Her soft, warm lips. Fuck.
He willed his dick not to react. Why did she have such soft lips? What would it be like to watch her lick those lips? Minutes felt like hours of torture as Bliss squirmed beneath him. “Stop moving,” he all but snarled. He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but her wiggling was killing him.
If she didn’t stop moving, he was about to cross a line neither of them wanted to cross—well, a line they shouldn’t cross. But wanted to? Hell yes.
When she squirmed, brushing her lips lower, he managed to say, “If you don’t stay still, I’m going to spank your ass. Is that what you want?” His voice sounded like he’d been chewing gravel.
She reached around and poked him in the side. “I. Can’t. Breathe.”
Fuck. Winnie wouldn’t be very happy if he suffocated her sister. Which meant Reid wouldn’t, and the last thing he needed, since Reid Nolan owned Sabre Security and was therefore his boss, was an unhappy Reid. Of course, Reid was closer to him than a brother, so that wouldn’t happen. Probably.
Not that he wanted Bliss suffocated, either. So, he lifted his hips and did his best not to picture the compromising position they were in. “Just a few more minutes.”
The second he thought they were safe, he sat up. Bliss tried to follow suit, but that wasn’t happening. Pressing his hand on Bliss’s shoulder, he held her down. “Not yet.”
He scanned the area for the silver Bentley. There were many luxury cars, but none had a busted-out window. “It looks like we lost them. Are you all right?”
For half a second, he panicked, thinking he might have hurt her. One look assured him she was fine. He filed the panic away to think about later, once he knew they were safe. He’d never panicked over an asset before, but he needed her to be okay.
She nodded, even though she looked anything but okay. She was a trooper. Kidnapped. Readied for sale to a man old enough to be her grandfather. A Russian man. Escaping, only to be caught up in a high-speed chase.
He wouldn’t allow himself to imagine the things she must have endured in her short life that enabled her to hold herself together. He’d studied The Society enough to guess. She was one tough Little girl. But she shouldn’t have to be.
After buckling her seatbelt, he pulled out of the parking lot inthe opposite direction from the Russians. Luckily, this wasn’t his first trip to Vegas, so he knew his way around. He took the back streets to a motel on the east side of the city that would give The Getaway Motel back in Darling a run for its money. It was a dive, but it would have to do. Pulling into the parking lot, he made his way behind the building to park.
His first order of business was to get a room and get Bliss inside. Chances were slim that Egoradov’s men would check out this skeevy motel, much less spot the truck behind it. Taking her to the front office would be riskier. As striking as she was, the men he’d seen working the front desk could give a description of her. He couldn’t risk exposing her, so she had to stay hidden.
He didn’t trust her alone in the truck, but hopefully, the last hour had made an impression on her. “I’m going to get us a room. I want you back on the floorboard so no one will see you. Do not, under any circumstances, get out of this truck. Understand?”
She nodded, but the gears whirring behind her eyes had him bracing for her response. Bliss was the perfect example of a girl who was too smart for her own good.
“I understand, but what if the truck catches on fire?”
“Fire? Really? That’s what you’re going with?” Oh, this Little girl had no idea who she was testing.He counted to ten, which did nothing but waste ten seconds of the precious time they had to get into a room. His rope was longer than most, but he was at the end of it. “Then I suggest you take a minute to ask yourself whether that fire is hotter than the fire I will light in your bottom if you get out of this car when I’ve told you not to. Am I clear?”
He gave himself an imaginary pat on the back. That should shut down the sass.
Eyes wide, she shook her head. “I didn't… I mean, I wasn't trying to… I mean…" She lowered her gaze to her knees, but not before he caught the tremble of that lower lip again. "Yes, sir."
Her voice had the same lilting quality most Littles had. He studied her closely. He hadn't spent that much time with her, so he couldn't be certain, but he’d be willing to bet she was teetering on the edge of her Little headspace. He could see it.
Damn if those words didn’t aim straight for his heart. Unfortunately, they got hung up around his cock and stayedthere. He had an all-consuming need to hear “Yes, Daddy” from her lips. It was a dangerous thought.
What in all that was holy had happened to his self-control? He’d never had runaway thoughts. Life had taught him a long time ago that control was vital. The effect she had on him was dangerous. It was as if she knew exactly how to unravel him. He couldn’t let that happen.
Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he reminded himself he couldn't risk her getting out of the car and getting caught, so he kept his tone stern. “Get down and stay out of sight. I won’t be gone long, but you do not want to test me. This is your one and only warning.”
She nodded again without looking up. Good, he’d nipped her smart mouth in the bud. Why did that disappoint him?
Turning toward the office, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was doing as she’d been told. All he could see was the empty car. Since he hadn’t heard a car door open while his back was turned, he took that as a sign she’d finally gotten the message.
He was in charge, and now that she realized it, the rest of the way back to Darling would be smooth sailing. Well, with her, smooth sailing was doubtful, but no matter how turbulent the waters got, he would keep her safe.
CHAPTER TWO
Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look.
If Bliss didn’t look at him, maybe he wouldn’t see her shaking. Maybe he wouldn’t see the way her insides tangled into knots every time his boot pressed the gas pedal harder.
