Page 40 of Extracted

Stillness crept over her body, pushing out the fibrous sensation of sadness that pulled at her tear ducts. She swallowed, forcing away the gravel that would surely cut up her voice. “I did,” she said, her voice steady in their tight space.

And she’d continue to protect herself.

Even against Dallas, who would shred her heart into strips if she let him.

CHAPTER 11

Wave after wave of emotion flowed over Dallas, driving him mad. He was furious that Gemma had been used and manipulated, that she’d been alone and scared and held under the CIA’s control for six years. He tucked her foot back under the covers then crawled up the mattress and stretched out beside her.

No wonder she’d always been so touchy when it came to getting close to her.

Any sign of something more than physical and she’d run, only to return when she needed sexual satisfaction. Now, he didn’t see it as a personal punishment. She’d been trying to protect herself, and him, in a life she couldn’t escape.

But now she could. If he could make her believe she wasn’t alone anymore.

Gemma turned to face him as he stayed elevated on his elbow.

“It fucking kills me that for almost the whole time we’ve been together, you’ve been in this situation,” he said, bringing his knuckles to the tiny hairs at her temple and smoothing them away. “I’m sorry I didn’t push you more then to find out. I thought you were just . . . this elusive, sexy being, and I’m not going to lie—it was fun.”

The corner of her mouth twitched, but sadness crossed her eyes. “Like I said, who wouldn’t want sex with no strings attached?”

He slid his palm over her cheek, cupping the delicate skin. “It all makes sense now. Why I couldn’t find a damn thing on you—”

She sat up. “Wait, what?”

Ah, shit.

“Like a background check? How on earth were you able to do that?”

He scratched his neck. After the day of utter peril at their heels, he’d forgotten how limited their conversations had been. She really didn’t know fuck all about him or his brothers. Trying to figure out how to put their “unusual” resources into words made his throat dry. “To be honest, babe, there’s not much I can’t do.”

One eyebrow swooped up. “As in?”

“Background checks, bank-account records—”

She gasped. “Is that how you found me at the hotel?”

Rubbing the scruff on his jaw with his fingertips, he nodded. “Yeah.”

She smacked his shoulder, and then confusion puckered her brow. “I used an alias that the CIA gave me. You couldn’t possibly—”

“Facial recognition.”

She reared back an inch and shook her head. “Holy shit. Holy shit.”

“Yeah, well. You kept me at arm’s length for five years,” he said, keeping his tone neutral.

She held out her hand. “No, I get that. There’s a lot I didn’t tell you, too. I’m just . . . it’s wild. Not many people have access to things like that unless they’re, like, the government.”

“Powerful companies do as well.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to go down that route.”

He pulled her hand into his and stroked her knuckles. “I wouldn’t have lied to you five years ago had we been up-front, and I won’t lie to you now. I’m involved in dangerous shit. That’s why I haven’t held down a relationship. My brothers are just as bad, if not worse. So if you want nothing to do with me, I understand.”

Her face softened. “I didn’t say that. It’s just a lot to absorb.”

Her hand stayed firmly in his. The fact that she wasn’t pushing him away eased some of the tension in his body. He tugged her back down to the mattress. “Will you let me help you?”

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