Tears filled her eyes once again, and she was glad he couldn’t see her this time. Tears could make Kap think she was weak, and she couldn’t have that. He already thought she was a dirty spy.
But these tears weren’t fear or even sadness. They were gratitude. Since her brother’s abduction, she had tried to be strong. There was something broken in El, something that told her he would never be the brother he was before he had disappeared. Until the day she died, she would always feel as if she had failed him. She should have double-checked everything and ensured he was where he was supposed to be. But she had been so insanely happy she could finally tell Kap the truth.
Eden hadn’t realized how much she had taken on in the last few years until this moment. The weight of it, the guilt…all of it felt as if it would bury her.
When he pulled the towel away from her head, she blinked, and a few more tears fell.
“You’re breaking my heart, Eden.”
“I’ll pull myself together. Don’t worry.” She always did. It was what she did. It was what she had to do.
He cupped her face in both of his hands. Using his thumbs, he brushed away the tears. The calluses on his fingers always sent a shiver down her spine. What was it about this man? Everything about him still got to her. His looks, his work ethic, and even when he was being mean to her, she wanted him. There was something wrong with her. Something that she was sure could be fixed with a lot of therapy.
Maybe. Maybe she was just going to be in love with this stupid man for the rest of her life. And while she knew it was a mistake, and that she shouldn’t give in for this one night, she needed to let go, to allow herself some pleasure. A connection. Being shot at put a lot of things into perspective.
“What is going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
She sighed as she lifted her hands to his wrists. Eden didn’t care that the towel had slipped down to her lap. With Kap, she always felt bold, sure of herself. Well, until he’d walked away.
She pushed that thought aside. No worrying about what came after.
“Eden,” his voice dipped even deeper. The sound of it danced over her nerve endings.
“Kapone,” she said, using her Texan accent to its fullest extent. He always said it got to him.
“You should get dressed.”
But he didn’t move. He stood there between her legs, his thumbs now caressing her face.
“Maybe you should get undressed,” she said, slipping her hands down his arms. The man had the most amazing forearms. Before she had met him, she had never thought about a man’s forearms. But with Kap, she noticed everything. The way his eyes would flare when she drew out his name. His smiles. Those forearms…his stamina. The entire freaking package that made up Kapone Hanson. He was the perfect man. Or had been until he broke her heart.
Nope. Not thinking about that or anything else right now. Right now, all she wanted to do was feel. To let go of the fear that still rattled through her entire system.
He dropped his hands, setting them on either side of her hips on the vanity counter. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
She inched closer, pressing her body against his.
“It could be the worst idea in the world,” she said, letting the stark honesty of the truth settle between them for a moment. “But I don’t care about that. I care about feeling, about letting go of the fear that has been chasing me for too long. I know you can help with that.”
He studied her for a moment, his gaze ping ponging back and forth as he studied her. That long moment was torture. She was sure he would say no and walk away again, but instead, he surprised her.
Kap bent his head. God, the man smelled amazing. Sandalwood permeated every inch of him. She had always been partial to the scent. She slid her hands up to his shoulders as she opened her mouth and gave in to the kiss.
He took his time, barely dipping into her mouth as he tilted his head. Over and over, he teased Eden in that same thoughtful manner. Her nipples hardened, her body shivered as need rose with each tempting dip into her mouth. When he finally plunged into her mouth completely, she was barely able to hold it together. She moaned against his tongue.
Kap tore his mouth away. They were both breathing heavily.
“Are you sure?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. All I know is that I need to feel something — anything. And I want to feel that with you.”
With a groan, he swooped in for another long kiss, then pulled back. He scooped her off the vanity with ease and walked into the bedroom. He fairly tossed her on the bed, and she laughed. The sound of it surprised her. She didn’t think she would ever be able to laugh like that again, but in this moment, she could with Kap. And that was the thing about him. Even when they were at odds, she felt comfortable with him…happier than with anyone else.
Taking hold of the bottom of his shirt, Kap stripped it off, revealing that excellent eight-pack he had. The man must work out half of his time at work, because she wasn’t sure how he could maintain that muscle definition otherwise. She reached out to explore.
His hands went to the button on his pants, then stilled.
“Fuck.”
