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  She huffed, and he didn’t need to look at her face to know she’d rolled her eyes. “Maybe I misread her. I mean, I don’t think paranoia is uncommon in this situation.”

  Brock had gotten a good look at the woman’s face after Dani had whispered her warning on the train. Shoulder-length bleached-blonde hair curled up at the ends, brown eyes, stalky build, no older than forty-five. He searched the crowd for her black peacoat, but it was like spotting a spec of pepper on asphalt—almost everyone wore black.

  “Never second-guess your gut instinct,” he said next to her ear, keeping his eyes on the crowd.

  She pushed her fists against his chest, but he didn’t move. “Brock, I want to see.”

  “Uh-uh.”

  She huffed and shifted her hips against his. Desire pounded through his veins, and he dragged his attention from the milling people to meet her impatient glare. Her lips puckered, tinting the pouty flesh to a deep pink. She wet her bottom lip and his cock throbbed. God, she had the most kissable, fuckable mouth. She must have read his mind because her breasts thrust forward against his chest. Too much material shielded her nipples from him, but he’d bet dollars to donuts they were hard little buds.

  Heat swirled below his belt. Jesus Christ, if he didn’t get a lid on his lust he’d rip off her clothes and fuck her against the damn vending machines. Hell, given the blazing blues in her eyes, she probably wouldn’t protest.

  The shrill ring of a phone snapped his gaze to the bustling depot. In the middle of the crowd stood the woman. She stared down at her phone and then looked up at the chairs lining the wall adjacent to the vending machines.

  Brock ducked his head and sealed his lips over Dani’s, shielding their faces.

  “Mmm,” Dani squeaked, surging to her toes. Her belly crushed against his dick and the aroma of peppermint mixed with that of fresh hair dye tingled his senses. He moved his tongue into the cavern of her mouth. She flicked hers in an erotic dance and he coaxed hers to slide between his teeth. He sucked on her delicate flesh and a deep, primitive moan rolled out of her throat.

  She curled her hands into the front of his shirt, anchoring him to her. He moved his hand to cup her thigh then slid it around the curve of her leg to weigh her perfect ass cheek in his palm. Bringing her tighter against his shaft he licked deeper into her mouth. She broke away from his kiss but kept her lips pressed lightly against his.

  “What was that for?”

  “She was about to look in our direction.” The words fell from his tongue before he could stop them. Hell, it was an excuse at best. He’d wanted to kiss her—needed to. She cleared her throat and rubbed her finger beneath her chin but didn’t pull too far away. No one would see her face unless he drew back.

  “Is she still there?”

  “Let me check.” Brock dropped his mouth to her neck and kissed the column of her throat. Her hands clamped around his uninjured arm as the taste of vanilla and peppermint hit his tongue. He angled his head back and looked over her shoulder. The woman’s blonde head and black coat bobbed through the crowd. She had her phone pressed to her ear.

  He lifted his head. “She just left.”

  Dani’s cheeks were a vibrant red, which was accentuated by her dark hair. Her eyes had deepened to an indigo blue, a shade he’d never seen in her irises. Damn, he loved that he had that effect on her.

  “We should wait,” he said.

  She cleared her throat, moved her hands to his chest, and inched him away from hers. “No. We need to get out of here. The cops will be crawling all over the station in minutes.” She lifted her bag and accepted his elbow when he offered it.

  “I suppose you’re right. We’ll need to hurry so we don’t miss our train. Strange the cops aren’t here already.”

  “Maybe she wanted to be sure first.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t like this. I also find it strange a woman is tailing us now.”

  Dani furrowed her brow and braced her hand on her hip. “What are you saying, a woman can’t be a cop?”

  He looked down at her. “Of course not. But maybe she’s not with the police. Maybe she was working with Sven’s killer. Up to this point, it’s been men after us. Doesn’t it strike you as weird that suddenly a woman pops up?” He scanned the crowd one more time then led her away from the vending machines and in the direction of their terminal. Boarding would start in ten minutes, so at least they wouldn’t need to hang around much longer.

  “Yeah, I guess so. She could have been a concerned citizen and had nothing to do with either party.” A beat passed and Dani nodded. “Actually, I like that theory much better.”

  He nudged her with his elbow. “Just because you like it better doesn’t make it true.”

  She made a face and leaned forward as the train chugged to a stop. Once it cleared, they got in line to board. Four hours and two stops later, they disembarked in Paris. Dani had slept on his shoulder for the last ride, and now it was after 10:00 p.m. They got into a cab and rode to the hotel he’d arranged. At the last stop he’d called several hotels in Paris and with great difficulty had found one that would honor their stay with cash as a security deposit rather than a credit card. He’d made up a story about his card being compromised while on their trip. He still had to use his ID, but the odds of them tracing that without the use of a credit card were slim.

  Even though he’d yet to hear his name on the news, it was possible the library had footage of his face and would make a connection. He’d been wearing a hat, so he hoped to god they hadn’t identified him, but he sure as hell wasn’t taking any chances.

  Dani pretended to talk on the phone away from the front desk while he checked them in. He caught her arm and led her to the elevators and she dutifully kept her head down. She pocketed the phone when the elevator door closed.

  “You okay?”

  She nodded. “I should be exhausted, but I’m wired. And starving.”

  He chuckled and took her bag from her shoulder then handed her their room key. “It was all that sleeping you did on the train. Must be nice. I was too busy investigating.”

  “Ha. You investigated one photo. I was thinking with my eyes closed.” The elevator dinged and she pushed off the wall and into the hallway. He fell into step behind her and his eyes fell to her ass, wrapped nicely in denim, as she sashayed down the hall. Goddamn, she had the most perfect butt.

  She stopped at their room, inserted the key, and bumped open the door with her hip. He set their bags by the door and followed her into the suite. A king-sized bed covered in a lush gold-trimmed duvet took up the center of the room, and a tufted cream-colored chaise sat near the window. He removed his weapon from his pants and set it on the dresser that held the TV. A pocket door opened to a sitting room beyond the bedroom. He dropped on the mattress and lay back on the bed. His body ached for a shower, sleep, and food.

  “Wow, this is gorgeous.” Dani drifted to the window and parted the curtains. “And this is even better. Ah, I can’t believe we’re in Paris.” She laughed darkly. “I never imagined I’d be here fleeing for my life.”

  “What did you imagine?” He tucked his hands beneath his head and shifted his gaze to her. She stood at the window, her dark locks trailing over her shoulder, her profile delicate and full of . . . regret? Something was softening the plains of her face.

  “I don’t know. Paris is so . . . romantic. I always imagined coming here on my honeymoon.” Her voice grew distant and she exhaled.

  His chest cramped. Had she envisioned their honeymoon? Guilt took hold of his heart and once again, he thought back to that day, that stupid, stupid day, where he’d let her go. He sat up and rolled his tongue along the backs of his teeth, searching for something to say.

  “I’m going to order room service. What do you want?” She turned to the menu at the desk. The moment had passed, but he still ached to broach the subject. One day they had to talk about it—about the past. Maybe today. “Mmm, this sounds good,” she said. “You like chicken cordon bleu?”r />
  “Sure. I’ll have what you’re having.”

  She laughed. “Oh, I’m having everything.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll be in the shower.” He needed space before he did something stupid—the only thing more dangerous than kissing her was talking about their past. He made his way to the marble-covered bathroom and stared at the glassed-in shower with jets jutting out from the wall. An image of Dani wet and naked under the spray flashed through his mind. Great. As if he weren’t bombarded with enough lewd fantasies about her.

  * * *

  Tension pushed at her temples and Dani massaged the tender areas. Food was on the way, and she’d ordered a ton of it, as promised. Now that she was in the hotel with copious amounts of food and sleep at her fingertips, the pressure on her chest should have dissolved. But it hadn’t. And it had nothing to do with the woman on the train and everything to do with the ripped gentle giant in the shower. The sporadic splashes of water in the basin amped up her blood pressure.

  She was losing her mind. Being chased, hunted, and wanted for an international felony had shoved her into unknown territory. A territory that craved companionship, touch, and Brock’s devastatingly hot body. Not to mention his warm, wet mouth on her skin. She growled on a sigh, stripped off the white zip-up and beany, and strode to the window.

  The Eiffel Tower loomed in the sky, its lights shining bright over the Seine. She curled her fingers into the damask curtains and rested her forehead on the window, taking in the Parisian beauty. She shouldn’t have opened her mouth about her honeymoon fantasy. Brock wasn’t stupid. He knew he’d been the only serious man in her adult life. She closed her eyes and forced the tears away. So what if she mourned their dead relationship? So what if she’d once dreamed of being here with him and their circumstances now were shockingly far from what she’d imagined. It would make anyone have regrets. She was twenty-eight freaking years old and completely alone. She’d been twenty-five when Brock pulled off the Domenico Vitali heist behind her back. She’d told herself she’d get over him, that there would be other men. That she’d find what she had with Brock with someone else. Well, that hadn’t happened.

  There was only one Brock, and unfortunately, he seemed to be the only one for whom her heart danced.

  His silhouette appeared in the reflection of the glass. She started and then relaxed as the familiar chiseled jaw stopped at her shoulder. “Hey, you okay?” His breath tickled her ear. Its warmth penetrated her skin. His voice was as smooth as brandy. He dragged his knuckle over the sleeve of her shirt and stopped at her hand. His warm, damp fingers brushed hers and then fell away.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Her words came out rough and froggy with the longing she’d suffered all this time without him. All the years wasted. She cleared her throat.

  “You’ve been staring out this window a lot.”

  “Look at it. It’s beautiful.”

  “Is that the only reason?”

  She turned to face him, and the backs of her thighs brushed the window casing. A white towel hung loosely around his hips. Water droplets flecked his skin, and the wet hair on his head and jaw appeared several shades darker. Her mouth went dry. She let her gaze fall to the bulge beneath the knot in the towel then slowly moved it up every inch of exquisite flesh he’d left exposed. His hands hung at his sides open but tense. His engorged biceps twitched and his flat, brown nipples were coiled into tight little nubs.

  A deep shake started in her womb and rippled through her loins. She needed strength more than ever right now.

  Good Lord, please give me the power to resist this temptation.

  “I’ve been hiding my face all day. It’s nice to expose it to a window without being afraid.” The raw honesty stunned her. Was that her voice that sounded so vulnerable?

  “You’ve been through hell these last few days.” His mouth quirked, and all her self-control fell away. He folded his hand around her hip and took a step closer. “Babe, I need you. And I think you need me too.”

  His husky voice sent a shiver down her spine. She wet her lips and darted her gaze around the room. “Uh . . . what about—”

  Knock, knock, knock

  A scowl engraved Brock’s forehead, and his pulse moved against the thin skin at his temple.

  “Room service. I’ll get it.”

  He pressed his hand against her belly. “Stay put.” He stalked to the door, and the muscles in his back jumped with each movement. She watched as he checked the peephole and then opened the door. Man, she’d hate to be the person who cockblocked Brock.

  A cart rolled in. Brock handed the server some bills and he bowed then disappeared into the hall.

  “Did you tip him?” she asked, as she floated to the scent of breaded chicken, pasta, and garlic. Her stomach rumbled.

  Brock’s scowl deepened. “After what he just interrupted?”

  She chuckled, plucked a grape from the fruit platter, and popped it into her mouth. “I don’t think he knows what he interrupted.”

  “He does now.”

  “Well, we ordered the food, after all.” She gestured to the mini buffet and picked another grape from the stem.

  He strode toward her and took the grape from her fingers with his mouth. His tongue licked her skin, sending a lightning bolt of pleasure through her nerve endings, before he chomped into the fruit.

  “So, what’ll it be?”

  Her cheeks burned, and she delicately lifted another grape. He lunged for it and she popped it into her mouth with a smile.

  His hazel eyes melted and desire radiated from his body. “Think I won’t come after it? Dare me.”

  She rested her hand on his chest and satisfaction warmed her. She’d missed the playful banter between them. Brushing her thumb over his nipple, she watched his pupils dilate. She let her hand drift down the center of his abdomen, marveling at the hard-earned bulking flesh.

  “I don’t think I need to dare you, Brock.” Her voice lowered to a raspy drawl and her heart hammered against her breastbone. His hazel eyes flashed, and she saw raw, male hunger in them.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” He brought his mouth to hers, and fire snapped through her veins.

  CHAPTER 12

  Brock circled his arm around Dani’s waist and lifted her off the ground. Her legs wrapped around his hips as he dipped his face into the sweet, silky skin at her neck. Her back arched and she raked her nails through his hair.

  Goddamn.

  He turned toward the bed and lowered her to her feet next to it. He caught the hem of her shirt and she lifted her arms. A shy smile lingered on her mouth. By the time they were done there’d be nothing for her to be shy about. He pulled the material over her head and her full white-bra-covered breasts spilled out.

  Blood hissed against his eardrums. He’d waited a long time for this—to claim what was his. Her fingers went to the snap of her jeans and he watched, transfixed, as she wiggled them down her thighs. Her dark lashes kissed her creamy cheeks. His cock throbbed beneath the towel and he placed his hand over his demanding soldier to calm him. He wouldn’t blow his load before they got started like some pubescent teenager, although god help him, at this rate, he wouldn’t last another minute.

  “Let me get that.” He caught the material at her knees and she tumbled backward onto the bed. He shook the jeans over her calves and tossed them aside. She dug her fists into the mattress and shuffled backward, allowing him space to kneel at her feet. “You’re so incredible.”

  “Mmm. I feel like you’re only saying that because I look so different,” she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. A smirk lifted her mouth, but her words stabbed him. Did she really think he didn’t love her natural beauty?

  He knelt on the bed and the damn towel bound around his knees. He wanted nothing more than to shuck it off, but if he did that there was no way in hell he’d be able to engage in the play he wanted to lavish on her.

  “You’re too smart to believe that. You know you drive me crazy. You always ha
ve.”

  She tapped her fingertips on the gold spread beneath her hand. “Even though we’ve been split up for so long?”

  “Even more because of that.” He brought his hands to the tops of her knees and pushed her thighs open. Her eyes darkened and a blush deepened her skin. “Fuck, babe. I can’t believe how gorgeous you are.” He drifted his palms down her inner thighs and watched as she reclined on the bed. Her dark hair spread out around her pale oval face. Her aqua eyes stared up at him, wide and tentative. She toyed with a lock of hair near her ear. The nervous motion was familiar.

  White panties with a pink floral pattern covered her sex. He exhaled a deep breath through his nose to still the fierce desire that needed to be released.

  “These are pretty.” He stroked his finger over her V and her knees buckled open even further. “But I want what’s underneath.” Her heavy-lidded eyes flashed with lust. He hooked his thumbs into them and tugged. She lifted her ass and he peeled them off her legs before tossing them over his shoulder. “Much better.”

  “Now you.” She stretched out her hand and jerked the towel.

  He caught her wrist and shook his head. “You’re going to have to wait for that.”

  “Why—oh.” She gasped as he lowered his mouth to her wet folds. Her legs clamped together and he chuckled. Fuck, he loved driving her wild.

  “Easy, honey.” He rested his palms on her thighs and her legs eased open. He placed a kiss on either side of her glistening pink sex and her fingers twitched on her belly. He brushed his lips over her delicate flesh and then let his tongue follow suit.

  A moan erupted from her throat, and he looked up to see her head tilted back, her eyes sealed shut, and her teeth clamped on her bottom lip. He closed his eyes and moved his tongue around her clitoris then lower to her entry to taste the sweetness dripping from her.

  She arched her back, thrusting her pelvis closer to his mouth. He settled one hand on her belly to still her then brought his free hand to engage her along with his mouth. He inserted one finger and she nearly bucked off the bed.