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“You’re not over Kyle, and grief takes time. Sometimes, a lot of time. If we sleep together every time we meet, I’ll like you even more.” He clasped his hands over his lap.
“That sounds like a win to me. Can’t find any downside for either of us.” Tess cracked a flirtatious smile. Swirling the scotch in her glass, she traced the rim before licking the amber liquor off a finger. Having him so close enticed her, and she lacked the restraint to ignore temptation.
“No downside?” He let out a groan. “Tess, terrorists are chasing you as we speak. Losing Maya nearly killed me, and I can’t handle losing someone again. You’re beautiful but risky.”
Outside the hotel window, city lights glowed across the Thames. Right now, enveloped in a bubble of safety, Tess didn’t care if danger lurked. Undecided on how to refute his mixed message, she set her glass on the coffee table. “Fair enough. A grieving woman targeted by terrorists isn’t the greatest romantic catch. However, to be clear, I plan to survive.” Suddenly restless, she rose from the sofa, as if movement alone could shield her from disappointment.
Mark stood to join her.
Rotating to face him, she met his intense gaze but couldn’t interpret his expression. She glided a hand over his shoulders before running her fingertips down his chest. Closing her eyes, she encircled his waist and outlined the inverted triangle of his muscular back. Melding her chest against him, she trailed her fingers against his shirt, and the resulting body heat between them made her head tingle.
“I can’t resist you,” he whispered before seeking her mouth. Groaning under his breath, he stripped off his shirt and wrapped his arms around her, rocking his body gently against hers.
Tasting echoes of peaty scotch along with salt, she parted her lips as the silky tip of his tongue found hers. When his hip brushed against hers, she melted with desire, and warmth spread throughout her body. She tore off her blouse, leaving her black silk bra smooth against his bare chest.
Once the spark uniting them ignited, stopping became impossible. She slid her hands to caress his bruised torso and kissed him hungrily, her breath rising as desire took hold. Slipping off her bra, she pressed her bare chest against his skin. Happily, she forgot the world outside and lost herself in pleasure. She lowered a hand below his waist. “I want—”
“Take all of me.” Breathless, he lifted her off the ground and navigated them toward the suite’s bedroom. Once inside, he swooped her onto the perfectly made bed. After landing a line of kisses down her bare torso, he moved up and kissed her, long and slow.
A soft, golden light emanated from the bedside lamp. Each brush of his lips offered a delicate gift of what she needed—a fresh infusion of life. As if awakening from a long winter’s hibernation, she quickly thawed and longed for more. She rolled onto one side and slid close beside him. As his golden stubble brushed against her cheeks, she trailed one hand down his bare back, appreciating the well-defined, rippled muscles. Breathless, she relished the sight of him and grew hungry with want.
Tess’s mobile rang, and she groaned. “No-o-o!” Ignoring the phone, she kissed him again. “Whatever it is can wait ten minutes.”
“Only ten minutes? I’d prefer at least an hour.” Mark gave a soft chuckle.
The ringing stopped for a moment but restarted. “Call marked urgent,” a computerized voice announced.
“Crap. I’m sorry.” Tess rolled away and grabbed the phone from the bedside table. The screen read Declan O’Leary. Something was seriously wrong. She pressed the phone to her ear and heard Declan’s breath hitching in sporadic bursts. “What happened?”
“I need your help. David’s gone—kidnapped.”
Chapter Fourteen
Vanished
Declan’s announcement officially dashed the romantic mood. Tess lurched upright and turned up the bedside light and shivered, as if she’d plunged deep into an icy lake. The smoldering sensual energy she and Mark had built up evaporated. Dread replaced desire, and she felt her chest tighten with anxious, shallow breaths. Like a horror movie on replay, she was transported back to the barn and reliving her fatal fight with Sergey. Ghoulish images of him unleashing sadistic revenge upon Mark flashed through her thoughts, and she battled queasiness.
“Tess, you there? Can you hear me?” Declan stammered.
She hadn’t realized she’d gone silent. Snapping herself back to the present, she detected the frantic edge to his tone and prayed he was wrong. With closed eyes, she clutched the phone tight and braced herself. “I’m here. Tell me what’s going on.”
“David didn’t come home after leaving Ivy House tonight. Penelope called the police, and they can’t find him.” His words poured out in a rush.
“What the hell happened? Didn’t he have police protection?” She needn’t have asked the question. Crimson Hammer happened, that’s what.
“Police did a crap job. For feck’s sake, it’s a total cock-up.”
Declan, who could swear worse than the saltiest sailors, added a long string of expletives. As curse words reverberated in her ear, she grasped for any evidence that could make the news less awful. “Could they trace his mobile signal?”
“No. How do you vanish from fucking central London without a bloody trace?” Declan grumbled and grunted. “Christ.”
Declan’s anxiety was contagious, and Tess sensed prickly heat spreading over her body as a fresh dose of adrenaline pumped through her bloodstream. Hands shaking, she smashed a fist into the damask duvet as a deluge of panicked thoughts nearly overtook her. The emergency demanded she set a course forward and navigate this new storm.
Mark squeezed her clenched hand and placed a blanket around her bare shoulders.
“Hang tight—here’s what we’re going to do. I’m taking myself off medical leave immediately and will serve as CEO in David’s absence. Declan, I nominate you as acting corporate vice president. Call Kavita and tell her she will head up both Development and Operations.”
“Done. Thank you.”
