Strong and Sexy (Sky High Air #2)(27)

True. In spite of the terror of the night, she had that. Something was going on. There was no longer any doubt of that.

Shayne looked into her face for another long moment, then he slid his thumb over her lower lip. In spite of her lingering fear and unease, not to mention sheer exhaustion, the touch felt like a lightning bolt to her good parts. Man. She had no idea what was malfunctioning, exactly, but she needed to get it fixed pronto.

And then he surprised her yet again. Still holding her face, he leaned in and kissed her. Not the sensually heated kiss like they’d shared in the closet at Sky High, or the heart-stopping one he’d given her when she’d been squished between her own front door and his body, but a sweet, warm connection that told her she wasn’t alone.

When he pulled back, she found she couldn’t speak. He didn’t either.

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” she finally said.

He just opened his car door for her.

“You probably have flights tomorrow. Today,” she corrected as dawn broke over their heads, cold but blessedly rain free.

“Come on. Get in.”

“I can call Reena.”

“I’m right here. Willing and able.”

“Right.” Admittedly relieved to have him there, she collapsed into the seat, leaning her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes.

He’d stayed.

For her.

She stole a peek at him as he drove, silent. Unbelievably, he still looked as amazing and put together as he had when she’d first seen him standing in the midst of the party last night, watching her with an amused quirk of his mouth.

After all they’d been through since then, she knew she looked like a complete wreck.

Hell, she’d started out a complete wreck.

But not him. Nope, he was still as innately sexy and calm and…perfect as he’d started out, and she could hardly stand it. “Shayne?”

“Yeah?”

“What would it take to ruffle you up?”

He cast her a quick glance. “What?”

“You’re always so calm and easygoing. Laid-back. Do you ever lose it?” Until tonight, she’d been a stranger to him, a stranger who’d claimed to have seen a murder, then an intruder, and then been shot at.

And still he’d remained cool and collected.

But she really wanted to see him unhinged, see him let go. “Do you?”

He slanted her another glance, which she took as a definite no.

But that couldn’t be. Everyone lost it, at least occasionally.

Some more than others…

In any case, she spent a few minutes trying to imagine how it would happen. Since it hadn’t while they’d been shot at, it couldn’t be danger that triggered him…

Maybe…maybe it happened in bed. Just the thought made her a little tingly. Yeah, in bed…She was just putting together a fairly X-rated scenario where he lost it entirely, involving him being extremely naked, when she realized he wasn’t taking her home, but down a very lovely oak-lined upscale street in the hills, where she probably couldn’t afford to breathe the air. “Where are we?”

“My place.”

She stared at the large modern house. “Oh.”

He got out of the car and came around for her before she’d gathered any brain cells.

His place.

As he pulled her to her feet, she stared up into his face. “I realize that you probably have to stay in control under any circumstances when you’re in the air,” she said. “But—”

“Still on that?”

“Well nothing ruffled you tonight, so, yeah. I guess I’m wondering…”

With a little smile, he took her hand and led her up a gorgeously paved walk, pulling a key out of his pocket with his free hand.

“Maybe you lose control over food…” she said, fishing for insight. Also fishing for something to soothe her sudden nerves.

Laughing softly, he unlocked his front door. “Yeah. A fully loaded pizza really throws me over the edge. Oh, you should probably brace yourself.”

“Um, what?”

But as he opened the door, a huge brown ball of fur launched itself at Shayne, knocking him back several feet with a pair of paws to the chest. A pair of paws the size of polar bear paws.

“Bella.” Shayne stroked the animal, who panted happily and drooled. “Miss me, huh?”

Bella panted some more, then dropped to the floor in a boneless heap of joy and exposed her belly.

Shayne obliged her, hunkering down with a smile, giving her a long, hard rub. “Sorry I was gone so long. But Jan came and walked you twice.”

“Jan?”

“My neighbor, and dog walker. There, Bella, that feel better?”

Dani had never been jealous of a dog in her life until that moment. Stepping close, she crouched down too. “Is that a dog or a bear?”

“Yet to be determined.” But Bella let out a welcoming doggie smile, and with a huge tongue, licked Dani’s hand.

“She’s sweet,” she murmured, staring at the biggest paws she’d ever seen. “Aren’t you something?”

“Something,” Shayne agreed.

Unable to help herself, Dani petted the dog, who panted with great cheer. “She must be a great watchdog.”