t you know? Damon was my partner, but he’s a dog.”
“That’s my opinion for sure.”
“No, seriously, a German Shepherd. I’m a dog handler for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Narcotics division, and I double in Search and Rescue when needed.”
“You’re a dog handler?” He collapsed back onto the blanket, his arms flung out to the side. “Oh man, I am never going to live this one down.”