Page 28 of When He Defends
Gray stared down at him.
Emerson knew her gaze had to be huge. Gray had taken Rylan down with brutal efficiency and with a heck of a lot more force than he’d used with her.
Rylan gasped, “Definitely living up to the hype.”
Gray stalked for the exit. Emerson scrambled to catch him. She grabbed his arm. He spun toward her, and she half expected to find herself hurtling through the air the way Rylan had just done.
Only that didn’t happen. Gray just stared at her. “Something you need, Dr. Marlowe?”
When in the world had she becomeDr. Marloweagain? He’d just said he wanted to fuck her on the mat, and now he was pulling thisDr. Marlowebull on her? “Someone is running hot and cold.”
His eyesblazed.“Just hot. So watch yourself.”
No, she was done with that. “You went easy on me.”
He didn’t blink.
“On the mat,” Emerson clarified. “You weren’t using your full skill set or strength against me. You were holding back.” Angry, she shook her head. “Don’t ever do that again.”
“Fuck that. I’ll always hold back my strength with you. You don’t hurt delicate things in my world.”
“I’m not delicate. Don’t hold back with me. I can handle anything that you throw my way.”
His lips began to curl. His eyes to gleam.
Rylan groaned again. “Hey, Emerson, help a guy up, would you?”
“Help your own self up,” Gray snapped at him. He leaned toward her. “You sure about that? You really think you can take all of me?”
“Try me and find out.” Wait, did that sound sexual? Maybe. Definitely. Whatever.Hiswords had seemed sexual, too. “Don’t hold back with me. Icanhandle you.”
“We’ll just see about that.”
Then he walked away. And her heart kept racing.
One weekand four days since Briar…
“What’sit like working up close and personal with the Man of Stone?” FBI Agent Agnes Quinn asked the question as she raised a chilled beer bottle to her mouth. Her dark red hair had been twisted into a braid that trailed over her right shoulder. Soft tendrils escaped to frame her oval face.
Man of Stone.Right. Emerson had learned that was the secret nickname for Gray shortly after she’d started working as a consultant at the FBI. A play on his last name, of course, but also on the fact that the other agents thought nothing ever touched him. That he could see the most chilling cases and remain totally unmoved.
But after watching him with Misty and Timothy at that rundown motel, after hearing about his past…
The nickname is a lie.Emerson didn’t touch the beer bottle that had been placed in front of her. “I’m learning a great deal from him.” That seemed like a diplomatic response. Also one that was true.
“Hesparredher,” Rylan announced to their group. He wiggled his dark brows dramatically.
There were stunned gasps from the agents at the table. They’d gathered at the bar—apparently, meeting at O’Sullivan’s was a weekly tradition when the group was in town—and when they’d extended an invitation to Emerson to join, she’d agreed. Why not? Not like she had anything else happening on a Friday night. Her social life was non-existent. Hard to have a social life—or a dating life—when her thoughts were consumed by one man.
The Man of Stone.
“He sparred me, too,” Rylan admitted as he took a long pull on the beer. Rylan cleared his throat and confessed, “Man had my ass down on the mat before I could blink.”
More laughter. Some clinking of beer bottles.
Covertly, Emerson studied the group. All FBI Agents. Rylan Tate. Agnes Quinn. Malik Jones. Trinity Coleman.
Trinity didn’t drink her beer, either, just ran nervous fingers around the mouth of the bottle. “Is it weird that he scares me?” The faintest hint of a Texas accent came and went in her voice. “Because he does. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I want to know about killers, too. But—there’s knowing and thenknowing,get me? Like, if you’re in their heads that deeply, maybe something is off about you.” Then, seeming to realize what she’d just said, her dark eyes widened. She yanked the beer toward her lips and took a couple of quick swallows. “Forget I said that,” she burst out as she clinked the bottle back down on the table. “Forget it. And if anyonedaresto pass that along to Agent Stone, I will bury you.”
