Page 51 of Altered By Lead (Undercover Sinners 2)
Colt's shoulders sag, but he gives me a small nod of understanding. Even that makes me like him more. Although, considering he stood up for me against Hawke and Arsen, maybe I could forgive him a little sooner than, well, Hawke and Arsen. Mace, West, Colt and me, we’re okay. I just want to see what’ll happen if I ask for more.
"Just that part?" Arsen quips, his leer heated as he drags his tongue across his lower lip, "I can work with that. Plenty of other parts ... holes ..."
I level him with an acidic glare. "They're all fucking closed for business, dickhead."
The crazy fuck just shrugs and turns back to the martini he was painstakingly stirring with ice—because apparently shaking a martini will bruise the gin and cause a shitty cocktail, who knew?
Rolling my eyes, I make my escape from the kitchen before anyone else can suck me into some infuriating game of sexual chicken. It’s time I take control back into my own hands, and stop letting these men lead me around by my clit. Actually, that gives me an idea …Chapter 13NataliaI wake up the next day relaxed and spread out across my shitty mattress like a star. After going to bed with no dinner, I'd leisurely and loudly serviced myself until I'd fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep. Who needs men, anyway? Even without my trusty Hitachi wand, I can take care of my own desires.
It was nice to remind myself of that.
"You look well rested, Tzarina," Colt says from my doorway and I startle so hard I think something pops in my spine. Damn, he's sneaky.
"Ow," I groan, rubbing at my back as I roll over to glare at him. "What are you doing sneaking in here at the crack of dawn, Colt? Wasn't I clear enough last night?"
Oh, hot damn. He’s shirtless again, and those abs, those biceps … Yep. Retracting that mental statement about not needing men.
Colt is draped all over my doorframe like a mink coat, wearing nothing but a tight pair of black boxer briefs and a smile. Holy shit, that body should be illegal.
"You were crystal clear, babe," he replies with a Cheshire cat grin, like he knows the effect he's having on my libido. Hell, he probably does know. Am I drooling? God knows my nipples are hard enough to cut glass.
"So ...?" My voice is all husky and needy and shit. Yeah, even just with one word.
I clear my throat, then lick my lips. It's too early for this kind of torture.
"So," Colt continues, shrugging one muscled shoulder in a way that causes his chest to ripple. "I heard you, loud and clear. You want us to make an effort and show that you mean more to us than some dumb fucking bet Hawke cooked up ‘cause he's got major issues." He lifts his hand, which I just now realize is holding a steaming mug of coffee. I'm perfectly aware that it's been there the whole time, but I was very distracted by the mostly naked Colt. "Consider this the first step in my attempt to woo you, beautiful. I brought coffee."
"You ..." I trail off, licking my lips again. Seems like I can't keep them moist enough this morning. "You brought me coffee?" Colt nods, coming further into my bedroom and holding the mug toward me. "You brought me coffee and ... what? You think I'll suck your dick now? Jesus, Colt, I only declared my pussy off-limits like eight hours ago. Are you that hard up?" Now that I'm waking up more, I'm getting pissed. I figure it’s just my natural defenses coming into play.
I don’t want to get hurt.
I so desperately don’t want to be hurt, emotionally or romantically. Physically, I can deal with that. Sometimes, I even like that. But Colt … if I let him, he’d have the power to make me bleed in ways that have nothing to do with my body.
His brow furrows and he sets the coffee down on my nightstand. "That's not even remotely what I intended. Tzarina, you said you wanted to be wooed and now you're acting all suspicious and defensive? Make up your damn mind." He sweeps a hand over his short blond hair, and it reminds me of everything he's been through. The scarring on his chest is so prominent, but he's been keeping it so hidden in the last few weeks I'd all but forgotten.
"Colt," I say, instantly regretting my attitude, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to treat you like ..."
"Like we've treated you?" He offers me a small, quarter smile to show he's not totally offended. "Maybe we just need to start over? Everything was so intense back at the church and I never really expected to feel ... you know ... stuff."
I snort a laugh. "Stuff?"
