Live to See Tomorrow

“Oh, my God.” He reached for her and she was suddenly on his lap and his mouth was on her breast.

She could hardly breathe. She could feel his teeth and his tongue and that suction that nearly drove her crazy. “No.” She was sitting astride him, unbuttoning his shirt, then her fingers were on his pants, freeing him.

She cried out as he sank deep, her arms holding him with all her strength, and her body moved.

Taking. Taking. Taking.

His mouth was on hers as he tumbled her to the floor.

He lifted her hips to take the thrust.

Deep. Deeper.

Full of him …

His mouth on her breast, drawing, biting.

Fire.

Breathlessness.

Deeper.

It was a fever. It was need.

A need that was met and satisfied and ignited again, and again.

And it went on forever.

Or maybe it was only hours that seemed forever.

Silk on her bare skin …

She opened her eyes as he carried her over to the couch and settled her there. He gently tucked the silk comforter he’d taken from the chair over her. “You like the feel of silk against you? Sharp and soft, it’s very sensual.” He drew the end of the comforter slowly, teasingly, over her breasts and smiled as he saw the response. “I learned a few interesting things do with silk cords and raw silk. Remind me to show you.” He dropped a light kiss on her lips. “I don’t want to leave now, but I’m not going to do anything to push my luck. I told you that you could be in control.” He was dressing quickly. “I did understand you, Catherine. Perhaps more than you understood yourself.”

“Intimidation, again … You’re wrong, I understood what I wanted, and I took it.” And she wanted him again. He was putting on his shirt and the ripples of muscle were sleek and—“You’re bleeding again!” Her gaze was on the bandage on the left side that was wet with fresh blood. “I forgot about your wound. Why didn’t you tell me?”

He gri

“Bullshit.” She pushed him away. “Your committee wouldn’t permit you to donate even a pint of your precious blood to the Red Cross.” She sat up. “You’re too essential to their splendid cause.”

“It is splendid, Catherine.” He got to his feet. “You’ll come to believe that, too, someday.”

“No, I won’t. And that’s another prime reason for me to leave and let you go back to being Guardian. We’d never agree.”

“We’ve just spent a number of hours in complete agreement.” He turned and headed for the door. “And we will again.”

“You said you understood. It’s over now. I told you, it was just for tonight, Cameron.”

He smiled as he opened the door. “I can be patient. I can let you go for a while. I was pla

Her brows rose. “I’ll come to you?”

“Oh, not ru

“Or is it you who are becoming troublesome?”

“The dangers are increasing, and I have to make adjustments for them.” He shrugged. “Either way, it’s more likely to bring us together.”

“Or put us on the hunt for each other.”

“But that could be exciting, too.”

She felt a thrill of that excitement at the thought. How would it feel to be on the hunt for Cameron with his superb talents and training?

“You see?” Cameron said softly. “It can’t be over. We’d miss too much.”

She believed him as she gazed at him standing there. He had so many different faces. Guardian, warrior, crown prince of never-never land. Memories were flooding back to her of Cameron in a dozen different scenes since he’d come into her life. That first moment when she’d seen him before that fireplace in what she’d thought was a hallucination, the moment when he’d lifted her from the hot spring, the moment in the Mercedes when he’d first touched her. How many other such moments could be on the horizon? “If we don’t kill each other.”

He chuckled. “Point taken. But it’s not likely.” His laughter faded. “I don’t think I could bear it.” He started to leave.

“Wait.”

He looked back at her.

“I once asked you a question. You never really answered me. Is Shambhala a real place? Is there a true Shangri-La?”

“What do you think?” His smile was brilliant, telling nothing, promising everything. “Come with me and I’ll take you to see for yourself.”

The next moment, he was gone.

ALSO BY IRIS JOHANSEN

Silencing Eve

Hunting Eve

Taking Eve

Sleep No More

Close Your Eyes (with Roy Johansen)

What Doesn’t Kill You

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