Shameless - Sybil Bartel Page 0,40

the too long sleeves flapped.

“Jesus Christ.” I nodded brusquely at the stairs. “Go get some sleep.” I hung my parka up and pulled my Glock out.

Staring at me, she stood there.

I checked the magazine, then slammed it back home. “What?” That fucking hug.

“Do you seriously not know how many bullets you have left?” she challenged.

Shoving the gun in my back waistband, wondering if her rack was real, I let my gaze drop to her chest. Even with a jacket on, her tits stood out. “Your point?” I knew exactly how many bullets I had. I’d reloaded after I’d turned on the security cameras.

Looking ridiculous in my leather, she crossed her arms. “I’m beginning to understand why you’re single.”

“Who says I’m single?” I turned and headed toward my security room because if I stood there another minute sparring with her, I’d do something she’d regret.

On my heels, oblivious to her own damn self-preservation, she kept talking. “Unless you miraculously obtained a new girlfriend since dumping yours a few hours ago, I’m going with single.”

Intending to put her and her smart mouth in place, I pivoted, but when my gaze landed on her teasing smile, I knew I’d been played.

My dick pissed off it wasn’t getting any action, my hardware pressing into me, out of patience, I slammed my hand on the doorframe above her head.

She flinched.

“Hug me again,” I demanded.

Her eyes widened and she crossed her arms. “What?”

“You heard me.” I’d fucking destroy her young cunt if that’s what she wanted.

Her gaze darted nervously from my arm to my face. “What are you doing?”

I didn’t mince words. “Giving you an invitation to touch me.”

She boldly held my gaze for a beat, but then her age came out. “Why?”

I smirked, but I wanted to punch the fucking wall. “That’s what I thought.” I dropped my arm. “Go upstairs.”

She quickly darted away, reaffirming exactly why I shouldn’t touch her, but after two paces she turned. “You know, it didn’t have to be like that.”

I raised an eyebrow.

Her voice dropped. “I meant, me touching you.” Heat colored her cheeks more than the cold outside had tipped her nose red, and she got even quieter. “You could’ve touched me.”

No, I fucking couldn’t.

More life experience than any nineteen-year-old I’d ever met, a body like a woman, a mouth that was smart one minute, vulnerable the next, she was skittish as fuck and she’d gotten under my skin. I wanted to own her cunt, but she was too damn young. So young, she’d come sliding down a mountain after me when she thought I was in trouble, and barreling out of the cabin when she saw a wolf on my six.

Women didn’t do that shit around me.

They either wanted to fuck me or cross the street to avoid me.

But this one wanted to goddamn hug me.

Christ.

“Go to bed, princess.” I walked into my security room.

HER FEET HIT THE WOOD floor in the bedroom above me.

For the past hour, she’d been tossing and turning, and I’d heard every single shift of the bed, but now she was up and moving.

I glanced at the stairs.

You didn’t serve five tours downrange and not get attuned to hearing every goddamn pin drop. Your life depended on it. But unlike downrange, my finger wasn’t on the trigger giving me a peace of mind you could only get from having the weight of a M4A1 in your hands. My arms were crossed, my feet were up and my guns were on the coffee table in front of me.

I may as well have been naked.

Summer hit the bottom step and shuffled into the room with a blanket wrapped around herself. Her gaze locked on her feet, her aim purposeful, she headed in my direction.

It didn’t matter that our eyes didn’t meet, she saw me like I saw her.

Dropping onto the couch, she curled up and pulled the blanket around her.

Except she didn’t park her ass at the other end.

Bold as fuck, she leaned into me.

The unmistakable scent of woman hit my nostrils, and she put her head on my chest like I was her fucking boyfriend.

I shifted, but she didn’t move away. “What are you doing?”

“What the hell does it look like I’m doing?” All bark and no bite, she tossed the words out like she was tough as shit.

I only smiled because she couldn’t see me. “Barking up the wrong goddamn tree.” I reminded myself I was almost twice her age.

She pushed into me closer. “Take it like a man.”

Not holding back, I