Page 9 of Lethal Vengeance

“It’s too late,” he whispers harshly. “Sterling says he’s in the hall.” His eyes dart around the room before coming back to rest on me. “Maybe we can spin this another way. Unbutton your dress.” He grabs the neck of his t-shirt and pulls it off.

“I…” My voice fades when I hear Rodrigo singing in the hall. I shudder. Moving quickly, I slide the knife back into its holder. My fingers try to quickly push buttons through holes, but they’ve shrunk. “Shit.”

His hands sweep mine away. Grabbing a hold of each side, he rips the dress until it’s open to my waist. Intense brown eyes stare down at me. “Ready?”

Not trusting my voice, I nod.

He backs me into the cool wall behind me and lifts me into his arms.

Instinctively, I wrap my legs tightly around him and thread my fingers through his hair the exact same way I would if this was real. When he pushes his body into mine, I gasp.

“Your leg,” I remind him.

“It’s fine,” he replies dismissively.

Someone knocks.

I stiffen.

Brown eyes hold mine. He calls out, “Someone’s in here.”

We hear Rodrigo’s singing move farther down the hall.

“Tell me why,” I rasp, waiting for him to answer. The tequila and adrenaline are pumping through my veins in full force, heightening everything around me, including the tension rising between us.

I should be scrambling to get out of here, but all I want is answers. While I’m studying the strong, determined face in front of me, his tongue darts out to lick his bottom lip, making me silently groan. This man looks like he knows how to kiss.

“Surveillance,” he murmurs, his mouth moving slowly towards mine.

My legs instinctively tighten. “For whom?” The air stills around us.

Instead of moving in for a kiss, his head slips to the side and he whispers, “Santos Foundation.”

Relief washes over me. “Thank—”

A faint scratching noise fills the room, and his head jerks up.

Seconds later, firm lips crash down on mine, and words disappear from my brain. His strong tongue sweeps inside in an intimate takeover, demanding I concede to him. Swept up in the kiss I’d been craving only moments ago, I surrender without a second thought. My breath escapes in a sigh. I need this. It’s been too long since I’ve felt anything but rage and hate. Fire roars to life, and I throw myself into kissing him back.

The kiss becomes wilder.

All the guilt I’ve been carrying this week is buried under the onslaught of desire. I tighten my fingers in his hair in an attempt to hold on to this temporary reprieve from the darkness surrounding me.

A cool draft of air hits me.

With a jerk, he rips his lips from mine and shoves my face into his shoulder. “Get out!” he orders.

“My, oh my,” Rodrigo sings. “What a delightful surprise. Can I watch?”

Cruz pulls a gun from the waistband of his pants and points it at Rodrigo. “Get out.” This time, his voice is almost a whisper.

Rodrigo freezes with his hands in the air. “I’m tempted to see if you’re serious, but Armando doesn’t like it when I make messes. Don’t worry, I’m going. Quinn, I’ll see you later.” The promise in his voice is filled with anger at being thwarted.

Cruz waits silently until Rodrigo is gone. “Let’s go.”

The abrupt change from passion to cold focus is like a punch in the gut. “He could be waiting for us outside,” I reply, slowly untangling myself from him.

“He’s not,” he assures me, tapping his ear. “Sterling is covering us.”