For all her bravado and nasty words, Mitch was in some kind of trouble. Fuck. I didn’t need to be saddled with the bullshit or the girl.
Even if she was one gorgeous creature.
Long legs.
A voluptuous figure.
The kind of lips that would look damn good wrapped around my cock.
Every muscle in my body twitched, my shaft throbbing as my balls swelled all over again. Just the touch of her skin had been enough to sear the tips of my fingers. She was a hellion, a firecracker that could burn down my house. I lifted my hand, studying the rough pads on my fingers then rubbing them together. I could still feel the crackling electricity that had nearly turned the situation combustible.
Hell, what was I thinking?
I darted a glance over my shoulder then shook my head, trying to eliminate the fog that had enveloped around my freaking brain.
I tossed another log onto the fire before noticing she’d ravaged the food I’d prepared within minutes, tossing back another tumbler of bourbon as if she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink in a long time.
I studied her as I stood by the fire, trying to figure out where she would have come from. I knew a couple of the other cabins located four or five miles away. Was it possible that she’d gotten lost on her way to one of the others? Maybe. However, the driveway leading to this place was barely anything more than a dirt road, the single marker likely hidden by the earlier snow. While there was no logical reason that she’d been sent by anybody to locate me, I couldn’t rule out the possibility that she was a reporter for some scathing newspaper.
By the point I’d left Afghanistan, landing in Italy then hitchhiking across the country, I’d heard charges were supposed to have been filed, all five of us court-martialed. I hadn’t wanted to stick around for the treacherous festivities.
I shifted my gaze toward the fire, studying the flames as they licked against the freshly chopped wood, harsh images floating into my mind.
“You’re not serious?” I demanded as I stormed into Hawk’s quarters.
“About what?”
I noticed my buddy couldn’t even look at me. The fact he’d been placed in charge of our squad had never bothered me before. Today, it pissed me off. He was leading with his heart instead of his head. “About this damn mission?”
Hawk finally turned his head slowly, his pointed gaze riddled with anger. “You do not have the right to challenge me, soldier.”
Soldier? He hadn’t called me that in years. “I have every right to find out if you’re thinking this through. That damn informant is an insurgent. Do I need to remind you of that? There is no possible way to trust him.”
He stormed closer, moving within a few inches, the fury on his face evident by his reddening face. Hawk had never been the kind of man to be challenged. Not when we’d lived in Montana, considered the bad boys of the entire city of Missoula or during our time spent in boot camp and behind enemy lines. This was entirely different. He was on some kind of precipice, something I wanted no part of. “Are you trying to tell me that I should agree to leave a member of our squad wallowing in a prison cell? Are you suggesting that you could give a shit about whether he lives or dies?” he demanded.
“Fuck you!”
The memory was one of the most bitter, the vicious words and accusations continuing after the damning mission. I closed my eyes briefly, remembering a few good times from before the six of us had left to serve our country. Those had been entirely different adventures, even though we’d spent a hell of a lot of time trying to avoid getting arrested.
A part of me wanted to reconnect with my buddies, but in truth, I simply wasn’t ready.
“Why Reaper?”
Her voice broke through my almost trancelike state, forcing a hiss to surface. I didn’t need her interference or her battery of questions. I just wanted my peace.
“I already told you. Because I’m a killer.” Whether or not my answer bothered her, I didn’t give a shit. I took another swig of my drink and as I held the tumbler in front of me, the pressure I used could have easily shattered the glass. I was uncertain I could control my anger any longer. Whoever the girl really was, it would be difficult to tolerate her for any length of time.
“What does that make you? A monster or a hero?”
Her questions caught me off guard, a slight smile crossing my face. “Maybe a little of both. What are you running from, sweetheart?”
“I’m not running from anything. Just visiting a friend.”
It was easy to tell she was lying and that she didn’t trust me. Hell, I wouldn’t trust myself. I knew what I had to look like. Long beard. Unkempt hair. There was no reason to give a shit up here. I’d used the unruly look as a disguise for months, enjoying being incognito.
“With a thin coat and a shirt meant for warmer weather. Yeah. I’m not buying it. If I had to guess, I’d say you were running from the law. What’dya do, rob a bank? Steal that truck you mentioned?” When she didn’t answer, I shifted my gaze in her direction, shaking my head. Mitch had fallen asleep, the glass ready to slide out of her hand.
I walked around the coffee table, taking the drink from her hand and placing it on the wooden surface. In her sleep state, she seemed almost fragile and totally unlike the wild vixen who’d threatened to kill me. I found it difficult to take my eyes off her, almost mesmerized by her beauty. Granted,
