“It’s not some crazy conspiracy,” Maverick muttered. “It’s just that I’ve had to be careful with the people I deal with. It’s a dangerous world out there, and I can’t afford to let my guard down.”
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at his cryptic response, faint laughter escaping me. “You always have to be in control, don’t you?”
He hummed. “I’ve never been good at sitting on the sidelines.”
I found myself leaning in close, our faces mere inches apart. His eyes were dark and stormy, full of need and desire, andI could feel his heart pounding against my chest. The tension between us was palpable, the air thick with everything we were fighting.
I reached up, my fingers lightly brushing against his cheek, feeling the roughness of his stubble beneath my touch, the sound gentle in the otherwise quiet room. A wildfire burned deep within me, and the rumble in his chest stole the breath from my lungs. “You’re right. This can’t happen,” I whispered, barely audible.
My pulse pounded in my ears, every nerve in my body tightening as he leaned in, slow and deliberate, as if he was giving me the chance to stop him—knowing damn well I wouldn’t.
His lips brushed against mine, barely a whisper of contact, a cruel tease that sent a shiver cascading down my spine. My fingers curled tighter around the hilt of my blade, my other hand fisting in the fabric of his shirt, torn between pulling him closer and pushing him away.
A low sound rumbled from his chest, vibrating through me, a challenge wrapped in temptation. I took it.
I caught his bottom lip between my teeth, sinking down just hard enough to make him hiss—a sharp intake of breath against my mouth. He tensed, his hands flexing at my waist, and then he growled, the sound deep and wicked, fueling the fire licking through my veins.
The moment burned between us, fire and fury colliding, raw and untamed. The air around us crackled, electric, both of us breathless by the time I pulled back, my blade still steady at his throat, my control slipping, my body screaming for more.
Except now a thin thread of blood welled on his skin where my sharp-as-sin blade pressed against his throat.
Scrambling off his lap, I let a flurry of Spanish curse words fly free before I slipped my blade back into its sheath. With one finallook at him sitting with a mixture of shock and desire on his face, I turned my back, leaving both the file he’d prepared and his offer behind.
8
Sophie
Ibarely made it down the stairs without breaking an ankle in my stilettos—the same fucking shoes that were to blame for the humiliation and lust coursing through me at that very moment.
Good girl.
I couldn’t stop thinking about his words.
I also couldn’t stop thinking about the look in his eyes, the feel of his hands on my waist, the intoxicating rush of desire still curling in my core.
Coming to a breathless stop at the table my friends sat at, I slid in and grabbed my unfinished drink, now watered down from the melted ice. I tossed it back, the burn of vodka and the tartness of cranberries lingering in my throat. The good news was, since I hadn’t eaten much that day, the drink would go straight to my head.
“Whoa, Sophie, slow down. Are you okay?” Callie asked, her conversation with Liam forgotten.
“Yep. Great,” I panted, slouching in my seat. I hoped my face wasn’t as red as it felt.
“What was that all about?” Liam questioned, removing his arm from around Callie’s shoulders and leaning forward on his forearms.
Sniffing, I twirled the face-framing strands of my hair around my index finger. “Nothing, really,” I bluffed, but I knew they were going to ask more questions. Perks of being best friends with a couple of detectives. “He had some information about my dad’s case. That’s all.”There. Keep it vague.
Liam’s green eyes widened. “Soph, be careful around him. He’s dangerous—”
“Babe, calm down,” Callie murmured. “She’s a grown woman and can handle herself.” Liam rolled his eyes, but she flashed me a cheeky grin and winked, as if she knew why I was so flustered.
“I’m just saying—”
“Yes, what you’re saying is you don’t think she’s smart enough to identify a potential danger and wouldn’t think it through before having a private meeting with him.” He snapped his mouth shut before he gave her a knowing look that spelled trouble. The interaction made me smile, finally distracting me from the whole altercation with Maverick.
“So…” Callie continued, bouncing her eyebrows up and down. “Is thatallyou guys talked about?”
I lunged for her drink, not hesitating to take a big gulp of it despite her protests. “Yep, that’s all.”Technically, not a lie.
“The fact that you’re blushing tells me otherwise—”
