EKKO PUSHED AWAY FROM the computer. She'd only been on camera for her stream for four hours, but she was drained. Jumping onto the computer without a plan hadn't been her best decision. When had that ever stopped her plunging into the deep end?She'd survived and now her first stream post trip was in the bag. It would get better from here. She could smooth things over with her more gaming centric viewers while updating those who subscribed to hear her opinions and the unfolding events."Here." Silas was there at her side with a mug of steaming coffee."Oh, bless you." She wrapped her hands around the cup and leaned back in her chair."How'd it go?" He pulled his chair around to face her.She swung around to face him. "Did you really set up this whole computer and this chair before I got up?""Yes."Ekko opened and closed her mouth. She hadn't really been awake when he presented her with the whole kit and caboodle, but as the morning went on, it had occurred to her that a lot of

EKKO'S SKIN FELT TIGHT and even her shirt seemed to chafe.Ever since that kiss earlier she had a one-track mind. Food and rooting Chayan out of bed to eat hadn't distracted her from constantly being aware of Silas. Every bite he ate, each shift of his body drew her.She scrubbed at her face with the washcloth and shivered. The cool water was nice against her heated flesh, but she wanted relief of a different sort.Who had kissed who?After Silas pushing her away at the hotel, she'd promised herself that she wouldn't be the one doing the kissing. At least not the first kiss. But she couldn't say for sure she hadn't been the one to kiss him there in the kitchen.At the very least he'd kissed her back, that was for damn sure.Just thinking about that kiss made her body hot all over again.Damn him.She wasn't going to get an easy night's rest this time, and of course she'd promised her viewers to start early her time. It was going to be a miserable night staring at the ceiling. T

Ekko was going out of her mind.Silas tugged on her hair and once more he hugged her from behind. She let him turn her head until she could look at him. He pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth. As she relaxed against him the hand on her stomach slid down, his fingers dipping into her pants and panties. She sucked in a breath and went up on tip-toe before she could stop herself. His big fingers stroked down over her mound as his body curled around her. His tongue teased her lips as he pressed against her, sliding a finger over her clit and between her folds.He groaned against her mouth and tore his hand away from her. Still holding her hair, he turned her, their lips never parting. The kiss took on a decidedly hungry feel as he moved against her and in her. He took a step, forcing her back, as he half-carried her to the edge of the bed then gently pushed her.She sat down, bouncing a bit with the mattress, and stared up at him. He was breathing hard, his hair sticking up on one side.

SILAS SWIPED THE RAG over the kitchen counters. There wasn't a speck of food on them, but it gave him something to do since he couldn't hear the soft sounds of Ekko moving around anymore. The coffee machine bubbled and gurgled, drowning out everything else at this early hour.He'd fallen asleep almost immediately after his final walk-through of the house. The moment his head touched the pillow and Ekko snuggled up to him, he'd been out. He'd slept the sleep of the dead. All the little sounds hadn't woken him this time, at least not for a few hours.His eyes had popped open around four and he'd lain there, holding Ekko, and trying to feel anything except content.He shouldn't get to feel content. Not with their lives in danger or with a woman he barely knew. Hell, before the other day they'd pretty much been enemies. Now, what were they?Footsteps thumped in the hall.Silas turned toward the coffeepot. He picked up the carafe and poured a mug, timing it so that he'd just finished f

PASLEY TIPTOED TO THE door and peered out on the hall.It was a ghost town.The new rotation of DSS operatives should be there soon, but for now it was a skeleton crew. To make it worse, Igney and Pasley had been ordered to stay close to their headquarters. He didn't know the details, but it sounded like the police knew the stabbing in the park was linked to them.Nothing would happen. The DSS had carried out enough executions this side of the border. But there was a process they had to follow.That wasn't what Pasley was trying to be cautious about.He eased the door shut and twisted the flimsy lock into place. That done he returned to his bed and dug out the ear buds. He jammed one in his ear and plugged the other end into the phone. The video began playing immediately.It was the video of Ekko Kaur's stream earlier that morning.He peered at the background, noting how light and airy the room looked.Was she still in Ulaanbaatar? If she was, she'd have been up before the sun