by Kaylea Cross
She blushed harder. “Yes. I want you.” It was almost a whisper.
The invisible chains wrapped around his ribcage suddenly released, and a surge of heat swept through him. He drew a deep breath, ordered his heart to slow down. “Good. What did you have in mind?”
“I think a sort of business arrangement would be best. We wouldn’t be in a relationship or anything. We like and respect each other, and I think you’re attracted to me too.” She glanced up at him, almost as though seeking confirmation.
Did she really not know, or had he been that good at hiding it? No point in pretending now. “I am.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Then we’d just…take things one step at a time, hopefully get me over that hurdle. And soon after that, I’ll be leaving. So it’ll be short term and won’t get messy.” She said the last part like a sales pitch, as if he needed more convincing.
There was no way he could say no to this, even if he already did have feelings for her. She’d obviously thought this through, felt strongly about it if she’d worked up the guts to come here and ask him to his face. Brave lady. “And when did you want to start?”
She pushed back from the counter and turned on the stool to face him, a nervous smile on her lips. “What about right now?”
Chapter Three
She’d surprised him again, the second time in the past two minutes.
But instead of widening in shock, this time Brock’s steel gray eyes heated, darkened, making Victoria’s pulse beat double time in her throat as she awaited his response. She’d never been this bold before sexually, but the circumstances called for extreme measures. And she had thought long and hard about this for weeks before asking if she could meet him here tonight, working up her nerve all the while.
It made sense to her. Their time together was limited and would come to an end soon, maybe even in as little as a few days. She needed to do this, to take this part of herself back again. Rediscover what consensual sex was like with a man she actually wanted so she could try to put the nightmare of her past behind her and have the chance to live life fully. Maybe even have a relationship one day after she was put back out into the real world.
But Brock didn’t say anything in response. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Oh God, what if he’d changed his mind…
Holding her gaze, he slid off the stool, rising to his full height in front of her. Over six feet of powerful, alluring male. Medium brown hair cut short and neat, a little longer in front, wide, powerful shoulders and a sculpted chest.
She curled her fingers around the edge of her stool and tipped her head back to look up at him, nerves buzzing around in the pit of her stomach along with the warm glow of anticipation. She’d all but forgotten what it felt like to have butterflies—the good kind—around a man. Though she was nervous and unsure how she would react to intimate contact, even with him, she wasn’t backing out now.
The hush in the room heightened her anticipation, built the tension between them until it was thick as honey and dancing over her skin like electric tingles. She’d missed him while he was away. Even when he’d been in town before that she didn’t get to see him all that often, and the thing she’d missed most was having him close by to act as a sounding board while he was deployed.
Since her rescue she’d learned what the FAST teams did, and she had a ton of respect and admiration for them. But she had even more for Brock, and his position as team leader. For the kind of man he was. It was partly why she wanted to do this with him and no one else.
She waited, spellbound, all but holding her breath as he lifted a hand and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Even that innocent contact sent her pulse skittering. She’d thought their chemistry would be intense, but now she knew for sure.
“How do you see this working?” he asked her softly, his thumb tracing distracting little patterns over her cheek, creating tendrils of heat that licked across her nerve endings.
Mouth dry, she struggled to find her voice. “We go slow, take things one step at a time and go from there.” Though she’d done a ton of therapy since her rescue, her therapist had cautioned her about rushing into anything physical, worried about how Victoria might react. Only one way to find out, and she’d never backed down from anything in her life. It had cost her everything. Now she wanted to get something back. “If I’m not comfortable with something, I’ll let you know.”
He nodded once. “Fair enough.”
This close, his woodsy, cedar scent wrapped around her, making her want to lean forward and press her nose to his chest, breathe him in. “Okay.”
“Scale of one to ten, how nervous are you right now?”
She huffed out a soft laugh. “Honestly? About a twelve. But not because I’m afraid of you.”
“That’s good. And you don’t need to be nervous with me. You know I’ll take care of you.”
Her insides turned gooey at his intimate tone. “I should mention one other thing,” she added quickly, overwhelmed by the powerful and magnetic presence of this man. He dominated whatever space he occupied without even trying, without a single word or action. He radiated a calm confidence that was unbelievably attractive to her. It made her feel safe and heightened her feminine awareness of him at the same time.
“What’s that?”
“I want you to call me Tori.” She couldn’t tell him, but it was going to be her new name once she left D.C., so she wanted to practice getting used to it. They’d given her a completely new identity package to memorize, and an intricate backstory she’d already learned by heart. It seemed fitting that Brock be the one to call her by it first.
“Tori. I like it.” He stopped stroking his thumb over her cheek, suddenly making it easier to breathe. “You sure you’re ready for this?” he asked, searching her eyes.
She loved that he’d asked her, that he was checking in to make sure this was what she truly wanted. It solidified that she’d made the right decision in approaching him. Her captivity had stolen so much from her. Ruiz’s men had almost broken her. Maybe Brock could help her regain some of her former confidence again. “I’m sure. I want to find out with someone I feel comfortable with and respect, and who I feel respects me.”
“I have more respect for you than you know.”
His quiet words speared through her. Until that moment she hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear them. She trusted him on an intrinsic level, and there was no denying she was attracted to him.
From the moment he’d caught her in the woods and wrapped her up in that blanket, he’d always…been there. In the back of her mind, sometimes in the flesh, but always there and she thought about him constantly. Not sexual attraction at first, given her headspace. Something deeper.
“Thank you.” So…now what? She waited there perched on the stool, half-frozen with a combination of anxiety and hope. And maybe even longing.
She let it all flow through her, stopped fighting the need to feel. It wasn’t like she was risking her heart or anything. She liked and trusted him, but this was purely a business arrangement. She merely wanted his help in taking this final step back into the land of the living, and wasn’t looking for an emotional attachment.
You’re already attached, who are you trying to kid? It was true. Except she didn’t know how to stop the progression. He made that impossible.
In the quiet his eyes dipped to her mouth and her thoughts scattered. The hand at the side of her face shifted, the edge of it curling around her jaw, warm and gentle. Victoria held her breath, heart thudding, letting her eyes half-close as he leaned down toward her.
But when he got close, something made her plant a hand on his chest without thinking and push until her elbow locked. Literally keeping him at arm’s length.
Brock straightened but didn’t move back, staying right where he was. The heat of him all but singed her palm, the thud of his heart steady beneath it, the hard contours of his pectorals a solid ridge.
Realizing what she’d done, she flushed and dropped her hand. �
��Sorry,” she said with a weak laugh. He hadn’t made it to first base—hell, he hadn’t even made it out of the damn batter’s box—and she’d already balked. “It’s been a while. When you leaned over me like that I just reacted without thinking,” she rushed to explain.
“Don’t be sorry.” He took a step back, giving her room to breathe, her palm cooling fast without his body heat to warm it. Yet instead of moving away or calling it quits as she’d feared, he held out his hand to her, palm up.
Victoria lowered her gaze to it. She’d studied his hands in secret so many times over the time they had known each other, during meetings or their sessions at the firing range together. She loved his hands. Long fingers, callused at the base. Clean nails cut right to the quick. Hands that were trained to wield a weapon with lethal accuracy, or to incapacitate anyone who posed a risk to him or his teammates.
But whenever he’d touched her, it was to help. To protect. To reassure. She’d imagined what they would feel like on her naked body so many times. Now was her chance to find out.
Reaching out, she met him halfway and placed her hand in his. His fingers curled around hers, his grip sure but gentle. Her heart sped up as he tugged her to her feet and drew her toward him.
She expected him to pull her to his chest and kiss her, gasped when he reached out to wrap those powerful hands around her hips instead. Before she could react he lifted her effortlessly, turning to gently boost her onto the kitchen counter behind him. Putting them almost at eye level, his flat stomach inches from her knees.
“Better?” he murmured, lifting a hand to brush a lock of hair away from her cheek.
The consideration behind his gesture touched her. The tenderness of his touch and the heat in his eyes turned her inside out. Yeah, you’re more than attached, girlfriend. Be careful. “Much.”
Brock smiled a little and lowered his hand, set them both flat on the counter on either side of her hips, his face inches from hers. Victoria slowly reached up to place her palms flat against the hard planes of his chest, a little giddy at finally being able to touch him like this.
God, he was so warm and solid. Beneath her hands his heart beat in a calm, steady rhythm, his breathing slow. Enjoying this slow exploration, she slid her hands up to his wide shoulders. Muscles stood out beneath her palms and fingers, the sheer power of him making something in her abdomen flutter.
Gathering her courage, she raised her eyes to his face. Brock stood absolutely still and stared directly into her eyes, forging an intimate connection that made her heart pound. There was no mistaking the banked hunger in that stare, the masculine interest. This wasn’t a sacrifice or obligation for him. He actually wanted her.
Breaking eye contact at last, he leaned forward and settled his lips against the center of her forehead in a warm, lingering kiss. Victoria curled her fingers around his shoulders as her heart did a terrified little backflip, closed her eyes to better absorb the sensation. She’d steeled herself to block out the bad memories he might trigger. But she had no defense whatsoever against this heartfelt tenderness.
His warm exhalations bathed her hairline for a long moment, then his lips skimmed gently over to her temple, paused there a moment before blazing a trail down her cheek to the edge of her jaw where his teeth scraped ever-so-carefully over her skin.
Oh God, he was so much more sensual than she had imagined. And she had imagined his kisses a lot. Goosebumps broke out all over her body, her nipples tightening in a sudden rush. It was a shock to get turned on after suffering so much.
She turned her head slightly to meet his lips, hungry to feel his mouth on hers. He ignored her, taking his sweet time scattering kisses across her jaw to her chin, up the other side of her face before ending with a kiss on the bridge of her nose.
She was dissolving inside, all her anxiety swirling away under the caress of his lips. He wasn’t even touching her with his hands, and suddenly she wished he was holding her tight, his thick arms wrapped around her.
Her own crept up to wind around the back of his neck, her fingertips playing with the ends of his soft, brown hair. She sighed and leaned in closer, dying for him to kiss her for real. Those intense gray eyes stared back at her, a mix of silver and gunmetal with a darker charcoal ring around the irises.
His dark lashes lowered as his head finally dipped down once more, the muscles in his shoulders bunching. She tried to meet him part way, made a little sound of confusion and frustration when his lips brushed the corner of her mouth instead of landing flush on hers.
He eased an inch to the right, tenderly caught her upper lip between his before moving to the lower one. Nibbling. Sucking. He did it so slowly she could barely breathe, the sudden rush of yearning taking her off guard.
Unable to stand the slow tease another moment, she gripped his neck tighter, pulled so she could fuse her mouth to his. Brock made a soft, deep sound of either enjoyment or approval and angled his head, parting his lips slightly as he finally kissed her properly.
Heat suffused her entire body, turning the warmth in her belly into a molten need. This huge, sexy man was kissing her with such care and without haste, as though he planned to spend all night doing nothing more than kissing her. It shocked her how much it made her quiver inside. She felt vulnerable yet cherished. Beautiful, even though she was scarred inside and out.
When his tongue touched her lower lip, a tender, sliding caress, Victoria sucked in a breath and opened for him without hesitation. Touch me.
Finally, those incredible hands came up to frame her face as he dipped his tongue under her upper lip, between her teeth to stroke the sensitive roof of her mouth. Her head spun. She forgot how to breathe, forgot everything except his endless kiss and what he made her feel, gliding her tongue against his, savoring the sensation of being protected and savored.
She was lost, her entire body alive in a way it hadn’t been in more than a year, maybe ever, when he sucked at her lower lip one last time before raising his head. Feeling a little drugged, she opened her eyes and struggled to find her bearings. His eyes glowed with arousal, a faint flush on his cheekbones. She was glad to know she wasn’t the only one affected by this.
Running his thumbs across her cheeks one last time, he dropped his hands to his sides and straightened. “You okay?”
Okay? Dizzy, breathless, and wanting more. Needing more, her entire body pulsing with arousal. She would have laughed, but she couldn’t find the energy and he was dead serious. She licked her lips. “Yes. You?”
He cracked a soft laugh. “Yeah.”
Every nerve ending in her body pulsed with heat and…unrelieved need. God, the man could kiss. She’d never experienced anything like it. And when they finally moved on to even more pleasurable things… Something somersaulted deep inside her abdomen at the thought of those hands and wicked mouth on other parts of her body.
But then she thought of her scars, of the look on his face when he saw them, and the heat was doused by ice.
She cleared her throat, checked her watch. God, she’d had no idea so much time had passed. “I should go. I need to call my detail.”
Brock didn’t argue or try to persuade her for more, simply stepped back and handed over her purse. Her continual awareness of him was heightened to the point of distracting as he stood close by while she spoke to the U.S. Marshal who would come up to get her.
“Okay, see you in a few minutes.” Hanging up, she hopped off the counter, a little amazed that her legs were steady enough to hold her up. “He’s coming up now.”
“Okay.” Brock went to the door and got her coat for her, held it out so she could slide her arms into it.
Shrugging it on, she turned to face him, unsure what to say. Thank you? I can’t wait to do this again? “Are you still okay with this?” She would have worried that she’d coerced him into this, except Brock wasn’t a man who could be coerced into anything he didn’t want to do, and the heat she’d seen in his eyes wasn’t fake.
The only thing she c
ouldn’t deal with was his pity.
He arched a dark eyebrow, the contrast of it and his lashes startling against the unique color of his eyes. “What do you think?”
I think it’s a good thing I’ll be leaving before I can get any more attached to you than I already am.
She was a little scared, to be honest. It would be way too easy to get emotionally involved with him, even fall in love with him. Good thing the arrangement was finite, and that she would begin a new life in a new city under a new identity once her role as a government witness was over. Soon. “I hope you’d tell me straight out if you weren’t.”
He nodded. “I would.”
She relaxed. “I believe you.”
Leaning a shoulder against the wall he crossed his ankles, slid his hands into his jeans pockets, the muscles in his arms flexing with the movement. She could spend hours running her hands over them. “Big day coming up for you later this week. How are you feeling about it?”
He meant Ruiz being sentenced the day after tomorrow. Finally. “I have mixed feelings, but mostly I’m looking forward to it because I just want it all to be over. No matter what sentence he gets, it won’t bring my family back.”
“No. But after that day, you’ll never have to lay eyes on the bastard again.”
Relief poured through her at the thought. “Yes.” Though she would continue to see him often enough in her nightmares. That part wasn’t going away anytime soon.
Blocking that thought before it could take root, she put her hands into her coat pockets to avoid the temptation of touching Brock again. She’d never forget the way he’d kissed her tonight. One taste of him and she already wanted more, could easily become addicted to him if she wasn’t careful.
But if she’d learned anything since the night her life was shattered, it was to be cautious and protect herself. “When can we see each other next?”
“What about after the sentencing hearing? Any day where someone like that gets sentenced seems like a good reason to celebrate.”
