Chapter 32
“God, woman, I—”
Sabrina sat up when Hew’s words cut off like a sword had sliced through them. His expression was…
What?
Stunned, maybe? Shocked?
She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. But then he blinked and returned to his old, stoic self, and she thought maybe she’d imagined everything.
“You what?” she prompted, holding her breath in anticipation.
“I need to go next door for the condoms.” He threw back the covers and stood in one swift move. “’Cause I’m not done with ya. Not by a damn sight.”
It was strange. His words tickled her—what woman wouldn’t be pleased to have a handsome man ravenous for her?—but also disappointed her because she’d thought…
It doesn’t matter what I thought, she told herself sternly.
What mattered was that there would be more of Hew’s talented ministrations. More of his touching and kissing and teasing. More of his big naked body and—
Speaking of his big naked body…
She shamelessly admired the firm curve of his ass when he stepped into his boxer briefs and tactical pants. He straightened to do up his fly, and when his gloriously broad chest caught the warm light of the lamp, she bit her lip as renewed lust fired through her blood.
Donning her sultriest grin, she told him, “I’m not done with you either, flyboy.”
Without warning, he ripped the bedding away and tossed it unceremoniously at the end of the bed. She gasped as the cool air caressed her skin. Then she blushed at being completely bare beneath his heated gaze.
Her first instinct was to cover herself. But that seemed silly considering she’d been splayed out in front of him just a little bit ago, mewling and bucking and begging as his talented hands and magical mouth did unspeakably naughty things to her.
Besides, it was beyond gratifying to watch the way his hot stare raked over her body. To feel the path of fire his gaze left behind.
She bent a knee and slowly trailed one fingertip between her breasts. It was a challenge. An invitation.
It was successful, apparently, because his nostrils flared like a predator scenting prey.
“You’re a damned temptress.” His voice was so rough with need that it raised goosebumps on her arms.
“Me?” She blinked innocently. “I was just lying here, minding my own business, and then you—”
“That’s all it takes.” He sounded irritated that her mere existence was enough to make him want, to make him lust, to make him hard.
As quickly as he’d yanked them away, he flicked the covers back over her and stalked from the room.
She lay there stunned, laughing softly at the power she wielded. Overjoyed at the memories of what they’d already done and anticipating all they were about to do together and—
The door slammed open, and he strode back in. There was a definite gleam in his eyes as he kicked the door shut behind him and proudly held aloft a long strip of condoms like they were a blue ribbon from a county fair.
“Wow.” She blinked, counting at least a dozen square, foil packages. “You have a lot of faith in your sexual prowess, huh?”
His lopsided smile was pure sin. “No. But I have all the faith in yours. Ya make me ravenous. Ya know that, right?”
She glanced down at the bulge straining his fly. “Oh, I think I have some idea—”
Bam, bam, bam!
The heavy knock barely gave her time to pull the covers up to her chin before the door flew open.
Hew half-turned, Sabrina squeaked her surprise, and Graham slowly took in the scene before lazily propping his massive shoulder against her doorframe.
“Well, well, well,” he drawled, lifting an eyebrow at the strip of condoms Hew still held in the air. “So much for just bein’ friends.” He made air quotes. “Caught ya red-handed.” He turned to grin at Sabrina and the blush burning her face. “And red-cheeked.”
That had her blush extending to the roots of her hair.
When he returned his attention to Hew, he lifted a challenging eyebrow. “Why are ya starin’ at me like I’m a festerin’ sore on your ass?”
“Is there something you need?” Hew crossed his arms, the strip of condoms still dangling from his fingertips. “’Cause, in case it escaped your notice, we’re a little busy here.”
Instead of answering, Graham chuckled and waved a magnanimous hand. “I approve, by the way.”
“Approve of what?”
“This.” Graham wagged a finger between Hew and Sabrina.
Hew scowled. “I wasn’t aware we needed your approval.”
Graham shrugged. “It never hurts, right? So what finally pushed ya over the edge?” He pinned Sabrina with a knowing look. “Was it seein’ him all suited up and helmeted and piloting the chopper like a sky god?” He hooked a thumb in Hew’s direction.
“It was, wasn’t it?” Graham whistled through his teeth. “I don’t blame ya. He is a handsome devil when he’s mannin’ those controls. All square-jawed and with that eagle-eyed concentration. There’s been times I’ve been tempted to—”
Hew interrupted. “Ya realize your presence here’s about as welcome as an itchy asshole.”
All the teasing fled Graham’s face and was replaced by a look of apology. “Unfortunately, there are times when the only options are bad ones.”
“Meaning what?” It was clear Hew’s annoyance was growing by the second.
“We need Sabrina. It’s time for her decision.”
“What kind of decision?” Sabrina frowned, feeling her heart kick up a notch. And not in a good way.
Instead of answering, Graham simply told her, “Take a coupla minutes to get dressed. I’ll meet ya downstairs.”
He dipped his chin before disappearing down the hall.
Hew closed the door behind him with maybe a smidge more force than was necessary. When he turned back to Sabrina, his whole demeanor had changed.
Gone was the tease. Gone was the flirt. In his place was the guy who kept his blades sharp and his powder dry. The guy who acted as an umbrella when bullets started raining down.
“I can tell ’em all to fuck off,” he offered, the tightness of his jaw highlighting its angularity.
“No.” She pushed the covers away and reached for her discarded clothes. “If Graham says I still have a part to play, I’ll play it. It’s the least I can do.
“Come here.” He issued the command from between clenched teeth. “I need one more kiss.”
She dropped her clothes and walked to him naked, uncaring of what jiggled or sagged or swayed. All that mattered was him and how he made her feel beautiful and safe.
Made her feel…loved.
Going up on tiptoe, she framed his face with her hands—reveling in the scratchy feel of his beard against her palms—and kissed him.
God, the freedom to kiss him…
She still couldn’t believe it. Had spent months dreaming about it, only to realize her fantasies didn’t hold a candle to reality.
His body was a wall of unyielding strength. His mouth was fire and velvet, kissing her like…well…like he kissed her. Which was unlike anyone else.
When she finally pulled away, she was pleased to see his eyes were hot with a lust that mirrored her own. That was just the impetus she needed to hurry up and get dressed.
The sooner she did whatever needed doing, the sooner she could return to him. The sooner she could pull him back into bed. The sooner they could start making a dent in that strip of condoms.
“Now I want to tell ’em to fuck off for purely selfish reasons,” he admitted hoarsely.
She donned a coquettish smile as she pulled on her panties and jeans. “How about instead of that, you promise to fuck me when this is over?”
He grabbed her hips before she could snap her bra shut and hauled her against him. His wide chest was hot against the hard tips of her breasts. His lips were warm and hungry on her throat.
“Deal.” He nipped at her earlobe. “Where do I sign?”
She grinned and backed up a step so he could see her point to her left nipple. “Here,” she told him, her voice dropping an octave as her hand slid lower, past the waistband of her jeans to disappear inside the denim… “And here.”
He shuddered. Actually shuddered. And then groaned like his want of her physically hurt him. When he reached down and adjusted himself, she realized maybe it did.
Feeling beautiful in a way she never had before, feeling powerful in a way she never had before, feeling…like her old self, but even better, she told him seriously, “Thank you, Hew.”
He clocked the change in her mood and blinked in confusion. “For what?”
“For reminding me how nice it can be to be wanted. For helping me find that part of myself I worried was lost forever. For being patient and gentle and…” She searched for the right word. “Thorough,” she finally finished with a teasing grin.
“And we haven’t even scratched the surface,” he promised before pulling her back in for another kiss.
It was more than a couple of minutes before she made it to the War Room. Graham’s slow, smug smile said he knew exactly what had kept her.
“So?” She tried to act nonchalant—and failed if Graham’s low chuckle was anything to go by. “What can I do to help?”
“No Hew?” he asked.
“He’ll be along. He was lacing up his boots when I left.”
“We’ll wait.”
She narrowed her eyes, her curiosity piqued. What in the world did they need her for? She couldn’t begin to imagine.
From below came the grind of some sort of rotary tool and the staccato hiss of an air compressor.
Ozzie sat at his bank of computers, his fingers going rat-a-tat-tat over a keyboard as lines of code flew by on a monitor.
His speakers weren’t blaring eighties tunes.
Instead, he had his earbuds plugged in and his head bobbed in rhythm to whatever hairband played through them.
She could hear Becky in her office, half-laughing as she negotiated over the phone with someone about a shipment of V-twin engines.
It was all so…normal.
Eerily so considering that just yesterday, she’d been tied to a chair in an abandoned bottling plant, feet numb from her restraints, mouth a desert from dehydration. Not to mention, today they had a platinum-haired assassin tied up in the tunnel dug down beneath the river.
“So…” Graham eyed her curiously. “Is Hew your lobster?”