Ironic that the faceless sniper was the one to save me. Ever since the first night on the mountain, I had sensed him tracking us, like a hunter tracks his prey. Until tonight, I thought I had stayed ahead of him. The fact that he was at the market told me he was probably three steps ahead of us. He had merely been biding his time and waiting for us to get what he wanted.
He was letting me do all the legwork, using all my resources and energy to get Blaire onto the ship. He would strike only when it was convenient for him—when that USB drive was in our hands.
Because that’s what I would do.
Did he have a connection to the combat fighter? Had he hired him to fight me—if only to test my fighting skills? When the ninja had moved to stab me, the sniper had fired what seemed like a warning shot. Were they partners in all this?
What kind of opposition would crop up tomorrow? What violence would we meet when we had in our possession the thing that everyone wanted?
I had no idea how to keep Blaire alive. How could I possibly keep her safe when there might be multiple people trying to kill us?
My hand strayed up, and I slowly pushed her hair off her warm neck. Just one taste. Her entire body jolted against mine when my lips touched the soft skin of her neck. She smelled so fucking good. She tasted even better.
She sensually arched against me as I trailed my mouth up the length of her neck.
The things I wanted to do to her. I squeezed my eyes shut and held myself still.
Blaire didn’t deserve any of this. I had dragged this woman through the worst week of her life. And for all my efforts, there was a very high chance I was leading her to her death tomorrow. The very least I could do was treat her with the respect she deserved. I wasn’t going to put her in a position where she felt she needed to comply to my desires because she needed my protection.
It took superhuman strength to roll away from her and get off that fucking bed.
“Don’t go,” she whispered.
“You don’t want this, Blaire.”
She sat up. “You don’t know what I want.”
I turned and looked down at her.
She stared up at me, her eyes so big and innocent. Her mouth was parted slightly, and her breathing was erratic.
The epitome of innocence and joy. I was already a man on my knees. I had no idea how I was still resisting her. I wanted to sink myself into her with the fleeting hope I could be touched by some of her purity—but I didn’t deserve that kind of redemption. Men like me rarely did.
I thought about what I would do if I crossed that line. Wicked images flashed: my touch would make her cry out, my tongue would consume her and my lust would drown her.
I was the last thing she deserved. I picked up my bag and walked into the washroom.
I gripped the sink as I looked at my reflection. You’re doing the right thing for once in your life. Be strong.
I blinked hard and focused on the damage to my body. My eye looked like garbage, but I didn’t think the cut above it needed stitches. I put a few butterfly bandages on the cut on my cheek and above my eye. I gritted my teeth as I slowly pulled my T-shirt off over my head.
Motherfucker. I breathed hard through my teeth as I assessed my injuries.
Fuck my life. My left ribs had taken the worst of it and were already bruised black and purple. Other parts of my body hurt, but nothing was broken or sprained. These injuries would put me at a huge disadvantage tomorrow, leaving us even more vulnerable.
I stepped beneath the warm jet spray of the shower and grunted when the pressure hit my skin.
When I was done washing up, I stood there and let the pounding water revive me.
I waited because I wasn’t ready to face Blaire yet. I didn’t have the strength to resist her. The longer I stayed beneath the warm water, the greater the chance that she would fall asleep out there.
My eyes snapped open when I heard the sound of the metal shower curtain rings scrape on the rod.
A very naked Blaire stepped into the shower. Without shame, she boldly stepped toward me, so close our bodies almost touched.
There was no resisting this. No human or saint could say no to the vision that stood before me. Naked, Blaire had become a siren with her feminine curves and soft skin.
She looked up at me with those big eyes.
“You’re going to regret this,” I told her.
She reached out and put her hand flat against my chest. Her fingers trembled. “I don’t think so.”
I slid my hand around her neck. It was so slender and delicate my hand could nearly wrap around it. I stared down at the delicate skin, feeling her wild pulse against my thumb.
I didn’t think she knew how far over her head she was with me. Didn’t she have any idea what I wanted to do to her? She should have been running in the opposite direction. “Last chance, Blaire.”
She answered by turning her face against my hand and kissing the inside of my wrist.
I spun her around so she was under the water. I slicked her wet hair off her face and then cupped her face with both of my hands.
My mouth crashed down on hers. God, she tastes sweet. I kissed her until she was moaning into my mouth. Then I lifted her wrists above her head and backed her against the cold tiles. She arched away from them, pressing her warm, lithe body against mine. Again, I captured her mouth with mine and used my body to press the length of her against the cool wall. It turned me on that she was helpless to do anything but receive.
I explored every inch of her mouth, kissing her until all of her was trembling and her breathing was wild. Her body squirmed against mine as she fought the bonds of my hands. I responded by kissing her with even more intensity.
I tasted and nibbled and kissed her mouth the way I wanted, until she was bucking against me and panting into my mouth.
I swung her arms down and pinned them behind her back with one hand. Her eyes half fluttered shut as I tangled my other hand in her hair and then tugged at it, pulling her head back so I could expose her neck. I arched her back, immobilizing her, pinning her body against mine. Knowing she wasn’t going anywhere, I took my time to explore every inch of her neck and shoulders with my mouth.
She writhed her wet body against mine every time I hit a sensitive nerve, giving me cause to tighten my hold on her, taking pleasure in grinding myself against her.
I worked to ignore my own needs. This was all about how much could she take from me. How much could I give?
I loosened my hold on her only to turn off the water and yank open the shower curtains.
Her eyes popped open as I pulled her out of the shower and grabbed a towel. Her gaze clung to my face as I toweled off her wet hair. I spun her around and dried off her back before I crouched down and leisurely dragged that towel over the most perfect heart-shaped ass I’d ever seen. I moved the towel down the back of one leg and brought it up the back of the other.
I turned her around so she faced me. I crouched in front of her. “Spread your legs.”
She swallowed hard before she stepped apart.
I was eye level with the most perfect pussy I’d seen in my life. She was mostly shaved bare except for a little landing strip. I slowly moved the towel down the inside of one smooth thigh, down to her ankle, before moving to her other leg.
She was breathing hard as I slowly pulled the rough fabric up the soft skin of her other thigh.
I teased the towel in upward circles until it was almost grazing her inner folds. Her legs trembled, but her eyes never left my face.