protective custody.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Don’t argue with me.”
She straightened her back. “Leo will need help cleaning this mess up so we can reopen as quickly as possible. I’m not leaving.”
To his surprise, Vitali agreed with him. “Cupcake, I want to know you’re safe. You might not have been here today, but what about the next time? I think we can afford to close shop for a little while until the agent here does his job.” He wrapped an arm about Evie’s shoulders, and a muscle twitched in Kian’s jaw. “How about we go on a little trip, just you and me?”
Evie shook Vitali’s arm off and moved a few steps away from him. “I’m not going on a trip with you, Leo. Don’t try to take advantage of the situation. This is not the time.”
The fact that she’d rejected him made Kian wonder if they were indeed seeing each other, but he also heard the tremor. She needed to be elsewhere before she broke down. He took her elbow, ignoring Vitali, and guided her toward the exit. When he passed Taggert, he told him to interview Vitali and anyone else who might have seen something.
“And get Vitali to the safe house!”
When Evie didn’t argue about him tucking her into his car, he knew he’d made the right call. He got three blocks away before she broke down in sobs, and he pulled to the side of the road.
“Baby,” he murmured, and lifted her onto his lap. She buried her face in his neck, shaking all over. He hugged her tight to his chest, willing his strength to pass to her. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”
“No, it’s not. It’s not. ”
“Shh.” He stroked her hair, and she shook so much his heart ached. He didn’t know what else he could do to calm her other than to raise her chin and kiss her lips. Soft and sweet, they tantalized him and made his cock grow hard. He tried his best not to think of her naked and under him, writhing and crying out his name, and then groaned when he did think of it. At first, she gave in to him, parting her lips and letting him delve into her hot little mouth. He consumed her sweetness and breathed her unique scent. Evie . A year and a half since he’d last tasted her seemed like an eternity. The prospect of not getting another chance was worse.
He slid an arm about her waist and drew her closer until her breasts smashed against his chest. The feel of the soft globes reminded him of all the times he’d sucked her nipples, marveling over how big they were. He’d feed there like a newborn babe, never satisfied. She would arch into him and beg him to stop while dragging him closer. The tip of his tongue swirling over the sensitive peaks had brought her to countless orgasms with just a brush at her clit. That was how attuned Evie’s body was to his touch, and no other woman compared.
When he realized his thoughts led him to slide a hand under her ass, seeking her heat, he stilled. She’d stiffened in his arms, but hadn’t yet pushed him away. Then another memory flooded to the forefront of his mind, the night of Brad’s funeral when he had taken Evie in their bed. He had been rough and cruel, almost punishing her despite pleasuring them both. She’d allowed it as if it were her duty, and that just wasn’t true. He could never make up for hurting her, and he understood why she’d left.
He raised his head to meet the fire in her gaze. Not lust, but anger. “If you’re done assaulting me.”
“Evie, I would never…” He straightened and cleared his throat. “I apologize. I saw it as the only way to help you to calm down.”
“Is that how you calm down everybody you meet on the job?”
“No, just my stubborn wife!”
She opened her mouth, and he expected her to correct him, but she closed it again and climbed back to her own side of the car. He coughed and tried rearranging his cock inconspicuously, but she side-eyed him. His face burned, and he started the car to drive again. “The safe house is a few