Hostile Ground (The Arsenal #7) - Cara Carnes Page 0,96
Kristof’s and smiled down at him. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
“I shouldn’t leave,” Kristof argued.
“Go,” Olaf ordered. “Never turn down a beautiful woman. You taught me that.”
Kristof chuckled. “Fine, but I’ll be back soon. Rest. I’ll send Maksim in with some of that soup.”
Addy pulled out her phone and sent a text to her team. Bring soup to Olaf. She took Kristof’s hand and tugged him forward. He closed the door behind them.
Awareness arced through her when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. She inhaled the earthy musk and ran her hands along his back. Silence descended a few moments as they stood there, locked in an embrace.
“Wish we could stay here all day,” Kristof whispered in her ear.
“We can.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “But that’ll be awkward since we’re in the doorway. My guys are bringing soup. Maybe we should go to my room. Or yours.”
Tingles ignited along her skin as Kristof ran his fingertips along her arm, then threaded them through her hair. His husky voice cast a shiver of anticipation through her. “I’d love nothing more than to have you in my bed, under me. I could spend an eternity with you there and never tire.”
“Then let’s go.” She looked up at him as he firmed his grip on her hair. She ran a finger along the seam of his mouth. “We have today. Tomorrow. No regrets. No expectations.”
“I need to speak with Gavriil. My men. Maksim. Some others.” Weariness hung in his words and in dark circles beneath his eyes.
“You’re so much like me it’s terrifying,” she whispered as she traced along his eyes. “You’re exhausted, but you aren’t going to rest until every last task is handled. Let Maksim take care of some of this while you rest.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Duty never is.” She took his hands, threaded their fingers together and peered up into his intense gaze. “I’ve hidden myself in duty and responsibility so long I almost forgot what desire was.”
“That’s impossible.” He cupped her face. “You’re a passionate woman.”
“I’ve never been just a woman. I’m always an operative. A chameleon.” She studied his face. “I’m different with you.”
“Addy.” He whispered her name and kissed her mouth. The soft contact spread heat throughout her body. She deepened the contact, but he severed it quickly. “I need you more than the air I breathe right now, but I must…”
Addy put two fingers against his mouth and shook her head. “Let me say something. Please.”
When he didn’t argue, she ran both her hands down his chest. “You know what happened with Mary. Edge. I guess that’s probably what you know her by more than Mary. She…” Addy swallowed. “Peter hurt her so bad. He had people hurt her.”
“That’s not your fault.”
She ignored his statement. Too much of her wasn’t ready to let go of the guilt she’d harbored since Peter’s death. “She’s a lot like me. And you. She lived for the missions. The job. When Dylan and The Arsenal rescued her, I thought…I was afraid we’d lose that part of her I sometimes saw outside of the missions. The woman she hid so well.”
“But you didn’t,” he commented.
“Because of Dylan. He was there, supporting her, standing at her side without stifling her fierce independence and drive to be the best handler possible. He…” How could she make him understand? “Mary shared something with me about when he and Jesse came home from their service. I guess a part of him was still locked in that life, the things he’d done. Their sister, Riley, saw that darkness and chased it away. She’d flop down in front of them with her wet hair and give them a brush. She’d sit there while he or Jesse unknotted the tangled mess. It was her way of giving them the calm they’d had before their service, back when she was the bratty little sister they’d help care for.”
Kristof stroked her hair and offered a soft smile.
“Whenever Dylan feels Mary sliding too deep into her job, he asks her to give him that calm by stepping back from their lives as operatives,” Addy whispered. “Remember when we’d have that? The peace?”
“We’d retreat into the woods and stare up at the stars.” During the colder months they’d sneak into the catacombs beneath the camp and spend hours exploring. Even though that had been fun, their nights together beneath the stars were her favorite. The fresh air.