Page 46 of Line of Resistance

Nate’s lips continued down the column of her neck, tugging on her hair, tilting her head back to expose more of her sensitive skin. “So fucking sweet.” His fingers continued to steadily thrust as his thumb settled against her clit, dragging an unholy sound free of her as every nerve ending in her body lit up and zeroed in.

Nate leaned back, lids heavy as his eyes locked onto her face, watching with an intensity that made it clear he had every intention of witnessing her undoing.

And there was nothing she could do to stop it. Even if his hand wasn’t in her hair, holding her in place, the actions of his other hand made it impossible to do anything but breathe, and even that was getting sketchy.

Her whole body was at his command. Every sound. Every move. Every thought. All of it was under his control.

It might be terrifying if it didn’t feel so fucking good.

“That’s it.” Nate’s lips were parted as he continued working her body like he’d played it countless times. “Good girl. Let me take care of you.”

It was like flipping a switch. One that sent her tumbling over the edge and down a cliff she’d been avoiding for years.

Her body convulsed, muscles twitching, limbs jerking, lungs seizing. It was as if he’d broken her open and sent pieces scattering everywhere. Every bit of her was raw and exposed. Forcing her to see all she’d been trying to hide.

Not just from the people around her, but from herself too.

And all because of a handful of words.

Let me take care of you.

She was right. Nate was absolutely going to ruin her, and it had nothing to do with his skilled hands.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

NATE

“HERE.” HE CAREFULLY draped one of Eloise’s blankets over her mostly naked body, tucking her in where she sat in the armchair closest to the stove. She’d been oddly quiet in the hour since their...

Interaction.

He’d expected her to immediately go back to her snarky ways and claim nothing had changed. That she still despised him and planned to continue holding his mistakes against him indefinitely. It wasn’t ideal, but it sure as hell would’ve been better than her silence. The despondent expression on her face as she stared across the room at nothing in particular.

Nate went to the tiny kitchen in the corner, grabbed the teakettle off the counter and carried it into the main area of the tiny cabin, setting it on top of the cast-iron wood burning stove. He snagged a bottle of water from Eloise’s bag and poured a little inside, rinsing it out before filling it up and leaving the kettle to heat up. Then he grabbed a bowl and went to collect fresh snow from around the back porch.

Now that he wasn’t quite as distracted, he was starting to realize his confidence might have been misplaced. They weren’tthatfar from the roadway by Alaska standards. And if someone were actively looking for them, it might not take as much for them to be found as he wanted to believe.

Sitting and hoping Alaskan Security would find them first didn’t seem like a great idea. That meant he needed to be prepared. Especially since it wasn’t himself he had to keep safe.

Once he had a substantial amount of snow melting on the counter, he went back to check their clothes. The moisture wicking fabric of his meant both his pants and shirt were completely dry, so he pulled them on, replacing his belt and all the gear clipped to it.

Eloise’s eyes pulled from where they’d been fused to the front window, skimming over him as her brows pinched together. “What are you doing?” She sat up straighter, spine going stiff as her eyes went wide. “Is something wrong?”

Nate shoved one foot into a boot. “Nothing’s wrong, but I think staying in one place too long might be a bad idea. We probably need to keep moving.”

The line between her brows deepened. “Oh.” She slid her feet to the floor and reached for her dress. “Okay.”

“Hang on.” Nate went to the small closet tucked into the corner, pulling it open. “I’m hoping we can find something better for you to wear here.” He dug through the surprising number of items hanging inside, pulling out a long-sleeved thermal shirt, a heavy flannel to layer over it, and a pair of fleece-lined jeans. He held them up, a little surprised at the size of them. They were dusty and stiff from disuse, but they were cut for a person about Eloise’s stature. “I think these might actually fit you.”

Eloise frowned, her expression a little more familiar now. “That’s because those are women’s clothes.” She stood, tossing the blanket to the chair as she crossed the room to steal away the items. “Women hunt too.” Her eyes dragged over the blankets on the bed. “I probably should have guessed this place belonged to a woman.”

“Why’s that?” Nate looked over the bed, but all it brought to mind were images of Eloise’s limbs tangled with his. Hell, that was also true of the floor, the counters, and just about every other flat surface in the place.

And maybe she was having the same issue. Maybe that’s why she was suddenly so quiet and withdrawn. Maybe he’d been a little more successful than he hoped in convincing her he wasn’t quite as bad as she believed.

A man could hope.

“Everything matches.” She pulled on the cream colored thermal, concealing her upper half. “The sheets, the chairs, the curtains.” She motioned toward the kitchen. “Even the dish towels.”

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