Текст книги "Veiled Target"

Автор книги: Robin Bielman

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

Chapter Thirteen

“You own your own company?” Tess asked, noticing the Langston Aviation sign as they headed into a private hangar at the Van Nuys Airport. They’d arrived in the nick of time. Sheets of rain poured outside.

“Yes.”

Three helicopters were lined up side-by-side, each gleaming bright as new. Tess had flown in copters dozens of times and these were top of the line. But it was the shiny metal sitting just beyond that really caught her eye. Without asking for permission, she made a beeline to get a closer look.

She half skipped, half walked, as she called over her shoulder. “What’s this?” It looked like a toy plane with three feet, one long wing across its top and a propeller.

“That’s a Flight Design CT.”

She suspected Hugh wasn’t bothered at all by her detour because he sounded like a guy who’d just been asked to show off his prized baseball card collection. He stood beside her and ran a hand along the stripes of the small airplane. She did the same, the tips of her fingers lingering on the smooth surface. Flying gave the biggest rush, triggered the best endorphins.

“So this is what a light sport aircraft looks like.”

“This baby’s the best LSA out there,” he said, giving a solid slap to the plane.

“I bet it flies like a dream.” With her nose pressed against the glass, she hoped she didn’t look too in awe. “How far can you go on a tank?”

He moved behind her, and with arms on either side of her body, pressed his hands against the window. His chest grazed her back ever so slightly as he leaned closer to talk into her ear. “San Francisco and back. You want to go for a ride?”

Yes she wanted to go for a ride. But not in the CT. She closed her eyes, relaxed into him. With his warm breath in her ear and his body cradling her backside, she lost herself to the moment. He felt so good, so right, it took all her willpower not to melt in a puddle right there.

“I bet the scenery is amazing with the bubble-shaped cockpit.” She’d talk about visibility to get her mind off him and his abs, his chest, his tattoo.

He continued to talk into her ear, his chin almost on her shoulder. “It’s unbelievable. To see a hundred miles of mountains and valleys or ocean gives you a sense of solitude and freedom that’s unmatched by anything you can do on the ground. I’ve flown over snow capped mountains and the Pacific Ocean in the same day. It’s an incredible rush seeing things from a perspective that isn’t familiar.”

She heard most of what he said, but really his sexy voice, combined with his pure maleness, reminded her of what had almost happened between them earlier, and his words were sort of lost on her.

“How fast does it go?” she asked, ducking out from under him and strolling around the front of the CT in order to put much needed space between them.

Hugh followed at a safe distance. “With the right tailwind, I’ve exceeded one-fifty, but usually I cruise at around one-ten.”

“Sweet.”

“Sweet?” He repeated, sounding like he was trying to refrain from laughing.

“You got a problem with sweet?”

“No problem,” he shot back, the chortle gone from his tone. “Come on. Follow me.”

He took her to a reception area decorated with couches, a coffee table and a tall green plant in the corner. One wall, she couldn’t help but notice, held a collection of sketches similar to the ones in his house. Her heart pounded and she took a deep breath to slow it down. They captured the human condition better than anything she’d looked at before. The other wall was covered with photographs of aircraft and amazing aerial views of Mother Nature.

While Hugh went behind the reception desk, she took a closer peek at the photos. “Did you take these?”

“No—”

“I did,” came an unfamiliar voice from behind her.

She spun around to see an attractive guy about the same age as Hugh, dressed in khaki pants and a collared polo shirt. Neat. Clean. Tame.

“It’s about time you showed your face around here,” he said to Hugh. “I was starting to forget what your ugly mug looked like.”

Hugh came out from behind the desk and fist bumped him. “Thanks for holding down the fort. Gavin, this is Tess. Tess, this is Gavin Rhoades, my partner.”

A smile a mile wide played across Gavin’s face. He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Tess.”

“You too,” she said, taking the time to register everything she could about Gavin Rhoades. His shake was firm, but his hands soft. His clean-shaven face was nice enough, but a little too pretty-boy. And his eyes were the dullest shade of brown she’d seen in awhile.

Not a Night Runner.

“Would you wipe that smirk off your face?” Hugh returned to the other side of the desk and rifled through some papers. “Any emergencies I should know about?”

“Sorry. It’s just when you called and said you’d be gone for a few days to take care of a problem, I didn’t imagine the problem would be blonde with blue eyes. I mean, as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never had trouble like this.”

Tess’s stomach lurched. She liked that last bit of information.

“You’ve got a problem, huh? Hmm. Here, I thought I’d been sweet as pie. But you know, I can be a major pain in the ass with the right provocation.”

One side of his kissable mouth lifted when he glanced up from the desk. “You mean you haven’t been already?”

“You sure weren’t complaining when I—”

“Stop right there,” Gavin said, holding up a hand. “That’s more information than I need to know. I didn’t even realize Hugh here had a sense of humor. I say keep doing what you’re doing, Tess.” He turned his attention back to Hugh. “You should take her on vacation with you.”

“Vacation?” she and Hugh said in unison.

She beat him to the follow-up. “You’re going on vacation?”

Hugh got sidetracked with a piece of paper he lifted off the desk, his eyes scanning the contents.

“He was supposed to leave days ago. The poor guy hasn’t had a vacation in, what, five years?”

Hugh answered the question with a shrug and kept reading.

Gavin returned the conversation to her direction and added, “No one works harder than my partner. He puts me to shame every day. He’s found more lost hikers, rescued more oil rig workers and probably saved more stupid teenagers than any other rescue operation in the state. Anyway, he’s long overdue for some R and R.”

Hugh put the paper down. “Shut up, Gavin.”

“That’s the Hugh I know and love,” he shot back.

“You’ve rescued that many people?” Her admiration for him grew, and she wished like hell he’d do something, anything, to prove it was all a façade and he really was a good for nothing wolfen. It would make her life so much easier. She didn’t want to think that beneath his tough exterior lived a man who put others—humans—before himself.

“Hugh, you keeping secrets from this lovely lady?”

No, not secrets, Tess thought. He just isn’t comfortable talking about himself.

“Some things are better left unsaid,” he answered, splitting his attention between them.

Like the fact you’re a wolfen. Tess sensed Gavin had no idea Hugh was a Night Runner. Gavin didn’t look at Hugh the same way Trey or Dane did. He seemed genuinely attached to Hugh in a business relationship sort of way that indicated there was familiarity, but also some reservation. Their professional lives were closely intertwined, personal not so much.

“I agree.” She plopped down on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table.

“What are the two of you doing here?” Gavin joined her on the couch.

“We’re taking one of the choppers to San Diego.” Hugh came around the desk. “Tess has got some business there.”

“Tonight? In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a pretty thick cloud cover right now.”

“Along with some precipitation,” Tess added, just because she thought it might get on Hugh’s nerves, her conversing so easily with Gavin.

He didn’t even flinch. “I noticed. I think it’s moving pretty quickly, though. We’ll wait it out.”

“Must be important business.” Gavin put his elbows on his knees. “Anything I can help you with?” He waggled his eyebrows and Tess almost laughed.

She smiled instead. The kind of smile that leads to an answer the guy doesn’t want to hear. “Thanks, Gavin. But Hugh’s all the help I can handle.”

“I get it,” Gavin said with a wink.

“What the hell does that mean?” Hugh crossed the reception area and stood in front of the coffee table, finally looking a little hot and bothered.

Don’t let his hot and bothered make you hot and bothered.

“It means—”

“Never mind,” he said, interrupting Gavin. “I don’t give a shit what it means. Isn’t it time for you to go home?”

“I could do that. Or I could—”

“Go home, Gavin. I know you’ve been putting in extra time.”

Gavin glanced at his watch and stood. “Am I to assume it’ll be that way for a couple more days?”

Hugh shifted his weight looking a wee bit uncomfortable at Gavin’s remark. She knew Hugh hated needing help, so leaving Gavin with extra responsibilities probably killed him. The fact made her that much more smitten with him. He could have easily walked away from her tonight. Instead, he’d kept his word, put her before Langston Aviation.

“Yeah.”

“Tess, it was great meeting you.” Gavin gave her a farewell nod. “I hope we see each other again. And Hugh…” He paused for a moment until he had Hugh’s attention. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ve got it covered. And this doesn’t mean you’re excused from your vacation, so don’t even think about forgetting it. As soon as you finish with Tess, I’m kicking your ass to the Rockies whether you like it or not.”

Hugh gave some sort of gurgled response that appeased Gavin enough. The preppy partner waved a hand and headed out into the hangar.

Finish with Tess. Gavin’s words rolled around in her head like the tiny metal ball in the plastic mazes she’d loved to play as a kid. Once Hugh fulfilled his obligation, would they be finished? Would she be able to fulfill her obligation to P.I.E.? If there was one thing she’d learned tonight, it was not all humans are created equal. The Wolf Seekers were not operating by a code of ethics. And if that were the case, didn’t it reinforce that not all Veilers were created equal either?

The man standing in front of her certainly blew her notion of Veilers out of the water.

Their eyes locked for the hundredth time. A comfortable yet static silence passed, as if speaking would snap the electricity in the air between them. Whenever she was alone with him, she was torn between uncertainty and desire. Want and apprehension. He watched her like a caged animal willing to do anything to escape.

When he inched closer, his gaze never wavering, a nervous sigh almost slipped from her lips. She backed up as far as she could into the corner of the couch. He moved without making a sound, convincing her he could hear every wild damn beat of her heart.

She had to prove his innocence. Because with every second that ticked by, she lost the urge to fight. He sat down, the gravity in the room changing, her willpower weakening. Just looking at him made her tremble and no matter the exorbitant fee P.I.E. received for eliminations, the man in front of her was worth more.

A ring and vibration interrupted her thoughts. She jumped and broke eye contact to rummage in her purse for her phone. “Hello?”

“Tess, it’s Francesca.”

“Francesca. Hi. Hold on a second.” She covered the receiver with her hand and whispered to Hugh, “Could you give me a minute?”

His eyes darkened, narrowed. She looked away and inhaled slowly. Lord, his gaze made her nervous. He let a second pass before standing and heading into the hangar.

“I’m back. What’s going on?”

When Francesca called, it always meant business. She made the no-nonsense side of the P.I.E. roommate triangle and paid little attention to anything that wasn’t work-related unless Kensie dragged her into it.

“Christian wants to see you.”

“Did you tell him I’m working on my assignment?” And hell if I know what I’ll say to him if I see him now.

“Of course. He’s in a god-awful mood. Says you need to come in as soon as you safely can.”

Tess choked. “Yeah, right. Safely to him means before he takes his next target practice. Which is what, every six hours?”

“Like clockwork. You’ve never had trouble coming in before when you’re on assignment. Is something wrong? Do you need some—”

“No, Francesca. You know I don’t need help. Nothing’s wrong.” She watched through the glass wall as Hugh closed up the hangar, locking them inside. Just the two of them. Alone. “I’ll be in tomorrow. I’m in the middle of something now that could prove valuable to my investigation.”

Or her libido. The two were intertwined, weren’t they?

“Don’t screw up again, Tess. I’m afraid of what will happen if you do.”

“Thanks for that. Your vote of confidence is awesome. Do I sound like I’m going to do something foolish? I’m handling my mark just fine. Tell Christian to chill and I’ll be there when I can.”

“Tess—”

“Tomorrow. I promise tomorrow morning.” So much for flying the friendly skies with Hugh.

“Fine. Stay safe.”

“I always do.” She stowed the phone back in her bag just as Hugh’s broad shoulders filled the doorway to the reception area.

“Finished?” he asked, a rascally look on his face.

Dammit. She’d forgotten about that hearing of his. Had he listened in? She decided to play it like he hadn’t. “Yep. Why’d you close up the hangar? I thought we were flying out as soon as the weather improved.”

He looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself. Sit on the couch? The coffee table? Keep standing? Move behind the desk? “We are. It’s easy to open up when we’re ready to leave. I closed it for security reasons.”

“You afraid someone might steal me?” A week ago the idea of Hugh—of anyone– keeping her safe would have riled her. Now the thought didn’t bother her so much.

“Something like that.”

“What are we going to do until it’s time to go?” The memory of what they’d started earlier ambushed her. Being alone with him, she ached for his touch all over again. For those few minutes in his bedroom, he’d made her forget her job, their agenda, everything. And she so wanted to stop thinking. She got up from the couch, letting her purse fall to the floor, and moved around the coffee table to check out the reception area. “How about a tour of your office and a lesson in aviation?”

Translation: do me in every room and take me higher than I’ve ever felt before.

Her cheeks flushed. The dirty things going on in her mind were new to her. Hugh was new to her. Feeling a tug so strong, a desire so fervent, was new to her. The steady feet she’d had when she stood started to fail. Probably because all the blood in her body was rushing to certain parts of her anatomy that she didn’t want to think about, but couldn’t stop thinking about.

She held herself up by putting her hands atop the reception desk with her back to Hugh.

“We could do that,” he said coming up behind her. He braced his arms on either side of her sensitive body and rested his palms on the desk.

And once again, she found herself in the delightful position of being tucked into him.

“Or we could do this.” He kissed the side of her neck and sparks, yes sparks—the kind at the end of the sparkler sticks she used to light on the Fourth of July—went off in her body.

Then he kissed her earlobe, tugged on it with his teeth. Went back down to her neck and dropped achingly soft kisses there.

“What do you say?” His whisper sounded better than her favorite song.

“This.” The word came out breathy. “I say we do this.”

For one night, she planned to let herself go. Forget about investigations, about her past, about revenge. She’d relinquish the control she so carefully maintained. Overlook the vulnerability that scared the shit out of her. Tonight she’d be a woman who took what she wanted.

She’d never been just that before.

What she did for a living, the job, had always defined her. Always been the reason, the foundation, for the person everybody saw. Even alone with Jason all those years ago, she wasn’t the person he’d met in foster care. She’d hidden from him too and he’d never questioned her, never seemed to see any change in her after they’d reconnected. How disconcerting that he’d been in love with a woman who wasn’t at all what she appeared to be, and he hadn’t noticed.

Hugh knew more about her than anyone else. Knew she’d killed.

And still he wanted her.

The urge to get physical with him, to shed everything and wrap herself bare around him, made everything inside her come alive with bone-melting mania. She spun around and kissed him. Hard.

By now, they knew each other’s mouths well and the kiss quickly escalated to tongue and lip locks that made her heart pound in double time. She gripped the back of his shirt and yanked him closer. Nestled his thigh between her legs and shamelessly rubbed against him. Tingle after tingle rushed to the juncture there. She remembered his fingers and how he’d stroked and grazed her sensitive skin over her panties.

He pulled back, sucking, then lightly nibbling her lower lip just like he’d done earlier. “If you don’t slow down this is going to take all of two minutes.”

“I don’t want to go slow this first time.” She nibbled back.

“First time?” He lifted her hand to his mouth and dropped kisses on each of her knuckles.

“I want this all night. I want you all night. Now stop talking and get my clothes off me.”

The hunger in his eyes stripped her of any misgivings. She put her hands on his face and lavished him with kisses that fueled cravings she didn’t know she had. She wanted to crawl inside him. Wanted so much more of him.

Pressed up against the tall reception desk, she felt his hands reach for the button of her jeans and excitement stormed through her. His fingers moved with dexterity and her pants slid down her legs. She marched in place to assist in their removal, eager to get beyond where they’d been earlier. It made kissing more difficult and they bumped teeth. A giggle escaped her mouth. His lips curled up in a smile she felt pressed against her own happy face.

When the jeans reached her ankles, she remembered she still had her shoes on. Without breaking the ridiculously hot, heart-stopping lip connection, she let go of his face and tried to reach down. But with her pants that low, it was impossible to lift a leg to meet her outstretched arm. Hugh sucked, nibbled and tasted the whole of her mouth one more time before pulling away to lift her in the air.

“What are you—”

He planted her on top of the desk, her bottom on the solid surface while her legs dangled down. His gaze raked over her thighs before he tugged the jeans from her with one easy swoop, shoes and all.

“Oh,” she said, turned on by his strength and impatience. “Is it hot in here?” The ten-second kissing reprieve didn’t squelch the heat coursing through her blood. Nor did the way he contemplated every teensy tiny bit of her exposed flesh as if he were trying to figure out where to conquer first.

“Very,” he mused back, dropping his mouth to the inside of her thigh.

That’s a good place to start.

An involuntary shudder swept through her as his lips caressed her thigh with so much care the clamp on her heart weakened. She didn’t have to like him, didn’t have to think him the best thing since red velvet cupcakes, to have sex with him.

But she did—she did both those things.

She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away, hopped off the desk, and proceeded to unbutton his jeans. “We need to even the playing field.”

He kicked off his shoes so that by the time she had him undone, sliding the jeans down took all of three seconds. She skimmed her hands up his legs, his muscles taut beneath her palms. His skin was hot and delicious and she’d be perfectly okay with the night lasting forever. She reached his boxer briefs and gulped.

His erection molded against the black cotton, huge, thick and…

She wrapped her hand around the base and slowly stroked upward.

…hard enough to hammer nails.

Tess bit her lip. She glanced up at the sexiest man alive and then grabbed the waistband of his briefs with her teeth, ready to slide them down and take his entire length into her mouth until pleasure unraveled inside him.

He growled and pulled her up. “Jesus fucking Christ.” He slammed a kiss to her lips, then lifted her shirt over her head. Tess grabbed the bottom of his tee and pulled it off. His eyes darted to her tattoo and swept over her midriff. She returned the look by eyeing his ink and taking in all his smooth, delicious muscles. The man should be on the cover of GQ. Without any clothes.

Something raw and real—a must-have-you-now urgency—overcame her. She raked her nails over his shoulders, pressed her breasts against his chest and wrapped one leg around his thigh. His erection hit her center just right. Sensations spiraled through her like a meteor. She moved against him and felt her wetness increase. One big, strong hand molded to her ass. The other cupped the back of her head.

And then they were kissing again. She got all her air from him, from some invisible yet powerful force deep inside him that he shared with every sweep of his tongue. His fingers unclasped her bra and she shimmied her upper body until the straps fell down her arms. A moment later, the lingerie hit the floor.

He groaned and gently forced her against the desk. His mouth moved to the delicate part of her neck where soft, gentle caresses tickled and burned at the same time. Involuntarily, she dropped her head to the side to give him easier access. She’d lost all control over herself. Would die if he stopped. His heart beat against her own and for the first time in her life, her heart wasn’t ticking like a time bomb. Instead, it hummed.

She let her leg fall until it reached his calf. Every slope, every bump of his body molded to hers. The liquid heat between her legs grew slicker, intense waves of pleasure rolled over her. She teetered on the edge of climax and they’d barely progressed past kissing.

Whether it was the muggy weather from outside seeping in, or the heat between them, perspiration trickled between her breasts. His body grew wet too. She took the initiative and slipped up and down him, dragging her tongue down his neck and chest to drink in his flavor. Heaviness filled her breasts, her nipples pebbled, ached. He stopped her momentum by capturing her bottom lip with his teeth. Then he kissed her again, only this time he took much more than her kisses in return. Something potent, something that fused them together, that made her beginning entwine with his end, passed between them. He’d marked her his.

And she didn’t want to fight it.

With his mouth still pressed to hers his hands moved to the tiny shred of material at her hips. His greedy touch tore any remaining strength from her, and she melted into him. He inhaled, as if gathering focus, and rather than slide the panties off as she expected, he ripped them with one needy pull.

The action made her hotter than hell. Made her desperate to have him inside her. When he ended the kiss and dropped his forehead against the side of her head in animalistic affection, she let go of her hold on him and reached for the ribbing of his boxer briefs.

She slipped her hand underneath and ran her thumb over the head of his penis. He slid a hand down and ran his thumb over her clit. “Oh,” she breathed, because his touch was amazing and felt sooo good.

Tess stroked up and down his shaft. He grunted something unintelligible, and inched one, then two fingers inside her.

“Oh God, Hugh,” she cooed. “Please come in me. Now.”

“I want to feel you,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “Do we need protection?”

Shit. “I’m clean, but I’m not on birth control.” God how she wanted to feel him, not a condom. Unfortunately, that seemed out of the question.

“I’m clean too.” He lifted his head and looked deep into her eyes. “And I’m going to take you right here before I lose my fucking mind.” He pushed down his boxers.

And stood completely naked before her.

All gorgeous muscle and sinew and she almost stopped breathing.

He looked his fill too. “Damn, you’re magnificent.”

“You’re pretty spectacular yourself.”

“Wrap your legs around me.”

“What about a condom?”

“You’re not ovulating. I can smell everything about you, and we’re good to go.” He lifted her up and she obliged his request.

“Okay, then.” The breathless, raspy words were barely audible to her ears.

A split second later he leaned her against the desk and thrust inside her with one smooth upward glide.

“Oh, oh… Hugh.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

His heated gaze bore into her. “Aw, hell. You’re so wet for me. So fucking tight. I want to hear you come. I want to watch you let go.”

She was on board with that.

Especially when he buried himself so deep that hot, sweet pleasure overwhelmed every inch of her body.

He moved inside her with slow, sensual strokes. She met each one, undulating against him. He rocked her to his rhythm and she lost herself to every spot their bodies touched. Then slowly, he rotated his hips and oh sweet heaven, she writhed and circled her hips to match the burning caresses.

“You are so damn beautiful,” he whispered, bending his head to kiss the side of her neck.

“Mmmm,” was all she managed to get out, because his mouth moved along her jaw with devastating rightness before he lifted his head away.

Rather than kiss her again, he watched her. Watched her head loll back. Watched her open her mouth to breath. Watched her eyes close and open. The way he looked at her…she thought he might steal the one thing she didn’t ever want to give away again.

Her heart.

It’s the sex. The unbelievable sex. That’s all it is.

He took the moment further by moving an arm to her lower back and arching her pelvis toward him. The direct stimulation to her clit heightened the bursts of hot pulses engulfing her.

Now if he’d only go…

Faster. As if reading her mind, he sped up. The friction intensified, his movements lost some of the control he’d started out with. He thrust harder, his eyes closed, his lips parted. Audible breaths escaped his mouth.

She dug her nails into his shoulder blades and moved with him in perfect sync. Her flesh tingled. The feel of his cock filling her so perfectly, so completely, intensified the emotions swirling inside her.

And then something inexplicable happened. Something she swore not to feel blossomed inside her heart—attachment.

She watched him now, enthralled with the sweat that glistened on his forehead, the tense line of his jaw, the undeniable sexiness of his mouth. God, he was beautiful. And she was on the cusp of having a smoldering orgasm, sound effects and all.

Moans of pleasure fell from her lips. Breathy moans—moans to let him know what he was doing brought her to the brink of climax. Her pants grew louder, came from deeper inside her.

He opened his eyes just as hers were about to flutter shut.

“Look at me,” he commanded.

Like she could refuse his commands. She looked, and his fathomless blue eyes swirled with gold, then jade, then amethyst. She tumbled into them, molten heat rushing through her before a blinding, pulsing release took hold and wave after wave of pleasure rocked her body. She called out his name and came so hard stars winked behind her eyelids. He continued to pump into her, drawing out her orgasm until holy shit… Intensity built, her muscles clamped around his cock again and she came a second time.

Her ecstasy sent him into his own wildly explosive release. His magnificent body shuddered, and she felt his hot seed spill into her. It was the single greatest thing she’d ever experienced. He groaned in blissful agony before slumping against her.

“That was, uh… I’ve never…” she said, her body still thrumming with delicious quivers. She’d never had multiple orgasms before. Never felt more connected or in sync with another person. Her heart pounded with extreme contentment.

“Yeah,” he said, voice gravelly.

For several minutes, they didn’t move. She kissed his neck, tasted the saltiness of his skin. Slowly, he pulled out of her, took her in his arms, and carried her to the couch.

“You’re the sexiest, most desirable woman I’ve ever met, Tess.” He moved a stray hair from her face, slid a finger down her cleavage. “I love the way your parts fit together. How soft you are.”

Those words, that single touch down her chest, made her want him all over again.

She looked at him with big round eyes that made him wonder if any man had ever told her how special she was. How utterly unique and sexy and fuck-it-all worth dying for. Because the bone-deep possessiveness coursing through Hugh’s veins meant whether he liked it or not, Tess was his. And he protected what was his.

The kiss he’d given her, the one claiming her, wasn’t anything he’d planned. But she’d responded with such incredible wild abandon that he’d been helpless to stop it. The intensity had proven more powerful than he’d anticipated.

During the past week, he’d cracked her tough exterior, learned her quirks and looked forward to getting up in the morning just to see what new thing he’d discover about her. He’d tried to fight the feelings of admiration and attachment spreading inside him like a burning blaze and filling the spaces he’d sworn to keep vacant. But he couldn’t.

It didn’t matter that there was no happy ending in their future. What mattered to him was her future. Now that Trey was back, he would gladly give up his life for hers. Until then, he planned to enjoy her body to the fullest.

“Want to do this again?” she said, with a smile worthy of a Miss Congeniality award. As if she needed to convince him.

“Definitely.” He circled her nipple with his finger.

She pulled his hand away, laced her fingers with his. “Is it still raining?”

He looked toward the window. All she would see was black nothingness, the tinted window offering a muted peek in daylight, let alone night. “Still raining.”

“Darn.”

“Shame,” he added, turning his head to take in her beauty.

“You know you stare a lot?” she said, not at all displaying any modesty.

“I can’t help it. I can’t take my eyes off you.” He brought their locked hands down to her tattoo, extending his finger to touch it. “Tell me about this.”