Page 73 of Steel Vengeance

Her beautiful eyes accentuated by makeup fixed on him. They were filled with something he hadn’t noticed before.

Desire.

His pulse quickened. It wouldn’t take much. All he’d have to do was close the distance between them—a few feet at the most—take her in his arms and kiss the living daylights out of her. He’d peel off that dress inch by inch and kiss his way down her beautiful body. He’d make her moan again, like she had last night.

God help him.

Fixing his gaze on the wall behind her—anything not to look at her—he said, “Go ahead.”

She brushed past him, the fabric of her dress grazing his leg as she moved. Once she was safely in the bathroom, he took off his shirt and tossed it onto the bed. Then he kicked off his shoes. At least they’d cleared the air. He could always sleep on the floor if things got weird, but after last night, he doubted she’d budge from her side of the bed.

Stitch lay back, trying to shove the enticing thoughts about Sloane out of his mind.

Nope. It wasn’t damn well working.

Frustrated, he got up, grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-bar, and chugged it down in one go. With a superhuman effort, he turned his thoughts to the problem at hand. He was now responsible for a rookie agent with a price on her head. Both her handler and her boss wanted her dead, and the only thing standing in their way were him and Blade.

Still, she couldn’t have better protection. Nobody was getting to her through them.

Faced with the seriousness of her situation, his body cooled, and he felt more in control.

Then Sloane emerged, all flushed and pink, from the bathroom, and wrapped in a fluffy, white towel. Water glistened on her shoulders, and damp tendrils stuck to her neck. Her hair was twisted up in a messy bun.

Oh,fuck.

As she slid past him, he caught a whiff of fragrant soap and imagined what her skin must taste like. He wanted to lick those droplets right off her glistening body.

“My turn.”

He leaped off the bed like someone had stuck a hot poker up his ass and disappeared into the bathroom before she noticed the rock-hard erection straining against his pants.

Much to his dismay, the room was steamy and still smelled like her—soap mixed with her perfume. Her cocktail dress hung on a hook behind the door.

Haunting him.

Grimacing, he stripped off his jeans and boxers and glared at his hard-on.

This washerfault.

All he had to do was think about her, and he was standing at attention. On the bright side, at least he knew everything still worked. It had been over a year since he’d sprung to life with this kind of enthusiasm, so in some respects, it was a relief. In others, it was uncomfortable, humiliating, and downright disturbing.

He turned on the water and stepped under the hot jets. The steam wrapped around his body, but all he could think about was her. How she’d stood here naked only moments before.

Had she been thinking about him?

He tilted his head into the spray, letting it beat gently against his closed eyelids. Heat crept through his body, easing some of the tension. Almost unconsciously, his hand slid to his cock, and he began stroking himself. What would it feel like to be inside her? To sink into her warmth, hear her moan in pleasure?

He groaned as his cock throbbed in his hand. He shouldn’t be doing this to himself. It would only leave him frustrated, unfulfilled, even more confused. Yet he couldn’t seem to help it.

He’d built walls around himself for so long, consumed by grief, not allowing anything in but the need for revenge. But somehow, she’d broken through. She’d gotten under his skin.

Now here he was, fantasizing about her. About all the things he wanted to do to her.

He pictured her wet, gleaming body, as if she were right there in the shower with him. He’d hold her tight, claiming her mouth with his, kissing her until she couldn’t breathe.

“Jesus, Sloane,” he muttered, as his hand moved faster, gripping harder. Heat crept into his face, but it wasn’t just from the steamy water. All his focus was on the rhythm, on finding some release.

If he could just come, maybe he’d finally get her out of his system. The rush of endorphins might leave him relaxed enough to get some sleep.