She was. She never wanted to look away. His face was stark and so strong. Somale.
“There you go,” he whispered, changing his angle and holding her tight. “Come now, Gemma. Now.”
Her body instantly obeyed and she blew right apart. Pleasure detonated inside her, live wires uncoiling and shooting sparks in every direction. He thrust even harder, prolonging the waves until the bliss nearly became too much. An erotic agony she hadn’t realized even existed. Just as she began to come down, he let himself go. A drop of sweat fell from his forehead to her ear as he buried his face in her neck, spasms taking him over.
She held him tight, drowning in his pleasure. Feeling it as acutely as she had her own.
He stopped shuddering and levered himself up, smoothing her damp hair away from her head. Then he kissed her. Slow, deep, drugging…he took her over as easily as he did everything else, and she let him. Trusting Jethro was the easiest thing she’d ever done, and the riskiest. There was no question he could completely destroy her if he wanted, and she didn’t care.
Because he wouldn’t.
He released her mouth and kissed her nose, cheeks, and chin. “God, you’re perfect.”
“You are,” she said as sleep drew near. Within seconds she was dreaming, safe in his muscled arms.
* * * *
After a night of bliss, Jethro couldn’t sleep. He’d made love to Gemma twice more and now lay wrapped around her. She was small and trusting against him, and her dreams seemed peaceful.
Peace was an illusionat the moment.
Monty wasn’t smart enough to go away, and Fletcher was surely planning further evil. In addition, Jethro had two wounded brothers in the other room who’d try to jump in front of the Fletcher freight train if they could. Not to mention Wolfe, who’d just blow up the train, even though he had a pregnant fiancée to worry about. In fact, Force’s entire team was spending their precious time coveringhim right now.
He had to take care of his brother so he could create the life Gemma needed. A safe life.
She’d been right that he could control the violence inside him and the danger around them. He’d kept himself from getting close to any woman because he was so dangerous, but maybe a powerful man was actually what Gemma needed to feel safe. He couldgive her that.
The wind finally gave up the fight outside and the world stilled, caught in a frozen grip. His phone dinged near dawn, and he reached for it, gently setting Gemma to the side. A quick glance confirmed that he didn’t know the number. So he slipped from the bed, padded into the adjoining washroom, and shut thedoor. “Hanson.”
“Hello, Brother,” Fletcher said, his tone cheerful. “I hope I did not awaken you.”
Jethro scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I should’ve killed you after you murdered our mother.”
Fletcher laughed. “You’ve never been as good at this as I, Jethro. You don’t have it in you.”
“You might be wrong about that,” Jethro said. So long as Fletcher breathed, he was a threat. Jethro had been trained to negate threats, and now he had a lot to lose. “This is your only chance, Brother. Take your money and find an island. I won’t waste my time hunting you.” He could leave that to the various governments that wanted Fletcher gone even more than Jethrodid. “Just go.”
“I can’t,”Fletcher said.
Jethro sat on the edge of the luxurious spa tub. He wished he didn’t understand Fletcher’s refusal, but he did. “I’ve spent too much time trying to figure out whether it was nature or nurture that sent us wrong.” Was there something in their DNA that made them killers, or had growing up in that cold house with the lovely façade destroyed them? “I think we went wrong on both fronts.”
“Possibly, but who cares? Regardless, we’re the same,” Fletcher said. There were no ambient sounds to pinpoint his location.
“No.” Jethro flexed his hand, which still ached where a falling beam had hit him when he’d carried Oliver out of the burning apartment. “We are not the same.” Jethro was capable of love and maybe, just maybe, redemption. “You’re beyond any hope, Fletcher. Your soul is truly damned.” Mostly because Fletcher wouldnever change.
Fletcher was quiet for a moment. “Then it’s my job to damn you. I’d hate to spend eternity in hell alone.” His tone was dark and his accent smooth. “This dream you have of that pretty blonde saving your soul is silly.It’s too late.”
The blonde was a stunning brunette who might’ve already saved his soul. Jethro sighed, his gut churning even as his brain focused in with laser precision. His brother no doubt was still taking contracts, so that was one way to track him. It was time to go on the offensive and stop worrying about defense. He had enough good people around him to cover Gemma and Trudy. “Why don’t you and I just meet up and finish this?” he asked. “Unless you think you can’t win?”
There was a small chance Fletcher wouldtake the bait.
“Oh, we’ll definitely have our moment together, Jethro. But now isn’t the time. It has to be perfect, remember?” Fletcher clicked off.
Jethro perched his phoneon the counter.
That’s right.
Perfect.
