Page 15 of Mountain Protector

The friction of his body against mine sends sparks shooting through me.

I can’t help the way my body responds, pressing against his, seeking more contact. His hands slide down to grip my hips, guiding my movements against his thigh.

The pressure builds impossibly fast, a coiling tension that makes me tremble. I should be embarrassed by how desperately I’m moving against him, but I can’t stop.

I’m fully clothed in the storage room of my tattoo shop, grinding against this man like a teenager, and I’ve never been more turned on in my life. The combination of his hard body, his skilled mouth, and the forbidden nature of what we’re doing is intoxicating.

“I can feel how close you are,” he says, his eyes locked on mine. “Don’t hold back. I want to see you come apart.”

That does it.

The pressure breaks, pleasure washing through me in waves as I cry out against his shoulder, my whole body trembling. Clay holds me through it, his hands steady on my hips, his lips pressing soft kisses to my temple as I come down from the high.

When I can finally breathe again, embarrassment floods through me.

I just came from dry humping my bodyguard against a wall. What am I, sixteen?

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, heat flooding my face. “That’s not—I don’t usually?—“

Clay’s eyes are dark, his breathing as uneven as mine. “Don’t apologize. That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

I laugh shakily, pressing my forehead against his chest. “Ugh, this is so embarrassing.”

“Baby, look at me.” His fingers tilt my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Before I can respond, the bell above the shop door chimes and reality crashes back in.

I have a business to run. Clay has a job to do. And whatever this is between us just got a whole lot more complicated.

“I should go.”

Clay frowns. “Are you sure?”

I smooth my hair, straighten my clothes, and take a deep breath.

“I’m sure,” I tell him. “We’ll talk later.”

Although I have no idea what I’ll say when that time comes.

As I walk to the front of the shop, I can still feel the ghost of his hands on my body, the pressure of his mouth on mine. One thing is certain. Whatever happens next, there’s no going back now.

ChapterFour

CLAY

My breathingfinally steadies as I stare at the storage room wall, still feeling the ghost of Ruby’s body against mine.

Fuck.

Fifteen years in special ops and security work, and I’ve never once crossed the line with a client. I flex my fingers, still warm from her skin, her taste lingering on my lips.

But Christ, the way she came apart for me... The sound of her whimpers echoes in my head. The memory of her small body trembling against mine sends another rush of heat through me.

I straighten my shirt and adjust myself in my pants.

This isn’t me. I don’t mix business with pleasure. I don’t compromise security for a pretty face. But there’s something about Ruby that bypasses all my usual safeguards. Something that makes me want to claim her, possess her, protect her.

The shop is quiet when I return, just the steady buzz of Ruby’s tattoo machine as she works on a client’s forearm. She doesn’t look up, but the slight stiffening of her shoulders tells me she knows I’m there. I resume my position by the door, scanning the street outside through the large front windows of Fit Mountain Ink.

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