He didn’t stop.
She fucking unraveled him.
His hand found its way to her pussy, teasing her clit as he continued to thrust, and her screams of pleasure filled his ears. She arched her back, beginning to tremble, begging for more. He groaned, driving deeper inside her with each powerful thrust, his hips meeting hers in perfect synchrony.
Until the pleasure stole his control.
“Hawke,” she cried out, shattering around him.
He buried himself fully inside her, holding her hips in place as he came with a roar.
11
Penny was still riding the high Hawke sent her on in the hours since they’d left his condo. She had all of her equipment with her and had opened every necessary application on her laptop.
She wasready.
Penny observed the four-member team—Hawke, Archer, Ronan, and Jett—rehearse their mission strategy in the basement of a building that Rhys owned. They had constructed fake hallways to mimic those in Victor’s house, along with mock security guards they would encounter. Initially, she found amusement in their use of Nerf guns during practice, but her laughter turned into awe as she watched them work with precision and determination.
After which, they returned to Phoenix for their final preparations. Through all of it, she couldn’t help but study Phoenix with its stone walls, feeling a slight pang of jealousy. Hawke had shared this space with other women before, indulging all sorts of fantasies. She’d never imagined herself partaking in something as daring as a sex show, but here,now,the idea was creeping into her mind:what if?
Before that thought ran away with her, she shook her head and took a deep breath to steady her nerves and whatever the hell thought that was, as the team readied themselves for the mission. She checked her watch:eleven o’clock. In an hour, they would step into the devil’s den, and she needed to stay razor-sharp.
Hawke turned to face Penny fully, his expression unreadable, and then he left the team, approaching her with powerful strides. He held out a bundle of black fabric—her combat gear for the mission ahead. “Go change and meet us back here,” he instructed. “There’s a changing room down the hall.”
“Okay.” Penny reached out and accepted the gear, smoothing her hands over the tough material. She met Hawke’s eyes again and gave a single, curt nod.
Without wasting any time, she rushed into the changing room and swiftly donned the gear, throwing her hair up in a ponytail. When she turned and faced the long mirror, she gasped, sliding her hands over her thighs. The sleek black gear hugged her frame like a second skin. She was no longer just Penny Larson, hacker. She was a soldier, ready for battle.
As soon as she entered the room, all conversations came to an abrupt halt and every pair of eyes turned in her direction. However, there was one set of eyes that stayed fixed on her, gaze burning with intensity.
Hawke strode forward, his gaze piercing with each determined step. He came to a halt in front of her and boldly declared, “Once this is all over, I plan to peel that off of you, inch by fucking inch.”
She smirked in response. “Only if I can peel yours off first.”
“Done.” His wicked grin slowly disappeared, replaced by a serious look of determination. “When we breach, you stick with me. Don’t take any unnecessary risks.” His jaw clenched, emotion cracking through his stoic facade. “If anything happens to you...” he trailed off, shaking his head. “Promise me you’ll put your safety first. If I give an order, you follow it. No questions asked.”
His piercing eyes implored her. She could see the depths of his feelings, and it warmed something very fragile in her heart. “Believe me, I will most certainly not take unnecessary risks,” she replied steadily. She took his hand, squeezing tight. “I promise, I’ll be careful.”
His shoulders relaxed slightly as he nodded. The warmth of his touch lingered even after he pulled away. He turned to the team. “Let’s roll out.”
They quickly piled into a white van, with Archer taking the driver’s seat and Penny sitting in the passenger side, as they drove the near hour drive to Irvington, and the secluded mansions on the Hudson River. She let out a deep breath as she opened her laptop. This was it. Time to put her skills to the test and shut down Victor’s surveillance system.
She expertly navigated layers of encryption and security protocols. The system was complex, but nothing she hadn’t faced before. Like Hawke had told her, failure was not an option.
As she probed deeper into the network, she had to be careful, not leaving a single trace. Victor’s hacker, which he no doubt had on staff, could detect her intrusion at any moment. Her eyes darted back and forth, analyzing code, searching for vulnerabilities.
The van was silent on the drive except for the rapid tapping of keys.
Until she sensed the van had come to a stop. Archer had parked in the shadows across from Victor’s imposing mansion, nearly invisible in the dark of the night.
Penny’s pulse pounded in her ears. Her mouth felt dry, her palms slick with sweat. She took a deep breath, willing her nerves to settle. She had to stay focused. Lives depended on it.
“Do it,” Hawke ordered.
Her breath caught as she located the central controls. With a few swift keystrokes, she could shut the entire system down, blinding Victor’s men and allowing Hawke’s team to infiltrate undetected.
“Comms check,” Archer said. Each member sounded off that their communication devices were online, including Penny.
