He closed his eyes, and I could see that it pained him. My heart clenched, knowing this was a trigger for him.
“The look in that little girl’s eyes will haunt me for the rest of my life,” he said.
“But you helped her.”
He shook his head. “I only made the situation worse. The ambassador fired us when he discovered what happened. And now, he’s threatening to sue.”
My jaw dropped open. “What? You’re kidding.”
He shook his head. “Nope. So, in addition to putting my friends’ lives in danger, I’ve now become a threat to Cole’s business. Not to mention the fact that the wife and daughter are probably still trapped.”
My heart was racing as I considered the precarious situation they were in. “That’s terrible. Surely…” I swallowed. “Surely, they’ll be okay, right?”
He shook his head. “They might have been able to escape had I not fucked up.”
“Connor.” I cupped his cheek, bringing his attention to me. “You were trying to help them.”
“But I should’ve listened to orders. I should’ve listened, not reacted emotionally.”
“You’re human. And considering your past, it’s completely understandable.”
“My past…” He blew out a breath. “My past is…it’s why I’m not safe to be around.”
I shifted so I was partly lying over him, our legs intertwined. “That’s not true.”
“It is.” His voice was clogged with emotion. “You shouldn’t be with me, but I’m a selfish bastard who can’t seem to stay away.”
I smoothed my finger over his eyebrows, tracing the lines of his face. His eyes were stormy and conflicted, full of emotion as he waged an internal struggle.
“Connor,” I said, determined to bring him some peace. “I’ve felt nothing but safe since I met you. Safe to be myself. Safe to express my opinion. Safe and protected physically.”
When he didn’t respond, I said, “I mean it.”
He nodded. “I know. But you don’t know what I’m capable of. You don’t know what kind of man I really am. A monster, just like my call sign. Just like my father,” he said more softly.
“I don’t believe that for one minute.”
“That’s because you see the good in everyone.”
I leaned down, pressing my lips to his. “It’s not difficult to see the good in you.”
He tucked my hair behind my ear. “You’re too good for me.”
I shook my head, some of my hair coming loose. “If anything, you’re out of my league.”
He barked out a laugh, our foreheads still touching as he cupped the back of my neck. “How do you not see it?”
“See what?” I asked, our breath mingling as the atmosphere shifted.
“One of these days, you’re going to believe me,” he said. “And until then—” He pulled me on top of him, and I gasped when his erection slid between my thighs. “Until then, I’ll just have to remind you how amazing you are.”
He grabbed a condom from the nightstand, and I watched with fascination as he rolled it on. He was… God, he was perfect.
I slid down onto him, smiling and rocking my hips as our bodies joined. I’d never felt so connected to someone else, so in sync. But this was a vacation. A fantasy. Connor would be going home soon. And what would happen then?
Chapter Twelve
Connor
