Mine to Protect (Mine 6)

The assistant director is a cold bastard.

One thing Victor knew…he wasn’t walking out on Zoe. Not this time—not ever again.

***

Zoe’s ear pressed to the glass—a dirty glass she’d found in the bathroom. The glass was pressed to the motel room door, the better for her to eavesdrop on the agents. It had been an old trick, one she’d used when she was a child and she’d wanted to overhear just what her mom and dad were talking about.

On one of those rare visits that Luther made to their apartment…

Her breath barely slipped past her lips as she listened to the murmur of voices outside of the motel room. Victor, Russell, Lauren.

What did Victor mean about losing his soul? The guy had plenty of soul. Sure, he was a bit icy at times but…

Her hold tightened on the glass. What secrets are you keeping, Victor?

He dismissed the agents. She heard him tell them goodnight.

Crap. She jumped away from the door. Zoe rushed toward the bed, pausing just long enough to hide the glass under the faded bed skirt. Then she hopped on the bed. The mattress gave that long groan again.

She closed her eyes. Tried to make her body look relaxed. Did her breathing sound even? She hoped her cheeks weren’t flushed.

Zoe rolled, turning away from the door and curling her body in a bit. The door creaked open behind her and she heard the heavy tread of Victor’s footsteps.

Would he buy that she’d drifted off to sleep? Would he just leave her alone until morning?

His footsteps came closer and—

He walked to the other side of the bed. Clothing rustled. Zoe wanted to crack open one eye and look at him, but that would totally blow her fake sleeping routine to hell.

More rustling. A lot of rustling. Just how much was the guy taking off?

Then the bed dipped. Whoa, whoa, whoa! There was a perfectly good floor for the man to use. He could not be crawling into bed with her.

Her eyes flew open.

And she found him lying right beside her. His gaze was on her face, and Victor was smiling. “Nice try, baby, but I saw the glass peeking out from your side of the bed. Next time, cover it up better.” His smile stretched. “Eavesdrop much?”

“Only every chance I get.” He was in bed. With her.

His hand reached toward her. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Zoe Peters…” he murmured. “Just what am I supposed to do with you?”

Everything that we both want. The words were there, rising within her, and it took all of Zoe’s strength not to say them out loud.

Chapter Four

Zoe’s hair was still wet. Wet and sleek and she smelled sweet—her scent was wrapping around Victor, teasing him. Seducing him.

No, it was her gaze that seduced. Green eyes that were sensual, tempting.

Their bodies were just inches apart. He wanted to close that space. To put his mouth on hers. To taste her like he wanted—no restraint. No holding back.

Just greed. Lust.

The desire that he was tired of fighting.

Every time he saw Zoe, his need for her grew. It was wrong, he knew that. He should keep his hands off her but—

His fingers trailed over her cheek. Slowly, carefully, his hand moved down. His index finger slid over her plump lower lip. Her lips were parted, just a bit and…his breath left him in a fast whoosh.

She just licked my finger. He’d felt the quick, wet lick of her tongue on his finger. His dick immediately hardened for her. Hardened even more…because he’d been aroused for her before he even climbed into the bed.

“Are we going to keep pretending?” Zoe asked him. When she spoke, her lips moved against his finger and he felt the light caress of her tongue again.

“Pretending?” He wanted her mouth beneath his. Wanted to feel that sexy pink tongue of hers on so many other parts of his body.

Her hand rose and pressed to his chest. He’d ditched his shoes, socks, coat and shirt—and he was wearing just his jeans. So when her hand reached out, her fingers pressed directly to his skin.

“You’re warm,” Zoe murmured.

Her touch seemed to burn straight to his core.

“I know you want me.”

The woman was dead-on with that statement. Wanted her. Was insane for her. Wanted to strip her and fuck her all night long.

“I also know you’ve been staying hands off. Probably because you’re the agent in charge. Mr. Law-Abiding. You don’t break rules.” Her hand slid lightly over his chest. “You don’t cross lines.”

There were plenty of lines he wanted to cross with her. So many that the woman would need a safe word.

“So I’m not going to pretend that I can’t tell you want me.” Her hand dipped a little lower. Sweet hell. “And I won’t pretend that I don’t want you, too.”

His racing heartbeat thundered in his ears.

“The truth is…I’ve wanted you for a while, Victor.”

She was shattering his control with every low, husky word.

“I’ve thought about you. Dreamed about you. Been pissed as all hell with you but…I want you. I always do.”

Her fingers were on one of his scars. Those freaking scars littered his body. Marks from gunshots. Knife wounds. His time on the streets. He’d always carry those reminders.

Zoe didn’t seem repulsed by his scars. Her fingers were so warm and soft against him.

“So I’m telling you how I feel. Exactly how I feel…and now it’s your turn.”

His turn?

“Do we keep playing by the rules, Victor? Or do we cross some lines?”

“Zoe…” Just saying her name was hard. Desire beat in his blood and his voice came out as a rough growl. “Be very careful…”

“Why? I’ve tried being careful. It still got me on hit lists. My time is slipping away—”

The hell it was.

“Inches. I was inches away from death tonight. Seems like a real damn shame. To want you this way and to never get to feel—”

He kissed her. He lunged toward her, closed that distance between them, and took her mouth. There was no finesse from him. No careful seduction. He just took because the last thread of his self-control had been shredded by her words.

I’ve wanted her for too long. To want her, and not to have her…

He was changing the rules. Crossing the line. And he didn’t care. All that mattered to Victor right then—Zoe.

Tasting her. Claiming her. Taking her.

Forgetting the fear, banishing that shit. Focusing on the passion. The lust that blazed white-hot.

He rolled her onto her back. He was so glad he’d slipped the clerk an extra fifty to make sure they were in a room with damn clean bedding. Though he wished their first time together was somewhere else.

A fancy hotel. A beach. Some snow-covered inn.

Some place romantic, though he wasn’t normally the romantic sort. He just—Victor wanted it for her.

She caught his lower lip and bit it lightly.

Fucking yes.

Her hands slid over him. Pushed down to the top of his jeans. She was fumbling with the button and the zipper, and—

“Baby, not yet.” His breath sawed out of his lungs. “You put your hands on my cock, and I’ll be lost.”

She smiled up at him. “I think I want you lost.”

“You’re going first.” And he was going to enjoy exploring every single inch of her. Victor kissed Zoe again, a deep, hot kiss. She arched up toward him, and he felt the press of her breasts against his chest.

Every single inch of her.

He kissed his way down her neck. Zoe gasped and her nails sank into his sides. He would have smiled at her reaction, but he was too turned on for smiling.

He caught her shirt in his hands, pulled back just a little, and yanked the thing up and over her head. The shirt hit the floor and he stared down at her.

Zoe wore a plain white bra—and it had to be the sexiest thing he’d seen in his

life. Her breasts pushed out, spilling against those cups. He bent forward and kissed one breast even as he slid his fingers under the edge of her bra and found her nipple. Tight. Hard.

“Victor!”

He loved it when she said his name. And when there was so much desire in her voice…hell, yes. But he still had to warn her… “The walls here are thin, baby.”

Her eyes widened and she immediately pressed her lips together.

“One day soon, I want you to yell for me. As long as you can.”

He unhooked her bra. Perfect breasts. Pink nipples, round and full…and when he licked her, when he sucked her, her hips rocked up against him.

She tastes so good. Like she was made for me. Only me.

His mouth eased down her body. He kissed the curve of her stomach and loved the way she lifted up against him.

“Do something fun,” Zoe suddenly whispered when his mouth hovered over her jeans. “Use your teeth to undo the button…”

He looked up. Her eyes were gleaming as she stared at him, and a faint smile curved her lips.

I’m about to fuck Zoe Peters.

And she was making him feel…good. Happy. Making him feel like smiling back at her. His cock was so swollen that the thing hurt. He wanted to plunge balls deep into her and drive them both into oblivion but…

He smiled back at her. And he did something fun, just as she’d ordered. He used his teeth to undo the button of her jeans. Then the zipper slid down with a hiss.