Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 93984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
“You want to go now?”
“Yeah, through the emergency room.”
Gabriel stopped in the middle of pulling on a black shirt, his fingers holding either side as if he were about to button the first button. “As doctors?”
Justin shook his head, his grin growing. “As patients.”
Gabriel groaned and resumed buttoning his shirt. “We can’t use your wound even if you’re willing to open it up again. It’s clearly a gunshot wound. They’d have to report it to the police.”
“No, I was thinking a new wound. Something with lots of blood but not a lot of damage.”
Gabriel finished buttoning his shirt and opened the drawer of a small bureau tucked in the closet to withdraw a pair of black silk boxers. “A real wound?”
“Well, it would have to be.” Justin pushed off the edge of the bed where he’d been sitting and slowly walked over to the closet.
Gabriel tensed, fighting the urge to take a step back, but he was already trapped between the closet and the door leading into the hall. There was nowhere for him to go and certainly no way to obtain more space to maneuver. “And what new wound will you be acquiring?”
“That’s just it,” he drawled, scratching his chin. “I’ve already got a bullet hole for this job. I thought it would only be fair for you to get the chance to bleed too.” Justin balled his hand into a fist and aimed a hard punch at Gabriel’s face. Throwing up his left arm to block the blow, Gabriel spun him around and slammed Justin against the door, pinning him there.
Gabriel stared into Justin’s wide eyes, their faces only inches apart. He was surprised to find that the man wore contacts. Justin blinked, and they shifted just enough for Gabriel to see that his muddy brown eyes were actually blue.
A haunting scent drifted up from Justin. A hint of cologne, sweat, and something that had to be pure Justin that caused a stirring in Gabriel’s groin. He jerked away an inch to find soft, full lips smirking at him. He’d been staring far too long.
“Come on, let me break your nose,” Justin taunted.
“Absolutely not,” Gabriel snarled, giving him another hard shove against the door so that it rattled in the frame.
“It’ll just take a second, and they’ll be able to fix you up at the hospital.”
“No.”
“Chicken shit.”
“Name-calling will get you nowhere. I’ve been in this business far too long to allow my nose to be broken by a ridiculous bastard like you.”
Justin snickered, letting his head fall back, completely relaxed where Gabriel was holding him. “Well, I’ll give you that you’re pretty, but a broken nose will give your face character. I’m sure your personality isn’t exactly drawing them to your bed, but maybe a broken nose will get you a pity fuck or two.”
“No.”
“Then what’s your plan other than losing your towel?” Justin asked with a leer.
Gabriel didn’t flinch but continued to meet Justin’s narrowed gaze. He’d lost his fucking towel in the struggle, but he wasn’t willing to give an inch with this man. If he turned away for a breath, Justin would slam his fist into his face, breaking his nose. It wasn’t going to fucking happen.
Or maybe something worse. Gabriel refused to let any emotions other than annoyance play across his face, but he was hyperaware that he was naked from the waist down while Justin wore only a pair of blood-crusted boxer briefs. He needed to just lean forward another couple of inches and he’d be able to feel the heat of Justin’s body. He would be able to feel the thickness of his cock, the strength in his muscled thighs.
Justin’s breathing hitched. Gabriel’s eyes danced over Justin’s face. The mocking leer was still in place, but something had changed in the other man’s eyes. Electricity crackled in the air and pricked along Gabriel’s bare skin.
But it was the unexpected and soul-deep longing that finally snapped Gabriel’s thoughts away from the allure of Justin and to their problem.
“I’ll slice my hand open,” Gabriel suddenly offered. “Some blood and a few stitches. Will that give you adequate time to get what you need to access their computers?”
“Yes, but won’t you need your hand?”
“I’m ambidextrous. I’ll manage,” Gabriel grumbled, moving away from Justin enough that he could step around him to walk into the hotel room with his boxers clenched in one fist.
“Being able to jerk off with either hand doesn’t make you ambidextrous.”
A bark of laughter jumped from Gabriel’s throat, catching him off guard. There had to be zero filter between Justin’s brain and his mouth. It was completely disarming and made the man dangerous. How easy would it be for Justin to work past his defenses with his charm and ridiculous comments? Smarter men than Justin had tried this same technique and not gotten nearly as close. Gabriel needed to remember that this was a job, and Justin could be deadly in the blink of an eye.