Page 22 of Jack

Her arms slid around his back, and she felt the muscle against her as he wrapped her up as if she was precious.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was heavy with tears, and she wanted to kick herself for showing too much emotion, but she was tired of hiding.

He pulled back so he could see her face, his hands cupping her neck just under her earlobes, his thumbs caressing her lips. “What the hell do you have to be sorry for?”

“I ruined it all. Now you know how tainted I am.”

Jack’s jaw locked tight, and he looked up at the ceiling before catching her eyes again. “You’re not fucking tainted. You’re perfect, Astrid. You did what you had to do to survive, and that’s not weak or shameful so don’t take that on yourself. You’re a warrior, a beautiful, sexy, warrior princess, and I’m kicking myself that I took so long to see it, but I do see it now. I see you, Astrid, and I want to help. I want us to explore whatever this is between us.”

“I could have said no.”

Tears tipped over her lower lids and caught on his thumbs as Jack wiped them away. “And you would’ve been burned sooner. We both know it and the agency most probably would’ve taken you out. You did what you had to, and the only blame lies with the man who touched you and the man who put you in the position where you had to allow it.”

“You’re a good man, Jack Granger.”

“I’m not sure everyone thinks so. Roz hates my guts.”

“Well, that’s because you and Roz are too similar.”

His eyes bugged, and he put a palm to his chest over his heart. “You wound me.”

Astrid chuckled at his joke and thanked him for lightening things when she needed it. “I’m sure your ego can take it.”

“Um, maybe. I have to go chat with our guests. Why don’t you get some sleep, and we’ll talk in the morning?”

Astrid hesitated, wanting to handle it but feeling too raw to see straight. When she faced Iago Ravelino again, she wanted to be strong and formidable, not the weak woman he’d beaten so severely that she’d spent three weeks in a coma recovering from her injuries.

“Thank you, that sounds great.”

Jack lowered his head, and she went up on tiptoes, scared to see if his kiss felt different now he knew of her shame. He’d said all the right things but was he just being kind?

His lips slanted over hers, and his tongue licked at the seam for her to open for him, which she did. The taste of him was heady as he kissed her as if it was his job. She felt drugged. Her ability to function normally and make rational choices flew out of her mind when Jack kissed her, and far from it feeling less than before, it felt more, as if he’d let down his guard too.

He pulled away when they were both breathless and dropped a kiss on her eyelids. “Sweet dreams, Astrid. Dream of me.”

Then he was gone, and she was locking up behind him, listening as he walked away. Far from feeling as if her life was falling apart like she thought she’d feel if they ever caught her, she felt as if something new was beginning. She just needed to live long enough to enjoy the beauty she knew was on the other side.