Red. (Den of Mercenaries #1)

Reagan was determined to try one last time when the door swung open suddenly, Niklaus standing on the other side with a black shirt stretched across his chest, jeans that were zipped but left unbuttoned, his feet bare. Usually, his hair was styled, but now, he had left it unkempt, like he had just gotten out of the shower and left it dry how it liked.

At first, surprise skittered across his features before it was gone just as quickly. She didn’t get a chance to even speak before he had an arm hooked around her waist and was dragging her inside, but only far enough that he could close and bolt the door.

She was so used to the somber way in which he carried himself that now that she was facing him like this, her heart kicked up a pace.

Swallowing, she met his gaze. “Hi.”

His answer was slow, and almost taunting as he said, “I didn’t think you would come.”

“Me either.”

Niklaus took a step closer, and she took one back, only managing to press her back against the door. Pressing one hand flat against it, he leaned into her, the warm heady scent of him surrounding her. “Why did you?”

The words stuck in her throat, not because she was incapable of saying them, but because she could barely breathe with the way he was no looking at her.

“No, no, that won’t do,” he said after a moment. “You can’t be shy with me now.”

“One night,” she found herself saying, repeating the words he’d said to her. “Maybe two.”

That was all she could say before his lips were on hers and she finally gave in to the very thing that she had been trying to resist. He didn’t start off demanding. No, he just let his lips coax over hers until his lips parted, and hers responded in kind. His hand came up to pull the tie from her hair and tangle his fingers within the strands.

There was no hesitation on his part, no fumbling around at all, and when she felt his teeth, just pulling at her bottom lip, she moaned low, grabbing hold of the front of his shirt and drawing him closer.

But while he allowed it, he drew his head back, cold blue eyes staring down at her. “I can be gentle if you need me to be,” he murmured, the whisper like a caress against her skin. “But I can’t promise how long that’ll last, yeah?”

She could do nothing more than nod, and only when he got that response from her did he finally step back, his hands going to the neck of his shirt and pulling, and just that quickly, he was half-naked, and she was able to take him in without his shirt in the way.

Besides the tattoo she had noticed at his neck, there were two more on his chest…stars, she realized when he came closer. But they didn’t look as fresh on his skin as the lines behind his ear, but rather mottled, the skin beneath scarred.

She couldn’t imagine what could have made those parallel marks on his skin, but she could guess that they had to hurt.

She wasn’t given the chance to ask him about them before his lips were crashing against hers again, then skimming down her jaw and throat, leaving a burning path behind. Before she had even realized it happened, Niklaus was on his knees in front of her, insistent hand shoving her dress up to pool at her waist.

Drawing her leg up to rest on his shoulder, he held her steady even as her entire body trembled. Niklaus didn’t immediately go for her center, rather let his mouth skim up her calve, his teeth nipping at her flesh making a rush of heat surge through her. By the time he made it to her inner thigh, she was soaked. Aching. Waiting for the moment when he would finally touch her and put her out of her misery.

But he didn’t do what she wanted, not yet anyway. His fingers splayed across her stomach, sweeping down until he had his thumb pressed against her clit over the lace.

It was enough to send a shot of electricity through her, her hands drifting to the strands of his hair and pulling.

“Right there?” he asked, pressing a little firmer, rubbing in small circles.

With each second, he made minute adjustments until her back was arching off the door, a throaty moan clawing its way up her throat. As skillful as he was at finding the right spot to make her clutch him tighter, it was nothing compared to when he hooked his fingers in the side of her panties, drawing them to the side as his lips found her center.

As his tongue delved between her lips, he didn’t immediately lash at her clit, but twisted and rolled his tongue over all of her, dipping down to her entrance and back up again, drawing the tight bundle of nerves between his lips and sucking.

A keen whine ripped free from her as rational thought fled, only replaced with a need to get him to do that again.

Then she felt his fingers again, following the same path his tongue had as he moved from her clit then down and pressed two fingers inside of her, curling them upwards.

Niklaus didn’t ask for instructions, letting her reactions to him giving him any answer he needed.

Reagan was close, closer than she should have been considering he had just touched her. Her body wasn’t her own under his hands. And he knew, as he kissed, licked and sucked, every bit of her that she was about to come.

He was on his feet in a flash, his forehead to hers, one hand firm on her chin, forcing her eyes on him.

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