Page 29

Tension coils every muscle in my body. My neck and shoulders scream despite me trying to stretch and roll them loose.

My ears still ring from the cries Bones let out as Declan dismembered him piece by piece. Blood has caked on my knuckles from me roughing him up a bit.

To say I was shocked about Sarah’s boss being involved with the Russians is an understatement.

Sarah is stunning. He easily could have had her kidnapped. Sold.

I knew he recognized me the second his eyes met mine. They flared for a split second before he masked his face with indifference.

How do I tell her about this?

Will she hate me for helping Declan dispose of someone she cleared cared for?

I slide my fingers through my hair as the elevator to the penthouse rises.

I spent a lot more time away than I intended and I have no doubt she will ask questions. She’s unbelievably observant to the energy around her, so she’ll sense the rigidity I struggle to contain.

When the doors open to the penthouse, I’m greeted with silence. The entire space is dark except for the soft light of the TV screen. The credits of a movie scroll up the screen.

Sarah is in a ball, cocooned in a blanket on the couch.

My chest expands with happiness at the sight. I could get used to coming home to this woman.

At least you don’t need to tell her tonight. The voice in my head interrupts my small slice of peace.

I stride toward the kitchen to quickly wash my hands and take off my shirt before I move Sarah to the bedroom. Once I’m sure I won’t accidently get any blood on her, I reach for the remote that sits on the coffee table and shut off the TV.

“Rhys?” she mumbles when I scoop her into my arms.

“I’ve got you, baby,” I whisper, tucking her close to my body. She rests her head on my shoulder and wraps her arms around my neck. I smile when she hums in contentment when I lay her on the bed.

After making sure she’s settled, I head toward the bathroom to finishing cleaning the day off.

Steam rises as the water heats. I quickly finish undressing then step under the spray. My mind is in disarray with dark thoughts of what Declan is going through.

We’d come to the conclusion that she’s been targeted by the Bratva through Mark. Being a part of the underground means we’ve seen and done fucked up shit. But flesh trading is something only the vilest of humans could involve themselves in.

What I can’t figure out is why Mark would do this to her. What has happened in Paige’s past that would bring someone like him into her life?

My body is still wound tight when I step out of the ensuite.

I’m feeling too many emotions to sleep, so instead, I head toward the kitchen and pour myself a glass of whiskey. The burn warms my throat and chest as the amber liquid travels down.

Goosebumps spread across my skin as I stand in the room wearing only a towel wrapped around my hips. Water droplets trickle down my chest and down my abdomen.

After I finish off the whiskey and rinse out the glass, I stride back to my room. Sarah remains sound asleep as I dress in a pair of black boxer-briefs and climb into bed. I pull her close and breathe her in. Her back pressed to my front.

A calmness settles inside me, and I drift off to sleep.

* * *

“Hmm.” Sarah’s lip purse as she stares off.

“What?”

Her nose crinkles before she turns to face me. “I was watching those birds and thought about what we’d look like if we could fly.” She shivers in disgust. “Let’s just say, my brain came up with an image of a naked flying squirrel with a human face and no tail.”

I blink, picturing the description in my mind. The laugh that bursts out of me if boisterous. Sarah’s face lights up and then her laugh joins my own.

I love that this woman isn’t afraid to voice her off the wall thoughts. I haven’t laughed this much since Declan and I were kids.

It’s been a few days since we found out about Mark’s deal with the Bratva and since I found out about Bones’ involvement with them.

Sarah hasn’t gone to work yet, and I don’t have the heart to tell her that she won’t be returning. I’ve given her a brief rundown of what’s going on. She knows that Mark made a dangerous deal and that Declan, and I are handling it.

Her phone chimes and she pulls it from her back pocket. Her lips are still turned up in a smile as she types away.

I study her profile. Her slightly upturned nose. Her naturally plump lips. Even her long lashes are perfect.

A strand of hair falls from behind her ear and I reach over, tucking it back into place. Returning her phone to her pocket, she peers up at me through lowered lashes. Those beautiful sapphire eyes of hers are guarded. Uncertainty flickers as we continue to stare at each other in silence.

“Rhys,” she whispers. And just like when we were in the gym, the space between us becomes charged with an addictive energy.

As time passes, I can’t deny the way I feel about this woman. Despite the apprehension she shows, I know she feels the magnetic pull that surrounds us every time we spend time together.

And I’m not even talking about the sex.

That’s explosive. Out of this world. But it’s the little things that speak the loudest. Like the way her eyes soften when she first wakes in the morning and sees me there. The way her breath hitches every time we brush against each other.

It’s things like that that show me she cares more than she lets on.

I lean in, bringing our lips closer until we’re just centimeters apart. Her eyes bounce between my eyes and my lips.

“Yes, mo réalta ?” I ask. My voice becomes seductive.

A growl rumbles its way up my throat when she bites her lower lip. When she releases it, I lean closer. My lips brush lightly against hers. Once. Twice.

When she lets out a breathy moan, I deepen out kiss. My fingers slide through her silky gold strands. Cupping the back of her head, I hold her close. She opens up for me and our tongues move unhurriedly against one another.

Her hands press against my chest, and she steers me backward. We move from the balcony into the living room.

“Sit down,” she orders, her lips swollen.

I settle onto the couch and watch as she slowly begins stripping her clothes. My cock is pressed painfully against my pants, begging to be set free. An unbelievable amount of hunger fills my blood when she stands in front of me, completely bare.

Exquisite.

Her steps are deliberately slow as she saunters toward me. The sway of her hips sends another bolt of lust through me.

Straddling me, she grips onto the back of the couch and grinds herself against me. Her tits are level with my face. Cupping one of them, I bring her puckered nipple to my mouth and suck. She writhes and moans.

“Oh, fuck.” Her sighs spur me on, and I lightly nip at her flesh. My other hand settles on her hip. I press her down on my erection while lifting my hip upward.

I feel the warmth radiating off her cunt and groan.

Her fingers move to stroke the hair on my nape before she tugs them. I sweep my hand across her pubic bone and down to her soaked pussy. Her hips buckle when I graze my thumb along her slick folds.

“Please,” she begs, tilting her hips.

“Please what, mo réalta?” I tease her entrance with my fingers, just barely pressing in before pulling away.

She whimpers. “Please, fuck me. Fuck me, Rhys.” I moan when her teeth sink into my neck. I pat her ass, signaling her to lift. She allows me enough room to release my cock.

My eyes roll back when her hand grips my length. Holding firm, we moan in unison when her pussy stretches around my cock as she takes me in inch by inch.

Fully seated, I wrap my hands around her waist, and we move.

She meets me stroke for stroke.

“Fuck. That’s it, baby. That’s it. Choke my cock with your beautiful tight pussy.” Her walls clench and I hiss at the sensation.

She picks up speed. Her breasts bounce. Her skin begins to glisten with sweat.

“Yesyesyes,” she chants, her orgasm climbing toward its peak. My balls draw tight.

My grip on her hip tightens, immobilizing her. I piston into her and her cries of pleasure bounce off the walls. Sweat beads along my brow, my jaw tensing.

“YES! OH, FUCK!” She comes hard, and I follow seconds later with a roar.

The head of my cock is so sensitive that I jolt when she lifts, and I slip out of her. She drops onto the couch with a sated sigh.

“That was amazing.”

I chuckle and pat her thigh before tucking myself back into my pants and rising to my feet.

“Stay there,” I say, striding toward the kitchen. I return a second later with a warm, wet washcloth. After cleaning our release from her body, I scoop her into my arms and press a kiss to her temple before making my way down the hallway.