Chapter 10
Cross stood at the window of his shack, watching the moss draped on the trees sway lazily in the humid, late afternoon breeze.
The air was thick—thicker than usual—and not just with heat.
Something was coming. The impending danger crawled along the back of his neck like the swarm of mosquitoes that ruled this damn swamp. He was still being hunted. But by whom?
Rodriguez? Maybe. The bastard had reach, and with the size of the bounty on his head, it was like putting a neon sign on his back that said Come get me.
But Cross wasn’t sure it was just Rodriguez anymore.
Mireille’s warning had stuck with him. She never said the name, but he and Drew both knew exactly who she meant.
If that slippery son of a bitch was on their trail, it was only a matter of time.
The Weasel didn’t need a reason. He only needed a paycheck.
And now Drew was in the crosshairs, too.
Cross dragged a hand down his face. He hadn’t meant to bring her into this.
Hell, leaving her had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he’d had his reasons.
She didn’t belong in his world of blood and betrayal.
She belonged somewhere with blue skies, clean sheets, and air-conditioning.
Somewhere where he didn’t have to worry about her every moment of every day.
Not here. Not with him.
The creak of the floorboards behind him told him she was awake. He glanced over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of her sitting cross-legged on the edge of the cot, her hair pulled up, skin flushed from the heat. Still beautiful. Still a punch to the gut.
He turned away and headed for the bathroom. The cold shower helped, but only barely. He’d just stepped out, towel slung low on his hips, when the scream echoed through the shack.
“Jesus!” Drew shouted from the main room. “It’s on me! Cross!”
He bolted out of the bathroom, heart hammering. “What is it?”
She was hopping around in a circle, swatting at her shirt. “There was a spider! With fangs! It looked like it wanted to file taxes and open a 401k!”
He blinked. Then burst out laughing.
Drew stopped hopping and glared at him. “This isn’t funny!”
Cross tried—and failed—to stop the grin. “You just screamed like a banshee over a wolf spider.”
“It was a demon, and I’m not even sorry,” she muttered, plopping back down on the cot.
The moment shifted. The laughter died. She looked up at him then, her eyes locking on his bare chest, her gaze lingering just a second too long. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips.
“You really should put on some clothes,” she said softly.
He crossed the room, towel still wrapped around his waist. “Why?”
“Because looking at you half-naked is bad for my blood pressure.”
He stopped a foot in front of her. “And what if I said the same about you?”
Her breath hitched. The heat between them snapped like a live wire.
One knee on the bed now, he reached for her.
His knuckles brushed the satiny skin of her cheek, sending a thrilling bolt of fire into him.
He shouldn’t. Getting involved with Drew again was madness.
But no one had ever called him sane. At least not recently.
He lifted her chin and slowly lowered his mouth toward hers.
Their lips met—slow at first, searching.
Then deeper. Hotter. She pulled him closer, hands gripping his back, nails digging in.
It was everything he remembered and everything he’d tried to forget.
The towel around his waist slipped, not that it was great at hiding the instant erection he’d gotten when their lips first met.
He let the thin terry fabric drop to the floor, cupped his palms on her cheeks, and moved between her spread thighs.
Without releasing her mouth, he pressed forward, guiding her back to the cot’s lumpy mattress and lowered his body into the cradle of her hips.
Drew rocked her pelvis up, shifting their bodies enough to create a snug fit between them. God, he remembered this. Remembered how eager she’d always been to have him just like this, chest to breasts, hips to hips. How they fit together like puzzle pieces. Both of them dripping for the other.
He needed her naked…like yesterday, but he didn’t want to break the spell between them.
He palmed the back of her thigh and lifted it along his side until she clasped her ankles around his back.
Then he braced his weight on one hand and, with the other, shoved her plain white tank upward, exposing her glorious tits.
He’d always loved playing with her nipples, and muscle memory kicked in as he tweaked and twirled the tight nubs.
Common sense raised its annoying head. He should give her an out. He wanted this so much, he physically hurt, but he needed to know she craved this intimate connection as much as he did.
He lifted up until he could look into her eyes. “Drew, tell me you want this. As crazy as it is, and as bad as this idea is, I need you.”
Her pupils were wide, and she licked her lip. “I’m pissed at you, and…God, I can’t believe I’m saying this…” She skipped her fingertips down his spine. “We were always so good together. I missed us.”
He asked cautiously, “So that’s a yes? We’re doing this, even though we should be keeping our distance from each other?”
She rocked her hips enough to notch his cock at her entrance. “That’s a yes.”
He dropped his weight back on top of her and slid upward, using his body against hers like a seductive weapon. Her legs tightened around his hips, and she lifted her pelvis. The pressure on his cock between their two bodies made his eyes roll back.
“Condom?”
Her legs loosened. “Are you… have you—”
“There’s been no one. Not in all this time apart. I’m clean.” He didn’t ask her, because honestly, part of him didn’t want to know if she’d been with anyone else.
“Really?” She lifted her gaze to his face.
He pressed a tender kiss to her lips. “Really.” What would she think if she knew he couldn’t even imagine having another woman in his bed?
“I haven’t either. So… No condom. I want to feel you inside me. The way we used to be.”
He captured her lips again, thrusting his tongue deep within. Some part of him reveled with the thought he’d been her last lover. His heart hammered so hard against his ribs he was certain she could feel it. God knew he felt hers beating just as rapidly under his pecs.
But another part of him was saddened by the thought of how much time they’d wasted. Faking his death, hiding from her hadn’t been easy. Dreams of her came almost nightly, and he’d woken with a morning hard-on way too often.
Drew broke the connection between their lips. “Hey. Come back.”
He canted his head to the side.
“You went somewhere in your head. Focus on me before I get even more pissed and shove you off.” She cupped his jaw and drew him back to her.
He hooked his fingers in the elastic leg of her panties and jerked it to the side, then guided his fingertip to her hot, seeping entrance.
“You are so ready for me.” He nuzzled one finger just inside her, pleased to hear her moan.
“Fuck me, Cross. Take me hard.”
His dick jerked, and he quickly replaced his finger with his cock and rocked roughly into her. She’d always liked that first stroke deep and firm. After a second rough thrust, he backed off and let her set the rhythm.
Her channel was tight around him, and the exquisite pressure of her inner muscles had his balls drawing up.
She didn’t ease up, forcefully rocking against his lower belly.
She was using his pelvic bone to massage her clit.
Each time she arched up to him, he rocked back to her, pressing firmly where she needed him.
The tingling at the base of his spine intensified. “Baby, I’m not gonna last,” he muttered into her ear as he slid home again.
“Almost there, Cross. I just need…” Her head fell back against the pillow, and her fingernails dug into his ass as if she wanted him deeper.
He picked up the pace, rocking hard into her.
The lace on her panties rubbing on his dick was a form of torture as he glided in and out.
He reached between their bodies and found the bundle of nerves he knew would launch her.
He tapped it, then swirled his thumb over it as he rocked harder and faster into her.
Her lips found his nipple, and she bit. He responded by thrusting hard enough to bang the cot into the wall.
Swear to God, he wasn’t the only being shuddering here.
The whole shack shook. Under him, Drew tensed and started the tight, high-pitched keen that told him how close she was.
He pinched her clit as he pushed into her and held fast and deep.
She flew over the edge, her orgasm milking his dick to the point that he spasmed with his own release.
He collapsed on her body as she sprawled under him, her ankles finally unlocking and her feet falling to either side of his hips. He was still buried deep inside her, his cock twitching as each of her breaths lifted her chest under his.
God, they’d always been so good together. Good to see they still had it. Even if this was a mistake. He was still a danger to her. His base desires put her further into jeopardy. He groaned as reality pounced, and then buried his face in her throat.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“Shut up, Cross.” Her tone was hurt and harsh.
“Drew, this was a mistake. I’ve probably made a bad situation worse.” He wasn’t sure what was worse, the guilt riding him or the crushed look on her face.
“Cross, I don’t regret this. I’m still pissed at you for the past year, but if you apologize for this, I’ll be livid.”
Before he could reply, the sat phone rang.
Cross rolled off the cot, quickly wrapping the towel around his waist, and answered.
“Is she with you?” McGuire’s voice came through the static.