It wasn’t just his ruggedly handsome face and body. It was more than that.
He’d been sent to kill her. Yet, he’d given her the benefit of the doubt. He’d used his own judgement, not the party-line to make the decision to save her instead of letting the others eliminate her as they seemed intent on doing.
He also seemed to care about finding the senator’s real killer and bringing down the people pulling the strings.
Keira hadn’t realized just how close he’d moved to her. She stared up into his eyes. “You could’ve completed your mission and avoided all this.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m done taking orders that don’t make sense. Killing you made no sense to me—especially after I found your research in the motel room.” He brushed her cheek with his thumb. “You’re an interesting woman, Keira. I’m with you on this assignment. I want to find the people behind the Senator’s death and the framing of this particular Onyx operative.” He bent and touched his lips to her forehead.
Keira lowered her gaze to his chest, her heart pounding hard against her ribs. Why had he kissed her forehead when she’d much rather he’d kissed her lips? How could she change his trajectory?
Her hands rose his arms as if they had minds of their own. When the fingers of her right hand encountered something damp and sticky, she blinked, her gaze darting to his left arm, where the sleeve of his leather jacket had a hole in it. Blood stained the leather. “What the hell?” she gasped and stepped back. “You’re injured?”
He shrugged. “It’s nothing. Just a?—”
“I swear if you say it’s just a flesh wound, I’ll...I’ll—” she blustered.
He chuckled. “You’ll what? Kill me?”
“Don’t tempt me.” She grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pushed it off his shoulders, none too gently. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“We were busy getting the hell out of Austin. I’ll take care of it after you get your shower.” He winced when the jacket slid down his arms and dropped to the floor.
“The hell you will.” She yanked his T-shirt out of the waistband of his jeans. “You’re first in the shower. Is the bullet still inside you?”
A grin pulled at his lips. “You tell me.”
She pushed the T-shirt up his chest. “Can you raise your arm?”
In answer, he raised both arms, again wincing slightly, as he bent over so that she could pull the shirt up over his head.
Once she had the shirt off, she rested one hand on his bare chest and the other on his arm just below the injury. “Looks like the bullet nicked you.”
“See? A flesh wound.” He smiled. “I’ll live to fight another day.”
Suddenly aware of her hand on his warm chest, Keira stepped backward, heat rising up her neck and flooding her cheeks. “Go.” She pointed toward the bathroom. “In the shower. Once you’ve rinsed off, I’ll tend the wound.”
He popped a salute. “Yes, ma’am.” Rogue hurried out of the bedroom and down the hallway to the front living area.
Keira pressed a hand to her chest, shocked at how fluttery her heartbeat was as her gaze followed him.
He came back down the hallway, carrying his go-bag. “I won’t be long.” Rogue ducked into the bathroom and closed the door.
“Take your time,” Keira whispered. She’d need all the minutes to pull herself together. The man was little more than a stranger. She’d sworn off men.
So why the hell had she wanted to run her hands over his bare chest and feel the touch of his lips on hers? Not on her freaking forehead!
Chapter 4
Rogue didn’t wait for the water to warm. As soon as he kicked off his boots and shed his jeans, he stepped beneath the spray, willing the water from the aquifer five hundred feet below to cool his libido.
What had possessed him to kiss Keira?
His lips brushing across her forehead had felt as natural as taking his next breath. Only it had left him a little breathless once the deed was done. Breathless and longing for more.
He reminded himself that she was his target.
But she wasn’t. She was someone he needed to protect and help root out the killers before they succeeded in silencing the one they’d framed. He needed focus, not distraction.
