Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“Yeah, but getting through this might be a whole lot easier if you’re not in Paris getting beat up and shot at.”
Soren shrugged. “True, but it would be so very boring too.”
“I’m beginning to wonder how you’ve lived so long.”
“Clean living.” As he said it, he ran his hands up Alexei’s bare back while pressing his groin to the other man’s. The soft cotton of Alexei’s sleep pants did nothing to hide his growing erection.
Alexei groaned and pushed him toward the bed. “Go. Get under the covers. You’re too much of a distraction like this.”
“Maybe I like being a distraction.”
“You also told me you like being alive.”
Okay. He had a point. Stealing one last kiss, Soren released him and climbed onto the bed, dutifully pulling the blanket up so that it covered his legs and lap. He rested on the pillows, his hands behind his head.
“Better?”
Alexei sighed as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders alone. “Not as much as I was hoping, but yes.”
“What’s the plan?”
To his surprise, Alexei moved to the bed rather than returning to the chair. He sat at the end, facing him. Close, but not within easy arm’s reach. Smart man. If Soren could reach him, he would be holding him. The world felt better when he was holding Alexei.
“Do you know what’s on the hard drive?”
Soren immediately shook his head. “Not a clue. I was given instructions to take a hard drive from Gabor Kalman. I was told what the hard drive would look like and where it would be kept when it was unlikely that he was carrying it around. For a job like that, you don’t look. Trust me, you don’t want to know. It gets you into more trouble than it’s worth.”
Alexei grunted, his eyes on the pretty quilt made of alternating blue and flowered squares that covered the bed. It looked like it was handmade. Alexei’s fingers followed the winding stems of the flowers. There was something about the gentle touch that made Soren think that maybe someone he cared for had actually made it for him.
“Did you hear from your handler? Did he learn anything useful?”
“No, and that has me worried too. She’s good. Really good. She’s been in this business longer than I’ve been alive. If she can’t uncover what’s up with this hard drive, it’s got to be bad news.” His frown deepened and he shook his head as if pushing away a thought before looking up at Soren. “I’m not ready to give up yet. I think we need to see what’s on the hard drive. It might be the best way to figure out who wants it. From there, we’d have a better chance of making a plan to beat these bastards.”
“I think you’re right. I was planning to try to look at the hard drive when I ran into trouble this last time.”
Alexei bounced off the bed and clapped his hands together. “Great. Then let’s go get it.” He started toward the closet as if he were going to grab some clothes, and Soren cringed.
“Well…”
He stopped sharply and glared at him. “What? You don’t trust me?”
Now it was Soren’s turn to glare, and he did a good enough job of it that Alexei looked sheepish. “I trust you. You pulled a gun on me, and I didn’t walk away. You handcuffed me to the bed, for God’s sake. How can you ask if I trust you?”
A smile spread across Alexei’s lips and he closed the distance between them, crawling across the bed until he was straddling Soren’s lap. His cock had definitely taken notice of the man’s svelte form and sinful beauty. He was ready to be done talking about hard drives and assassins. He wanted to spend some more time exploring this beautiful man’s body.
“If I remember correctly,” Alexei started, wrapping his arms loosely around Soren’s neck, “you didn’t mind being handcuffed while my cock was pressed against yours and I was stroking us together.”
“Angel, I love the feel of you, and you are the sexiest creature I have ever met, but everything is more fun when I can touch you too.” Soren carefully ran his hands up Alexei’s back, enjoying the feel of his skin while making sure he didn’t cage the man in.
“Soren,” Alexei purred. He leaned close, pressed a kiss to the tip of Soren’s nose, and whispered, “Where the fuck is the goddamn hard drive?”
“The Louvre.”
Alexei jerked away, his lovely face screwed up with confusion and disbelief. “The Louvre? The grand French palace museum Louvre?”
“Yes.”
His mouth dropped open, snapped shut, and fell open again, but still no sound came out. This deadly man couldn’t possibly become more adorable.
“So, I obviously couldn’t keep it on me,” Soren explained.
Alexei nodded. “First place a person would look.”
“And the second place is a bank vault. What’s safer than a bank, right?”