He rested a hand over hers. “Ever since I met you, keeping it professional has been practically impossible.”“So it’s true.”“Which part?”“You could get in trouble for seeing me.”He raised her hand to his lips, brushing a kiss to her knuckles. “I can handle a little trouble. How about you?”Scars and a thrill seeker. Gods help her…
He raised a brow at another abrupt change in the conversation. “Are you disappointed I couldn’t dodge a couple bullets?”A real smile teased her lips as she lowered her coffee mug. “On the contrary, I’m a sucker for a guy with scars, so for your protection, we should probably stick to the case.
Lia pulled back, moonlight dancing in her dark eyes. “If you’re trying to make me go easy on you, it won’t work.”Cooper's teeth brushed her lower lip. “No way. Just getting an early taste of my prize.”She grinned. “I feel like I’ve already won.”He kissed her once more, whispering, “I know I have.
As soon as the garage door lowered, he slid his hand into her hair, drawing her in for another kiss. Her mouth tasted like sweet brandy and spice. Damn, she was delicious.She ran her hands down his chest and tugged his shirt free from his jeans. He groaned as her cool hands explored his bare abs. His other hand wandered up from her waist, enjoying her curves until he was cupping her breast. She moaned into his mouth and arched her back into his touch, and he just about lost it right there.He pulled back, his voice a husky whisper. “I need more room and fewer clothes.
He sighed, breaking the eye contact. “I just wanted you to know why I’m cautious. When the divorce was final, I swore I’d never let another woman into my heart. Love made me weak.” He forced himself to look her in the eyes. “I’ve never met anyone like you, and today, I would’ve died for you and wouldn’t have regretted it for a second.
Her roommate was at the table with a grin that was all trouble. “So you’re not going to tell me about last night?”Erica rolled her eyes and went about getting her breakfast. “You saw Reed. How do you think it went?”She chuckled. “Being hot doesn’t mean you’re good in bed.”Erica peered over her shoulder. “We never even got to the bed.”Trin’s eyes widened. “Oh gods! I eat at this table!
She wet her lips. “And she didn’t warn you about me?”“Should she have?”Erica finished her drink, relishing the burn in her belly and the flush of heat in her cheeks as she nodded. “Definitely.”His gaze smoldered. “It’s a good thing danger is my calling, then.”“Good to know,” she said with a sly smile.
He twisted the heavy gold ring around his finger. It had been in his family for generations, passed down to each eldest child along with the family mission of once again ushering in the Golden Age of Man. His great-great-grandfather had been the first of their Order to make physical progress toward the ultimate goal: to free the powerful prisoners from the center of the Earth.
When I turned, I found myself looking at my reflection in the mirror. The dressing room lights surrounded it like a frame, but with the rest of the lighting off, only the center of the mirror was visible. Just us.His gaze locked on mine as his hands slid slowly up from my hips. His fingers splayed wide, teasing me as they made their slow journey up my waist while his lips were at my ear. "I want you to see how sexy you are, and hot you make me.
I should walk away again. But “should” could go fuck itself. Giving her up the first time nearly killed me, and hurting her again wasn’t an option.None of it would matter if I couldn’t convince her to give me another chance. While she said she hated me, her body told another story. Her pulse had raced, and the scent of her arousal haunted me.Plus, she kissed me back.
Taryn? Are you all right?" I nodded, pushing away the doubt. My fingers laced with his. "I've never been swept off my feet before. Sounds a little... terrifying." He laughed, and I drank in the sound. "Terrifying is not what I'm shooting for." He kissed me, his lips caressing mine over and over until my pulse was thrumming, warming my whole body. He stared into my eyes. "Breathless maybe...
--- "That first day when we met, when I gave you my estimate for the deck project and you wouldn't shake my hand..." I laced my fingers with hers. "There was something sad and lonely in your eyes. I knew all about your reputation, your nickname the Ice Queen, but that wasn't what I saw that day. When I looked into your blue eyes, I saw a princess locked away in a tower, a prisoner. I wanted to set you free.
Once we were on the road, I glanced at my passenger. “If you’ve got any ideas about how I can get this shit storm cleared up, I’m all ears.”Tank snorted, sneezed, and lay down on the bench seat, plopping his head on my leg. I rested my hand on his back, eyes glued to the winding two-lane highway. “Yeah, I don’t have a goddamn clue either.
His barely there smile warmed me. “You try really hard to hide behind that Ice Queen disguise, but that’s not who I see. I see a girl who had to grow up fast, and a mom who would sacrifice everything for her son. You’re beautiful, Taryn, inside and out, and I want to get to know the woman you keep hidden away.” He lowered his hand and my body ached at the loss. “If you’re willing, I’ll walk through the fire with you.
The corner of his mouth pulled up into a crooked, boyish grin that melted the heart I was so desperate to protect. “You don’t have a monopoly on fear. Until we kick Nero’s asses out of Reno—and trust me, I have every intention of doing that—you’re a target. If anything happened to you…” He shook his head, breaking eye contact. “Can’t even think about it.
She came closer, reaching up to inspect the cut on my brow, her breasts so close to my chest, the heat of her body warmed me right through our clothes. “Jason, we need to get you to a hospital. Your brain could be swelling.”Oh, something was swelling for sure, but it was nowhere near my brain.
He stared down at her for a moment, wanting to heal everycut on her soft skin. But he couldn’t, not yet. He needed to get her,and her car, far from this place so neither he nor Kate would beimplicated in any way with the gruesome murder site.It also meant he would have to drive.In all his years, he had never driven an automobile. The closest hehad come was watching various assistants through the years as theychauffeured him. He wasn’t sure he could even remember how tostart the car, but right now he had no choice.Grudgingly, he got into the driver’s seat, and finding the leverunderneath, he pushed it back so he sat comfortably behind thewheel. After trying three different keys, he found one that slipped intothe ignition.From what he had seen over the past hundred years, driving wasnot a complex operation, and he was an immortal with reflexes farmore keen than a human man.How difficult could it be?He turned the key and nearly jerked the wheel off the steeringcolumn when the car surprised him by lurching forward. The car wentsilent. The engine wasn’t running. What was he doing wrong?He stared at the gearshift, wondering if he should move it. Hisfrustration reared up, but his agitation would not make the car driveitself. He had to keep a cool head.Not knowing what else to try, he pushed one of the pedals at hisfeet to the floor and turned the key again. This time the car didn’tmove, and it roared to life. Grasping the gearshift, he jammed it intothe first position and glanced over at Kate.Why couldn’t she have owned a car with an automatictransmission?Shaking his head, he put some pressure on the gas pedal andslowly released the clutch. Thankfully the car rolled a few feet, butwithout warning it jumped forward. He pressed the clutch back to thefloor before the engine lost power again.Calisto slammed his hand against the wheel, muttering under hisbreath in Spanish. At this rate it would take him all night to drive herhome.The faded yellow convertible pitched forward again, threateningto stall as he continued out of the parking lot, thankful it was late. Thestreets were fairly empty. At least he wouldn’t get into an accidentwith another car. Her car staggered ahead, lurching each time hetried to release the clutch, bouncing and jostling them both until Katefinally stirred and woke up.§“Are we out of gas or something?”Calisto watched her with a tight smile. “Not exactly.”Kate winced in pain when she laughed. “You can’t drive a stickshift,can you?”“Does it show?” Calisto pulled over, finally allowing the engine tostall.She nodded her head slowly to avoid more pain. “Just a little.What happened?”“You don’t remember?”“I remember being mugged. And I remember seeing you, buteverything after that is blank.” She watched his eyes as Calistoreached over to brush her hair back from her face, and his touch sentshivers through her body. This wasn’t how she had hoped she wouldrun into him, but she learned a long time ago fate didn’t always workout the way you expected.
The monsignor called after him, “If I am to blame, then why have I not met the same fate as Brother Mentigo and Brother De Cardina before him? Why am I still alive?”Calisto glared over his shoulder at the monsignor and growled. “Because there are worse punishments than death. Live with your guilt, old man. May it rot in your heart and kill you slowly for manyyears to come.
She brought her hand to his chest. His chiseled musclesresponded to her touch, and a moan escaped her as he clutched hertighter. Calisto’s fingers slid through her hair, and her lips parted, hertongue tasting him, tangling with his until her knees buckled.Dear God, this man could kiss.
The sound of your voice makes the chaos around me vanish. The smell of your hair calms my soul. The sight of your smile tames the wolf inside of me, and touching your skin…” He glanced at our joined hands. “Touching your skin makes the broken parts of me whole.” - Aren from Hunter's Moon
Keegan rested his forearm on the wheel. “If the spell is fading, you could’ve grown old with this woman. She never had to know you were the Quartermaster on the Sea Dog when it sank in 1795.”“All true.” Colton glanced over his shoulder toward the bow. “But every man she’s ever known has lied to her. I didn’t want to be another one.
Because my division watches immortals like your crew. It’s in the government’s best interest to keep tabs on people who could potentially be assets someday. Which is why I’m here.” He turned to Colton again. “I can use my contacts to locate the group holding the Holy Grail, but the American government can’t be tied to the recovery effort in any way.”“So what are you sayin’?” Colton held his breath.“I’m saying who better to steal it back than a band of pirates?
Hunter scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down and then moved behind her to spoon her, his arm holding her close to his chest. His lips brushed her ear. "Before you push me away, you have my word that once you're asleep, I'll go in the other room, okay?" ...Without moving, she whispered into the darkness, "What if I don't want you to go?
Muriah approached him with a new pair of khakis and a couple of T-shirts. “I guessed at the size so you might want to go try these on first.”He took the clothes and slid his arm around her waist, maneuvering her toward the fitting room.“Hey, I didn’t sign on to be your dresser.” She grumbled, but didn’t struggle.He pulled the door closed and turned to meet her eyes. “It’s light in here and full of people. Apep will not be able to surprise us, and his serpents cannot spy. We need to talk.”***He stripped off the wet shirt, exposing his chiseled torso. She did her best not to choke on her tongue. His tanned skin and taut muscles tempted her, luring her to touch him. Turning around to give him privacy seemed like the right thing to do, but there wasn’t a hint of modesty in this Mayan god, and if he could handle getting this personal, then she could, too.When he unzipped the wet pants, she held her breath. Would an ancient guy wear underwear? She was about to find out. He bent over to lower the wet slacks. When he straightened up, she realized he’d been talking, but she didn’t have a clue what he had said. Instead, all her attention was focused on a fine trail of dark hair leading from just below his navel and disappearing under the low-slung elastic band of his boxer briefs.“Muriah?”Her gaze snapped up to meet his. Thank the universe he couldn’t read her thoughts. “Yeah?”“Did you hear my question?”He stood two feet from her in only his underwear, and he thought she was listening? He was either completely unaware of his sex appeal, or he was way too accustomed to being obeyed.Probably both.She cleared her throat. “I must’ve missed it.”A spark lit his eyes that told her he might have more than a clue to his sex appeal.He picked up the T-shirt and pulled it on. “I asked if you knew of another hotel closer to the airport so we can get out of New York as soon as the sun sets tomorrow.”“I’m sure I can find one.” She pulled out her phone, grateful to have something to pretend to focus on besides him tucking his package into the new khakis she pulled off the rack for him.“I probably should’ve grabbed some dry underwear, too.”“They are nearly dry now. I will be fine.” He popped the tags off, and she glanced up from her hotel search. “They’re not going to like you taking the tags off before you pay.”The corner of his mouth curved up. “They will be honored to take my money.”She groaned and rolled her eyes. “Do you ever not get your way?”He stepped closer to her, his chest an inch from hers until her back pressed against the modular wall of the fitting room. “Rarely.” His dark gaze held hers, and the deep rumble of his voice sent heat through her body. “But some things are worth the extra effort.
She groaned and rolled her eyes. “Do you ever not get your way?”He stepped closer to her, his chest an inch from hers until her back pressed against the modular wall of the fitting room. “Rarely.” His dark gaze held hers, and the deep rumble of his voice sent heat through her body. “But some things are worth the extra effort.
She rocked her hips into him and gasped. “Do you have a sleeping cabin on this boat?” His teeth brushed her ear. “Yes.” “Do you have protection?” Her question didn’t register through the haze of his hunger for her. “Cannons, a cutlass, and a few pistols.” She chuckled and kissed him again. “How about condoms?