Flare of Promise (AMT #4)

by Jessie Donovan

  The local humans believed the AMT research facility was actually a British pharmaceutical company and their economy had developed around it. The restaurant Petra had chosen catered to foreigners, which meant German-born Petra fit right in. A few other Feiru and one human backpacker also filled the room.

  Keeping her voice low, Petra murmured, “Update?”

  Millie answered through the earpiece. “There is a large group of non-Chinese heading right this way. I can’t tell if Will’s in the group or not. But don’t worry, I have your back. I’m willing to undo a few buttons on my blouse and reveal the girls to distract the men if you need it.”

  Only because she was sitting alone at the table did Petra not roll her eyes and give a rather colorful reply.

  With nothing to do but scroll around on her phone to look as if she were reading something, Petra’s heart beat faster in anticipation of seeing Will.

  Her life had changed a lot over the past two years and she wondered if Will would even recognize the woman she’d once been.

  After giving up the pursuit of her PhD in chemistry, Petra had spent months learning hand-to-hand combat and self-defense. Her life had been safe in the beginning only because of her ability to cook meth. But she’d never trusted the drug lord who’d convinced her brother Dom to join his ranks. Not only had her martial arts skills saved their lives later, the discipline of daily practice had also helped Petra focus on her new life and forget about Will Evans.

  Truth be told, Millie wouldn’t recognize the woman known as Leyna but now Petra. Leyna had loved to tease, scream at the sight of a spider, and had had a weakness for white chocolate. But Petra had to be strong, strategic, and clever. Gone were the weaknesses and easygoing nature, and in its place, she had developed a hardened persona.

  The only question was whether Petra could retain her new persona while talking with Will or not.

  Get a grip, Brandt. You’ve taken down powerful men and women. Surely you can handle one random scientist.

  Nodding to herself, Petra looked up at the sound of people entering the front door. At the front of the small crowd stood Will with his strong jaw and close-cut beard. When he finally met her eyes, Will blinked.

  Hoping to fool the other patrons, Petra smiled and tilted her head in invitation. Millie had sworn earlier that the head tilt, when combined with a revealing shirt and a suggestive smile, always worked to bring a man over.

  Since Petra lacked Millie’s confidence, she barely restrained herself from tucking her hair behind her ears. Will had known her originally with short hair. Would he like her hair longer?

  Stop it. For both her safety and Will’s, they could never be together. The sooner Petra remembered that, the better.

  Yet as Will walked toward her table, her heart pounded. She’d dreamed of the normalcy of going on a date with Will hundreds, if not thousands of times over the years. She may never be able to kiss him again, but she sure as hell could drink in his face and memorize it for the future.

  Whether she liked it or not, Petra would probably love William Evans to the day she died. However, his life was more important than her desires. To save him, she would need to drive him away.

  But, damn, it was going to hurt.

  ~~~

  Will blinked at the sight of Leyna wearing a deep blue top that was cut low to reveal the tops of her breasts. Her light brown hair was longer than he’d ever seen it, but he loved the way it framed her face to make her green eyes pop. God, her eyes. He may have doubted the woman at first, but even from about six feet away, the eyes told him his beloved Leyna was still alive.

  And he was determined to find out why.

  He approached the table. Pulling out a chair, he slid in and kept his voice low. “Start talking.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “So much for hello.”

  Will glanced from the corner of his eyes, but all of his colleagues were busy talking amongst themselves. Since he’d told them he’d had a date with a new assistant, they wouldn’t question him having dinner with a beautiful woman.

  Clenching his knee under the table, he pushed that thought aside and focused on the grief and pain he’d suffered. “At least you’re still smiling. We’re on a date, love. So keep up the facade.”

  Leyna purred, “Oh, I can keep up an act as long as necessary.”

  “So is that what I was, then? Part of an act?”

  Regret flashed in Leyna’s eyes. But it was gone before he could blink. “Of course not. But I’m not here to talk about the past. I’m trying to give you a future.”

  Will raised an eyebrow. “Why now? You had no problem keeping quiet for two years.”

  She answered in a low whisper. “Because I couldn’t stand the thought of you being locked away and used as a guinea pig.”

  He almost believed the sincerity in her voice. Then he remembered the days after her death, filled with crying, shouting out in anger at anyone who tried to console him, and the self-imposed isolation. It had been pure hell.

  If Leyna had cared for him at all, she would’ve sought him out earlier. The woman he’d loved back then would’ve cared about easing his pain instead of causing it.

  Yet despite the memories of hurt and betrayal, a small part of him still wanted the truth.

  To ensure no one overheard, Will moved his chair next to Leyna’s. Yet as soon as he did, her soft, feminine scent filled his nose. Despite the years between them, Leyna still smelled lightly of vanilla. He’d always told her it made him want to eat her up. Back then, she’d even blushed whenever he’d said it.

  However, eyeing the current, hard woman next to him, he doubted this version of Leyna ever blushed. Hell, he was surprised she still had a heart.

  Leaning down to her ear, the vanilla scent was stronger and he battled the urge to take a deep inhalation. If that wasn’t a big enough temptation, her warm cheek was right in front of him. Her skin had been quite soft back in the day. He itched to trace her cheek and find out if it were the same.

  He might be angry at her lies, but he’d be a fool to deny his lingering attraction.

  Get control of yourself, Evans. Clearing his throat, he finally murmured, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Leyna turned her head to meet his eyes. She still had gold flecks around the pupils.

  He swore she drew in a breath, but her eyes remained neutral. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” She reached under the table and took his hand. The light brush of her fingers against his skin released a flood of desire. “Your hands are capable of so many things.”

  Bloody hell. She knew. “How?”

  Tilting her head, her hair brushed the tops of her breasts. “Let’s just say I’m resourceful.”

  “That isn’t a proper answer.”

  She darted her eyes around the room. “I won’t risk saying anything more here.”

  Will wanted to roar in frustration. But then he had an idea of how they could leave and talk alone. “Then there’s only one thing to do.”

  Cupping her cheek, Will kissed her.

  ~~~

  Petra had been so distracted by Will’s heat and strong jaw that she hadn’t predicted the kiss.

  Yet as his lips moved against hers, she couldn’t bring herself to push him away. If nothing else, the kiss would cement their act of being on a date. Her cover ID required everyone to believe that. She couldn’t risk the mission.

  Opening her mouth, she accepted his tongue with a moan.

  Will’s strokes took on a sense of urgency, as if he were making up for lost time. Petra tried to hold back so as not to encourage him beyond what was necessary, but when he nipped her lip, her life as Petra Brandt vanished and she became Leyna Grunwald once again.

  And the memories of Leyna wanted more.

  Threading her fingers through his hair, Petra pressed closer to him. Will stroked, and she pushed back. They each battled for control with their tongues. Damn. Will had always been a good kisser, but the last two years had made
him more demanding and possessive. A small part of her wondered what he’d do if they were both naked and in bed. Being at Will’s mercy sent a rush of wetness between her thighs.

  Maybe her cover ID needed a hook-up to be convincing. One last night with Will might be necessary.

  Yes, necessary. Not because she wanted to feel his warm hands cover her breasts as he took her from behind. No, because she didn’t want to give anyone the idea she was anything other than a one-night stand.

  All too soon, Will broke the kiss and she cried out. The corner of the bastard’s mouth ticked up at the sound.

  Petra might have just been manipulated. Taking a deep breath, she ignored the throbbing between her legs. Two could play at this game. Petra would turn the situation back into her favor.

  As she stared into his eyes, she noted Will breathing as heavily as she was. Curiosity urged her to move a hand up his thigh to his groin and see if Will was as affected as she was.

  Clenching her fingers, Petra’s rational side won out and she kept her hand in place. She merely asked, “Why did you stop?”

  He leaned to her ear again. “I just needed to convince my colleagues that I want to take you somewhere and bed you.”

  She resisted a frown. She had been right. “It was just a farce?”

  “Of course. Provided you hang all over me as we leave, no one will think we’re doing anything but rushing somewhere to get naked. That way, we can find a place to talk in private.”

  Disappointment flooded her body. It was irrational given she’d stomped on his heart by faking her death. She deserved him using her. But deep down, she’d always held on to the hope that if Will knew the reasons behind her actions, he would forgive her.

  It might be too late for forgiveness.

  Millie’s voice whispered into her ear via the transmitter. “I knew you weren’t as calm and collected as you made yourself out to be.”

  A quick glance and Petra spotted Millie at the bar, nursing a glass of wine. Will had made Petra forget Millie could hear everything she was saying via the earpiece.

  Ignoring her partner in crime, Petra whispered to Will, “Okay, then let’s get this show on the road. The sooner we’re alone, the sooner I can tell you everything, get you on the path to safety, and leave town.”

  Rather than answer, Will placed a hand on the back of her neck and he nuzzled her cheek with his own. “Just make sure to play the part convincingly. A staff member is watching my every move.”

  “Oh, I’m a pretty good actor these days.” Petra, ran a hand up Will’s chest and his muscles tensed under her palm. “You’ll see.” She lightly nipped his neck before licking the sting. “Ready?”

  Will cleared his throat and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go.”

  They both stood and Petra leaned against Will’s side, rubbing her hands over his chest and down to the fly of his jeans. Running a finger underneath the waistband, she brushed the head of his hard cock with her finger. Even though she only touched him through the material of his boxers, the memory of what he could do with all of those inches flashed inside her mind.

  Holy crap. Control yourself, Brandt. True, she hadn’t slept with anyone since Will. Merely kissing another guy had felt like a betrayal. But she wasn’t about to fuck up her mission and risk Millie’s safety because of her pent-up horniness. She could tease Will to get him to cooperate, unless circumstances forced her to sleep with him, which was always a possibility.

  The second they hit the cool evening air, Will tugged her down the street and she whispered, “If we need to lose a tail, leave it to me.”

  Will looked over at her and merely shook his head. Whether because he thought they might have someone following them or for some other reason, he remained quiet. The silence gave her an opportunity to go through several mind-calming exercises. She would need all of the control she could muster if she was to spend any length of time alone with Will Evans and leave him behind at the end of her mission.

  ~~~

  Since all the employees of the AMT research facilities lived inside the mountains in one of two employee wings, Will couldn’t take Leyna to his quarters. Instead, he was taking Leyna to a hotel recommended by one of the other male staff members. Given its reputation as a hotspot for hook-ups, he was counting on the man following him to stay outside the hotel and not barge into their room.

  Although after their kiss and Leyna’s finger brushing his cock, Will was having a hell of a time concentrating on anything but his straining dick. The woman had lied to him and broken his heart. He shouldn’t ache for her kisses or the light caress of her fingers. Yet every time she touched him, it brought back the happy years they’d spent together.

  He remembered the first time he’d seen her. They’d both been new graduate students at University College London. Another classmate had invited him to a small study group. However, that classmate had had a family emergency and the study group had ended up being only Will and Leyna. As they'd started talking, the hours had flown by. Not much studying had been done, but he’d managed to coax a date out of the sweet woman with a sharp wit and ability to laugh at herself.

  Glancing at Leyna’s profile at his side, he decided that woman was gone. His Leyna never would’ve lied to him. No, she would’ve talked with him and together they would’ve found a solution to stay together.

  Maybe their time together had all been an act.

  Will would listen to what Leyna had to say and then wash his hands of her. Otherwise, he’d never finish his important work and discover where Feiru latent abilities came from. Said abilities were a risk to the safety of the entire Feiru race because of their unpredictability. Not even the human agency tasked with keeping the Feiru’s existence a secret, the Feiru Liaison Office, would be able to cover up thousands of new abilities popping up around the globe.

  There was also the issue of Will’s freedom.

  His determination renewed, he turned down the final street and tugged Leyna into the hotel.

  At the front desk, he pulled her against his side as he paid for a room. The whole time, Leyna’s hands roamed his chest and back, sending waves of fire and electricity through his body.

  The bloody woman played her role a little too well.

  Will clenched his jaw to keep from outwardly reacting. Each brush of the blasted woman’s finger turned his cock harder, but he’d be damned to let his face flush or breathing quicken.

  Somehow, he managed to finish paying for a room without tugging Leyna close and kissing her again. As they made their way down the hall, every step he took only heightened his awareness of her heat at his side. He also noticed Leyna’s soft curves had been replaced with toned muscle. Glancing down at her, he wondered what her daily life looked like these days.

  They reached their room and Will unlocked the door. The second he and Leyna stepped inside, he swung her around and pinned her to the door with her arms over her head. “Start talking.”

  Leyna merely raised her chin. “Not until I know we’re safe.”

  Will growled. “No one could know we’d be in this room at this moment. I think you’re stalling.”

  Her eyes flashed. “Let me go or I will make you let me go.”

  He leaned down closer to her face. “Then try. We’ve both changed and I may have a surprise or two of my own.”

  “So do I.”

  She moved to kick him in the crotch, but Will stepped to the side and turned Leyna to face the door. With her hands behind her back, he used his body weight to keep her pinned in place. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

  Wiggling her arse against his groin, Will bit his lip to keep from making a noise. His head might not want to react to Leyna’s touch, but his traitorous dick didn’t care and begged for more friction. She wiggled again and a small groan escaped Will’s lips.

  Leyna’s voice was husky as she whispered, “At least your body still wants me.”

  He gritted out, “Good thing my mind is stronger.�
��

  She moved her hips in a slow circle. “Is that so?” She moved again. “Then me telling you how wet and swollen I am for your cock won’t affect you at all?”

  Suddenly, all he could think about was stripping Leyna and pounding into her from behind. “Stop it.”

  “Why?” she purred. “Your body tells me what your mind doesn’t. Fuck me, Will. I’m burning for you.”

  The rational side of his brain knew Leyna’s words and actions were probably a trick. Yet as desire pounded through his body, he knew nothing would get done until he was naked and inside her. He would finally be able to say good-bye to the woman who’d broken his heart.

  Lightly tugging her hair, he murmured, “Don’t expect me to make love. I’m going to fuck you once as a good-bye. Then we’re going to talk.”

  He tugged again and Leyna moaned. “Will.”

  “I’m going to let you go and give you thirty seconds to undress. Do it, and I’ll take you. Try to pull something and I won’t be so gentle next time. Understand?”

  “You were never this alpha before.”

  He nibbled her earlobe before answering, “Sex first and talk later. Nod if you understand.”

  For a split second, Will thought Leyna was going to say no. Then she gave a curt nod and he smiled. “Good.” He stepped back. “Thirty seconds, Leyna. Starting now.”

  ~~~

  Petra’s original plan of distracting Will with her body had backfired. What had been one butt wiggle had turned into a dangerous game of desire and lust.

  The combination of throbbing between her legs and her heart hammering inside her chest made it impossible for her to think straight. Controlling lust was easy with a stranger. However, it proved much harder with someone you’d dreamed of nearly every day for two years.

  All it took was stripping naked to make her dreams a reality.

  Will moved closer and his hot breath brushed against her cheek. What she wouldn’t give to feel it against her bare stomach, her thighs, her breasts.