Iron Willed Warrior (Last Refuge Protectors #5)

16. Cole

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Cole

When we made it back to the room, Brynn went inside first. I gave her a nudge to go ahead of me, and she frowned over her shoulder. But I wasn’t letting that woman out of my sight again.

I slammed the door closed. Locked it, then flipped the security bar. Once all that was finished, I turned around and leaned against it.

“What the hell were you thinking?” I asked.

She went over to the bed and sat on the edge of it, kicking off her sandals and setting her purse aside. “I was doing my job.”

“Without telling me what you were planning?”

It had been awful enough watching her dance with Westwick. Seeing the man touch her, while knowing the things he was responsible for. This whole time I’d known Brynn would play the honeypot. And there she was, laying the trap. Being as sweet and naive as possible to draw him in. I could imagine the possibilities that had been running through the man’s mind, and it had made me sick.

“Westwick got a phone call,” she said. “He mentioned it was important. I had to try to learn more. ”

“Did you?”

“Not as much as I would’ve liked.”

I ran my fingers through my hair. I’d seen Westwick leave to take the call. I’d seen Brynn’s curiosity too, but she’d gone for the bathrooms. I had wondered if she was foolish enough to try following the man when his bodyguards were just yards away. But I’d decided to give her space.

Then Ryker had left the bar. Brynn hadn’t come back. And that had been enough for me.

“You should’ve let me know,” I said. “You could’ve signaled me.”

“I couldn’t risk it. Ryker and Manning were right there watching us.”

That was a fair point, but I was still pissed. “I’m supposed to be your backup. How can I back you up when I don’t even know where you are? Anything could’ve happened in those few minutes.”

“You got here in time, didn’t you? I’d say it went fine. I was trying to take advantage of an opportunity. I’m trained for this. The only thing at risk was my cover. If I’d had to kick Ryker’s ass, it would’ve meant a lot more questions.”

Her voice was all confidence, yet her hands were shaking. I suspected it was anger rather than fear. The fight in the hallway had affected her far more than she wanted to admit. But it had affected me too. Terrified me when I hadn’t been able to find her.

I walked over to her. Sat beside her on the bed. “There was a lot more at risk than just your cover.”

She exhaled a shuddering breath.

“Brynn, listen?—”

She interrupted me. “Clearly we’ve made an enemy of Ryker, but I can fix this. I’ll smooth things over with Westwick. The important thing is, I don’t think Ryker suspects I’m an undercover operative. He thinks I’m a nosy kid who’s going to overhear the wrong thing.”

“Our cover isn’t my primary concern right now.”

But she went on. “If anything, Westwick will take it as a good sign that I came to his hotel room. He’ll think he’s got me wrapped around his finger already.” She stood up, hugging her elbows, eyes darting over the room. “I could act shy around him tomorrow. Intimidated, even. He’ll like that. We can spin this so that it’s?—”

My jaw creaked as I gnashed my teeth together. I closed the distance between us. The absolute fury I’d felt in that hallway, the sheer violence I had wanted to inflict on Ryker for hurting her, it all reared up inside me again.

I spun her around to face the full-length mirror on the wall. “Look at this, Brynn.” I lifted the strap of her dress so her shoulder was clear in the reflection. Red marks showed where Ryker’s fingers had been digging in. “If Ryker was so brazen in a public hotel hallway, what would he do if he caught you with that flash drive? What if I can’t reach you then?”

I’d barely been able to stand watching Westwick with her. After knowing her for a couple of hours, the man was already trying to seduce her. I could only imagine what that trash had planned for her.

But later, when I’d walked down that hallway, found Ryker with his hand squeezing her shoulder and the look of terror on her face, my guts had dropped to somewhere near the southern hemisphere.

When I’d pulled Ryker off her, I hadn’t been thinking about the mission. Only Brynn.

How she had felt in my arms when we had been dancing. How I’d wanted to keep her safe. Not just as her undercover partner, but as a man who wanted to shield a woman he was starting to care about .

“We’re supposed to be teammates in this, remember?” I asked. “Equals. Yet you’re taking the brunt of the risk.”

“I can handle it.”

“I know you can. That doesn’t make it sit well with me.”

“I’m sorry this mission isn’t satisfying your need to be the hero.”

“It’s more than just that! I want you, and I don’t want any other men touching you.”

Hell. I’d shouted that loud enough for anyone in the hallway to hear. My control was near its breaking point. My face burned, and I saw my own reflection in the mirror. Wild eyes and flushed skin like I was barely keeping my shit together. Because I wasn’t .

Brynn’s body rose and fell against my chest. Breathing hard. I eased my grip on her, letting my hands fall. But I still stood there right behind her, our bodies touching. Her expression in the mirror was a mix of confusion and frustration.

“You’re saying that because of our cover stories,” she said softly. “Getting close, acting like we’re in a relationship. It’s intense.”

“I shouldn’t crave you like this. We barely know each other. But I can’t pretend I don’t feel it.” The words came out like they’d been raked across gravel. I forced myself to take a step back. My eyes found hers in the mirror.

All I could do was keep going. Finish my confession, because it was entirely possible she’d tell me what an inappropriate asshole I was being.

“Maybe you’re right and it’s this fake relationship thing, and it’s got all the wires crossed in my brain after less than a single day. All I know is that you’re someone to me, someone who matters , and I protect what’s mine .”

Brynn turned. Took an unsteady step toward me .

And crushed her mouth to my lips.

My hands shot out to catch her, while my mouth moved against hers, ready to take whatever she would give me. I’d been aching for this, and being able to touch her, taste her—it was such a relief. An instant release of all the tension that had been winding tighter inside me for days.

I walked us backward to the bed. Landed heavily on the edge of the mattress, pulling her down beside me. She had two handfuls of my shirt, and I eased her fists open. Laced our fingers instead as our mouths sought out the different ways we could fit together.

Her breaths came too quick. Almost frantic. I smoothed my fingers through her hair and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, then her chin, moving down the column of her throat. Arousal pumped in my veins. Kissing her had only affirmed what I already knew. I craved this woman, and it was hopeless to deny it. But it wasn’t just about sex, either. Scratching some itch. I respected her. I liked her.

This might end badly. Probably would end badly, in fact. A dangerous undercover op was a terrible time to start something between us. What if this was just the roles we were playing, messing with our heads?

But was it better to keep ignoring the pull I felt toward her? I’d tried doing that. Hadn’t worked. I was a straightforward guy at heart, and when I wanted a woman, I let her know.

Yet no matter how much urgency I felt, I couldn’t be rough with her either. I usually wasn’t great at being gentle, but that was what she deserved.

“This is such a bad idea.” Her breath puffed near my collarbone.

“Maybe. Probably.” My lips brushed a featherlight kiss just above the bruises on her shoulder. “But there’s no pressure, B. You can think about what you want. If that’s me, I’ll be here.”

“You just threw an awful lot at me. Serious words like mine .”

“At least I didn’t talk shit about the Bureau. Or call you honey.”

Her mouth quirked. “Thinking would be good. I need to take a few minutes. With you right there, it’s a lot of temptation.” She got up, took some clothes from a drawer, and went to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

I blew out a breath, hoping I hadn’t screwed everything up.

Perhaps it would’ve been smarter to keep my mouth shut. Keep what I wanted to myself. I knew the woman had trust issues, though I didn’t know all the details of why.

But tonight, she had kissed me . Not because we had an audience. Not because it was our cover story. It had just been us. I’d told her how much I wanted her, but she’d been the one to pull me closer.

In my book, that meant something.

While Brynn was in the bathroom, I quickly stripped out of my pants and shirt, hanging both in the closet. For sleeping clothes, I’d brought sweatpants. So I pulled those on over my boxers.

Brynn came out, pausing when she saw me. Her fingertips ghosted over her shoulder. I wondered what I could do to take the sting away.

“Do you need ice? Is that bothering you?”

“It’s nothing. Just a little sore.” Her eyes darted over my bare chest .

I could’ve let my gaze linger on her too, because she looked good as always. A loose tank top, cotton shorts. Face scrubbed of makeup. But I sensed uncertainty from her, so I went to the bathroom myself and took care of getting ready for bed.

I splashed water over my face and neck, washing off the day’s sweat and frustration. I was glad to put Westwick, Ryker and Stillwater out of my mind for the night.

But Brynn? She was in my head. Under my skin. Everywhere.

My cock perked up. But we would just have to wait and see.

After brushing my teeth, I opened the bathroom door. Brynn was sitting in a chair and staring off into space, deep in thought.

“If you’d rather not share the bed—” I began.

“I’m okay with it.”

I chewed my lip. “All right. I’ll stay on my side.”

“Maybe I don’t want you to.”

My nerve endings lit up like sparklers. “You just let me know.” I sat on the edge of the mattress and rucked up the left leg of my sweats. This was the first time she would see me without my prosthesis. But no point in hesitating.

I pushed a button on the side of the socket to release the pin and slid off the device, followed by the sock and the liner. I felt her looking. I could’ve tugged my pant leg down to cover up, but fuck that. Better she get an eyeful and decide now if she had an issue.

I was a confident guy. I’d been with women since my divorce, and they’d found me plenty attractive. But my wife had left me within two months of seeing my injury. That kind of thing wasn’t easy for a man to forget.

“I’m not winning any beauty contests anymore,” I joked. “That ship has sailed. ”

Brynn huffed. “Are you kidding? You might be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.”

I smirked, glowing with pride at her words. “Might?”

“I would need to get closer to find out.”

“I’ve got no objections to that.”

But Brynn stayed in her chair for several long seconds, long enough I thought she had decided to let the moment pass.

Then she got up.

Taking slow strides, she crossed the space. Stood between my spread knees and put her hands on my shoulders, assessing me. “Somehow,” she murmured, “you keep getting sexier every day that I know you.”

“Glad it’s not the opposite.”

When her brown eyes lifted after her perusal, they were dark and dilated. She knelt on the bed to either side of me, straddling my lap.

Huh. Whatever was happening right now, I was on board.

Brynn pushed my shoulders until I lay backward on the bed, taking her with me. We fell easily into kissing again. This was a new position, horizontal this time, but we found our rhythm. Tongues gliding, teeth nipping.

I rolled, taking the top position now as she fell back onto the mattress. Then I caught sight again of those marks on her shoulder. A splash of cold water over the mood.

Her hands slid up my sides. Reluctantly, I took hold of her wrists and put her arms above her head. God, she was beautiful. She was in bed with me. Willing. Moments ago, I’d been desperate to touch her, taste her, explore every part of her. Yet this didn’t feel right.

“It’s been a long day. And you got knocked around tonight.” I dropped one more soft kiss to her lips. “We’re going to save the rest of this for later.”

She sighed. “Why do you have to do that? ”

“Do what?”

“Be so…thoughtful. I want to believe you’re for real, but it’s hard to.”

I almost smiled, but there was a sadness in the cut of her mouth. I didn’t like it.

“When we met,” I reminded her, “you thought I was an asshole. And you couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”

“I know. Instead, you keep making me like you.”

“It’s a devious plan of mine.” I eased onto my side next to her, letting go of her wrists. Her eyes followed my movements. “Who was he?” I asked.

A crease appeared between her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“The guy who did a number on you. Who broke your heart.”

Her mouth worked like she wanted to deny it. “How did you know?”

“A hunch.” I remembered she had mentioned an ex at one point. But it wasn’t so hard to follow this particular trail.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“That’s fine. Just give me a name. I’m a bounty hunter. A name is all I need. Might take some time, but eventually this guy will just, poof . Disappear.”

The sadness turned into a smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “He’s not worth the trouble.”

“Few of them are. I’d still do it. If it makes you happier.”

Brynn rolled onto her side to face me, snuggling into the pillow. “Who are you, Cole Bailey?” she whispered. “I can’t figure you out.”

“I’m a dick sometimes, in case you forgot. I lose my temper.”

“You get upset when people are hurting. Hardly a fault.”

“Yeah, and that makes me do stupid things. I say shit that gets me in trouble. I try to get my way. ”

“I know. And it gets on my nerves every dang time.” She reached out to brush the hair from my forehead. “The problem is that it makes me like you even more.”

I took her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers. If we were doomed to want each other, at least we’d go down in flames together.