Page 16

K age

A mistake.

One that couldn’t happen again.

I pulled away, scanning the room as I’d done several times.

The men I’d seen out the window had issued an instant silent alarm in the forefront of my mind.

The fuckers were combing the streets. Dressed like third world soldiers, there was no mistaking their intentions.

When one had walked into the restaurant, I’d known instinctively who he was searching for. I’d reacted without thinking.

The woman had been far too much of a temptation.

She still was.

Now regret captivated my mind. I’d done worse than kiss a woman in my methods of protection and subterfuge, but this was the single time it had felt personal.

“Wait,” she said, her light touch on my arm increasing the heat between us.

“We need to go.”

“Were we compromised?”

“Potentially.”

Juliette exhaled but said nothing else. I motioned for the waiter, already yanking my wallet into my hand.

I could only hope my old Navy buddy came through.

If anyone could, Stone Bellows would easily manage the danger and secrecy.

A former teammate, both his training and creative abilities had added strength to our unit.

The man truly lived on the edge, no risk too dangerous.

With the bill paid, I grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the rear exit.

Remaining in the tropical jungle surrounding the touristy town was our only safe method of escape.

However, how long would it be before what appeared to be active militia came knocking on our door?

What stuck in my craw was the fact the three men I’d seen had been in indistinguishable uniforms. That led me to believe her kidnapping had less to do with the slave trade industry and more to do with a vendetta of some kind.

Or a payment.

The men had been heavily armed just like the two men I’d killed at the estate, their weapons definitely military grade. Either Gray didn’t know the details behind her kidnapping, or he wasn’t in a position to provide me with every scrap of information.

Was it possible the case was classified?

Sadly, yes.

Another reason Gray had called me in on the mission.

As soon as we were outside, she slipped the sunglasses on her face, the cap firmly in place. The disguise would only provide so much coverage. The soldiers knew exactly what they were looking for. I was the one behind the eight ball.

That pissed me off.

“Stay right with me, Juliette. Stay quiet and we’ll make it back.”

“You’re scaring me,” she said. “But I trust you.”

Trust.

Maybe trusting anyone was the last thing she should do.

As we moved into the clump of trees, I realized I hadn’t been able to spend enough time on intel on her father.

In my mind and experience, he was the key.

He’d angered someone. Perhaps a deal gone bad.

I’d seen and experienced it before, and the end was usually not the one anyone wanted.

That’s where SEAL Team Six had come into play.

And why I was here.

We continued moving toward the hotel. I had my hand on my weapon, prepared to protect her at all costs. She seemed even more vulnerable as she tried to maintain similar long strides. But she was struggling.

“Oh.” Juliette tripped over a branch, falling onto her hands and knees.

Reaching down, I offered her my hand. As soon as she grasped it, I sensed she was injured. She stood, her body swaying and she immediately fell against me.

“Shit.” She barely lifted her head, her small hands gripping my arms igniting another group of sensations. “It’s my knee. I guess you were right.”

She shoved a fallen lock of hair under her cap. Her lips were pursed, her entire body trembling. At least I’d put the fear of God into her.

“Can you walk?”

“I think so.” To prove it to both me and to herself, she took a couple of tentative steps forward, tipping her head over her shoulder after accomplishing the small feat.

Gritting my teeth, I flanked her side, taking her arm just above her elbow. At least she didn’t fight me, taking two more steps. Then a third. That was it. Her knee gave out and her body pitched sideways.

And directly into my arms.

With her hands planted on my chest, she took several gasping breaths and lifted her head. There were tears in her eyes. Emotions had no place in a rescue, but she hadn’t signed up for this bullshit.

There was no time to comfort her, not that I’d be good at it anyway. After pulling the water from her hands, I hid the bag of bottles and the dogfood under a group of bushes. Then I eased my arm under her legs, lifting her into my arms.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting us to safety. You can’t walk.”

“What about the dogfood and the water?” She clutched the bag of cheap clothes close to her chest. Right now, keeping the items safe was the only thing she could control.

“I’ll come back for them.”

“But you can’t do this,” she insisted.

“I can and I will. Whatever is necessary.” I didn’t waste any time arguing with her. We needed to remain in hiding until Stone managed to come through with the plan we’d discussed. There would be a single shot at success, but there was no other choice.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, her eyes never leaving me. I’d sensed her mixed emotions. The woman had no idea what the hell to make of me. Better she didn’t know.

I moved swiftly through the trees, constantly aware of our surroundings.

We reached the back of the structure only a couple of minutes later.

I stood on the outskirts, able to catch a glimpse of the street and a portion of the parking lot.

Nothing came across as a clear warning we’d been compromised.

But everyone could be bought for a price. The sooner we got the fuck out of here, the better.

I took the stairs two at a time, allowing her to unlock the door. Tank barely lifted his head from one of the two beds where he’d been sleeping. At least that meant he hadn’t experienced any disruptions.

As soon as I lowered her feet onto the floor, I immediately shifted my hands to her hips, attempting to steady her.

She took a few shallow breaths, licking her lips as she tested the weight on her knee.

“Okay?” I asked.

“Yes, I think so. Thank you.”

I pulled off her sunglasses along with mine, tossing both onto the dresser.

When I reached for her hat, she tilted her head to the side, closing her eyes as my finger danced across her skin.

She was a pure, natural beauty and my cock ached even more.

The moment I tossed the hat, she shook her head, allowing her long hair to fall across her shoulders.

Even in the last filtered light of the early evening sun, she was the most beautiful creature I’d ever laid eyes on.

As soon as she attempted to take a step, she fell forward again.

This time, the craving for her, even a single additional touch and taste became overwhelming.

The bag tumbled from her hand, softly landing near her feet.

She was momentarily distracted, her eyes falling to the floor as her chest rose and fell.

Juliette laughed nervously, her long fingers clinging to my shirt. Her head tilted, she slowly allowed her gaze to fall from my eyes to my nose, licking her lips in a tempting way before slowly shifting the look to my lips then away.

The tenseness in my muscles increased.

Tasting her once had been a necessity.

Twice would be a dangerous mistake.

But God help me, my control was lost.

“Kage.” The sound of my name on her lips was the last straw. I wanted this woman and nothing would stop me from claiming every inch.

The second I fisted her hair, I pulled her close, crushing my mouth over hers. This was no heart-stopping moment and it certainly wasn’t love at first sight, but the intensity of our connection was undeniable.

Call it what you wanted.

Fear that our lives would be cut short.

A taste for the forbidden.

Danger calling the shots.

It didn’t matter.

All that did was her warm body in my arms, her soft lips falling open, waiting for my tongue to explore the sweetness.

Her moans were soft and I captured every one of them. I wasn’t thinking. I couldn’t give a shit about consequences, or the fact danger lurked around every corner, hiding in every shadow.

I swept my tongue inside, every nerve ending seared from the sweetness filling my mouth. As I slid one arm under her bottom, she arched her back. The pressure of her weight against mine was almost as powerful as the kiss.

She felt perfect in my arms, our bodies molded together and the softness of her skin tingling mine. How long had it been since I’d been with a woman? Long enough.

My mind was a blur as I lifted her off the floor.

She immediately cradled my thighs with her legs, pressing them against me as she slipped her arms around my neck.

Just the way she toyed with my hair, tangling her fingers in the dense strands turned me on.

Every sound she made was more powerful than the one before.

I pulled her away from the wall, my movements deliberate as I walked to the second bed. She felt so light in my arms, as if she weighed nothing. Tension remained between us, but the desire was shoving aside all rational thoughts, obliterating that fine line I’d tried to carefully preserve.

She offered no resistance as I eased her onto the bed. Being gentle with her was easy even if my hunger was so great all I could think about was devouring her. But she deserved more than a brute with carnal needs attacking her luscious body.

With her hair splayed out, she appeared like an angel. Those eyes of hers could break down a man’s soul, especially now. She was so uncertain. Of me. Of this place. Of the mission. Yet everything within her hungered the same way.

Maybe this would be our last night on earth. As crass as it sounded, I couldn’t think of a better sendoff. Did that make me an asshole? Likely. Did I care? Fuck, no. And I doubted she did either.