The Departed Read Online Free PDF Page B

muscle jerked in his jaw. “Stop.”
    “Stop what? Pointing out the truth?”
    He sighed and shoved a hand through his hair. “I know all of this,” he said, his voice harsh, colder than normal. “I even knew you’d feel that way—willing to die if it meant the girl lived. But as I’m the one who had your blood all over my hands, and as I’m the one who allowed you to put yourself in that situation, I’d rather not relive it.”
    Her heart softened, something she really, really didn’t need. Not when it came to him. That bit of flesh was already a little too compromised when it came to him. “Taylor…stop trying to be master of the world, okay? I made the decision and I knew, going in, it could be dangerous. I’d do it again, too.” Rising on her toes, she brushed her lips against his cheek. Heat lanced through her but, as much as she wanted to, she didn’t seek out his mouth. Instead, she started to lower back down. “You saved my life…thank you.”
    His hands closed around her arms. Oddly gentle, but firm. Unyieldingly so.
    Dez’s heart lodged in her throat as he reached up, his fingers hovering just above the wound at her throat. Hovering, not touching. A world of emotion crept into his voice as he whispered, his voice raw, “I can’t stand seeing that mark on you.”
    Then he shifted his gaze and stared into her eyes.
    She knew the man had feelings. She always suspected they ran deeper than most of her co-workers expected.
    He never let it show, though.
    Until now. That steel curtain, for just a moment, parted. Fluttered. Just beyond that curtain, she saw pain, misery, and guilt…and something else that stole the breath from her lungs.
    Molten, burning, scalding heat…
    The sight of that heat did something to her low, low inside her belly. Her heart skipped a few beats, then settled into a quick, rapid rhythm—a thousand butterflies trapped inside her chest. Butterflies with wings dipped in some seriously strong sort of aphrodisiac, too. Lust, hot and heavy, moved through her, and before Dez knew what she was doing, she had her hand on Taylor’s cheek. “I’m okay, you know. I’m tougher than I look. Hell, I feel almost normal already. No surprise, considering you made them keep me several days longer than needed.”
    Then, tortured by the unexpected misery she saw in those steely blue eyes, taunted by unadulterated heat, she bussed his mouth lightly with hers. “I’m alive…and I’m alive because you were there, Taylor. So stop kicking yourself, okay?”
    * * *
     
    THE feel of her mouth against his was a delight he had never expected to feel, one he knew he didn’t deserve…and one he knew he wasn’t strong enough to turn away from.
    When she would have pulled away, he reached up, cupped his hand over the back of her head.
    He thought she’d pull away.
    Was sure of it, even.
    She was just trying to assuage his guilt, and it didn’t surprise him. She was cocky, sarcastic, and very often full of attitude, but she had the gentlest, kindest heart…and he didn’t deserve that kindness. She didn’t pull away, though.
    And when her mouth opened under his, it wasn’t the sort of soft, pitying kiss he might have expected.
    The heat, the hunger in that kiss might have laid him low…if he hadn’t already been so starved for her. If he hadn’t spent so many fucking nights dreaming of her. If he hadn’t been half blind with need and guilt and desperation and too many other emotions he couldn’t even begin to describe.
    Slanting his mouth more firmly against hers, Taylor stared at her from under his lashes and was startled to realize she was looking back at him. Swearing, he jerked back and muttered, “Damn it. This is insane.”
    One slim, ringless hand came up, toyed with the placket of his shirt. “I always thought it was insane not to do something you really, really want…” Dez’s gaze shifted up to meet his and his body tensed, whip tight, as she murmured, “And I’ve