I cling to his shoulders and hold on, overwhelmed by the force of him, the size of him, the sounds he’s making against my throat.
Feeling bold, I find the scar again, and I press down hard.
He roars against my shoulder, teeth grazing my skin before he rears back. His hips stutter, his rhythm faltering, just for a second before he resumes driving in and out.
Something reckless seizes me. I lean forward and sink my teeth into his shoulder, right over the scar, biting down as hard as I can.
He comes apart, making that inhuman noise once more, making my core quiver around him, blown away by the intensity of whatever’s happening.
His whole body seizes, a hoarse shout tearing from his throat as he buries himself deep and pulses inside me. My own release barrels into me, unexpected and devastating, and I scream against his skin as the world whites out.
When I come back to myself, we’re both trembling. He’s still inside me, his forehead pressed to the tile beside my head, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
“What…” I manage, my voice wrecked. “What the hell was that?”
With a soft kiss to my lips, he eases out of me, lowering my feet carefully to the floor and keeping his hands on my waistuntil he’s sure I can stand. He doesn’t answer for a long moment. When he finally pulls back to look at me, his eyes are brown again, but vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen from him.
“I don’t know how to explain.” His voice is hoarse. He reaches back, touching the scar on his shoulder, and I watch his throat work as he swallows. “But I think you’ve done something to me, Emma.”
23
BODHI
Asharp knock disrupts the silence.
“Lennox.” Dimitri’s voice, cold and flat. “Kozlov wants you. Now.”
Emma’s fear spikes through the bond, bright and sharp, and I squeeze her hand once while yanking my T-shirt over my head.
“Stay in here,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t open the door for anyone but me.”
She nods, pulling the robe tighter around herself.
“I’ll be back.” I promise. “Soon.”
She’s trying to be brave, trying to tamp down the fear so I won’t worry. It makes my chest ache.
My bear fights me the whole way to the door.
Dimitri is waiting in the corridor, leaning against the wall with his arms folded and that patient stillness that makes him more dangerous than men twice his size.
“Took your time.” He regards me, shrewd and suspicious, as I lock the door and pocket the key.
“She was pretty freaked out. Had me checking all the windows and under the bed.” I roll my eyes. “Why? Do you need me to knock out the bad guysandclean up the mess?”
Hoping my surly demeanor and sarcasm will make follow-up questions less likely, I stare back.
“So long as that’s all it is.” He ignores my attitude, pushes off the wall and falls into step beside me, close enough that our shoulders almost brush. It’s an attempt to establish dominance and remind me who holds the power here.
Because stupidly, he thinks he’s the more dangerous of the two of us.
We find Kozlov in his study, reeking of cigars and strong cologne. A mahogany desk the size of a small boat sits in front of heavy curtains that frame tall windows overlooking the manicured grounds. Kozlov stands behind the desk, vodka in hand, silhouetted against the glass.
Dimitri positions himself by the door. Whether he’s guarding the exit or blocking it, I’m not sure.
Kozlov sets down his glass with a sharp click. “The men from last night. Are they sufficiently well disposed of?”
“They are.” I keep my posture loose and my hands visible, nothing to suggest I’m anything other than a loyal soldier reporting in. “Nobody’s going to stumble across them, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”
