Surrender

I blinked. “Vaughn.”

He rounded the island, catching my hip in his hand. “It sounds stupid.”

I nodded. “It is stupid.”

“At least we agree on something tonight.”

I didn’t mean to smile, but I did anyway. “One thing.” I wasn’t giving in on anything else.

“I

should have told you there was an update in the case, but I know you. You aren’t satisfied with part of the story.”

“No I’m not.”

“Even now?”

“Especially now,” I admitted. “It’s hard to trust someone else with her case. To know that I’m not taking Senate Mitcherson to court.”

“It’s not like you can go back.”

“I know,” I whispered. “I know I left her and all the women I was trying to help.” The dishes were a way to keep my hands busy, but I wasn’t in the mood to clean or straighten. I wanted to climb in bed and pretend today hadn’t happened.

I walked past Vaughn, silently making my way to the bedroom. I was exhausted. The rush of adrenaline that had taken over all afternoon was gone. Between the wine and the fight, I didn’t have any energy left.

“That’s it?” Vaughn followed me.

I stepped out of the flowy pants and peeled my shirt over my head. I picked up my toothbrush and toothpaste.

“You aren’t going to answer my questions. What’s the point?” I turned on the water and squirted the mint paste on the toothbrush. “I just want to go to bed.”

“The point is that you are valuable to Blackwing now. They gave you an assignment. You took it, and damn it, you did exactly what they wanted. Very successfully.”

I spit in the sink. I looked at Vaughn’s reflection over my shoulder. “I was successful?”

“You got me into Paul’s lab, I’d say you knocked it out of the park.”

I dropped my toothbrush in the holder and turned around. “That was what you needed? Access to his lab?”

He nodded. “For this stage. Yes.”

“So I was helpful?” I felt a new sense of adrenaline surge. It was different than what had fueled me all day. It snaked through my veins slowly at first, then jolted my system.

“Yes.”

I wrapped my hands around his waist. “Let me help you more.” My nails dug into his back, pressing through his shirt.

He groaned. “It’s not going to happen. You have had your first and last job with Blackwing.”

I began to work the buttons on the front of his shirt. I pushed the sleeves off his massive shoulders. He stood in front of me, his bronze skin sculpted and contoured. I ran a finger from his sternum to his navel.

Vaughn tangled his hands in the back of my hair. “This won’t change my mind.”

I released his belt buckle, twisting the zipper until his pants were on the floor.

I bit my lip. “It might.” I shoved the black boxer briefs over his thighs. He kicked them off his ankles. “I could be valuable to you.”

His breath was hot against my neck. He kissed behind my ear, dragging his lips over my skin. He quickly tugged my panties to the floor before he lifted me on the counter. I moaned when his hand slid between my legs, spreading my knees wide.