Because it was no longer a matter of if I would touch her—my sake and hers be damned.
It’s a matter of when.
And when it happened, we were both fucked.
Her forehead furrowed, her lips sucking in a hungry breath.
I chuckled, dragging her forward until her chest slammed against mine. With a possessive grip, I shoved her hand further into my back pocket, forcing her to grope me.
She shuddered as I lost control a little and locked my gaze on her lips.
Having her so close, feeling her heat, feeling her fingers twitch against my ass, hell it was enough to drive anyone insane, let alone a man who’d made an oath not to touch this woman until she wanted to be touched—despite the memories of her mouth on his cock and her tongue on his lips.
We both struggled to breathe, almost as if the world had suddenly dried up of oxygen and we could only survive breathing each other.
“You’re right if you think a stranger wouldn’t be attuned to your presence like I’ve become,” I murmured, forcing myself to teach rather than imagine her naked and in my bed. “But your shadow gave you away. It’s not just a matter of quietness and light of touch—it’s about using your surroundings to keep you invisible rather than revealing your crime.”
I bowed my head, and hers tipped up as if the same conductor choreographed us.
Sea air wrapped around us, bringing us closer without noticing. My gut clenched as her body swayed into mine, pushing me into the railing.
The irony that I’d just fantasied about pinning her against the same thing wasn’t lost on me.
I wanted so fucking much to kiss her.
My fingers unlocked around her wrist, allowing her to pull her hand from my shorts, yet she didn’t. She stood exactly where she was, staring at my eyes, my mouth, trapped in the same indecision I was.
My head lowered.
If she wanted me to kiss her, that was entirely different to me wanting to kiss her. It meant she invited it not just accepted it. I’d do whatever the hell she wanted.
Her eyes fluttered as our mouths inched closer. My skin heated and prickled while hers broke out in goosebumps. I gritted my teeth in preparation, knowing the moment we kissed I’d struggle to stop at just a gentle caress.
My mind flashed black with images of dragging her downstairs, stripping off that grey dress, and taking her.
She’d let me. But only because she was trained to. She wouldn’t fight me. But only because she’d been beaten enough that fighting was no longer an option.
Her breath skated over my lips, sweet with strawberries and mango from breakfast.
I groaned at the barest feather of her mouth on mine.
My mind almost snapped.
And then…she was gone.
The wallet ripped from my pocket and flew with her as she parried backward, a sly grin on her face.
For a heavy heartbeat, I couldn’t figure out what the hell happened.
Then she waggled the money holder, taunting me.
Blood rushed from my cock back to my brain.
I glowered at her, anger rising a little that she’d conned me. She’d cheated. But then again…wasn’t that the point?
She cheated on her past with happiness. She stood there smiling in a way she’d never smiled before. And the new life in her sombre eyes drowned out my annoyance like a pinch to a matchstick flame.
I couldn’t discipline her or tell her she couldn’t go around kissing potential marks to distract them from the crime. I couldn’t march toward her and grab her and fuck her in reward for using her surroundings to win—just like I’d taught.
All I could do was shake my head and accept that she’d broken my rules and schooled me. Aching with need and smouldering with lust, I threw my head back and laughed.
THAT WAS THE first day but definitely not the last that Elder broke my proverbial chains and taught me how to smile again.
After we almost kissed and I stole the wallet, his captain arrived and dragged him off to discuss the impending storm on the horizon. Elder had looked at me for the first time with reluctance.
My heart skipped with heat. He was as against the idea of leaving me as I was him going. Whatever had made us pay attention to each other back at Alrik’s sprang into full authority, tangling us in budding friendship and desire.
He’d stalked toward me and for a second, I’d wanted to kneel at his feet and give him permission to unleash the lust painted all over him. For the first time, I would submit—not because I wanted to, but because he hurt and I didn’t like him hurting—not after everything he’d given me.
Once again, I wanted to use sex to repay him because that was all I had of value. But even if I did, even if I locked myself tight and gave him the use of my body, he wouldn’t take it.
He’d call me a whore and I’d never let him utter such filth again.
Stopping in front of me, he’d snatched the wallet from my fingers, removed the one-hundred dollar note and deliberately stuffed it into his pocket.