Seeing the tears well up in her eyes, I go over and take her in my arms. She wraps around me in an embrace that feels like second nature somehow. She fits into me.
I hold her for a while, running my hands through her hair, neither of us saying a word. She doesn’t question me further, and I don’t offer any answers.
Morgan
Feeling myself being lifted, I start to wake up. My mind is fuzzy as I remember sitting on the couch, snuggled into Ice. After our moment in the kitchen, he wanted to eat and then watch TV. I joined him, and I guess I finally dozed off.
Opening my eyes, I see he is carrying me to his room, not the guest room.
“I can walk, you know,” I whisper.
“Always sassy, aren’t you? It’s more fun this way.”
“This isn’t the guest room,” I point out as he lays me on his bed.
“You aren’t a regular guest,” he replies with a chuckle.
“Yeah, I guess I should pay rent, huh?” I playfully give him his own words back.
“I was an ass,” he replies while he makes his way into his overly large closet and out of my sight.
“Yup, you are an ass.”
“I heard that. Go to sleep.” I hear him moving around and apparently changing clothes.
“Always so bossy. Where are you going?”
He emerges in black cargo pants, a snug black T-shirt that I swear should be painted on, and a shoulder holster with a gun secured in place. He looks like an assassin bad boy out of a Hollywood movie—scary and sexy all rolled into one sinfully delicious package.
“Sweetheart, you have no idea how bossy I am. I have some work to do. I don’t know when I’ll be home. Keep an eye on Brooke, and I’ll be in touch.”
Something in his eyes, his demeanor—I am not sure exactly what, but it tells me his work today involves my sister. There has been a change between us.
I don’t know why or what exactly overcomes me, but I quickly hop out of bed and make my way to him.
Looping my arms around his waist, I roll up on my tiptoes and tentatively brush my lips against his. I don’t know what I am doing; I simply let my instincts run me.
Boldly, I open my mouth ever so slightly, and with the tip of my tongue, I trace the seam of his lips. For the first time, I taste the essence that is the man who both confuses and arouses me. He growls against my mouth for a second, the vibration feeling as though it runs through my entire body.
Both of his hands come up to grab either side of my head when he finally gives in. The dynamic shifts rapidly from a sweet kiss to a passion-filled, lust-controlled demand. I am no longer in control as Ice ravages my mouth. It makes me wonder if he would ravage the rest of my body with such a sensual ferocity.
Our tongues dance while he seems to devour every crevice. His hands roam my body, causing me to moan as he squeezes my ass. I have never been kissed with such longing before, such need. I have never known a man could make a woman feel this out of control with such an animalistic hunger. My body melts helplessly against him as I become a ball of mush, giving in to my every desire.
As suddenly as I began our kiss, he is pulling away. Pushing me away from him, he makes sure I am steady on my feet before brushing one last kiss across my forehead.
“Get some sleep,” he orders before exiting the room without a look back.
What the hell just happened? Every encounter with this man seems to leave me asking myself this.
Yet, I still don’t have any damn answers.
Chapter
16
Ice
From the camera views, we expected to enter a warehouse since one may consider the space storage of some sort. Really, what the operation is set up in is an old hotel that has long since closed down. It is now considered a storage facility for a nearby deluxe spa for recovering patients of the same plastic surgeon who owns the hangar Sandoval uses for his transactions.
Apparently, Lazaro Sandoval spreads his money out to cover all his operations under the guise of truly legitimate commerce. Smart man. This is one of the reasons he has lasted as long as he has in such a brutal and unforgiving business.
After spending the night doing final preparations, we have men in place on the surrounding buildings’ rooftops. No one will exit the building and stay alive unless they are carried out by us. One might think broad day light wouldn’t be the time to do this; however, Sandoval has fewer men on guard during this time. Perhaps he thinks no one is bold enough to attack him then. Whatever his reasoning, it is an advantage we can’t ignore.