In the Shadows (Metahuman Files Book 3)

by Hailey Turner

  “Let me,” Alexei muttered.

  Sean inhaled sharply as Alexei’s fingers tangled with his, slipping the expensive leather belt from his grip. Alexei went still, and Sean tried to settle his breathing, staring over Alexei’s shoulder at the opposite wall.

  Warm fingers touched his chin and Sean jerked, but he had nowhere to go. His eyes snapped back to Alexei’s face and the frown curling the corners of his mouth downward.

  “Is okay?” Alexei asked in a low voice that Sean would probably hear in his dreams for months after this.

  Sean forced his voice to come out steady. “We’re good.”

  He was glad he’d already placed the surveillance bugs under the edge of the dresser. He’d hidden three up each sleeve, pulling them free beneath the cover of Alexei’s suit jacket. The surveillance bugs were programmed with the layout of the house and would start their journey to Adrian’s office once they left the room. They were tiny enough that Sean didn’t think the security system would catch their movements.

  Alexei’s thumb touched his bottom lip, tugging at it so gently it was impossible for Sean to focus on anything else. “Not what I ask.”

  Sean looked up at Alexei, blinking rapidly. The heat in Alexei’s gaze had faded a bit, an intense worry taking its place. Sean tugged his belt free of Alexei’s other hand. He took a moment to tuck his shirt more firmly into place, ignoring the ache between his legs that was fading in the wake of being interrupted. Buckling his belt, Sean yanked his suit jacket back into place with a firm tug.

  “It’s fine,” Sean finally said.

  Alexei didn’t look like he believed him, but he eventually stepped back, taking with him a warmth that Sean immediately missed. It was annoying to see that Alexei didn’t seem at all affected by what they’d just done. Whatever shred of hope Sean carried at the thought that maybe Alexei’s aggressive need had been real and not a show withered away at the nearly put-together picture Alexei made.

  Sean could do nothing but focus on the mission, so he did his best to will away the desire crawling beneath his skin. Ignoring everything they’d just done took more effort than he was used to, but by the time Alexei palmed open the door, the flush throughout Sean’s body had died down and he could meet Jansen’s too-knowing eyes and disgusting smirk without flinching.

  “Upstairs is off-limits,” Declan snapped at their arrival.

  “Was line for bathroom,” Alexei said with an insolent shrug before wrapping his arm around Sean’s waist.

  The touch, even through his clothes, was almost electric. Sean leaned into Alexei, knowing he couldn’t very well put distance between them now, not after what Declan and Jansen had seen in the bedroom. He’d be embarrassed about his reactions in the bedroom later, when he was alone, and the mission was completed. Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting through the rest of the night.

  Declan and Jansen escorted them back downstairs, with Alexei never letting him go. Sean was aware of the eyes on them as they rejoined the party, of the way people seemed more amused than anything else. The handful of rude compliments directed Alexei’s way were laughed off, but Sean was aware of how hard Alexei held onto him when responding.

  He wasn’t sure if Alexei was angry that people had drawn the correct conclusion or not, but they weren’t in any position for him to ask. So Sean kept his mouth shut and smiled blandly through the subtle and not so subtle teasing in the lead-up to dinner.

  The tables outside on the patio were lavishly set and decorated, with everyone’s names floating across a tiny holographic display above each plate. Sean found their spots at the table overseen by Adrian and Chloe, with Declan, Jansen, and one other couple they’d met earlier as their fellow diners. Sean smiled at the table at large as he and Alexei took their seats between Chloe on his side and Jansen on Alexei’s.

  Chloe ducked her head a little, catching Sean’s eye to give him a quick wink, discreetly tapping the side of her neck. “Looks like you and Alexei managed to find some time for yourselves judging by that mark, hmm?”

  Sean lifted a hand to a spot of warmth his collar had been rubbing against since the bedroom. He couldn’t see it, but he could feel the faint heat of a bruise coming up against his fingertips, drawn from Alexei’s mouth.

  “He gets bored easily,” was the only thing Sean could think to say.

  “I’m sure you entertain him.”

  Sean managed a faint smile at her words, hoping she’d let the subject drop.

  Dinner passed by in a blur Sean would remember later, when he could pick it apart in detail beyond the warm press of Alexei’s hand on his thigh that came and went throughout the meal. The way his voice sounded, low and deep in the curve of Sean’s ear when Alexei would whisper about the ridiculous food being served before the English dropped into Russian that Sean couldn’t understand.

  But Sean was a professional and incredibly good at his job, even with the distraction Alexei presented. Sean smiled and laughed and talked his way through the meal, through the toasts, and through dessert, keeping up the conversation while ignoring Declan’s heavy stare. Jansen and Declan talked off and on, keeping their voices low enough that Sean couldn’t overhear.

  Even if he couldn’t eavesdrop, Sean knew they’d accomplished what they needed to while here. The surveillance bugs were currently embedding themselves in Adrian’s home office. The MDF would be able to work on accessing them once they got off the property and gave headquarters a heads up.

  It was closing on midnight when the dinner party finally wound down, the after-dinner drinks decimated along with late-night snacks the caterers offered up to anyone still hungry. Alexei wasn’t one to say no, even after dinner. Sean was too focused on taking names and contact information from prospective clients to be derailed by food.

  “I hope you enjoyed yourselves tonight,” Adrian said with a pointed smirk in Sean’s direction as they were shown to the front door by the hosts.

  Sean glanced over his shoulder at where Declan and Jansen were still engrossed in an intense conversation in the sitting room they left behind. Neither man seemed ready to leave yet.

  “Good time,” Alexei replied with a grin Sean could tell didn’t really reach his eyes. But Adrian wouldn’t know that about him, and found Alexei’s response amusing anyway.

  Adrian laughed deeply at that comment, patting Alexei on the shoulder as they walked down the hall. “If you have time tomorrow, we can finish up the meeting from last week. Say, over lunch?”

  “Sounds great,” Sean said. “Where should we meet you?”

  “My brother has a morning meeting with a client he wants me to sit in on. I’ll have someone escort you to my office in Olympus around 1:00 p.m. We’ll go to The Vine afterward. They always have a private room ready for me.”

  The Vine was the exclusive three-starred Michelin restaurant inside Olympus where a meal could run into the thousands of dollars for a single person. Sean absently wondered if they’d be expected to pick up the tab.

  “We’ll be there.”

  “Thanks for dinner,” Alexei said as they reached the front door.

  The maid from earlier was still on duty and silently palmed open the door for them. Sean quickly scanned the front drive, only seeing two vehicles left, one of which was theirs.

  “Yes, thank you,” Sean said, remembering to smile at their host. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Adrian’s smile turned lascivious. “Have fun tonight.”

  Sean’s own smile felt tacked on, but he held it before turning away, remembering to keep his expression calm and even for the short walk back to the SUV. Trevor got out when he saw they were on their way over and held the door open for them. They climbed in, and Trevor closed the door, hurrying around the vehicle to enter on the other side.

  “How’d it go?” Madison asked as she twisted around in the front passenger seat to look at them.

  “Fine. Let’s get clear,” Sean said.

  “Our electronic jammers are runnin’,�
� Annabelle said as she started the engine. “Got no sign y’all were bugged.”

  “We’ll call headquarters on the road.”

  “Copy that.”

  Sean sighed quietly, some of the tension he’d felt since seeing Jansen at the party beginning to fade. They drove in silence for a good five minutes before Madison reached for the control screen on the dash and accessed the hidden options with a fingerprint scan. The uplink to headquarters only took seconds before Jamie’s voice came over the line.

  “Secured on our side,” Jamie said.

  “Surveillance bugs have been deployed, Apollo. There was an unexpected problem during dinner with a guest,” Sean said.

  “What happened?”

  “Jansen show,” Alexei said, mouth twisting in a scowl. “Will need scan when return.”

  Madison snapped her head around to stare worriedly at them, but didn’t speak up. The line was quiet for a few seconds more before Jamie came back.

  “Understood, Inferno. We’ll have Viper on standby for your arrival in two days.”

  “We have a business meeting tomorrow during lunch. I’ll know afterward if we have to stay longer. In which case, Viper may have to come to us,” Sean said.

  “We’ll wait for your read of the situation, Wraith. The appropriate agents have now been notified that the surveillance bugs are deployed. Full activation will commence in twelve hours. Good luck tomorrow. Apollo out.”

  The line went dead. The silence in the SUV was more than a little tense, but Sean felt marginally better the more kilometers they put behind them. He glanced at Alexei out of the corner of his eye. Since they no longer had an audience, Alexei kept his hands to himself and Sean acutely felt the absence of his touch.

  Which is ridiculous, because we’re not what we were pretending to be, Sean thought to himself.

  Not since his first time sleeping with the enemy did Sean feel so out of his depth. The faint bruise the collar of his button-down shirt rubbed against was impossible to ignore, the reminder going to be with him for days. They couldn’t hide what they’d done in the house because it worked for their cover, even if it didn’t work well for his own peace of mind. Sean refrained from touching the mark on his neck, wishing he could forget the feel of Alexei’s mouth against his own, against his skin.

  They had two days, possibly more, of running with these covers. Sean honestly couldn’t wait for this mission to be over.

  Traffic on the Strip late at night was almost worse than it was during the day. Las Vegas was alive at night in a way it wasn’t when the sun was out. The seedy underbelly beneath the glitz and glam and promise of riches seemed more prominent once darkness fell. Eventually, Annabelle pulled into the long drive leading to Olympus and parked in the VIP area. She left the engine running for the valets while the rest of them exited the vehicle.

  They headed for the casino entrance, dodging around a surprising number of people milling around out front. Inside, it was just as loud and hectic as during the day, with people chasing Lady Luck at the slot machines and card tables with drunken and not so drunken need. The nightclub the casino operated was probably rocking with patrons, but Sean wasn’t in any mood to check it out.

  Their small group took the restricted elevator up to the penthouse suite and the privacy it afforded them from the ever-present CCTV. At the moment, Sean just wanted to shower and sleep off the evening in order to mentally prepare for tomorrow.

  Sean said his goodnights to the rest of the team and headed for the bedroom, already loosening the knot of his tie. He palmed the door open and walked inside, able to take a deep breath in peace once the door shut behind him. He needed to stop thinking about what happened at the dinner party if he had any hope of sleeping tonight.

  Sean caught sight of his reflection in the ceiling mirror as he walked farther into the room. He made a face at it. “Computer—”

  The sound of the door sliding open cut him off. Sean turned around, watching as Alexei tapped at the control panel by the door for a few seconds before facing him.

  The expression on Alexei’s face had Sean freezing where he stood because the heat from earlier was back in full force in those fierce gray eyes. Sean swallowed dryly, unable to look away as Alexei stalked toward him with a focus he’d seen before in the middle of a fight back in January.

  Like Sean was something to be conquered.

  8

  Play the Hand You’re Dealt

  Sean stared at him with wide brown eyes, much as how he’d stared at Alexei in the Wolcotts’ guest bedroom, pressed up against the dresser and arching against him. Only this time, the flush of arousal was missing, something Alexei was determined to remedy.

  Sean nervously licked his lips with a quick swipe of his tongue as Alexei stepped in close. “If you’re angry about what happened tonight—”

  “Not angry,” Alexei said as he pulled Sean’s hands away from his necktie and began to undo the knot.

  Sean breathed in sharply, hands hovering in the air between them. “It was for the mission, remember?”

  Alexei raised an eyebrow as he slid the silk tie free from around Sean’s neck with a sharp tug and tossed it on the ground, not caring where it landed. He undid the top button of the shirt, slipping his fingers beneath the loosened collar to glide them over the jut of Sean’s collarbone. Alexei pressed hard against the reddened mark he’d put on the right side of Sean’s neck that he hadn’t been able to stop staring at all night.

  “Think I do this just for mission?” Alexei asked in a rough, low voice, watching as Sean’s pupils dilated just a fraction more.

  Sean shivered at his touch, but didn’t move. “We talked about this.”

  “You talked.”

  “Yes, and you don’t want this,” Sean said in a steady voice. “It’s just a cover.”

  Alexei started undoing the stupid buttons on Sean’s shirt, nearly yanking one or two off in his haste. “Not know what I want.”

  “Alexei—”

  The last button came undone and the shirt parted in the middle, finally revealing the smooth expanse of Sean’s chest. Alexei pressed his hands against Sean’s stomach before sliding them outward to curl around his waist. Sean gripped Alexei’s biceps but didn’t shove him away, looking worriedly up at him.

  “Maybe Jansen got to you,” Sean said worriedly.

  Alexei snorted. “Nyet. I trust Katie’s shields. This not Jansen.”

  “It’s not you.” Sean took a step back to slide free of Alexei’s hands. “I’m not what you want.”

  Alexei shook his head angrily. “You think I want you just for mission? Is wrong, if you think that.”

  “I’m ex-CIA and you don’t like spies,” Sean reminded him sharply.

  Which was true, but Alexei was willing to make an exception here if Sean would stop being so stubborn. Alexei thumped a hand against his chest, glaring at Sean. “Think I be friends with you if I not like you? Think I not care? Not want you because of mission, Sean. Want you because I do.”

  He wasn’t sure if he was making any sense right then. It would be so much easier to get his point across in Russian, except that wasn’t a language Sean spoke. Alexei closed the distance between them, inordinately pleased when Sean stood his ground. It made it easy to fit his hands around Sean’s hips, to keep him from running away again.

  “Not fake tonight I want you,” he said roughly. “Did you?”

  Sean swallowed, the sound almost too loud between them. “No.”

  “Good. Not want to be with you if you think this only for mission. Not want to take if you not give.”

  “You wouldn’t be.”

  Alexei shrugged, rubbing circles over Sean’s bare hipbones with his thumbs. “Not know what you do as spy. Think maybe you do this before, but for mission, not for you.”

  Sean’s silence was telling, and Alexei had to rein in his anger at the way the CIA handled its officers and what that agency allowed them to do for the sake of their country. Anger had no place betwee
n them right now.

  “Can say no,” Alexei told him quietly, nodding at the bed. “We sleep. Do nothing.”

  Sean’s gaze moved between Alexei’s mouth and eyes. “And if I say yes? Is this all you’re going to want? Just one night?”

  The idea of sleeping with Sean just to get off and lay to rest the need burning in his veins, never to touch him again, didn’t sit well with Alexei. He tightened his grip a little on Sean’s hips, pulling him closer until they were standing flush against each other. He tipped his head down, mouth hovering over Sean’s, so close Alexei could feel his breath.

  “Don’t want just one night, kotyonok,” Alexei confessed.

  He didn’t have it in him to do one night, and the only way to see if this desire between them was more than a brief physical need easily slaked was to try for something more.

  “You’ve been calling me that all day. I don’t even know what it means,” Sean muttered right before he touched his lips to Alexei’s.

  The silent acquiescence was all the permission Alexei needed. He licked his way into Sean’s mouth with focused intent, kissing him filthy and deep. Sean gasped, the sound tangled between their lips as Alexei palmed his ass with both hands. Sean arched against him, hands coming up to grab at Alexei’s hair as they kissed and kissed until his lips tingled. He slipped a thigh between Sean’s legs, giving him something to rub off against, holding them both up against the motions of their bodies.

  “Should get undressed,” Sean murmured a little breathlessly as Alexei sealed his mouth over the mark he’d made earlier on his neck, sucking on it again. “Like you were in the pool.”

  “Was in swimsuit.”

  Sean chuckled breathlessly as Alexei trailed small, wet kisses up his throat. “That showed off everything. You weren’t subtle.”

  Alexei laughed, his breath blowing across the shell of Sean’s ear. He liked the way it made Sean shiver in his arms. “Could put swimsuit back on? Let you take off.”