Rule Breaker

by Sienna Snow

Struggling to steady our breaths, I entwined my left hand with his, and he gave me a slight squeeze. “Wow.” My brain hadn’t regained its function.

  “That’s an understatement.” Max lifted me into his arms and sat back half naked against the seats.

  I yawned and snuggled into his warm body. The cab of the limousine smelled of our lovemaking and slowly sent me into the sleep I’d suppressed for days.

  “We have at least an hour and a half before we get home. I’ll take care of you,” he said against my forehead.

  “I know you will,” I sighed. “There’s no other place…” I trailed off.

  “What place?” He tickled me to get my attention.

  My brain fired a short flare. “No other place I want to be than in your arms.”

  He cradled me tighter against him and chuckled. “Same here. That is until you lock yourself in the lab again.”

  “Only for one more week and then I’m all yours.”

  “Promise?”

  A nudge pierced through my haze. Oh yeah, I never answered his question. “Yes.”

  “Good, because after the software transfer, I’m taking you away.”

  “A vacation sounds good. Where are we going?” Who cared? Right now, I needed sleep.

  The last thing I heard him say before my exhaustion got the best of me was, “If everything goes according to plan, by the end of the week, the collar won’t be the only commitment you’ve made to me.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  She’s all yours, General.” I pushed back from the conference table in the lab and handed General Ansgar and his team the final security codes to Arcane. With three more labs attacked and an increase in threats against me, I refused to take any chances of compromising the project. Consequently, I decided to shift all my work from my project lab on the outskirts of Boston to ArMil’s facilities inside our headquarters, where the possibility of bugging was virtually nonexistent.

  “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Rey. We’ll release the overview of the project in a few days.”

  “No one outside of the ArMil team with the exception of Mr. Dane”—I glanced at Max, who nodded and returned his attention to his notes—“knows we’ve transferred ownership. In the next few hours, Arcane’s protocols will implement throughout the areas we’ve outlined.” Kerry passed out the schedule as I sat.

  “Explain what you’re planning for the copy software you’ve developed. When I spoke with Mr. Dane a few days ago, he informed me you’re working with a few of our agents to locate the broker auctioning the program. But his details were limited, at best.”

  “I understand your concern, but we’ve been told to keep any information about the ongoing investigation confidential, even with you.”

  He laughed. “I knew hiring your firm was a good decision. You follow procedure. I can respect that. Make sure you take into account the increased need for safeguarding yourself and your staff.”

  I smiled at the general. He might not have understood the technical aspects of the project, but he understood the necessity for discretion and the associated security ramifications.

  “Protection has already been put into place,” interjected Max without stopping his perusal of his papers.

  Oh, really? His tone told me there was more in place than the logistics we’d discussed.

  “Well, ladies and gentlemen, I will see myself out. It was a pleasure doing business with you. My team will stay in touch.”

  “Thank you, General.” I rose and shook his hand. I walked over to a panel on the wall and typed in a code. At once, all unauthorized electronics activated and the steel doors opened.

  Immediately, the room cleared of all military personnel, and we all relaxed with a collective sigh of relief.

  “I’m never putting myself through that again,” Lex announced while propping his feet on the conference table.

  “We’re not off the hook yet, but more or less we’re there.” Milla sighed and leaned her head against the back of her chair.

  I strolled over to where Max sat and placed a hand on his shoulder, leaned down, and whispered in his ear, “Are you ready to go?”

  He stroked the side of my face. “So eager to leave, my love.”

  “You did say to be ready as soon as the transition took place. My bags are packed, no reason to wait.”

  “Where are you two off to?”

  Rising to my feet, I said, “I’m not sure. All we packed were sundresses and bathing suits, so I’m guessing somewhere tropical.”

  “Sounds like fun. We could all use a break after the slave driving you put us through over the past few weeks. Want us to join you?”

  “Not this time,” Max said and stood, placing his hand on my lower back. “This is for Arya and me only.”

  “Message received loud and clear,” Lex said. “Besides, Milla and I have an appointment for this evening that we can’t miss.”

  Milla straightened in her chair and smiled at me, pretending she hadn’t heard Lex’s words, but the flush of her cheeks gave her away.

  We still hadn’t discussed their relationship in depth, and her reluctance to give any details meant things were complicated. I wouldn’t push.

  “Go have fun. I don’t think you’ll have much use for clothes with the way Max is ogling you.” Milla winked and blew me a kiss.

  I woke to the smell of tropical flowers and the rush of ocean waves crashing against the shore. Keeping my eyes closed, I smiled, stretched, and lazed back into the soft sheets.

  Two hands crept around the sides of my body, caging me. “Good morning, Mrs. Dane.”

  I opened my eyes and stared into a breathtaking shade of emerald. My heart clenched at the love peering down at me.

  God, how could I have gotten lucky enough to get a second chance with this magnificent man? I traced the day-old stubble showing on the gorgeous face. “Morning, Mr. Dane.”

  Max nuzzled into my hand, kissing the palm. “Time to wake up, baby. We need to explore the property my wife stole out from under me.”

  “Oh, is that right?” I arched into another deep stretch and grazed my already sensitive nipples against Max’s bare chest.

  A scowl formed over his brows but didn’t touch his eyes. “You aren’t playing fair, Mrs. Dane.”

  Threading my fingers through his hair, I drew him to me. “You like saying that.” I bit his lip and then captured his mouth.

  “Do you blame me?” he murmured. “I’ve waited forever to have you and never expected you’d agree so readily when we got here.”

  I wrapped my legs around his waist and flipped him onto his back, rubbing my tender pelvis against his growing erection. “It was the way you convinced me.” I stared into his sexy sleepy face. “Are you sure you want to get out of bed?”

  Fire shot through me, straight into my pussy, as he slapped my ass and squeezed it. “We’ve spent the past two days doing nothing but eating and fucking, Ari. I know you’re sore even if your appetite for my cock is insatiable.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” I leaned down, resting my head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. I loved this man so much. Tears blurred my vision, and I snuggled close.

  His hand worked its way into my hair as he held me tight against him. “I love you too, baby.”

  Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes and smiled at the memory of his proposal. An hour after touching down in Kauai we arrived at Wailua Falls. Max covered my eyes with a soft ribbon and guided me out of the car, until the sound of rushing water echoed all around me. When he untied the silken mask, I found myself on the banks of the falls, surrounded by more than a dozen paintings positioned on easels. In each one, he’d used his skills to capture a special moment from our past. From the first time our gazes locked in the training tent in Cape Town to the night he’d collared me in front of the mirror. The pictures depicted the love he felt and my own emotions, ones I’d refused to acknowledge. I was lost in my perusal of the paintings until I noticed Max on his kn
ees behind me.

  “Arya, five years ago you filled a void in my life I hadn’t realized was empty. Through my own stupidity, I lost you, and now that I’ve found you again, I want to bind us together forever. You’re my heart, with you I feel whole.” He held my hands in his, kissing the tops of each and peered at me. “Never again will you fight battles alone. I promise to stand with you through everything. I love you, baby. Marry me.”

  Tears blurred my vision. This was it. Everything I ever wanted. It was time to make the leap. I nodded, cupped his face, and used my thumb to wipe away his own wet cheeks.

  “Say it, I need the words.”

  “Yes…yes…I’ll marry you. Make me your wife.”

  A visible tremor passed through him and he relaxed. Cradling his arms around me, he buried his face in my stomach. “We’ll be married as soon as possible.”

  A laugh burst free. “Hold on there. I just got engaged and I don’t even have an engagement ring.”

  He grinned at me with mischief in his eyes. “Look at your left hand.”

  I lifted my arm and examined an emerald-cut pink diamond surrounded by white diamonds in a platinum setting. My breath hitched. “It’s beautiful.” Then I frowned. “When did you put this on my finger?”

  “While you were looking at the paintings.”

  “Sure of yourself, weren’t you?” I cocked a brow.

  Grabbing my outstretched hand, he stood. “With you I’m never sure of anything. I only hoped.” He kissed my forehead. “I’m going to make you happy. I swear it.”

  I stood on my tiptoes, captured his mouth, and murmured, “We’re going to make each other happy. So how soon is soon?”

  “What about tonight?”

  My heart fluttered, and for the first time in my adult life, I didn’t hesitate. “Okay.”

  “Really?”

  I wasn’t the reckless type, but this was right. “Make an honest woman of me.”

  Lifting me into his arms, he spun me around, and slid me down his firm body. “With pleasure.”

  A squeeze against the tickle spot on my hip snapped me out of my daydream. “Hey,” I admonished.

  “Come on. We’re going snorkeling, and then after we’ll eat breakfast.”

  “Okay, okay. Let me go freshen up, and I’ll meet you downstairs in a few.”

  “Not going to happen. As soon as I leave this room, you’re going to roll over and go back to sleep.”

  I crawled off him and frowned but didn’t deny his accusation. So what if I wanted to peruse the pictures he’d painted in more detail in my dreams? Speaking of… “Where are the paintings? We’ve christened every room of this house, and I don’t remember seeing them.”

  “I had James and Aaron stow them on the plane.”

  My cheeks burned. “I hope you covered them again. James is like my stepdad, and I don’t think I could ever look him in the eye again if he’s seen me in so many intimate poses.”

  Max slid his fingers into my hair and drew me to him. “Stop worrying about it. If he doesn’t know about your extracurricular activities by now, he isn’t as sharp a bodyguard as we all assumed.”

  “Knowing and seeing are two different things,” I grumbled, as he kissed me again.

  My cell phone rang and we both groaned.

  “Let me get that.” He stretched over to the bedside table, picked up my phone, and scowled at the display. “This better be good, Duncan. Arya’s on vacation with her husband.”

  Husband. I liked the sound of that.

  All of a sudden, Max’s demeanor changed. “Wasn’t anyone with her?” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

  They were talking about Milla. What did she do now? A dread settled in my stomach.

  “No, we’re on our way. Fuck. No. I’m not going to be able to keep her calm when she finds out.”

  Whatever it was, it was bad.

  “We’re on our way. Increase security on everyone. I don’t care if Aunt Elana resists. Tie her to a chair but keep her safe. James will kill you if she isn’t protected.”

  I heard yelling through the phone as my heart was on the verge of leaping out of my chest. I scooted over to Max and buried my face against his side.

  Max sighed. “I’m sorry, Lex. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  He hung up and held me tight. Tears flooded my eyes. “Tell me. I can handle it. Did something happen to Milla because of Arcane?”

  “That’s a distinct possibility. I don’t know how to tell you this.”

  I clutched his back. “Please, spit it out.”

  “Milla’s been kidnapped.”

  Less than twelve hours later, we landed at Boston’s Logan Airport. After Max relayed to me the conversation he’d had with Lex, we left Hawaii and spent most the trip in a state of anxiety, determination, and fear.

  I’d contacted every agency that owed me a favor, as did Max. Now all we could do was wait and see if there were any ransom demands.

  I leaned against the kitchen island in my penthouse, took a swig of B&B to steady my nerves, and, with shaky hands, set the glass on the counter in front of me.

  “Arya,” Max pushed my phone into my hand. “This British prick at MI6 won’t talk with anyone but you, since you’re their primary contact.” The doorbell rang. “That’s the extended security team. I’ll let them in.”

  I brought the phone to my ear. “Larry, please tell me, you have some good news to share”

  Larry filled me in on the logistics of the plan, which involved stepping on toes and ignoring bureaucratic procedure. I felt no sympathy for him, I’d lost count the number of times I’d bailed his ass out of a bind. This was the least he could do. I finished the call and walked into my living room. The place resembled Def-Con Central. James lurked in the corner as computers and people occupied all available space.

  “Wow, taking over much?” I said to no one in particular.

  Max came over, put his hand on my waist, and kissed my hair. “I know, I know. We decided setting up shop in your penthouse would be best, especially with all the security you have hidden in here.”

  He had a point, but I didn’t have to like it. I crossed my arms and glared as an agent brought in ten boxes of pizza. “Do not put that on my mahogany table, or I will kill you with my bare hands. There’s a counter behind you at the bar. Use that.”

  The agent paused in mid-bend and went to settle the boxes on the counter.

  “Why couldn’t they congregate at your estate? It’s large enough to house a small army.”

  “My house isn’t as secure as the penthouse. And it’s your estate now, too.”

  “I know. Sorry for being grumpy.” I released a deep breath. “I’m so worried, Max.”

  “We all are, baby.”

  “I think I’ll go to the lab where the copycat is stored and make sure nothing is moved.”

  “Negative, ghost rider,” Lex called as he entered from the hallway leading to my office.

  When had he arrived? I ached seeing him. His eyes were bloodshot and hollow. I ran to him, hugging him close. His body radiated tension, but he sagged against me and held me tight.

  “Oh Lex, what are we going to do?”

  “I don’t know, Ari. She’s everything to me.”

  That one statement broke my heart. “We’re going to find her.” I promised, then hiccuped as fresh tears clouded my vision. “It’s all my fault—they wanted me.”

  “That’s why you aren’t going anywhere.” He gestured toward Max for support. “I’m sure your new husband will agree.”

  “Absolutely,” Max voiced in his no-nonsense way.

  I stepped out of Lex’s embrace. “I’m not going to stay hostage here.” Moving to a counter, I seized a bunch of napkins and handed them to the agents eating like slobs in my home. “I have a company to run, and I have to make sure my lab is untouched.”

  “I checked it. Nothing has been moved.”

  “Lex, you wouldn’
t know if someone tampered with my protocols. I’ll be gone for a half hour to an hour tops. If you want, I’ll take a few of these bottomless pits and James. They’ll make sure I arrive home safe and sound.”

  “No,” Max commanded.

  “Don’t use that voice on me here. I’m going.”

  “No,” Lex echoed Max’s sentiment.

  “Get over it, boys.”

  “Don’t make me call Elana.” That was a low blow, even for James. Thank goodness, Aunt El was sequestered on the Dane estate and not here to add to my headache.

  “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

  “Mrs. Dane, I understand your frustration, but protecting you is our main priority, in addition to locating Ms. Castra.”

  I moved to the closet, and grabbed my coat and the keys to my Porsche. “I’m going with or without you.” All three men stalked toward me. “Guys, I don’t think you comprehend that the software can help me locate Mil. And I will do anything to get my sister back.” A tear spilled down my face.

  All three men released a collective sigh. Max approached me first. “Fine, go. But make sure you don’t take off your tracker.”

  “Like I would. It’s attached to the back of my collar.” I inclined my head to James. “Are you coming, Pops?”

  He nodded and signaled to three agents to follow him.

  I gave Max a quick peck before I headed into the waiting elevator.

  The moment the doors closed, James spoke. “Mrs. Dane, I want to stress again the foolishness of your plan. You are placing yourself in unnecessary danger.”

  “She’s my sister. I will do whatever I have to to get her back.”

  “Even with the assistance of these agents, I cannot guarantee your safety. Please reconsider.”

  “No. Now let’s get moving.”

  I slid into my car, fastened my seat belt, and waited as James took the seat next to me. One agent moved to drive, and the other two entered a vehicle that would follow behind us.

  My phone beeped, and I glanced at the message.

  Don’t do anything stupid. Come home to me. If you aren’t back in one hour, there will be hell to pay.