She did it again. As a taunt? As a promise? Jesus Christ, I wanted her mouth. But I needed to fuck her first. She could suck me off later.

  What I should have done was remove my jeans. Hell, I still had my shoes on. The problem was that feral monster. The one who knew exactly how she would feel squeezing around my cock. The one who knew the sound she would make as she was coming. The one who knew exactly how hot, tight, and wet she was, and he wanted out. He'd been denied for too long, and he wasn't playing. Taking time to remove my jeans and boxers was going to be too much. So letting him free was going to have to be enough… for now.

  Saff’s eyes went wide as they roamed down my body and settled on my cock. He, gentleman that he was, twitched at her as if in greeting. Because the fucker was cheeky like that. I kneeled at the edge of the bed again and spread her thighs wide with my hands, forcing her to make room for me. And I kissed her pussy again.

  I made sure she was wet, ready. But the joke was on me. Because as I licked her juices, all it did was make me burn even hotter.

  “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. I was supposed to be driving her mad. But she was owning me. Sending me careening in the wide abyss of desire.

  I pushed to my feet, scooping my hands under her arse, squeezing and lifting her. Moving her back until she was farther up the bed, making room for me. When she was far enough up that my feet could find purchase, I notched the broad head of my cock against her slick wetness, and her eyes went wide.

  My name was both a curse and exultation on her tongue as I rocked my hips ever so slightly, teasing her entrance. Teasing that bite of pain and pleasure.

  I knew she knew what was coming. We'd done this before. I was giving her body time to adjust. Time to remember. I was big, but she would fit around me like a glove.

  For this part, I would be patient. I could wait. I knew she would be the one begging me. And sure enough, she whimpered and lifted her hips.

  “Hush. You know we need to go slow.”

  “And if I don't want to?”

  Jesus fucking Christ. With those words alone, I notched further inside of her, my tip sliding past her entrance. I hissed and dropped my forehead to her chest. Why the fuck was she still wearing a T-shirt? Why couldn't I take her fucking nipples into my mouth right now? I glanced longingly at the pert tip poking through the lace of her bra and her T-shirt, trying to get access to my mouth.

  I know exactly how you feel my friend.

  With a frustrated growl, I leaned over and sucked her through the cotton and lace and pulled deep just as I swiveled my hips and sank the full length of my cock into her.

  She was all heat, soft glide, slick wetness, and bliss.

  Her hands sank into my hair again, tugging sharply, and I lifted my gaze to watch her. Fucking hell, was I hurting her?

  Her eyes were wide, but not with pain. With pleasure and desire and something else I couldn't quite name. With her gaze focused on me, her lips tipped into a soft smile. And I rewarded her with a slight retreat and a sharp hitch forward. Her lips formed that O expression again.

  “You like that?”

  I slid my lips over hers before pulling back and doing away with both her T-shirt and bra. With her tits exposed to me, I was going to play.

  I palmed her breasts, teasing a nipple with my thumb, fully intending to bend down and suck the other peak into my mouth, when she started to squeeze me. I could feel her little Kegel movements. A long pull followed by short, pulsing ones.

  And fuck me, a bolt of electricity started to sneak up my spine. I tried like hell to ward off the impending orgasm. I tried to think of cricket stats. What could be more boring than cricket? Except that wasn't working because I could feel the orgasm barreling toward me.

  I was caught between tucking my face into her neck and fucking her for all I was worth and slowing down, taking my time, making this last.

  But I was too far gone. I wasn't going to make it. She knew it. I knew it. When I lifted my gaze to meet hers, she had that exultant smile on her face again. The one that said she was going to get what she wanted. And who was I to deny her? I leaned down and licked her nipple, which made her gasp.

  “I know what you're doing, and I'll give you what you want. You want it hard and fast. I'm so far gone it's all I can give you. But we're not done. We are far from done, princess.”

  “Are you going to come inside me, Lachlan?”

  I blinked at her words filtered through the two brain cells I had left. Come inside her. Come inside— Fucking hell, I wasn't wearing a condom. We both knew it. That should have doused me with a cold splash of water. But it didn't.

  “Would you like that? Would it be a disaster if you were pregnant? Or would you like it?” I punctuated my question with a sharp rock of my hips.

  Saff gasped. “N-no. Not a disaster.”

  Her eyes were clear and bored straight into my soul. Not a disaster. And suddenly it was all I wanted. I could see her round with my child. After all, hadn't I gone down this path without the condom in the first place?

  “You're such a dirty girl. You want me to fuck a baby into you because I want to come inside you so bad.”

  And then Saff did something I didn't expect. She dropped her legs around my waist and locked them. Giving me no room to escape. She wanted this. She wanted us.

  “Yes, Lachlan, yes. I want you to come inside me. Please, I'm begging you.”

  With my hand palming her breast, I pinched a nipple slightly, tugging playfully. I reached my other hand between us, my thumb finding her clit and bringing her to the edge. Her fingers were clamped on my back, sliding into my hair, tugging, pulling, and her lips were against my skin, begging.

  I could feel the telltale pulsing around my cock. She was coming. Oh Jesus, she was coming and it felt divine.

  This time when the electricity started clawing its way up my spine, threatening to blow me apart, I went with the feeling. I didn't fight it. I just wrapped my arms around her softness and dug my face into her neck. And as I made love to her, I let the ecstasy take me until there was nothing left but bliss.

  Lachlan

  I woke up to Saff's scent enveloping me and her heat wrapped around me. “Good morning," I murmured.

  She was snoring inelegantly, and I had to smile. Her hair was fanned up on the satin pillowcase. Sometime after our third round, she’d grabbed a satin scrunchie and piled her curls on top of her head. When I’d asked her about the pillowcase, she said her hair needed a lot more moisture than mine did.

  As I played with the strands of her hair, rubbing the soft tresses through my fingers, I wondered if she was going to get braids again. Or maybe she would wear it curly. Either way, I wanted my hands on it. As long as she was okay with that. Which last night she hadn't seemed to mind.

  It's funny that you think this has a happy ending.

  I was not going to listen to my brain, because what Saff had said was right. This was not going to be easy. It wasn't going to work out exactly how I thought it was going to.

  No. Gabe would have a lot to say.

  Oversight would have a lot to say. Last night was an anomaly. We weren't going to be able to keep this up. Sure, Tabs could help, but we could only do this for so long before someone became suspicious.

  Saff finally stirred in my arms and blinked awake. I smiled down at her. "Hi."

  "Were you staring at me?"

  "Staring is such a strong word. More like a little light watching while you slept."

  “God, that is so creepy."

  I leaned forward and kissed her nose. "Maybe a little. Did you sleep okay?"

  She stretched with a wide smile like the cat who caught the canary. The sheets shifted down under her breasts, exposing a nipple to my view. My gaze immediately homed in on it, and I leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the soft dark tip.

  She automatically arched her back, moaning into the caress. But suddenly, her hands slipped into my hair and she pulled me off. "Lock, food. I need food."

  “If I feed you, will you feed me?"

  She giggled, and I moved to shove the duvet off to head into the kitchen to see what we could scramble up. If I couldn’t find anything, I’d just have to order in.

  "What do you feel like eating?"

  "Tabs has some eggs. I think waffles too. We made some the other day. And she likes to make them fresh."

  "Tabs can cook?"

  "Oh, yeah. Tabs can one hundred percent cook."

  “You know, she never struck me as the cooking type, but I kind of love that."

  "She does it when she's stressed. Which meant she was worried about us, or me anyway."

  I leaned over and kissed her lips. "She's a good friend. She really loves you."

  “Yeah, everyone's in love with Tabs."

  I was in the kitchen about twenty minutes as I found the waffles, heated them up, and then brought her breakfast in bed. "I feel like we’re back in the Winston Isles now. I wish we'd been able to stay longer."

  Her eyes went stormy. “Yes, but duty calls."

  I whispered, “Hey, don't think about it. We've got a couple more hours, okay?"

  She nodded. "You're right. We shouldn't think about it. We already had more time than I ever thought we would."

  “Don't say that either. Because I didn't even know having time with you was an option. Now that I’ve had a taste, well, letting go will be a problem."

  "Lock…"

  I kissed her lips. "Nope, sit up and eat. I don't want to hear anything negative right now. When I crawl back into bed with you, I’ll force you to share your waffles with me. And then I’m going to lick syrup off your body. And after that, I’m going to have my breakfast. And then maybe after that I’ll give you a moment to rest."

  She giggled. “You're so generous."

  “I am."

  She ducked her head, and I could tell she was embarrassed. "Hey, you're beautiful."

  She smiled at me. "Thank you."

  “You're welcome. Now eat. You have to keep your strength up. I calculated, we have four hours before I have to report back, and I want to use that wisely. We have a lot to talk about."

  She shoved a piece of waffle into her mouth and mumbled, "Like what?"

  "Well, for starters, that perfume. What is it? I need to spray it all over my sheets or something, because it's like the only way I can sleep now."

  She shook her head then, her eyes going sad when she spoke. “I can't find it."

  "What do you mean? Has it been discontinued?"

  "No, Mum used to have it made. On her first trip to Paris, she went to a perfumery and they crafted it just for her, based on her body chemistry. I’ve got a few drops left, but that's basically it."

  No fucking way. "Are you kidding me?"

  "No, I wish I was." She touched the chain at the base of her throat. “I used an atomizer to get some of it in here, and it's basically all that's left. I've got maybe three sprays left in the big bottle, and that's it. I used to have this diary of hers too, and I thought maybe I’d look in there for a clue as to where it was made, but I think that diary got sold along with a whole bunch of other used books after she died. So this is all I have left."

  "Shit, I’m sorry, Saff."

  She nodded her thanks. "Me too. I've gone and tried perfumeries, but none of them can quite get it right. They’ve tried to make me replicas, but it never works."

  "There has to be a way."

  “Trust me. If there was a way, I would have found out by now."

  "Of course, leave it to you to be extra. A very special perfume for a very special lady."

  She grinned. "She would have liked you. My father would have hated you."

  I laughed. "Let me guess, Gabe takes after him. "

  "Oh yes, a hundred percent overprotective."

  “I keep trying to remind myself that he loves you."

  “Yeah well, he has a very specific way of doing things."

  "Was he closer to your dad?" I asked.

  “Yeah. He wanted to be just like him. You should have seen Gabe following after him with a clipboard, taking notes on how to be the perfect agent. I just liked the combat training. I loved hand-to-hand. I think I’m like my mum. She was known for being somewhat impulsive, but she was great in the field."

  "That's a hell of a legacy, Saff."

  “I know. And I just hope that I can make them proud."

  “You already have,” I assured her.

  “You seem so sure of that."

  "Well, I’ve been in the field with you. I know how good you are. Sooner or later, Gabe is going to have to realize it too."

  “I hope so, because I’m exhausted trying to pretend like it doesn't hurt every time I submit for field op and get declined."

  "Are you going to be mad at me if I say I understand where he's coming from?"

  She scowled at me. "What?"

  “I'm sorry. I do. You're his family. He wants you safe."

  “Says the man whose ass I can kick."

  I threw my head back and laughed. “Touché.” When she was done and we'd cleaned up and showered, I carried her back to bed. “I was dead serious. You're not leaving this bed for another three hours and thirty five minutes."

  She laughed. “You can't keep me prisoner in bed."

  “That’s exactly what I intend to do."

  "But the real world beckons."

  I dived under the covers and pulled her to me. "But what if it didn't? What if we just don't tell anyone?"

  Her eyes went wide. "Lock, we can't."

  "Look, I’m hearing a lot of reasons why we can't. But this, you and me, I had full-blown amnesia, but I still remembered you. If that doesn't mean something, I don't know what does."

  “I know what you're doing, Lock, but it's a fantasy. There will be consequences if we get caught. You want out of Rogues, and Gabe will find a way to make that difficult. I want to be a field agent, and he’ll make it next to impossible."

  "We can try."

  She ran her hands through her hair. "Lock, I want it too. I feel like you see me, but this is all I’ve ever wanted. And now you expect me to just give it up?"

  He shook his head. “No, of course not. I just… Fuck, I don't want to let you go."

  “I'm not sure I want to be let go. But what are we supposed to do?"

  "We'll figure it out, okay? We just have to try."

  “Gabe will kill you, and he will lock me in a tower. Let's just enjoy the next three hours, okay?"

  "Three and a half." I pulled her to me and tucked her into my arms. She might think it wasn't possible, but I was going to find a way. I wasn't giving up. I had to have her.

  She was mine. And no one, not her brother, not Rogues Division, not Oversight itself was going to keep me from her.

  26

  Saffron

  I could feel Lock’s gaze on me. The hot lick of every caress of his eyes.

  I tried to ignore it. After all, what choice did I have? I'd made it perfectly clear that what we had done was a one-time thing. It couldn't happen again.

  You're kidding yourself.

  I was kidding myself, because I was weak and any moment now, I was going to cave and give in and turn up at his cottage and just beg him to take me.

  No. Stay strong. Stay strong.

  I had to. What was I going to do? Lose it and start climbing him like a tree?

  That's always an option, my libido offered.

  Tabs nudged me. "Earth to Saff. Are you ready?"

  I blinked at the question. "What?"

  "R-e-a-d-y?" She pointed toward the group of trainees. "Training mission? Basic evasion? Remember, we're supposed to be tracking these people."

  "Right. Ready, a hundred percent."

  She stared at me. “You've been so out of it ever since you got back. Are you sure you're okay?"

  "Uh-huh."

  She eyed me warily. I knew she didn't believe me. And honestly, she shouldn't. I tried to keep my lies as close to the truth as I could, but Jesus, it was getting impossible. I could barely hold anything back from Tabs. But secrets couldn't be kept by more than one person, so I kept my mouth shut.

  “Yup, let's do this."

  “Okay,” she said sarcastically. "Run me through the plan so I can make sure you remembered."

  "Basic deal. Me in the woods. I run and they, uh, hunt me."

  She grinned at that. “You know, there are women who are into that sort of thing. I'm not, but there is something about when they catch you," she said with a wink.

  I rolled my eyes. "Tabs, I think you've been reading too many of my romance novels."

  "Hey, a girl can dream. You ready?"

  “Yeah."

  I headed to my starting line, and she called me back. "Hey, you forgot your bag. You'll need supplies to bag and tag 'em, remember?"

  “Yup. I remember."

  She shook her head. "Maybe Gabe is right and you should sit out some of the training stuff."

  "Have you heard anything from him?"

  She shook her head. "No. He's with Oversight now. So he'll be in Berlin until tomorrow."

  She knew what I knew, but because she was a field agent, she had more access to operations' movements. All Gabe would tell me was that he was going out of town, not exactly where he was going or when he was expected back.

  “Oh the joy of having a brother who still treats me like a child."

  “Yeah, that's all I’ve got,” she said. “When I know more, I’ll let you know."

  "Thanks." I swung my bag over my back and slid both of my arms through.

  Saint smirked at me. “You're not putting me down this time."

  "Sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep at night,” I teased.

  Saint frowned. “You seem a little too excited about putting me down."

  His smile was infectious. "Excited is the wrong word, Saint. I'm merely doing my job."

  He shook his head. “God save me from a woman with an evil streak."

  "Keep your head up and wits about you,” I reminded him.