Page 26 of Forbidden Access

Somewhere in the haze, she felt him take her gun and toss it onto the bed, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was the feel of his lips on hers, the way his body pressed against hers, hard and unyielding.

She was drowning in him, in the taste of him, the scent of him. He was everything she didn’t want, everything she was supposed to resist, and yet... she couldn’t stop.

The sharp trill of his phone cut through the fog, and he pulled away with a curse, his breath ragged. “One minute.”

He grabbed the phone off the bed, and she stood there, trembling, her mind spinning.

“Hello?” His voice was rough, laced with frustration.

She tried to steady her breathing, to make sense of what had just happened, but her thoughts were a jumbled mess. God, that kiss. It had been... Intense didn’t even begin to cover it.

He listened for a moment, his expression shifting from frustration to confusion. “Yeah, she’s here. Hang on.” He handed her the phone, his eyes dark with something she couldn’t quite read. “It’s for you.”

“What?” She blinked, still trying to process everything. It took her a second to realize what he meant. She’d left her earpiece in the other room, so this was the only way they could reach her.

“Hello?” she managed to croak, her voice still unsteady.

“Everything okay?” came Hawk’s voice. “We couldn’t reach you.”

“Yeah, sorry. I heard a smash and came to investigate, but it’s a false alarm. Damian dropped a vase.” She hoped she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt.

“Okay, just wanted to check in. Looks like the security light has gone on by the pool.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she grabbed her Glock from the bed. “I’ll check it out.”

“I’ve asked the guys on patrol to take a look, but they’re at the far side of the property.”

“Okay, I’m heading there now.”

“Stay on comms,” Hawk instructed.

Damian watched her, his eyes dark and stormy. “Is there a problem?”

“The security light went on by the pool,” she replied, all business now. “I’m going to check it out.”

“I’ll come with you.” He started reaching for his clothes.

“No.” Her tone was firm. “You stay here, out of sight. If I don’t come back, head for the saferoom.”

His jaw clenched, but he nodded, albeit reluctantly.

She took a deep breath, trying to push aside the lingering effects of their kiss. There was no time to dwell on it now. She had a job to do.

Gripping her Glock, she slipped out of the room and into the night.

CHAPTER 10

Thorn moved silently along the darkened hallway, her Glock ready at her side. The only sound was the soft hum of the air conditioning as she approached the sliding glass door leading to the pool area. The automated security light had flicked off again, suggesting that someone might be lurking just out of sight. After the false alarm with the vase, she was back on high alert, her instincts razor-sharp.

She eased the door open, allowing the cool night air to rush in, carrying with it the faint scent of chlorine and freshly cut grass. The gentle breeze stirred the surface of the pool, which shimmered under the soft underwater lights. Everything appeared serene, but her gut told her something was off. The quiet seemed too perfect, too staged, as if the night itself were holding its breath.

Stepping outside, she scanned the area, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. The shadows seemed deeper tonight, the darkness almost palpable. Thorn advanced cautiously, her senses heightened. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled—a sixth sense warning her that she wasn’t alone.

As she neared the edge of the pool, a rustling noise to her right made her spin around, weapon raised, her heartbeat quickening.

Before she could react, a dark figure lunged at her from the shadows, catching her off guard. The impact knocked her off balance, sending her sprawling to the ground. Her Glock skidded across the slick tiles, disappearing with a soft splash into the pool.

Shit!

---