Page 73 of Mine to Protect

“You’re a motherfucking angel, Lady. Don’t you ever forget it. You hear me?” His fingers tightened on my chin. “Not for one damn minute do you ever forget that you’re the best person I’ve ever met.”

I wasn't the type of woman to kiss a man—that took confidence in one's sexuality, which I lacked—yet I pressed to my tiptoes and pressed my dry lips against his anyway.

24

Cas

Without hesitation,I angled my head to seal my lips over hers, controlling our kiss. A soft moan of pleasure seeped from her lips into mine, sending a bolt of want straight to my cock. She was perfection embodied. I kissed her with the passion I felt for her, hoping she understood what I couldn’t put into words. Nothing else mattered, just her and me, together. I could protect her against everything except me, which was the scariest threat of them all.

“Cas,” she said against my lips.

“Lady.”

“Tell me one thing.”

“Anything.” I meant it. Whatever she wanted, I’d tell her. I’d tell her government secrets to make her happy.

“Tell me that when this is all done, when the bad guy is caught and gone, that this feeling won’t stop.”

My lips paused. Eyes open, I waited for Alta’s to meet mine. “We will never be done. Whatever this is between us is never-ending, I’ll ache for you for eternity. I can’t promise we’ll be together.” Gripping her hands, I wrapped both arms around my neck and pressed my forehead against hers. “But wherever I am, you’ll be with me. Time, distance, even death can’t stop me from thinking of you, from wanting you.” My heart thundered against my chest. “I have no fucking idea what this is, but whatever it is, it’s not temporary, that’s for damn sure.”

Her eyes sealed closed. “I’m… I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“My past, the memories, the sicko chasing me, you, the way I feel about you, what I want….” She swallowed hard as her hazel eyes fluttered open to meet mine. “What I want from you.”

All the blood that flowed through my veins shifted straight to my cock. “And what is that, Lady?” My voice was so guttural, it didn’t sound natural, or like my own.

Her voice shook. “Something I can’t have.” Tears welled in her sad eyes. “I’m sorry I’m so damaged that I can’t—”

Instead of refuting her with words, I poured my overpowering desire for her, and all the broken slivers she believed were ugly instead of the beauty I found in the damage, from my lips to hers. Sucking, nipping soft and slow, savoring each delectable bit of her plump lips, I ate up the soft moan she released as she pressed closer.

“Do you trust me?” I asked as I sucked down her neck. Fuck, she tasted like innocence—sweet and perfect.

“Yes.” The lack of hesitation and her clawing at my arms, begging me to squeeze her tighter, confirmed her quick response.

My hands trembled with tremendous restraint to not strip her out of her damn clothes right there in the living room. Fingertips against her back, I brushed lower and lower down her tight T-shirt. A groan escaped as I gripped each of her perky ass cheeks. Not caring about my injured hand, I squeezed each one and lifted her. Immediately, muscular, lean legs wrapped around my waist, squeezing the breath from my lungs.

One step.

One fucking step was as far as I got before my cell rang through the small cabin.

“Fuck,” I grunted. Set to ignore the interruption, I strode across the room while it continued to ring. A sigh of relief brushed across her neck, only for it to turn into a groan when the phone began ringing again. Still ignoring it, I shoved her back against the wall of the short hallway, pressing my rock-hard cock against her and grinding firmly.

“Oh my,” Alta breathed with a content sigh. “Yes.”

The phone stopped ringing only to pick back up its cock-blocking shrill tone.

Every curse word ever invented sailed through my head. Heat from my forehead sizzled against the chill of hers. “I have to get that.” Each inch her perfect tits and warm center slid down my body was torture.

When her feet safely reached the ground, I planted a rough kiss on the top of her head and stormed toward the still-ringing phone. Annoyance played with the fuse to my anger, leaving me fidgety and on edge, which was the worst possible combination with Alta in the room. I was going to explode, and no fucking way did I want her there when it happened.

I accepted her the way she was, but there was no way I could ask that of her in return. She was perfect; I was a motherfucking atomic bomb.

“What,” I snapped the second I put the phone to my ear.

“Interrupting something?” Peters said in a steely tone that immediately caught my attention, raising caution flags.

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