Forged in Desire (The Protectors #1)(37)

“Don’t look at me like that, Margo.”

She swallowed. There was no need to ask what he meant. If there was any semblance of lust in her eyes, it was his fault. There was only one response to his deep, husky voice. “I can’t help it, Striker.”

He had taken a step toward her when his phone rang. The shrill sound should have shattered the moment, but it didn’t. Not really. She stood there, as if glued to the spot as he continued to hold her gaze while pulling his cell phone out of his pocket.

“What?” he barked into the phone. Then in a mild tone, he said, “Everything is fine here.”

Margo drew in a deep breath. Honestly? Did he think that? How could he when she was about to go up in flames thanks to his deep, penetrating gaze? She figured now was the time to escape into her workroom. To save herself before she was beyond rescuing.

She turned to leave.

“No. Don’t go anywhere, Margo.” She turned back around and saw he’d ended the call. He slowly strode toward her.

When he came to a stop directly in front of her, she swore she could hear the beat of his heart. “I think I should go, Striker,” she said in a voice she was trying to keep calm.

“And I think you should stay,” he countered.

Without saying anything else, he reached out his hand to her. She knew what it meant to let him touch her. Didn’t Striker know what this could lead to? Was that what he really wanted? Did she? Granted, they had kissed before, but to cross this line again could cause problems if things between them went sour. Like her ability to trust him, listen to him or follow his orders when she should.

Considering all of that, she should be the sensible one and walk away, think of the danger surrounding them. She should concentrate on the fact that a killer was still out there and she could be his next intended victim. However, at that moment none of that mattered. The only thing she wanted to think about was a kiss that had ended too quickly, and that they needed to pick up where they’d left off.

Margo did the one thing she knew she shouldn’t do and placed her hand in his.

*

STRIKER FELT IT the moment their hands touched—a yearning so acute it had parts of his body aching. Inwardly he was calling himself all kinds of fool, especially when just moments earlier he had decided to back away from the personal and concentrate on the professional. However, for a reason he couldn’t quite understand, he was tired of backing away, didn’t want to fight the intense attraction, the mind-blowing desire between them. At that moment he refused to consider the consequences or the possible outcome of his actions. If he crossed the line with Margo, if they had sex, how could they go back to just a protector–client relationship? The only thing he knew with certainty was that he wanted to kiss her. And he wanted to do it now.

He gently tugged on her hand and pulled her toward him, until their bodies were pressed close. That was when he released her hand to encircle her waist, gazing down at her. She had tilted her head back and it was as if she was offering her mouth to him. And, dammit, he intended to take it.

He didn’t care if his phone rang; he wouldn’t answer it. This time there would be no interruption. Nothing, he decided, would intrude into what was about to take place. Not a damn thing. With that thought firmly embedded in his mind, he tightened his hold around her waist, eased her even closer and lowered his head.

Striker took her mouth with the hunger he felt in every part of his body, immediately reacquainting himself with her taste. Without hesitation, his tongue skillfully and proficiently slid from one side of her mouth to the other, licking, exploring and tasting her with a yearning that stirred sensations that had never been riled before. A strong, primitive force had taken over his mind and his senses, pushing him to take as much of her mouth as he could while convincing himself that doing so was the only way to satisfy the raging desire coursing through him.

And the way she was kissing him back was fueling his fire and overwhelming him in a way that was totally earth-shattering. Why did the shape of her mouth seem perfect for his? Her taste was a total erection builder. Margo was storming his senses, igniting his fire. Stroke for stroke.

It was with great reluctance that he finally pulled his mouth away moments later, knowing he was leaving his taste with her just like she was leaving hers with him.

*

“MERCY.” MARGO BREATHED the word from a mouth that had just been thoroughly kissed. Talk about finishing what had gotten started a few days ago. Striker had left her breathless. The man had a startling sensuality that sent intense pleasure all through her. When had something like that ever happened to her before? She was convinced never.

Drawing in a deep breath, she took in his scent. Not only did he look good and taste good, but he also smelled good. Striker had the scent of a man. A man she wanted more of. And from the size of the erection that had been pressing hard against her middle a moment ago, he wanted more of her as well. The very thought had a heated effect on her.

It was then that his phone chimed with an incoming text and she appreciated it hadn’t done so sooner. An interruption was the last thing she would have wanted when their mouths had been busy feeding off each other. But now she considered it a blessing. It would give her a chance to regain her senses. In fact, she tried looking everywhere but at him since she knew for certain he was staring at her.

“Margo?”

Hearing her name forced her to look at him. “Yes?”