I didn’t move, holding myself still the way prey does while it tries not to catch the attention of the hunter.
“I almost killed him tonight.”
Bones breathed the words so close to my skin that gooseflesh broke out on me where they landed. I didn’t say anything, sensing that whatever control Bones had used in not doing that before was at its breaking point now.
“I’ve never been jealous before I met you,” Bones went on, still in that same soft, menacing tone. “It burns, luv. Like silver through my veins. Some nights, watching you with other men on your jobs, I think it will drive me mad.”
His hands were still stroking my legs with a light, scary sensuality that made me want to cringe back-and edge forward at the same time. My whole body seemed to be holding its breath. Despite his outwardly calm demeanor, there was something boiling up in Bones that would break free any moment, I could feel it.
“It was just an act,” I said again.
“Oh, I know that,” Bones replied at once. Those glittering green eyes met mine. “Tate wouldn’t be alive now if it wasn’t. I know you only did this to get Hykso, but Kitten.” His voice deepened. Hardened. “No matter the cause, don’t you dare, ever, let someone handle you in such a way again.”
Then, to my complete surprise, Bones yanked my underwear down.
“What are youdoing?” I gasped.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” he muttered even as he spread my legs.
Of all the things I’d expected, this would have been last on my list. “But you’re, er, still mad at me.”
“Right you are,” was his somewhat muted response as a deep lick made my knees weak.
I was about to say this wasn’t a fair way to fight, when Bones grasped me around the waist and lifted me. Color rose to my cheeks, because my legs were around his shoulders and my head almost reached the ceiling.
“Bones,” I managed to say. “Stop. Let me down.”
Ruthlessly his tongue continued to tease me. “No. You’re mine, and I’m taking you now.”
I didn’t want to respond to him. It seemed…wrong to do this while he was still mad, but if this was a new way to fight, I was losing the battle. A short cry wrenched from me as Bones’s fangs rubbed my clitoris, not piercing it, just applying pressure. It felt incredible, inciting me to arch against him to feel it again. And again. Then repeatedly, gasping in ecstasy at the sensations bombarding me. Talking things out suddenly felt very overrated. Bones knew just what I loved, and I couldn’t stop myself from getting lost in the sensations.
“Tell me you want me,” he growled.
“God, yes,” I managed, aching for him to be inside me.
“Say it.” It was a demand even as his mouth continued to torment me. I dug my fingers into his hair and almost tore him away from my flesh.
“I want you,” I rasped. “Now. Don’t you dare say no to me.”
A harsh laugh tickled me. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Bones set me down, dragging his mouth up my skin until my feet made contact with the floor. As soon as they did, I pushed him back toward the couch. He fell on it with me on top of him. I slid down, yanking his pants off, and then wrapped my mouth around him.
His flesh was cool, like marble come to life. I took him in until I couldn’t fit any more, then began sucking with deep, rough pulls.
Bones moaned, his back arching. “Harder.”
I increased the pressure. His hands tangled in my hair, then clenched into fists as I drew harder still.
“Bloody hell, that’s so good,” he said in a choked tone. “I can’t wait.”
He lifted me, ignoring my protests, and settled me on his hips while thrusting deeply into me. Filling me until it almost hurt. The jostling of the truck increased our friction as he moved with hungry, rapid strokes.
My head fell back and I moved with him, lost in blind sensation. Bones sat up, catching my nipple in his mouth. He sucked on it until it was almost numb with pleasure, then switched to my other nipple, giving it the same sweet, rough attention.
My nails raked down his sides. His mouth slid to my neck as he pressed me closer to him. I cried out at the feel of his fangs on my neck, grazing but not breaking my skin.
I held him closer to my throat. “Bite me.”
He licked there instead. “No. You’ve lost too much blood tonight.”
I didn’t care. I wanted my blood inside him. It was a need almost as strong as the desperation that each new thrust within me brought.
“Do it,” I moaned. “Show me I’m yours.”
His arms lashed around me even as he moved faster. “Youare mine,” he ground out, sealing his mouth over my pulse.
I barely had a chance to smile at my victory when his fangs slid into my neck. A hot swell of passion flooded me, making me dizzy, but for more reasons than the single swallow Bones took before he closed the punctures.
He kissed me, the metallic taste of my blood flavoring his mouth. I clung to him while the escalating intensity seemed to make my whole body boil.
“Your turn, Kitten.” His voice was rough with lust. “Show me I’m yours.”
My teeth sank into his neck. Bones’s hand wound in my hair, holding me closer, inciting me to bite harder, until his blood filled my mouth.
I swallowed. Bones tugged my head back to kiss me again, our mouths tasting of sex and each other’s blood. There was something primal about that, his anger, and the seething urge I had to prove to him that no one else mattered.
Don’t stop. Don’t stop.
Maybe I said it out loud. Maybe I didn’t. Either way, Bones flipped me over until he was on top of me, moving with ever-increasing intensity.
“I can’t stop.”
It was the best fight we’d ever had.
The strobe light of the control tower pierced the darkness with sweeping circular beams. It had snowed earlier. I was freezing even with my double pants, double sweaters, and jacket. Bones hadn’t bothered to don anything over his clothes except his black leather coat, but that was probably more from habit than need for warmth.
The strobe light turned off. Our signal.
In the darkness, Bones circled the base in whirls of aerial speed, too fast and random for anyone with a bulky weapon to target, and if they had anything smaller, it wouldn’t matter. I was clasped in his arms, closing my eyes against the dizzying dips and turns. We could have just driven up, but Bones was being extra paranoid. He didn’t want to risk the chance that one of Patra’s people had somehow followed us from the wreckage of Hykso’s plane and was waiting near the compound with a rocket launcher like Max had.
The guard’s faces on the roof were masks of carefully controlled shock as first Bones appeared out of the dark, landing, striding toward them without even a falter in his step. Right behind him was Ian, who carried Tate. Then came Tick Tock and Zero.
Don had argued about Ian knowing where the compound was, but Bones brushed him off. He didn’t think Ian would betray the location to anyone, so Ian was here, letting go of Tate as soon as he touched the roof. Ian looked around with mild curiosity. His being herewas ironic, of course, considering how Don had sent me to capture or kill Ian just a little over a year ago. How things had changed since then.
The six of us went inside. No one had been shot at and nothing had exploded. So far, so good, if you asked me, though truth be told, I didn’t know why we were here in the first place. After our, um, argument in the back of the tractor trailer, Bones had said he needed to see Don. I’d asked why, of course, but he had a really effective method of distracting me. Then there had been the interesting scene at the private airport, where Bones green-eyed an unsuspecting pilot into flying us to Tennessee. So now here we were, and I still didn’t know what Bones wanted to talk to my uncle about. Guess I’d find out soon enough.
I’d avoided looking at Tate since we met up with him, Ian, Tick Tock, and Zero a few miles from here. There was a big awkward factor between us now. For his part, Bones didn’t act any differently, even though he would have been able to sense and hear my mental discomfort. Therefore, I was taken aback when Bones announced that
