Page 221 of Bad Attitude
“Runs through the San Juan Mountains,” he says without hesitating. “Eleven thousand feet elevation, no guardrails, exactly your kind of ride.”
And that is why I love this man.
“True, but not what I meant. It just so happens that a million dollars was our share of that job.”
“Yeah… but I can’t take it.” He shakes his head. “I’m not really part of the crew.”
“Kurt changed the payout anyway,” I tell him.
“Figures,” he says, jaw clenching. “Did he screw you? Do I need to talk to him?”
And that’s another reason I love this man. Stepping up to fight for me at the slightest provocation.
“No, Kurt didn’t screw us. He’s given us half the loot. You and me.”
Declan blinks slowly. “The two bags of diamonds?”
“Yeah. I don’t have them—Kurt’s fencing them—but it’s about four million after it’s cleaned. Two each.” I slide a hand up to cup his jaw, his beard coarse against my palm. “So. Million dollar road to celebrate, huh?”
He leans in like he’s going to kiss me, then pulls back. “You once asked me if I could make love and not just fuck.”
“I did,” I agree carefully.
“Ican. I promise I’m going to treat you gently, the way youshouldbe treated.”
“That’s a lovely sentiment, and I’m down for that.” I pause. “You also said you could’ve gone harder.”
“Yeah.” He tenses under my hands. “What I meant was—”
“I want to find out what that’s like instead.”
His eyes widen. Heat blooms in their depths. His hands rise swiftly, cupping my face, holding me so tight I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.
And I don’t.
Then his mouth is on mine. A bruising kiss, his tongue forcing its way in, hungry andraw. His heart beats faster beneath my hand. I open to him, moaning into his mouth, sliding an arm around his neck and pulling him to me.
“How long… until… you have to vacate this place?” I ask between breathless kisses.
“End of the day.” His hands unzip my jacket, pushing it off my shoulders to fall to the floor.
“About six hours?” I grasp the hem of my shirt and pull it swiftly over my head, then throw myself back against his chest.
“Something like that.” His arms slide around me, pulling me to him, his hands finding my ass.
“How many orgasms in six hours?”
“Well now, that depends.” Declan’s sadistic little grin is exactly what I need to see. “Are you going to be a good girl?”
“Fuck, no.”
Epilogue
Raven
We're just going riding. A game of pool seventeen states away, with maybe the odd bar fight thrown in. Four-and-a-half thousand miles after some last-minute changes to Declan’s plan. Three weeks there, three weeks back.
I can’t imagine a better holiday. Not least because we’re upgrading the cockroach motels to something with more class, courtesy of the bank balances we’ll have when Kurt’s finished fencing the diamonds.
