Cuffed (The Untouchables MC 1)

“You really live here?”

He leaned against a post and stared at me, taking a swig. He was so serious. I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking about. What made him tick.

Doesn’t matter, Cass. Escape plan. Mason. Plausible lies.

“Yeah. I really do.”

“Do you usually take witnesses here?”

“No.”

“So… why am I here again?”

He drank again and wiped the back of his mouth.

“I had to get you out of there. It would have taken hours to get something set up. Would you rather be waiting in an interrogation room until dawn again?”

I shook my head, sliding my hands underneath my legs. He’d brought me here to be kind. He may have even broken rules to do it.

“Did they find out anything about the roses?”

He nodded slowly.

“It was chicken blood. That’s what you were asking, right?”

“Yes. And if they knew… who sent it?”

“No.” He took another slow sip of his beer. He never took his eyes off me. “But you know.”

I stared at the ground. My heart beating hard and fast. I stood up abruptly and turned off the TV.

“I think I’ll go to bed-“

He grabbed me as I passed him. He spun me so that my back was against the post. He leaned over me and stared at me like I was something delicate and rare.

His fingers brushed my face.

I held my breath as the world seemed to stop.

Then he stepped back. Slowly, so slowly, I slid away from the post. I forced myself to take one step and then another until I was up the stairs.

Only when I was in the guest room could I breath normally again.

I got into the bed he’d made up for me and stared out the one window. I could see the stars above the tree line. I was still awake when I heard him come upstairs a few hours later.

His footsteps paused outside my door. That’s when I knew I wasn’t imagining what had happened in the living room.

What had almost happened.

Connor had almost kissed me.

Connor

This was hell. Pure torture. I rolled over in my big, empty bed, my rock hard cock pressing uselessly into the mattress.

I had never wanted a woman in my bed this badly before.

I had never wanted anything this badly before.

And that scared the shit out of me.

I was already in danger of getting in trouble for this. Career-ending trouble. It wasn’t even on the books. I’d just… taken her with me.

She should be in a safe house like Mason. Not the same one. I needed to keep them separated.

You’re doing it for Danny.

Lie.

This is the best way to break her.

Another lie.

You will break her.

Truth.

I knew I could break her. She was tough but she was just a girl. I was a trained federal agent. I could wear her down and make her talk. No matter how brave she was.

But at what cost? The thought that I’d put her in danger was already tearing me up inside. Now I was going to work her over emotionally too? Make her think she had even worse things to worry about from me?

I wasn’t sure I could do it and look in the mirror afterwards. But I had to do it. I owed it to my partner’s memory.

I moaned and closed my eyes.

She was so close… her soft, warm body laying less than twenty feet away. I could just give in to temptation. It would be so easy. I knew just what I would do.

I’d wake her with a soft kiss, then let my hands run over her body. I’d sink into the bed, twisting and turning until I was between her thighs.

Then I would go to town. Unleash everything I had on her. All the years alone. All the heat she seemed to stir up in me.

Too much heat.

I gave in, knowing I wasn’t getting any sleep tonight. I needed to cool down. I opened the window and stared out of it. It’s a good thing I did.

Because I could see her running away.

A furtive movement by the tree line caught my eye.

I blinked. Yes, that was Casey. She was actually trying to get away from me. I ran for the stairs, practically taking them in one leap.

How the fuck was I supposed to protect her if she ran? I grabbed a flashlight as I ran out the front door, not caring that I was shirtless and shoeless.

She’d been headed for the road from what I could tell. I ran at full speed, my eyes scanning the darkness. There. I thought I saw something just ahead-

I smiled grimly as I saw her tip toeing down the dirt road, looking utterly lost. Not on my watch sweetheart. I was going to have to take drastic measures apparently.

I reached out and closed my hand over her shoulder. I ignored the electricity that leapt between us. I was too angry to care how scared she looked.