Nate's Fated Mate(15)

"Nooooo … " she complained in a whisper as she clutched him tighter, still not opening her eyes. She didn't dare take the chance yet. The light was trying to burn through her eyelids.

The male chest her breasts were squashed against was nicely muscled, and oddly familiar, but not in the usual way. Who the hell had she climbed into bed with? Scott was with his wife. Had she picked up some man the night before?

Since he smelled good, and rubbing against him felt good, did it really matter? No was the logical conclusion. Scott never spent the night and it was nice for once not to wake up alone. Didn't she owe her mystery lover for that at least?

She pressed closer, aligning every inch of her against every inch of him. Her mystery lover's grip tightened in response and he groaned in her ear. She ordered her eyes to open so she could see the man who seemed so in sync with her this morning. The lids were still heavy and refused to obey the command.

"Damn it, Sheena. I don't want to turn you loose either, but it's for the best. You're still the hottest woman I ever met." His groan of reluctance was a sexy whisper against her ear as he reluctantly turned loose.

"Damn straight I am," she mumbled groggily, her response automated and only meant to soothe them both.

His responding chuckle over her bragging inspired a weak smile from her mouth, but it was the best she could do. She tried again to open her eyes, but they squinted shut immediately when the first tiny slivers of light hit her too sensitive retinas.

"Light," she groaned hoarsely, "hurts bad …  ly." She giggled at correcting her own grammar.

"If you still feel like this when your mind clears this morning, come see me. I already miss you and I haven't even left yet," he whispered, his mouth hard and hot on hers a final time before he wrenched away.

"O …  K … " Sheena answered automatically, fighting the urge to beg him to stay.

Without him there to distract her, Sheena tried several more times to open her eyes, but instead ended up pulling the covers over her face to create more darkness. She blinked beneath the covers. Even the darkness didn't help much.

Fine. Maybe it was best she not see the object of her latest transgression. Seducing random guys wasn't her usual style anyway, but whatever she'd drank the evening before obviously had packed a big wallop of sexual bravado in it.



       
         
       
        

As Sheena drifted in and out of twilight sleep in her dark cave of bed covers, she listened to a bathroom being used in the distance. Then there was a rustle of clothing, which she knew meant her mysterious fleeing lover was getting dressed rapidly. If she'd had the voice, she would have called him back just to see if he'd return.

How could she ache with longing for the man when she didn't even know who the hell he was? Her own arousal, not to mention feeling such strong sexual interest in a complete stranger, had her chuckling at her unusual stupidity.

Guess it was time to cut Scott loose. None of her relationships had ever lasted for long, but so happily climbing into bed with someone other than Scott was a sure sign it was over between them.

A door opened and she thought she heard him swearing. Had he gotten caught by someone as he was leaving? She giggled in the cozy darkness under her covers, but had no idea why the idea was so amusing to her. Her mind was still too fuzzy around the edges to figure it out.

So she smiled at her silliness and snuggled back down, intending to sleep again. She might have drifted off if she hadn't heard a man speaking to her fleeing lover. He spoke in a strange, musical dialect that seemed oddly familiar to her ears. It nagged at something in her memory.

As her mind woke at last, she blinked in the darkness she'd created, and lifted the covers a bit so she could hear better. She fought the light as she listened.



"Slept in, did ya, Admiral? Guess it was good thing I didn't pop over here earlier. How's our girl doing this morning?"

"Shut up, Angus. And you did not see me leaving here."

"Okay. Guess I don't see yer shirt hanging out of yer pants either then. Aren't those the same clothes ya came tearing over here in last night?"

"Don't mess with me this morning. I don't care how many people on my airship like you …  you can be replaced."

"That's true of all of us, don't ya think, Admiral? Especially if we don't tend to our business properly?"

"Look, I don't have time to swap sarcastic quips with you. I have to check in on …  things …  I have to check on things."

"Ah yes …  those all important things …  right. Well, don't worry about the airship. I looked out the window just before I came over. We're still floating and the birds are still flying by us faster than we're moving," Angus said cheerfully. "Have a good day, Nate. I'm sure I'll see ya around."