Page 50 of Brazilian Surrender
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.Bile rose from her throat, and she had to shut her lips and swallow to keep it from coming. She wouldn’t lose this time—she’d lost her best friend, her dog, and her sense of security. Losing Jaeger would crush her.
Releasing her ankles from each leg of the chair and freeing herself completely wasn’t an option. No time. She scooted back, more quickly than before, and with a shout she launched herself onto Mark’s back, taking him by surprise. She lifted the bowl, ready to smash it on Mark’s head, when she heard a shot. Suddenly, the two of them stopped brawling, and she fell beside them, her heart slamming her rib cage. The vase hit the floor and became a million little pieces. She didn’t care. Tears brimmed her eyelids, her head spinning so much she couldn’t bring herself to think straight.
“It’s over,” Jaeger said, stretching out a hand to help her up.
Over? She stood, her legs wobbly. He held her against him, and she sighed with relief. His arms embraced her tightly. Inhaling, she peered at the image of Mark on the floor, blood leaking from his head.
Jaeger cupped her face and talked in a way so tender her heart squeezed. “I have to call the police. But before I do, I wanted to tell you I’m sorry for pushing you away.”
She linked her arms around him. “As long as you pull me close from now on,” she said, as raw emotion coated her every word. She lifted her chin to look at him, her heart thrumming at the base of her throat. She’d lost so much in the last few weeks, and somehow she survived those losses. Those deaths.
Now she couldn’t lose him, too. “I know I’ll survive if you leave me. But I don’t want to,” she said, feeling a hot pulse in her throat. Her lips trembled, her body also shaking. A pang of insecurity almost made her hesitate, her belly contract, her mouth shut. What if he had simply come to save her, to help her, and not to claim her as his?
“I know exactly how you feel,” he said, his voice dropping an octave. A gleam of hope lit his eyes. Her knees weakened, as if his energy had rolled out of his body and into hers, and she had to adjust for a moment. He caressed her cheek, and she leaned into his touch, a touch that branded and demanded. A sigh flew from her lips, and for a moment the insanity of the recent events dissipated from her mind, and nothing mattered more than the two of them.
“You do?”
“I didn’t want to fall for you, Camila. I didn’t deserve you. Still don’t. Yet, here I am.” He slid his fingers down her face, his gaze following their path. She didn’t miss the fascination in his eyes, as if he saw her for the first time. Her pulse thudded in anticipation. A sensation of intense joy filled her, and by the time he dipped his head, she was already parting her lips. Ready.
His lips covered hers, and he pulled her to him with raw need. She gasped, loving the sensation of that large, muscly man needing her just as badly as she. His tongue teased, stroked, and played with her until they were both breathless. She withdrew and rested her forehead against his, her chest raising and falling.
He chuckled.
She lifted her head to find amusement in his eyes. “I was so worried about you touching me. And now…all I want is for you to touch me. Everywhere,” he said, and took her hand and placed it over his heart.
A bubble of happiness burst inside her. “That will be my pleasure, IMP.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You revived me, Camila. You brought me back. And I’m never, ever letting you go.”
She let out a sigh filled with satisfaction. Forever couldn’t come fast enough.
