“It’s a long flight. How about you take a quick shower?” He unzipped the front of her leather corset, taking his time, revealing her satin bra. He trailed a finger down the center of her cleavage and she shivered involuntarily. “Such a beautiful body. I want it to be mine.”
Graciella looked down. What was he talking about? There were so many old cigarette burns on her breasts. All her confidence was a façade.
He peeled the cup of one bra down, giving her time to protest—she didn’t. Her nipple was pebbled and aching for attention. She held her breath as he went down on her, covering her breast with his hot mouth. The strength in her legs gave out, so he hoisted her up. She wrapped herself around him as he carried her back to the counter. Why wasn’t he continuing what he started? She felt like she’d spontaneously combust at any second.
“I want to fuck you so bad right now,” he said. Instead of bringing her to his bed as she hoped he would, he combed both hands into her hair, securing her head. That fire was back in his eyes. “But business first. What did you tell Viko?”
Disappointment assaulted her.
She exhaled and panted for breath. There was no disguising her need.
“He’s taking the next flight to the Dominican. He wants to ensure the hit is done. He needs to satisfy his own demons.”
“Next time, keep him out of it. Do you understand? The only reason he allows you to live is out of pity. If you think otherwise, you’re living a pipe dream.”
“I’m not in love with Viko.”
She wasn’t.
He was a means to get what she needed, and there were many days she regretted asking for his help. Being indebted to anyone was the last thing she wanted in her life.
“I never said you were. But I don’t want you disillusioned by him.”
“What about you, Boss? Should I trust you with my body? With my heart?”
There were heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, stealing the moment.
Boss frowned then zipped up her shirt for her. “Your brother is really starting to piss me off.”
Chapter Eight
“I’m sorry,” Graciella said a couple of hours later, not for the first time. She even clenched her teeth when she said it. No matter how she spoke, she always seemed to struggle with those two simple words. Now, he just found it funny to actually listen to her struggle.
It was cute.
While the rest of his men had gotten a hotel room, Graciella included, she’d snuck into his.
Standing at the bar in his hotel room, Boss stared at his problem. He took a cleansing breath and dropped two ice cubes into a glass with a clink. He should have known to quickly check his flight to see if there was a problem the moment he got wind of Viko knowing about the scientist. He was pissed.
This was his hit, his plan. His everything. He’d wanted to be the one to save her. To finally end the demons chasing her. She was a woman made of ice but there was a heart in there somewhere. It was killing her to know people were dying. People like Bain who might mistake the drugs for mints and take them.
It was so fucking stupid. When he did save Bain, he was going to put him through an intense course of “don’t fucking take shit you don’t recognize.”
“Boss, come on,” she said.
“What do you want from me?” he asked. “You called Viko. He decided to ground me, to take out my pilot, our flight, and to deal with this shit on his own. The last time I checked, the Circle of Monsters didn’t have our finesse, so our scientist would get wind of not one, but two organizations after him. He’s probably already fleeing the country. My element of surprise is fucked!”
“Boss, I’m sorry.”
He advanced toward her. “You’re used to being on your own.” She took a step back. “When you’re in my world, you work as a team.”
“Working as a team gets you dead.”
“Xavier used to think that and now he’s a team player. You should try it sometime.”
“I’m not having this conversation with you.” The wall stopped her leave. He slammed his hands at either side of her head. He knew they weren’t evenly matched. The Widow Maker was good, but she wasn’t him. Not even close. He was the best. He’d owned the title for many years, and he would continue to do so until someone put a bullet in his head.
“No, like always, you’re going to piss me off and run away. That’s your MO. It’s what you do, always. All you will do. You know why? Because you’re afraid.”