Ghostwalker 04 - Conspiracy Game

but she couldn’t climb any higher.
    They stared at each other for what seemed an eternity. “Close your eyes.”
    Her eyes widened. She blinked twice, almost as if mesmerized, but then her lashes fluttered and she pulled back, shaking her head. “You can’t kiss me.”
    “I’m going to kiss you.”
    “I don’t kiss anyone.”
    His eyebrow shot up. “ Ever? ”
    “I can’t touch people. I mean, I do my family, but it has—repercussions.”
    “You kissed me.”
    “That wasn’t a kiss.”
    Jack allowed the rope to slip out of his hand, but kept pace with her as she climbed above the highest platform. He watched her swing upside down, perform a slow somersault in the air, and set her feet onto the platform. “You don’t have repercussions when you touch me.”
    He did the same controlled maneuver so that he stood beside her. He caught her by the shoulders and dragged her close to him, his grip unbreakable.
    Without another word he lowered his head to hers. There was no point in arguing—he had to kiss her. He couldn’t think of anything but the shape of her mouth, the soft texture of her lips—and he wanted to taste her. Almost from the first time he’d caught her feminine scent, she’d filled his mind, until he could think of little else.
    The moment his lips touched hers, time seemed to stop, to stand still. There was only Briony in his world. Not his shattered body, wracked with pain, not his firm resolve to keep her at an emotional distance—everything that had come before was gone, until there was only this one woman. She tasted of hot spice and honey, an addicting rush that sped through his veins with the speed of a fireball and settled deep inside of him. He would never get her out. He could spend the rest of his life kissing her and it would never be enough.
    He caught her face in his hands, holding her still while his mouth moved over hers and his tongue probed deep, wanting more, claiming more. He started with the best of intentions, a light, feathering kiss, tongue tracing her soft lips and teasing until she opened for him, but the moment he sank into the magic of her mouth, soft and warm and so inviting, he couldn’t prevent the groan of hunger, the ravenous need that broke free so that he took complete control of the kiss, using every bit of experience and expertise he had. He didn’t want to give her time to think—only to feel—to want him the way he wanted her.
    Something struck the metal frame of the building, and Briony pulled away, swinging her head around, her breath coming in a ragged gasp. “Soldiers?”
    “Maybe,” he replied grimly.
    “They’re at the door,” she warned. “Quick. Lie down in the exact center. You’re in the shadows up here.”
    Jack obeyed, expecting her to lie beside him. Instead, she hurried to the rope, pausing with one hand on it.
    “Stay prone. You’re too high; they won’t be able to spot you,” Briony hissed. She eluded his outstretched hand as she caught the rope more firmly and slipped halfway down to the floor. She was still dangling a good fifteen feet in the air as she began to perform a series of slow moves, changing positions with flowing precision, each move requiring tremendous strength and skill.
    What the hell do you think you’re doing? You’re driving me out of my mind, woman.
    We don’t want them searching the place, and my brothers and I come in to practice all the time. Just stay still. If they find you, they’ll kill me and my brothers. She broke off abruptly, praying he wouldn’t go psycho on her.
    Jack bit back any retort. There was no use arguing with her; she was already out in the open. He could kill the rebels, was fully prepared, but it would bring down a hellstorm on them. Damn her. She had no right to take chances with her life—not to protect him or her brothers.
    Three men entered the building. Their movements were furtive, as if they were afraid of being seen. They weren’t dressed in uniforms, but they carried themselves like the soldiers she’d seen on every street corner. They stared up at her for a long moment, and something in the way they looked at her made her shiver. She stopped in mid-somersault and sat up, looping her foot through the rope to peer down at them.
    Rebels , he warned.
    You think? Her mouth was dry, heart pounding. “I’m sorry, you’re not supposed to be in here while we practice.”
    “Come down now,” one called to her and pointed to the floor. He let her see the gun