The kid had lied about her name all those years ago but kept it close enough to her real name that she’d answer when called. It was a brilliant plan, especially for a kid. The tactician in me admired that sort of forethought.
Cass looked up at me, and finally, the little brunette turned around. She stared up at me slowly, taking me in. I continued to eye fuck her, hard.
“Kelly, this is Cain. Cain, this is Kelly.”
I nodded, momentarily stunned by her beauty up close. Kelly suited her. Her name sounded fresh and squeaky clean. She just stared at me, her mouth slightly open. She was so cute, I almost smiled.
And I never smiled.
“Come.”
She didn’t protest as I put my hand on the gentle curve of her lower back and guided her out the double doors to the patio. There was a sort of sizzle, a heat where we touched. I’d always assumed that ‘sparks flying’ was a metaphor. But it was real. I was feeling a tingle in my palm where it brushed her skin.
It was so intense that it almost burned. But I welcomed the pain. And I didn’t want to stop touching her.
It was quiet outside. Empty. I nodded to myself, satisfied.
She looked up at me. I could tell she was intimidated. I didn’t say much to change that.
“Who did you come here with?”
“To the wedding?”
I nodded.
“I want to know who I have to beat down when I leave with you tonight.”
Her jaw dropped.
“Leave with me? You arrogant—”
I smiled suddenly, watching her tell me off. My face felt like it was cracking, it was so long since I’d used those muscles. Probably since I was a child.
“If you think I’m going home with you, you have a big surprise coming! And another thing, I didn’t come with a date, but if I had . . .”
She was still ranting at me so I did the only thing I could do. I grabbed her and hoisted her up so we were face to face. Her little feet dangled in midair as I held her with one arm wrapped around her waist. She was all womanly curves and sweet femininity, and the feel of her was doing crazy things to my body.
It was like all the unused hormones of the past five years came crashing through me. And I wasn’t the only one. She felt it too. Pretty pink cheeks and surprised blue eyes stared back at me.
She stopped arguing and stared at my mouth. I felt another smile coming on. She wanted me too. It was an instant attraction. The kind they write movies about. Love songs. The kind that’s impossible to fight.
So, I didn’t.
My lips crashed down on hers.
And she melted. I grunted with satisfaction as her lips opened and our tongues danced against each other’s. She was sweet and unpolished, but responsive. I doubted she’d been kissed that many times before. Maybe never. Didn’t matter. It was still the best kiss of my life.
It was the only kiss.
Something shattered inside me as we kissed, the hard shell that protected me from the world, and more importantly, protected the world from me.
I set her down on her feet as that thought crashed over me like a bucket of cold water. Didn’t do a thing to calm down my cock, but my head was clear. I suddenly knew that I should stay away from the pretty little thing in my arms. For her own good.
I knew instinctively that this wouldn’t just be sex between us. It would start with sex, and then I’d keep her. I doubted either one of us had much say in the matter.
But it wasn’t right. She was an angel and I was a soul already damned to hell. I would be a bastard if I corrupted something so pure.
Unfortunately for her, I was more than happy to be a bastard.
A selfish, satisfied, lucky bastard.
I stared down at her as my thoughts clicked into place.
I was a killer. I’d slaughtered men in war without remorse. Launched grenades. I knew without a doubt that I had taken out a few innocents along the way.
I’d seen their faces while we did recon. Civilians lying on the side of the road. Didn’t matter if it wasn’t my grenade or my bullets. My guys were an extension of me and under my command. Yeah, we were following orders from higher up, but that didn’t mean we weren’t guilty.
It didn’t mean that I wasn’t guilty. I never let myself off the hook for the things we did. I’d been raised by a strict, patriotic, God-fearing family, and I knew that some things were, in fact, black and white.
So I followed orders without question. Served to the best of my considerable ability. Destroyed the enemy without hesitation or remorse.
When we were in the heat of it, the thick of an exchange of fire, I didn’t think about the innocents. Everything went black, white, and red. They were the bad guys. We were the good guys. It was best to give in to the part of me that wanted to kill, kill, kill.