With the extra boost from his touch, I arrowed through the unfocused layers,
navigating the memories with an unusual ease. A flash caught my attention and,
concentrating, I brought it up front and center. Sure enough, the moment she pulled the trigger, her emotional signature spiked. Other than a soft curse at her
miss, she made quick work of breaking down the rifle, retrieving the casing, and
getting the hell out of Dodge.
“I got nothing.” I stepped away and broke our connection. My surroundings
dimmed and resettled. A low-level headache kicking in. “Did you pick up
anything?”
“A faint energy signature, but not one I recognize.” He tugged me close.
“Headache?”
“Yeah,” I mumbled.
“Close your eyes and give me a moment.”
Following his directions, I rested my forehead against his chest. His clever fingers began a gentle pattern over my temples, around my head, and down my
neck. It didn’t take long for the tension to melt away under his ministrations. A
low groan of relief escaped, and my body curled into his, craving more. “That feels good.”
That was a huge understatement. His touch melted muscle, heated skin, and
left a languorous craving for more behind. I took what he offered, and reveled in
the unexpected experience, floating in the quiet moment out of time. His touch
finally slowed. His fingers cupping my neck with a gentle squeeze. I tilted my
head back and raised a bemused gaze.
He cradled my head in his hand, holding me in place. Steel blue deepened to
a dark navy with his undisguised desire. The look stole my breath and woke something I wasn’t sure I was ready for. His breath curled with mine, and my hands were locked around his waist, holding him close, my fingers tracing the indent of his spine.
The temptation was too much.
He dipped his head and captured my mouth with a stunning gentleness. He
nibbled softly along my lips until they parted on a sigh. He took the invite for what it was, and our tongues met in a tender tangle.
I ran my short nails over his cloth-covered back, and then traced a path on either side of his spine until I reached his shoulders. Trying to get closer, I rose on tiptoe, trying to get closer. The hard evidence of his arousal pressed against
me.
Someone groaned.
His hands moved to cradle my face, and the sensation of his calloused palms
against my skin ignited a cascade of fireworks. His kiss shifted from gentle to wicked as he stopped teasing us both and took control.
The change acted like dry wood with a spark, and I went up like an inferno.
Easy, it would be so easy to stay here and let the storm take me. Take him. The promise behind his touch tempted, teased, and burrowed right past my normal self-preservation. The shock of how fast and deep he managed to get in, had me
pulling back, gasping for breath.
Above me, a completely satisfied, and very male look settled on his face. He
brushed his thumb over my damp lower lip. “Better?”
My tongue flicked out, swiping over it and a deep color rose under his
cheekbones. “You’re a dangerous man, Shaw.” My voice was husky with
unfulfilled wants.
“So are you,” his equally rough answer made me smile.
Needing a little payback for the gnawing hunger he woke, I leaned in and pressed against him, feeling him jerk in response. Pushing up on my toes, I nipped his chin, then set him free. “Definitely better than aspirin.”
Turning away, I managed one step before a sharp swat on my ass had me
spinning around.
“Tease.” His wicked grin spiked my pulse.
I laughed. For a moment, despite the fact we were hunting and being hunted,
it felt right, free.
WE ENDED up back in my Jeep. This time I drove. We made a quick stop at Kelsey’s place one last time to pick up extra ammunition for our nines, and my
rifle. I hoped not to need it but felt better having it close. Me and my metal teddy bears. On top of that, I wasn’t sure when I’d be back to Kelsey’s condo.
Now we were on our way to meet up with the mysterious Bishop. Kayden
had his phone out, his fingers flying as we did the stop-and-go dance through rush hour traffic.
