The Skull Crusher (Skull 2)

Now she clung to me for comfort. She buried her face in my neck because being in my arms was the safest place in the world. Her fingers dug into me so deeply, it seemed like she never wanted to let me go.

I laid her on the bed, her strap falling down her shoulder just as I fantasized. She’d ditched her shoes during the getaway, so the bottoms of her feet were black and covered with dirt. Her eyes were still slightly wet from the terror, and the beautiful confidence she normally showed was long gone.

But I wanted her as much as I always did. In fact, I wanted her more.

I’d never been someone’s savior before. I was always the nightmare, always the killer. But I liked saving her. I liked protecting her. And I liked how safe she felt with me. I sat at the edge of the bed and looked at her.

She sat up and unzipped the back of her dress so it would come free from her body.

The shootout didn’t change my arousal. I wanted her badly before Lucian’s men showed up, and I wanted her still. But she seemed too distressed for sex right now. I would normally dig my hands into her hair and take her, but I restrained myself.

She pulled the dress over her head and tossed it on the floor. The only thing underneath was her bare skin, her beautiful tits, and the little black thong she wore.

It was like she was trying to torture me.

She got under the covers. “Lie with me.”

I stripped down to my boxers and left my gun on the nightstand. I got into bed, and the second my body was against the mattress, she cuddled into my side. She tucked her leg between my thighs, wrapped her arm around my waist, and laid her head on my chest.

My hand ran from the back of her neck down to her ass, gently massaging her as she sank into me. If she hadn’t been there that night, I probably would have gone to a bar afterward and enjoyed a nice glass of scotch. Or I would have picked up a woman for the evening. I wouldn’t have stopped living my life normally because of what I’d done.

But this woman had never seen a man’s skull shatter like that. It was her first time.

“How did you kill all of them?” she whispered, her tits pressed against my torso.

I shrugged. “I just did.”

“But there were twelve of them.”

“That’s not very many. Trust me.” Lucian shouldn’t have been so arrogant and should have sent more men. He’d thought he would catch me off guard at the restaurant, but the truth was, you could never really catch me off guard. I thrived during the unexpected. I adapted to new environments with alarming speed.

“And then you got to me so quickly.”

“I run fast.”

“They could have taken me back to Lucian… I was so scared. Being in his captivity wasn’t so bad because I just accepted it. I behaved myself so things weren’t so awful. But the idea of going back there…made me sick to my stomach. I panicked because I’d rather die than go back there. I also knew everything would be different. Lucian would hurt me so much now that he knows about our affair. My existence would be a million times worse than last time. If you’d arrived just a few minutes later—”

“I would have chased you down until I got you back. I’ve got allies everywhere. I would have stopped that car before it returned to Lucian’s compound. And even if it did return, I still wouldn’t have stopped. There’s no scenario in which Lucian would have won.”

She shifted her chin up so she could look me in the eye. Her smoky eye makeup was smeared from the wetness in her eyes. Her seductive playfulness was long gone, but this uneasy version was just as sexy. “I was worried about you. When I heard the gunshots, I was afraid you didn’t make it.”

A smile melted across my lips. “It’d take a lot more than a few boys with guns to take me down. And you worry about me a lot.”

“So?” she whispered. “Of course I do.”

My smile disappeared. “That’s cute, but you don’t need to worry about me.”

She shifted her body and moved onto my chest, her hair loose now that the pins had fallen out. Her lipstick had been wiped off on the wineglass, but her lips were still plump and kissable. “Thank you. I don’t know what else to say.” She rested on my chest like a cat, a small creature that felt weightless.

“You don’t need to thank me, baby. You’re my property—and I protect my property.” I wouldn’t allow Lucian to steal her away like that. If he wanted her, he would have to make an offer. I didn’t just protect her to keep her safe. I did it for my own self-interest—because she was worth a lot. She might get me everything I wanted.