AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Connor simply shrugs and goes back to typing. I internally count to five, before I lose my patience and slam his laptop closed, his hands barely making it out before being crushed.
“What the actual fuck?” His eyes are daggers as he flies out of his seat for a second time. He grabs me by the collar and pulls me close to his face. His heavy breath tickles my mouth and chin and sends a hot shiver of pleasure through my body. For a moment I think that he’s not going to speak, but as he searches my face, he hisses, “You’ve been an absolute prick to me ever since, ever since…” His voice falters and for a strange second, I get the impression he’s mainly talking to himself. The light brown of his eyes is now a shade darker. “Why can’t you just let me be?”
I tilt my head, eyeing him carefully. He’s right, I know he is. But for some reason I can’t think straight when we’re in the same room. I feel like a goddamn wolf and I need to hunt him.
He nods at my silence, a pained look on his face. “Why do you have to be such a bully?” He tugs me an inch closer and brushes the outline of his lips ever so softly against my jaw. I close my eyes and savor this moment, this—hisinitiative. I don’t know what to say though. There’s something about his hesitation that makes me want to unleash his self-control. I want to wreck him, push him, take him over the edge. He takes in a sharp breath and eyes me warily, but doesn’t move. That’s as bold as he’s ever been with me, and it’s thrilling. I shift my weight forward and he hits the wall, my body flush against his. “And you, d’you like it when I bully you?” I whisper, noticing a crack in his bravado. My hands snake around his waist, and keeping my eyes on his, I slowly rock our hips together, not wanting to miss a single fucking thing. His pupils dilate, leaving only a thin ring of light brown in his gorgeous eyes.
“What do you think, you punk?” He shoves me hard. “Of course not.” He pushes me again, but this time I grab both his wrists and pin them above his head against the wall behind him. He gives me a furious scowl. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but we’re not the family to mess with.”
“Ah, big brother will be coming for me?” Unwilling to let go, I grind into him, my mouth ghosting his. His jaw clenches, but when my free hand squeezes an ass cheek and pushes it firmly into the movement of our rolling hips, he lets out a startled sigh. It’s freaking adorable and it’s definitely messing with my mind. In all my years of experimenting with dudes, I’ve never had anyone in my arms who turned me on like Connor. “You were saying?” I tease and I lean in to nip at the flushed skin of his neck.
“I’d be careful if I were you,” he finally manages through gasps and whimpers. “We’re here for work. And you shouldn’t underestimate me just because you are so full of yourself. Over here, in Paris, youneedme.”
“And in return, I’ll take good care of you. Shh, see?” My hand snakes down to palm his bulge through his pants and he swallows a guttural sound. “D’you like it like that?” I croon and he squeezes his eyes shut as he takes in a deep, shaky breath. God, he’s so receptive, such a huge, fucking turn-on. If I have my way with this guy, he’ll be spoiled for everyone else for the rest of his damn life. He’ll only ever be hungry for my touch, my voice, my smell. When his gaze flicks back to mine, I expect it to reflect anger or annoyance. Instead, they shine with vulnerability. His lips part slightly and for a moment I think that he’s about to give in.
“Please, don’t,” he practically begs as he puts his hand on mine. I swallow and force myself to slow down, only now realizing that my breathing is as fast as his. Connor nods, as I relax my grip in reply. I’ll always respect his wishes.
He straightens his clothes. “I will tell you about the meeting. But for now, we need to pack our bags as they’ll be coming to pick us up. Let’s just get ready.”
I don’t know whotheyare and what the fuck’s expected of us, but I blindly pack my stuff, suddenly feeling a rush of adrenaline coursing through me. And a rush of something else. Connor might be helpless when I corner him against the wall, but he knows damn well what he’s doing. He’s the one in control here, and fuck me, it makes him dangerous. And I like it.
§ § §
Barely half an hour later, we’re driving through a run-down neighborhood toward the safe house. The streets are filled with litter and the sight of old, poorly maintained buildings with peeling paint and graffiti tags is downright depressing. The female officer who picked us up leads us inside a spacious studio apartment that looks better than its exterior suggested. However, when she realizes that Connor understands French, she gives him her undivided attention while walking him through the condo, getting on my nerves practically immediately.
I open the door and gesture to the exit. “Off you go now, we’ve got work to do.” Once I’ve slammed the door behind her, I eye Connor, who gives a surprised look and a hint of a smile.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
“So, you gonna fill me in?”
He licks his lips and I see his body tense up. “I might ask you the same thing,” he counters before he heads to the kitchen with a bag from the supermarket. As he starts to unwrap the ingredients, I sprawl onto the bed, making a show of spreading out my long legs. He can hiss all he wants, but my kitten knows what he likes. And right now, his eyes are right where they should be. On me. I unfold every single muscle into a relaxed pose and let the hem of my tee ride up ever so slightly to reveal some bare skin. “You first,” I purr and I smirk in satisfaction when I see his face flush. “Where were you this morning?”
He swallows thickly, then straightens his shoulders and starts chopping up vegetables. “I met up with an informant. We talked about our mutual enemy.” His voice trails off as his darting eyes find my teasing fingers caressing my belly.
“Yes?” I coax.
He clears his throat and takes out a pan. “They’re a cult that sells lascivious parties and uses hypnosis to enhance the client experience.” He hesitates only briefly before he adds, “They also use hypnosis to punish those who step off of the path.”
My finger halts and I blink my eyes. “A cult? I have to admit, I did not see that coming.”
“Yeah, neither did I when I discovered it back home.” Drying his hands on a towel, he sends a glint of a smug smile. The kitchen starts to radiate a mouthwatering waft of herbs and vegetables. “I’ll do some research on cults, and hypnosis for that matter. We’ll need to understand what makes these guys tick.”
“Why?”
He looks up from his cooking and gives me a scoff. “What do you mean,why? Know your enemy, right? I know that you just came along for a vacation, but can you just be serious for once?”
“I am. You can always learn more about them, but I believe that we mostly need to focus on their motivation. Why are they after us and what are they looking to gain? Is it power? Or money?”
“That’s what Philippe suggested we focus on,” he mumbles, mostly to himself, and I flash him a cocky grin.
“Well, you should listen to us, princess.”
He bites down on the inside of his cheek and lets his eyes sweep over the living room before he gets back to cooking. His cheeks fill with a faint blush and I try to understand why. Is it because of something I said or something he was thinking of? The latter’s a tempting option. “After all, it’s easier to eliminate the threat if you know its reason for having appeared in the first place, right?” I needlessly supply.
“Like yourself, you mean?” He starts to fill two plates with pasta.
“Perhaps.” Getting up, I stroll toward the bar. When our eyes meet, I send him a playful wink. “Though you should know by now why I came along.” He doesn’t, of course not. How the hell can he know, when I haven’t even figured it out myself?
