Page 40 of Wicked Shadows
Unable to walk away without one more taste, he pressed his lips to hers, skimmed his tongue along the part in her mouth, and plunged inside when she gave him the slightest opportunity. Salty tears mixed with the heady flavor that belonged solely to Elle.
With a step backward serving as the foreboding symbol of their relationship, he left her apartment and her life, giving her the time and space she needed. He gave her what she asked of him to prove his love was real. He was willing to do for her what she’d always done for him—wait, and welcome her back with open arms when she was ready.
But seeing her with Matt Lane made him realize that proving he loved her hadn’t been her plan at all. He’d misread her intentions completely. The time of separation was her chance to move on without him, to forget what they’d had, and to leave all the memories of their time together in the past. Moving on would be easier with someone new to occupy her time and her mind.
And her bed.
Then, Matt Lane would be a dead man.
Hours later, the plane landed at LAX, and he made a mad dash to Elle’s apartment. His heavy fist beat on the door, demanding entrance.
“Let me in, or I’ll break the door down and come in anyway. I know you’re in there.”
The deadbolt turned, unlocking the door, and she slowly opened it. “What are you doing here, Devon? I haven’t called you.”
“That’s exactly why I’m here. You’ve tried to forget me, but it won’t work. You love me, Elle. You’ve loved me too long to stop, and I won’t let you just walk away from me without putting up one hell of a fight for you. I tried to give you space and time to come to this conclusion on your own. But you’re too stubborn and headstrong. So if I have to camp out here in the hallway outside your door until you come to your senses, so be it.”
She sighed deeply. “Come on in.”
“Good call,” he replied and stepped into the room. “Now, go pack. We’re going away for two weeks. You won’t need many clothes.”
“Have you lost your mind? I’m not going away with you. I haven’t seen or talked to you in months.”
“That was your idea, not mine. You wanted that, I didn’t.”
“I needed it for my own sanity.”
“Are you happy without me?” He crossed his arms over his chest and dared her to lie.
“No. I’m not any happier at all. I’m miserable, and I’m driving Beth crazy.”
“Beth needs a break from you for two uninterrupted weeks. Come away with me.”
“Bikinis, sand, and surf?” She knew him too well. His idea of uninterrupted paradise would be somewhere warm, with tropical breezes, the bare minimum of clothes, and no cell or internet access.
“You know it, darlin’.”
Elle questioned her sanity while packing her suitcase. He just showed up after more than four months apart, and she was right back in the same position as if they’d never been apart. She couldn’t resist him—didn’t even want to. There was a certain romantic element to the way he insisted they couldn’t remain apart. She wanted to believe him. More than anything she’d ever wanted in her life, she wanted to believe what he’d said. Her heart was convinced, but her mind still had serious doubts their lives would ever progress past the rut they’d been stuck in for ages.
“You won’t regret it,” he said from behind her.
She turned to face him. His hip was leaned against the doorframe, his eyes drinking her in from top to bottom, obviously delighted to see her again. His self-control was at all all-time high. From his heated gaze and darkened eyes, she knew he wanted nothing more than to entangle his body with hers so thoroughly they’d never be separate again. But he was still giving her time and space—in his own way.
“Reading my mind again?” She kept her voice low and quiet. Uncertainty clouded her mind and her judgment.
His thoughtful expression gave her an unusual insight into his thoughts and feelings. “Something like that. I know you, Elle, and while you think you don’t know me, nothing could be further from the truth. You know I always find my way back to you. Even if you question everything else, you know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Where are we going?” She knew his words were meant to help heal—but they only seemed to cut deeper. She turned back to packing her clothes, anything to avoid his scrutiny.
Before she even felt his presence or his hands on her arms, he’d whirled her around to face him. He held her firmly in his grasp, as if he thought she’d try to escape from him. So many times, he’d almost told her what kept him away. That was one of those times when he wanted to blurt it all out. The covert missions. The classified details. The undercover assignments. He wanted to tell her everything. Would she even believe him? Some of the details of his life and what he’d encountered were beyond belief in the normal realm of civilian existence.
When he’d turned in his resignation to Steadman through the end of watch code, he had hope they’d allow him simply to walk away. No more clandestine missions, infiltrating areas angels feared to tread. No more eluding questions from family and friends. He’d be home for every holiday and special occasion.
He’d had high hopes for a normal life.
The CIA had other plans for him. A highly trained, seasoned assassin who’d had access to every secret the country had, along with those of several other countries, was not someone they were prepared to just let go. When he’d first joined, many members had given him the same dire warning. “You can never really quit the CIA.” He soon realized what they meant: “You can quit when you die.” Since he wasn’t ready for that extreme measure, he answered when they called.
The two weeks away with Elle had been taken without negotiation. He’d learned the best way to avoid having his plans interrupted was not to share them until the very last second. By the time they were in the air, he would be completely unreachable, and all his attention would be hers. Until then, he knew he had to give her more reason to go away with him before she changed her mind. She was on the cusp of walking away from him forever.
