There was a sharp jab throughout her body as his words struck home. Darby wanted to disappear behind one of the wooden fences lining the alley. She could hop over, sink into the dirt and perhaps be swallowed whole. It wasn’t every day that the man you’d come to like and trust admitted he’d wasted his time.
The first major disappointment had been the transfer to the academy instead of undercover work. Then Michael was accused of murdering her partner, resulting in the sidelong glances and awkward silences from her coworkers. Neither of those events were enough. No, she had icing for this particular pity cupcake. She hadn’t been considered good enough to be on Pike’s wall of secret agents.
Pike had been her partner and it seemed he hadn’t fully trusted her.
And this last reaction by Erren? Hmm…the cherry on top? That was a pretty big cherry. Dammit.
Well, she didn’t consider working with the agent a waste. She’d learned a lot in the past two days. He and the Medic had gotten Michael to safety, completely immersing themselves in their roles.
But Michael was only momentarily safe. Pike’s information was hidden and she still needed to clear her brother’s name. Maybe Erren was right. Maybe she was a glorified paper pusher.
“Let’s move, someone may see us,” he said.
“You mean someone may see you standing here wasting your time.”
“That came out wrong.”
“Really? You didn’t mean we’re exactly where we started two days ago?” The shakiness crept into her voice no matter how much she wished it gone. She walked, not because he commanded, but with every intention to brush it off. “Never mind.”
She had to pull it together. She couldn’t let it matter that he’d only kept her by his side in the hopes of obtaining information. And even then, she’d come up short.
They were within three feet of her back fence. He grasped her elbow and shot them forward through the gate, whipping her around to face him as soon as it was closed.
“I didn’t mean it,” he whispered.
“Get over yourself. It’s no big deal.” The hurt cut deeper than it should.
“I said that came out wrong.” He raised a finger to her lips to stop her objection. “I’ll take the lead checking out the house…okay?”
“No,” she said and moved past him. “My house. My responsibility.”
She released the safety and led the sweep of her home. Just let him try to take the duty from her.
Guns drawn, they searched room by room to verify no one waited inside. The place was a disaster.
Drawers were emptied, cabinets opened, cushion covers ripped and thrown on the floor. After they found the package, there would be a horrible mess to clean up as a reminder of her inadequacy. They ended their search in the bedroom. At least she hadn’t slept with Rhodes. Nothing to clean up there.
“I just got this place looking halfway decent. I can only assume the regular cops didn’t do this and someone came back looking for the package.”
“Sorry this happened, Darby,” he said.
Apologizing for the mess or the kissing or for involving her at all? The kissing at the hospital she understood. Highly tense situations, resulting in attraction. Simple. Psych 101. Nothing special. Except that he’d made her feel…special. It sucked big-time that she
Erren dropped his gun on the nightstand. He levered her hands open, and placed her gun next to his. His long fingers gently surrounded her face, engulfing her skin with warmth and vital energy.
She shouldn’t look at him. He didn’t deserve the emotion that he claimed he could see on her every waking minute. Not him… Not the guy who didn’t want to be around her.
It was such a perfect pity cupcake. Until she looked at him.
“I didn’t mean that my time with you was a waste. I didn’t mean that you haven’t been a help and a vital part of this operation.” He touched her lips again with the tip of his finger, encouraging her to listen. “I was mad at myself for not being straight with you, including you more. I was hoping for another clue. Disappointed in the message, not the messenger.”
The intense smoldering brought his amber eyes to a new heat level, holding her stare, daring her to do something.
Daring her to believe.
“If you hurt me like that again, I’m not certain how I’ll retaliate.”
“I can’t promise not to, darlin’, but I’ll try.”
His lips took charge, a lazy control of touching, tasting and showing. Her hands splayed his chest, easily feeling through the scrubs worn during their rescue that morning. His fingers threaded through her hair, then across the exposed skin of her neck.
This kiss held layers of growing intensity. A natural chain reaction. Lips to lips. Chest to chest. Exploring hands to exploring hands.
No matter what the circumstances, an explosion would soon occur and neither party desired to slow down or try to cap this enthusiasm.
“We’re pretty sure…” She tried to speak while his lips nipped her neck. “No one will come…back?”
“Do you care?”
“Not by a… No,” she managed to whisper on a long breath while his lips skimmed her collarbone.
Should she care about the possible danger? The woman attracted to this man immediately shouted no. The responsible cop tried to get a word to her brain, but the message disconnected all the sensations being generated by Erren’s hands on her ribs, working their way to her back.
The anticipation was killing her.
“No more thinking,” she told him.
Her loose, flowered scrub top flew across the room and within seconds, Erren was bare-chested in front of her, sitting on the side of the bed.
“When you said you knew some moves, I should have asked what they were sooner,” he said.
Her partner would have to explain what moves she’d done. It was all a blur except for the hunger that kept her returning to this man. The more she fed on his lips, the more starved she became.
It was her turn to explore the ridges of each muscle defining his chest, his arms, his neck, his legs. She flattened his back to the bed, pinning his shoulders to the pale green quilt. The color clashed with his eyes. He’d look better on dark brown sheets.
She leaned close to kiss him again. To explore more of his taste and the feel of his comforting mouth. A warmth filled her body and mind. She didn’t want it to end—not today, not after they finished their mission.
He moved both of them fully onto the bed, leaving her straddled across his lap. She had no doubt where they were headed. And Erren’s reaction left no doubt it was what they both wanted.
She sat straighter, pushing her hair away from her face with both hands. Erren sucked air through his teeth.
Thinking she’d hurt him, she shifted to her knees to see his eyes closed in an expression of near bliss. His hands slid to her hips, pulling her back into place. Keeping her next to his hardness.
“Lean back again,” he said.
She did.
His hands stole across her skin, tracing her breasts still trapped in the confines of her bra. He pushed one strap to fall over her shoulder, then the other. Darby had never particularly felt sexy before, but she did now. The way this man used his hands to skim her reserves and heighten her senses…
Impatient, she unsnapped her bra clasp, seized both his hands and positioned them to replace the soft cotton, leaning into his touch.
It couldn’t be described, only experienced.
“You seem to have gotten around me. Ready to call the shots?” he whispered.
Erren opened his eyes to watch Darby guide his hands to the most perfect pair of delectables he could have envisioned.
