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Gunner shrugged his hand off. “I’ve handled twice as many women as you have, ol’ boy, and did just fine.”
“Yeah, that may be true. What you haven’t done until now is had any reason to learn how to treat the one woman who will matter more than all the others combined. Notice I said ‘treat’ not ‘handle.’ That’s your first lesson.”
At any other time of his life, Gunner would’ve given his friend a ration of shit. However, Razor was right. Gunner had realized, before he left for Azerbaijan, that he’d do anything to keep Raketa by his side for the rest of his life.
“Your second lesson is going to be in groveling,” Razor said once Kade and Mercer had deplaned and were headed to meet up with Shiv.
He didn’t doubt it. Raketa was pissed, he knew that already. However, he’d had good reasons for leaving her behind—five million bucks and an asshole of a daddy. If she was going to be by his side for the rest of his life, he had to keep her alive. Her safety came before whether she was mad or not.
“Monk says she has smoke comin’ out of her ears.”
“Since when does Monk say anything?”
13
He was on the island. Raketa knew it without needing to see him or be told. She could feel Gunner Godet’s presence. She’d been able to since the very first time she saw him. Monk had disappeared a few minutes ago, although she’d stopped keeping track of him the first day he arrived. She’d never met anyone with a more appropriate code name.
She decided to meet the traitorous wretch head on, so she went outside and stood near the place where he’d built a fire the night before he left. From there she could see his approach from any direction.
“I brought you a present,” he whispered in her ear.
If she had a gun, he’d be dead. Or maybe she would be, considering he’d sneaked up on her without a sound.
Before she could take the swing at him that she intended, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her back to his front.
“You’re gonna like it,” he said into her ear before kissing the side of her neck.
As much as she tried to stay stiff as a board, continually reminding herself how much she hated him, she was powerless against the assault he was waging on her body with his tongue, lips, and hands.
“I hate you,” she said to him instead.
“I can tell,” he murmured as her body relaxed against him.
When she felt the dampness of tears on her cheeks, she pulled out of his grasp and spun around. “You told me you wouldn’t use sex against me. You lied to me. You betrayed me.”
“I kept you safe. There is no betrayal in wanting to protect someone.” When he advanced on her, she took a step backward. “Open your gift before you tell me you hate me again.”
Raketa studied the cardboard box in front of her. The only thing it could contain that would keep her from hating him was Petrov’s ashes. Even then, she’d have to know where her mother was and that she was alive before she could ever trust Gunner again.
“Let’s go inside,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulders.
She shrugged away from him and crossed her arms, wishing she wasn’t so curious about what was in the box.
“You’re gonna want to do this after you open it,” he said, grasping her neck and covering her mouth with his. He nipped at her lip, and she opened to him. She hated that she’d missed him as much as she told herself she despised him. Her arms wrapped around his neck of their own volition, and she pressed her body against his.
Gunner was the first to let go. “Open it,” he said, handing her his pocket knife.
“Where are you going?” she asked when she saw him walk away.
“I’m giving you some privacy.”
“Oh.” Disappointment was written all over her face; she knew it because of the look on Gunner’s as he walked back toward her.
“It’s okay, Rocket Girl. I promise this is something you want to do on your own. When you’re ready, call my name, and I’ll come back out.”
She nodded, trusting what she saw in his eyes, even through her trepidation.
Raketa sliced through the top of the box and saw what was inside was wrapped in what looked like several layers of packing material.
