Rogue (Phoenix Rising)

by Brynley Blake

  His eyes are shining as they travel over my body, stopping at my face. “I love you.” There is a world of healing and love and promise in his simple words, and my heart swells.

  “I love you, too.”

  He closes the distance between us and lifts me off my feet as I wrap my legs around his waist.

  “Make love to me,” I say softly.

  “I intend to. Every damn day for the rest of our lives,” he vows as his mouth slants over mine. When we finally pull apart, both of us breathless and shaking, his eyes are glittering with carnal sensuality. “But tonight, I intend to devote every fiber of my being to the taste and feel of you. Tonight I want to take you deeper and darker into the void with me, to the place where you will be truly and unequivocally mine. I want to strip away every last inhibition, every barrier between us so it’s only you and me. Tonight, I want your full surrender.”

  “Yes.” It’s a plea and a promise.

  He lays me on the bed and kisses me, his lips igniting my skin as his hands touch and probe, arousing me in the way that only he can. “How far do you want me to take you? How deep do you want to go?”

  “Anywhere with you.”

  He smiles and hauls me up onto my hands and knees, instructing me not to move. I watch him undress out of the corner of my eye, appreciating the occasional glimpses of tanned muscular thighs, his gorgeous ass, and one delectable peek at his impressive erection before he slips the blindfold over my eyes. “Just for now,” he promises. “I’ll take it off after I’ve teased and tormented you for a while, when you’ve begged convincingly enough that I decide to let you come.” His voice drops lower. “Because I’ve got to tell you, sweetheart, I love the way you smile when I fuck you, and the way your eyes close right as you’re about to come.”

  Everything else recedes except the one man whose very existence makes the air thick and my brain fuzzy. I can hear him moving around the room, preparing my descent into the world that only he can take me to—a place all our own where our souls come together in perfect harmony. There’s a rustle of rope, the clink of ice, and the whisper of leather drawn across my skin, and my pulse is racing with heady anticipation.

  He pulls my arms under me and between my legs, tying each wrist to the corresponding ankle. I’m already slick with desire, my pulse quickening as my core begins to throb with longing and wanting. So much wanting. I love that I can be wild and free with him.

  As the world around me fades away, I’m surrounded by Noah—his scent, his presence, his touch, his desire, but most of all, his love. All that’s left now is his command, three words that simultaneously destroy me and put me back together better and stronger and more fulfilled than I was before.

  “Fall into me.”

  I nod, take a deep breath, and let myself go.

  Epilogue

  Walker

  “Last boarding call for flight 7439 to London.” The bored, nasally voice of the woman at the check-in counter at the Kuala Lumpur airport lets me know I’ve arrived at the gate just in time to catch the flight that will take me to Charleston via a stopover in London. It’s going to be nice to be back in the States. It seems like it’s been forever since I’ve been home.

  Not that I even know what home is. Certainly not Louisiana, where I grew up bouncing from foster home to foster home. And not my apartment in San Diego, which mostly serves as a place to crash or bring women to when I’m not on deployment, but lacks any real sense of permanency. My real home is my SEAL team, and to be honest, the thought of being on leave for eight weeks had filled me with a low-grade sense of dread. Too much time to think about Liam. He was the brother I never had, and I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that he’s gone. I’ve spent the last few months going through the motions, and my CO finally insisted I take some time off, presumably to get my shit together. Instead, rumors of Liam gunrunning surfaced and I became obsessed with finding out if they were true. What I discovered didn’t make things better.

  It had been a relief when Gemma called me a couple of weeks ago and asked me to check on McKenzie. The thought of my best friend of eight years makes me smile. Feisty, strong-willed, gutsy, and passionate, Gemma is also home—my compass, my true north, the one person who centers me. It’s been too long since I’ve seen her. McKenzie said Gemma was going to be in New York for a few more days, but I’m going to try to stick around in Charleston long enough for her to get back so I can at least take her to dinner. I’ve missed her.

  I can wait. I have plenty to do in Charleston, starting with examining the necklace Dr. Morris gave McKenzie and getting a copy of Liam’s bucket list. If Noah is right, it’s the key to finding the guns and keeping McKenzie safe. It took some convincing for me to believe Noah was one of the good guys after everything that happened, and that McKenzie would be safe with him, but after seeing him with her this afternoon, there’s no denying his love for her. But even though I know I’ve left her in good hands with Noah, I also know I owe it to Liam to do everything in my power to take care of his little sister. And if that means following the clues on his bucket list in the States to find the hidden stash of guns, I’ll do whatever it takes.

  “Your boarding pass, sir.” I hand the paper to the agent and board the plane, stowing my carry-on in the overhead bin and making my way to my seat in the back. It’s going to be a cramped ride for the five-hour red-eye to London, but it was the only seat I could get on such short notice, and even though it’s not first class, it’s a hell of a lot better than the cargo net seats on the military planes I usually fly on.

  As I settle into my seat, the flight attendant passes by and I stop her to order a shot of Jameson. I intend to sleep on this flight.

  “Of course, sir.”

  I wave away the Coke and open the miniature bottle, downing it in one gulp as I mentally review what I know, and what I don’t. I know that Liam is dead, a shipment of guns is missing, a drug lord thinks McKenzie knows where they are, and apparently, Liam’s bucket list holds the secret to finding them. I know that Liam left behind a shitload of money, that the head honcho of the drug cartel wants the guns he paid for, and he sent Noah to find them. I also know that someone else besides El Gato wants the list, McKenzie, or both, but I haven’t got a clue who or why.

  I’m going to make it my business to find out. Noah and McKenzie will continue to check off the items on Liam’s bucket list in Malaysia and then head to Australia. I’ll go to Charleston, get the necklace, fly to California to meet with the aid worker’s family to see what they know, and complete the items on Liam’s bucket list in the States. Hopefully, somewhere along the way one of us will find the clue that will lead us to the guns.

  As the plane prepares for takeoff, I close my eyes, thinking about Liam. No one knows him better than me. We trained together, lived together, ate together, drank together, prayed together, fought together, worked hard together, and played even harder. We’d survived hell together more than once. Fuck the evidence. I still don’t buy that he was illegally selling guns to the Mexican drug cartel, no matter how much proof indicates otherwise.

  The roar of the engine fills my ears as we taxi down the runway, gaining speed. I feel the earth fall away as the plane becomes airborne, carrying me toward home, and I make a vow. I’ll find the guns. But I want more than that. I want Liam’s redemption.

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  Acknowledgments

  I have been blessed by so many incredibly important people who have come into my life at just the right moment and who have believed in me, encouraged me, and provided the means by which I have been propelled forward into something bigger and better and more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. I’m sure it’s no coincidence, and I am eternally grateful for all of you.

  A huge shout-out of thanks to…

  My friend, mentor, lunch partner, and sounding board P
at Van Wie. This book probably wouldn’t be here without you, and I will be forever indebted to you for introducing me to Brenda and for loving my writing and believing in me. I have been beyond blessed by having you in my life.

  Brenda Chin, my fabulous editor who took a chance on me, believed in me, fell in love with Noah and McKenzie’s story, and made Rogue the best it could be.

  My parents, whose unconditional love and support are my harbor in every storm, and who taught me the importance of happiness and pursuing your dreams.

  My amazing and tireless P.A., Amy Cossio, who makes me laugh, tells everyone about my books, handles the marketing I don’t have time for, makes sure I’m alive when I disappear, and keeps me sane. Thank you for hitching your cart to my horse and believing in me.

  Kym and Audra, for understanding me in ways that no one else on earth possibly could. Your friendship and encouragement sustain me daily. I’m glad I have you in the trenches with me.

  Emily, for beta reading, spot-on insight, fantastic ideas, and making sure I never put the word “moist” in a book.

  Ally, for your constant unwavering support and love.

  Caroline, for the plotting help. You’re going to be an amazing writer one day.

  And to Mathew, for Kairos.

  About the Author

  A lifelong reader with a taste for adventure, Brynley Blake writes the kind of books she likes to read: steamy contemporary romances featuring smart, sassy heroines with a sense of humor and strong, dominant alpha males who love their women a little feisty. She lives in Texas with her family and an assortment of pets, and loves rainy days, hot coffee, cold beer, red wine, traveling, and spending time with her family. She writes contemporary and erotic romance as Brynley Blake and Brynley Bush.

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