Chapter Twenty-Three
Percy’s voice stoppedher in the hall.
“Danny, wait.”
Danny closed her eyes, knowing if she looked over at him, in his dark moleskin coat and unruly, black curls, she’d never walk away.
“I must inform my sister of our need as soon as possible,” she said, letting the draft from the front door clear the heat from his nearness. “I’ll send a note when I arrive at Bromley, so you won’t worry.”
“All I do is bloody worry.”
She turned then, unable to resist the frustration in his voice that called to her own tumultuous feelings raging inside.
Seeing his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his dark and piercing gaze searching her face with hot intensity, didn’t help.
It took every ounce of willpower not to soothe the lines from his brow with her fingers and replace her fingers with her mouth, and then other parts of her, parts that ached for his rough touch.
Danny cleared her throat, forcing her desires away.
“You were wonderful in there,” she said. “Authoritative, confident.”Handsome, arousing.“All those team skills you learned as a boy paid off.”
Percy rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. “I felt like a damn fool with everyone all expectant.” His expression shuddered. “One wrong move and we’re all dead.”
Danny clutched her warm belly, his overwhelming trust in dropping all pretense in her presence meaning everything. They were partners... and right now, she needed to be his.
“You can do this, Percy.” She reached out and laid a gentle hand on his arm, forcing herself not to reach for more, not now with so much at stake. “Everyone in that room believes in you.”
“And you?” he asked, his voice uncharacteristically reserved. “Do you believe in me?”
She’d do anything to wipe away that look of uncertainty in his gaze. But he wouldn’t listen even if she admitted she trusted him with her very soul.
Forcing a pout, she ran a finger down his chest and over the hard span of his torso where her nail scraped the edge of his waistband, reminding herself it was to distract him and not to ease her craving to feel him against her skin. “I believe a man who can make me come six times in a single coupling can handle giving out simple instructions to his friends.” She cocked a brow. “I, for one, find yourinstructionmore than satisfactory.”
Percy tracked her finger’s progress across the wide brim of his trousers with a smile that was slow in coming and deliciously wicked and so much like his normal self, Danny felt her shoulders sag with relief.
“Ithasbeen a solid eight hours since your last lesson,” he said, reaching out and twirling a loose curl from her coif around a finger. “I’ve been remiss in my husbandly duties, haven’t I?” He tugged on her hair to elicit the slightest sting on her scalp, a sting he must have remembered she liked when he’d last taken her from behind and used her long mane as reins to pull them both over the edge of pleasure.
Danny’s thighs clenched. There was a monster out there somewhere, bent on destroying those who had come to be precious to her, but even with the threat against their persons and home, even knowing Percy needed her strong and on point, her body had its priorities.
Her earlier revelation sizzled through her body and the resulting awareness left her feeling shy and awkward and horribly aroused despite the discomfort.
Percy stiffened. “What’s wrong?”
She bit her lip, the ache between her legs stretching with desire. Even now he was attentive, all consuming, perfect.
It wasn’t fair. She’d finally discovered the depth of her affection and now one madman could take it all away. They both needed to stay focused on their roles going forward. None of them could afford a distraction.
Percy’s light touch on her cheek brought her back. “Danny?”
“I want you.” She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed into his touch, not caring how selfish she sounded. “I want you here and now, against this wall, your cock inside me.”I want to know you’ll always be close.“But everyone is counting on you.” On them both.
His responding chuckle had her eyes popping open.
His dark gaze fixed on her mouth. All the air was sucked from the hall as he growled and dragged her against him. “Everyone can fucking wait.”
Danny didn’t fight the sexual pull now. With the threat of violence and death, they both needed reassurance the other would make it out alive. Theywouldbecause Danny refused to live in a world without him.
Percy’s lips seared a line of kisses down her temple, along her jaw, playing at the corner of her mouth. “You look ravishing in that dress, Danny. I could barely focus on anything but dipping my tongue down your décolletage and taking a taste.”
