Bleeding Edge: Elliot Security (Elliot Security Series Book 2) by Evie Mitchell (books to read for beginners TXT) 📕

The self-recriminations continued up until we arrived at Luc’s. He pulled into the garage and turned off the engine. Neither of us made a move to get out.

He shifted to look at me. “I’m laying this out now. We walk in this door, and you’re stuck with me. You’re in my bed, you’re in my life, we seal this deal. I’m talking the whole shebang. House, mortgage, marriage, holidays, pets, kids if we want ’em. We have each other’s back. I’m in this, Emmie. Hundred percent.” He reached over, thumb stroking across my cheek. “That’s where my head’s at. My heart too.” He offered me a tight smile. “If you’re not ready, I’ll take you to Pax.”

I swallowed, wetting dry lips. My hands trembled as I wiped damp palms on my jeans. “I… It’s hard.”

“I know.” His eyes never left mine.

“I want…” My chin quivered. I blinked rapidly to stem the tears. “I want that. I want this. I want you. Luc, I–” I cut myself off.

“What?” he whispered, head tilting closer. “What do you want, beautiful?”

“I love you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. Those words were a seal, a wish, a plea. They were everything I wanted, and everything I knew I should never have. Could never have.

“I love you too.” He smiled, I expected him to kiss me, but his hand shifted, cupping the nape of my neck as he withdrew, forehead pressed to mine. “Are you in?”

I shuddered out a breath.

Was I? Could this beautiful man give me all I wanted? Am I brave enough to take it?

“Yes.” No tears. No uncertainty, no regrets. I wanted a beautiful life with this beautiful man.

“Okay.” He let go of my head, shifting back. We left the car, moving inside. The house stood silent.

“No one’s here?”

“No. Someone will be on patrol, but they get it.”

“Get what?” We reached the hall, and he crowded in, gently pushing me against the wall, his big, gorgeous body pressed against mine.

I wasn’t fearful, this wasn’t aggressive. It was seductive. His hands roamed down my sides and curled around my arse.

“This.” His lips met mine in a greedy kiss. He devoured me, marked me. Hours earlier, I’d been convinced I’d never have this again. I threw myself into our reunion, grasping at his shirt, licking and sucking at the salt of his skin. I wanted him to bury himself in me. I wanted to mark him as mine. I wanted.

We stumbled through the house, a trail of clothing in our wake. Luc pressed me against his kitchen bench, boosting me up. He stepped between my thighs and drove home, both of us gasping.

He whispered filthy promises, raining kisses down my neck, my collarbone as he kept a steady rhythm.

“Love your pussy. Milk my cock, Emmie. You like this? You want more? Come for me.”

He surged in, breaking the last of my walls. I didn’t need him. I wanted him. I chose him.

Luc is worth it.

“Fuck!” he groaned into my neck as he came, my pussy clenching around him, milking his release. My arse was cold, his chest warm as it remained plastered to my front. Our hands slowly roamed, gently stroking, fingertips grazing overly sensitive skin. We built back the need. This time, less desperate but no less hot.

He whispered demands, pulling from me what he needed, promises, declarations, apologies. I gave him everything, all of me.

We collapsed, breath harsh, bodies hot. Luc reached for me, pulling me close.

“Mon coeur t’appartient,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my cheek. I didn’t know what the words meant, but I felt the fierce way he said them bury deep. My life wasn’t perfect, but I felt stronger, braver, maybe even a little less fearful tonight.

Hope, that dangerous emotion, bloomed.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Emmie

We were back in the war room. The state leads were a bust. No one knew much, or if they did, they weren’t talking.

Fierce eyes, short silver hair, immaculately pressed uniform, Annabelle Norris intimidated the beejeezus out of me. An AFP veteran, her hawklike eyes caught everything, her brain that much more evolved than the rest of us. It wouldn’t surprise me if she could read thoughts.

The handful of times I’d been in her presence while handing over cases, I’d always felt like a bug under a microscope, much too visible for my liking. She led the AFP’s transnational and organised crime division. Her word was law.

Pax stood at the top of the table briefing her team on my situation. As he wrapped up, her eyes came to me, her face impassive.

“And you’re sure they’re after you?”

I fought the urge to glance at Luc for reassurance. “The signs say yes, but…”

“It’s an excessive response for one person,” she agreed. Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the conference table. No one spoke as she stared at a spot on the back wall, a small frown on her face. She nodded to herself.

“Here’s what we know.” She leaned forward, eyes on Pax. “Our cyber division has known about God’s Patriots for the last twenty years. They’ve been a fringe group we’re monitoring. They’re good, damn good. We had nothing on them. Though we suspected the parliament house incident was them, we had nothing to tie it back.” Her gaze settled on me. “Until now.”

I swallowed, my tongue feeling too big for my mouth.

“Ms Franklin’s information has given us some significant leads.” She narrowed her eyes on me. “It would have been useful to have this years ago.”

“You did,” Luc interrupted. “Em went to the police when she first got out.”

It was true. The first time they found me I tried to get help; that ended in the suicide of a cop and me running again. Emmie Franklin was one in a long line of aliases.

“We’re aware of that situation.” Annabelle’s mouth pursed. “We’ve had words with that state.”

“The leads?” Sawyer prompted from where he sat at the far end of the table. He leaned back, hands clasped behind his head, a