Her hands seek my arms, nails digging into the material of my shirt. As if she’s just as desperate for the fire to singe her. “This isn’t a game.”
I slide my hands up her slim waist, grazing the sides of her breasts, until I reach her neck, where I fasten my fingers to her nape and tip her head back, thumbs imprinting her jawline. She’s such a perfect fit.
“Sometimes I forget you like your patients easy to control,” I say. “I suppose that goes for your men, too.”
Heat flushes her face. “Thrill-seeking behavior isn’t like you. It will get you caught.” Her eyes flare. “Again.”
My mouth curls into a smile. “How do you know that I didn’t get caught on purpose last time?”
Her gaze flicks over my face as she tries to
decipher the truth. “Did you?”
I shake my head slowly. “I’ve been off the clock for a long time, doc.”
“Grayson—” She attempts to push me away, but it’s halfhearted. “The FBI can show up here at any time. I’m not safe.”
I stare down at her strained features. She’s serious. She’s afraid for me. With a tender touch, I caress her cheek. “Then let’s give them a show.”
Defiance sparks in her eyes. Dr. London doesn’t back down from a dare.
“I see you,” I whisper against her lips. “I could feel your pain from fucking miles away. I know what you need.” I capture her mouth, crushing our lips together. I drown out the world and its threats—the fear, the pain—with one kiss.
She’s the only thing that makes the compulsions quiet. A still reed in my storm.
London kisses me back with a hard demand that bruises my mouth. Pleasure courses my system, and I crave more. There’s no give; only take. We’re feeding off each other.
I bracket her wrists to the glass, stealing her control. She hates and loves the loss of her willpower. The same way she hates to love me—but I’m her own sick compulsion, the need driving her actions in spite of her judgment.
She bites into the kiss and draws blood. The action stirs my desire, pouring liquid fire into my veins. Pain and pleasure receptors fight for dominance. Seeking air, she turns away to break the kiss.
“Stop,” she says with a pant. “You have to go.”
Anger ignites in a flash, searing as hot as my want for her. “Is this London talking or Lydia?”
Her heated gaze matches my fire, but her body planks, hard as ice. She wrenches her wrists free and shoves me aside. Agony is the loss of her touch.
She enters the dark therapy room, crosses her arms over her chest. “Where did you acquire the uniform?”
Ironic. The good doctor using avoidance.
I lean against the wall at the end of the gallery, tracking her movements as she switches on a lamp. “The guards leave them in their lockers overnight,” I say, and begin to unbutton the shirt. “Figured no one would question a security officer roaming the building.” I tug off the uniform shirt and toss it on the slender writing desk, then I untuck the white T-shirt from my slacks. “But that’s not what you’re asking.”
She faces me, features cast in stern assessment. “Considering the last time you stole a uniform? No, it’s not. I want to know if anyone in my building was harmed.”
“Are you truly concerned? Or are you worried about an investigation that could connect you?”
She inhales a deep breath. “You know that would be unwise.”
She’s right, of course. My behavior is borderline Neanderthal. I could whip my dick out and start marking my territory and it wouldn’t shock her. She’s assessing me right now, anticipating my next move.
I start toward her. “I didn’t harm anyone.” That’s not a lie. Lawson is still alive and intact.
She nods. “You have to find a way to alert me. Let me know…” She trails off with a huff of frustration. “It’s not fair that you know where I am at any given moment, and I have no idea where you are.”
I stop short of reaching her. There it is, the root of her anger. It brings a crooked smile to my face. “Being on the run gets tedious. Makes for a dull romance.” I push the patient chair aside and kick the rug away, revealing the floor manacle. “Do you want me to take a seat? So you can dig around in my mind. Get your doctor rocks off.”
She’s not amused. “I just want a head’s up, Grayson. I don’t like surprises.”