Page 42 of Reaper & the Lioness
My hand moved to cup her cheek. “My fierce Lioness, I’m sayingifyou did anything, it doesn’t change my perception of you. If anything, it makes me admire you more.”
She pulled away. “How can you say that? What if I was the one who slit his throat? You would be okay with that?”
I couldn’t help but smile as she confirmed what I suspected to be true. The police had never released details of the murder. No public reports shared he’d been killed by a blade.
My eyes darkened as an untamed protectiveness radiated from within my chest. “Hell, Eva. I wish I could’ve been there to help you take that bastard down myself.”
“Most people would run screaming if they knew everything I’ve done. My career would be over. No one would trust me.”She shook her head, stroking Hawk’s head as she stared at the ceiling and steeled herself with a deep breath.
“I’m not most people. I’ve got my own dark past. I would never judge you for what you’ve had to do to protect yourself. To protect others.”
Eva searched my face for any sign of judgment. Finding none, she allowed herself to relax. “I never thought anyone would understand, let alone accept it.”
My lips quirked into a half smile. “Justice isn’t always served by the law. Sometimes, it has to come from our own hands. What you’ve done? That was justice.”
Eva’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I’ve spent so long hiding from my past, hiding who I am. And here you are, knowing it all, and still looking at me like … like …”
“Like you’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met?”
She smiled and leaned in for a kiss, the storm in her eyes beginning to clear. “So, that’s it? I’ve beaten the shit out of a handful of men and maybe even murdered one, and it’s all fine?”
I laughed. “It’s more than fine. But don’t ever comment on the details of the murder. The media never reported how he was killed. If you’re going to commit a felony, you need to work on keeping the details to a minimum so you don’t get caught.”
Eva shook her head in disbelief. “I never thought anyone would put it together. No one has ever asked me about it.”
“It’s unlikely that anyone ever will. But you should never speak of it to anyone but me. Even Thane and Linc were unsure if it had really been you. You don’t need to confirm it. If your stalker ever comes up, you can pretend to have forgotten his name. Always give people the bare minimum and then stop talking. Don’t be afraid of the silence.”
I stood and walked to the kitchen to stir our dinner, bits of vegetables beginning to burn to the bottom of the cast iron pan.
Eva let out a small laugh. “I give the same advice when I coach people to speak to the media during a crisis. Stick to the message, answer the reporter’s question, and then shut the hell up.”
A different sort of tension filled the kitchen as we ate our slightly overcooked stir-fry. Eva sat on a countertop stool, and I stood across from her on the other side.
“You’re staring, Roman. See something you like?”
“Always. But it’s different tonight.”
“How?”
“Because now I know what sounds you make when you come.” I watched her throat work as she swallowed. Her fork clattered against the plate.
She moved around the counter, pressing into my chest. Bourbon and spices exploded across my tongue as she kissed me, all teeth and desperation.
I lifted Eva and carried her down the hallway. Her legs locked around my hips as her fingernails carved half-moons into my shoulders.
This time, we were less frenzied, the sex slower but no less steamy. I savored the way she arched into me and the soft gasps and moans that escaped her lips.
Afterward, she fell fast asleep, curling against my body like she belonged there. Moonlight shone across her bare back as she lay beside me. My fingers traced the script and blade tattooed along her ribcage.
“She wasn’t looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword.”
The ink suited her. Fierce and unapologetic. A warrior of a woman.
Eva’s eyelashes fluttered, a soft sigh escaping as she nuzzled closer. I pressed my lips to her temple, her scent of grapefruit and vanilla filling my senses. Eva’s warmth seeped into my skin,and I contemplated our connection. It was more than attraction. More than lust. I’d experienced both but never felt this way about a woman.
The realization hit me like a .45 round, sudden and with devastating impact: I’d burn the whole damn world before letting anyone hurt her again. The intensity should have scared me, but instead, it seemed right. Inevitable.
My heart raced as another thought struck me. I couldn’t imagine my life without her now. The idea of waking up to an empty bed, of not hearing her laughter or feeling her touch, left an ache in my chest.
