Page 56 of Secret Mission

For a beat, I’m useless.

Fuck, that stung.

I hate when you land on your ass and jar your brain.

With a slow roll of my neck, I climb to my feet and charge toward the sound of Axle yelling, “Point a gun in my face again, you motherfucker!”

Axle is still Axle. And just as expected, his voice is followed by more grunts of pain.

But I’m only worried about one thing.

Oneperson.

Her. The woman who makes me feel alive.

And I almost lost her.

Seeing Allison climbing to her feet, wiping her muddy hands, makes my heart catapult into my throat.

A band of emotion snaps around my chest, rendering my voice nearly useless. “Ally!”

Her eyes are like an owl’s, her legs are unsteady, but she bounds toward me, leaping into my bloodied arms.

“Sweetheart, fuck,” I rasp against her tangled hair. “What did they do to you?”

“You’re alive!” Her whole body trembles in my arms as she leans back to look at me. When her palm rests on my cheek, my Adam’s apple refuses to budge.

The moment freezes.

It doesn't matter where we are. What has happened. She’s in my arms again.

Christ.

I lean down and plant my mouth on hers, tasting the salt of her tears. Wishing like hell I could erase all her pain. Years worth and wiping away whatever just happened.

“Baby.” I’m shaking, my scraped-up arms are bleeding all over her. “You’re alive. God. I thought—Fuck! I didn’t know what happened when the river took you.”

Those soulful, smart eyes soften more until they are all heart. “You saved me. Again. Now, you big maniac, shut up and kiss me.”

“You got it, Doc.”

I’ll take that order any day. Everyday.

I’m already lowering my mouth and the softness of her lips steals the last of my breath.

This woman. I’m so done for.

Doctor Allison Westerly kisses me back like there’s a fire in her that only I can put out.

Not just a slide of lips, but a desperate searching of my mouth as if to test whether I’m really alive.

The deep French kiss is reckless, wet. Hot as fuck. Downright animalistic.

Holding her tight against my body, as her legs tighten around my waist, the world stays on the periphery.

I tune out the growled orders of my brother and my teammate and take what I need.

God, do I need.

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