by Nowlan,Anya
“Are you afraid of me?” Stone asked, sounding somber.
“I’m not,” Selina answered softly, realizing that while she was feeling plenty of emotions towards Stone, fear was not among them.
“Then why do you back away whenever I get close? Ever since I told you…”
There was something in his voice Selina couldn’t name.
“I can hear your heart beating. Fast.”
Selina didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t ready to admit her attraction to him, she was still struggling with it herself.
“You’ve got it all wrong.”
“Do I?” Stone questioned with a small laugh.
He leaned in, making Selina press herself against the wall. Mere inches separated their bodies and she yearned to close the gap. Her breath hitched, body reacting unmistakably in pure lust. A delicious throb started between her legs, skin tingling with a deep need to be touched.
As if reading her mind, Stone reached out to tuck a flyaway tendril of hair behind her ear, grazing her cheek in the process. It sent a flash of need coursing through her.
Selina couldn’t take it anymore. How could something be wrong when it felt so right? Her voice was no more than a breathy whisper when she spoke.
“Just kiss me already,” she said, throwing caution to the wind.
Stone stilled for a moment, pulling away.
Oh no, have I misread this entire situation?
Her heart sunk.
“Is that what you want?” he asked, slowly reaching to glide a finger over her collarbone.
His touch burned her to the core, a soft sigh escaping her throat.
She could hear the smile on his lips.
Stone moved back in, pressing his body to hers this time. She reveled in the contact. His fingertips slowly slid up her arms, making her back arch, her hips pressing into his. A small growl started somewhere in Stone’s throat as he took Selina’s face into his hands.
He pressed his lips to hers, slowly and cautiously, as if he were expecting her to push him away at any moment. Selina slid her hands around his waist, urging him closer. Her lips parted and Stone’s tongue slid inside, probing her with sensual slowness.
His carefulness faded away as his kiss grew deeper and hungrier. She molded herself against his hard body, sucking on his tongue. He tasted like fresh, crisp wine.
A clatter from the kitchen brought Selina back down to earth. She pulled away, out of breath, wanting nothing more than to feel Stone’s hands on every inch of her body…
No, I can’t do this, she thought, trying to shake off whatever spell she was under.
There was no way this could end well. He was an assassin and she was a baker. They couldn’t be more different. She thought about articulating her feelings to Stone, but being the chicken she was, she just disentangled herself from his embrace and ran away.
Very adult. Ten points for me.
Fourteen
Stone
Stone watched as Selina scurried away in the dark, the taste of her still fresh on his lips and his cock achingly hard.
At least now he knew what she was really afraid of.
Her feelings for him.
It wasn’t a relief per se, but it was better than the alternative.
His lion roared, urging him to run after her.
No, she needs time to think.
His hand was balled into a fist as he slammed it against the wall, frustration welling up inside of him.
Stone was all too clear about things. If there had still been any doubts, that kiss put them to rest. Selina was definitely his mate, both he and his lion knew it. They were meant to be.
But Selina wasn’t from the shifter world, she was probably freaked out by the intensity of their bond and trying to rationalize things. He couldn’t blame her for it. Being abducted, kept as some deranged tiger’s toy and then thrust into something as deep as a bond with yet another shifter, all over the course of a few days, would be too much for anyone.
He took a calming breath, smiling to himself. At least now he knew. Both what he had been struggling to admit to himself as well as a part of what had made Selina so awkward around him.
One thing was for sure. Fate had brought them together and Stone wasn’t about to let his soul mate slip through his fingers. He would have to break down some barriers, gain Selina’s trust and open himself up to her. It would be a challenge, but Stone Calloway had never backed away from a challenge before and he wasn’t about to start now.
She could try and run away all she wanted, but she couldn’t escape this pull between them.
Filled with new determination, Stone retired for the night. Things were about to get interesting and he needed to be well-rested.
When Stone walked into the kitchen in the morning, Linda was already cooking everyone breakfast. He could hear Kate talking to someone in the study. Selina was already seated at the counter, laughing at something Linda had said.
The sound made his lion purr.
When she noticed Stone smiling at her from the doorway, she froze. She was wearing black leggings, accentuating her strong thighs and making Stone wish they were wrapped around him. The V-neck of her t-shirt gave him the barest glimpse of her cleavage, but it was enough to drive him crazy.
Stone had intentionally worn his flimsiest shirt, it showed off his arms and clung to his chest. It was meant for working out, but served the purpose of reminding Selina how his body had felt against hers that night they had slept next to one another just as well.
Her eyes roamed across his frame for the briefest of moments, a blush forming on her cheeks. Stone grinned at her, tongue tracing the inside of his lip. Selina quickly looked away.
Kate appeared on cue, wearing white slacks and a beige camisole. She was crinkling her little upturned nose.
“I checked the license plate you gave me. The car doesn’t belong to a ‘Tom’, though,” she said, disappointed, as Linda handed her boss a cup of coffee.
Selina instantly perked up.
“Tom?”
“You know him?” Kate asked.
“Yeah, he’s Parker’s right hand man. Parker relies on him for pretty much everything.”
An idea started forming in Stone’s head. He was loathe to deal with the problem at hand when looking at Selina was that much more inviting, but a man had to do what a man had to do.
Fix the issues first.
“Okay, so we have the make and model, at least. The name it’s registered under is probably a fake. If we surveil Parker’s apartment building, wait for that car to show up, we could really benefit from pumping one of his men for information. If we’re lucky, we may even get Tom,” Stone said, taking a seat at the counter and accepting the mug Linda passed to him.
Kate scoffed.
“’We’? I think I made it perfectly clear that I am not going to be involved.”
“Sorry, bad phrasing. I’ll surveil the apartment building,” Stone amended with an eye-roll.
Selina bit her lip, not looking particularly enthused.
“So let’s say you spot this car, what then?” she asked.
“I’ll politely ask whoever is driving to pull over and come with me,” Stone shrugged. It wasn’t exactly the truth, but not all violence had to be spelled out.
Selina crossed her arms.
“I don’t find that especially funny.”
“Neither do I,” Kate added.
Tough crowd.
“I will think of a way to lure whoever is in the car out. Parker probably had my picture circulated among all his guys. The driver spots me on the street, gets out to give chase, I take them down,” Stone explained.
“Parker isn’t stupid. The way you got into his place and grabbed Selina right out from under him, he probably has strict orders that anyone who spots you should immediately call for backup,” Kate said, arching her judgmental little brows at him in the way that had driven him insane years ago.
The sentiment was still there, strong as eve
r.
“I’ll be faster than the backup then,” Stone countered, unperturbed.
“What if they saw someone else, someone they wouldn’t perceive as a threat? Wouldn’t that make nabbing them easier?” Selina asked, perking up.
“No, that’s not going to happen.”
Stone gave her a piercing look, immediately catching on to what she was suggesting.
Selina pursed her lips, annoyed. It made Stone want to kiss her immediately.
“And how is that your decision? If it’s a better plan, that’s what we should go with. I’m not some princess in a castle, I want to do my part. Kate, back me up here.”
For a rare second, Kate was speechless. She cast Stone an apologetic glance before speaking.
“Stone, you have to admit, it’s a better plan. You can wait until there’s only one person in the car and plant Selina in his line of sight. She’s just a human woman, he’s not going to bother with backup. Especially when he could get all the glory for retrieving the boss’ toy. And you know they won’t hurt her.”
“Let me help,” Selina pleaded.
Great, they’re ganging up on him.
If it was anyone but Selina involved, he wouldn’t be putting up a fight at all. But putting even a hair on Selina’s head into any sort of danger made his lion roar in protest.
I can keep her safe from one lousy shifter, he assured himself.
It could get them one step closer to leaving all this behind them, get Selina her life back. Maybe it would even mean that they could drop all of this madness and Stone would have a chance to show her the man behind the scary hitman. That alone was worth some risk, right?
He understood her need to help, to be more than just a victim. Even though his lion growled in disagreement, he had to acquiesce it was the right thing to do.
“Fine. Let’s get this show on the road.”
After going over the plan a few times more than was strictly necessary during breakfast, Stone and Selina got into another one of Kate’s cars, this time a Ford Focus. Even though the circumstances were less than ideal, he didn’t exactly mind spending unknown amounts of time stuck in a limited space with Selina.
They made it downtown mostly in silence, with Stone taking every opportunity to brush against her. The way her heart rate spiked each time told him her carefully maintained indifferent expression was a façade. Her heart fluttered in her ribcage like a trapped bird and it was the sweetest sound Stone had ever heard.
Stone chose a spot where he could see all the cars going in and out of the parking lot when they arrived. He also kept them far enough removed so as not to be seen or smelled by any of Parker’s guys who happened to be milling around.
Selina shifted nervously in the seat beside him.
It was time to pounce.
Fifteen
Selina
Selina hadn’t really accounted for the whole ‘stuck in a tight space with a man who makes your panties wet’ aspect of her plan and she was starting to regret it.
We’re just two people thrown together under extraordinary circumstances. Everything is heightened, it doesn’t really mean anything, was what she kept telling herself.
Truth was, she was deeply drawn to a violent, dangerous man who she had only known for a matter of days. In that time, she’d already seen him fight, maim and possibly kill, and he’d proven to have little to no remorse for the things he had done.
How that fact seemed to bother her less and less as time went on scared her.
“So, sleep well last night?” Stone asked finally, breaking the silence.
The low purr in his voice was unmistakable, but Selina chose to be oblivious.
“The bed was very comfortable,” she answered neutrally.
“Really? I found it a little… hard.”
“I guess different rooms have different mattresses then,” Selina countered, intent on keeping the conversation as innocent as possible.
With memories of Stone’s muscles rippling against her body as he ravaged her mouth filling her head, it was harder and harder to do by the moment. She could feel her cheeks go red.
“Do you want me to turn on the air conditioning? You look a little hot,” Stone asked with what seemed to her like exaggerated concern.
Play it cool, you’re just imagining things because you’re nervous.
“It is a little warm in here,” she sighed, doing her best to keep her gaze away from Stone’s gorgeous, chiseled face.
He fiddled with the controls before reaching in between their seats, strong shoulders touching hers, and grabbing something from the backseat.
“I brought some water along.”
He offered her the bottle and she took it, her fingers brushing against his. How she wanted to feel them on her skin again…
Bad, Selina, bad!
She took a big gulp, forcing her body to deal with something other than arousal.
“You don’t mind if we share, do you?” Stone asked.
Selina shook her head and returned the bottle. He stared right at her as he placed his full lips on the brim where only seconds before, Selina’s mouth had been.
Was spontaneous human combustion a myth or not? Because if not, I may be in some serious danger here.
Stone’s eyes flew away from her to the parking structure as he heard something Selina didn’t. Those reflexes of his kept surprising her in the best of ways. He was so alive, so animated at times and then completely subdued, the perfect predator.
She was glad for the reprieve, until she saw the black Audi A8 they were here to surveil pull out from beneath the building.
Selina strained her eyes, but Stone already saw all he needed.
“Right car, but three guys inside. That’s a no-go.”
They had agreed to only engage when there was one person in the car, so Stone could be sure he could keep Selina safe.
It’s plenty dangerous right here, she thought as Stone’s attention returned to her.
After an hour, the car returned as Selina was just about to burn to a crisp. Stone kept throwing her smoldering looks while managing to make everything he said sound seductive.
“Do you think we’ll get another chance today?” Selina asked, trying to keep the conversation on track.
“We’ll just have to wait and see. Oh, you’ve got a little something there…”
Stone reached out to brush something off her cheek.
“I think it’s a lash.”
Small feathery touches tickled her skin, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. She was trapped in his gaze as his hand moved lower, his thumb running along the outline of her lips. Selina almost closed her eyes and let the sensations take over, but caught herself at the last second, a moan ready on her lips.
“I’ve been thinking about your hitman days,” she blurted out, hoping it would act as a bucket of cold water.
Stone pulled away.
“And?”
“I want to say I was maybe a bit harsh when you first told me. And Kate said you had some kind of a code where you only killed criminals?”
He frowned and a shadow fell over his expression for a moment. Somehow, it only made him sexier.
“That’s true. But don’t fool yourself into thinking I was some sort of vigilante. I still took the money.”
Stone seemed to be in the mood to answer her questions for once, so she took the chance. Even with the dark look in his eyes, she got the feeling that it was safe to continue on.
“Did… Did you like your job?” she asked cautiously.
“You mean did I enjoy killing people?”
All cards on the table then.
“No, I do not take pleasure in taking lives. But that doesn’t mean I’m not extremely good at it.”
There was a hard glint in Stone’s eyes, as if he was daring her to run away again. Selina continued with the questions, forcing herself to sit still. Maybe she would learn something that would make staying away from him easier.
“Did you t
hink you had the right to choose who lives and who dies?”
Stone’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“No. And I was only fooling myself anyway. The jobs I didn’t take, someone else did. That’s why I quit. But let me ask you this, do you think in my time as a SEAL, I never killed anyone?”
Selina had to admit, she hadn’t even thought of that.
“You probably did.”
“But because the government said it was okay, that doesn’t bother you? If I choose my targets and get paid, that’s wrong in your book. But if I blindly follow orders I’m a hero?”
Stone’s voice was no longer playful. The temperature inside the car seemed to have dropped. Selina looked away, a lump of ice settling in the pit of her stomach instead of the smoldering heat that had been there a second ago.
She had no idea what Stone had been through or what kind of memories he had to live with, yet she was interrogating him like she had a clue.
He was right, the fact he had to kill people while in the Navy hadn’t bothered her. Her own brother had probably taken lives during his tours, but she didn’t think any differently of him. Selina opened her mouth to apologize. Stone was already talking, his attention directed forward.
“The car is leaving again.”
It passed closer to their little surveillance spot this time, so that even Selina could see who was inside. She didn’t recognize the driver, but the mess of red hair peeking out from the passenger side looked instantly familiar.
“It’s Tom! We have a chance to get Tom!”
Sixteen
Stone
“Selina, no. There are two of them, we can’t risk it.”
She was already opening her door.
“Either I run out into the street right now in front of Parker’s apartment, or you step on it and we follow them,” she threatened.
“Don’t think I won’t do it,” she added when he hesitated.
Stone muttered a curse under his breath as he started the car.
“Fine, but we are only going to follow, nothing more.”
