Page 24 of Unlawful Seduction

I swept my tongue inside, tasting hot sauce and beer, the combination strangely irresistible. I’d never been known as a passionate kisser even during the period of my life I considered myself alive.

And a normal man.

But dear fucking God, I could kiss her soft lips for hours. Maybe she didn’t realize her body was already betraying her, but her tongue melded with mine. The dance was one of power and seduction. Finally, her body relaxed and she even wrapped her fingers around my shirt.

I ground my hips against her, pressing my throbbing cock into her taut stomach. She trembled in my hold, both moaning and mewing into the kiss. There was still fight in the woman, likely when I’d least expect it. That was her strength. She could make any man or woman believe anything she wanted.

I slipped my hand to the back of her neck, digging my fingers into it. My hold was possessive as hell and she knew it. As the moment of intimacy continued, her tension fell away. Her tongue was now fighting with mine as if she’d ever be allowed any control.

Mallory finally regrouped, ignoring fantasy fueled by our searing electricity. She managed to slide her hands between us once again, using all her strength to break our physical connection.

Her gasps indicated frustration, but the way she dragged her tongue across her lips highlighted something else altogether.

“You’re a fucking asshole,” she said.

I chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“I don’t need a man in my life.” She purposely turned away.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’m not the kind of man you need to fixate over.”

“Fixate?” The snap of her head was fierce, the fire in her eyes something I would remember for several long, cold nights to come. “Don’t fool yourself, Beckett, if that’s what your real name is. You’re not that hot.”

I’d never considered myself a flirt because up to this point, being with a woman had always been entirely physical. Romance was not on my radar. So when I rubbed my thumb across her bottomlip in response, pulling it down by a few centimeters to expose her pearly whites, I wasn’t certain who was more surprised.

The closeness to her was riveting, but after pinching for a couple of seconds, I pulled away, giving her a nod before walking from the room.

We’d both tossed our gauntlets into the sand and I was curious to see what she’d do.

“Hey, buddy,” I said to my sleeping dog as I walked closer to the cage. Seeing him this way after everything he’d been through was like a knife driven into my gut. He’d been a true lifesaver over the last year. “Don’t worry. A steak is in your future.”

The single thump of his tail brought me back to reality. I pulled out the assailant’s wallet, flipping it open. I’d found it interesting over the years in my capacity as an enforcer that separating the professionals from the amateurs was as easy as seeing the contents of their wallet or purse.

Amateurs believed themselves to be invincible, not bothering to hide every aspect of their true identity. Professionals went to great lengths to forge a path no one could track. In my world, the majority of enforcers fell into category one. They honestly believed their shit didn’t stink and bragged about their last kill.

The way of the mafia.

What I found inside the wallet was telling and somewhat comforting. The man sent to kill me had been hired, using one of likely a hundred fake IDs, this one making him appear as a local resident. There was no indication who’d sent him or where he was actually from, only cash lining the pocket of his wallet.

I’d need to crack his phone and even then, it was entirely possible I’d find nothing but bullshit, lies to make it seem as if he was a normal guy. But I’d learned that the effort was useful in several ways.

The lovely Dr. McGregor found me a few minutes later crouched down next to Jax’s cage, two fingers stuck between the bars so I could continue to stroke his fur.

Hearing the slight rustle, I opened my eyes. In the dim lighting, I was still able to catch the intensity of her expression.

“I hope I didn’t wake you.”

I shifted on the floor, half chuckling. “Nah. I’m used to staying awake at night.”

Mallory nodded and leaned against the door jamb. “So you know, I have a couch in my tiny office. I don’t think it’s that comfortable, but it’s certainly better than the tile floor. You’re welcome to it. I brought a blanket with me the other day and left it in there for you.”

“Where are you going to sleep?”

Her laugh was back to being as nervous as when I’d first met her. “I don’t sleep much either. I was going to play a game of Scrabble.”

“Scrabble? Doesn’t that need at least a second person?”

She nodded vehemently, but it wasn’t about an invitation. “Yeah, but when you often don’t have friends, you learn to compromise. Plus, I hate Solitaire. At least I expand my mind with forming words. Anyway, don’t worry. I’ll check on Jax periodically. If there are any problems, I’ll wake you, but I don’t anticipate any.”

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