Page 3 of Hazard

“I must have hit you a little too hard, tall-dark-and-murderous. But, you see, we were assigned the same target by mistake.”

Her countenance was burned into his brain, and the anger he couldn’t seem to control was in every line of his rigid body. But that didn’t stop him from going under at the sight of the delicate angle of her jaw, the soft, slightly plump lips that begged to be kissed, those smooth, sharp cheekbones, elegant nose, and thickly lashed and artfully made-up eyes, almond shaped, sultry and so blue, they rivaled the beauty of the ocean.

He couldn’t seem to counter how she affected his heart.

It didn’t matter that the first time he saw her, she’d lit him up like a match to flame. It had been pure, unadulterated lust, and that made his humiliation at her hands all the worse. But he couldn’t contain his anger any more than he could contain his attraction. He thought she was the enemy, and he had been wrong. He wished he wasn’t. Out of all the women in the world, he’d had to get himself just a little bit fixated on one who was not only not on the wrong side of this mission, but who was just as capable as he was of completing it and—his face flamed in embarrassment—who had effectively completed it.

He swayed, adding to his embarrassment as his knees folded. Chairs scraped as someone caught him and he was taken out of the room, moved quickly down the hall to a place that smelled medicinal.

He opened his eyes, his senses realigning to find Kodiak, looking at him with concern. He flicked a light in and out of his eyes. “Sounds like you got coldcocked but good, brother.”

“If you ask me how many fingers, I’m going to coldcock you.”

“It’s only a coldcock if he doesn’t see it coming,” a soft voice said from the doorframe. Skull’s mouth tightened as his nemesis walked into the room. “I’ve got this,” she said to Kodiak. At his skeptical and rebellious look, she smiled. “Relax. I’m a fully trained medic. Girl Scout promise.”

He opened his mouth, but Skull growled. “Let her take care of her handy work, Jay.”

She gave Kodiak a tilt of her pretty head and raised her brows. “I promise not to bruise him again.”

Kodiak scoffed and rose, stalking out of the room.

The woman looked back at him. “Are all you guys so touchy?”

The dark-haired woman hovered at the door. “Sorry about the head. We had no idea you were the good guys.”

He looked at her and said, “Fuck off.”

“Hummingbird,” she said, looking at the blonde.

“Hummingbird, my ass,” he growled.

“It’s okay, Koz. I’ve got this.”

The woman shrugged. “You’re tough. I’ll give you that. I usually knock a guy out with that blow.”

Hummingbird’s lips curved. “Maybe he has a hard head.”

It was apparent that she had a sense of humor, but right now, right this minute he couldn’t seem to dredge up one drop of humor. Didn’t mean he wasn’t affected by the drop-dead-gorgeous blonde shrink-wrapped in that damn sailor suit.

“See you around, Severus,” Koz said with a smirk.

“Haha,” Skull responded, his voice as dry as bone. The whole thing just continued to piss him off to think he had read the blonde so wrong…twice. She had put her ass on the line to secure the HVT just as he had. It rankled that she had been better at it.

But what a fine ass.

“I think your attitude is nothing but sour grapes…what is your name, sailor?”

“Skull.”

“Ooh, that’s nice. It goes with your powerful and enigmatic dark looks. Don’t you have a name, or did you just materialize out of the black nether to taunt and tease us mere mortals?” Against his will, his lips twitched. She didn’t miss it. She walked around to the back of him and before he could say anything, her hands were on his head much gentler than the last time she’d touched him. “Koz can be so brutal,” she murmured with a wince in her voice.

He heard the pop of a medical kit, and she was back again. He sat still. “This is going to sting a bit. A little topical since you need a few stitches.” She wasn’t kidding as he gritted his teeth against the pain, but a small groan escaped him. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice losing that sarcastic edge, and the sound of her regret made him wish he’d let Kodiak take care of him.

She waited a few seconds, and he felt the tug and pull of needle and thread. When she was done, she gently pressed a butterfly bandage to the cut.

Then she headed for the door, with a little wiggle to smooth out her dress. That slight shake rushed through him from his heart to his bruised groin. He knew better. “Cooper Sullivan,” he gritted out.

She turned, surprise on that stunning face. “Wow, a hero’s name if I ever heard one,” she responded. “Hummingbird. CIA Shadowguard. We’ll be working together. It should be interesting, Cooper ‘Skull’ Sullivan.” Her eyes went over him in a slow slide. “I’m starting to wonder if it’s a good thing we’re on the same side. You could be very distracting.” She shook her head.

---