Agent in Training (17 page)

Nick snorted loudly.

“Anyway,” Freeman continued, “Shiloh was recommended to DNS for the director’s position and Sheppard was fired. And now we’re getting to the good stuff. This Ms. Symms, the woman who filed the first suit against him… is missing… Has been for a while and no one has seen Sheppard in weeks. We got hold of his wife’s phone records. She received a call a few nights ago. Guess where the call came from?”

“Here in DC?” Nick guessed.

“Yep. At some fleabag motel off MacArthur Blvd. I sent some of the guys out there to see if they could find him. If this is the guy who shot Hank, he needs a head pounding real bad.”

“If you find him," Nick said, "make sure everyone plays by the book. We don’t want this guy to walk.”

“Where are you now?” Gary asked.

“The director’s apartment. You need me, you got my number. Hey, good job, Gary.”

“No problem. This guy should have been in jail in Seattle. I know I’ve said some crude things lately about you and the director. I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t realize how serious this situation was.”

“Forget about it. Let me know if the guys pick Sheppard up.”

“Sure thing.”

Nick ended the call and sat the phone on the coffee table.

What a day. He was tired too. Maybe a few hours of rest could do him some good as well.

He plopped down onto the sofa, laid his head back, and closed his eyes. What was he going to say to Shiloh when she woke up? Would it be a mistake to tell her how he felt? What if she laughed at him?

He turned his head from side to side. What if she didn’t? Could something, for once in his life, go right? What if he got lucky and she felt the same as he did about a future together?

What would that mean? Marriage? A family? He did want kids. A bunch of them, in fact. Would Shiloh? And would she be willing to give up her career to have them?

A light tap on his knee made him open his eyes.

Nick found Shiloh on her knees in front of him, a wary look evident. Her face was more than beautiful. She was breathtaking. “You okay?” he asked, sitting upright. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t heard her come into the room. He was losing his edge.

“Nick, I need to tell you something.”

His heart started a drum roll in his chest––so fast it hurt. Whatever it was, it didn’t look good. In fact, she didn’t look happy at all, which had to be a bad sign.

“What is it?” he forced himself to ask.

“I-ah.” She hesitated, then turned away.

Nick reached over and grasped her chin lightly, forcing her attention back to him.

“Tell me.”

Tears glistened in her beautiful green eyes, and his heart sank.

“You’re freaking me out, Shiloh.”

She swallowed hard and whispered, “I think I love you.”

“Huh?" Could he have heard her right?

She frowned. “I’m not going to say it again. It was hard enough the first time.”

Nick’s heart leaped into his throat. “Did you say you love me?”

“I think so,” she said in a shaky voice.

“You mean you think you said it, or think you love me?”

“I think, I love you,” she repeated.

“But you’re not sure?”

“No!” Her tone was sharp. “I’ve never been in love before.”

“Well, what does it feel like?”

“It hurts. I don’t like it.”

He tried hard not to smile at her anger. He’d experienced those exact feelings. He watched her eyes narrow and her mouth thin into a hard line. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

Nick shrugged. “What do you want me to say?”

“Nothing.” She tried to get up, but Nick pulled her onto his lap instead. This was what he’d hoped for, and he needed time to think of just the right words to express his feelings.

“Let me go.” She struggled to work her way out of his lap, only to cause a stirring in his pants. “Shiloh, sit still. Unless you want a full-blown erection between your legs.”

She scowled at him.

“Listen. This isn’t easy for me to say. You’re the most exasperating woman I’ve ever met.”

“You’re no—”

“Shush,” he said, covering her mouth with his hand. “Anyway, you’re not an easy woman to love, but I do, damn it. I don’t care if you’re my boss. I could care less about the age thing. I want to be with you, and I don’t care who knows it.”

The struggling on his lap ceased, and he released the grip on her mouth. “Okay, you can talk now.”

“But what about regulations?”

“I’ll quit DNS,” Nick said.

“No, you can’t do that. The Department needs all the good men it can get.”

Nick couldn’t believe what she’d just said. “But I don’t fit the mold, remember?”

“I was wrong, Nicholas. You fit in better than I do. I never deserved the director’s position in the first place. I have no idea how I got it.” She studied his face.

Nick wasn’t about to tell her what Freeman had told him earlier, even though knowing everything could help if someone threw the circumstances of the promotion in her face. But hurting her would hurt him. He just couldn’t do that.

“So what are we going to do, then?” Nick ran his hand up her thigh.

“Do we continue to fight these feelings or make this work somehow?”

“I’d really like to make it work. But there are a lot of things we need to talk about. Are you ready for a commitment, Nick?”

“You called me Nick. Do you know that’s the first time you’ve ever called me that?”

She caressed his cheek with her fingers. “I love you, Nick.”

He growled. “Come here and show me how much.” He leaned in and kissed the woman he now knew loved him.

He ended the kiss quickly. “Have you ever done it on this sofa?” he asked, brushing a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear.

“No, but we could christen it together.”

“Sounds good. Would you care if you were on top? I think it’s too short for us to do it the conventional way.”

“I think I could.” She leaned in to kiss his bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth.

Nick wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.

He wasn’t going to hold anything back. Now that they’d said the words aloud, their love was sealed, bonding them together––and for Nick, nothing else mattered.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Nick stood under the shower spray, whistling an upbeat tune as he soaped up his shoulders. He’d left Shiloh in the bedroom, asleep. The mere thought of her made him smile. After last night’s passion, she deserved to rest.

His grin grew wider as he remembered their evening. Unbelievable was the only word to describe it.

Turning to rinse his back, he watched the shower door slide open. Shiloh leaned on the frame, stark naked, eyeing him from head to toe.

“Mind if I join you?” She stepped inside and closed the door before he could say a word.

“Good morning.” He pulled her under the spray next to him. The instant she melted against his slick body, he knew why people raved about showering with someone. It was earth shattering. The feel of her slick body against his wet body was erotic as hell.

“May I have the soap?” She licked her bottom lip.

Nick swallowed hard and handed her the fresh-scented bar.

She rolled the soap around in her hands, then gave it back. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she inched a soapy palm down his stomach to his now engorged cock, working up a lather around it.

Nick threw his head back, trying hard not to lose control. A strangled groan escaped when her fingers encircled him, slowly moving up and down his shaft. The smooth, scented lather only intensified the effect.

He clenched his teeth, knowing he was losing his grip and reached down to remove her hand.

“You don’t want to keep doing that, believe me.”

“You’re no fun,” she pouted.

He reached out and covered her breasts with his palms. Her nipples instantly tightened.

“That’s why I stopped you, sweetheart. This wouldn’t be much fun for you if I didn’t. Now come here.”

He grasped her shoulders and pulled her against him, kissing her hard, forcing her lips apart to explore her sweet, intoxicating mouth.

His hands slid down her back and cupped her behind, drawing her into him as his mouth left hers to trail kisses down the slender column of her throat.

He hesitated long enough to suck lightly on the tender flesh, leaving a love bite in its place. He shouldn’t have left the mark, it would probably be noticed, but she was his and he wanted the world to know that.

“Oh, Nick, that feels so good,” she whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

“Remember that later, when you see the mark I left.” He pulled back to look at her and noted a spark of concern in her gaze, but it was quickly replaced by passion when his hand slipped between her legs. His fingers worked their way inside her and he received a moan of delight for his efforts. She drew his head back for a kiss, stealing any awareness other than the feel of Shiloh’s body from his mind. His fingers entered her again and he reveled in her slick heat.

“I want you inside me,” she pleaded, drawing her leg up behind his bottom. He needed no further encouragement as he positioned her against the shower wall and drove into her. Her heat was so intense he almost exploded. How could one woman give so much pleasure?

Nick forced himself to keep a slow, steady pace as he plunged inside her until her cries of pleasure pushed him over the edge. He bucked, hard and fast. Shiloh met him thrust for thrust, her nail digging into his ass, urging him on.

When her breathing became sporadic, he quickened his pace and sent her over the edge to release. And with her orgasm came his own, just seconds later, and the most incredible light show he’d ever experienced exploded in his head.

Never had it been like this with any other woman. Shiloh was meant for him and only him. Now and forever.

When his breathing returned to normal, he glanced at her and found her green eyes filled with love. At that moment, his heart felt complete. “I love you, Shiloh.”

“I love you, too.”

“You do realize that we didn’t use protection?”

She nodded, then blushed. “Would you be upset if we conceived a child?”

Nick shook his head and smiled. “Not at all. I’d be thrilled. What more could a man want with the woman he loves? But what about your career? Wouldn’t a baby interfere with running DNS?”

“My career will always be there, Nick. I’m running out of time where babies are concerned. If I want children, I need to think about having them now.”

His eyebrow shot up. “Don’t you think marriage should come before the baby carriage?”

“Is that an observation or a proposal?”

“Do you want me to get down on my knee?” Nick grinned. “Actually, that might not be a bad place to be.”

Her answering smile made him grin. “You’re awful, Nicholas.”

“Is that a ‘yes’ then?” His expression turned serious.

“Yes on the oral sex, or yes on the marriage proposal?”

He grasped her hand. “Will you marry me, Shiloh?”

“Yes. Today, if you’d like,” she said, her tone serious.

Nick’s grin spread. If she meant what she said then he couldn’t be happier. “I thought all women wanted the big-wedding thing.”

She shook her head. “I’d rather have a quick ceremony, then a long, extended honeymoon.”

“Deal. How does Vegas sound? We could have Elvis marry us with Clambake playing in the background. It could be something to tell the grandkids some day.”

Her happy expression slipped. Her eyes took on a sad, lost look. “I’d rather have a small ceremony where my father could be present. What about your mother? How is she going to feel about you marrying an older woman?”

“She’ll be happy, as long as I am.”

“Are you sure?”

No, he wasn’t sure how his mother would react to him marrying Shiloh, but he wasn’t going to give up a chance at happiness because his mother might have some reservations. He loved Shiloh and that was all that mattered to him.

Shiloh read the uncertainty on Nick’s face and wondered if he was having second thoughts. She hadn’t given much thought to his mother and how she’d feel about her son being with someone older—a woman who didn’t have years to decide about having children. Would she accept her? Or would she resent Shiloh for pushing Nick into something he might not be ready for? Maybe she’d think he wasn’t using common sense. She shivered.

“I need to get to the office. We’d better get out of here.” Shiloh thrust open the shower door, leaving him standing there looking confused.

She needed time to think.

She loved Nick with all her heart, but was that enough for a lifetime commitment? There were more than just their feelings to consider. What if they married and had a child and then Nick grew tired of her––wondered if there was something better out there for him? What would she do then?

There she went again, with the what-ifs. It was becoming a habit since she’d met him.

She entered her closet and grabbed her gray suit and white silk blouse off the rack. When she was alone in her office, away from Nick’s entrancing blue eyes and had time to think, that’s when she’d decide what to do. But for right now, she needed to get dressed and get to work.

Hank’s shooter needed to be found, Sunday or not.

Nick dressed quickly, concerned with Shiloh’s sudden withdrawal. Was she having misgivings about marrying him? Had the Ice Princess returned to freeze him out for good? He couldn’t allow that to happen. He loved her too much to let her go.

He stood next to the bed, adjusting his tie and watched Shiloh run a brush through her hair. He wanted to touch her, but he sensed she wouldn’t appreciate it right now.

He’d give her time to think. Hopefully that was all she needed.

“Are you ready?” she asked, startling him back to her.

“Sure.” Nick watched her strap on her holster and slip into her jacket.

She grabbed her purse and headed for the door. Nick followed. They took the back elevator down to the parking garage.

He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. “I love you, Shiloh.”

“I know. I love you, too.” The instant she said the words relief flooded Nick. He’d been afraid she’d reconsidered.