Familiar Strangers (20 page)

Raw furry hummed through her veins, making her poke a finger into his well-muscled chest. She might as well have been trying to stick her finger through solid steel for all the give his chest had. “You have no right to begin throwing names around, Mr. Matthews. I’ve lived through a hell you can’t begin to imagine and I not only lived through it, I came out on top.”

They stood facing each other almost nose to nose. “I was the one sitting in the courtroom with the man who tried to kill me. I was the one forced to testify against him. I was the only one he made threats against as he was being dragged out of that very same courtroom. Would you like me to tell you what he said?” She didn’t bother giving him a chance to reply, but rushed on caught up in memories she’d forced away seven years ago. “Should I tell you how he screamed he would get out and find me? Or maybe you’d be more interested in the ways he said he’d like to kill me—aside from the velvet ribbon of course?” The sound she made was meant to be laughter, but came out as a strangled choke. “How he’d cut open my body, dip his hands in my blood, and lick it from his fingers.”

She pushed her hands off his chest and walked toward the dark churning water. “I didn’t let him see me so much as flinch. Did you know that? I stood there and didn’t blink an eye.”

Regin had reached the edge of the water and a wave came rolling toward her feet. She did nothing to stop the salty water from covering her shoes. She was too lost in the bitterness and fear of yesterday to notice. She didn’t glance in Galen’s direction when he came to stand silently beside her. He didn’t say anything nor did he move to touch her tense body.

“I wanted him to be pissed. I wanted him to be angry,” she stuffed both hands into her front pockets and tried to warm them. “Does that make any sense, I wonder? Trying to piss off a madman?” She gave a strangled laugh. “I couldn’t let him know he got to me. I didn’t want him going to his cozy cell with the picture of me huddled in a corner too frightened to breathe. I thought it was my revenge against him.” Regin inhaled deeply of the tangy night air before continuing softly. “It seems I was wrong,” she ended softly.

What monster had possessed him to this point of questioning? He wanted to make her face up to the fact someone had tried to kill her seven years ago, but never did he want this. He could see the terror in her eyes as Regin relived not only the attack, but the venom Townsend spewed forth after the trial.

Galen had read about the trial in the papers, but it never touched him as closely as it did now. He’d never known what it had cost her to sit there day after day, looking so cool and in control. Why hadn’t Damon told him about the after effects? Did he think Galen wouldn’t need to know or maybe he would never find out? That he wouldn’t hear her scream out from the darkness, pleading for her life?

Unless she’d never told anyone.

It was coming together for him, piece by jagged piece. Regin’s staunch refusal to stay in the main house until the waters receded, her vain attempt to sleep on the back porch, and her denial for the need to sleep until she’d dropped off out of sheer exhaustion on his couch.

Now, here in his childhood home, a place of peace and dreams, he watched the terror swamp her again. Guilt crashed down on his shoulders as he watched the fear flare on her face.

Galen could see the anxiety in her slight shoulders and the glassiness of her eyes as the horror reached out and tried to recapture her once more. Damn his soul to hell for allowing it to go on as long as he had. There had to be something or someway to reach past the blackness Regin was drowning herself in. He’d allowed the nightmare to go on too long.

He took a step toward her and grasped her upper arms, but there was no response from her. Regin was drowning in a sea of dismay.

Once again Galen had let down this incredible woman in his arms. He’d been given the responsibility to care for and protect Regin. Instead of doing what he’d been asked, he was playing amateur shrink, destroying what was left of her confidence and the life she’d worked the past seven years to create.

All for his own selfish reasons.

He felt so helpless against the terror clutching her. He knew of only two proven methods of getting someone out of this type of shock—one was a swift slap to the face. He sure as hell wasn’t going to hit a woman. That left only one option open. Galen pressed his lips softly against hers. He could feel Regin jerk in surprise and refusal.

When he felt Regin’s continued resistance to his kiss, Galen demanded a response from her. He was here, solid and warm against her. He tried to give her a moment’s peace. One not tinged with fear.

Galen meant the kiss only to stop Regin from reliving the horror, but whatever good intentions he’d started out with were gone the minute her lips opened under his.

She was warm and hot, her lips soft and giving beneath his. When his tongue entered her mouth he felt a jolt of lighting sizzle down his spine and his cock swell in reaction. The taste of her filled his senses and left him craving more. He wanted to drink from her and never stop. She was a thirst he couldn’t sate. He had known that from the first time their lips had met. He was a fool for thinking one taste would ever be enough.

A low hoarse groan came from somewhere in his throat as his arms tightened around her, pulling her closer and tighter against him. He wanted to absorb her body, feel her naked flesh hot and eager against his own. He rocked his hips against her softness, wanting her to know and share the desire flooding him.

“Regin,” he whispered, as he ran his lips along her jaw and neck while his hands pushed away her shirt and bra to bare her breasts to the moonlight.

He forgot to breathe as his hands admired what they had revealed. With the moonlight playing over her skin, she looked like a goddess flung to earth for his pleasure. Her nipples were puckered tight from cold and desire. Her hips tilted, pushing into his throbbing erection.

Roughly Galen bent her back over his arm and laved her breast with his lips and tongue, sucking the nipple into his mouth. He heard Regin’s moan and felt her fingers clutching his hair, pressing him harder to her flesh. He tortured her wet nipple with teeth and tongue, not releasing it until she demanded his attention for the other.

He released one throbbing breast to latch on to the other, giving it the same scorching treatment. “Oh, God, baby,” he muttered, using his other hand to cup her buttocks and grind her into his straining heat. “I want you now.”

Nothing was registering past the passion in Regin’s mind. She knew only the feel of his lips, tongue, hands, and the swelling length of his erection beneath his jeans. Need had never been this strong or mind numbing. Never before had she lost all sense of self, wanting only what he could give her.

She felt his hard length pressing and retreating from her softness and wanted to cry out in frustration. She had to have him closer, needed his skin beneath her hands to touch and taste as he was feasting on her.

Her thoughts flowed into action. Galen’s shirt opened and was discarded without breaking contact. She could feel the heat of his skin burning her fingers, making her ache for more of his fire.

“More...Galen...I need—” She couldn’t finish the sentence because his hands had wandered to the snap of her shorts. One deft finger slipped under the material and caressed the silky skin. Her body shuddered in response and she didn’t feel the rest of the material flowing down her legs until he whispered for her to move out of them.

Then the night air was touching her bare skin briefly before he lowered her onto the mossy bank and covered her with his burning body, only his thin jeans between them.

She expected him to yank the material off and thrust into her immediately, but he surprised her. He planted soft heated kisses along her jaw, ears, neck, and then worked his way back toward her lips. His rough callused hands teased her already tormented breasts with tender strokes.

“Galen.” It sounded like a plea or prayer. She wanted him, wanted him to end the ache he had created.

“Shhh, love. It will be all right,” he softly whispered in her ear.

The cold air brushed her body as he moved away. No, her body cried, where is he going? He couldn’t think to leave her like this? Before she could voice her confusion, he was back. His hard body pressed completely against hers. His erection free and pushing against the dampness he’d created between her thighs.

His knees slowly separated her legs and he settled on her, resting his weight on his elbows so as not to crush her. “Regin.”

It was just her name, but there was a wealth of emotion hidden behind it.

His eyes burned silver in the moonlight. They were hot and focused solely on her. Until that moment she never knew the restraint he placed on himself. His eyes had been hot and passion filled, but nothing like now. He was holding nothing back from her. His wants, desires, needs, and cravings, everything Galen wanted heated molten eyes.

He drew his hips back and plunged inside her waiting wet warmth. The feel of him inside her shattered the last of her own restraint and she screamed his name. Her legs came up of their own accord, wrapping tightly around his waist. Her arms latched at his neck, pulling his head down to devour his waiting lips. His tongue pushed ruthlessly between her teeth, mimicking the movements of his hips.

He made love to her mouth the way he was taking her body. Galen was relentless and demanding, his hips plunging and retreating never giving her time to adjust before changing his rhythm. He was hard and fast, then slow and thorough the next minute.

Her climax hit her with the same relentlessness. She could feel the pressure building, her nails raked his back, hips pushing to take him to the depths of her womb. He must have sensed her desperation because he began pumping faster and harder.

“Let go, baby,” he urged. “Come for me.”

Regin’s body exploded in fragments, the world spun out of its orbit, rainbow colored stars fell around her head. She heard Galen’s swiftly drawn breath, then felt his increased pace and his release inside her.

****


Hearts slowed reluctantly, breathing became less frantic as she looked into familiar eyes. Eyes that told so much, yet hid even more. This wasn’t the time or place to have this conversation Regin knew, but it seemed fate had a way of playing her hand exactly the way she wanted.

She turned her back to him, not wanting him to see the emotion surely reflected in her own eyes. “Galen, who is it you think I am?”

She heard him curse softly behind her. “Huh?”

Regin waved a hand between their naked flushed bodies. “This. Why did it happen? You agreed it was a mistake the first time.”

“Damn it, Regin! How the hell am I supposed to answer that? We’ve got more important things to discuss,” he demanded as he got to his feet, grabbing at his discarded clothes.

She never knew pain could spread like fire so easily from a few simple words as she watched him dress.

“There just for a minute I thought you knew me. That you saw me.” Where had those words come from? It took every nerve in her body to shrug her shoulders as if his response didn’t matter as she gathered her own clothing.

His harsh breathing was closer now. The heat from his body crept over her own, warming her making her want to lean back and absorb his heat and strength. His next words dispelled her actions.

“See you?” he cursed. “I see you every day and every night in my dreams. I’ve dreamt of having you every way a man can take a woman. I’ve seen you naked in my bed, under me, against the wall, on the table. What the hell are you talking about me seeing you?” he questioned, as he drew his jeans over his lean hips.

There—another piece of her heart broke off. She could feel the tearing inside her chest and marveled that a person could live when their body was being ripped apart. “It doesn’t matter.” Regin forced herself to laugh as she donned her own shirt and jeans. “It was a silly thing to say.”

She turned back toward the house, easily sidestepping Galen’s attempt to stop her. “It’s getting late and I’m sure you have tons of secret stuff to do,” she said, pausing to look back over her shoulder.

Standing there half in darkness and half moonlight, Regin was reminded of the first day they’d met. He’d been standing in part shadow and part sunlight that day as well. It was the way Galen lived his life and maybe it was a sign of the way it was supposed to be. Knowing that didn’t help to lessen the pain.

Galen had lied to her. He had deliberately led her to believe she was safe here with him. It was all an illusion and an innocent person had paid the ultimate price.

“Regin, wait. We need to talk. Townsend is still out there. You aren’t safe.”

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “Safe?” she questioned, turning to look at him. “Since when have I ever been safe? I know that he’s going to kill me. I’m just fighting to make it later rather than sooner.”

She heard the harsh cursing of Galen’s response, but turned her back and walked toward to house. “This isn’t over between us, Regin. When Townsend is caught and no longer a threat, we’re going to have it out—you and me. But before we have that luxury, I need you to answer a few questions for me.”

“What? Didn’t your report fill in all my details for you?” Regin refused to look back at him. She knew it was over, even if he didn’t. It was foolish to think there could be something between them after he destroyed what trust Regin was beginning to have in him.

Galen swung her around by her shoulders to face him. “Oh yeah, the report was great, but it left a few details out. Like how you’ve been getting letters and threats from that bastard from the day Townsend was incarcerated. Let me guess, the letters said you would pay for doing this to him. That when he got free he was going to come after you.” Galen stopped, ran his fingers through his hair and stared at her.

“You being all powerful and all knowing, thought you could just be-bop all over the country without him finding you. You were safe as long as you kept moving, right Regin? You didn’t think he could find you if you never settled down. As long as OceanTide kept forwarding the letters, you were safe.” He gave her a long steely look. “Well, sweetheart, you were wrong. Townsend’s out. He’s found you, and he’s not going to stop till one of you is dead. Does that about sum it up?”

Fury burned away Regin’s common sense. “You know nothing about me, Galen. You think you’re so smart and clever. If it wasn’t in the report or gleaned from your brilliant mind, it doesn’t exist. But you’re wrong, Matthews. I didn’t run to hide. I ran to keep ahead. Every town I went to, no matter where it was, he found me, the letters found me. So yeah, I ran as far and as fast as I could. Hoping if I ran long enough and fast enough, he wouldn’t find someone else to hurt in my place. But this time, I wasn’t careful and look what happened. Lee was killed in my place. Lee was killed because of me.

“Because you, Damon, Tatum, and the FBI didn’t trust that I might know what the hell I’m doing, Lee’s blood is on all our hands now.” Regin whipped around him, wanting to be far from him when the tears burning her throat spilled over. “Put that in your report and shove it—you, jackass.”

Galen let her go. She was only a few minutes from the house and he could watch her from where he stood.

It was easier to see Regin walk away now with nothing more being said. Everything would have to wait. He was still getting used to his own memories.

He had only wanted to bring her comfort tonight. To somehow, in his small way, show her she wasn’t alone, he was here for her. She didn’t have to fight this battle by herself. He would stand by her side and guard her from whatever was to come. He would be here for her this time and nothing was going to take Regin from him.