it came to her gorgeous Brit.
“I’m going to get some rest.” Setting the laptop in his hands, she turned toward Dodger’s door. “A present.” She continued walking.
He called out. “But the iPad.”
“It can wait.” Now that there was no urgency since they had all four of the iPads and another spy laptop to data mine, she could finally get some much-needed rest. She stopped and turned. “For God’s sake, Mouse. Get some sleep.”
He nodded and headed toward his room.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside. She was done with protests and doubts. Max could kiss her butt. Teammate or no teammate, she was going to have him. Life was too damn short.
Dodger came out of the bathroom and her heart stalled. He was big, broad and well-defined in all the right places. Unable to resist, she took a moment to appreciate and enjoy the sculpted contours of his naked body. Water droplets ran over the hard, thick muscles of his chest down to his flat belly, then to his groin, as glorious as the rest of him. A girl wouldn’t soon forget a man like him. She intended to memorize him like he was a test.
She pulled off her top, undid her bra, and slipped out of her jeans and underwear. She crossed the room, her gaze glued to his vivid blue eyes and the glittering intensity there, thrilling her in a rush of pleasure.
She reached him and breezed past, slapping him on his rock-hard ass. “You better not have used up all the hot water.”
10
“Anna…” Dodger was stunned by her beauty, concerned about her bruises. He leaned over and brought her wrist up to study.
“It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. I’m good at my job, Dodger.”
He nodded.
“Anna…” he started again.
She set her fingers over his lips, crowding his personal space, her eyes full of scorching, honest need. He closed his eyes, the desire spiraling in him.
“Let me be as clear as I can. Max doesn’t run my life or tell me what to do.” She took a shuddering breath, the pads of her fingers caressing his mouth. “I want you, Oliver, and you want me. It’s as simple as that. I accept your terms. I’m content living in the moment. Life is much too short to worry about anything else.”
He closed his eyes and took a hard breath. “We both have a relationship with Max, Anna. I work with him. We’re on the same team, he’s my mate, and I made him a promise. I need time to think about it. Go take a shower.”
She moved away from him and one part of him was asking, Are you out of your mind? Look at her. You know you want all that she has to give.
That wasn’t ever in question. It was all the other crap that he was trying to work his mind around. He’d already crossed the line but hadn’t taken the ultimate step. There was Max and the brotherhood oath, but there was much more than that. And he had to really own up to what ultimately had been holding him back.
His fear.
He’d loved Hermione, but there was something deep and intense with Anna, something he couldn’t describe, something that went beyond love. The only thing he was sure about was that it would change his life and do something to his heart he might never recover from.
He took a deep breath, his body aching and restless. He had too easily judged Pitbull when he’d fallen for a teammate’s wife who was separated at the time. Karma was a bitch when it threw him in the almost same situation. With experience came understanding.
So, if Max and the team didn’t know what happened between them, would that absolve him of his sin against the code? No. But was he willing to sin against the code to be with her, however briefly? Yes. He realized he was.
Could he shield his heart from falling in too deep? Unlikely.
Could he walk away from her when all this madness ended, and life went back to normal? To keep the peace and for his sanity, he must.
He was never going to get that lost again.
The water went off and his heart started to beat hard. He closed his eyes. Christ, he wanted her.
When he opened them, she was standing in the frame of the doorway, water cascading down her clean, naked body. The temptation of her was more than any man could resist. He expected her to be uncertain and miffed that