East End (Hear No Evil Trilogy #1) - Nana Malone Page 0,35

of gardens, lush greenery, and a massive koi pond. Like something on Pemberley.

Apparently East knew it as well as I did, because instead of taking the steps that led down to the gardens, he bolted down the hillside.

I gave chase, giving up no quarter.

I was gaining on him. Closer, closer. And then from the higher vantage point, I launched myself at him. And just in that moment, he turned, his eyes wide. And he stopped running.

My heart stuttered and stopped. I was going to collide with him.

When I slammed into his body, he caught me easily, wrapping his arms around me, and we rolled together, his body taking the brunt of the impact as we rolled through the field of the flowers.

When we landed, I groaned. My bones felt like they'd been shoved into a bag and shaken around. I tried to reach for his mask, and he angled his head away from me, one arm locked around my waist, the other trying to control my two hands. "Take the mask off. I know it's you, East."

We both stilled, and he blinked at me. "Agent Kinkade, what were you doing in the hallway?"

"Says the man who is dressed like a thief?"

"For all you know, this is the latest in black tie," he groaned as he shifted.

"What did you steal?"

He shook his head and tried to stand.

"Oh no you don't." I started to pat him down. And then realized, to my chagrin, that I was sitting astride him, my hips locked over his. And to any passerby, it would look like we were… Oh, God.

I tried to shove against his chest and stand over him, but something stopped me. And it wasn't his arm around my waist. Something tugged at my dress, and there was a tearing sound.

We both glanced at where we were joined. He had some kind of hook or something, and it was latched into the knot of my dress. I tried again to free myself, and the dress tore again.

I glanced down, realizing that the knot of the dress was basically what held the whole damn thing together. If he tore it, my dress would be slit open and my tits would be flapping in the wind.

He must have realized the same thing that I did in that moment, because he grinned. "Oh, what a predicament. If you move, I see your tits." He licked his bottom lip. "And I can tell you that I have been having some very dirty fantasies about what they look like up close. Are you going to give me a show? As you know Agent Kincade, I do like to watch."

His voice was low and husky and sexy, and what the fuck was the question?

My eyes opened wide as I became even more hyper-aware of where else we were joined.

His chuckle was soft as he laid back down on the grass. "Don't mind him. He can just feel how warm you are. And I can't help but imagine you being wet and all the other ways and reasons we could be in this position."

"Shut up, you oaf. You have to unlatch me."

"I don't have to do anything. If you stand up, your dress tears open. And then, well, I'm still clothed, and you're not. So you'll have a lot of explaining to do. And I'll be out." He wiggled, and I heard more tearing sounds. I clapped a hand on his throat. "Stop fucking moving."

He chuckled. "Ooh, kinky. I think I like it. Squeeze tighter, love."

My hands were small. I would need two hands to choke him out, and it wouldn't be for fun.

"You’d like that, wouldn’t you?"

"I would."

"You're a thief."

"No, not really," he mumbled.

"You're dressed in a balaclava, and you look like you've stolen the fucking crown jewels. What else could you be but a thief?"

"That answer's a little complicated, and I'm not going to tell you."

"What the fuck were you doing in Walter Jameson’s office?"

"Again, princess, my lips are sealed."

"I can just take it off of you."

He rolled us over so that I was beneath him, and I gasped with the shock of the positioning. I was even more aware of that bulge.

Oh, hell.

I felt him pressed directly against my clit, and I bit back the moan.

And of course he could feel my body's response to him, and his hips hitched just so. I slammed my teeth over my bottom lip, and I turned away so he wouldn't see.

"There's no hiding your response to me, love. Pretend it’s involuntary.