Mind of Danger (Body of Danger #3) - Sidney Bristol Page 0,15

catch up. He’d said something and Jo had launched herself at him.

Her lips moved over his in a desperate kiss.

Elias’ desire flared. He’d been attracted to her since the day they’d met. He’d held himself in check, remaining in his role as a friend. But this was her kissing him.

The why didn’t matter.

He gripped the door, using it as leverage to lean into her. She suckled his lower lip.

Was this really happening?

If he was asleep did he really want to wake up?

Hell. No.

Elias wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. She tugged on his hair. He let her guide him to just the right angle, but this time it wasn’t just her kissing him. If this was a dream, he wanted to do it right.

He lifted Jo off the ground. Her legs wrapped around him with no urging. His leg twinged, but only a little. He’d done all the strength training possible, but some things would never feel entirely right again. The momentary pain faded, replaced by the acute awareness of her hot, hungry mouth moving against his.

Elias took two steps until he felt the plush carpet underfoot. He turned, pressing her back to the wall and using it as a brace.

She reached out, wildly waving her arm until she caught the door and shoved it closed. Or mostly shut.

He leaned his hips into her, using his body to support her weight and freeing up his hands.

There were so many ways he wanted to touch her. For now, he cupped her cheek, relishing the simple act of kissing her.

Jo groaned and shifted, but there was only so much she could do to move herself now that he had her.

His knees shook, not from strain. From the intensity.

And that alone told him what he needed to know.

This moment was real. It wasn’t a dream or in his head.

He leaned his head back, breaking the kiss and looking at her.

Jo stared at him through her lashes. Her cheeks were pink and her lips parted.

She was stunning. Beautiful. Courageous. And didn’t know when to stop. Ever. He wanted to wrap her up, protect her against everything yet he knew he couldn’t. Which made this moment that much more complicated.

Whatever she was doing was high stress. It wasn’t uncommon for individuals in that situation to reach for physical comfort. That was a driving reason behind the lack of fraternization rules at Aegis Group. Why punish someone for a biological urge, so long as everyone involved was able to consent?

“Jo?” he whispered.

“What?”

Elias opened his mouth to say something, but didn’t know where to start or where he was even going.

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek tenderly.

He closed his eyes, emotions he wasn’t prepared to deal with welling up inside of him.

“What is it?” she whispered.

“What are we doing?” he asked and hated himself for it.

“Elias?” She trailed a single finger along his jaw. “I’m going to be real with you. There’s a fifty-fifty chance I die trying to pull this off. I can’t run away. I have to see this through. Knowing that makes me think about things I regret. Like, never acting on the urge to kiss you.”

Every sentence hit him with new revelations.

It was obvious she was in a high-risk situation, but death was an expected outcome? Who was asking her to do this? Why didn’t she have more help? And, this wasn’t the first time she’d thought of kissing him? It wasn’t new?

Jo looked at him and he felt as though she were drawing him in with each word. Not that he was fighting this or her. “I trust you, maybe more than anyone, so I’m telling you now. Because maybe I should have a long time ago?”

Elias didn’t know what to say. So he didn’t speak.

Instead, he leaned in. She tipped her chin up. He pressed his lips against hers, soft at first, exploring her mouth. Jo curled her fingers into his hair, her nails scraping his scalp as her lips moved. There was a need, a hunger, in the way she kissed. As if this might be her last meal.

She thought she was going to die.

If she was right—and he prayed she wasn’t—this could be the last time they saw each other.

Everything in him wanted that to be a lie.

Jo moaned into the kiss and arched her back, pressing her breasts against him. He slid his hand down her side to palm her ass.

Suddenly Jo turned her head.

“Shit,” she yelped.

“What?”

“Put me down.”

He quickly helped her