The lair was empty when they arrived. The team members on standby had gone home to get some rest. Even Devin was nowhere to be seen, obviously taking advantage of some well-deserved downtime. His last message through the comms told them that nobody appeared to be following them, and he’d get someone to take care of Sloane’s SUV.
The moment the car had parked inside the underground parking lot, Luke had grabbed his pack and got out of the car, still silent, still with that same closed-off expression from the tunnels.
Lance followed with his own gear as Sloane trailed behind. Luke was already at one of the worktables, unpacking his equipment when she reached the upper level. He pulled his gun out, removed the cartridge, and put the pieces on the table.
Looking up, Luke addressed Lance. “I need to get out of here.”
Sloane cut off her boss. “You’re leaving? You can’t leave! We haven’t stopped the traffickers yet.”
Luke didn’t look at her as he waited for Lance’s answer. Unease spread, and she struggled to wrap her mind around was happening, around Luke’s sudden coldness.
Lance reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. “I’m sending you an address and an entry code. The place is secure. Call me if there are any problems.”
A beep from Luke’s pocket confirmed he’d received the information. Without checking it, he went to the elevator.
“This is madness! We were tracked. He needs to stay here!”
Sloane’s body was torn between shaking some sense into her boss and running after Luke. When the elevator’s doors closed before she could enter, she ran for the staircase, Lance’s words following her. “From what I saw, Luke can take care of himself better than you can of yourself, Sloane.”
Not stopping for a reply, she ran up the stairs, undoing the top part of her suit down to her black camisole, which was soaked with sweat. The air should have made her shiver, but her body was radiating heat, her mind in overdrive.
Luke was in the kitchen, gathering his equipment, files, and laptop, putting everything into his messenger back. He was methodical in his movements, but it was clear he had no intention of remaining there for long either.
“What are you doing?” Her question sounded stupid, but she was trying to get her bearings, understand what had triggered him.
Once more, he avoided looking at her. “I said I was going to help you, and I’m going to keep my promise.”
“It’s too dangerous for you to head out alone. It’s safer for you to stay here.”
The tension was so thick between them Sloane felt panic insinuating itself down to her bones, and it made her even more frantic. It got worse the longer Luke remained silent.
“I told you I’ll see this mission through, and I will. I’ll head back to the tunnels and track them until we can shut this down, but I need a clear head, and that means being away from here.”
The way his last word lingered revealed more than what he’d said. “You mean me. You need to be away from me.”
All the air left her lungs and at that moment, she couldn’t decide if she was incredibly hurt or incredibly angry. As a defensive mechanism, she decided on the second option. “Good. If you can’t accept what we do here, what I do here, you’re better off leaving.”
Her dismissal made him look at her for the first time, and the fury that hit her full force had her taking a step back. It was the first time since she’d met him that she saw a Luke far different from the laid-back man she’d come to know. The professor with the easy grin and brilliant mind was gone, and she didn’t recognize the man that had taken his place.
As he came around the kitchen counter in her direction, he unleashed his anger. “This isn’t work, it’s a suicide mission! You’re risking everything, especially your life because you can’t come to grips with the fact you fucked up in the past and you’d rather put your life on the line than take significant risks for your team, and for yourself. Admit it!”
A dangerous mix of anger and fear made her see red. How dare he accused her of lacking courage or being afraid? She moved to bring him down but anger had slowed her response and Luke had her on the floor in less than a second, his face vibrating with fury as it almost touched hers.
“I don’t care if you hide behind a fucking mask, or jump into the middle of a firefight, but at least have enough courage to admit why you’re doing it. You’re trying to prove your worth, seeking your redemption, without a care for the others because you fear what they’ll think of you if they discover who you truly are. Do you really think you’ll feel better at the other end of that path when nobody around you trusts you anymore? When you’re alone, without friends, with only the cooling blood of your enemies on your hands?”
Each breath was like inhaling sharp glass. Her heart wanted to leap out of her chest, caught in what he was saying like chains weighing her down. Unable to form words, Sloane’s mind blanked when Luke’s mouth descended upon hers.
Lust she could deal with. What he stirred inside her, that powerful need, was impossible to conceal.
Her arms went around his neck, desperate for a diversion. Their mouths battled for a second before Luke fisted her hair, baring her, rubbing his beard over the tender flesh, and getting her attention. “I have no doubt you want this as much as I do. Rough and all-consuming. But not this time. I’ll get my fill of you, but on my terms. You follow my lead or I walk. Do I make myself clear?”
Luke loosened his hold enough for Sloane to peer into his dark eyes, and she saw he couldn’t be more serious. There was a sense of finality in what he was offering, a deadline that was to be seized now, or lost forever.
Her body agreed before her mind could form a question, but when Luke pushed away from her and stood, Sloane froze. She’d thought he was going to take her on the floor, with the same violent hunger they’d had when they’d had sex before, but he offered her his hand instead.
When she took it, Luke pulled her with him out of the kitchen toward the bedroom. After closing the door, Luke gently caressed her cheek, pushing a wild strand of pink hair behind her ear. Still expecting the same explosive passion they’d shared before to detonate any second now, Sloane leaned forward to kiss him, but Luke shook his head and instead touched her cheek with his lips. It was so soft, so gentle, that Sloane held still, uncertain, trying to find her balance, the meaning of all this. Remaining still, and not taking control or unleashing what she felt, made her edgy, impatient. Vulnerable.
Twice she reached for him, to take control, twice he pushed her hands away, his lips tracing a lazy path across her jaw and near her ear. A shiver coursed down her spine when he sighed, his warm breath fanning her skin as the tip of his tongue traced a ticklish pattern down her neck to her collarbone. Now his touch was firmer, his furry cheek rubbing against her before he kissed her again. Only then did his hands move to her waistband and lower the hidden zipper of her suit.
Remaining immobile was an exercise in restraint, something she’d had minimal experience in. She’d always been a passionate lover, always wanting to devour her partner, get her fill, only to feel like an empty shell in the morning.
Luke distracted her wayward mind when he pushed her pants down her legs, crouching in turn, making sure to caress her all the way to her ankles. With the same slowness, he unlaced her boots one by one, making her lift her feet one by one, freeing her from her gear.