Never Gonna Happen - Cynthia Eden Page 0,26
“Aren’t you?” If she believed this…and, it was crazy. Sebastian, a spy? Her brother, a spy? Antony seemed to stumble around most days, his mind occupied with whatever new tech he was developing. She was supposed to buy that her brother was some kick-ass, super agent who could fight off bad guys?
“I couldn’t tell you. Knowing the truth would have just put you at risk.”
“I’m sure that’s the line Superman gave to Lois back in the day, but it’s BS.” Her chin notched up.
His nostrils flared.
“You’re a spy.”
A curt nod.
“And my brother…he’s a spy.”
“I told you—”
“Where is he? Right now? You talked to him, and I want to talk to—”
“He’s gone dark, Alyssa. I tried to reach him, but I can’t. He probably ditched his phone right after he texted me. It’s standard procedure when your cover is blown. He may not know if he can trust others in the organization. He has to figure out who turned on him.”
“But…he contacted you.”
“He sent me a text. Told me his cover was blown. Asked me to protect you.” He raked a hand through his hair. “And the next thing I knew, someone was shooting at you.”
Yes, someone had shot at her. In the next instant, Sebastian had swooped in. Picked her up. Tossed her into the limo and gotten her the hell out of there. “So bad guys want to kill me in order to hurt my brother?”
“Looks that way.” He stalked toward her, moving to her side of the island and walking with that silent stealth of his. “But I’m going to keep you safe.”
“Because you’re a super spy.”
He kept heading toward her. “Yes.”
“Prove it.”
He stopped right in front of her. “Excuse me?”
“Prove that you’re a super spy.”
“It’s not like I carry super spy ID on me, sweet—um, Alyssa.”
She stared up into his eyes. “How do I know you’re not lying to me?”
“Because the bullets were real. The message at your home was real. The bastard after you is real.”
“Okay.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You make some excellent points.”
His hand lifted. His knuckles brushed over her cheek.
Alyssa stiffened.
“Don’t,” he seemed to bite off the word. “Please, don’t be afraid of me.”
What? “I’m not.” Was she supposed to be?
“Then why do you always tense when I touch you?”
“Because I like it too much.”
Oh, sweet hell. She had not just told him that embarrassing truth.
But, yes, judging by the way his eyes had widened, she had. “I’d like to take those words back now.”
Sebastian shook his head. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Then I’d like for you to forget I said them.”
“That’s not going to happen, either.”
“Then what is going to happen?”
“You’re going to ask me to kiss you.”
She laughed. “No, that’s—”
“You’re going to ask me for anything that you want.” His gaze was on her mouth. “And I’m going to give it to you.”
Why was she breathing hard? Why was she leaning toward him? Why was she thinking way too much about the one kiss they’d already shared? “I’m not your type,” Alyssa blurted.
Shit! She had to stop that. Worst habit ever. When stressed…blurt.
“You are exactly my type.” He was still staring at her mouth.
“Oh, sure. And that’s why you’ve kept your distance from me all these years.”
Now his gaze lifted.
Lust.
Need. A consuming desire.
Her heart slammed into her chest with one very powerful thud. He’d never looked at her that way. No man had ever looked at her with such wild hunger in his eyes.
“Sometimes, if you don’t keep a distance, then you don’t keep control.” His voice was rough. “With you, I’ve kept control.”
This was some seriously uncharted territory.
“You don’t know the real me. You saw the image. The same one everybody else saw. But that image is falling away. Because of what’s happening, it has to vanish with you. So now you’re going to see me for exactly who I am.”
“Why does that sound like an ominous warning?” Her voice was husky, and, oh, jeez, sensual. She wet her lips.
He growled.
She liked that sound far too much. It had a primitive power that sent heat surging through her.
“It’s a warning. Because you want the truth about me? The full truth?”
“It is what I’ve been asking for.” In case he’d missed that part.
“I want to strip you naked.”
What?
“I want to lift you up and drive into you right now. I want to fuck you for hours. No, days. And that would only be the start. Because I’ve wanted you for so long, the need is almost savage. I’d