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B raxton blinked against the bright light shining in his eyes. He had a quick decision to make, and once he determined the best course of action, he didn’t hesitate. But before he could fire off a shot at Mesa, there was a loud grunt of pain and the spotlight went out, casting them all in darkness.

Brax threw himself into Quinn, knocking her sideways and down to the grass as Mesa fired off one wild shot after another. Luckily, his aim was for shit. Several more rounds filled the air and Brax knew Demon was systematically taking out Mesa’s men, one by one.

Grabbing Quinn’s hand, he helped her up and they ran toward the netting. Halfway there, a loud roar filled the air, but he wasn’t about to stop and look. Apparently, their buddy Simba had another exit to his enclosure, and Brax wanted nothing to do with the creature.

They reached the netting as the spotlight turned on again—this time lighting up Alvaro Mesa. While Brax and Quinn yanked another stake up and crawled out, Mesa let out a furious scream, turned and ran toward the netting.

Big mistake. The lion launched forward, chasing after him.

Breathing hard, thankful to be out of the lion’s den, Brax spotted Gray nearby. He stood beside the spotlight, watching the main event, an unreadable look on his stony face. The lion took Mesa down with ease, tearing into him with its claws and teeth. Quinn spun away and Brax caught her in his arms.

That had been way too close. As he stroked a hand down her back, his attention dropped to the ground where five of Mesa’s men lay dead.

“I can’t listen to this,” Quinn murmured against his chest.

“I know, baby.” Brax glanced at Gray who appeared fixated then began to lead her away. “Meet us at the dock, Demon.”

The man nodded, but didn’t look away from the carnage happening in the enclosure. Gray had certainly gotten his revenge, but it wasn’t exactly what Brax had expected. He was damn glad he hadn’t been forced to shoot the lion. It was a beautiful creature who deserved better than to be on display for Mesa’s perverse pleasure.

On the way to the dock, Mesa’s screams finally stopped. Thank Christ. Brax touched his comms unit, connecting with his team, “Pyro, requesting exfil.”

“Roger that, Pharaoh. Your GTFO point is a helipad on the northern corner of the island so you can avoid another swim. You’re welcome.”

“Appreciate it.” His damp clothes were beginning to chafe. “El Escorpión is one more name we can cross off the list.”

“Hooyah!” Ryland exclaimed. “Demon, was it everything you imagined it would be?”

“It was,” Gray said, “but the honor of eliminating Mesa went to a lion.”

“What?” Zane boomed.

“Yeah, Mesa is officially cat food.”

“That’s one kitty litter box I wouldn’t want to clean,” Saint added.

They all groaned.

Brax didn’t expect any more trouble from what remained of Mesa’s men. Most likely, they would loot the place and then jump ship. Once a leader died, men’s loyalty tended to die with it.

He and Quinn arrived at the exfil point ahead of Gray and Hunter, and he realized he was still holding her hand. And it felt so very right.

“That was damn impressive back there, Quinn Jones,” he said, nodding to the bullwhip still clutched in her other hand.

She chuckled, but he felt the belated tremble run through her body as she dropped the whip.

“Hey.” He tilted her chin up and met her sage-green eyes. She still seemed a little shaken and he couldn’t blame her. “You’re okay.”

She shuddered out a breath and he dragged her into his arms. Holding her tightly, enjoying the way her arms wrapped around him, too, he pressed his cheek against hers. Her luscious scent filled his nose and he yearned for her with every fiber of his being.

Fucking hell.

Quinn pulled back and looked up at him. “What now?” she asked, searching his face.

“Hunter should be here soon and—”

“I meant us,” she interrupted.

He froze, not sure how to respond.

“What happens next with us , Brax?” she clarified softly.

They were still holding each other, and the moment his focus dipped to her lips, a throat cleared and the sound of a chopper filled the air. They immediately let go and took an awkward step back.

Brax looked over at Gray. Despite the carnage he’d just witnessed, the big man looked more at peace than Brax had ever seen. Well, other than when he was holding Aubrey. He was studying them intently, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t comment.

Hunter arrived not long after, and Brax was more than ready to get back on the jet and return to San Francisco. His thoughts were all over the place and he needed to sort them out.

Did Quinn want to try things again? Or just have one final goodbye fuck?

He had no idea, but he was going to find out.

◆◆◆

Quinn stood in the small bathroom on the plane and stared at her disheveled reflection in the mirror. Guess that’s what happens when you tangle with the king of the jungle, she thought wryly. She’d removed the wig and now her red hair looked a little flatter than usual, so she gave it a shake and good fluff. Her heart was still pounding as she came down from the mission high. Excess energy vibrated through her body and she had no outlet for it.

Lifting her hand to wipe a smudge of dirt off her cheek, she startled when the door suddenly opened. Spinning around, she came face to face with Brax. She knew that look on his face only too well. And it could only be described as hungry.

Their gazes locked and the air suddenly heated up like someone turned the oven dial to broil. The sexual tension between them pulsated, and so did her nether regions. Pressing her lips together, lost in the molten silver of his hypnotizing eyes, she barely had time to think before he stepped into the tiny bathroom, grabbed her hips and lifted her, setting her ass down on the edge of the sink. His mouth slammed against hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck while her legs tangled around his waist.

They both let out a guttural moan as sensation and desire overwhelmed them. She couldn’t get close enough and she squeezed her legs, drawing him right where she needed him. With her dress hiked up around her waist, he ground his pelvis against the center of her wet panties. The kiss grew wild, out of control, as they devoured each other. It had been far too long and she’d missed him desperately. It felt like she’d only been breathing with half a lung the past five years, and now she was taking full, deep, exhilarating breaths of the freshest air.

Rolling her hips against his hardness, their tongues licked and tangled. Brax cupped her face, angled her head back and drank deeply. “Fuck, you taste good,” he growled, thrusting against her center.

A needy sound tore from her throat, and her hands slid down his muscular back and rounded over his firm ass. After a good squeeze, she bucked against him, wishing they were naked and he was sliding inside her.

It seemed like nothing had changed in their time apart when it came to the power of their potent desire. She still wanted him with a fierce passion and, if she were being honest, she’d never fully let him go. No matter how hard she’d tried, it had been impossible. Almost as though he were a part of her very self and just as necessary as an organ she needed to survive.

“I need you,” she begged, writhing against him.

He tore his mouth away, hands still holding her face, and it seemed like he was looking into her very soul. “I missed you,” he whispered in a ragged voice. “So damn much.”

“I missed you, too.” She lifted her hands, running her fingers through his tousled curls.

He pressed his forehead to hers and she squeezed her eyes shut. The connection between them blazed hotter than ever on every single level.

“Even though I shouldn’t, I still want you,” he admitted.

She pulled back, feeling a little dazed. In her heart of hearts, she knew she never stopped loving the infuriatingly stoic man before her. And, God knew, she’d tried.

“You make me feel alive, Quinn.” He kissed her again, and this time his mouth moved over hers in a slow, sensual dance, his tongue teasing and his teeth nipping.

“When does this plane land?” she rasped, sliding a hand down and cupping his steel cock. When he thrust into her palm, she squeezed, eliciting a deep groan from his throat.

“Three hours, twenty-seven minutes and…” —he glanced at his watch— “...thirty-two seconds.”

She chuckled. “Always so precise.”

His hand slid between her legs, cupping her mound. “I aim to please.”

“Mmm.”

When he slid her panties aside and began stroking her wet slit, she wanted to cry out. Instead, she bit her lip and drew in a sharp breath as he sank two fingers knuckles-deep, thrusting them in and out of her body. His thumb circled her clit, applying just the right amount of pressure, and she knew she was on the verge of fracturing. He still remembered exactly how she liked to be touched.

“Brax…God…” Her breathy voice sounded foreign to her own ears and she tried to clamp her thighs together, struggling to keep control. But when it came to Brax, she had no control.

A hard, swift orgasm hit her and she fell forward and bit his shoulder to keep from screaming. As her inner muscles pulsed and fluttered, she rocked against his hand, letting the pleasure consume her.

His long fingers slowly curled inside her as he kissed her thoroughly, his thumb still playing her clit like some kind of master musician. The long, wet, hot kiss left her needing his cock so badly, she couldn’t see straight. When she reached for his zipper, he stepped back, pulling his hand away, and she groaned in protest.

“I’m not fucking you hard and fast in a bathroom,” he told her, silver eyes flashing. “Especially not with everyone so close. No, Cherry, I’m going to wait until we’re alone and back on the ground. Then I’m going to do all the dirty things you love until you’re screaming my name again.

“Tomorrow,” he predicted confidently, “your voice will be hoarse and your pussy is going to be sore.”

His words, and the anticipation of what was to come, made her wetter.

“How much longer?” she asked again, voice breathless.

With a smirk, he checked his watch again. “Three hours, twenty-two minutes and ten seconds.”

Not soon enough.

◆◆◆

After their steamy encounter in the bathroom, Quinn needed to cool off. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a long drink. Brax was still in the bathroom, most likely trying to get his raging cock under control. She couldn’t wait to take him deep, until he was stretching and filling her body like only he could.

God, she’d waited five long, lonely years and her pussy was weeping for him. Her drawer of toys couldn’t compare to the way he moved, the way he could make her come over and over with his mouth, his fingers and that big, beautiful, magical cock of his.

Dropping down in a seat, she sighed deeply.

“Everything okay?” Inda asked from across the aisle, studying her closely, her caramel eyes dancing with humor.

“Never been better,” Quinn murmured, unable to stop the smile that spread from ear to ear.

While Inda had been helping her get ready for the nightclub earlier, the two had talked candidly about Brax and her, and how their relationship had ended so abruptly. Neither ever found closure, and Quinn had found herself confiding in the other woman. She was easy to talk to and a good listener. She also had Brax’s best interests at heart and it made Quinn happy to know Inda had his back. All of Ex Nihilo did. They were a good group of people and, well, she was glad she hadn’t killed them.

“The team has a running bet about who will get pregnant first,” Inda said. “My money was on Harper, but now I’m not so sure.”

Quinn felt her cheeks flush, not sure how to respond. She and Brax had a lot of time to make up for, and the idea of having his baby…well, strangely enough, it appealed to her. Being a mom wasn’t something she’d ever spent a lot of time thinking about, especially after she ran away and went off-grid. But if she ever became pregnant, she knew there was only one man she wanted to be the father.

As if in answer, Brax walked down the aisle, his gait a bit uneven. He sat down beside her and gave her a panty-melting smile. His large hand slid over hers and their fingers threaded. “To be continued,” he murmured in a low, sexy voice.

Her stomach fluttered and she squeezed his hand in answer.

Yes, they definitely were not finished with each other.