Page 118 of Scarlet Angel

He snorts but grows quite serious as I straddle him, position myself over him, and sink down. We both gasp as I stretch around him. I slow, appreciating the fullness, then push up on my toes, riding him as he embraces me, my mouth over his, tasting myself as our bodies seek heaven.

We’re both half undone, shirts asunder, bottoms pushed to the floor, muscles straining, and it’s divine. My muscles tighten as I bring myself closer to release, closer to the edge, and then I’m up, feet in the air. He’s still inside me as he grabs a pillow from the sofa, tosses it on the floor, and places me on it. His knees are bent, and I’m sitting up, spread eagle on the cushion. The angled position allows him to thrust hard.

It’s almost too much. The pillow slides, but he grips it and pulls me back to him. I put my arms behind me, thrusting my hips to meet his punishing pace.

“God damn it, you feel so good. I don’t want this to end.”

I reach for him, and he catches my wrist and presses his lips into my palm. And then we’re kissing. I truly love kissing him.

Tremors wind their way down my sides, over my ribs as my toes curl. He grunts into my mouth as he chases his release.

We cling to each other through our muscle spasms. Long after our breathing has calmed, we’re still clinging to each other. He grimaces as he shifts and slips out of me.

I pull back, and we’re so close the tips of our noses touch. I rub my cheek against his, letting the coarse strands of his beard scrape my now-tender skin.

“I love you.” I back up again so I can see his eyes, needing him to know. He’s not leaving without me. If someone wants to kill him, they’ll have to kill me first. “I love you,” I say again, looking him in the eye, ensuring he hears me.

“I love you so much, my angel. It’s terrifying.”

He crushes me to him. My chin rests on his shoulder as we sit there, awkwardly wrapped around each other. A moment of peace before the flight.

“What about Lina?”

“The bounty isn’t on her head. Those who are after us will go for the reward. The Grigi is too fractured at the moment to seek that kind of revenge.”

I pull back, seeking his eyes, the window to his fears. “What?”

“The syndicate won’t go after my family while I’m alive. If it’s Halston behind this, he knows me well enough to know I’d go after his son if he went after my sister.”

“Dorian?”

He gives a curt nod.

“Would you?”

“Nah. He’s my mate…but the old bastard will assume I’ll think like him. As long as we’re alive, Lina should be safe.”

“But you still have security with her?”

“Around the clock. When you’re playing a chess game, you plan several moves ahead, but you also cover your tracks lest you face an unanticipated move.”

His chest rises under a deep inhale, and he claps my ass.

“Up you go.”

An hour later, we’re showered, dressed, fed, and packed. We’re both wearing Kevlar, loaded down with backpacks and totes.

I look to the stairs, but he pushes a button, and a panel that looks like a mesh speaker slides to the side, revealing a plate of black glass.

Nick stands in front of it, and the screen lights up. Then a concealed door opens to a black void.

“What’s that?”

“A tunnel. Runs through the back side of the property. Opens up just beyond the property line in the woods. If anyone’s watching via satellite, they won’t see us leave.”

“Nice.”

He grins and holds out his arm for me to proceed. “Come on, love. We’ve got a good fifteen-minute walk ahead of us.”

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