“Not yet. There has been a complication.” Oliver shoved his hands into his pockets, searching the path.
The man spat on the ground and shook his head. “I can’t wait forever. The deal is going to end in a few days. I’ve been patient, but you haven’t given me any results. You won’t see a penny unless you bring it to me.”
A hard glint flashed in Oliver’s gaze. “I’ll find it. Don’t worry.”
They lowered their voices, and I didn’t understand what they were saying. After a quick nod of their heads, they strode away in opposite directions.
“What was that?” I whispered, even though Rennie and I were alone.
“I have a hunch.”
“Do you think the man was talking about the lamia?” I turned around to stare at him.
“We can’t be sure, but it makes sense. I guess Oliver doesn’t want to catch the lamia because the bureau ordered him to, but to sell it.”
“What a crook.”
He wrapped his other arms around me. “He should be expelled from the bureau.”
“Do they expel agents who kiss on duty?” I ran my hand over his chest, wondering how it’d feel without his clothes.
“Careful.” His usual warning note rang in his voice, but I ignored it and kept touching him.
“Just one kiss.”
“I don’t think I can give you only one kiss.” His hand slid down my bottom. “If I start kissing you, I won’t stop. You know that.”
There was only one way to test that. Flexing up onto my tiptoes, I pressed my lips against his. He didn’t yield. His lips remained sealed. I ran the tip of my tongue over the seam and pried his mouth open. Still, he wasn’t reciprocating, and I felt like I was forcing him. I didn’t want to—Oh, my word! Passion erupted out of him with a deep, hard kiss that stole my breath. His expert tongue punished my mouth with long lashes while his hands grabbed the globes of my bottom and squeezed, pulling me to him and making me feel the strength of his erection.
He shoved me against the wall of the nook and kissed me with his teeth, tongue, and punishing lips. It was almost a fight for control. We were both breathing hard when we broke the kiss.
“My Lord,” I muttered. “Why do I shake with pleasure when you kiss me?”
Rennie tugged at the hem of his jacket to cover his trousers where a growing problem was evident. He took my face in his hands, his chest brushing mine. “If I didn’t know you were human, I’d believe you were a succubus who ensnared my senses.”
Perhaps I was a shallow girl, but the fact I had that power over him made me feel beautiful and graceful. He rubbed his thumb over my bottom lip slowly, squashing the soft skin as he went.
“We’d better leave this nook before I do something we’ll both regret later,” he said.
He held my hand and dragged me out of the nook. As we walked along the path, he laced his fingers through mine in an intimate gesture. A small fluttery feeling blossomed in my chest.
I rested my head on his shoulders. “You look brooding. Not that I don’t like it, but what bothers you?”
He stopped under the shadow of a baroque building. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
The seriousness in his voice caused me to whip my head up. A cold sensation dropped into my stomach. “Oh, dear. You have a betrothed, don’t you? A wife? A child?”
“No!” His eyebrows knitted together. “I would’ve never kissed you if I’d had an intended. What kind of cur do you think I am?”
I let out a breath. “Don’t be offended. I just thought you were too good to be true.”
His expression softened. He kissed my cheek, his stubble scratching my skin. “It’s not about another woman.”
“Then what is it?” I kissed his hand.
“It’s about the question you asked me earlier, about that man.” He stiffened.
“Yes?” I prompted him when he didn’t add anything.
