“No, not you,” she rushed to say. “I feel safe with you. Finding you was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.”
Funny. I was thinking the same thing.
“I get why you didn’t jump to help me when I first walked in that bar. You thought I was a criminal. I mean, Iama criminal—”
“You aren’t. Preston used you. Then he held a gun on you. You’re a victim, sweetness, and you don’t need to worry any longer because you’ve got me on your side.” As to why he’d hesitated when he first saw her… “Sometimes, you know certain people are just going to change everything for you. They’ll screw things to hell. Obliterate your world. You can try to walk away, but that doesn’t work.”
“I ran away.”
Ah, she was talking about Preston. She’d run from him.And found me.
And as for Remy…he was talking abouther.“Give me his full name.” He still cupped her cheek. Still wanted her mouth. Still intended to have it—and her.
“Preston Guidry.” Anger hummed in her voice. “But it will be my word against his. Like I told you, he’s well-respected, and if what he said about the cops is true, he’ll have a mini-army on his side. I don’t want you getting hurt because of me. Just turn this over—turnmeover—to your old supervisor at the FBI. I’ll cooperate. When I ran out of your art studio, that was me panicking. I promise, I won’t panic again. I’ll tell the agents everything. I just…I don’t want you hurt. That’s the bottom line for me. I don’t want you to be hunted. And if it’s not too much to ask, I’d like my old, quiet life back, please.”
So polite. And so not going to happen. Turn her over? No way. He’d just gotten her. “I don’t think that’s going to be a possibility.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not ready to let you go.” And his mouth took hers.
Chapter Six
Remy was a selfish bastard. But, occasionally, he could do something good. Very, very occasionally. More like rarely. It did happen, though. Hadn’t he worked all those years to protect his sister? He’d tried to stay away from Iris so that the danger would be focused solely on him.
Then he’d fuckingtriedto right all the wrongs in his past. He’d done what the CIA wanted. Played nicely with the FBI. Joined their joint task forces. Pretended to be different people over and over again for them. Hell, his hair still wasn’t even back to its natural color yet. For one of his last cases, he’d had to dye his normally dirty blond hair black. He’d had to become someone else, yet again. He’d done all that shit over and over. Didn’t that mean that he deserved something good of his own? Didn’t it mean that when he found something he wanted, he should hold on tight?
Her lips had parted for him, her tongue met his, and again, Jacqueline was by far the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted. She had a flavor that was just her. There was an innocence that clung to her. One that he could all but taste, and innocence was something he had not known in a very, very long time. If forever.
He savored her. Remy kissed her and knew that he would be taking her. Not yet. No, not yet…Soon, or I will lose my mind.
Because sometimes people came along and changed everything. Yes, when she’d first walked into that bar, he’d thought to turn her away. But it was far too late for that now. There would be no going back for him.
He couldn’t. She’d obliterated the world he knew.
She needs me, and, dammit, I will be exactly what she needs.He wasn’t going to let her down. He couldn’t.
Remy’s arms moved to wrap around her. To pull her closer. Not good enough, though. The kiss had started gently. More about a tasting than anything else because he’d already come to crave her taste. He had the feeling nothing else would ever satisfy him.
But the more he kissed her, the more those soft moans slipped from Jacqueline. She rubbed her body against him, and he wanted her even more. He could feel the thrust of her nipples against him, through her shirt. Through his. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her round breasts pushed against his chest. He wanted to strip the shirt away. Wanted to put his mouth around her nipple and see if she tasted as sweet there.
He’d bet that she did. He’d bet that she was even sweeter down below. Between her thighs. He could strip her. Spread her. Taste her everywhere, and when she climaxed for him—against his mouth—then he’d be tasting the hottest part of her.
I want all of her.
He gripped her hips. Lifted her up. Her legs locked around him like it was the most natural thing in the world. And that was the truth—kissing her, touching her, wanting her with the insane need that he felt—it all seemednatural.Like he’d been waiting for this.
For her.
Turn her over? Give her up?
Never.She was his muse, and he’d like to see some foolish bastard try to pry her away from him because that shit was just not going to happen. Ever.
Remy took a few lurching steps forward and pinned her against the wooden wall. She was trapped—the wall behind her and him in front of her. The damn shirt of hers was in his way because he wanted to see her breasts. To touch them. He wanted to kiss every inch of her, and he was going to do exactly that. Until she cried out in release for him. Until she begged for more.
Until he gave her everything.
But Jacqueline tore her mouth from his. “I-I…” A shudder. “How do I feel this way?”