on the floor and took control of the scene. There’s no information on Mr. Covington’s condition.”
Hayley wilted into a chair by the door. Unbelievable.
Rising, Finn came over to her. Squatted down. “You all right?”
“God. This is worse. What if he was hurt, or shot, or dead?”
“Don’t go there. They reported no deaths. Why don’t you change? I’ll keep an eye on the TV to see if there’s any more news.”
Not wanting to leave, but unable to stay and listen to nothing new, she left the room, and crossed into her own suite on the other side of the kitchen. She sat down onto the bed, smoothing over the covers. Would she ever get to make love with Paul in this bed? Would they get to go out on the boat again? Had they been foolish to end their relationship before it got started?
Driven crazy by her rumination, Hayley went to the bathroom, stripped and tied up her hair. She stepped under the hot spray coming from three nozzles and worried. After the shower, she dressed in simple pajamas and left the room.
Just as the buzzer from the concierge rang. Hayley flew to it. “Yes, Robert?”
“Mr. Covington to see Ms. Casella.” More quietly, he added, “I wouldn’t have called so late, but I think he’s the man who saved all those people at that big party you were at.”
“Yes, yes, send him up. Please.” She flung the front door open.
Finn had come out of his suite. “Do you want me to disappear?”
“For a bit, if you don’t mind.”
“No worries. I’m happy he’s all right.”
The elevator opened. She ran to it. He’d just stepped into the hall when she threw herself at him. He caught her and held her close. She hugged him tight. He held on, too, circling her back with his hand. “Shh, baby, I’m safe, and unhurt, except for a few bruises and sore muscles.”
Finally, she was able to ease herself back, she kept hold of his hands. Exhaustion showed in every feature of his face and his shoulders slumped. He’d taken off his tux coat, and his pants were ripped. “Why didn’t you call me? Let me know how you were?”
“When I finally could, your inbox was full.”
“Damn, I never thought to check that.”
She hugged him again, unable to bear the thought of what he’d been through. When someone from another apartment started down the hall, he said, “Let’s go inside.”
Leading him by one hand, she went down to the apartment and he followed her silently. They went to her suite where she shut the door and closed out the world. He faced her. Lowered his head. And kissed her. It wasn’t gentle, Hayley thought, but it was exactly what she needed. Then he ended the kiss and drew back.
He stripped off his clothes, let them fall to the floor. Then he sat on the edge of her bed. She stood before him. Reaching for her pajamas, he unbuttoned them, and the top fell to her feet. He pushed down the pants.
And touched her everywhere. The weight of his hands on her was exquisite, and when he pushed on her thighs, she parted them. He took advantage of that, explored her, invading every sensitive place: inside and out. Then she pressed on his shoulders for him to lay back, his legs still hanging over the bed and his feet on the floor.
She knelt and grasped onto his penis. She rubbed up and down, up and down. It was already hard but turned to stone with her ministrations. She licked the tip.
He stood it as long as he could then he choked out, “Straddle me.”
This time she knelt on the bed.
Then she took him inside.
He thrust up.
She came down hard. Her mind clouded, her vision blurred. She felt the spasms begin low inside her and she rose up again, came down again, and the world dimmed, then burst into flames of color.
Next, it was his turn.
* * *
Paul held her close in the big bed and pulled up the sheet. He brushed his fingertips down her arm, letting her sweet scent fill his head. He tried to block the images of tonight, of the gunshots and the gunman swearing at him, but couldn’t.
He was almost glad when she whispered, “Why’d you do it?”
He had to get some of this out.
“I’m not exactly sure. It was more primal than forethought. I knew he’d kill people, maybe you or Finn, and I couldn’t let that happen so I took him down.”
“I