Red. (Den of Mercenaries #1)(21)

Shutting the drawer that held her pajamas, she opened another, hunting through it until she found what she was looking for.

Black lace.

She rarely, if ever splurged on anything, but there had been a few occasions where Shan had convinced her to go shopping, and on one particular trip, made her buy the fancy set because, ‘every girl needed sexy underwear.’ She had to admit, the bra and matching panties were nice, but she hadn’t found a reason to wear them—though Shan made it clear that there didn’t have to be a reason—until now.

Reagan might not have known what the proper etiquette was for a one-night-stand, but she was ready to find out.

She dressed quickly, first the lingerie, then a dress—one that would be easy to get off and put right back on when she was leaving—and shoes before she was exiting her room and heading for the door.

As she was stepping across the threshold, she heard the first of what would probably be numerous glasses shatter as her father hurled it against the bedroom wall.

Reagan kept walking.

The distance to where Niklaus was staying wasn’t far from her own home, fifteen-minute cab ride max. When she arrived—and had paid and climbed out—Reagan blinked in surprise, not remembering just how enormous the building was, and how desperately it was in need of repair. If not for what awaited her back at home, she might have turned and left.

Steeling her resolve, she kept forward, ignoring the curious glances shot in her direction from the men loitering outside. The inside wasn’t much better, not with the man with a stale expression staring at her through the bars of the front counter.

If Niklaus was in the city on business, then obviously he needed to have a talk with his boss if these were the best accommodations…

Judging from the room number she had memorized, she figured his room was on the third floor. Taking the elevator that looked like it hadn’t been checked since the cold war, she went up, then down a hallway until she reached the right room.

Holding the key in her hand, she thought better of just walking in, especially since she hadn’t called first to let him know she was coming. Instead, she lifted her fist and knocked. Down the hall, someone’s television was playing so loud that it carried outside of the cracked door, making it impossible to hear whether someone was inside.

Chewing on her lip, she waited a few more seconds before knocking once more, deciding that might have been a good idea for her to call ahead, just to see if he was actually there before riding all the way over.

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.