Page 50 of Indecent Proposal

When I finally got a good look at Claire’s face, I realized that she wasn’t as upset anymore. In fact, her eyes were bright with relief, and something more intriguing. Now that the danger had passed, and the threat taken care of, she looked like she was barely refraining from tearing my clothes off and jumping my bones.

Huh.I tipped my head to the side, fascinated by the possibility. “Are you turned on right now?”

Claire froze, as if she’d been caught, her dirty secret exposed. Her face went bright red. It was adorable.

“I know, it’s—so fucking wrong, but—” She bit her lip, as if she couldn’t believe she was actually admitting the truth out loud. “I… it was just… seeing you protect me and take her down like that… it was…” Her words trailed off, as if she was too embarrassed to finish her remark.

“It was hot?” I asked, stepping towards her, wondering how in the world I found a woman so damn perfect for me.

Claire backed up a little on instinct, and her ass hit the table. “Yes,” she breathed, her gaze fixed on mine.

I smirked. “Then let’s do something about that.”

Claire gasped with relief, but if she planned to say anything, I didn’t know it, because I was too damn busy kissing her.

CHAPTER19

Claire

Iwas so pent up after everything that had just happened.

I had been so sure that I was going to die. When I’d heard that bang—the trapdoor flipping open loudly to distract the assassin—I had just automatically assumed it was the gun.

I had thought,this is it. I’m dying.

But then, instead, my assassin had been knocked off me. She’d been sent flying by the real gunshot, which actually sounded more like a crack or a pop than a bang.

And Vaughn had been there.

The entire fight, I had been shockingly turned on. I knew it was probably wrong of me, but he was just so goddamn powerful. The look in his eyes as he’d taken her down had been nothing short of ferocious. My mouth had literally dropped open as I’d watched, heat sending shivers all over my body.

I knew this was his job—the one I would eventually pay him for—but I couldn’t help but hope that maybe he was also doing this because hewantedto protect me. Because he felt the same connection that I did.

Watching him slam his opponent around, watching him take a goddamn stab to the arm like it was nothing, watching him mercilessly and efficiently handle her—it had my heart racing. My legs shook by the time he was done, and I was shocked I was able to get up and stand when he needed my help with the first aid kit.

Watching him stitch up his own wound was another form of torture. He was just so damn competent—playing into that competency kink he’d told me about, and I clearly had. He knew what he was doing. He could only use one arm to actually stitch and yet he didn’t stumble or wince. His movements were fluid, like he’d done this a million times before.

Possibly he had—I’d seen a lot of small scars all over his body when he’d been naked. He was a military vet, all of the men at his security firm were, so it didn’t surprise me. But knowing that he probably had scars and actually seeing all of them was very different.

And actually watching him stitch himself up from a new wound, a wound that would eventually scar as well…Jesus, my brain had to be wired wrong, because I was so fucking turned on from all of it.

I helped him wrap up his arm, and I hoped that I did a good job even though my fingers were obviously trembling. I avoided making eye contact, not sure how Vaughn would react if he knew my thoughts.

But unlike anyone else in my life, Vaughn already knew me so well and didn’t hesitate to call me on a kink I never knew I’d had until him.

The relief I felt when he kissed me was like being doused in fire.

I grabbed onto him as my knees gave out, gasping into his mouth. I made sure to clutch him by the shoulders so that I wouldn’t hurt his bandaged arm. I didn’t want to hurt him in general but I especially didn’t want to ruin this moment and stop him from fucking me through the damn floor.

Or the table. I wasn’t sure which but I wasn’t objecting to however this panned out.

Vaughn’s tongue slid into my mouth like he owned my body, his sheer confidence driving me insane. I clung to him, feeling like I was going to melt into the floor at any second. Vaughn wrapped his good arm around my waist, hauling me up against him, and I felt every inch of those broad, strong muscles.

The very hands holding me with passion and care this moment had been snuffing the life out of my assassin a few minutes ago. Vaughn didn’t hesitate with his gun, with his fists, with his chokehold. He wouldn’t hesitate with me, either, if he wanted to hurt me. But he wouldn’t. I trusted that, I knew that with my whole heart. I could trust him.

Vaughn growled as I playfully bit his lip and arched against him. I could feel him growing hard, and I wanted his cock so badly I could barely think. “Fuck me,” I begged.

My pride had gone up in smoke. I wanted it hard and rough and now, now,now.

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