A pause followed, just long enough for him to smell the fragrance of jasmine in her hair.They were close, so close he could feel her breaths in the slow movements of her back as he pressed up against it with his chest.
Focus.
No sooner had the thought formed than she bucked her hips backward, attempting no doubt to strike him straight in the groin.A move that would have been quite effective, had he been positioned a little bit more to the left.
“Nice try,” Adrian muttered as he caught her wrist, only to grunt with surprise when her elbow jabbed him hard in the ribs.
He brought his arm around her, attempting to trap her against him, but she twisted away, putting him slightly off balance and…
Releasing her, he did what he could not to crush her as they hit the floor with a thud.
Her breath rushed over his chin as the air was forced from her lungs.
Swallowing, he pressed his palms into the floor and pushed himself upward, catching the look of surprise in her eyes.“Are you all right?”
“I…Yes.I believe so.”
Adrian stilled.There was something incredibly tempting in her expression – something that drowned out all else and made him forget that they weren’t alone.He leaned in.Only to freeze in response to a shout.
It was followed by a gunshot.
He was on his feet and racing for the door before he took his next breath.Halting, he peered out into the front room where Barrow, Jones, and Reed stood with a few of the club’s other members.Their hands were raised while two familiar scoundrels threatened them with pistols.
“We know you’re ’ere, Croft,” Chubbycheeks shouted.“Show yourself and we’ll let these men go.”
Adrian muttered a curse.It was the same blasted pair who’d attacked him before.If only he’d been wise enough to kill them then, he’d not be in this situation now.
He glanced at the women.“Stay here.I’ll handle this.”
“Come now, Croft,” Scarface hollered.“Don’t be a coward.”
“What do you want?”Adrian asked the scoundrels as he entered the front room.He’d bloody well murder the pair for showing up here.
“Same as before.”
“A beating then?”
“Don’t try to be clever or…” Chubbycheeks glanced past Adrian’s shoulder and grinned.“Looks like we won’t be needin’ you gents any longer.Not when there’s ladies about.Go on.Get out.”
“Leave the women be,” Adrian growled.“This is between the three of us.”
“Agreed.So just go get the files and we promise they won’t be ’armed.Provided you don’t do anything stupid, that is.”
Adrian’s mind raced.He didn’t trust the men to keep their word and feared what would happen if he left the women alone with them.These men were violent.Anything could happen before he returned.
He had to stay and fight.With one pistol already fired, only one proved a threat.The question was which.
“Fine.”He stepped forward slowly and made his approach, moving toward the exit until he was level with Scarface.“I’ve a question though.”
Scarface aimed his pistol directly at Adrian’s face and pulled back the hammer.“Go on.”
“Have you forgotten what I told you when we last met?”He didn’t wait for an answer before he lunged, spinning sideways while using the back of his hand to knock the pistol from Scarface’s grasp.
The shot exploded from the barrel, the noise ringing in Adrian’s head as he sent his fist flying.Knuckles connected with bone and Scarface crumpled.But even as he fell, Chubbycheeks slammed himself into Adrian’s body and sent him reeling.
30
Samantha watched in horror as Croft scrambled to fight off the man who’d knocked him over.Light bounced off the edge of a blade the villain had managed to draw from a sheath.A short distance away the other man started to push himself upward.Soon it would be two against one and then what?
