Page 48 of The Reaper

“I’m okay,” I lied.

“No, you’re not. You can put it on when we stop by the Airbnb.”

We hit a bump, causing my grip on his waist to tighten. “You actually rented a place for the night?”

Archer shrugged.

“Why?”

“I wanted to take you back to Boston.” He turned onto a wooded driveway, stopping by a tiny rustic home next to a pond. Its deck hung over the water, a small row boat tied to it.

“Wow. It’s beautiful out here.” Mature pine trees hid this gem from the main road. I stretched my arms over my head, enjoying the sounds of birds singing and the rustling of trees.

He was studying me when I opened my eyes. He raked my body with his gaze, swallowing when it came back to my face. “I’m gonna go get my stuff,” he said.

“Wait,” I called.

He turned but remained quiet.

“I wanna see the inside.”

“Okay,” he said. He went ahead and unlocked the door.

Archer was standing at the other end of the room by the time I made it inside. He was definitely putting space between us, and I didn’t know how I felt about that. He’d been quiet as well, and that was saying something, since he was a man of very few words.

“It’s cozy,” I said, looking around the small space as I walked toward the bed. I ran my fingers over the plush comforter before sitting down. “You should stay the night. It’d be nice to get out of the city and recharge.”

He shrugged, walking closer, stopping by the door. “I made a promise to drop you off, so I can’t stay.”

“Who cares? They’re just words, and we barely know each other. You should stay since you already paid. I can get a ride.”

“My words mean everything to me.” Archer looked out the window, but I doubted he was seeing the beautiful scenery in front of him. “I mean what I say and I say what I mean. Without my word, I really am nobody.”

I thought about his words and the deeper meaning behind them. Before I could overthink it, I blurted, “Let’s stay.” What was another night? My superiors knew about me and him, so why not have the best night before this was over?

He snapped his head to me, raising his eyebrow. “Do you think you’ll be safe here? Alone with me?” he asked. The mischief in his eyes was back.

“Maybe you’re the one in danger,” I answered.

Archer stepped into the room and turned to shut the door. He leaned his head against the wood frame and I saw his shoulders rise when he inhaled. “Get naked,” he ordered, before turning to face me with narrowed eyes full of lust.

I stood with the intention of removing my clothing one item at a time. Starting with my shirt, I unbuttoned it from the top, slowly releasing each button, before letting the soft material slide down my arms. I yanked my undershirt over my head in one swift movement, then tossed it at Archer’s feet. He watched it land in front of him before returning his gaze to me, licking his lips before an audible swallow. My shoes and socks were next. I sidestepped and turned so that my back was to him before I bent over and shimmied out of each shoe. Once my socks were off, I stood and loosened my belt before pulling it slowly through the loops. I faced him again then proceeded to unbutton my pants, letting them fall to the floor. I stepped out of them one leg at a time.

“Take everything off,” he growled, glaring at my boxers.

I hooked my thumbs in my waistband, dragging them down to my feet. When I stood, I was naked.

Archer leaned against the wall, taking in my body from head to toe. “Play with yourself,” he ordered. His voice was husky and deep; every word sounded like a growl. Feral and aroused.

My hazy, lust-induced brain took a moment to reconcile what was happening. And before I second-guessed my action, I dragged my tongue over my right palm first, then the left, never breaking eye contact.

He swallowed hard when I double-fisted my cock.

“Like this?” I asked. The sound of my voice was foreign to me.

“Just like that, baby.” He rushed forward then, pushing me onto the bed. Archer straddled me as he pulled his shirt over his head to reveal his chiseled torso. “Just like that.”

Twenty-Four: The Reaper

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