Page 67 of Honor Code

Was he ever?

Ellie draped a leg over his, and even though he was under the sheet, he felt her heat burning right through him. Turning onto his side, he wrapped an arm around her slender frame and kissed—hard.

A gasp caught in her throat, then she leaned into him, her breasts crushing against his chest, her leg intertwining with his, pulling the sheet with it. Soon, they were a tangled mess of limbs and arms and desire.

When they broke for breath, he kicked off the sheet then rolled on top of her, pinning her beneath him. She felt much smaller than he remembered, probably because in the cabin on the island, she’d been straddling him. Suddenly he was aware of his weight. “I’m not too heavy, am I?”

She shook her head, her eyes dancing. “I like it.”

Goddamn, she was sexy. Flushed cheeks, lips swollen from kissing, breath coming in excited little gasps. His dick jerked in agreement. It was all he could do not to ravish her right then and there.

One thing he’d realized at the police station was Eleanor Rider, chemical engineer, could never be his. Not really. The best he could hope for were moments like these. The questions they’d asked had been an eye-opener.

“How do you know Miss Rider?”

“Did you know she was a chemical engineer?”

“Did she discuss her work on the Explorer with you?”

“Where was she during the explosion?”

At first they’d suspected Ellie was involved, but he’d told them about her discovery, about how she’d questioned the validity of the reports, and how she herself had been targeted on the Explorer, narrowly escaping with her life. That, along with her trip to the Discoverer to double-check the geographical survey maps seemed to satisfy them. While they’d have more questions, she was off the suspect list.

It made him realize how different they were. She was smart, ambitious, a scientist. He was a blunt instrument, the only thing he knew how to do well was kill people.

She was integrity and intelligence.

He was lethal.

Like oil and water, they’d never mix. Once this was over, he’d go back to work for Pat and the team at Blackthorn Security, while she’d go on to her next job on some other oil field somewhere in the world, far away from him.

It was probably for the best, even though thinking about it had made him feel physically ill. Still, if that was their future, right now he was going to make damn sure she never forgot him.

Slowly, he unbuttoned her shirt. Those big, cat-eyes fixed on his face, brimming with anticipation. “I’m going to show you what it’s like to be loved,” he murmured, bending his head and sucking one of her nipples into his mouth.

She gasped, and thrust upwards, arching her back.

He gripped her under her ribs and worked his tongue and teeth until her nipple formed a hard, granite nub, then he moved to the other one.

“Oh, God.” She squirmed beneath him. “That feels so good.”

He was just getting started.

Kissing his way down, he inserted his fingers under the edges of her panties, feeling her twitch beneath him, before he peeled them off. She was soaking wet, which made his cock throb with longing.

In the cabin, it had been rushed, frenetic, their desire taking over, their coupling tinged with danger and an urgency he knew came from a first time together. Now, he wanted to linger, to draw out every second. To make her scream his name as she came so many times she’d think she’d died and gone to heaven.

She rose off the bed, pushing her groin against his hand. Gently, he rubbed his fingers against her wetness, hearing her sigh at the touch, then moan as he delved deeper, his finger finding its mark. At the same time, he kissed the gentle curve of her stomach, her hip bone, and the soft hair around his finger.

“Please…” It was a throaty whisper as she thrust up and down against his finger. Next thing, it was inside her, sliding in and out, stroking her until she cried out with pent-up desire. He moved faster, rubbing his thumb against her enlarged bud, little circles that had her crying out his name.

“Phoenix… Oh, God. Oh!”

He replaced his thumb with his tongue and licked and sucked until she came, shattering beneath him with a strangled cry. He held her steady as she arched her back off the bed, unwilling to release her until every last ecstatic wave had rolled through her.

CHAPTER 30

She was flying… falling… dying.

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