Page 90 of Marked

His arm wrapped tighter around her shoulders, holding her in place. “I had no choice.”

“Tell me something else.” Dammit, she hated the plea in her voice. As though she were desperate to see every dark nook and cranny of his life.

He chortled. “I think you know the rest.”

“How’d you get into... your line of work?”

“Killing people for money?” he asked nonchalantly.

She brought her gaze to his and narrowed her eyes. He was trying to make her squirm. Reminding her that he was the bad boy she should steer clear of. “That’s what I’m asking.”

“The old-fashioned way, I guess. Someone hired me when I was young. I did a good job. Too good, because the next thing you know the names got bigger, traveling was necessary—aliases and working out of country kept me off the radar.” His thumb worked over her skin. “It’s something that just became a part of me. Only thing I’ve been successful at.”

Her throat cinched. God, what was wrong with her? She lay in the arms of a man who brought immense pleasure to her body—to her being—and he executed people.

A shudder touched her spine.

“Do I scare you?” His tone was deep and husky, as if he knew the answer.

She rolled in her lips. “I’m not scared of you, no. But I don’t like what you do.”

His jaw moved against her temple. “That’s fair. I can’t say I like what you do either.”

A laugh erupted from her throat. She pushed herself up on her elbow. “I don’t suppose you would.”

He caught the back of her head and pulled her down to kiss him. Warmth spread through her like a flash fire.

She shouldn’t react this way. Shouldn’t be so easy to stir.

But Cole was impossible to resist.

His lips parted from hers. “We should really get some work done.”

“Mmm. I agree.” She traced another one of his tattoos with a finger. Long, squiggly lines beneath what looked like waves made her pause. “What’s this one?”

He glanced down at her fingers and grunted. “Erm. Well, that’s the day I died.” He shifted out from beneath her and tossed her playfully on the bed.

Her butt bounced on the mattress, and he gave her thigh a light swat. “Hurry up and get dressed before you make me want another round.”

He strode across the carpet, his naked body on display, and she watched his high, tight ass and broad, inked-up shoulders disappear into the bathroom.

His words echoed through her mind: That’s the day I died.

A warning bell sounded in her head—she still didn’t know Cole Holmes.

***

Cole rolled up to the tattoo parlor and parked at the curb. Despite having had sex with Sophia yet again, he still hadn’t calmed the torrent of need inside him.

Nor had he stomped out the flames of interest that burned his belly.

No other woman had this effect on him. Walking away after sex had never been an issue before. Maybe it was because of all they’d worked on together. His getting closer to her than any other human being besides his family sure as shit hadn’t helped.

Maybe it was the protectiveness he felt when it came to Bella.

Or maybe he was just losing touch with reality.

Either way, he had a big fucking problem. After they solved the chaos with Lionsgate and got the ring extinguished, he’d have no reason to have Sophia in his life. And she’d have no reason to risk being with him.

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