Page 5 of Absolution

His answer neither countered nor assuaged her concerns.

“You want that, don’t you?” A new intensity glinted in the deep pools of his eyes.

“Yes.” Her reply was immediate. Hadn’t she just told him as much? “I want that, sir. I just wish that everything wasn’t so complicated.”

“Will you promise me something?” He tugged her closer, steering her astride his thighs.

“What?” Straddling his body, she was abruptly aware of how close her pussy was to his rousing cock.

“That you’ll leave the worrying to me.” His hand slid beneath her ass and squeezed one cheek. Her recently punished skin ached at his touch, but the caress reignited the need inside of her. Since she’d tumbled into Tucker’s dark corner of the world, that desire never seemed to extinguish.

“That’s easier said than done, sir.”

“Not if you trust me.” His hot lips brushed hers again. “I will take care of you, little girl, and if you want me to, I’ll even vow not to finish your useless father.”

“Really?” She scanned his expression for any sign of duplicity. “You’d swear not to hurt him, sir?”

Tucker’s brow rose. “I vow not to kill him.” His lips twitched at the elaboration. “I can’t promise I won’t hurt him.”

“Sir.” She pressed her palm against his chest, perilously aware of the way his cock throbbed in response. His crown was only a few inches from the heel of her hand. “I don’t want you to hurt him.”

“He needs to pay for what he did, Ella.” Tucker’s tone was serious, despite his growing arousal. “For what he did to you and whatever scheme he’s concocting as we speak.”

“What do you mean?” The atmosphere between them had shifted from soporific to solemn, yet still, the lingering visceral connection remained, amplified by his obvious arousal.

“Who do you think orchestrated the guys with guns?” Tucker paused, as if he wanted her to answer, but just as she was about to, he went on. “My guess is the same person who left a device in your sleeping bag and decided to call me on it with his new demand.”

“I suppose.” Ella had no way of knowing if his appraisal was accurate, but it certainly made sense. Alexander had been a bane. “Iamsorry about your cabin, sir.”

The place had been her prison, but she’d seen the way the news of its destruction had crushed Tucker, and she understood how important it was to him. The idea that her father was behind its torching was hard to bear.

“That’s not your responsibility, little girl.” His voice was a murmur.

“Still…” Ignoring him, she continued. “Maybe if I’d stayed, the place would still be standing.”

“I’d have never left you to those monsters.” Gently, he rested his temple against her forehead, his light touch blurring the irony of his statement.

The monster she’d been desperate to flee from in the forest had been him, yet he used the same term to describeAlexander and the others. It was difficult to defend her father when his previous judgments had been so poor. Deep down, she wondered why she even felt the need to try.

Because he’s still my father.

She bit down on the rising emotion that threatened to surface. Hewasstill her father, but the man had spent years denying she existed, then years more placating her with money she’d happily taken. Looking back, their so-called relationship had little value.

“I appreciate this isn’t easy to hear.” Tucker smoothed the loose strands of her hair from her face as her gaze flickered open. “I’m sorry.”

“This isn’t your fault.” She leaned into his muscular shoulder.

“I think you might be being kind there.” He snorted. “Agreeing to take you was my call, and I should have done better, but…” His voice trailed away, taunting her to meet his eyes.

“But?”

“But I can’t say I’m sorry that I did.” The look in his eyes was salacious.

“I know, sir.” Her hand lowered to his cock and wrapped around his pulsing shaft. “One thing’s for sure.”

“Oh, yeah?” He bit back on his rising grin. “What’s that, little girl?”

“Well.” Edging her hand along his hot skin, she dragged her palm along his smooth shaft. “We create a fire of our own, sir, and we both like to burn.”

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