by AJ Wyatt
"No," he said. "It's wonderful. I… it's been a long time for me. I've lost the skill of flirting, I suppose."
“If you fall off the horse, they say you have to get right back on.”
He smiled. There was a sadness in his eyes so profound it was hard for me to take it all in. Whatever he’d been through to get here, it was a long and painful road.
“What is it?” I said.
"Sometimes you fall hard, and getting back on feels like too much," he said. His eyes lit up, and he added, "Would you like to see?"
His sketch of me was done in pencil, and the likeness was incredible. It was as if he’d caught part of my soul there. I could especially see the life in my eyes, where he’d spent a lot of his time perfecting and lining them until they looked as human as I did in the mirror. The look coming from the woman in the portrait surprised me. She looked profoundly lonely. Was that what my eyes looked like these days?
The rest was less detailed, but the lines and shading found their mark. Between my legs, he'd taken the time to get the curves and folds of my vulva more accurately than I'd honestly ever seen them. It's wild how parts of our body can be so foreign.
The scars that dotted my body here and there weren't very visible, but he'd combed over my skin with those perfect blue eyes and found two of them. The one above my knee came to me somewhere near Kabul, after midnight, when our convoy was hit by insurgents, and Corporal Amy Lee died trying to save our wounded.
I'd stalked the desert until all sixteen insurgents were dead and then wept over what was left of her. She was a fine soldier and a finer human being.
The scar under my arm… that was from trusting someone I shouldn't have. A time when the kindness in someone's eyes fooled me. Maybe the last time.
“Now it’s my turn to ask what’s wrong,” Magnus said, frowning. “You don’t like it?”
“I love it,” I said, bringing my smile armor back online. “It’s beautiful. You caught so much detail. It’s almost as if you know me.”
"In some ways, it feels like I do. Is that crazy to say?"
“No,” Yes? Maybe?
He was so close I could reach out just slightly and touch him, but I didn’t dare. Whatever sadness lived in him made him put a wall between us. And maybe he wasn’t the only one.
I moved to go and get my jeans, and he caught me by the shoulder. I slipped low and dropped back, nearly using my bodyweight to drive my elbow into his sternum, but I quashed the instinct at the last moment and instead fell face-first into his massive chest. He caught me in his arms, and wow.
The heat between us was so intense I felt it tingling across my body. The stubble of his chin brushed my hair. My face turned upwards, wanting to look into his eyes and maybe do more than that. A faint scent of vanilla wafted from his shirt, and the jacket he wore smelled of old leather and hard work.
The connection was broken almost as quickly as it happened.
“God, I’m clumsy,” I said. It sounds better than 'You almost went to the hospital just now’.
“No, it was my fault,” he said, waving it off.
“Here we go again.”
We both laughed at that.
I dropped the robe and slipped into my clothes without trying to hide. He'd seen everything anyway, so why not? He didn't seem to mind one bit if the grin on his face was any indication.
“Maybe I can tackle you into a fresh cup of coffee sometime?” He said.
I was touched by the amount of nervousness in him. It'd been a while since I'd seen a guy not trying to be Mr. Cool. I liked it. It was something I wanted to see more of and to protect.
“I’d like that.” I gave him my number.
The butterflies lasted about halfway back to the dorm, and then the chemicals wore off enough for me to think with my big girl brain. He was a sweet guy. Everything about him told me he wouldn't hurt a fly. But I had to know for sure. By the time I walked back into the dorm, I knew what I wanted to do.
“I want to rumble him,” I said.
"Things went well?" Trib asked with a smirk.
“Better than with Talon, maybe as good as with Vice but… different? He’s too nice.”
“Sounds like a real problem to have.”
"I want to rumble him," I said again. "Let's see if he's nice when he's off-balance."
“We don’t have the money to rumble him.”
I sighed. After a quick glance around the room, I made my selections and dropped them next to her keyboard.
"The Sig Sauer, the Glock, and the Ruger. We sell them, and that'll give us what? Two grand? Maybe a little more if we hustle?"
Her eyes narrowed. "You said these were all mission-critical. You couldn't do without them."
“Well… it’s not that they’re… I mean, what’s that thing for?” I said, pointing to a big black case in her corner.
“That’s an ultrasonic microphone jammer,” She said. When my only reply was a set of raised eyebrows, she continued, “It’s not something you use every day, but it can be handy. We definitely might need it.”
“Exactly. No one needs a 10 millimeter Ruger, but imagine if you did and didn’t have one? But I’m a pro, and you know what? I can make it work. What do you say? Two grand?”
"Fine," Trib said. "Two grand, and I'll get us what we need. It'll take a couple of days.
I wished it could be sooner, but what else was new? You might well tattoo IMPATIENT on my forehead. I had a sheen of sweat on me that I needed to rinse off, and I dug around to find a towel.
My phone buzzed. It was Talon.
Meeting tonight. Midnight.
Where? I sent back.
I’ll send a driver.
Deal.
“The meet with Talon is set for midnight.”
“These guys, honestly. Rayne?”
“Yes, mom?”
“While you’re down the hall in the godawful bathroom we’re sharing with what must be a pack of wild animals who’ve never met toilet paper before, stop at the mirror and say this to yourself ten times: I cannot get involved with these guys.”
“I’m glad I called you mom,” I said as I slipped out.
“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” she called after me.
So who’s getting hurt? I was just learning about my targets. If things got a little messy when the job was over, I could fall back on Mr. Whiskey and a sad song on repeat. Adele would have something new by then.
It always worked like a charm. That's what I told myself as I got dressed. Trib hid what she could on the skimpy outfit I wore. I'd have a small pistol in my handbag (I'd switched the bag for another cheap knockoff that didn't have bullet holes in it). It wouldn't be much, but it was all I could risk taking. One five-round magazine and no silencer. It was emergencies only.
Aside from that, she planted a location chip to track me and an earpiece so we could talk. Without a known destination, the whole night would have to be improvised. I was nervous but also felt more like normal. Like I was on a hunt, and I wanted to crack this guy. Tonight I'd get my rematch with Talon Osborne, and he was going to submit to me one way or another.
And is he as good a kisser as his brother? Ugh, why do I keep thinking that?
Midnight rolled around fast, and before I knew it, I was standing on the corner, feeling the gentle warmth of the night air, and the hot breeze rising from the pavement. The car was a Bentley, more beautiful than I expected from a livery and more expensive. I slipped into the back, and the driver turned and smiled.
Talon.
He wore a driver's uniform and cap, and his eyes glowed with mirth that hadn't been there at all that morning.
“Surprised?” He asked.
“You could say that.”
He laughed and started driving.
“Where are we headed?”
“Back to the scene of the crime,” he said.
I pretended not to notice when his eyes flicked up to the rearview to have a look at me. His green eyes found my legs quickly and lingered there
.
“I’m sorry for this morning,” he said. “I thought you were working for Blair.”
“I was, wasn’t I?” I said innocently. “She’s the one who approved my internship.”
His smile widened.
“Ah, of course. You’re an intern. How silly of me to think you were anything more.”
The rest of the ride was in silence. When we pulled into the parking garage at Osborne Energy, a twinge of shock rolled through me. And a slight disappointment. I'd been hoping for a nice restaurant, maybe someplace cozy to chat afterward.
"Your tracker went dark," Trib said in my earpiece.
I hadn’t thought we were that far underground. Why would my signal die so soon?
"What are we doing here at Osborne Energy?" I said so Trib could hear it. I didn't get a Roger or anything in return, so that made me nervous. Was I on my own?
“You’ll see,” Talon said.
“I do love surprises.”
I do not love surprises. My hand wanted to slide into my purse and caress that pistol. Instead, I slid forward until my lips were next to his ear.
“Is your office where you like to take women?” I purred.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
“Oh? You like the sound of my voice?”
“You’re dangerous,” he said. It came out as a husky growl.
I'm glad we understood each other that much, at least. The way he got me into Faulkner so quickly and squared our dorm for us made up for a little, but Talon was still on my shit list for calling me garbage in front of everyone.
A girl's got to have standards.
He pulled into an executive parking slot just near a private elevator. He got out, just like the driver he was pretending to be, and got my door for me. The musky smell of his cologne made me want to nuzzle my face in his chest to get more of that scent.
Keep it under control, girl.
"I've got you on the security cams," Trib whispered. "I've got his office up and the halls on the top floors, and there's no one else there. Whatever he has in mind, he doesn't have backup. And Rayne? I lost your audio signal too. The only reason you can hear me now is because I connected to you from the server system inside the building. It's not a great solution, but it'll work for now. I don't like how much electronic interference is going on. This connection may go in and out while you're there."
I’m glad you’re back, I thought. Why were the electronics going wonky though?
We slipped into a gleaming stainless steel elevator that I assumed was executives only. This was confirmed when Talon hit the single button, which would take us to the top floor. My stomach dropped as the elevator went into a high-speed climb.
Talon turned without warning and shoved me into the wall of the elevator. He pressed close, putting his face inches from mine.
“I want to know who you really are,” Talon said, his jaw tightening, “And you’re going to tell me.”
“Please don’t hurt me,” I whispered.
He let me go and took a step back.
“I’m sorry, I—”
My turn. I dropped to one knee and caught his legs in a takedown and easily hopped astride him as he fell. On his back, with me on top, I could feel the swelling hardness between his legs. I leaned forward and propped myself upon his chest.
“Now, you tell me why you’re so uptight.”
He gritted his teeth. “You…”
“I mean, what is this?” I asked, caressing downwards with my hand to where his cock was beginning to throb. I grasped it and his back arched beneath me as he moaned. “When was the last time you took this thing out and actually used it?”
He arched his back further and rolled, trying to get on top. I let him.
“You’re a lot stronger than I’d expect,” he said, “For an intern in the IT department.”
He grabbed my wrists and pressed them to the floor. I kept my legs wrapped around his waist, but he had me pinned pretty well.
"Well, you've got me pinned," I said. "In this position, you could do whatever you want to me.”
“Stop playing games!”
“No.”
The elevator dinged and we waited, breathing hard, as the doors opened. The way he was pressed against me, his hardness between my legs, I was tempted to stay put. But I’m too competitive for that.
Instead, I put my heel into the fold of his hip and rocked up, sweeping him under me and catching his neck in the crook behind my knee. Just as he realized what was coming, my other leg entwined behind his arm, hooking over my foot to trap his neck and arm between my thighs in a triangle chokehold. I squeezed with my legs, and his eyes bulged with surprise before his face turned red and he lost consciousness.
“Let’s see what kind of trouble we can get into,” I said, dragging his limp body off of the elevator. I gave him a light slap to wake him. It felt good.
“How dare you,” his voice rumbled as he came to.
“What would you call this part of Osborne Energy?” I asked. “Like where we’re standing? Executive offices? Top Floor? Section 7?”
“What?” He said, shaking his head. The drowsiness took a moment to wear off.
He still had a long, thick outline in his trousers, so losing blood flow to his head didn’t affect that any. The confusion on his face told me what I wanted to know. If Talon knew what Section 7 was, it would have registered. Either he would have clammed up, or he’d have come at me. People always move to protect their secrets. Section 7 meant exactly as much to him as Top Floor.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on now that you can trust me,” I said. “And then later we’ll see if I want to tell you more about who I am?”
He got to his feet, eyeing me warily.
“Who says I can trust you?”
"You were out for twenty seconds, and I didn't draw a single dick on your forehead."
And I didn’t kill you or tie you to a chair and beat you. I didn’t have to say that part. He got it on his own.
He straightened his tie.
“My office.”
“Yes, sir.”
He had the good grace to glare at me.
5
I only got a passing glance at his office before, and that was mainly from the floor. But, this time, I could fully appreciate it. His desk was ridiculously gorgeous, black marble, stainless steel. The lamps were custom made to match. On the opposite wall was a long glass table with an ornate chessboard and a game in progress.
“Who’s winning?” I asked.
“Gregorovich,” he replied.
“You’re playing a game with Anton Gregorovich? The grandmaster?”
“I dabble.”
He took off his tie and threw it across the chair. His uniform jacket was next to go, and then the shirt. He stood there in his trousers, the moonlight pouring in over every gorgeous inch of him. Good god. He was ripped and powerfully built. I'd seen plenty of that in the Marines, and you'd think I'd be immune by now, but even I could be surprised by perfection. I could still see the outline of his cock throbbing through the thin fabric of his trousers.
I guess the moonlight wasn't shining on every inch. Yet.
“Am I supposed to be impressed?” I asked.
I was impressed as hell, but he didn’t need to know that. His grin told me that he knew what kind of specimen he was. How many supermodels had melted into those perfect arms? Enough for him to have the confidence of a demigod.
“I don’t care if you’re impressed,” he replied. “But I do need to change. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
I folded my arms. “Well, I’m not going to turn around, so make it quick.”
He turned himself around for the trousers, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. His perfect ass was a nice consolation, though. It was easy to imagine how it would feel to have my hands on him. I wanted to do more than imagine. He slipped into a pair of tight blue jeans and pulled a white t-shirt out of the closet on the far
wall. Rows of perfect suits and expensive watches lined the interior of the black closet.
He tossed the t-shirt onto his desk for later, leaving his gorgeous body on display.
Most billionaires needed the suit to look good, but Talon had a build that would have set me on fire back in Iowa. Throw a pair of boots on him, and he'd be right at home on a ranch, tossing bales of hay, getting sweaty, skinny dipping in the creek…
"Are you alright?" He asked with a knowing smirk.
“I’m doing fine. I was just thinking about this hot guy I met today. Big guy, blue eyes. You’d like him.”
His smirk didn’t falter.
"You talk a big game," he said. "But now that we're alone, can you back it up?"
“What did you have in mind?”
“You were in a hurry to get on your knees this morning. Why not try it now? I did enjoy the show, even if I couldn’t admit it in front of Blair. Now that it’s just us, I wouldn’t mind seeing it again.”
“You know,” I said, “I could put you on your knees. You got to see that the hard way in the elevator. But there is an easy way.”
I raked my nails down his chest and across his abs. His skin felt electric against my fingertips, and he gasped with pleasure. The swelling in his jeans got bigger. I was beginning to wonder how long he could keep it in there before it became uncomfortable. His jeans were a tight fit.
Talon’s jaw tightened, and he reached out and caught my hand before it got to the top of his jeans. He slid in between my legs until he was pressed against me. His hardness rubbed against the thin panties I wore, and the tingle I felt between my legs made me shiver. He rubbed it against me gently and then more roughly as my clit started to swell. I began to ache for something more and couldn't help grinding into him a little. I’m used to getting what I want.
I slipped my free hand behind him to pull him close, but he smiled and said, “Nope.”
He took both of my hands and pushed them behind me, and then pulled me into him firmly. A moan escaped my lips as he held me there. His tie was lying across the desk behind me, and it only took a moment for him to tie my hands. Not too tightly, just enough so he could hold them there with just one of his hands.
His free hand slipped between us, and his fingers brushed across the wet swelling beneath my panties and began to coax pleasure from my clit. I gasped. I bit his chest, and he growled with approval as he stroked faster, then slid my panties aside with his fingers to touch my bare pussy. His fingertips coated quickly in my wetness, and my back arched as I shook with pleasure.
