Perfect Rage (Unyielding 3)

He knew they’d been watching me? And if he did know, then he’d been watching me, too.

My eyes darted to him for the first time and even though it was still dark, the streetlights illuminated the room enough for me to see his face.

Calm. He appeared completely calm. “You turned off the alarm?”

“Saw it installed.” He had? His brows lowered and eyes darkened to that stormy ocean blue. Now, not so calm. “Saw the guy teach you how to work it. Five fuckin’ times.”

I couldn’t remember how many times. It was a month ago.

He snaked his arm around my chest and dragged me back under him, but this time there was no sheet separating us. He nipped my ear and his hand slipped under my camisole and caressed my abdomen.

It was slow.

Gentle.

And made me forget what we were talking about, especially when the tip of his baby finger slid along the edge of my panties under the seam.

“Didn’t like him standing close to you.”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t like how he looked at you either.” His leg slid up my calf to my knee then down again. The denim of his jeans rubbed my naked skin, then the heat of his bare foot followed.

He kissed the edge of my jaw, with another closer to my lips.

“He stood next to you with his eyes on your breasts. I didn’t fuckin’ like it.” He drew a pattern across my abdomen. “Nearly pulled the trigger, wanted to pull the trigger.”

That dragged me out of my haze and my eyes flew open and my belly flipped for a completely different reason. “Who? What are you talking about?” Pulled the trigger? Holy shit. Was he talking about the alarm guy John or Jim?

“You’re still working at the bar.”

It wasn’t a question. But I was still back on the ‘nearly pulled the trigger’. “Are you saying you nearly shot the alarm guy because he was staring at my breasts? Which isn’t true.” At least I didn’t think so. I’d been paying attention on what to press so I didn’t mess up and have Deck and Kai’s team here because I pressed the wrong buttons. I couldn’t imagine any of the guys, especially Vic, being pleased about being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night for a false alarm.

I sucked in my breath, fingers clamping on Connor’s wrist to stop him from caressing my abdomen. “How did you know the numbers to shut off the alarm?”

“Babe, let go of my wrist,” he growled.

I didn’t because I couldn’t focus when he was touching me. “How did you know the numbers?” I repeated.

His body tensed and his eyes narrowed. “Let go. Now!”

It was how he forced out the word ‘now’ that sent a wave of fear through me and I quickly pulled my hand away. He immediately relaxed, well, as relaxed as Connor could be anymore.

I thought of the scars on his wrists and realized why he didn’t like it. God, what did Carlos do to him? There were parts of me that wished his memory hadn’t returned. That he never had to remember what was done to him.

Even if that meant he wouldn’t remember me.

He moved. It was quick and agile as his leg went to the other side of me and he straddled me. He locked my arms down on either side of my head with his hands on my wrists then he tilted forward.

I was a little afraid because he was scowling, but I took solace in the fact that his body was relaxed and his breathing was slow and steady.

I couldn’t say the same for mine as my chest rose and fell in quick succession.

He released one wrist to cup my jaw, thumb lightly playing with my bottom lip. “Didn’t need to see to know what numbers you’d pick, shutterbug.”

I froze. Holy shit. Holy shit. The numbers. He remembered my numbers?

I didn’t think he’d remember something so silly. But he had and my chest swelled. “You remember?”

“Yeah, baby.” He tipped his head and kissed the hollow of my neck.

God, I loved that. When I picked the numbers for the alarm, I hadn’t even thought about it. I just tapped them in when the guy told me to—11528.

He trickled kisses down between my breasts and I inhaled, closing my eyes, shivers, twinges, sparks, all of them erupting at once.

“Connor?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we go back to the ‘nearly pulled the trigger’? It’s freaking me out.” That was putting it mildly.

His thumb stilled on my lip. “Didn’t see him.” Connor sighed, closing his eyes for a second, his head dropping. “Didn’t see him beside you, babe. I saw Moreno.” Oh, shit. “So, yeah, I nearly pulled the trigger. I can’t stand the thought of what you went through, being forced to stay with him. I want to kill him again and again.”