Carnal Urges

21

I flex my pelvis into hers. She moans softly in the back of her throat. When I break away this time, I’m panting and more than a little dizzy.

She opens her eyes and gazes up at me. Cheeks flushed, lips wet, she looks incredible. Satan did a good job when he created her.

“Six,” she breathes. “C’mon, gangster. Don’t tell me that’s all you’ve got.”

“That was a f*****g ten. And you’re not in charge here.”

She says teasingly, “You keep saying that, but I’m not sure if it’s me you’re trying to convince or yourself.”

I fist a hand into her hair, sink the other into a plush ass cheek, and hold her head steady as I kiss her again.

I don’t stop until she’s grinding her pelvis against mine and mewling like a kitten.

“Ten,” I growl against her mouth.

Without opening her eyes, she says faintly, “Seven and a half. And that’s being generous.”

When I let loose a blistering string of curses in Gaelic, she laughs. It’s low, pleased, and as maddening as it is sexy.

My heartbeat flying, I put my mouth next to her ear. “You like to live dangerously, don’t you, lass?”

“Live dangerously and you live right.”

I pull away and gaze at her, astonished. “Goethe? Now you’re quoting f*****g Goethe?”

She smiles. “Just because I’m cute doesn’t mean my brain is tiny.”

Then she pushes me away, props her hands on her hips, and sends me a look of icy disdain that would make any queen proud. “Oh. I just remembered.”

“What?”

“I hate you.”

We stare at each other. She’s saved from strangulation when my cell phone rings. When I see the number on the screen, I thrust the phone at her and snap, “You have thirty seconds.”

Then I whirl around and walk away, blowing out a hard breath and dragging a shaking hand through my hair. Trying to pull myself together.

I should’ve never taken that gag off her mouth.

“Hello? Nat! Oh my god, I was so worried about you.”

Behind me, Sloane pauses, listening. Then she laughs. “Me? Don’t be ridiculous! You know I always land on my feet.”

Another pause. “Yes, I’m sure it looked bad. But security cameras make everything look worse. It was much less dramatic in real…yes, I did hit my head. Yes, everyone was shooting at each other, but…oh, babe. I’m fine. I promise.”

She listens for a while, then says firmly, “Natalie. Take a breath. I haven’t been beaten. I haven’t been dismembered. I haven’t been buried in a shallow grave.”

I look at her over my shoulder with what I hope are evil, slitted eyes that transmit Yet.

She makes a face and waves a dismissive hand in the air like I’m being silly.

“No, no, I’m being treated very well. No, he doesn’t have a gun pointed at my head right now. Actually…”

A new look comes into her eyes. It’s crafty and confident and worries me.

“Well, if you must know, he’s halfway in love with me already.”

My mouth drops open.

She’s laughing into the phone. “Right? Poor guy. He was a goner from the first time we met.”

I know she’s just trying to aggravate me, but that’s exactly what she said about Stavros. I think I’m going to break something. Maybe her knees.

I stride toward her, holding out my hand for the phone, but she backs away, waving me off like I’m an annoying fly.

“No, tell Kage not to do that. It’s not necessary.”

I stop a foot away and glare down at her, breathing fire from my nose. I’d grab the phone, but the mention of Kage makes me hesitate. I want to hear where this conversation is going. What he has planned.

She gazes calmly up at me, staring straight into my eyes when she says, “Declan would never hurt me, that’s why. Even if he wanted to. Which he usually does. How do I know?” Her smile is soft. “Because he gave me his word.”

I mouth I lied.

She sticks out her tongue.

“Now, listen, Nat. I need you to do something for me. Tell your man to call off the cavalry. Tell him that Declan wants to have a sit-down and work this whole war thing out. Tell him that—”

I grab the phone from her, cover the receiver with my hand, and snap, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

She meets my furious gaze with a level one of her own. “Saving your ass, gangster.”

“It doesn’t need saving.”

“You might change your mind when you hear that Kage put out a thirty-million-dollar bounty on your head for kidnapping me. Whichever one of the families kills you first gets the money, plus their access to shipping and distribution restored.” Her smile is smug. “There’s another thirty mil for whoever returns me safely to New York. So now you’re the only one with a target on his back. Funny how fast this game can change, isn’t it?”

When I only stare at her, infuriated by her hubris, she says politely, “I’ll be rubbing this in later, but for now, may I get back to my call, please?”

I put the phone to my ear. Looking into Sloane’s eyes as I speak, I say, “Tell Kazimir that if he doesn’t cancel both bounties within the hour, Sloane’s mutilated body will be dumped on his doorstep by midnight.”

I disconnect and glare at her.

She folds her arms over her chest and glares back. “That wasn’t smart.”

Seething, I say softly, “You have no idea what kind of game is being played here, lass. None at all. You’re absolutely f*****g clueless. And to tell you the truth, I’m sick of listening to you run that bloody mouth.”

I slip the phone into my coat pocket. When I start to work at the knot in my tie, she backs up, shaking her head.

“Don’t you dare try to gag me, gangster.”

I whip it off and stalk toward her.

“I’m warning you!” she shouts, stumbling backward. “I’ll kick your ass!”

I lunge.

She yelps and whirls around to run away, but I’m too close. I grab her by the scruff of her neck and yank her against my chest.

I’m rewarded for that move by her heel smashing down onto the top of my foot.

It’s a hard strike. A good one. But it takes a hell of a lot more than that to stop me when I’ve lost my temper.

And I’ve finally lost it. Honestly, it’s a miracle I’ve held on to it this long.