Page 26 of Find Me
“Because you had a red-hot bullet glide over your skin,” he said flatly. “It’s going to feel like a burn and your shoulder muscle will likely be sore.”
“That sounds fun,” she muttered.
He snorted, adding ointment to the wound before placing a square bandage over it. Then he stepped in closer, placing both his hands against the sink, leaving no room between them.
“I’m sorry that happened,” he said intently.
She frowned. “Why are you apologizing?”
“Because a bullet hit you,” he said. “That’s on me.”
“No, that’s on Victor’s assholes,” she said. She turned, brushing up against him as she did. Staring up into his guarded eyes in the mirror, she added, “You got me out of there. Had you not been there, I’d be dead.”
His eyes flared. “If that wound was deeper, Romano would be dead,” he said, firmly.
She believed him.
“Obviously something I hit on alerted him that I was looking into him,” she said.
Hawke nodded, but asked, “How would he know that?”
“My guess is his hacker would place in safety measures that would get tripped if anyone was looking. His hacker must have been monitoring Julia’s records to cover his ass.” She paused. “I know that because that’s what I would do.”
Hawke frowned. “Is there anything else in your warehouse they could find?”
“Maybe,” she said, “but it’ll be blank. Like I said, I have safety measures too. I wiped my servers when they broke down the door. Everything I have is on my laptop in your bag.”
“Fuck, you’re smart.”
Again, that spark lit up in her chest at his approval. Oh, how dangerous that was, but she was beginning to forget the danger and revel in the feeling of it.
She held his stare, and for a moment, time seemed to slow. The air between them was charged, electric, like a storm waiting to break.
And somehow she couldn’t find the strength to deny whatever this was.
“We almost died tonight,” she said.
A nod. “We did.”
The awareness of that suddenly crashed through her, breaking down all her barriers full of her fears. She erased the rest of the distance, sliding her hand against the scruff on his cheek. “Kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he murmured, sliding his mouth across hers in a wicked kiss that she felt right down in her very core.
When they eventually broke away, they were both breathing heavily, as she grabbed his shirt and began lifting it. He helped her, pulling it over his head and tossing it aside. Penny marveled at the hard planes of muscle beneath Hawke’s skin, honed from years of disciplined training. She wanted to learn every inch of him, every scar, and she traced her fingers over a few old burn scars and healed bullet wounds, and secrets hidden beneath his stoic exterior.
She met his heated gaze, and he asked, voice strained, “Are you sure about this, Red?”
“More than anything,” Penny replied. Her emotions felt overwhelming and she craved…him. “Please, I need you, Hawke.”
He groaned, reaching out to take her hand, his strong fingers intertwining with hers, and the sensation sent shivers down her spine. It was as if every nerve ending in her body had suddenly come alive.
Slowly, he led her through the condo, their footsteps muffled by the plush carpet underfoot. As they approached the bedroom door, Penny’s pulse quickened, her anticipation mounting with each step.
With deliberate care, Hawke tugged her toward his bed and pulled Penny into his arms, pressing his lips against hers with an urgency that left them both breathless. Their mouths explored one another’s, tongues dancing in passion. His hands roamed her body, tracing the contours of her curves, igniting a fire within that threatened to consume her.
“God, Hawke,” Penny gasped, as his lips trailed a path down her neck, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Her fingers tangled in his dark hair, urging him closer, unable to get enough of him.
“Tell me what you want,” Hawke murmured against her skin, his voice rough and hungry.
