Page 15 of Strike Fast

“Nah. I’m the lucky one.” She’d saved him, no question.

The band finished their last song and began to pack up their instruments.

As the quiet closed around them, Reid cleared his throat. “Should we head back?”

“Sure.” Tess released his hand and stood, hugging her upper arms as the wind tugged at the hem of the thin sweater she wore.

Without a word, Reid took off his leather jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She glanced up at him with a grateful smile that punched him straight in the chest, and tugged the halves together. He wished he was still holding her hand.

They didn’t talk much on the way back to the hotel, and he started to regret having revealed some of his baggage to her. Talk about a downer of a conversation, and he hated to think she was sad now, about to be alone with thoughts of her dead husband for the long hours that stretched ahead. The nights were always the longest.

All too soon they reached the hotel lobby doors.

“Well.” Tess slid his jacket off and handed it to him, the lantern-style lights throwing bright gold highlights on her hair and illuminating her green eyes like gems. “Thanks for a great evening.”

He closed his fist around the jacket. “I’m glad you came.” The instant he said that word, an image of her coming in an entirely different way highjacked his brain. Spread out on her back, naked, her hands in his hair while he pressed his face between her thighs and took his time getting her off.

As though she’d somehow picked up on what he was thinking, she stared at him, pupils expanding in a telltale reaction of arousal she couldn’t hide.

A low, primal growl built in his chest as heat roared through him, shunting a rush of blood straight to his groin. Them working for the same agency and having contact on ops should technically put her off-limits, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was what was happening between them and the crazy intense pull he couldn’t resist.

He stepped closer, reading every subtle sign her body gave him as he closed in. She didn’t move except to tilt her head back, those pretty green eyes locked on his, her lips parted ever so slightly as though she couldn’t quite catch her breath.

Lifting a hand, Reid cradled the side of her face in his palm, letting the pad of his thumb sweep over the petal softness of her cheek. Tracing the line of freckles that extended from the bridge of her nose and reining in the impulse to kiss each one. “Have dinner with me tomorrow night at my place. I want to cook for you.” Maybe it was too soon to ask, but she knew he wasn’t an axe murderer and had to trust him on some level.

She blinked, as though waking from a trance. “You cook?”

He half-smiled. “I’m not a chef or anything, but I won’t poison us.”

Her lips twitched and her eyes gleamed with silent laughter. “Okay then.”

Yes.“I’ll pick you up at seven.”

A tiny nod, and her eyes still fixed on his for a moment before they dropped to his mouth. Reid couldn’t stop himself from dipping down to capture those soft lips.

She let out a soft, nearly inaudible gasp as he settled his mouth over hers, and reached for his shoulders. Lust slammed into him so hard it dazed him.

He dropped his jacket on the ground and slid that hand into the back of her hair, holding her in place as he molded his lips to hers. Slow. Firm, giving her the barest stroke of his tongue across her lower lip before he gently nibbled on it a moment and lifted his head.

Tess made a sound of protest and gazed up at him through heavy-lidded eyes, her fingers still gripping his shoulders, her lips shiny from his tongue. Reid couldn’t help bending to take another taste, then released her, stunned at the almost electrical charge crackling over his skin.

Jesus.

They stared at each other from less than a foot apart, the constrained sexual tension heating the air between them, pulsing with the promise of what would happen if they took things farther.

Before he could give into temptation and risk pushing too hard too soon, he bent to scoop up his jacket and straightened, never taking his eyes off her. “Seven tomorrow.”

She nodded, still seeming a little dazed. “Okay. See you then.”

He gave her a slow smile, the sweet ache of desire spreading through his body. He wanted her. Badly. Loved knowing he’d just affected her so much with a kiss. “Sleep well.”

She gave a slight nod, the hint of a smile, and then walked through the revolving doors. Inside she paused, looked back at him, the heat in her eyes making the hunger burn hotter. He stood where he was, raised a hand in farewell and watched the fluid movement of her curves as she walked away, already impatient for tomorrow night.

As for tonight…

Instead of tormenting himself with thoughts of Jason and battling the demon in the bottle, he was going to fantasize about the woman who’d just rocked his world with a single, innocent kiss.

Chapter Five

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