Suspended by Taryn Elliott Page A

bathroom
doorway wearing only his boxer briefs.
    “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
    His coarse voice and words were like a slow stroke down her
back. Again nothing seemed to make sense when it came to this confusing man.
Closed off one moment, stretching her open and demanding everything the next,
and now this. She tucked her hands into the overlong sleeves of his shirt.
    Thank you didn’t
seem to fit. Instead, she followed instinct and went to him. It was the only
thing she could trust right now. Silvery moonlight highlighted his cheekbone
and kiss-swollen mouth, leaving the rest of his face in shadow. His shoulders
and torso were a fascinating terrain of dips and valleys that made the pads of
her fingers buzz. She brushed her knuckles over his belly. The muscles of his
abs bunched and tightened under her touch. Some of her nerves settled. Maybe he
was just as affected as she was.
    She cupped the cross of his rosary in her palm. The back of
her hand tingled at the soft brush of his chest hair. “Are you religious?”
    “My mother was. She always had it with her.”
    She traced the Madonna medal in the center. He pushed away a
lock of her hair that had fallen forward, but then stepped back. The smooth
beads slid from her hand.
    “I think you should stay here with Kain while I get some
things settled.”
    Suddenly cold, she curled her fingers around the gap in his
dress shirt. “What?”
    “There’s nothing here for me in Monterey. I need to take
care of a few things.”
    She frowned. “I thought we were going to do this together.”
    “I have to talk to Jonas and sell whatever I can. Most of my
money was wrapped up in Justice Construction, so that’s gone now. I have to
figure out a way to get us back to New York.”
    “I…” She took a step back. She what? She was dependent on
this man, and he was going to go off and do God knew what alone. Had the
orgasms short-circuited her brain? Kendall painstakingly made sure not to rely
on anyone, and she was completely at his mercy. She’d allowed herself to be.
God dammit, how fucking stupid was she?
    One of a half dozen mistakes she’d made since getting off
the plane.
    Damn her mother for blazing through their emergency money
with this blasted trip. For what? To come in person and see for herself that
her entire world was going to change thanks to an amendment in Lawrence
Justice’s will? At least in Bradley she was on her own turf. She could rely on
the one person who always got things done.
    Herself.
    She turned away and grabbed the yoga pants off the desk and
stepped into them. She could feel him behind her but couldn’t look at him. With
shaking fingers she unbuttoned his shirt and let it drop. She dragged on her
tank top and went to the door.
    “Kendall.”
    She stopped with her hand on the doorknob. “You’re right. We
have a lot of things to take care of. I’ll need you to take me back with you in
the morning so I can get my rental car.”
    “I’ll return it.”
    She shook her head. “I’m not going to be reliant on Kain to
drive me around.” She couldn’t afford more than another day’s rental on the
little coupe. Not if she had to find her way back across the country.
    “Kain has a fleet of cars in his garage.”
    Incredulous, she let her hand slide limply to her side. “I’m
sure Kain would appreciate you dumping me on him.”
    “I’m fairly sure that Kain would love it.”
    She turned at his low, dangerous voice. “You think that I’d even…”
Pride and astonishment clogging her ability to form a sentence. “After—”
    “After what, babe? This was just fucking. I don’t have any
hold on you.”
    Stunned, she got her voice back. “Congratulations on the
upgrade. You’re a fucking asshole. That fits better.” She opened the door, then
slammed it behind her.

Chapter Five
    “It’s pretty impressive to get laid and have the woman slam
the door in your face within the same hour.”
    “Fuck off, Kain.”
    “If you don’t want me