as the last time he'd seen it, although it appeared that Maya had straightened up a bit since he'd been there.
When he returned to the living room, she was standing on the threshold.
"All clear," he said.
"Good." She closed the door behind her and tossed her purse onto the table. "It feels like forever since I was here. So much has happened."
"It has been an eventful day," he agreed.
"We have a lot to talk about."
"We do, but…"
"But?" she echoed, staring back at him through incredible green eyes that were now filling with desire.
Good. She was on the same page he was. "I don't really want to talk right now," he said.
"Me, either."
He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her up against him, lowering his mouth to hers, giving in to the desire he'd been fighting all the way across town.
She moaned with pleasure, as she kissed him back with the same hungry fervor. He pushed her up against the nearest wall, and took the kiss deeper, sliding his tongue into her mouth, tasting every sweet bit of heat. His heart was pounding hard against his chest. He wanted more.
Somewhere in his head, he heard a voice of caution. He was on a case. He was undercover. He was pretending to be someone he wasn't.
None of that mattered. He wanted Maya. He wanted her with every breath he took. And she wanted him.
It was simple, really.
Only it wasn't.
He forced himself to pull back, to try to let his brain catch up with his body.
She looked up at him with desire in her eyes, with a fire in her cheeks, and with soft lips that were pink from the pressure of his mouth.
"Do you really want to stop?" she asked.
"No."
"Then why are you?"
"I have no idea." Only that was another lie, and that was the reason he'd stopped—he was lying to her. And it bothered him.
"I'm not expecting anything," she said tentatively. "If that's what you're worried about. It can just be…sex."
Despite her frank words, he didn't think it would be just sex, and that was the problem.
"Jax, let me take you into my bedroom."
He smiled at her words. "How am I supposed to say no to that?"
"You're not supposed to say no." She grabbed his hand and led him into her bedroom.
She'd made her bed, topping the peach-colored comforter with colorful orange and purple pillows. The bed looked exactly like her—warm, vibrant, unique, perfect. He pulled her back against his chest and gazed into her eyes. Then he kissed her again, wanting to go fast, wanting to go slow…
Then a loud crash jolted them apart.
"What the hell was that?" Maya asked breathlessly.
He was the first one to move, sprinting into the living room. The front window had shattered, and fire was licking up the curtains. Maya was right on his heels when another fiery missile came through a second window. He pushed her behind him, as flames caught the couch pillows and an intense heat almost burned his face.
"What's happening?" she cried in bewilderment.
"We've got to get out of here. Back door."
They jogged toward the kitchen, but the next blast came through the window over the sink. They jumped back, as glass rained down upon them. He grabbed her hand, holding on tight, debating his options. He didn't have a weapon and neither did she. They had to get out of the house, but front or back? He had no idea how many people were out there. They could be running into an ambush.
"What do we do?" Maya asked, clinging to him, fear running through her eyes.
"We have to get out of the house."
"But they're out there."
"I know, but if we stay inside…" He didn't have to finish his sentence, not with flames leaping around them.
"It didn't work, Jax. My story. They're still coming after us. We're going to die."
"We're not going to die," he said fiercely. "We just have to find a way out."
"There is no way out," she said with panic in her voice. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Chapter Seventeen
"Stop apologizing. This isn't your fault, and we're not going to die." Jax grabbed dishtowels and soaked them in water, giving Maya one and keeping one for himself. "Put that over your face. We're going back in the living room." He grabbed her hand.
She tugged it away from him. "I need my computer." She ran over to the kitchen table and grabbed her laptop, and then put the towel over her face as they moved through the smoke and the