Her serious expression, the way she always kept her emotions in check, only fueled my inappropriate thoughts. What would she look like when her mask of control slipped? When her composure crumbled under me, her walls coming down, leaving her vulnerable for me?
I started to imagine her shivering under my touch, her breath hitching as I traced every inch of her skin with my tongue. What would she look like with my hands exploring her, with my mouth bringing her closer and closer to the edge?
I thought about her coming undone, lips parted, whispering my name, pleasure lighting up her eyes—pleasure only I could give her. What would her voice sound like when she begged for more? Would she tremble beneath me, gasping for air, her body giving into the waves of bliss? Would she bite her lip, trying to hold it all in, or would she let it out, raw and desperate?
I could see her now, her lips wrapping around my cock, taking me deep as I groaned from the sensation. The thought of her gaze locked on mine, full of desire, made my pulse quicken. Her body, soft and pliant, made for me to explore.
I imagined her breasts covered in my cum, her skin flushed from the intensity of it all. What would she look like, completely wrecked, every inch of her body, her sounds, her orgasms only mine to claim?
What would she look like, marked by me, utterly consumed by me in every way?
What would she look like if she were…mine?
My control wavered as my imagination ran wild.
I forced myself to snap out of it, to focus on the mission, but ignoring the magnetic pull between us was getting harder by the second. I needed to keep my fucking distance. She was still in love with James and letting myself think about her like that only dangled the certain promise of heartbreak.
Heartbreak? It was just a damn sexual fantasy. Get over yourself, Colt.
I shook my head, trying to will away the thoughts.
Emma turned, her eyes meeting mine for a fleeting moment. There was something there—something I couldn’t quite decipher. For a second, I wondered if she’d noticed the way my gaze lingered, if she somehow knew where my thoughts had drifted.
But then she shifted her attention back to the map, bringing us back to the matter at hand. “We need to determine the source of the energy field and what it means for the Amplifier’s location. If the Radicals are involved, we can’t afford to wait.”
Her tone was all business, and I shook the thoughts away.Focus. There was no room for distractions.
Fuck, I really needed to keep my distance from her.
For both our sakes. And the mission’s sake. And every other reason I could think of.
“I’ll move out at dawn,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended. “Saoirse will join me.”
THIRTY-FIVE
EMMA
Caden and I had been going on mission after mission together for weeks, and life as an Offensive of Crown had been fucking awesome. Between his ruthlessness as First Offensive and my untraceable Elder-power, we turned out to be unstoppable, the perfect team.
I’d even helped him forge a new Chela. He told me it was illegal to own, let alone create, a weapon like that—a sleek, curved blade with a distinctive serrated edge near the tip, designed to siphon translation from anyone it touched. But I didn’t care.
With his third-cycle knowledge, Caden was a walking vault of insight, and I soaked up every bit he chose to share. He’d break down the theory, layer by layer, and I’d bring it to life—channeling the energy, shaping the impossible.
And gods, it felt incredible. Unleashing my power, giving it purpose—it made me feel alive. Whole. Like I was finally stepping into the life I was meant to live. For the first time, Ifelt like I belonged—like I was moving toward something that actually mattered.
Until, out of nowhere, he chose that gorgeous girl Saoirse as his right hand for the latest operation.
I wasn’t jealous. It wasn’t like that.
But I was surprised to find how much it hurt. Why? No idea. Not like I was jealous. I was still in love with James! Even if it was in a simmering, “I don’t trust you anymore, you broke me more than anyone else ever has” kind of way.
But still, I loved him. Even though it had been over amonthsince all his lies unraveled and he hadn’t even picked up the Nexus once to apologize. Not evenonce. Who does that?
Even if he clearly didn’t think about me anymore, I thought about him almost every day. I really tried not to but failed more than I succeeded.
So why did it sting when Caden choseherinstead of me?
Maybe because it didn’t make any sense? Sure, Saoirse was one of his regulars—and not only on assignments, if the rumors were to be believed—but he and I had also had kind of a dynamic. And now, all of the sudden, it was like I wasn’t even in the picture anymore. It was the first time I felt left out, like I wasn’t the one he could depend on.
