Read Online Blacklisted: Blacklist Operations Book #1 by Lauren Devane - Free Book Online Page B

pulled Sophie’s t-shirt over her smooth stomach. It wasn’t enough to keep out the inappropriate thoughts, like how he wanted to slide his hand into her pants and bring her to a climax. All the passion and fire that lit behind her eyes would be his for those wild moments when she was riding his fingers, tongue or cock.
    But he kept himself rigidly apart from her, putting the t-shirt aside, pulling off her shoes and socks, and then unbuttoning her jeans. When his busted knuckles swept over the pink panties that separated his gaze from her perfect pussy, his body had tightened even more. It was agony not to touch her.
    But he slid the pants off and then tucked her under the sheets. Aidan knew that he should have slept, but instead he just watched her, finding comfort in the rise and fall of her chest.
    “Aidan,” she asked after swallowing a spoonful of soup, “can you at least tell me when we might get to the place you’re taking me? I’m not sure how long I slept or even how long we’ve been on the boat.” She looked at her lap and her shining hair fell in front of her face. “If you could just tell me that, I’d be satisfied. I won’t ask any more questions.”
    He fed her another bite, considering the request. When he broke off a piece of bread and brought it to her lips, she opened gratefully and chewed. “You slept for almost an entire day. I worried you wouldn’t wake up.”
    “I have a splitting headache,” she admitted, swallowing the bread and opening her mouth for more soup. Her lips were plump and pink, perfect for kissing.
    “We’ll get you some medicine when we reach the mainland,” he said. “The ones in my luggage aren’t meant for headaches and with the possible concussion, I didn’t want to give you anything too strong. The captain didn’t understand my request, and his wife—whose English is better—won’t come near me.”
    “Why?”
    He sighed. “When I walked onto the ship, you were in my arms with dried blood on your face and in your hair. She screamed that I killed you.”
    “What?”
    “Yeah. It was fucking awful. She made a huge scene and I thought we’d be denied entry. But her husband calmed her down, and took a bribe to keep us on board.”
    “Nice that she cared,” Sophie said, a weak smile on her face.
    “I think she was worried that you’d die on the boat and there would be questions. An operation like this can’t afford that.”
    “Oh.” Aidan wished he hadn’t spoken, because her tone was disheartened and he hated to hear it. “How much longer will we be on the boat?”
    “We’ll be in Iran in another day,” he admitted. “We’ll have at least a week in the car after that. You really need to rest.” Sophie automatically shrank from him when he stood abruptly, he noticed with a pang. Hatred at himself for hurting her swam through his veins. Aidan gathered the dishes in silence, then crossed to the door and turned off the light.
    “Wait,” she squeaked when light from the breezeway flooded in. “Can you please leave the light on this time? I…I don’t like the dark.”
    He stared at Sophie for a minute, intent on her hands, as if he was comparing one to the other, assessing the damage he’d done to her fingers. His eyes ran up over her face where the bruises had gathered like rainclouds in ugly shades of purple and black around her eyes. Minutes passed while Aidan stared at her, lost in thought, and she met his gaze with tired eyes.
    When he shook his head and turned to leave again, she whimpered. Swallowed hard. He stopped and turned around again.
    “You really aren’t Veronica, are you?” he asked, staring at Sophie’s shaking form on the bed.
    “I’m not,” she said, using her free hand to wipe the tears gathering in her eyes. “Please, just let me go and I’ll never tell anyone.”
    “I can’t,” he said. “I just can’t.”
    Before he left, he turned on the light and looked at her one more time. She was so pale and delicate