She pulled her Glock. “Together.”
“You’re not gonna shoot me, are you?”
Strangely, that made her laugh. “If anyone was going to get shot, it would be me…by you.”
She keyed open the door. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw the wretched beast.
Meow. Meow. Meow. Meeeoooow.
Stryker couldn’t stand cats. They were insane.
The black monster ran up the stairs. He did appreciate the view of Emerson’s glorious ass as he followed her to the main level.
“You want some water?” She pulled two glasses from a cupboard, filled one from the refreshment center of her refrigerator and offered it to him.
After filling and draining her own glass, she shook a can of treats and that damn animal started walking on its hind legs while pawing at the air.
“It’s possessed.”
She burst out laughing. “We’re joining the circus. As soon as I catch this killer, Pima and I are traveling the country so everyone can marvel at his amazing tricks.”
“Pima?”
“That’s his name. P. I. M. A.” She dropped the treats in his bowl and the crazy feline got busy eating them. More like attacking them in some kind of full-body heave.
“Even his purring sounds insane,” Stryker grumbled.
That elicited another smile. Appreciating her beauty, he stayed locked on her. Then, he pulled out his Glock. “Ready?”
“Are you serious?”
“Unless you want me to stay here—”
Her lips parted, her tongue rolled over her lower lip and damn if his cock didn’t move. The stare down continued. Someone had to make the first move.
“That kiss—” he said.
She shuddered in a deep breath. “Total mistake.”
“I agree. Let’s act like professionals.”
“Ready to clear?” When she set her glass on the counter, she brushed against him.
That brief contact was enough to catapult them into each other. Her arms wrapped his neck, he snaked his hands around her waist. The explosive kiss was raw and intense. Mouths open, tongues searching. She could not stop moaning into him. He turned hard, his balls aching with a need that had him pulling her flush against him.
Ravenous for her, he pressed his palm against her ass and ground out a long groan. And then, he broke away, breathing hard, and out of his mind with a pent-up passion that made his head hurt.
“We can’t do this.” He sucked down a breath, but he couldn’t stop the desire pounding through him. He was drowning in a tsunami of lust.
Disappointment flashed in her eyes. Her expression killed him.
She raked her hands through her hair and grabbed her weapon. “Let’s clear the house. I’ve got to get some sleep.”
Ah, fuck, I’ve offended her.With each room they cleared, the silence thickened. By the time they’d finished, a suffocating, blinding, deafening rage consumed him. They had to work together and he didn’t need “complicated”. A casual hookup wasn’t gonna work, either.
They finished where they started. At the basement door leading to her garage.
“Thanks for tonight,” she said, her tone chilly.
