concentration that Hawk cursed silently.
“Rule number two. Your hands stay where I put them, no matter what.”
“But—” Jess stopped, studying his face.
“Yes or no?” Hawk realized his hands were rigid, his need building fiercely.
“Yes.”
He sighed, almost angry that she wasn’t giving him any reasons to say no
.
“What if you regret this tomorrow?”
“I won’t.” She sounded absolutely certain.
Fighting back a curse, Hawk leaned down, letting her see the hunger he’d managed to push beneath the surface. If she planned to turn back, he needed to know now. “You realize exactly what you’re offering me, Jess.
Everything.
” His hand cupped her breast, stroking her slowly through the thin silk of her blouse. “Are you still in?”
She blinked at him. Her eyes darkened as his fingers tugged at the tight crest thrusting against her blouse. “I’m not sure I can think when you do that.”
Hawk laughed grimly. “I’ll be doing a lot more than this in a minute, honey. So give me an answer.”
Jess gnawed at her lip, making a soft sound of surprise when Hawk’s hands slid beneath her blouse, shoved aside her bra, and closed over her nipples.
Her skin felt hot and tight against Hawk’s callused fingers.
His breath was rough. He couldn’t manage to act casual much longer. She was too exciting and he wanted her too badly.
If she didn’t scare off soon, he wouldn’t be able to stop.
He leaned down, one arm at her back as he kissed her neck, her shoulder, the perfect curve of her breasts.
His tongue circled her slowly, like a cat savoring warm cream, working the dark pink nipple between his teeth until her breath hissed and her nails dug into his back.
“Good,”
she whispered. “I mean, yes. I’m
definitely
in. Don’t even think about stopping now.”
Emilio Chavez moved restlessly through the quiet room. His stocky body was tense, his energy barely contained.
Finally he came to a halt. “Have you found the animal yet?” He used the hard, colloquial Spanish of the mountain village where he’d been born in Colombia.
The two other men in the room avoided his eyes. Both men knew that the news they brought was
not
the news that their employer wanted to hear.
As the silence stretched out, the stocky Colombian ex-general moved to the window and stared out at the rain-swept harbor.
“I gave you twelve hours, and you gave me only promises.” Chavez drummed his fingers on the chipped windowsill. “Then I gave you another twenty-four hours. And still you mutter and delay, with nothing of any value to show me.” The two men behind him were sweating now, although the room was cool.
“But, sir, we followed the roads. We checked the map and the towns nearby.” The man was interrupted by footsteps outside.
There was a single quick tap at the door. “What is it?” Chavez called angrily.
The door opened. “The satellite weather maps you asked for are here, sir.”
Chavez glared at the nervous man in a black rain poncho. “Put them on the desk, then have my boat fueled.”
“Yes, sir. Immediately, sir.” The door closed quietly, and the three men were once more alone.
Chavez watched lightning break out at sea and sighed. He pulled a bottle of whiskey from a hidden shelf and carried it across to his desk, where he filled three glasses, then motioned the other two men forward. “You have ten hours from this moment. Before you go out, we will share a drink for good luck. This whiskey is excellent, as only the mad Scotsmen can make it. But remember that I am not a patient man.” He raised his glass in a toast to the others. “To the first one who finds the animal. He will sleep in silk sheets, with more money than he can spend in one lifetime.”
Glasses clinked and greed lay heavy in the air. As Chavez savored the expensive aged whiskey, he noticed with distaste that the others tossed their drinks back with no respect.
Crude killers, he thought. Men with no hearts.
But he
“Rule number two. Your hands stay where I put them, no matter what.”
“But—” Jess stopped, studying his face.
“Yes or no?” Hawk realized his hands were rigid, his need building fiercely.
“Yes.”
He sighed, almost angry that she wasn’t giving him any reasons to say no
.
“What if you regret this tomorrow?”
“I won’t.” She sounded absolutely certain.
Fighting back a curse, Hawk leaned down, letting her see the hunger he’d managed to push beneath the surface. If she planned to turn back, he needed to know now. “You realize exactly what you’re offering me, Jess.
Everything.
” His hand cupped her breast, stroking her slowly through the thin silk of her blouse. “Are you still in?”
She blinked at him. Her eyes darkened as his fingers tugged at the tight crest thrusting against her blouse. “I’m not sure I can think when you do that.”
Hawk laughed grimly. “I’ll be doing a lot more than this in a minute, honey. So give me an answer.”
Jess gnawed at her lip, making a soft sound of surprise when Hawk’s hands slid beneath her blouse, shoved aside her bra, and closed over her nipples.
Her skin felt hot and tight against Hawk’s callused fingers.
His breath was rough. He couldn’t manage to act casual much longer. She was too exciting and he wanted her too badly.
If she didn’t scare off soon, he wouldn’t be able to stop.
He leaned down, one arm at her back as he kissed her neck, her shoulder, the perfect curve of her breasts.
His tongue circled her slowly, like a cat savoring warm cream, working the dark pink nipple between his teeth until her breath hissed and her nails dug into his back.
“Good,”
she whispered. “I mean, yes. I’m
definitely
in. Don’t even think about stopping now.”
Emilio Chavez moved restlessly through the quiet room. His stocky body was tense, his energy barely contained.
Finally he came to a halt. “Have you found the animal yet?” He used the hard, colloquial Spanish of the mountain village where he’d been born in Colombia.
The two other men in the room avoided his eyes. Both men knew that the news they brought was
not
the news that their employer wanted to hear.
As the silence stretched out, the stocky Colombian ex-general moved to the window and stared out at the rain-swept harbor.
“I gave you twelve hours, and you gave me only promises.” Chavez drummed his fingers on the chipped windowsill. “Then I gave you another twenty-four hours. And still you mutter and delay, with nothing of any value to show me.” The two men behind him were sweating now, although the room was cool.
“But, sir, we followed the roads. We checked the map and the towns nearby.” The man was interrupted by footsteps outside.
There was a single quick tap at the door. “What is it?” Chavez called angrily.
The door opened. “The satellite weather maps you asked for are here, sir.”
Chavez glared at the nervous man in a black rain poncho. “Put them on the desk, then have my boat fueled.”
“Yes, sir. Immediately, sir.” The door closed quietly, and the three men were once more alone.
Chavez watched lightning break out at sea and sighed. He pulled a bottle of whiskey from a hidden shelf and carried it across to his desk, where he filled three glasses, then motioned the other two men forward. “You have ten hours from this moment. Before you go out, we will share a drink for good luck. This whiskey is excellent, as only the mad Scotsmen can make it. But remember that I am not a patient man.” He raised his glass in a toast to the others. “To the first one who finds the animal. He will sleep in silk sheets, with more money than he can spend in one lifetime.”
Glasses clinked and greed lay heavy in the air. As Chavez savored the expensive aged whiskey, he noticed with distaste that the others tossed their drinks back with no respect.
Crude killers, he thought. Men with no hearts.
But he
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