The door to his bathroom burst open. Boss leaned over and grabbed a towel, wrapping it securely around his waist.
“What the fuck?”
He had two of his hitmen downstairs. How did anyone manage to get upstairs?
Graciella stood there in the middle of the large room wearing all black leather, her dark hair brushed smooth as glass over her back and shoulders. Her hands were perched on her hips as she stared directly at him.
“Did you kill my men?”
She tilted her head, eyes narrowed. “They didn’t try to stop me.”
“What’s the problem here?” He stepped out of the shower and grabbed a hand towel to pat dry his face.
“You’re the problem,” she snapped. “Who do you think you are, anyway? You think you can toy with me because you’re the killer of kings?”
He ignored her ranting, walking to the wall of counters. Boss ran both hands through his damp hair, looking at her through the reflection in the mirror.
“I’m talking to you!” She stormed over to him, her heels clicking on the marble. “You didn’t think I should be involved in killing the scientist? I’m the one he screwed over. I’m the one who’s had to live with this on my conscience.”
Her emotion and vitriol were palpable. He loved her like this. So much fucking passion.
Boss grabbed his shaving cream container and began to spread some foam under his chin. “Are you done?”
“Bastard!” She had a blade tight to his throat the next second. “You thought you could fly off in the night and I’d be none the wiser?”
“Don’t start something unless you plan to follow through,” he warned.
“Do you know how many men I’ve killed for less?”
Boss hadn’t moved, the sharp edge of the blade nicking his skin. “Do you realize how many women I’ve turned down since that night in the restaurant?”
She scoffed. “I don’t care about your whores. What does that have to do with anything?”
In a few quick moves, he knocked the blade from her hand, the metal tinking into the sink, then twisted her body around so she was trapped between the counter and his much larger frame. “Because I can’t get you off my mind.”
“You’ll get over it.”
She wriggled, but he forced her to stay in place.
“You feel nothing at all? Are you really that cold, Graciella?” he asked. “You still haven’t answered me—why didn’t you kill me?”
“I should have.” She glared daggers at him then tried to knee him in the crotch. He blocked her move, securing her wrists. She twirled and ducked, freeing herself, then she kicked him in the side. He groaned and ground his teeth together.
Restraining himself was becoming increasingly difficult.
****
Graciella was pissed off.
Boss had called to tell her he’d found the scientist. In a way, they were all a team with the same goal. It felt good, and they were making progress together. Then he pulled this bullshit. He was flying out with Killian and Xavier to kill the scientist who’d fucked up years of her life. People had died because of those drugs, and that was all on her, not Boss.
She was tired of being treated like a second-rate killer because she was a woman. Graciella had a lot to prove, but she thought Boss was better than that. She was wrong.
Boss glared at her after she kicked him for the second time. She knew she was playing with fire, but she couldn’t stop herself.
“You’re even taking Xavier.”
“Your brother will blend well in the Dominican Republic. He speaks the language and can get us good intel once we’re on the ground.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I have the same qualifications. But I’m of no importance to you, am I?”
Her breathing was rapid, her chest rising and falling in deep waves.
“If any other person, man or woman, had come in here without permission, they’d be dead,” he said.
“Not me?”
“You like to test me, don’t you?”
“I like to be included and not constantly out of the loop. Did you think I’d slow you down? Put your man in the hospital at risk?”
She attempted to strike him, but he snatched her wrist so fast she gasped. He wasn’t so gentle this time. Boss had her stomach down over the counter. His bathroom was nearly as big as her condo, floor-to-ceiling marble, the epitome of luxury. Maybe she was in way over her head testing the king.
Graciella felt the hard ridge of his cock against her ass. He secured both her wrists above her head and collected her hair to one side with the other. He leaned over and kissed her temple. She squirmed, but he only squeezed her wrists tighter in warning. Graciella was only alive right now because he’d had mercy on her for some reason.
“Your temper is your weakness, beauty,” he whispered in her ear.
He released her wrists, and she immediately twisted around. Boss grabbed her waist and hoisted her up on the counter, using a thigh to separate her legs.
She swallowed hard. Boss wasn’t a meek man. His frame was big and hard with muscle. He was always in control, even when she pushed him too far. She could feel the heat of his skin, smell the musky scent of his shaving cream, and savored his strength as he grabbed her ass and pulled her to the edge of the counter.
“Take what you want. That’s what you do, isn’t it?”
“Watch it. Think twice before you speak to me.” He stood there for another few seconds, staring her down, then he stepped away and carried on as if she wasn’t there. “Top drawer,” he said.
She slipped down and opened the first drawer, keeping him in her sights at all times. He was only shaving in front of a sink, no sense of fear or urgency even though she’d attacked him numerous times.
Graciella pulled out the contents of the envelope. They were plane tickets with her name on them. First class to the Dominican Republic.
She was shocked into silence.
“I don’t understand. If you had these the whole time … why didn’t you say anything?”
“That wouldn’t be any fun.”
Her temper boiled up once again. She waved the envelope next to him. “You’re too much, do you know that?”
He leaned over the splashed his face with water, patted his skin dry, then added after-shave. His body still glistened from his shower, every defined muscle moving as he cleaned up by the counter.
“Considering this was all your doing, you’re lucky I’m involving you at all.”
She wanted to tell him off, but he was right. Her mistake had even crossed borders. And she knew he was worried sick about Bain.
Graciella wanted to kick herself. This wasn’t what she was expecting. “I’m sorry,” she said.
“For what? Trying to slit my throat?”
“For not checking with you first…”
Boss narrowed his eyes. He slipped on his clean boxers under the towel, not giving her a glimpse, then hung up the towel on the bar. His movements were slow, and she could feel his disapproval even though she hadn’t said anything yet.
“Go on,” he said.
She took a deep breath. “I called Viko. Told him about the island, your tickets, and the scientist.”
He chewed on his lower lip. It would be sexy as hell if she wasn’t certain he wanted to kill her just then. “Who called you?”