She had high cheekbones and a pointed chin. Her nose was straight, with only the slightest bump in the bridge. And her hair was thick. It fell down her back in soft waves. The color matched her rich, dark chocolate eyes.
It was her mouth that truly enchanted him though. It was wide and lush-lipped. Like Julia Roberts or Jessica Biel, it took up too much of her face. But he would bet his bottom dollar that meant she had the kind of smile that could brighten the darkest day and melt the ice off the coldest heart.
Will I ever get the chance to see it?he wondered absently.
She turned back and caught him staring and he wanted to kick his own ass for not being more discreet. Easily reading the appreciation, thehunger, in his eyes, she blanched an even paler shade of ivory and squirmed off his lap.
And who could blame her?he thought, helpless to assist her in her efforts. For one thing, she might scream if he put his hands on her. For another thing, he was afraid if he tried to help, he might hinder her ability to dismount without making noise.
It was a little awkward—and he suffered another ball-squish in the process—but eventually, she maneuvered off his lap and huddled on the floor beside Knox. She pulled her legs up to her chin and wrapped her arms tightly around her knees.
Way to go, jackass,he castigated himself, already missing the weight of her, the warmth of her.
When voices sounded outside, he watched her eyes grow as big as saucers. She shoved a hand over her mouth to hold in a scream. Then she buried her face into the tops of her knees.
What the hell happened to her to make her so scared?he wondered.
He took the thought a step further.And whatever it was, will she recover from it? Or will it consume her like a living thing until there’s nothing left but the rot?
He’d seen it happen before. Seen decent kids turn terrible after suffering the abuse that seemed an inevitable part of the foster care system. Seen good fighting men go bad from dissociating so often from the horrors of bloodshed that they lost the last scrap of their humanity.
That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
Whoever said that was a damned idiot. Too often, what didn’t kill a person only made them wish it had and?—
His thoughts were interrupted when a loudthudsounded against the pantry door.
His heart, which had remained rock-steady the last time he’d flown BKI’s old Blackhawk toward a moving warship only to execute a perfect pop-up breaking maneuver before hovering steady so the Black Knights could fast-rope down onto the bow, now thundered out of control.
He fully expected the feds to bust down the door. He was a little shocked when he heard a…moan?
What the hell is happening out there in the kitchen?
6
Britt Rollins was kissing the bejeezus out of Agent Julia O’Toole in the middle of the kitchen.
Scratch that.
He was kissing the bejeezus out of Julia O’Toole up against the pantry door.
They hadn’t started there, of course. They’d started behind the center island because it was there Julia had noticed Peanut. And it was there she’d suggested giving the cat a treat before leaving.
Talk about making your ding dong and your ping pongs shrink up into raisins!
Thanks to Eliza’s quick whisper in his ear before she’d made like a banana and split, Britt knew the pantry waswhere his brother and the frail-looking brunette were hiding.
Needless to say, he’d needed to distract Julia from her exit strategy. The first idea that had come to mind was a kiss.
He wasn’tsurprisedthat’s where his brain had gone. He’d wanted to kiss the smart, sassy fed since she made her firstStar Warsjoke, and he realized she was more than a baddie with a badge.
What hewassurprised by was that she’d actually agreed.Morethan agreed. She’d gone up on tiptoe, grabbed him by the ears, and slammed her mouth over the top of his.
Now,hewas the one distracted.
In the last fifteen seconds, Julia O’Toole had become his whole world. He didn’t care about the cat. He didn’t care about the people hiding in the pantry. He didn’t even care that he was harboring a fugitive and, by association, forcing his friends and coworkers to do the same.
He only cared about the sweet, silky tongue Julia delved into his mouth. He only cared about tasting the delicious hint of coffee on her lips as she laved, sucked, and licked. He only cared about breathing in every warm, moist breath she shared with him.
