“You think he’ll do something drastic?” She swallowed and stepped closer to him, mesmerized by the tender, pleading light she saw in his eyes. She put her hands on his damp shoulders, straining toward him, aching for him.
His hand came up and brushed strands of hair off her cheek. “I’m just asking for you to relinquish that formidable control and let me handle it.”
“All right.”
He gave her a slow, bright smile, and she sighed and leaned against him. She realized how close she had gotten to him, and it had nothing to do with the physical at all. She longed to tell him how she felt but knew in the long run it didn’t make any difference. She wasn’t yet sure that she could even verbalize what she felt for him, and the emotions were beginning to frighten her.
“So, do you have any other deadly moves you can teach me?”
“Tae Kwon Do isn’t about violence, Sienna. It’s about centering yourself. Becoming aware of yourself enables you to use positive energy and understand that thoughts motivated intentions.”
He turned her so that her bare back was against his damp chest. “The original intention of the art was aimed at the development of individuality by steadfast courage in fighting for the cause of justice and peace, even in a life-and-death situation. And above all, it is aimed at developing knowledge of the importance of total devotion to a spirit of humanity and achievement of self-discipline in mind and body.”
“So you’re saying that it is more than a way of violent fighting. It’s a way to meld the mind and the body to achieve peace with oneself and others?”
“You’re very perceptive, Sienna.”
“So, have you achieved self-perfection?”
“Hardly. We say we are always learning, always experiencing what life has to offer. Only when we strive to achieve such elements as courage, fortitude, dedication, loyalty and—importantly—honor, can we know and master ourselves.”
She listened to his soft, calm voice and knew he had achieved all those virtues and more. Recalled the way he had tried not to take advantage of her in a weak moment, the way he held her, the worry over his brother, and the way he had backed her up. She knew that he lived these teachings and that those virtues were woven into the very fabric of his soul. It was thrilling to find another layer of A.J., one more fascinating piece of the puzzle.
She turned and touched his face lightly. “You possess all of those, especially honor.”
The words seemed to curl around him like smoke. They soaked into his skin becoming the blood that ran through his veins. He cupped her face, his thumbs caressing her delicate cheekbones. Her wide eyes connected with his and he felt a wrenching deep inside him as if somehow, they joined and became one for a brief, breathless heart-aching moment.
He knew she felt it, too, by the emotion he saw in her eyes. She stared at him in awe and amazed wonder.
He covered her mouth with his in a gentle, tender kiss, using his willpower to hold the dark need rising in him. He perceived that she was still afraid of her emotions, still afraid of what he did to her.
She clung to him, offering her lips up to his like a sacrifice. His body ached and throbbed with desire, pushing at his rigid control, threatening to snap it like a dry, brittle stick.
Instead, he began to move using his arms, torso, and legs to bring Sienna with him. Their naked bodies absorbed the sheen of labor and the glow of desire.
When she came to the final position, he slipped his hands around her waist and drew her toward him. His skin was hot against hers, his hands sliding up her rib cage to cup her breasts, a gentle, warm caress that made her groan softly against his kneading fingers.
“I love that sound, Sienna.”
He lowered his head as he swept his lips across the place where her shoulder met her neck.
The phone by the bedside table jangled and she quickly separated from him. Sienna walked over to the phone and picked it up. She listened for a few beats, grabbed a piece of paper, and scribbled down an address.
When she put down the receiver, she walked back to him. “Captain Sandoval said that David just used his credit card to rent a cabin. I’ve got the address.”
* * *
Once at the cabin, they used quick movements and stealth to get to the front porch. Sienna looked quickly into the window, and what she saw made her blood run cold.
A man lay on the floor, his arms flung wide, and a gun next to his outstretched fingers.
She turned to look at A.J. and his face contorted in pain. For a moment he bowed his head. When his head lifted, his eyes were cold and empty.
Without warning, he kicked the door open and went in. Two men came out of nowhere and tackled him to the floor.
As Sienna came through the door a man went for her gun. He backhanded her across the face, making her see stars. Balling up her fist, she hit him a stunning blow to the jaw and he released her gun.
Sienna had only a moment to sight down the barrel before she was grabbed around the neck and a gun was shoved into her back.