Page 47 of Rogue

“This is what happens when you take on a fireball,” he chuckles against my throat. Then, he nips my neck, before reaching up to bring my head toward his. He plants a gentle kiss on my lips, catching the side of my mouth since my jaw has dropped open, caught off guard by his intimate gestures. He looks me in the eyes, and softly asks, “You . . . okay?”

Okay—as in I just had sex so wild it’d make a porn star blush?

Or okay . . . with us?

I grin at him.

“Good. I like it rough. But with you, I have to get up inside of you real fast. You see . . .”

I gasp as he cups my palm over his half erection.Yep, I see, all right.

“ . . . when you want something bad enough, you take it. And hell knows, even if I try, I don’t think I can fuck you out of my system. That’s not how this thing is going to work. Damn the consequences.”

Damn the consequences.

Like getting found out and fired. Like a heart broken. Like never being able to feel him this close ever again.

I nod, lick my lips, and flash him a naughty, count-me-on-board-baby smile. God, I wanthimso bad it hurts.

“You ready to take a risk, fireball? Find out where this thing between us will take us?”

“In for a penny, in for a pound,” I laugh, repeating his words back to him, but stressing the wordpound.

I spread my legs, allow my pulse to race, and open my heart.

Yep. Damn the consequences.

13

Shelby

“Do you think we have a chance?” Francis whispers from the seat next to me. I glance around at the unfriendly faces of the motley crew of men assembled in the great room.

“No.”

“No?” he exclaims. For such a pessimist, he’s awfully optimistic about Hayden hiring him.

I frown. Broken-Nose is bouncing a notepad on his knee. Whatever our boss has in store for us is going to require note-taking. Brainpower. A welcome reprieve from the physical exercises. And I’ve been known to have a functional brain cell or two in my head—that is, when I’m not in a ten-mile radius of Jaxson.

“Maybe,” I correct myself. “Depends on how clever you are. If you can outthink and outsmart these professionals.”

Francis looks confused. Yay, he’s off to a terrific start.

I lean in and repeat the advice Jaxson gave me on day one. “This isn’t about being the strongest. But about being the best. The savviest.”

“I can be sly.” Francis grins like a cat who’s devoured an entire cage full of canaries.

“Look around. Today’s going to be different. It’ll likely be more psychobabble bullshit, though I don’t see Sabrina anywhere . . .”

Or Jaxson.

I flush hot pink, then it’s my turn to grin like a cat.Wore him out, didn’t I?

As if the gods suddenly decided to bless me with kindness, Jaxson enters into the great room. I track his movements as he saunters over to the sofa across the room and the farthest away from me, taking a seat next to Declan and promptly goading the poor man into a discussion. A sense of loss sweeps over me. Not once did he search the room for me.

I feel a bit lost. Lost in lust. Lost in like. Lost in. . . . no. It’s just athingbetween us. Nothing more.

Still, I can’t look away from him.