Page 70 of The Eagle's Vault

With a groan, he walked us to the bed. His grip was strong but not constricting, his warmth seeping into me. His voice, husky and low, sent shivers down my spine. “I’ll moan your name, Leigh Barton,” he growled, sex dripping off his words. “But only after you scream mine.”

Chapter 27

Declan

Inarushofdesperate craving, I crushed Leigh against me, her legs locked around my waist. Our lips moved in rhythm, exploring, insisting. Every part of her radiated an intoxicating heat that made my blood pound in my veins. The bed’s edge grazed the back of my knees, and I sank down so Leigh straddled me. Our kiss deepened, and a moan escaped from somewhere deep within me.

The kiss was an inferno, lighting a spark of desire in me that roared into a wildfire. This wasn’t just about physical attraction. This was about Leigh. Clever, talented Leigh with her quiet intensity and her fiery spirit that everyone tamped down. Her curious mind was a labyrinth I wanted to get lost in, a puzzle I longed to decipher.

Simple women weren’t what I wanted. Who had I been trying to convince? I wanted a messy, complex, intriguing woman. One that took me longer to figure out than any vault I’d opened.

Leigh was always so agreeable, so soft-spoken, but tonight? Tonight, she’d come to me, demanding, assertive, unyielding.

It was the sexiest, most confident thing I’d ever seen. I loved this side of her, this fire that she hid beneath layers of gentleness.

And a doctoral student? Even fucking sexier.

Rav had ordered me to take a nap, to prepare for the late night in the catacombs. But sleep was not happening. All I wanted was Leigh. The urgency of her against me, the way she moved with an almost desperate eagerness, stirred something primal within me.

My heart hammered against my rib cage, my breaths came in ragged gasps between kisses. Every touch was an electrical charge, every gasp a spark that ignited my senses. It was a dance, a communion, a battle and a surrender all at once.

With every passing moment, the room, the impending recon, the catacombs—they all faded into insignificance. In this moment, there was only Leigh, only us, only this need that threatened to consume us both.

A knock at the door cut through the heated haze. Leigh stilled, her eyes widening slightly. I cursed under my breath. The knock came again, harder, more insistent, and an unwelcome voice carried through the door, unmistakably Isaac’s.

“Ignore it,” I murmured against Leigh’s lips, but the knock thundered again, louder, more commanding.

Leigh inched back, shaking her head. “I can’t.”

With a growl, I nipped at her neck. My blood sang with desire, but irritation was attempting to replace it. “I’ll get rid of him.”

“I’ll hide in the bathroom.” Leigh slipped off my lap, her eyes full of worry. “I don’t want Isaac to know I’m here.”

Her confidence deflated. Just like that. It was wrong how easily Isaac’s presence robbed her of her assertiveness. I wanted to pull her back, to reignite the flame that was burning just second ago. Open the door and show Isaac my half-naked body and his sister’s swollen lips.

Leaning in, I pressed a soft kiss to her temple, my hands brushing her cheeks. “We’re picking up right here as soon as he leaves.”

Her smile flickered back to life, a hint of mischief glinting in her eyes. “I’d like that.”

Once the bathroom door closed behind Leigh, I took a moment to compose myself, let the raging hard-on die a little, then swung open the hotel room door.

Isaac stood there, a plastic smile plastered on his face, oblivious.

“It’s late. I’m headed to bed.”

Unperturbed, Isaac held up a bottle of red wine and two glasses, barging past me into the room. “I’m here to thank you, Dec.”

My gaze flicked back to the bathroom door, my short temper flaring. Leigh was waiting, and this jackass was playing sommelier in my hotel room. “I’m not in the mood for guests or thank yous, Isaac. I need some sleep.”

He set the bottle and glasses down on the table beside my gear and uncorked the bottle. As he poured the wine, his gaze roamed over my tools. “No one would give me any info. But you’re heading to the catacombs vault, aren’t you?”

He’d egged me on earlier, saying how exciting it would be, while I’d maintained the vault was a no-go for safety issues.

“It’s the price we have to pay for Edoardo’s double-cross,” I muttered, my eyes never leaving Isaac.

“Going tonight?” He offered me a glass of wine, his own held high in a toast.

I took it but didn’t drink. I didn’t like wine and I didn’t like intruders. “Isaac, I told you, I am heading to sleep.”

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