Chapter 16 #2
Understanding dawned.
Her face flushed as she glared up at me. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“Oh?” I leaned into her, letting her feel what she did to me.
Arousal flared in her eyes, and it was a wonder, with us both soaked to the skin, that steam didn’t rise from our clothing in reaction to the heat we generated.
Then Robyn pushed at my chest with force, anger clouding whatever lust she felt, and I let myself stumble back with an aggravated curse under my breath.
“One, I don’t need to know you don’t do relationships. It might be hard for you to believe, Adair, but you’re the last man I would want to be in a relationship with.”
Pride pricked, I glared at her. I wasn’t imagining things. This wasn’t one-sided. “You want to fuck me as badly as I want to fuck you.”
Her breathing grew a little shaky. “I can control myself. Better yet, I can find someone else to take the edge off. Anyone would be better than you.”
The thought of her taking what I’d provoked and giving it to some other man snapped my patience. I hooked a hand around her nape and hauled her against me, crushing my mouth over hers. Tell me you don’t feel this.
Her hands went to my arms as if to push me, but instead her fingers curled around my biceps and she melted.
Satisfaction roared through me, and we stumbled against the door as the kiss gave way to unbridled lust.
The taste of her, the feel of her, her smell, her electricity …
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d wanted someone this much.
As our tongues mimicked what our bodies needed to do, I thrust my hips against her, the heat of her throbbing at her core.
Robyn gasped into my mouth, and I felt her arch into it, our bodies moving together until I was almost mad with the need to be naked.
To be inside her.
She sucked on my tongue, and I felt the last of the blood rush out of my brain.
Grunting with want, my hands slipped down her slim back and beneath her yoga pants and underwear.
The feel of her bare arse in my hands turned my kiss more desperate.
I groaned into it, squeezing her firm, smooth cheeks and pulling her up against my erection.
Robyn gasped, breaking the kiss. “Lachlan.”
I kissed down her throat, licking, teeth scraping skin, wanting to devour every goddamn inch of her.
Trailing my lips across her chest, I felt a change in its texture, like raised skin, and the sensation pulled me out of my fog.
Lifting my head, I stared down at her chest, near the wide strap of her sports bra, and saw something I’d missed before.
Curious, I removed my hands from inside her pants to pull at her strap to see better.
“Adair!” Robyn grabbed at my wrist, but it was too late.
I’d seen the scar.
It looked suspiciously like a scar from a bullet wound.
My head whipped up as I glared at her in question.
Robyn flushed, this time not with arousal, and she shoved at me. “Get off me.”
As I backed away slowly, drinking in the awesome sight of her trembling with unsatisfied desire—desire I’d be happy to sate if she’d let me—my eyes caught on something else I’d missed.
Another scar, not quite but almost hidden by the hem of the sports bra.
Jesus Christ.
She’d been shot.
Multiple times.
The thought was like ice water over my arousal.
“Does Mac know?” My voice was hoarse.
Instead of an answer, she threw me another dirty look and dashed out before I could stop her.
“Robyn!” I followed her into the hall and caught her by the waist.
She squirmed in my arms, full of fight that exhausted me now. “Let go of me.”
Instead I kissed her again.
I kissed her hard and almost punishing, wanting to remind her how she’d felt only seconds ago, before I’d discovered her scars.
The reminder of the scars gentled me, my kiss softening, almost coaxing, and she kissed me back. Her supple body relaxed, giving way to this bloody madness between us. I wanted to know about the scars. But I wanted her like this more. Needful and wanting and hot magic in my searching hands.
We fell against the wall, this time my back to it, while Robyn pressed her whole body into mine.
I gripped her arse, pulling her deeper against me.
“Dear God!” The squeak of surprise separated us with the impact of a clap of thunder.
Trying to catch my breath, I turned my head to the right. Standing frozen in the staff corridor was Agnes, my head housekeeper, and Sarah McCulloch.
Damn.
Robyn wriggled, and I realized belatedly she was trying to escape my hold. I let her go so abruptly, she stumbled back. I reached to steady her, but she waved me off.
She wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“I have to go see my father.” She hurried from me before I could protest.
Once Robyn was out of sight, I became fully aware that I’d just been caught practically humping Mac’s daughter.
Deciding to pretend nothing had happened, I strode toward my head housekeeper and McCulloch’s granddaughter. “I got caught in the rain. I need to change.”
“Of course, sir.” Agnes grimaced. “I’m so sorry, sir, we didn’t—”
I cut her off with a stern expression that warned her not to say anything else on the subject.
Then I swiftly made my way to my suite before any of the members could find me. The door slammed shut behind me as I marched into my room. Hands on hips, I stared unseeing out the window as the events of the last fifteen minutes filled my mind.
Robyn had been shot, and Mac might not know about it.
Goddamn it.
It wasn’t the only thing Mac didn’t know about.
Groaning, I slumped into my armchair, elbows to knees, head in my hands.
This attraction to Robyn was not within my control.
I could admit that.
But maybe if we both understood the rules, it wouldn’t be a problem. We could fuck until we’d exhausted the attraction between us, and everything would eventually return to normal.
Mac didn’t need to know.
Guilt stirred in my gut.
I shouldn’t touch her again.
It was the right thing to do.
The loyal thing to do.
And yet I couldn’t get the damn taste of her off my tongue.
Worse … I wanted more.
So much more.