The Accidental Assassin (23 page)

SOMETHING WAS BEEPING near my head. Owen shifted, reaching for something on the shelf above the bed.

Owen.

My eyes popped open like I’d been electrocuted. He slid back into the bed and molded to my back, his arm around my waist.

“Go back to sleep. It’s still early.” His whisper sent a thrill through my body.

“What time is it?” I was scared to move. I didn’t want him to pull away from me.

“Four thirty.” His voice sounded groggy and I smiled. Sounded like he’d gotten some good sleep too. “Old bugger must’ve been an early riser.”

“How’s your arm?”

“Stiff.” Hm. An honest answer. I’d have to remember to save my questions for early mornings.

“Do you want me to get you some ibuprofen?”

“No.” His arm tightened around my midsection. “I want you to stay where you are.”

“It’ll only take a minute.”

“I’m really okay.” He lifted his head so he could look down at me. “But thank you for offering.”

I let my eyes travel over his face. “Any time.”

His eyes dipped down to my mouth and I licked my lips. This was the second time I’d woken up in this man’s arms. There was no way I could let him go now without even a kiss.

I saw the doubt flash through his eyes, but I was ready for it this time.

I rolled over so that my body was flush with his and he had to look at me.

“Owen.”

“Yes?” Tension wove through his voice.

“Kiss me.”

His eyes flashed and I saw just a hint of his wild side peek through.

“You shouldn’t want me. I’m not—”

“Don’t you dare say you aren’t good enough for me. I get to make that decision.” I tilted my head and whispered, “And I decided that I want you.”

His lips were feverishly warm when they touched mine. He fell back on the bed and dragged me onto his chest, never breaking the kiss. I cupped his face, kissing him with everything I had and I never, ever, wanted to stop. His hands tangled in my hair before running over my back and making circles just above the edge of the cotton panties I’d bought in Oxford.

He bent one jean-clad knee up and I settled between his legs. With one hand, he tilted my head up and ran his mouth down my neck before lightly dragging his teeth across my shoulder. I shivered and pressed closer. There was no way I’d ever be able to get enough of him. I ran one of my hands down to touch the warm skin of his chest, enjoying the way he seemed to shift so I could touch more of him.

When the hand on my lower back moved to cup my ass I sighed into his mouth. He shifted me so that I was pressed against the hard length straining through his jeans and I moved against him. The groan that escaped his mouth was an aphrodisiac. I sat up and pulled my shirt over my head, tossing it and my bra to the floor. Before I could lean back down to kiss him, he captured one of my breasts in his mouth. I let my head fall back while his tongue drew circles over my skin. My fingers fisted in his hair, holding him to me. When he raked me with his teeth I moaned loudly and had to bite my lip to stop.

His masculine chuckle filled the tiny room. “Is that what you like, Ava? Tell me again.”

He pulled away, swapping one breast for the other. This time he was a little more firm when his teeth touched my skin and I gasped.

“I…like…you.” I could barely get the words out. His hand had found the junction between my legs and my vision blurred. I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to stay upright on my knees.

“Good.”

For a moment I felt like I was flying. My head touched the pillow just as his hands made quick work of my panties. I strained under him, wanting him to touch me again, but instead he pulled away.

I opened my eyes in time to see him outlined against the early morning light streaming through the curtains. The sound of his zipper was quickly followed by the whisper of his jeans hitting the floor. He set something on the shelf above the bed and then slid in beside me.

I turned to him, hungry. His hands slid over my bare skin, his callouses rough in a pleasant way. I wanted more. Needed his hands everywhere. I tried to get closer but he grunted.

“You’re going to have to be on top, love.” He ran his lips down my throat.

“Did I hurt you?” I froze.

“I’m fine.” He dipped his head down and lazily traced my nipple with his tongue. “I just don’t want to have to rush.”

I’d gotten so carried away I’d forgotten about his shoulder.

I moved carefully so that he was settled against the pillow and I was perched above him. His hand ran down my stomach and found that spot I’d wanted him to touch again. When his fingers dipped inside, I could barely keep it together.

As I neared my peak he pulled his hand away and cupped my hip.

“Not yet. I want it all, Ava.” His husky voice slid over my skin like velvet. “I want to taste you first and then I want to be inside you when you finish.”

He gripped my hips and pulled me over so that I was straddling his chest. He urged me further up and I found myself face to face with the wall when his tongue moved against me. I let out a ragged breath and gripped the headboard. He was agonizingly thorough, dragging it out until I was panting, my hips bucking, but still he held me firmly in place.

When my breathing became too fast he’d move to a different spot. It was sweet torture. When he touched his teeth against my inner thigh I whimpered and my knees gave out.

He held me upright, waiting for me to collect myself. Slowly he brought his lips back to my center. This time he didn’t fight the rocking of my hips against his face. His tongue moved faster, and his fingers pulled me closer. I knew I was moaning, but I couldn’t stop. I was close to the edge, so very close when he pulled away from me. He was breathing heavy and seemed to be fighting himself, trying to slow things down.

“The condom is on the shelf.” He spoke the words against the skin of my leg. I pushed the hair out of my face and reached up.

Once I had it I moved back down his body until I was between his legs. I took him in my hand and watched as his muscles tensed. When I bent to put him in my mouth his eyes never left mine. My hair fell between us and he gathered it at the back of my head so he could still watch me. His breathing was heavy and his hips strained underneath me, I pulled back and brought my mouth to the juncture of his thighs and bit gently just as he had done to me.

“I can’t take much more, Ava.” My name came out on a hiss.

He found the condom and ripped the package open. When he was ready, I straddled his waist and guided him inside.

His groan was worth all of the torture he had put me through. I moved slowly, getting used to him. His hands gripped my hips, urging me to move faster. He strained under me and I let all restraint go.

This might be the only time I had with Owen and I was going to enjoy every bit of it. This beautiful, broken man, who told me the most beautiful things. The man that had taken a bullet for me and didn’t even want my thanks. But I could thank him in other ways.

As I neared the peak I let my head fall back and closed my eyes. I wanted to remember this. All of it. Even the smell of mothballs.

He clutched my hips at the same time that I fell over the edge, his body slamming into mine as he found his finish. I collapsed against his chest, my body still rocked with aftershocks of pleasure.

His hands stroked my back and hair.

“Thank you.” He pressed his lips to my temple.

“You don’t have to thank me, Owen. You never have to thank me.” I repeated his words against his shoulder.

“I’ll try to remember that next time.” Humor laced his words and I smiled even though he couldn’t see it.

“You do that.” I gathered my strength and rolled to the side so I wasn’t squishing him.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and took a minute to clean himself off. I watched as his naked rear walked across the room to grab a towel from a small cabinet I hadn’t noticed on the far wall. He brought it back to me and straightened the blanket. When I lay back down, I felt sated and happy.

Which was an unfamiliar feeling after the days filled with anxiety. He slid in beside me and pushed some of the hair out of my face.

“I think I’m starting to remember why it’s nice to wake up next to someone.” His face was relaxed, a content smile curling his lips.

“Only when they aren’t trying to kill you, of course.”

“I dunno, love. I wanted you so bad I thought it might kill me.”

Heat flooded my cheeks and I rolled my eyes. “Geez. You’re mushy.”

“I’ve learned a lot of new things about myself in the last few days.” He picked up a lock of my hair and rubbed it between his fingers.

“Like what?” Curiosity had me watching his face carefully.

“Apparently I’m a sucker for brunettes with big blue eyes and an American accent.” His gaze was thoughtful, his eyes distant as he really contemplated it. “I’ve been all over the world, seen lots of things, met so many different people, but I wasn’t really living. Like you, I was just existing. Doing the only thing I thought I was capable of.”

“That’s pretty deep.” I tilted my head. “Between the running and the gun fights, when did you have time to come to that conclusion?”

“While I pretended to be busy doing things on the internet in Oxford.” He tugged my hair gently. “I also decided that I really hate soup.”

I laughed loudly and covered my mouth with the back of my hand.

“No, really. I hate soup. Hate it. If I never eat another bowl of soup again, it would still be too soon.” His smile was infectious. “I do, however, really like your smile.”

“Yours isn’t so bad either.”

I reached up and touched the bandage on his shoulder. We’d knocked it askew. “Did we hurt this?”

“I’m fine.” Amusement rippled across his face.

“You think we can just hide in here for a few days and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist?” I leaned back on the pillow.

“I’d settle for a few more hours, but I doubt we can spare that. You’ll always be running if we don’t deal with Maria. You deserve a life better than that.” He settled down next to me and I snuggled up against his chest.

I must have drifted off, because the next thing I knew someone was pounding on the bedroom door. I jerked awake and clutched the blanket to me.

“Put your clothes on and come downstairs. I’ve got information.” Mavis hollered. She pounded on the door a couple more times for good measure before I heard the clap of her high heels on the stairs.

MAVIS HAD A laptop set on the kitchen table. Video footage of a woman getting into a black car played across the screen.

“You can’t see her face,” I said. “But that doesn’t look like the same Maria that I met for the hit on Song.”

Ava shook her head. “I think I would have remembered meeting someone like her.”

“She might have been traveling incognito.” Mavis sat back in her chair and cupped her tea with both hands.

“No, people with that kind of money have a way about them. It’s not something they put on and take off like a jacket.” She leaned closer to the screen. “If she was wearing a tattered wizard cloak, she would still hold herself differently. That isn’t a humble woman, that’s a woman that fought for her success, and won’t let anyone forget it.”