“Third bug activated,” Penny said. “Boy, you got balls.”
Archer embraced the energy flowing through his veins. At one time in his life, he’d lived for this, the adrenaline, the danger. He did miss the action, and it felt good to stretch his mind this way again. He stayed silent, waiting for Penny’s order.
It came a second later. “The back door has been deactivated from the alarm.”
Archer didn’t wait, he slowly opened the door he came in through, waiting for the single beep to indicate the alarm had detected the door was opened, but it never came. Good work, Penny. Using his tools, he relocked the door behind him before blending back into the shadows. He kept pressed against the brick wall, waiting to ensure no kitchen lights came on and Isaac hadn’t heard him leave.
A minute later, Elise said over the communicator, “Isaac has just left again through the front door.”
Archer took that as an all clear for him to move. He jogged out of the garden and climbed the tall fence. He landed hard on the other side, then quickly removed the black beanie covering his hair and jogged down one street and then another, until he came to the meeting spot with Elise: a small park a few blocks away. She was in the darkest corner of the lawn, away from the busy street, pacing near a mature shade tree.
He couldn’t help but smile. “Worrying about me looks good you.”
She gasped and spun around, eyes fraught with concern before she threw herself at him. “Holy shit, that was close.” She gripped his shirt like she’d never let him go. “Why didn’t you say you were out?”
“It’s not safe to ever talk,” he said, breathless from the run. “Besides, I got back here fast enough.”
“Jesus, that was close.” She bounced on her feet. “Hell, I like investigating, but this shit, tonight, that’s over my head.”
Not minding her concern, he slid a hand low on her back, reveling in the adrenaline ripping through his veins. “Nah, it wasn’t that close.”
“Are you kidding?” she gasped. “Isaac came into the house.”
“He went right upstairs,” Archer said, blowing out a long breath to settle the race of his heart as sweat ran down his spine. “Had no idea I was there, which is exactly the point.”
She shook her head, her skin slightly pale. “I thought you were totally going to get caught.”
“Never,” he said, leaning in and giving her a playful grin. “You keep forgetting my past. I was in absolutely no danger tonight.” He paused to wink. “Sometime, I’ll tell you about the really dangerous missions, and then you’ll have good reason to look so pale.”
“I think I might pass on that,” she said, breathing out a long, slow breath. “Shit, Archer.” Her hand came to her heart like she was containing it from beating right out of her chest, her pretty, wide eyes searching his.
And slowly, as the seconds drew on, a truth became clear—they were falling for each other. Maybe she knew it too, maybe she didn’t, but he felt the shift between them. But he saw another truth too—caring for someone was hard for her. He saw it all over her face now, clear as day, and he knew why. Her father had caused this. She didn’t let many people in. She had her close-knit group of friends. Now Archer was a part of that, and he saw the fear rippling on her expression. It wasn’t just that he’d been in danger; it was that she cared enough that it scared her he might get hurt. Because that’s what had happened in her life. She’d lost people tragically.
“I’m right here, Elise,” he murmured. “Safe.”
Their gazes held for a beat before something broke. Something frantic and needy and desperate to get as close as possible so nothing could ever come between them. His mouth met hers, and she kissed him like she needed him to breathe, and he returned the intensity tenfold.
She ripped at his belt, her fingers rushing to expose him. “Condom,” she gasped.
He quickly had his wallet out and a condom in his hand before dropping his wallet onto the ground. While he sheathed himself, she got one leg out of her pants, with her panties pulled to the side. He didn’t hesitate; he pinned her to the tree behind them, lifted her leg, and drove into her. Her unforgettable moans brushing by his ear.
Frantic moans. Desperate moans.
He wasn’t sweet in his movements, and this wasn’t lovemaking. It was something else entirely. Something raw and real, and he thrust deeper, desperate to fill all of her with all of him. Urgent for her to feel she would never be alone and scared ever again, and that he needed her all the same. This was need and acceptance all in one. His touch was rough, and she gripped his arms painfully tight, for all the same reasons he ground himself into her, leaving no space between them.
He shifted up hard into her, unable to get as close as he wanted. To keep her safe like she wanted to keep him safe. Faster and faster and harder and deeper, he gave all of himself to her until her breath hitched and she began convulsing with her release. He rode her harder, letting her climax draw his out. Until all the pressure deep in his groin erupted, pulsating his semen into the condom, yanking deep groans from his chest.
Until all that remained was their heavy breathing, the traffic off in the distance, and the awareness that nothing lay between them anymore but open hearts and open minds.
He had no intention of withdrawing from her sweet heat massaging him with the lingering effects of her orgasm, nowhere near done with her. Until Penny quipped through the earbud, “Listen, I know you guys are kinky, but how about we save that shit for when you’re not wearing an ear com.”
Archer burst out laughing. “Sorry, Penny.” He ripped the earbud from his ear, disabling communication.
“Dammit,” Elise said with a laugh, panting, her head back against the tree, eyes closed tight. “I’m going to owe her so big for that one.”
He chuckled, brushing her hair away from her sweaty face. “Totally worth it, though.”
She slowly opened her satiated eyes, and her soft laugh eased a whole lot of weight in his chest as she said, “Totally worth it.”
Chapter 13
A month had gone by in a whirl of spectacular sex and…happiness. Elise had worked five cases during the past four weeks, and she and Archer had fallen into a groove she didn’t want to fall out of. There wasn’t a night they weren’t together, even if it was only sleeping together because Archer got home late from working at the club. Hell, they were more of a couple than she’d ever “coupled” with anyone. But with all the good, also came the frustration that she had yet to close the investigation on Connie and Isaac. She had listened to every one of their conversations, recorded from the bugs, every day, for the last month…and nothing. Her theory about this being their kink was beginning to seem likely, but something in Elise told her to keep pressing forward. So she did what she always did when things got tense; she spent the morning jogging along the East River to clear her head. But even after a hot shower, she felt stalled on the next steps. There was only one thing she hated more than not closing a case. Not closing Archer’s case. Especially when Rhys sent a text asking her to stop by their house this morning for an update. So, just after nine o’clock in the morning, Elise made her way into Manhattan.