Wrath's Storm: A Masters' Admiralty Novel by Mari Carr (desktop ebook reader .txt) 📕

for her, she simply couldn’t bear the thought of making him uncomfortable. Wasn’t it enough that he’d given up countless nights, remaining with her, keeping her safe?

Jakob had never once complained, so selfless, giving, wonderful.

The stalker had taken so much from her. Not only had he stolen her convictions, her instincts that had made her a good profiler, he’d also robbed her of her confidence as a woman.

Before her life had imploded, she’d taken more than a few lovers to her bed. She’d enjoyed the physical as well as the emotional aspects of attraction and desire.

Given her membership in the Masters’ Admiralty, she’d kept her affairs short, not wanting to give any of her former lovers the wrong idea about a possible future between them. Her spouses weren’t hers to choose, but while she was single, she’d very much enjoyed the flirtatious dance prior to inviting a man home with her for a night, maybe more.

It had been years since she’d let herself go, let herself truly feel anything real, hopeful, sensual. Today with Walt and Jakob, it was as if she’d found Annalise again. And she realized how much she’d missed her.

Walt put a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped, so lost in her thoughts about them, she wasn’t paying attention to them.

His palm slid down her arm, fingertips stroking the sensitive skin of her palm before he took her hand in his.

Slowly, Walt raised their joined hands and kissed her fingers. It was a dry, closemouthed kiss that shouldn’t have made her feel such intense desire. He parted his lips, placing a damp, openmouthed kiss first on the back of her hand, and then on the inside of her wrist.

When he did, she realized the desire she’d been feeling was only a pale shadow of what desire could be. It had been so long.

God…so long.

She looked up from Walt’s bent head, her gaze colliding with Jakob’s. His jaw was clenched, his eyes bright with a feeling that—despite how well she knew him—she could not name.

But then again, did she know him?

She’d never even been to his house before this week, and that experience had been eye-opening. Seeing his home was what had provoked her feelings of hope today. Because it had been the first indication—God, please let it be an indication—that her feelings were not one-sided. That house…it was too perfect to be a coincidence. But was it conceited of her to think that Jakob had redecorated with her in mind?

Walt straightened. “Annalise, I want to make sure I’m not reading this situation wrong.”

“What is it you think the situation is?” she asked awkwardly, losing some of her fluency in English as desire muddled her brain.

The corner of Walt’s mouth kicked up. “No. I don’t think so. I want to hear you say it.”

“Say that I want you?” Annalise shook her head at herself, acknowledging that she was avoiding giving a direct answer by framing it as a question, then she paused and gave in. The old Annalise had been drawn out of her hiding spot and the woman refused to hide, to cower again.

Walt remained quiet, waiting for the answer he wanted.

She gave it to him because she was tired of lying. Not to him—their acquaintance was too short. But to herself. “Yes,” she admitted. “I do. I want you very badly.”

Over Walt’s shoulder, she saw Jakob turn his head away, his eyes closing briefly.

Stupid, imprecise language. English, unlike German, seemed to lack a clear plural form for the word you.

Before she could clarify, Walt grinned and slid an arm around her waist, pulling her against his body.

His chest was hard, his arms tight with muscle, and she was fairly certain his cock was at least semi-erect.

Walt lowered his head, and Annalise closed her eyes the moment before his lips touched hers. The kiss started out soft, just the press of dry lips. When she rose onto the balls of her feet and tipped her head to change the angle, that seemed to be the signal Walt was waiting for. His lips parted, his tongue stroking her bottom lip.

Annalise moaned and threw her arms around his neck. His tongue swept into her mouth, and she flicked it with her own. Felt him jerk in response. Her breasts felt heavy against his chest, her lower body already tight and tense.

Walt broke the kiss, breathing a little faster than before. “Wanna take this to the couch, sweetheart?”

“Or up against the wall,” Annalise said. She’d always liked being fucked against the wall.

Walt blinked. “Damn, girl. I like it.”

“You sound very American right now.” Since it appeared Walt wasn’t going to fuck her against the wall, she stepped back, grabbing his hand and tugging him toward the couch. Walt grinned and let her push him down, then stretched his long arms out along the back of the couch when she climbed on top.

Now that she had Walt where she wanted him…

Annalise glanced over at Jakob, ready to invite him over, but the look on his face stopped the words in her throat.

He looked heartbroken. Did he think she didn’t want him?

“Jakob—”

“No.” His voice was hard, and her heart froze. “No,” he said again. “Do not make me watch.”

Annalise’s frozen heart broke. God, every frozen thing inside her burst into flames.

He wanted her.

“Jakob…” she said, no longer afraid of what she wanted, what she felt. She could sing an entire aria if someone asked, and she couldn’t sing. “Come here.”

“Hey, man, I thought we were all going to make out,” Walt added.

Jakob stiffened but didn’t look at them.

Annalise slid off Walt’s lap. “Jakob.”

The doubt and self-loathing that had been her near constant companions, though buried under her guilt and feelings of inadequacy, rose up once more. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Jakob didn’t want her. Maybe he was disgusted by her, and that was why he didn’t want to see her with Walt.

Annalise retreated, the happiness she’d felt only seconds earlier evaporating as tears tightened her throat. She backed up, nearly