Page 15 of Skull

Skull nodded. “Yeah, but deadly.” A sizzling buzz ran just beneath his skin, a feeling generated by Hummingbird, one he couldn’t shake and made him wonder if it ever would.

Across the room, she murmured, “Just like his handler.” And he turned to catch her eye. For one electric moment, their gazes locked. In that instant, he felt as though she was moving toward him in slow motion, and all he had to do was reach out and claim her. Desperate to possess her, his gaze slid to her mouth, the softness, and heat of it burned into his mind.

She met his gaze, eyes suddenly dark and intent. Then she exhaled sharply, and a shudder coursed through her. Her response unleashed a storm in Skull that robbed him of every rational thought. He lunged at her, driven by the need to claim the moist, hungry contact of her mouth.

Even as guilt clawed at him, he knew that this vulnerable Hummingbird, her naked attraction, was humbling her. He grabbed a handful of her tousled hair and dragged her head back, desperate to feel every inch of her mouth. A galvanizing charge sizzled between them as their eyes locked. Silently, he lowered his head and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against her mouth. She melted into him, and his desperation softened into a tenderness that surprised him.

But she broke the kiss, knowing he didn’t want to be late. The small concession settled hard in his mind and heart. He hauled in a ragged breath and murmured against her lips, “See you later.” Then he left the room with Bones at his heels. She was irresistible, bold, and went after what she wanted. He couldn’t fault her for that. He understood aggression, and he had made it clear who he was and who he wasn’t. He’d warned her that this wasn’t the time. But at this point in their tangled interactions, he almost couldn’t give a flying fuck.

That definitely was his dick talking…very,veryloudly.

In the elevator, he squeezed his eyes shut, unable to believe what had just happened. He couldn’t believe he’d let things go so far when he knew better. His body had a mind of its own, draining him of every ounce of energy and months’ worth of pent-up sexual tension. Stopping that powerful orgasm almost killed him. Worse yet, he wasn’t even close to handling that raw, scorching need burning under his skin, a heat that challenged his heart and sent velvet strokes down his dick.

The orgasm might have been powerful, but it was fleeting, momentary pleasure. What he intended for himself would last much longer than that physical response, and he just wouldn’t settle for anything less. And Leigh and Hazard were the priority at this moment, and there was no skimping on pulling out all the stops to find them.

That little glitter queen was dangerous because she was smart, cunning, relentless in the pursuit of what she wanted, and was used to reacting in a split second, nimble on her feet. And she had knowledge about him, his triggers and desires, and he had no doubt she would use every bit of that intel to her advantage, and to his utmost, fucking pleasure.

Later that day,Walker made it her business to know everything about Bogotá. The city was both a cultural oasis—loud, salsa-driven, neon-lit, with alcohol and mouthwatering aromas—and a place of explosive violence and brutal torture. She’d worked extensively here. She knew the streets, orcalles, the players, and that humans were nosy. Digging into the secrets of the Siachoque Cartel was a matter of asking the right questions or applying the right pressure. And she knew all about pressure points.

Cooper Sullivan.

She’d tried her best to work her own pressure points on him, but unlike that tussle in a Milan alley where she knew exactly where to hit him to incapacitate him, this emotional rollercoaster was stretching her limits. She wasn’t sure how much of herself she was willing to give away.

What hurt more was that after her discussion with Anna, she realized how all this could have been prevented if she’d followed up on that photo. Beating a dead horse wouldn’t help, but tell that to the voice inside her that screamed with guilt, not only for not following the lead on Nacho’s daughter but also for coercing Skull in the shower when he was too broken up over Hazard and Leigh and something else so personal it put those sad lights in his eyes when he thought no one was looking. Walker found it hard to face those emotions head on. She often downplayed them to do her job effectively. This situation was no different.

That’s a lie.That little voice in her said.

Shut up.Walker shot back. She didn’t have the energy it would take to deal with herself right now.

For the remainder of the day, Walker alternated between a slow burn and a teeth-clenching irritation. Her mood bounced through everything from anger to feeling hard done by, but eventually a niggling little feeling wormed its way into her indignation. She had a tough time acknowledging it, but she finally had to admit that she was beginning to feel like an idiot for acting the way she had.

Once she went that far, she also had to admit that her female ego had suffered a bruising thanks to Skull’s formidable control. He had been into her blow job. That had been evident. He wanted what she had to offer. That was also evident. And somewhere between him lifting her right off the floor with all that masculine power and strength, and that soft, heartfelt kiss—her heart fluttered at the memory that she pushed away—she discovered he wasn’t what she’d expected and for the first time, this deadly operative was outgunned and promptly put right in her place. He wasn’t a mark. He wasn’t a man to manipulate. She’d tried to use her pinky to get him wrapped, and he’d used his middle finger to that attempt…very effectively. He just might be a bit above her paygrade. She shivered at the thought. A genuine challenge. A genuine man.

The more she thought about him, the more she wanted him. And the more that troubled her, the more she needed to get out onto the street, and into the underbelly where she could use every skill that made her who she was: assassin, wet worker, shot caller, shapeshifter, master of disguises… Shadowguard. Those were the labels she understood.

“What are you stewing about?” That was Eva—right to the point. She had grown up tough, and was stoic, unflappable, and wise. That had surprised her about the slim, supple, and deadly woman who looked like she belonged on the runway dressed in designer clothes. She could easily play the patsy, but she left all the subterfuge to Walker. She preferred to work even more in the shadow where she watched her partner’s back. Knowing that her partner was always there in case of emergencies or if Walker got into a tough spot, made her even more reckless, secure in the knowledge that Strekoza would swoop in and provide whatever assistance Walker needed.

“It will pass,” Walker said.

“I doubt it. You’ve snagged yourself on Severus. That wasn’t a very good idea, little Hummingbird. He’s…not what he seems.”

“Is that so?”

Strekoza chuckled over the comm. “There’s the obvious: hot, gorgeous, sexy—the full package.”

The man definitely had the full package, Walker thought as she recalled the hard, thick length of him in her hands and mouth. Heat shivered through her.

“But that attractive facade is wrapped around one alpha male. I’m not sure even you can handle him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Eva exhaled sharply. “You don’t do relationships. Fuck, neither of us fit into a flowers-and-hearts scenario. Picket fences are there to be jumped over or burned down. He’s got a picket fence written all over him. He might look dark and deadly, but his character sets him apart. SEALs are gung-ho patriots, all in, all the time for team and country. We’re independent, down-and-dirty, rolling-in-the-muck operatives. Underbelly surfers. That don’t mesh, sweetie. He’s big, bad trouble. You should cut your losses and move on before you get tangled up in his steel net. Fuck him and cut him loose.”

“Easier said than done,” Walker groused under her breath.

The silence crackled over the comm, and Walker could feel her partner’s disapproval as if she were standing right next to her. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened,” Walker said. She wasn’t sure about her own feelings here because feelings really never entered into her heart’s lexicon. Walker wasn’t emotionally ready to discuss her…dammit…intimate situation with Skull with anyone, maybe not ever. What happened between them was supposed to be predictable. She sucked him off, and later they fucked, setting up the kind of scenario that would end when this mission did. But, no, he had to be a freaking Boy Scout instead of giving into his baser male instincts. He had to look at her with those dark eyes as if he had the power to clasp her beating heart in his protective hands, and he had to go and kiss her like that. That gentleness had knocked her on her ass and changed everydamnthing.

---