Page 13 of Exposing Adonis

“That was before you decided to beat my brother.” I glared at him.Don’t give in to him.“We’ve worked without back up before. We just need you to get us in. The rest we can do–”

“No!” His large fist knocked on the table in a barely restrained punch. It was like a lightning strike. The anger flashed out of his body sending electricity through the room. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished, and in its place was the calm Baron of something-or-other in Scotland.

“This is my mission, and I say who goes.” He said with a smile that never reached his eyes. “You asked me for help. Now let me do my task. Don’t question me again.”

Leo let out a low whistle, then took a tentative step back. “She’s gonna make you pay for that …”

“Cal, even I know that’s not how you talk to a woman … ” Geordie said under his breath as he wiped a hand over his mouth.

Alastair grinned, crossing his arms and looking between us like he was watching a bull about to charge a matador. Hugo pursed his lips and let out a hard, loud breath like he was blowing out a birthday candle, then chuckled.

“Your alpha male bullshit won’t work on me, asshole.” I narrowed my eyes. “And how do I know you won’t leave my brother behind. If you can beat him, you can abandon him.”

“Because!”Callum yelled, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. “I’ll have to come back here and face you, and that’s a damn headache I won’t deal with.”

“A headache?” I scoffed.

“At best, a fucking headache,” He put his hands on his hips in annoyance. “At worst, you’ll stab me … again.”

“If something happens to my brother, it won’t be like last time.” The threat fell easily from my mouth as I raised my chin in the air. “They won’t find your fucking body.”

“Aye, I know! Trust me, woman. I don’t need to be around you long to know you hold a grudge.”

“That’s right.” My agreement was a promise.

We were toe-to-toe, and even though he was head and shoulders taller than me, I wouldn’t back down. The silence that took up the large hangar could have been sliced with my knife. There was nothing but the hollow sound of air traveling in space. That, and our ragged breathing as I tried not to hit him.

Or kiss him.

“I’ll prep the plane,” Alastair said with a little laugh before walking to the L-100 Hercules, with Hugo in tow.

“Come on, Leo,” Geordie clapped my brother’s back. “Shall we change your hair to black?”

“Is … is he gonna be okay?” Leo asked, flicking his thumb to Callum.

“You tell us,” Geordie chuckled. “But Ikenhe has it coming.”

Those two went to the locker room to prep and dress Leo for the mission.And then there were two …

My hands still stung. Both from the punches I had landed on his body armor, and from the slap that left a bruise on his cheek. My hand heated at the memory of the sting, the sound of flesh on flesh, and the lust in his eyes.

“Have it out, darling,” Callum finally said when we were alone. “Say something before I fill the silence.”

His eyes roamed down my body, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood. I wanted to run. A perverse part of me needed him to chase me. I wanted to slap him again, to bring the heat into his eyes that had melted my insides. I wanted to anger him until he took me to the ground, pinned me down and thrust into me with reckless abandon.

“This is my fault.” I finally said after a long, steadying breath. For once, trying to be the reasonable one. “I should be the one going in. I’m expendable. You should run things from back here …”

“You don’t understand,” he said, stepping toward me. I wanted to stand my ground, but something instinctive made me step back. He stepped forward, and I did it again. “If you’re anywhere near this, I won’t be watching or commanding. I’ll be putting together an army to keep you protected.” I stepped away to get some distance from his heat, from his scent. But he filled the space until we were practically nose to nose. Him, bent down and staring, and me looking up towards him. “I can’t think if you’re in danger. So if you’re out there, I’ll have only one mission. And it won’t be to rescue Chloe.”

He kept stepping forward and I kept stepping back. It was a waltz that I couldn’t escape.

“I’m not a damsel in need of your protection.” Before I knew it, we had done one full lap around the map table. I retreated, he advanced, until he placed a hand on the table to box me in.

“You’re no damsel,” he agreed. “But you are my woman, Atalanta. No matter how much you run. And I protect what’s mine.”

He reached down and grabbed my right hand, brought the palm to his mouth. With a feral growl he bit down on the meaty part below my thumb until I winced, and tried to pull away.

“Slap me again, and I’ll bend you over and take you, right there.” His forest green eyes darkened as they looked at me from behind our joined hands.

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