She should have been prepared for it. His hand had shifted to anchor in her hair as he bunched silky strands in his fist. His mouth captured hers in one heart-stopping moment. He tasted wild. Masculine. Hers. She moved closer to him, refusing to let his kiss end, taking over, her tongue sliding along the seam of his lips, teasing and enticing. Tempting. She rubbed her body over his. Seducing.

For a brief moment she felt his resistance running like a steel wire vibrating through his muscles and then, abruptly, he capitulated completely, his arms tightening around her, his mouth becoming commanding, feeding on her, his tongue sweeping inside, melting her with his heat. Fire flared instantly, tongues of flames rushing over her until she burned for him—until he burned for her.

Satisfaction gave her more confidence. She bit at his lower lip, her hands sliding beneath his shirt to find bare skin. One leg curled around his thigh as she pressed closer, offering him everything. Determined to have everything. She wasn’t letting him go—certainly not to guilt. Her hands moved over his bare skin, feeling the texture of him while her mouth absorbed his unique taste.

“Come on, you two, you’re killing us,” Rio said. “We’ve got an escape route to map out and we need you for that.”

Conner lifted his head reluctantly. “Be right there,” he called over his shoulder, his eyes blazing heat into hers. “You know what I have to do,” he said in a low voice. “How do you ever expect me to look you in the eye again?”

“Because I’m the one asking you to do it,” she whispered. She put her fingers over his mouth before he could shape a protest. “Because your mother was my friend and her son is your brother. Because your family is my family and I will do whatever it takes to keep them safe and get them back. I know little Mateo. Marisa brought him to my camp all the time. I didn’t even realize she wasn’t his natural mother any more than I knew she was your mother, but I saw their bond, Conner. We’re in this together, Conner. Don’t make me less than you, or make your sacrifice less than mine. You’re worth everything to me. However—we do whatever we have to do.”

He shook his head. “You’re an amazing and courageous woman, Isabeau, and I don’t deserve you, but you can’t possibly know just how repulsive you’ll find the situation when you see me with her. And you’ll have doubts. Justifiable doubts. Worse, your cat will lose her mind over this. She’ll be dangerous and you’ll spend every moment trying to control her.”