Midnight Rescue: A Killer Instincts Novel by Elle Kennedy Page B

it down. Shoving the supplies back into the case, he swiftly pulled her shirt down and said, “There. All done.”
    “Thanks,” she said again.
    He tucked the case under his arm and drifted to the doorway. A flash of light from the hallway illuminatedhis face, making his features look softer, kinder. “I’m taking a shower. If you need me, I’m two doors down, okay?”
    “Okay,” she whispered.
    Again he opened his mouth, his green eyes glimmering with indecision. Then he shrugged and said, “Good night, Abby.”
    After the door closed behind him, she sat up in bed, ignoring the sharp pain in her ribs. Goddamn it. She needed to be in Colombia. Not here, in a strange bed, with a sexy man watching over her.
    Damn Noelle.
    “I’ll think about it.”
Those had been her parting words when she’d left Abby in Morgan’s compound to go God knows where.
    What the hell was there to think about? Those girls needed to be rescued, period. They couldn’t just leave them in Blanco’s dirty clutches.
    But she couldn’t do this alone. She’d had the perfect in already, at least before Morgan’s team of super-soldiers had decided to pull her out. She couldn’t infiltrate Blanco’s life again. Noelle could, though. Noelle, or Isabel, or Juliet, or any one of the women Noelle employed.
    You don’t need to do it alone.
    Kane’s deep, seductive voice slid into her head. She pursed her lips, wincing when the motion caused the bruise on her cheek to stretch and a jolt of pain shot through her face. No, alone wasn’t going to cut it, was it? She was covered in bruises, her chest felt ravaged, and her fractured wrist still throbbed.
    Could she trust him? With Noelle reluctant to comeon board, maybe Kane was a smart alternative. His team did rescues. They were trained, qualified. And Jeremy had held Morgan in such high regard. Maybe… maybe she should take Kane up on his offer.
    Two doors down, he’d said. Slowly, Abby slid out from under the covers and stumbled to her feet, forcing herself not to second-guess her actions. She worked solo, always had, but circumstances had changed. She no longer had access to Blanco’s compound, was no longer positioned in a location that put her close to Lucia and the girls. If Kane could get her close again, then why the hell was she hesitating?
    She stepped out into the hallway, her bare feet padding against the hardwood floor toward Kane’s bedroom. She paused in the open doorway, listening to the sound of running water. The door to the private bath was ajar and she could see steam floating out of the transparent shower stall. She crept toward the bed, where the faded jeans Kane had been wearing were tossed on the patterned bedspread. His bedroom was not what she’d expected. Masculine, yes, with the black and gray color scheme, but the antique furniture and cheerful landscapes hanging on the walls added warmth to the room.
    She glanced at the bathroom door once more, her cheeks growing warm as the glass door slid open and Kane emerged from the steamy shower stall.
    Naked.
    She swallowed, unable to tear her eyes away from his nude, dripping-wet body. He had the kind of rock-hard physique that would make other women drool. His broad chest tapered to a trim waist, and his legs were thick and dusted with golden hair. He was lean, notbulky, with perfectly sculpted muscles that looked like they’d been carved out of marble. He was hard. Everywhere.
    “I’m afraid it’s too late for you to join me in the shower,” he said in a silky voice. “Though we could still make good use of the bed.”
    Her cheeks grew even hotter. Damn it. He was taunting her, and looked quite amused by it too.
    She cleared her throat, deciding to ignore the teasing remark. “I’ve changed my mind. I think… I think I want your help.”
    The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. He glanced down, briefly, at the erection currently gracing his groin, then locked his gaze with hers. “Let me grab a towel.”
    He