Lex pulled her closer to his side. “No, I won’t. Count on that. I’d fucking take a bullet before I hurt her.”
She could practically feel Ethan measuring Lex. Judging him. Finally, Ethan said, “Good. Remember that promise. I expect you to keep it.” Then he waved them away. “Sophie knows the way out.”
She did and she was the one who led them away from Ethan, and from the heavy darkness that always seemed to cling to him. A darkness that she’d known, too, for so long. But she was tired of the dark. Couldn’t it be time for her to step into the light?
They didn’t speak until they were at Lex’s car. He opened the passenger door for her and she slid inside.
“I needed to see you.” His voice was gruff.
Before she could reply, he’d hurried around the car and climbed into the driver’s seat. She reached for his hand just as he was about to start the car. “I needed you, too.” She needed him more than she’d realized.
He sucked in a breath and looked down at her hand. “Did you think about what I told you earlier?”
She glanced out of the front windshield. The sun was starting to set. In a few hours, when darkness really took over, Wicked would be packed. She didn’t plan to be anywhere near the club then. She planned to be in bed with Lex. “How about we try for that second night?” Sophie forced a smile, hoping it hid her nerves. “Want to see if it will be as good as the first?” Her gaze slid back to him, and she saw his whole face harden, even as his eyes lit with a fire.
“I don’t need to see.”
His voice alone could turn her on—and did.
“I know making love to you again will be fucking fantastic.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “The hard part will be holding on until I get you home. When I’m near you, I want.” It sounded as if he were just stating a fact.
It had never been that way for her. Having someone want her so completely. So totally. All of her flaws and secrets, exactly as she was.
A thrill shot through her and she leaned across the seat toward him. Sophie caught Lex’s lower lip between her teeth, feeling reckless and wild with her own desire. She tugged sensually even as her hand slid down his chest. Down, down to his waist, then to his crotch. He was turned on—she could feel the hot length of his cock through his jeans. “I want, too. So drive fast, Lex. Because this time, I’ll get to make you crazy.”
He growled and said. “Sweetheart, you already do.”
She stroked him again, eased back in her seat, and smiled.
Lex spun the car out of the lot.
***
No, no, no! He sank back into the alley as fury pumped through him. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Sophie wasn’t supposed to turn to someone else. He was the one who’d done everything for her. He was the one who’d taken all of the risks. He’d killed for her.
But the bitch thought she could just go to another?
She was dead wrong.
No, no, Lex Jensen was the one who was dead. Tonight. Lex was dying tonight. And maybe he’d die in front of Sophie. Then she’d see. She’d realize all that he’d done for her over the years. She’d know that she belonged completely—
To me.
***
“Who the hell is that?” Ethan muttered beneath his breath as he stared at the security feed. He’d left the monitor up and he’d watched Lex play the gentleman and open Sophie’s car door.
You’d better treat her like a fucking queen. She deserves that.
But, after they’d pulled away, Ethan had noticed something else. A shadow that shouldn’t be there. Lurking, near the alley. A shadow that had the form of a man.
He unlocked his safe, took out his gun, and headed outside.
Ethan knew that shadow had been watching Sophie.
He searched the alley. The place reeked, but there was no one back there. Not anymore. Still clutching his weapon, Ethan returned to the front of Wicked.
Sophie was gone. Her watcher was gone.
This shit wasn’t good.
Chapter Eleven
She wants to be with me.
Lex knew just how important these moments were for him, for Sophie, and he was determined not to screw anything up.
He shut the door at his house. Set the alarms. Looked around. The place wasn’t good enough for her. He should light candles—do some kind of romantic gesture that women were supposed to like. Maybe he should get some wine for Sophie. Run her a bubble bath?
His gaze jerked around the room. The fireplace. Right. A crackling fire would be good. But first, he needed to get clean. He’d been surrounded by blood and death and before he touched Sophie, he wanted to wash that off his skin.
“Just relax here,” he told her, his body actually aching because he wanted her so much. “I’ll be right back.”
She frowned a little bit, but he hurried down the hallway. He stripped and jumped in the shower, not caring that the water was ice cold. Maybe it would slow him down a bit and help him to keep his control longer because when he touched Sophie, he pretty much went up in flames.
“I could join you.”
He whirled around. The still cold water pelted him, and through the glass door, he saw Sophie standing there. Stripping.
Not fast like he’d done. But slowly, sensually. Her shirt. Her skirt. Her thigh highs. How many pairs of those sexy things did she own? As he watched, she unhooked her bra and smiled. Then she kicked out of her shoes and, with her gaze on him, she pushed her panties down her hips.
The water didn’t feel so cold.
His hand flew out. He yanked off the faucet even as he opened that door.
Sophie waited a few steps away. She was completely nude. A perfect temptation. “I figure there is a reason you ran in here.”
His gaze was on her breasts. Those perfect pink nipples. Sweeter than strawberries. “Couldn’t touch you…” His voice was a rumble. “With death still on me.”
He heard her surprised inhalation. Maybe he should have sugarcoated, but thinking was kind of hard then, what with her sex bare and so very close.
I want to taste her again.
He grabbed a towel. Yanked it over him. He was dragging that towel down his chest when Sophie touched him. Her fingers slid over his stomach, and he was the one sucking in a hard breath.
“Let me,” Sophie said.
He’d let her do anything she wanted. Didn’t she know that?
She took the towel and slid it down his chest. Every muscle locked down. Well, his cock shot up. He was hard and aching, and if his control didn’t hold, he’d be coming all too soon.
She eased the towel down more. Put it right over his straining erection. Through the towel, she squeezed.
“Sophie, sweetheart, let me get you to the bed.” Or wait, hadn’t he been planning to light a fire? Or get wine or—
Planning to fuck her. Hard and deep. Planning to take her so completely there will never be another for h
er.
So much for good intentions. Every stroke had his primitive side—a side never too far away—surging forward.
Then Sophie dropped the towel. She leaned forward.
“Sophie—”
She put her mouth on him. A hot, wet heaven. She licked and she sucked and control disintegrated. He was supposed to seduce.
He barely stayed sane. His arms locked around her. He lifted her up, trying desperately not to hold her too tightly but—
“Are you going to fuck me?” Sophie asked. She arched up toward him. Bit his neck. He loved it when she did that. “Or do you want to make me wait while you shower again?”
The question shocked a laugh out of him and bought him a few more moments of not actually pouncing on her. He carried her to the bed. Spread her out. Looked his fill at her. “I was going to seduce you.”
She smiled. A real, warm, actual smile. One that stole his breath and his heart.
“Didn’t you notice?” Sophie murmured. “I just seduced you.”
Hell, yes, she had.
He reached for the nightstand and Lex yanked on a condom that waited there. Sophie’s eyes were on him, so watchful. “I can’t be easy,” Lex warned.
“Good. I don’t want you to be.”
“Hard. Wild?”
“Yes, please,” she whispered.
Fuck, yes. He drove into her. As deep as he could. Her legs wrapped around him even as Lex yanked her closer. Her sex squeezed him and when he pulled back—yes, yes!—her core was a tight, wet clasp. He thrust into her, again and again.
He took her breast in his hand. Stroked the nipple. Applied just enough pressure to make her moan and arch up against him. His hips pistoned against her and then they were rolling across the bed. Sophie rose above him, her knees on either side of his hips. His hands clamped around her waist and he guided her, moving her faster. With her rising above him like that, she looked so incredibly perfect.
If possible, he felt his cock growing even harder for her. His right hand slid down, found her sweet spot, and stroked her. Sophie’s hands slapped down on his chest as she moaned, but she kept rising and falling, rising and falling—then she was coming.