Page 57 of Dark ’N’ Deadly

“I can see that,” he snapped, hitching his chin to her duffel. “Why?”

She rose from her crouched position next to the dog. “It’s time for me to leave. I realize it’s been quite an imposition having Jesse and me stay with you. Now that the controlled delivery is done, you’re no longer obligated to play host to us.”

A vein pulsed in his neck. “Obligated? Is that what you think this is?”

“Well, of course.” She snagged her bag then pushed past him to gather the few remaining items she’d left on the bed. “What else could it be? You wanted to keep Jesse close by, so he didn’t take off before doing the delivery. Now that it’s done, you don’t need him anymore. You don’t need either of us anymore.” In truth, he’d never needed her, only Jesse.

Gentle hands fell on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. What she saw in his eyes, in every nuance of his handsome face, was stark shock, which only confused her more.

He cupped her face. “Offering you and Jesse a place to stay had nothing to do with the investigation. I don’t deny that part of me did it to keep an eye on him. He wouldn’t be the first cooperator to take off on an agent and disappear, but that’s not why I did it.”

“Then why did you?” she whispered, feeling every one of his fingers branding her flesh.

“Because—” His brow momentarily furrowed, then his eyes softened. “I did it for you.”

She blinked, still not understanding. “But why?” she managed, barely hearing her own words above the fluttering of her heart.

“I wanted to help you.”

“Oh.” The light dawned, and she felt utterly stupid that she hadn’t figured out his motivations. “I get it. I’m Andi’s friend, and she’s married to one of your best friends. You did it as a favor to Nick.”

When he dropped his hands from her face, she knew she’d hit the mark, and her heart sank. For one incredibly naive moment, she’d actually dared to hope there was another reason that didn’t involve his investigation or a favor to a friend. Now, that hope was irrevocably dashed.

Eric frowned again, deeper this time.

“It’s okay,” she said, trying to keep it light, while inside her heart was breaking. She grabbed her nightie from the bed and shoved it into her bag. “I’ll be packed in a few minutes. I understand. Really, I do.”

“No. You don’t.” His voice was harsh yet his touch gentle as he again turned her to face him. He bracketed her head with his hands, sifting his fingers through her curls. “I didn’t do it for Andi, or Nick, or any other goddamn person on the planet. I did it for me. And for this.” He lowered his head and kissed her.

Chapter Nineteen

Tess froze, shocked into absolute and complete immobility.

His lips were warm, his tongue gentle yet insistent as it invaded her mouth.

Don’t do this.

What she ought to do—no, make that what she needed to do—was push him away, and the time to do that was now. “Eric, I—”

“Mmm,” he said against her lips, kissing her deeper, cutting off the words she would have spoken next.

I have to tell you something. The truth.

But oh, this feels so right. He feels so right. And she didn’t want him to stop.

She slid her hands up his hard abdomen, over his muscled pecs and kissed him back, inherently understanding she was clinging to a perilously shaky limb that might very well break beneath her, sending her crashing to the ground. Because once he learned the truth, he’d never forgive her.

He wrapped his arms around her, molding his big body to hers. Heat and longing licked at her breasts, her thighs, and at the very core of her being, battling with the last vestiges of her willpower and common sense. This was wrong, and she needed to stop things before they went too far.

Instead, she dragged her hands down his back, digging her nails into his skin through his shirt. Maybe just this one time. One incredible night with him before my past destroys everything in its path.

It would be the most selfish thing she’d ever done in her life, but there it was—her justification. All she had to do was reach out and grab hold. They would both be horribly hurt in the aftermath, but for now…just for one night…

Then I’ll walk away.

Eric slid his hands to cover her buttocks then up the sides of her rib cage. His hands, so big and gentle, curved over the tops of her breasts, cupping them, urging her to lean into him, increasing the exquisite pressure of his touch.

God, how she wanted his mouth on her bare breasts, sucking and teasing her tender nipples.