Graciella shrugged.
“Was it El Diablo? Fucking tell me right now.”
“No! I swear it wasn’t him,” she said. Boss looked like he wanted to assassinate her brother, murder in his eyes. But it wasn’t Xavier.
He stalked closed, caging her in. “Now.”
“Me.”
One eyebrow raised in question, then he exhaled. “You tagged me. When? Where?”
“No, I tapped Xavier’s phone. Men are all the same,” she said. “So easy to manipulate.”
He chuckled, a deep masculine sound that affected her way too much.
“That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. The only one who manages to fuck with my head is you.” He kept coming closer. She didn’t try to stop him.
Boss was a breath away. He leaned down to her level, running his lips along her cheek, slowly, so close to her lips. He inhaled, exhaling on a faint growl. She wanted to touch him, to grab on to those strong shoulders.
She closed her eyes.
“Why didn’t you kill me?” he whispered in her ear.
When she didn’t answer, he cupped his big hand under her pussy. The pressure was intense when she was already strung high with her attraction for Boss. She dropped her weight just enough so she could feel more. Her lips parted slightly, and he moved in fast, kissing her with enough passion to steal all her thoughts.
Her natural defenses vanished. Her anger fizzled away.
If she was his weakness, he was hers just as much.
Should she give in to her desires? God knew how much she wanted Boss. Wanted him to ride her. He wasn’t an evil man. Would it be so bad to allow herself to experience the pleasure he could give her? He prided himself at being the best at everything.
She wasn’t sure what she wanted out of Boss.
Did she want the whole fairy tale? She’d never really thought about it. Was that even possible for people as broken as them?
No, if she let down the guards around her heart, she’d regret it.
She was the conquest right now. Once Boss claimed her, she’d be discarded like all the others. That, she couldn’t handle. It was safer for her to call the shots.
“Do you like that?” The way he moved his hands, one on her crotch, the other behind her neck was addicting. He knew exactly how to handle her body to make her spineless in his arms.
She swallowed hard, not willing to give him the satisfaction. Inside, she was screaming, yes, yes, yes!
He began teasing the shell of her ear with his tongue. “You tell me when you’re ready, baby girl. I promise you won’t regret it.” He moved his hands, cupping her ass with both of them, pulling her against his impressive cock. He never stopped kissing her—her jaw, her neck, then back to her lips. This time, she draped her arms around him, their kiss deepening. She panted and mewled, rubbing her body against him, not to seduce, but because she needed more of him.
She was close to begging, her entire body craving everything Boss.
“It’s a long flight. How about you take a quick shower?” He unzipped the front of her leather corset, taking his time, revealing her satin bra. He trailed a finger down the center of her cleavage and she shivered involuntarily. “Such a beautiful body. I want it to be mine.”
Graciella looked down. What was he talking about? There were so many old cigarette burns on her breasts. All her confidence was a façade.
He peeled the cup of one bra down, giving her time to protest—she didn’t. Her nipple was pebbled and aching for attention. She held her breath as he went down on her, covering her breast with his hot mouth. The strength in her legs gave out, so he hoisted her up. She wrapped herself around him as he carried her back to the counter. Why wasn’t he continuing what he started? She felt like she’d spontaneously combust at any second.
“I want to fuck you so bad right now,” he said. Instead of bringing her to his bed as she hoped he would, he combed both hands into her hair, securing her head. That fire was back in his eyes. “But business first. What did you tell Viko?”
Disappointment assaulted her.
She exhaled and panted for breath. There was no disguising her need.
“He’s taking the next flight to the Dominican. He wants to ensure the hit is done. He needs to satisfy his own demons.”
“Next time, keep him out of it. Do you understand? The only reason he allows you to live is out of pity. If you think otherwise, you’re living a pipe dream.”
“I’m not in love with Viko.”
She wasn’t.
He was a means to get what she needed, and there were many days she regretted asking for his help. Being indebted to anyone was the last thing she wanted in her life.
“I never said you were. But I don’t want you disillusioned by him.”
“What about you, Boss? Should I trust you with my body? With my heart?”
There were heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, stealing the moment.
Boss frowned then zipped up her shirt for her. “Your brother is really starting to piss me off.”
Chapter Eight
“I’m sorry,” Graciella said a couple of hours later, not for the first time. She even clenched her teeth when she said it. No matter how she spoke, she always seemed to struggle with those two simple words. Now, he just found it funny to actually listen to her struggle.
It was cute.
While the rest of his men had gotten a hotel room, Graciella included, she’d snuck into his.
Standing at the bar in his hotel room, Boss stared at his problem. He took a cleansing breath and dropped two ice cubes into a glass with a clink. He should have known to quickly check his flight to see if there was a problem the moment he got wind of Viko knowing about the scientist. He was pissed.
This was his hit, his plan. His everything. He’d wanted to be the one to save her. To finally end the demons chasing her. She was a woman made of ice but there was a heart in there somewhere. It was killing her to know people were dying. People like Bain who might mistake the drugs for mints and take them.
It was so fucking stupid. When he did save Bain, he was going to put him through an intense course of “don’t fucking take shit you don’t recognize.”
“Boss, come on,” she said.
“What do you want from me?” he asked. “You called Viko. He decided to ground me, to take out my pilot, our flight, and to deal with this shit on his own. The last time I checked, the Circle of Monsters didn’t have our finesse, so our scientist would get wind of not one, but two organizations after him. He’s probably already fleeing the country. My element of surprise is fucked!”
“Boss, I’m sorry.”
He advanced toward her. “You’re used to being on your own.” She took a step back. “When you’re in my world, you work as a team.”
“Working as a team gets you dead.”
“Xavier used to think that and now he’s a team player. You should try it sometime.”
“I’m not having this conversation with you.” The wall stopped her leave. He slammed his hands at either side of her head. He knew they weren’t evenly matched. The Widow Maker was good, but she wasn’t him. Not even close. He was the best. He’d owned the title for many years, and he would continue to do so until someone put a bullet in his head.