by S. M. Butler
“I always knew it, somewhere inside. I just… I hoped…” she trailed off. “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.” She smiled, but it wasn’t a happy one. He hated that he’d put that expression on her, that she was feeling the way she felt, that he couldn’t be different person, if only for her sake.
“I’m sorry, Bridget.”
“That, Mr. Hawk,” she said, “is the first true thing you’ve said to me this entire conversation.” She headed for the door but paused before she opened it. She glanced back at him. The hurt he saw on her face nearly made him buckle, and for once, he was glad he was sitting down. “Perhaps you are right. We should keep this strictly professional.”
“If that is what you wish,” he paused, “Miss Muldoon.”
“That is what you wish.” She nodded. “And I do think it’s best.”
She pulled open the door and slipped out. The way she carefully shut the door behind her echoed loud and deafening in his ears.
Maybe one day, he could revisit the relationship with her, one day when he wasn’t so emotionally broken, when his family’s murders had been avenged. Until then, he had to focus on the mission. But if he were honest with himself, he would understand that he had no business being with her. She was too good, too pure for him. He’d done so many things that made him a monster, things that were necessary. And he would do a lot more evil things for a good cause before he was done.
30
Axel didn’t know when he fell asleep. He had to have, though. When he woke, Bea was fast asleep curled on his chest, her leg slung over his thigh, her foot pressed against his calf. Her arm was over his abdomen possessively, as if she were afraid someone would come to take him away from her.
He pressed his lips to her forehead, smiling as she sighed contentedly in her sleep. He’d never seen her sleep like this before. The night that they’d spent together, Bea hadn’t really slept. Neither of them did, really. There was a lot of sex involved and it was more like passing out than sleep. Even then, her body had been tense, her brows furrowed like she had nightmares.
Not like this. This… it was completely different.
As she stirred to life, he lifted her chin and kissed her, soft and reverent. She responded immediately, kissing him back as she pressed her body against his. Her leg slid over his other thigh as she shifted to straddle him, leaving the covers behind.
The hospital gown she wore fell open in the back, her smooth caramel skin bared to the cold air of the room. He took the opportunity to slide his hands over her delicious ass. He didn’t dare move upward where her back had been bandaged. It hadn’t escaped his notice when they were fixing her up that she had old scars on her back, ones she’d never shown him, even that night when they’d had the marathon sex. Somehow, she’d managed to hide it all this time.
“Good morning,” she murmured as her hands smoothed down his body. “It’s not fair that you have more clothes than I do right now.”
He chuckled low and deep, but he let her slide the edge of his shirt up and lifted up for a second so she could slip it the rest of the way off him. The shirt landed on the floor with a plop and her head lowered so she could kiss the large expanse of skin she’d uncovered.
“Someone’s feeling better,” he said.
She glanced up and smiled. “Benefits to being a Reaper.”
“You heal faster?”
“More efficiently, actually,” she replied. “But I’m feeling good enough that I need your dick inside me right now.”
He groaned as her hand disappeared between them and then his cock was released from his jeans’ confines. Her warm hand circled the shaft, stroking him as he instantly hardened against her. “Fuck.”
“That’s the idea,” she replied.
He grabbed her and flipped them both, carefully so he didn’t hurt her, and stretched out over her. “Let me do this for you.”
He got off the bed to shuck the rest of his clothes, while she made easy work of that hospital gown, revealing beautiful, glowing skin. He wasn’t sure he ever remembered seeing her so naked before him. The few times they’d been together before had been hurried and the first time they’d fucked had been a half-dressed frenzy followed by a sex-driven shower and a battle to outlast each other.
He wanted more than that now. He slid back onto the bed with her, stretching out beside her as he traced his fingers along her collar bone. Then he ran them between her breasts, over her sternum, to her navel and then back up.
She arched her back as soon as he palmed a breast. “Yes!”
He leaned down to the breast he held and kissed along the swell of it, then swirled his tongue around the dark rose nipple before taking it into his mouth. She cried out, her fingers tangling into his dark curls, pushing his head back to her chest. He was more than happy to oblige, licking and swirling his tongue along her naked breasts, loving them as much as he wanted to love the rest of her.
As he sucked on her breasts, he slid his hand down to her hips, to her ass, squeezing the soft flesh. He loved how strong she was, how her muscles tensed and relaxed as he touched her.
“Axel, please,” she whispered.
He slid his hand along the outside of her thigh, then ran his fingertips lightly up the inner side until he found his target. She moaned as his fingers slid along her wet flesh, stroking her.
“More…” she moaned. He was more than happy to oblige her on that too.
He shifted down so he could kneel between her legs. Slowly, he watched her as he bent her knees up, and spread them so he could fit his huge body between them. Her eyes were crazy unfocused, burning with arousal. Then he put his mouth on her.
Her taste was explosive on his tongue, warm and beautiful. He couldn’t get enough of her. When she cried out his name, he watched her, not stopping what he was doing as her back arched. He held her hips down as he sucked on her clit, swirled his tongue around her flesh until she finally came down from her orgasm.
Though she collapsed as if she were boneless, she found enough strength to pull him back up her body. His cock brushed against her wet flesh as she kissed him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. He groaned against her lips.
“I want you inside me,” she whispered.
“I don’t have any protection,” he whispered. He’d intended to bring her to climax a couple times and let it be that. But she obviously had other plans.
“I can’t get pregnant,” she said. He froze. She said it not like a woman who was upset but had accepted it was a fact of her life. “The process I went through, to be a Reaper? It made me sterile. Kind of a weird thing since it doesn’t work that way on guys’ anatomy, but it is what it is.”
“Bea…” he didn’t know what to say.
“If you’re about to say anything other than ‘I want inside you, Bea’ then don’t say anything at all,” she replied, smiling. “Please. I don’t want to wait anymore, Axel. I’ve spent too long waiting.”
He kissed her again, balancing on his elbow while he positioned himself at her core. Then he slid into her in one long move, both of them groaning together.
They moved as one, a delicate, loving dance with him over her, his hips pressing against her and retracting, her back arching to meet his thrusts. It felt like hours of ecstasy as they both climbed the tallest cliff together. Then as she began her tumble down the mountainside, he thrust hard into her, once, twice, and then he tumbled after her, calling out her name.
~*~*~
Sometime later, Bea woke up, her body deliciously exhausted and sore in all the right places. She was sore in all the wrong places too, but that was her injuries from Genevieve still healing.
She’d been somewhat exaggerating when she’d told Axel about Reaper healing ability and she couldn’t regret even a moment of the pain she was in now.
She sighed lightly as she detangled her limbs from Axel and put the hospital gown back on. She pulled the gown closed tightly over her, opting to tie it in front instead of in back so she could hold it closed.
She snagged one of the bandages on her back and hissed. Yeah, that was going to hurt for a while.
Shuffling forward like she was ninety, she managed to make it to the bathroom and washed her face. How long had the two of them been in here? And it was surprising none of the guys had come to check on them. But maybe they had their hands full. She really didn’t know what the fallout from this would be. Was she going to have to leave Jubilee? Her heart constricted hard at the thought of leaving. She’d actually gotten used to this little town. Not to mention Axel.
When she left the infirmary, she heard voices from the common room, so she followed the sound, using the wall to balance and steady herself.
She stopped at the doorway, her mouth dropping in surprise.
Liam sat in the middle of her team, the four of them crowded around a large TV screen. He shook his head, his dark hair falling over his scarred cheek. “I don’t understand why you say women like this movie.”
Allen shrugged. “Fuck if I know.”
Levi laughed. “Pirates. Revenge. True love. It pushes all the right buttons.”
“But the guy hardly moves the entire movie,” Liam said.
“He’s mostly dead,” Hardy replied with a nod, as if that explained everything. “But not all dead.” Hardy noticed her first, clearing his throat as he straightened his back. “Hey, Bea. You’re awake.”
All of them stopped and looked at her like they’d just raided the cookie jar.
She arched an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, yeah. Nathan made some changes. We’re staying in Jubilee and Liam’s joining us now.”
“What?” Talk about your complete one eighty.
“Yeah, Nathan called a bit ago.” Jordan grinned in that boyish way he did. “He said he’s going to be out of touch for a while, but Liam is going to be our fifth now. He starts training next week.”
She blinked as they all turned their attention back to the TV like that was the end of conversation. On the screen, the man in black was raising a sword as he stood from a bed.
“Really? That’s all you can say?” Was she whining? It was bad enough she’d been out for days, but she woke up in the Twilight Zone.
“Not much else to say,” Levi replied as he tossed a piece of popcorn into his mouth. “Axel covered for us. Mary didn’t see us and was so stressed she couldn’t make out our voices. She just remembered Genevieve, because apparently that bitch had a memorable voice.”
Had. That’s right. Genevieve was dead. Because Bea killed her. Bea could scarcely believe that she was really gone. She’d thought that she’d feel lighter once Genevieve was gone. But she didn’t. It had made no difference. Wasn’t that telling of where Bea’s mind was anyway?
“So, we’re good,” Levi was saying. “Now, we’re just getting Liam caught up on all the pop culture he’s missed all his life being a pet assassin.” He flashed his perfect Levi grin at her.
She stared at them, but they didn’t seem to notice her distress. Maybe distress wasn’t the right word. Confusion? She felt lost.
“Hey, baby.” Bea whirled around as Axel came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her against his body. He’d put on his jeans but had no shirt on. She smiled and ran her hands over his skin, feeling the hard strength of him. If she had her way, he’d never wear a shirt again. He leaned down and pressed his warm lips against hers.
Mmm… heaven, that was.
“Whoa.” Levi’s voice broke that precious moment. She glanced back at them. All of them, even Liam, were staring at the two of them, surprise staining their expressions.
“Oh, come on,” she said. “Nathan brings Liam on board and a stupid kiss is what surprises you?”
“Stupid kiss?” Axel arched an eyebrow. “I’ll have you know that’s one of my best smooches.”
“Not what I meant,” she mumbled. Axel’s deep rumbling chuckle from inside his chest vibrated against her body. “Jerk.”
Hardy shrugged. “Honestly, Bea, we just didn’t expect the PDA from you, honestly.”
Maybe the Bea that had been freed from Genevieve last year wouldn’t have been into affection like this. But after everything, she just couldn’t imagine her life without it now. She didn’t want to let Axel go. Not ever.
“Oh, the Princess Bride! I love that movie!” Axel let go of her and slid around her to crowd around the TV with the other guys.
Huh. Guess maybe she could let go occasionally.
“Come watch with us, baby,” Axel said, reaching out for her. “This movie is awesome.”
She hesitated only a second before she took his hand and let him pull her to him. He sat her on his lap on the couch, one hand on her thigh, the other around her waist. She leaned against him. This wasn’t a fight she could win, and it wasn’t one she was willing to fight either.
For once, she was feeling peaceful inside, and she had no doubt it was because not only was Axel there, but the guys as well. She’d never made the time to get to know them, never hung out with them before. Her life had always been work first. Genevieve had drilled it into her that emotional attachments were weaknesses that could be exploited. It was another lie she’d told. Another manipulation to keep Bea under her control.
“What movie is this?” She asked. “It looks old.”
They all stared at her. Axel blinked. “You’ve never seen the Princess Bride?”
She paused and looked at the screen as the princess and the man in black were leaning in for a kiss. “Should I have seen it?”
“Oh, my God!” Levi covered his mouth. “There’s two of them!”
She pointed to herself, glaring at each of them. “Raised by a contract killer, guys. Movies weren’t high on my To-Do List.”
“We’re restarting,” Jack said, grabbing the remote. “This is too important. Then we’re watching Die Hard.” Levi and Hardy both stared at Allen in confusion. He saw their expressions and rolled his eyes. “Shut the fuck up. I was a person once, you know.”
“Really?” Levi asked. “When?”
“Fuck you,” Allen said, punching Levi in the shoulder.
As they dissolved into discussions of what other movies they would have to watch, Bea leaned her head against Axel’s chest, feeling the warmth of his body against hers. Was this what she’d missed all her life?
He kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear. “I love you. Even if you haven’t seen the Princess Bride.”
She snorted. “And I love you. Even if you’re probably twelve inside.”
Author’s Afterword
Thank you so much for reading Her Last Kill! I hope you loved Bea and Axel as much as I did. Don’t worry, their story isn’t over. There’s a lot more in store for Axel, Bea, and the rest of the team.
What’s next for the Reapers?
The story will continue in His Last Heist, tentatively scheduled for early 2020. Want to know all the things about the Reapers before anyone else? Sign up for the Rockstar Reader newsletter and always be informed about S.M. Butler books!
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About the Author
S.M. Butler is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romantic suspense and military romance with a penchant for Dr. Pepper, cheesy Hallmark movies, and world domination, but not necessarily in that order. She lives in Texas under a not-so-secret identity with two monsters, writing books and planning the next step in her evil plans into the twilight hours of the night because that’s when
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HER LAST KILL, REAPERS STRIKE FORCE #2
A SOARING PHOENIX PRESS Publication, MAY 2019
SOARING PHOENIX PRESS
P.O. Box 163767
Fort Worth, TX 76161
E-ISBN: 978-1-938927-27-0