Being with Sierra, nestled inside a snow-covered cabin, had resurfaced all the beautiful memories of being with her in Cancun. I needed her beside me. Having her in my arms was all I'd been able to think about since embarking on the trip.
I jerked up, searching the room, the candle barely illuminating the expansive space. My heart skipped as I listened carefully. There was nothing but quiet. Even the wind had died down, allowing for an eerie sense rumbling in my system. I tossed back the covers, taking long strides toward the bathroom, breathing a sigh of relief when I heard the shower running. It wasn't yet five in the morning and she'd felt the need to cleanse herself?
I swallowed hard, debating whether I should intrude. Making love had been full of passion, more so than any other time. Perhaps I'd been the one to let go, showing her a slightly softer side of myself. With my fingers wrapped around the handle, I was forced to remind myself that everything was about to change.
By requirement.
When I opened the door, the warmth of the room was inviting, just like the naked woman standing behind the shower door. I wasted no time, flicking the latch. There was no response for two seconds, allowing me to see the way she was positioned under the massive showerhead, her hands placed on the thick marble tile and her head lowered. The way her shoulders and back were heaving sent a chill all throughout my body.
The cold air stunned her, enough so she gasped, twisting her head in my direction. Her eyes were glassy, tears trickling down her face. She huddled in the corner, placing her arms across her chest. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"Not having you next to me was like a dagger in my heart. I was afraid something had happened." My words offered no comfort, sadness enveloping her face. I quickly closed the door, inching closer yet keeping a slight distance. My God, the woman seemed frail, entirely different than the warrior who'd fought me every step of the way. She'd finally given in to the circumstances, more fearful than before.
Sadly, she should be terrified and not only of the situation.
But of the man standing in front of her.
The shower compartment was much larger than average, allowing me to dip my head under the water. When my hair and face were fully doused, I ran my fingers through the tangled strands, closing my eyes as I thought about what to say to her.
"I just... needed space," she finally whispered, her breathing still ragged even as her hands slowly dropped by her sides.
"And I need you." There was no denying the intensity of how I felt about her, the longing that had turned into a bitter reminder of who and what I was. I planted my hands on either side of her, dipping my head to drink in her amazing essence. "You do know how I feel about you."
Her lower lip quivered and she barely managed to look me in the eyes. "I'm your possession, a reward."
A deep sigh pushed up from my throat, anger regarding what life required of me suffocating, a noose around my neck. "From minute one of meeting you, I knew just how special you were. I memorized your face, your smile, and the way your eyes lit up as you laughed. When I was with you all those years ago, I was free, able to be anyone I wanted. I didn't have to worry about what damning decisions needed to be made or if an assassin was waiting in the shadows. For the first time in my entire life, I was free of the chains."
"What happened to that man?"
I opened my mouth to try to answer, realizing there no words that would be adequate or even honest. The simple fact was, I was no longer certain which man I was or the one I should be. If I had to choose between the two, I would shut down. "I never made promises to you, Sierra. I also never wanted to hurt you. What we shared was perfect, but not real, at least in my life."
"You could have stayed. I mean with me. We would have found a way to be together." Even as she said the words, I could tell she had no faith in their meaning.
I caressed her face, the tips of my fingers tingling, rippling with heat. "If only I could have."
"And now?"
Another answer I didn't have, at least not readily. "As I said to you before, you were well aware of who I was when you arrived at my house. You knew the value of what I could offer."
"Did you ever think that perhaps I used the horrible event as an excuse?" Sierra shook her head, lowering her head. "Maybe I just didn't know what the hell I was doing or what I was getting in the middle of."
I lifted her chin, darting my eyes back and forth. "I care about you, Sierra, more than I have anyone else in my entire life. I will find a way to..." Shit. How the hell could I make a promise I wasn't certain I could keep?
"To make my life normal so we could pretend that you're not a merciless killer? I'm not that kind of woman, Lorenzo. I can't live in your world. You have to know that. I'm sorry. I understand our deal, but I just..."
"I know that what we share is more than most, the passion incredible. I also know that I've allowed the woman inside to feel free for the first time in her life. Is that enough? Only you know the truth. Whatever the future holds can't be determined right now."
"You're right," she whispered. "Maybe I was looking to rekindle the fantasy of four years ago, but that's impossible."
I expected her to pull away but when she slid her arms around my neck, the darkness within me seemed to fade away, leaving only unbridled yearning behind. I yanked her against my chest, reveling in the feel of our combined heartbeats. As I smoothed down her hair, my nostrils filling with her sweet scent, I felt reborn. There were promises to be made, but at this moment, all I could do was share what I had with her.
My longing.
The burning ache.
The need to ravage her.
She tipped her head, pulling mine down in order for our lips to touch. "I want you, Lorenzo. Take me." There were no other words needed. She moaned before I captured her mouth, her tongue finding mine.
I was blown away by the excessive sensations, but they weren't the rippling of rocket fuel as normal. This time, I felt as if she'd crawled into me, pushing away the dangerous man, clawing her way into finding the person she'd hungered for from the past. My grip became firm on the back of her head as the desire increased, filling my very black soul.
She wiggled against me, her naked body so alive, soft yet I was able to feel how much she ached. We both moaned into the kiss, struggling to stay within the confines of the shower, water cascading down our heated bodies. Steam floated all around us, but in my mind, the reason was from our scorched bodies as the wave of electricity became white-hot.
Suddenly, there was no holding back, our respective chains shattered, as if there would never be another time we would share. As if the gods were against us.
As if our passion would be stamped out by destiny or...
Death.
I was rattled by the thought even as the intimate moment roared between us, two people fighting to retain their humanity instead of succumbing to their animalistic nature. At that moment, nothing else mattered.
I dominated her tongue, our teeth gnashing together as I ground my throbbing cock against her. We were wild with hunger, unable to quench our thirst. When she broke away, pushing me with enough strength I tottered on my feet, I growled like the wild beast I'd become. "What do you think you're doing?"
Her smile was laced with a dark and dangerous flair, much more so than I'd seen before. "Something I've wanted to do for a while." She shifted both our bodies, shoving me against the wall and slowly dropping to her knees.
I wasn't prepared for the dazzling sensations as she crawled between my legs, running her fingers up, taking her time as she crawled them up to my thighs. Even over the sound of the running water, I heard her ragged purrs and lowered my head, blinking several times. Her face seemed to be glowing, her eyes pinpointed on the man hovering above her.
Sierra seemed to be in a world of her own, blowing across my cockhead as she caressed my skin.