by Jami Gray
She turned to Echo, only to find the other woman steadily making her way up the sheer wall. Looking closer, Charity realised shallow depressions staggered up the side. A haphazard, built-in ladder. Lovely. Putting the glow stick between her teeth, she tested the first handhold, unsurprised when there was only enough room to curl her fingers over the edge. She looked over her shoulder at Ruin, her gaze fell to his booted feet. Worry rose. They were big damn feet and getting them to fit into the narrow depressions was iffy at best. A touch on her chin brought her gaze back to his face.
‘Go,’ he mouthed.
She frowned, but when he motioned her to hurry, she turned and began to climb.
Long minutes passed, the quiet broken only by their breathing and the soft sounds of their climb. Charity’s fingers were going numb when a few steps above, Echo stopped. Not wanting to stare up Echo’s skirt, for any number of reasons, Charity twisted her neck to find Ruin grimly clinging to the wall a step or two below her.
The scrape of metal accompanied by a breeze from above brought her attention back to Echo who disappeared through an opening. With an end to the muscle-seizing climb in sight, Charity scrambled up. At the top, she forced her aching arms to lever her body out of the opening. Rolling to her back on what appeared to be a roof of some sort, she sucked in deep breaths, flexed her fingers and toes, and blinked at the cloud-draped night sky.
There was a masculine grunt as Ruin joined her. Instead of lying back, he remained on his hands and knees next to her, his face above hers. She shifted her head just a bit to see him. ‘That was fun.’
His amber eyes glittered in the night, and there was a flash of white as he grinned.
Their moment was interrupted by another scrape of metal and a dull thunk as Echo closed the hatch. Charity rolled over and up into a sitting position, bringing her knees up. Bracing her wrists, she let her hands hang free, hoping to force the blood back into her fingertips. ‘Thanks.’
Echo brushed off her skirt and looked up long enough to glare. ‘Working with you is a pain in the ass, Charity.’
Deciding to take that as a compliment, Charity grinned.
Echo shook her head, her disgust evident. ‘I’m out of here.’
‘Where is here?’ The question came from Ruin as he shifted to sit next to Charity.
‘Just south and east of where you started.’ Straightening her shoulders, Echo began walking in the opposite direction. ‘Next time you need information, hit up someone else.’ With that last dour warning, she slipped over the roof’s edge and disappeared.
Ruin turned to Charity. ‘I’m assuming she doesn’t fly.’
Charity shook her head. ‘I’m betting she dropped to a neighbouring roof and will be using their roof access as her exit.’
‘Interesting friends you have.’
Shaking out a hand, she ignored the pins and needles slowly fading from her fingertips. ‘More of a business acquaintance than a friend.’
Pushing to her feet, she wandered over to the edge Echo disappeared from. Sure enough, the neighbouring building’s roof was close enough to jump to, and if she wasn’t mistaken, there was a roof access door just on the other side of that section to her left. Nice escape route, but not one Charity was comfortable following.
She walked in the opposite direction, ignoring Ruin as he sat and watched her. After peering over the edge, she realised they were on the roof of the graffiti-covered bar. Ruin came up beside her and together they watched as the local militia hauled out a handful of teens and sat them on the kerb in front of the burnt out warehouse.
‘Looks as if some didn’t make it out,’ he noted.
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if they were paid to be caught.’
She could feel the weight of his gaze. ‘Seriously?’
She nodded. ‘It gives everyone else time to get out of the zone.’
‘Huh,’ he sounded thoughtful. ‘Not sure anyone could pay me enough to take the heat for someone else.’
Nope, that wasn’t part of his personality, or hers for that matter, but it was a great tactic. She pushed away from the edge. ‘Well, let’s make it worth their while, shall we?’ She led the way to the back of the roof, as far as they could get from the happenings out front.
Ruin stood at her side. ‘We jumping?’ Dry amusement was evident in his question.
‘Yep.’ The distance from the bar to the building behind it couldn’t be more than six, maybe seven feet. Thankfully, in this area, the buildings were almost stacked on top of each other. Making the jump was still nerve-wracking considering if they missed the other ledge the drop was a good thirty feet.
‘I’ll go first,’ he offered.
‘Okay.’ Not that she wanted to put this off any longer, but it made sense. His reach was longer, and if she misjudged her jump, it might make a difference. The clammy sweat breaking along her spine thought differently, but she’d hold tight to her delusion. For now.
They chose the best path and picked a starting point far enough back to give them the speed they needed. Ruin grabbed her hand, squeezed, then let her go. ‘See ya on the other side, sweet cheeks.’
Before she could respond, he was gone, racing over the roof and launching his body into the air. As he jumped, her breath caught and held, only escaping when he landed in a forward roll. She tried to settle her breathing and pulse, but it was useless. ‘Suck it up, Charity,’ she muttered under her breath, trying unsuccessfully to get her pitching stomach to settle.
On the other building, Ruin stood, waiting.
Gritting her teeth, she darted forward, picking up speed as she raced over the roof. Her foot hit the ledge and using every ounce of strength available, she launched into the air, her stomach freefalling even as she stretched towards Ruin. Her heart seized as her body began its decent. She wasn’t going to make it. Panic clawed for a foothold. She focused on Ruin, who was leaning forward, hands out, reaching for her. She twisted, stretched, and strained.
The hard slap of skin stung, but it didn’t matter. What did was the feel of Ruin’s solid grip on her wrist and the scrape of brick under her other palm when she managed to cling to the edge of the building. Her body slammed against the wall, her lungs stalled at the impact. Ruin didn’t give her a chance to relearn to breathe, hauling her up. Her shoulder screamed, but between his hold and her grip, they got her up and over. Once on the other side, she collapsed to her ass, her chest aching as she sucked in air and waited out the shakes. Her shoulder shifted from a screaming ache to a dull throb. Tomorrow her wrist would carry bruises from Ruin’s grip, and her other palm stung like a bitch. Turning it over she stared at the raw, seeping scrapes.
‘You okay?’ Ruin crouched next to her. Before she could guess his intentions, he picked up her stinging hand and turned it palm up under the feeble moonlight. His thumb absently stroked over her pulse, which responded by picking up speed.
Swallowing against her suddenly dry mouth, she croaked, ‘Oh, yeah.’ This was much better than breaking against the alleyway below.
‘When we get back, clean this.’ He waited for her nod before letting go and settling in next to her, their backs braced against the low edge of the roof.
Taking advantage of their momentary rest, she tried to relearn to breathe. When she was certain she could stand without her legs collapsing, she broke the quiet. ‘We better head back.’
Ruin got to his feet and offered her a hand. ‘If that kid stripped my bike, I’ll have his ass.’
Giving him her undamaged hand, she grinned. He helped her up and they crossed to the roof access door. ‘We still have twenty minutes before our deadline. Our bikes will be fine.’
He yanked open the door and waved her through. ‘You sure about that?’
She stopped and stepped in close enough to feel him, solid and strong. It calmed the last of her tremors. ‘Positive.’
Adrenaline-laced hunger stared back at her. ‘Willing to offer your ass in his place, darlin’?’
His husky questio
n woke her lust, startling her with its depth. Guess cheating death was an aphrodisiac. Who knew? Caught in the mesmerising glow of his amber eyes, she played with fire, willing to be burned. ‘That all you want?’
His gaze darkened and his voice deepened. ‘You tempting me, Charity?’
Caught in an uncharacteristic wave of daring, she answered, ‘Yep.’
He dipped his head, nipped her lips, and whispered, ‘Good.’
Chapter 16
During their walk back to Agatha’s, Ruin managed to shove aside his adrenaline-laced hunger. Good thing too, otherwise he might be damaged for life. Discovering their bikes in one piece, he couldn’t decide if he was disappointed or not. While Charity made quick work of paying Sam, Ruin double-checked the bikes. By the time he finished, Sam was darting into the night, fist clutched around his payment. Charity came over, and he finished checking the fuel lines before straightening.
She gave him a cheeky grin, the heat from their earlier exchange lingering in her bright eyes and glowing cheeks. ‘Can I say it now?’
Oh, he knew exactly what she wanted to say, but he was willing to play along. ‘Say what?’
She bounced on her toes, put her hand on his shoulder to brace, then leant in and whispered, ‘I told you so.’
Before he could retort, she spun away as her grin grew wider and straddled her bike. Her teasing brought a strange, but not uncomfortable twinge to his chest. He absently rubbed his knuckles over the ache as she kicked her bike to life and added a twist to the grip for a bit more fuel. He didn’t miss her quick wince as the grip rubbed against her scrapes.
She released the throttle, shook out her palm and gingerly replaced it. When she caught him watching, her expression turned rueful. ‘It’ll be fine until we get back and I can grab a shower.’
The images crowding his brain rocketed straight to his dick. Which, based upon her obvious amusement, was the evil woman’s intent. ‘Dammit, woman,’ he muttered over her chuckles. ‘Teasing a man before he gets on his bike is just cruel.’
‘Aww, poor baby. I’m sure you’ll survive.’ With that, she began walking her bike back.
He carefully mounted his bike while she waited. They headed to the Lodge and made it back without incident. A fact Ruin was grateful for since his focus continually drifted to the woman riding next to him and how he planned to fill the next few hours. Approaching the gate, he lifted a hand to Kayvao and the gate began to roll back, letting them in. The resounding thumps as the last of the gate’s heavy locks fell into place merged with the fading rumbles of their engines. Late as it was, a couple of curtained windows were rimmed in light, but no-one lingered in the courtyard. Their bikes stashed for the night, they headed towards their room, walking side-by-side, so close their arms brushed continually. Neither one spoke, but the air between them sang with erotic awareness.
At their room, he unlocked the door and cleared the interior while she leant against the doorjamb. He didn’t bother with words, simply took her hand, pulled her inside, and closed the door behind her. A lone lamp gave the front room a cosy cast, but it was enough illumination to watch her face as he crowded her against the door.
She retreated until her back hit the door, her chest rising and falling, her hand coming up in a lame attempt to hold him at bay, her eyes bright with unmistakable lust. ‘Whoa, buddy. Shower, remember?’
He braced his hands on either side of her head, trapping her without touch. ‘Mmmm.’ He dipped his head, nuzzling just below her ear. ‘Not sure I want to risk you changing your mind.’
Her lips parted and a soft moan escaped. Against his chest her fingers curled, tangling in the t-shirt, tugging him closer. ‘Who said I would?’
He nipped along her delicate jawline, following each tiny sting with a soft brush of lips. ‘Better safe than sorry.’
She tilted her head, baring her neck and causing his beard to rasp over her skin. Catching her full body shiver, he grinned. Oh yeah, he wasn’t the only one revved and ready to go.
Her gaze drifted to his lips as she drew her free hand up his arm and over his shoulder. She kept going until her fingers curled in the gathered hair at the base of his neck. Giving in to her tandem tugs at his t-shirt and the pressure at his neck, he met her lips with his. Just in time to capture her husky, ‘Knew you were smart.’
Her mouth caught his, drawing him into the scalding heat and there were no more thoughts. He gave in to the delicate brush of her tongue, giving her access. As if it was the signal she was waiting for, she grew bolder, adding in teasing forays and taunting nips designed to drive him out of his fucking mind. It worked like a charm. Caught in her spell, he let her lead, for now, curious to see how far she’d take them both. Her taste. Damn, it was better than any whisky and dangerously addictive. Not enough to stop, though.
Falling deeper and deeper into the inferno, he barely registered when her head fell back and a feminine gasp escaped. ‘Ruin.’
Since words were difficult to come by, he growled, kissing along her exposed neck.
‘Ruin, shower.’
Her words buzzed against his hunger. Only when her hands drifted to press against his chest, did they penetrate. He lifted his head to find her face flushed, her gaze dark and slumberous.
‘Shower?’
He watched her lush lips form the word. ‘Right, shower.’ His body ached and it didn’t help that her hands kept moving, down his chest, then lower. He groaned, his stomach muscles contracting in anticipation. Instead, he covered her hands with one of his, pressing her palms flat against his stomach. He rested his forehead against hers. It was the perfect position to watch the intriguing rise and fall of her chest. It was fucking beautiful to watch.
‘Ruin?’
He caught the traces of laughter in her voice. ‘Yeah?’
Under his hand, hers flexed, but he refused to let her go. ‘You with me?’
So much it hurt. ‘Yeah, just trying to decide if it’s worth it.’
She stilled. ‘Worth it?’ Feminine outrage added a bite to her question.
Unable to help it, his lips twitched. He lifted his gaze to hers. ‘If moving is worth the risk of damage to my dick, darlin’.’ He straightened slowly.
Answering humour lit her eyes. ‘Will it help if I promise to kiss it better?’
The idea of her lush lips wrapped around his cock just about sent him to his knees. He groaned. ‘You’re a cruel, cruel woman.’ Grabbing her wrist he began leading her down the hall to the bathroom.
Her soft laugh ran down his spine and seeped under his skin.
Once in the small space of the bathroom, he got the shower started, toed off his boots, ripped off his t-shirt, and unbuttoned his jeans before turning back to find Charity way ahead of him. Her shirt was gone, leaving her in nothing but a cropped, thin camisole and skin. Her boots were by the door, and her head was bent as she undid her pants. Not wanting to lose a chance at unwrapping her himself, he reached out and brushed her hands away, taking over.
Easing the zipper down, he loosened the material enough to slide his hands in. Heat and whisper-soft cotton met his touch. Slowly sinking to his knees, he drew her jeans down with him, his attention riveted on what he exposed. Itty-bitty pieces of material rode over luscious curves, highlighting taut muscles and acres of skin begging to be tasted. It was the ultimate in temptation and he sure as hell wasn’t strong enough to resist. Not that he wanted to. He leant in and pressed a soft kiss just above the edge of her panties. Teased by a hint of cinnamon-spiced honey he followed with a delicate swipe of his tongue. Mmm, warm and sweet.
Her hands sank into his hair, pulling it free. ‘Focus, Ruin.’
Her husky reprimand combined with her tug on his hair brought his head back and his gaze wandered up and caught hers. ‘I’m so fucking focused.’ Without breaking eye contact, he drew his hands up those toned legs until he could capture the globes of her ass and pull her close. Then he leant in and drew his tongue along her stomach, going higher, his ultimate goal
unmistakable.
Her hands slipped from his hair and dropped to his shoulders. He took his time tasting her as he headed towards her tits, relishing the soft sounds she made as she kneaded his shoulders. He enjoyed her touch, letting her play while he indulged. Passion coloured her face and left her lashes at half-mast. Her chest rose and fell with her elevated breathing, visceral evidence she was caught in the rising storm. When that damn tongue of hers darted out just before her white teeth caught her lower lip in a vain attempt to stifle her hungry sounds, he was lost.
Using his hold on her ass, he pulled her in close until her knees buckled and she slid down. The feel of her, hot and soft, left his dick demanding freedom. He forced his hands to release the plump curves and dragged his palms over her spine causing her to arch closer, pressing her gorgeous chest against his. She rubbed against him, causing them to groan in unison.
He dragged her thin camisole up and off before bringing his hands around to cup her breasts. Feeling the warm, luscious weight against his palms, he gave in to the temptation making his mouth water. His thumbs brushed the sides, coming perilously close to her sensitive tips. He bent down and captured one berry-coloured nipple with his mouth and fed.
Her fingers tunnelled into his hair and gripped. ‘Ruin.’ Her husky groan was music to his ears. But making out on the bathroom floor wasn’t going to cut it. Not when his body was straining at the bit.
He curled his tongue over her nipple for one more taste, then lifted his head. Staring into her dazed expression, he noticed the glistening drops of sweat on her brow. It made him realise the room was filled with steam from the damn shower. Right, focus. He growled, ‘Shower.’ He didn’t give her a chance to respond, simply stood, bringing her with him. He turned and reached over to open the door of the shower. ‘Get in.’