LITMIR.BIZ

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a few blocks away from the shop, even having used umbrellas. It didn’t matter. Though he tried to make casual conversation, all he could think about was how close she was, and what had happened back at the apartment.

      He shouldn’t have given in, but when it came to Tessa, he seemed to have a difficult time saying no. This time, hopefully, their indiscretions would stay between them. Senator Rose had said there was no direct threat, that he just needed someone to stick close to Tessa for a few days.

      Rose had also been fully aware that Tessa liked to yank his chain, and was clear on the fact that she’d used Jonas to do it. Luckily, it appeared he wasn’t holding Jonas completely responsible for the last time, but Jonas reminded himself not to be so reckless this time, even though he was on fire for her.

      She was also confusing the hell out of him. He had her tagged one way, self-indulgent, self-interested. He didn’t trust her motivations, and he still didn’t—not completely. But that didn’t fit the profile of someone who had traveled across town in the rain to help him, and now was doing the same for an elderly friend. Was she just playing a role, being someone she thought would appeal to him?

      The air in the train car was humid and moist, though the riders were good-natured and fairly loud, everyone sharing a storm story or visiting with the person they were crunched up against.

      He was pressed up against Tessa from stem to stern, and acutely aware of every inch of her. They stood inside a corner area, where she was against the outside of the train. He used his body to shield her.

      He was hard again from the close contact, and grateful that it was so crowded, so no one would notice. It had been difficult enough dreaming and thinking about her for weeks, but being this close—especially after being naked with her less than an hour ago—was undermining his promise to the senator.

      Tessa’s breath caressed his cheek. She’d edged in closer to him. He lifted a hand, finding her face and rubbing his thumb over her cheek, her skin dewy from the rain and humid air. The touch was to “see” her, to measure her expression, her level of tension, as much as it was to just have an excuse to touch her.

      “You okay?”

      “Yes, just a little anxious,” she whispered against his ear. “And far too turned on, considering our current location,” she added, shifting her hips against him so that she nestled his hardness in the soft crux of her thighs. He bit back a groan, not that it would have been heard in the busy din of the car.

      He leaned in, telling himself he was just playing a part.

      She had played him before, right? So turnaround was fair play, as long as he could walk away from the job at the end. Nuzzling her, he found the soft shell of her ear with his lips, and whispered, “Tease.”

      “Not a tease,” she responded, turning her lips to his. “I’ll make good later, I promise.”

      He swallowed hard, thinking that if he inadvertently rocked a few more times against her as the train took corners and bumps, he wasn’t going to last until later. He was so ready to come he had to do mental exercises to avoid it.

      “What are you thinking about?” she asked. “You look so focused.”

      “Baseball stats,” he said flatly.

      She paused, then laughed against his cheek.

      “You mean, like getting to third base, or sliding into home?” she asked suggestively.

      He felt the vibration of her chest against his as she chuckled, and he had to smile, too. It felt good—better than good—to be so turned on, to be laughing.

      To be with Tessa.

      “Yeah, something like that.”

      He was actually enjoying himself. In spite of his wet clothes and achingly hard cock, he felt more alive than he had in weeks. Suddenly, Tessa froze, and a collective gasp and sounds of unhappy surprise filled the car as it ground to a standstill, breaks screeching as everyone in the car lurched with the momentum of the train.

      “What? What happened?” he asked.

      “Power’s out. It’s pitch-black in here except for a few emergency lights,” she said as people started grumbling and shouting around them.

      A baby cried from the far end of the car, and the mood changed markedly as tension rose. A tremble worked its way through Tessa’s body. He slipped his arms around her, holding her tighter against him.

      “Stay next to me. It will be okay,” he said against her hair.

      “I can’t see anything,” she said in a hushed whisper, pressing even more tightly against him.

      This wasn’t good. Even friendly, good-natured people could be dangerous in a crowded, panicked situation. He noticed that a guy behind him was breathing too hard, starting to push against everyone around him.

      “I have to let go of you for a minute, okay? Hug the wall, right behind you,” he said to Tessa, turning to face the man while still protecting Tessa.

      Reaching out, he found the man’s arm and grabbed it before the flailing man hurt someone. The guy was shaking, starting to mutter in panic.

      Jonas kept his voice casual. “Hey, buddy, you okay? Let’s try to calm down.”

      The man pushed at him, but Jonas held firm.

      “Let go of me! Who are you? Don’t touch me! I have to get outta here, let me outta here,” the guy started to shout, pushing at everyone near him. Jonas heard a woman gasp in pain, the man’s other fist making contact, Jonas assumed.

      People started shouting, and Jonas knew he had to do something before a potentially deadly scenario was set into motion. Sliding his arm up to the man’s neck, he looped it around and felt for the slamming pulse at the side of the guy’s throat. Tightening his grip as he slid his arm around front and pulled his forearm back, Jonas trapped the man in an armlock, trying to hold him still as he struggled to get free.

      “Jonas? Jonas, what are you doing?” He heard Tessa’s breathless question.

      “Stay put, Tessa,” he said loudly, fighting the man’s huge bulk as he applied pressure.

      “Sorry, man, but you need to chill for a few minutes until they get us out of here,” he said, and increased the pressure until the man stopped shouting, the heavy weight of his form going slack.

      Everything around them was eerily quiet.

      “Someone help get this guy into a seat,” Jonas ordered, propping the man up the best he could, the slack weight almost pulling him down. “He passed out.”

      “Yeah, with a little help, I bet,” another guy said approvingly, and Jonas felt the weight lifted as others took him off Jonas’s hands.

      “Good job,” someone shouted, and Jonas felt a pat on his shoulder.

      “Thank you so much,” someone else whispered in relief.

      Slowly, conversation resumed and the tension resolved.

      He turned back to Tessa, finding her hand with his and touching her face again to make sure she was okay. He found that she was smiling slightly, and he ran a finger over her lower lip.

      “That was pretty cool,” she said.

      The driver’s voice over the intercom told them they would be stopped for about twenty minutes, and to please stay calm as people were working on getting them on their way again.

      “He was a big guy—couldn’t have him freaking out in here. People could get hurt.”

      “I know. And no one else here could have done what you did,” she said, pressing a kiss into his neck. “Way to think on your feet, Berringer.”

      Jonas’s heart beat hard in his chest, aware of her again, the two of them pressed tight.

      “How dark is it in here, anyway?”

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