Fionn finally drew away. “Hold that thought. I’ll follow up on it tonight.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lyse had made reservations for them at a hotel in the town nearest the estate that was big enough to maintain anonymity. By the time they’d had dinner, checked in, and gotten settled in their room, it was almost nine. He’d been up over twenty-four hours, but he wouldn’t be letting the time slip through his fingers, not tonight, no matter what time they were needing to be up. In his early days as a mercenary, mostly in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, he learned to sleep when he could, to be sharp on as little rest as possible. He’d be fine tomorrow; for tonight, he needed Lyse.
“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” she asked as she unpacked her bag. Fionn had never understood that, why women unpacked in a hotel. Grab what you need when you need it was his motto, but then, he never cared if his clothes were wrinkled, and since everything was in the black color family, he didn’t have to worry about matching.
Something low in his gut clenched when she pulled out her toiletry bag. “We’ll head out early,” he said absently. “Ferrina won’t arrive till almost dark. That gives us plenty of time to search.”
And then all this will be over, and she’ll be gone.
He shook the thought away. Now was no time for regrets, no time for sadness. It was time for them, and he wouldn’t give that up to emotions he would have to live with every moment of his life after she was gone.
Getting up from the queen-size bed, he prowled across the room toward her. “Shouldn’t you be asking me about the plan for tonight?”
She shot a startled look his way, a soft shade of pink sweeping up her cheeks. He loved that she still blushed, no matter how many times he took her. It had become a game, trying to provoke that color, the one he knew from experience spread to the tops of her full tits.
He needed this tonight, needed the haven, just the two of them together before tomorrow. Before…
Don’t be going there.
Lyse squeaked out an, “I—” When she didn’t get out more than that, he smiled. It was a predatory smile, he knew. He stalked her, and she backed away, swallowing hard. He knew exactly what this side of him did to her—it sparked wild adrenaline and that edge of fear she didn’t quite understand. He wanted her on edge, wanted her wild. Wanted to gorge himself on the beauty, the essence that was his Lyse, one last time.
He jerked his chin toward the toiletry bag still in her hand. “Time for a shower.”
Her eyes dilated. Satisfaction filled him as he backed her into the adjoining toilet.
“Sure. Shower.”
The room was generous, easily fitting them both. Fionn closed the door and leaned against it. “Undress for me, love.”
Her posture softened, the lines of her face easing into a half smile at the word love. He’d never thought that look would have him moving toward her instead of away, never wanted the chains of emotion, but everything about his feelings for Lyse surprised him.
She dropped her chin, glancing up at him from under long, thick lashes as he moved in on her. Planting his fists on the wall on either side of her head, he leaned in until their mouths were a hairbreadth apart. “Are you going to undress, or do I need to be doin’ that for you?”
Something flared in Lyse’s eyes—a challenge. His heartbeat ticked up.
“I think I’ll let you do that,” she said, voice low and husky.
His hands went to the buttons on her shirt, his gaze holding hers to him even as he slowly revealed the creamy flesh he’d become so obsessed with. One button, two, three. By the time he got to four, Lyse was breathing light and fast and he couldn’t resist the lure of her tits. Black lace cupped her, hid her, but couldn’t conceal the hard jut of her nipples, the way they strained toward him, pleading for his touch.
He slid the shirt down her arms, then reached for the clasp of her bra behind her back. “Look at how pretty you are, Lyse,” he said, peeling the lace from her skin. “So round. I love it when your tits press against me, so soft, nipples so hard. See how they beg for me?”
He flicked the taut tips. Lyse whimpered and arched her back. He gave her nipples a hard pinch, drawing a moan from deep in her throat.
“Are you wanting my mouth?” he asked, fingers dropping to work on the button of her jeans. “Want me to suck those pretty tits? Because I’m going to. I’ll be giving you my mouth and a whole lot more.”
He knelt at her feet, taking her jeans and panties with him. Lucky for him, her shoes were already gone, her socks easily following the rest of her clothes onto the bathroom floor.
“That’s it,” he groaned. “That’s my wan. Stay just like that for a bit.” He kept his eyes on her, absorbing the sight of her bare body, her hungry gaze, trying hard to imprint it on his mind. He needed the memory, needed to own this piece of her for the rest of his life. He didn’t even turn to start the shower, but reached blindly for the knob, all his focus on Lyse splayed against the tile wall, a siren calling him back to her.
It took no more than a minute for steam to begin pouring from the shower, a minute filled with excruciating anticipation. Only then did he hold out his hand.
“C’mere,” he demanded.
Lyse came. “Fionn, you’re killing me.”
“And we haven’t even got to the good part yet.”
When he winked, she blushed. He couldn’t resist the impulse to be tracing that color along her throat with his tongue. “In you go,” he murmured in her ear, giving her a gentle push against the small of
