Into the Mist (Falcon Mercenary Group #1)(36)

He grinned and wiped more blood from his nose. “If you want me to apologize for pressing my advantage, you’ll be waiting a long time. If you’d just play nice, I’d invite you in for a drink…” he made a slow up and down sweep of her body with his gaze, “…and maybe show you just how hospitable I can be.”

“And you say I have an obsession with that part of the male anatomy.”

“I’m a man. We think with our dicks, remember?”

She responded with a quick jab. He dodged and punched back, connecting with her shoulder. It wasn’t enough to even knock her back, but he heard her quick intake of breath, and he frowned.

Then once again, he found himself staring up at the stars when she executed a lightning roundhouse kick to his jaw. And she was off again.

Damn but he must have it awfully bad for this chick to put this much effort into getting into her pants.

He got up, rubbing his jaw, and set off. She was making steady progress toward the house. What did she want? She wasn’t trying to kill him. Hurt him? Taunt him? Yes. But she was pulling her punches every bit as much as he was, and she hadn’t tried to filet him with the damn machete she called a knife.

Chasing after women wasn’t his style, but damn if he wasn’t wagging his ass after her like a f**king lap dog. He had a sneaking suspicion the feisty little wench just might be his dream woman.

The constantly trying to do him bodily harm could put a serious kink in their relationship, though.

He shifted again and streaked after her, suddenly weary of the chase. It was time to end it. He wanted her. Wanted to taste her again. To get so deep inside her that he lost all sense of himself.

A low growl echoed across the night.

As he rounded the corner of the west wing of the house, he saw Tyana frozen, staring at two pacing cats.

Chapter Fourteen

Tyana didn’t even bother with her knife. She gripped the rifle with both hands and quietly brought the muzzle up. A big-ass jaguar and only a slightly smaller black panther, so black that all she could really make out was the iridescent glow of his eyes, paced a few feet away, their eyes never leaving her as they moved back and forth in obvious agitation.

“It would seem you have two choices,” Eli said mildly from behind her. “You can give up like a good girl and come inside with me. Or you can be kitty food.”

Her fingers tightened around her rifle, and before she could breathe, Eli was in front of her, his hand gripping her wrist so tightly she was forced to loosen her hold on the stock.

“I won’t let you hurt them.” His voice was deadly, laced with no bravado whatsoever. “Not that I think you’d have a chance with them anyway. You might get a shot off, but you’d be hamburger in a nanosecond.”

Her hand was growing numb. She knew better than to make any sudden moves. She didn’t want any teeth or claws in her ass if she put Eli on his butt. Was she looking at Ian and Braden Thomas? The two men Esteban wanted dead?

“What’s it going to be, sugar?” Eli asked in a quiet voice. “You going with me or do I leave you out here for them? I don’t usually like to share my treats with the house pets, but I might make an exception this time.”

“I’m not your f**king treat,” she snarled.

White teeth flashed in the moonlight. “Oh yes, sugar, you’re my treat, all right. I just have to dig for the sweet.”

The jaguar hissed and stalked closer. Eli pushed into her body, moving her back several steps. His body surrounded hers. Protecting her, for God’s sake.

She shoved angrily at him and yanked her wrist from his grasp. “All right, let’s go.”

“Give me your weapons,” he said calmly.

“Fuck you.”

He stood, arms crossed then looked back over his shoulders. “They look hungry to me.”

She slammed the rifle against his chest, backing him up one step. She yanked a pistol from her shoulder harness and offered it to him. Then she took the two remaining knives she had and dropped them on the ground.

“Damn, girl. Have I ever told you how sexy you look in commando mode?”

She glared at him. “Let’s go, pretty boy. You and I have things to discuss.”

He took her arm and herded her toward the house. She almost laughed. How ridiculous was this, anyway? Pride wouldn’t allow her to just show up and ask for his help. Instead she had to posture, show how tough she was and that while she might suggest a partnership, she didn’t need his damn help.

That whole pride goeth before a fall thing came readily to mind. She could swallow it for D, she reminded herself.

They entered through two gates that Eli had to punch security codes in for. He led her through a small courtyard then punched yet another keypad before they entered the house.

“Got something against visitors?” she asked as he continued to push her further into the house.

“Depends on who’s visiting. You have an open invitation, sugar. But next time, just call. It’ll save a lot of pain in my ass.”

They stopped in what looked suspiciously like Eli’s private little domain. All it lacked was a bed, though she wouldn’t be surprised if one didn’t fold out of the wall somewhere.

There were two leather couches, dark brown with an invitingly comfortable look. She was dead tired and the idea of melting all over one of them was making her work up a drool.