Page 31 of The Reaper
I let him back me into the stainless steel, let him drag his mouth along my neck, let myself finally feel something that wasn’t ambition or fear or control.
I didn’t care that the kitchen had windows.
I didn’t care that my staff would be back in the morning.
I didn’t care about anything except the way his body pressed into mine like he was starving and I was the only thing he’d ever wanted.
8
CALEB
We stepped into the kitchen, the double doors swinging shut behind us like a secret sealing itself. The air was cooler here, heavy with the ghost of spices and the fading heat of the night’s service—garlic lingering faint, herbs crushed underfoot. Steel counters gleamed under low lights. The space was spotless, like it had been waiting for us. For this.
Meghan moved ahead, her hips swaying just enough to drag my eyes down. That black shirt clung to her curves, hair loose now, falling dark over her shoulders. I’d wanted her since that window. But up close? She was fire incarnate. Bold. Unyielding. The kind of woman who’d burn you alive and make you beg for more.
She turned, leaning back against the prep table, arms crossed like she was daring me to make the first move. Her eyes—dark, sharp—locked on mine. Her chest rose steady but fast. I caught the flutter of her pulse in her neck, betraying the control she wore like armor.
“So,” she said, voice low, edged with challenge. “What now?”
I didn’t answer. Just stepped forward and closed the distance. My hand found her waist, fingers digging in enough to feel her heat through the fabric. She didn’t flinch. Instead, she arched into it. A soft gasp slipped from her lips.
That sound hit me low, straight to my cock. I’d been half-hard since dinner, watching her command that kitchen like a battlefield. But now? Now it was real.
I leaned in, mouth brushing her ear. “Now, I taste you,” I murmured.
Her hands fisted in my shirt, yanking me closer. “Then do it.”
I kissed her—hard. Claiming. Tongue sweeping in, tangling with hers. She tasted like wine and salt. A hint of chocolate still clung to her lips from the tart she’d eaten. Sweet. Dark. Addictive.
My free hand slid up her back, under her shirt. Her skin was warm, smooth. She moaned into my mouth. The vibration shot through me, cock straining against my slacks.
I’d fucked before. Quick, rough, in hotel rooms or safe houses after ops. Women who’d wanted the same—no strings, no names. Just bodies colliding to drown out the blood. But Meghan wasn’t a distraction. She was the storm itself. And I wanted to stay in it.
I broke the kiss, trailing my mouth down her neck, grazing her pulse with my teeth. She tilted her head back, offering more. Fingers dug into my shoulders.
“More,” she whispered.
I bit down, sucking hard enough to mark her. Mine—for tonight. She gasped, hips bucking against me. I felt her heat even through the layers between us.
That boldness surprised me. No hesitation. Like she’d been waiting for this.
I growled, hand sliding to her ass, lifting her onto the counter. The steel was cool but she didn’t care. Her legs wrapped around my waist, locking me in.
“You’re soaked already,” I said, voice rough. My hand slid between us, cupping her through her pants. She was. Wet heat radiated against my palm. I pressed harder, thumb circling her clit through the fabric. She bucked again, moaning. The sound echoed in the empty kitchen.
“Take them off,” she ordered.
That edge in her voice—still the chef calling shots. I smirked. “Not yet,” I said, mouth moving to her collarbone. “I said I’d taste you first.”
I yanked her shirt up. Black lace bra. Simple. Deadly. My mouth found her nipple through the fabric, sucking hard. Tongue flicking. She arched, hands gripping my hair.
“Caleb,” she gasped.
Hearing my name like that—part curse, part prayer—made my cock throb. But I held back. I wanted to draw it out. To make her beg.
I switched sides, my hand still working between her legs. Her breaths came ragged. She trembled beneath my touch, already close.
A memory flashed—Jensen’s last laugh, the op going sideways. I shoved it down. This moment was real. Her. Here. Now.
