Page 28 of How Much For a Life of Lies?

“You’re so tight,” he snarled as he prepped me, “and your cock…” He wasn’t making any sense as he fed his cock into me and then gripped my hips, staying still before breaching me with something like care. Then, balls-deep, he stopped again.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured as if he’d wanted to apologize for what he was doing.

“Don’t you dare stop!” I ordered, trying to find skin so I could stop him from leaving. “Harder,” I demanded, and after an abortive thrust, he did just that. Every push, every scratch, and snarl had me flying, groaning as his cock filled me, and I clawed at his back and groaned into heated kisses as blood pounded beneath my skin. “Fuck,” I whined as he reached for my cock and circled it clumsily, a mess, nothing refined.

My orgasm hit hard, and I collapsed, but Zach followed me down. A couple more strokes, and he tensed and fucked into me, then he was out and rolling off me, crab-walking back until his ass hit the wall.

“Shit,” he cursed. “Fuck. Shit.”

“It’s okay, we?—”

“You need to go.”

What? Not even some talking? I should have known this would happen.

I’d known, and I didn’t care. I’d wanted Zach since the first day I saw him, and now I got to cross animalistic sex with a brokenhearted man off my bucket list.

“One and done,” I muttered and then grinned at him. “S’all good.”

I yanked on my jeans, found my shirt, and forced my feet into my boots, tucking in the laces. Then I crouched in front of him, staring into his wide emerald eyes.

“Well, any time you want to blow off steam again…”

“No.” His shoulders slumped, his gaze dropping to the floor as he processed my words. “This can never happen again,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, then he glanced up at me, that fierce determination back again. “Promise me you won’t let me do this again.”

I reached out and touched his shoulder, offering him what little comfort I could. “I get it,” I said, my voice filled with regret. “I don’t like it, but consent is sexy,” I said and tapped the end of his nose. “It happened. It’s okay. You needed that.”

Then I left, and I didn’t regret a single thing.

At least, not until I was back in my car heading home, tonguing a cut in my lip, and wondering what the fuck had just happened.

I saw his shattered heart—he hadn’t been right since the moment he’d watched Kerry die. As his operational partner, it wasn’t my job to fix him but to keep him alive.

For Charlie.

And absolutely no sex. Or kissing.

None.

ELEVEN

Zach

The mission in Oregon had been a disaster from the start. My head wasn’t in the game, distracted by thoughts of home and the brother I hadn’t seen in years. I should have focused on the task at hand, but instead, I let my guard down, nearly costing me my life.

I never saw the gunman, never heard the shot piercing my flesh, but I sure as hell felt it. The searing pain tore through me, and before I knew it, I was on the ground, bleeding out in a dark alley.

But Kai was there, always there when I needed him most. He dragged my sorry ass out of that alley, bundled me into the car, and drove us south, away from the danger and towards safety.

Given the circumstances, we found medical help in a veterinary surgery and patched me up as best we could. But Kai had a job to finish, a case to close, and he couldn’t afford to let me slow him down.

As Kai helped me into the car, I winced, the pain shooting through me with every movement. “Fuck, Kai, we need to go back and finish this,” I protested, my voice strained.

Kai’s jaw tightened, his eyes flickering with concern. “Zach, I’m taking you somewhere safe; I can’t afford any distractions. I’ll find you after.”

I shook my head, the meds making my thought processes slow, and frustration bubbled up inside me as they pulled me under. “You need so…s…s’backup…” I slurred. Why couldn’t I make him understand?

Kai cursed. “I’ve got this,” he said, his voice heavy with regret.

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