Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Soren growled. “Not enough. More.”
Alexei’s only warning was a loud rattle of metal on wood. He straightened, his gaze jerking to where Soren had been handcuffed to the headboard, but there was no time to move. Strong arms wrapped around him, tackling him to the mattress. His naked body was pressed along Soren’s warm, partially clothed body, but its familiarity did nothing to quell the wave of panic crashing through him.
Gripping Soren’s shoulders in both hands, he pushed as hard as he could, but the larger man didn’t budge. He suddenly couldn’t breathe. His lungs weren’t working. Everything was spinning and falling down this dark hallway.
“Alexei! Alexei, look at me!”
Soren’s hard voice rose above the frantic beating of his heart in his ears. He blinked, focusing on Soren’s worried expression.
“Don’t kill me,” Alexei panted. But he knew Soren was going to. He’d gotten sloppy. Wasn’t paying attention. He’d taken a contract on Soren and now the cat burglar was going to kill him to protect himself.
“No, Angel. Never. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise,” Soren replied sweetly. “Focus. Can you feel my hands on your back?”
Alexei clenched his teeth and sucked in a breath, trying to cling to Soren’s words, but the panic was still pouring through him. He could feel Soren’s hands pressed against his skin, fingers digging into his muscles. His nod was jerky as he released the breath he’d sucked in.
“Feel my fingers. My hands are open. Nothing in my hands but you. I’m not a threat.” As he spoke, Soren pressed one finger after another into his bare flesh, working from his right hand to his left hand. Each imprint eased muscles, and he stopped trying to push Soren away. After a second, he was clinging to him, holding him in place.
“S-sorry,” he stammered.
Soren smiled and leaned close, pressing a kiss to his chin, his jaw, and then the corner of his mouth. “You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m sorry for scaring you. I thought I was being fun, but I should have known better than to try to surprise an assassin.”
“True. You were taking your own life in your hands,” Alexei murmured, closing his eyes as Soren continued to kiss his face and down his neck. “Wait! How did you get out of those cuffs?”
He could feel Soren’s smile on his throat. “I’ve got a little pin hidden in my watch band.”
“Fucking asshole.” Alexei cackled.
Soren nuzzled him. “Angel, can I please stay free?”
“Can you stay out of trouble long enough for me to get some sleep?”
Soren lifted his head, a smile already playing on his lips. “You know, it would be much harder for me to get into trouble if you’d let me sleep right here with you.”
Alexei stared at him, a different kind of panic rising in his chest. It wasn’t so much that he’d asked to stay but that Alexei was considering it. He’d never slept with someone where it actually included the unconscious part. The sex part he was great at. The other, not so much.
“Okay, but we’re getting a shower first. You’re a mess.”
Soren started to move, but then he stopped. “Are we safe here?” He cringed and frowned. “I don’t want to put you in danger. They’ve found me twice.”
“I have a feeling they’re tracking you through your cell phone, so I took it apart when you fell asleep earlier.” Soren’s eyes widened with his own bout of panic, and Alexei nearly laughed. “I saved the SIM card. We can shove it in a spare phone if we must. In the meantime, I do have a good security system in this place. We’ll know if anyone gets close.”
“Good. Let’s get a shower.”
Soren climbed to his feet and pulled Alexei up as well. They crowded close in his tiny shower, cleaning as best they could without elbowing each other. Alexei giggled when Soren took extraordinary interest in cleaning Alexei’s dick, so he naturally returned the favor for Soren.
When they climbed out to dry off, Soren finished on his knees, sucking Alexei off, which required Soren to carry him to bed. His legs were beyond working at that point. Cuddled against the man, Alexei shoved aside darker thoughts that were waiting in the wings. For now, they would sleep. In a few hours, he’d have to deal with whatever Marilyn had dug up about Soren and the contract on his head. He’d also have to make some hard decisions about what the future held. It was highly unlikely it was going to hold more cuddle sessions like this one. He needed to enjoy it while he had it, because very soon Soren was going to be walking out of his life.
Chapter 10
Soren stretched, sliding his toes along the smooth, soft sheets. Muscles pulled and bones ached. He still hurt, but at least he had a few hours’ sleep in him. Enough that he could start making some smart decisions about what to do next. From the moment he’d discovered Alexei’s gun, he’d been winging it. Just a lot of quick, off-the-cuff decisions that had sent him running in circles—quite literally—around the city.