That got her attention. “Am I hurting you?”
He took the hand at his chest and used it to pull her closer. “Killing me.” He thought she’d give him hell for being so brazen, slap him silly, and that would break them out of this moment of insanity. Because that was the only explanation, that the situation and adrenaline had tilted them right into crazy territory.
Instead, her eyes fired up. Holy shit. She angled one of her legs between his, her hands sliding to his hips. Her thigh moved up along his, and he bit back a curse. This was insanity. Not seconds before he’d proclaimed he was a Deuce-only kind of guy. But right now, he was feeling all her Dragon heat. The directive from his superior officer, the madness of this attraction, the danger he saw simmering in her eyes, not even the cool water that continued to bathe him did a damn thing to douse his ardor.
He took the hose from her hand and let the water wash over her. When his free hand traced her collarbone, she closed her eyes, her head lolling back. He suspected that surrender wasn’t something Violet often did, which only made the gesture more profound. How the hell was he supposed to grasp for any last thread of logic and sanity now?
“Violet,” he whispered her name this time. He meant it to sound like a call to logic, but it came out as more of a plea. For more.
His shirt was plastered over her firm body, clinging to every curve. Damn, she was hot, all sleek skin and toned muscle. With her eyes on his, she peeled off the shirt.
Kade didn’t stop to think, he just reacted. He dropped the hose, grasped her by the waist, and lifted her up. Her legs went around him, and their mouths collided. Her lips were soft against his, her tongue sliding in and tangling with his own. She made little mewling sounds as she pressed closer, her legs tightening around his waist, her hands kneading the muscles of his shoulders and back. His hands slid from her hips. Damn. Just damn.
She did some kind of sucking move with her mouth that traveled all the way down his body. His pants were the only thing separating them, and if she kept up this rodeo ride, it wouldn’t take magick to bust through that barrier. His fingers tightened on her smooth, wet flesh. Her moan of pleasure vibrated through him, clear to the soles of his feet.
She was fire in his arms, a breathing, writhing enchantress. The sun beat down on them, burning his back and heating her dark hair, fueling the already raging fire between them. She ground against him again, increasing the friction. With rough hands, he stilled her hips.
His mouth trailed kisses along her cheek and throat, and with a deep breath, he took in her scent, all nature and wild and free. Getting a woman hot and bothered was nothing new, but this was Violet. Wild. Forbidden. Somehow that made it astounding..
He had skills, magickal ones too, but she flew apart before he had the chance to use them. She arched and moaned, held him, no, hugged him close. Her head rested against his shoulder as she caught her breath.
Then her whole body tightened in a different way. “Oh, my gods, what are we doing?”
“Well, if you need an explanation, I?—”
She slid to her feet and stumbled back, grabbing up the shirt. “No, I mean, what are we doing? This is?—”
“Crazy. Insane.” He raked his fingers back through his hair. “And amazing.” His body fairly thrummed with the need for release, but what…the…hell?
“No, let’s stick to the crazy insane part.” She pulled on the shirt, shock in her eyes. “If my brothers had come up on us…”
“That would have been awkward.”
“Awkward? They would have killed you.”
4
Kade stood naked in Violet’s laundry room while his clothes banged around in the dryer. She was taking a shower. She’d offered him the use of her other bathroom, but he’d declined. Now if she’d offered to let him share hers…
Enough of those thoughts. He’d barely talked himself out of releasing all that pent-up tension the handheld way as it was. He went to throw away a leaf he’d found lodged in his hair when he stopped dead. Whoa. Nothing like bloodied clothing stuffed in the trash can to kill a guy’s libido.
Ferro was convinced she was a killer. Maybe he was right, and this mission was warranted after all. Maybe it was simply his libido that had him derailed. He’d certainly been derailed out in the yard. Not that a sexy woman had ever done that before. Using a hanger, he picked up a bloody shirt. Yeah, lots of blood. He dropped it back into the can. Violet’s possible guilt should have lifted a huge weight from Kade’s chest. It didn’t.
He pulled his clothes from the dryer and dressed. Just as he came out of the laundry room, Violet emerged from her bedroom in a white tank top and black pants, her clean hair slick and combed back. She hardly looked at him, shifting her gaze away. He couldn’t decipher her expression, but he guessed a little wary and a lot guilty. A slight flush of embarrassment, and…heat. Damn, she’d been so responsive. So hungry for touch, for release.
And hell, you were the same way. Instead of stepping back, you had your tongue in her mouth and your fingers?—
Focus, Kavanaugh! “Care to explain the bloody clothes in the laundry room?”
Her face paled, but she did meet his gaze. “Arlo’s blood. That’s what I was wearing when I found him.”
“Sorry. It’s a habit to question signs of bloodshed.” Now he felt relief. Oh, boy.
He had to stop this heat between them, here and now. He wasn’t weak like his father. He wouldn’t go down that foolhardy path, placing a woman above his duty and the greater good. They didn’t even like each other. Well, parts of his body had liked her very much. His hands had enjoyed her too, and his tongue…
He gave his head a small shake. But that wasn’t the point. She reminded him that he was more than a robotic soldier. He’d done edgy things based on his gut, and he’d always succeeded. Sure, he’d caught hell for breaking the rules, but he’d never been wrong.
And killing Violet Castanega would be very wrong.
