That’s the part that really gets me. The “unless I object,” the way he manages to be all alpha and demanding and still ask. Well, and the part where he can’t fucking help himself.
I press to my toes and the minute my mouth meets his, his crashes over mine, his tongue delivering a wicked lick that I feel in every part of me. He tastes of temptation with a hint of tequila, demand, and desire. His hands slide up my back, fingers splayed between my shoulder blades, his hard body pressed to mine, seducing me in every possible way.
I moan with the feel of him and his lips part from mine, lingering there a moment before he says, “Obviously, someone needs to protect you from me,” he says. “Like me.” And then to my shock, he releases me and leaves. The bathroom door is open and closed before I know what’s happened. And once again, I have no idea if or when I will ever see him again.
***
ADRIAN
Priscilla Miller tastes like heaven, which means she could easily drag me to hell. I can’t forget that.
I’m at the side of the restaurant when Pri exits and I expect her to leave the way she arrived, by way of an Uber. She does not. She starts walking. Holy Mother of Jesus, what is she thinking? She knows she’s in the hot seat. She knows she’s a potential target for Waters. I curse under my breath, discreetly following her, when I want to grab her, throw her over my shoulder and take her home to punish her, preferably without clothing.
Thank fuck the walk is short, and Adam’s watching her house. I hang back across the street where I fade into the center of the bushes. I watch as Pri keys in the code to her lock and enters her house. Adam appears in the bushes next to me. “Who the hell is watching her house?”
“Lucifer,” he says. “He’s back. Savage is not. He’s still looking for Deleon, but so far Blake is coming up dry and so is Savage. It’s starting to seem like he’s dead, too.”
My jaw clenches. “He’s not,” I say. “I know him well. He’s smart, he’s a killer, and he’s loyal to his king. He’s here. He’s just waiting for the right moment to take out his next victim.”
“Is the Assistant DA helping to create his hit list or is she on it?”
“I don’t know yet,” I say, glancing over at him, “but she claims she’s dangerous.”
“And yet she walked home.”
“She said she’s dangerous, not that she’s in danger.”
He arches a brow. “Almost as if she’s on Waters’ payroll and knows she’s safe?”
“Maybe,” I say. “Maybe not.”
He studies me a moment and says, “Just how close to her did you get?”
In other words, I think, he already knows. “You were watching.”
“Too close, if you didn’t tell her who you are.”
“Not fucking close enough,” I correct. “I still don’t know which side she’s on.”
“Then what’s the plan?”
“We watch her,” I say.
“And you get too close again? Because we both know you’re getting too close to her, man.”
I don’t deny the obvious. What’s the point? “I haven’t decided yet,” I say.
His jaw clenches but he says nothing. He simply faces forward because he doesn’t have to say anything else. We both know he’s right. I got too close to Pri tonight. I’ll pay a price with her later, but it seems there’s still a little devil left in me, perhaps too much. Because as I confessed to Pri, I just couldn’t fucking help myself.Chapter SixPRI
I wear my lucky suit Monday morning, the one with the navy flared skirt, a teal silk tank, and a jacket that hits right at the waist. Good things happen when I wear this suit. As silly as that might sound, it’s true, and I’ll take all the luck I can get. I’m at my desk by seven AM. By nine, I’m in a conference room with the team that’s working on this case, staring at a whiteboard that lists our witnesses, and it doesn’t look good. These are supporting witnesses who frame a bigger story, one with key, crucial witnesses, of which two are now dead.
Agent Pitt walks into the conference room, dressed in a suit, always Mr. Professional, at least in appearance. Behavior is a whole new story. He walks toward the conference table, clearly intending to take a seat and pretend he hasn’t been ignoring my calls.
“Can I see you in my office?” I ask, right when he would sit down.
He freezes, a grimace on his handsome face before he glances my way. “Of course.” He turns and exits the room, with me on his heels, but not for long. I take the lead, quickly walking down the hallway to enter my office. By the time I’m behind my desk, he’s shut the door and he steps just behind the visitor’s chairs.