Ghostwalker 09 - Ruthless Game

hunger in her eyes. “Yes.”
    He laughed softly, happier than he’d ever been. “You like your way, don’t you?”

    “Yes.”
    He pul ed her head back farther and took possession of that soft, intriguing mouth. That mouth that could be sassy and sexy and so damn tempting that al his good intentions were in danger of going by the wayside.
    “When it comes to your health, I’m absolutely unbending.”
    “Real y?” Her laughter was muffled against his mouth. Her hand slid down his chest. When it hit his stomach, every muscle bunched and tightened. “I think it’s only fair to al ow me the chance to change your mind.”
    “Don’t you dare.” He caught her lower lip between his teeth and tugged gently in warning. “You’re going to get yourself in trouble.”
    Had he ever played with a woman before? Had fun even with his body screaming at him? It was a new experience. He’d never had a lazy morning in bed with a woman. Come to think about it, he’d never had a morning with a woman in bed. He didn’t do that kind of thing. He didn’t pretend love. He hadn’t known what loving a woman was until he’d seen Rose day after day.
    He held her close to him, savoring the feeling of being part of her. “The first time I ever saw you, Rose, you were standing in the exercise yard laughing. I couldn’t believe the sound, so happy and carefree when, by that time, I’d already figured out that al of you were virtual prisoners. I turned around and felt like someone punched me in the gut hard. A ful body blow, you know, rocking me.”
    She rubbed his taut abdomen, her fingers lingering on his skin. The lightest of touches, but stil , after their intimate contact, her touch shook him—or maybe it always would.
    “The sun poured down on your hair and turned it this amazing color of blue black that I’d never seen before, and the shine to it was incredible. Then you sprinted, Rose, flowing across the yard, running up the side of a wal , doing a somersault in the air and landing, almost al in one motion. You walked back to the group of women laughing again, as if you’d enjoyed the flight. And when you walked, hel , woman, it was a fucking sin the way you moved—like the sexiest dancer alive. I forgot al about that high fence and what it meant. You were sunshine.”
    How could he explain to her how he felt? He was a soldier, a man dedicated to his unit, to his duty. He was good at what he did. He liked the rush he got in dangerous situations and the satisfaction of a mission completed. He’d never considered that there was another side to him, a man starving, out in the cold and rain. He hadn’t even known that about himself until that moment. She seemed to live in every moment, worshipping the sun, turning her face up to the rain, even opening her mouth to catch the droplets. That had been the sexiest thing in the world to him. He had been obsessed with watching her, taking every opportunity to guard that side of the compound so he could see her.
    He had known it was a dangerous game he was playing with himself. The likelihood of meeting her had been smal , but he’d developed a need to see her every day, even if from a distance. He thought he’d hidden his growing need very wel , but obviously Whitney had known. Rose had once asked Kane what his weakness was, and he’d replied honestly that it was her, Rose. Whitney had known al along.
    Kane rol ed over and linked his hands behind his head. Rose did the same. They lay staring at their toes. Her foot was nearly half the size of his, and he rubbed his along hers, wiggling his toes. She laughed, and he closed his eyes briefly, savoring the sound. He threaded his fingers with hers and brought her hand to his mouth to nibble some more on her.
    “I knew you came out into the yard three times a day, the gym once, and the training buildings twice a day. I traded shifts and pul ed doubles so I could be where you were. I felt like a damned stalker, but after a few times, I couldn’t help myself.”
    She turned her head, her dark, almond eyes wide and a little shocked. “ Before Whitney paired us?”
    He bit down on her finger and then sucked the sting away. “ Way before.”
    “Are you certain he didn’t pair us before you ever saw me? Because I was pretty much—to the best of my ability—doing the same thing to you.”
    Her voice was a little shy as she admitted it to him, stealing his heart even more. “If the body reaction was anything to go by, I’d