Mission: Her Defense: Team 52 #4

by Hackett, Anna

  He yanked her close and kissed her.

  “Be forewarned,” she said. “I’m messy.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I know.” His gaze went to the floor that was littered with her discarded clothes.

  “And I eat a lot.”

  Now he smiled. “I know. It turns me on watching you eat.”

  She grinned. “Then I guess I’m moving in.”

  * * *

  Luke was happy as hell. Blair was moving in, Salvador Morgan was going to spend the next few years behind bars, and even a shitty interrogation where they didn’t get the information they needed couldn’t dim his mood.

  He was driving towards Griffin’s to meet Blair and Team 52 for a beer.

  He found a parking spot close to the bar, and when he reached the door, he saw his woman through the window.

  Tough. Gorgeous. So strong. She had her head tossed back, laughing at something Smith had said.

  All his.

  He walked in and Team 52 called out their greetings. Their women were there as well—Rowan, January, and Kinsey. Nat, Brooks, and Ty had also joined the group, and were sitting on stools at the bar.

  Blair appeared in front of him. “Hello there, Detective.”

  She gripped the lapels of his shirt and kissed him.

  “Hey, baby,” he murmured against her lips.

  “Grab a beer. I’m just about to kick Axel’s butt at pool.”

  Axel sauntered past. “You’re dreaming, chica.”

  Luke ordered a beer and sat at the bar. He watched Axel and Blair chalk their cues, both of them trash talking. Then they started what looked to be a very competitive game of pool. He shook his head.

  “You’re a damn lucky man, MacKade.”

  Luke lifted his head and looked at Lachlan leaning against the bar.

  “I know.”

  A faint smile touched the Team 52 leader’s lips. “I like the way you look at her.”

  “She challenges me, she sees me, and makes me feel every emotion under the sun. Angry one minute, happy the next. Pissed one second, and then complete contentment.”

  Lachlan nodded. “Yep, love.”

  “Takes one man in love to notice another.”

  Lachlan turned his head, looking down the bar at the red-headed Rowan who was chatting with January. “That’s the truth. Then he looked across to the pool table. “Make her happy.”

  “I intend to.” For the rest of his life, if she let him.

  “Good.” Lachlan leaned in and lowered his voice. “Otherwise, I’ll track you down and break your bones.”

  The man’s tone was one step above frigid. It was enough to have a grown man break out in a sweat.

  Lachlan sipped his beer, then tipped the bottle in MacKade’s direction. “And no one will find your body.”

  Rowan appeared, leaning into Lachlan’s side. “Lachlan, sweetheart, how about you don’t threaten the police detective with murder?”

  “He gets me.”

  “I get you,” Luke said.

  “Well, you’d better make sure Blair doesn’t hear you,” Ty suggested from his stool. “Or she’ll beat you both up.”

  Luke turned his head, looking Blair’s way and smiling.

  Damned if Ty wasn’t right. And damned if Luke would have it any other way.

  * * *

  Ty

  Ty Sampson lifted his hand as his teammates called out goodbyes. They were all outside Griffin’s, heading for their vehicles.

  Hands in his pockets, he strolled down the sidewalk. Across the street, he spotted Blair and her detective. MacKade had Blair trapped against the side of his Explorer, kissing the hell out of her. They were completely wrapped up in each other.

  Ty shook his head and made his way to his car.

  Blair Mason was the last person he’d expected to go soft over a man. Still, he couldn’t argue that she and the detective looked damn happy.

  Ty slid behind the wheel of his sleek, sporty Lexus and headed toward his place. He turned down a narrow alleyway lined by warehouses and touched the remote attached to his dash. A roller door moved upward, and he drove inside and killed the lights.

  It was a single-story warehouse that had once been a body shop. When he’d bought the place, he’d renovated the front half into an apartment, but he’d left the back as a workshop with parking.

  He climbed out, his boots echoing on the scarred concrete floor. Back here, he had a small lab and workshop, where he tinkered with some of his designs. He did most of his work at base, where he had a fully-equipped and decked-out laboratory. But even when he was home, he still liked to fiddle when the urge hit.

  Lights clicked on. Ahead was his living area. It was cordoned off with brick and glass walls. A compact kitchen with glossy, dark granite sat in one corner, and his large, black-leather couch dominated the space.

  Then he stopped. He scanned the shadowed workshop. Something wasn’t right.

  He looked back toward his living area. Then he heard a noise. A door closing?

  He reached into the back of his jeans and pulled out his SIG Sauer.

  Someone was in his place.

  Ty crept through the living area and past the kitchen, his boots silent on the polished concrete floors. He walked down the hall leading to the bedrooms—guest room, office, and his master.

  He stopped at the threshold to his bedroom.

  Even without the lights on, he saw it looked as it always did—warm woods and shades of gray, his big bed in the center of the room. It was neatly made, since he’d been at Area 52 all week. He was usually at the base more than he was home.

  Cautiously, he walked into the room. There was no sign of anyone. He stalked toward his large, walk-in closet.

  Suddenly, the doors burst open, and a figure in black surged out.

  Fuck.

  The intruder slammed into Ty and they hit the ground, rolling across the wooden floor. Ty grunted, wrestling to get hold of the man.

  Then he felt breasts smashed against his chest.

  A woman. What the hell?

  An elbow connected with his jaw, snapping his head back. Ty saw stars and let out a stream of curses.

  While he was dazed, his intruder leaped to her feet and ran.

  Dammit to hell. Ty jumped up and gave chase.

  He crashed through the living room, seeing no sign of her.

  He heard something crash in his workshop and swiveled. When he charged out into the workshop, he saw her running along the top of one of his work benches. She ran straight for one wall, leaped, then clung there for a moment and began to climb the bricks. Like a damn spider.

  Rushing toward her, he watched as she ascended to one of the high windows up near the ceiling. She shoved the window open, then glanced back. She wore a half mask over her face, but their gazes met for a second.

  Ty felt a jolt.

  Then she climbed out the window.

  “Dammit!” He ran for the small door set in the roller door, shoved it open, and sprinted into the alley. He skirted around his warehouse, searching for his intruder.

  Nothing. He paused. He didn’t even hear footsteps, just the distant sound of a siren.

  Jaw tight, he went back inside, locking up behind him. He needed to check his goddamned security system. All those windows were wired, but she’d bypassed his system somehow.

  He moved through his space, checking to see if anything was missing. Or if his intruder had left anything behind.

  A quick search turned up nothing. Ty spent extra time in his lab and finally released a breath. Nothing appeared out of place. He’d still pull out his scanners and check for bugs or cameras.

  He pressed his hands to his hips and ground his teeth together. Nothing looked out of place, nothing looked like it was missing.

  Ty hated anyone in his space, messing with his things. It didn’t matter if it was his home or his lab.

  Who was she? And what the hell did she want?

  * * *

  “Sorry, I’m late.
So late.” Blair barreled through the front door of Luke’s house, juggling the cardboard box she was holding.

  Not Luke’s house, their house.

  She took a deep breath. She’d moved in, but she was going to need a wee bit of time to adjust. She looked at the wall and saw one of her favorite bright paintings on the wall. Luke had spent an evening hanging all of them around his house. Their house.

  “Hey.” Luke appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, wearing jeans, a blue shirt, and bare feet.

  She just stared at him, marveling at the fact that he was hers. “I love you.”

  His face softened. “Good. Now come on, I have dinner on.”

  Blair kicked her shoes off. “It was my turn to cook.”

  “I don’t mind feeding my woman. Even if she eats like a hungry trucker.”

  He slid an arm around her and steered her through the doorway. Delicious smells hit her, and her stomach growled. A mound of food sat on the kitchen island. She grinned. Yeah, her man liked feeding her.

  Then she paused. A huge Christmas tree stood in one corner.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  He raised a brow. “Pretty sure that’s obvious. Christmas is only a few days away. I picked this up on the way home.”

  She sucked in a breath, pulling in the piney, green scent of the tree. She swallowed. “I haven’t had a Christmas tree since before Will died.”

  Luke’s face softened. “Well, you do now.” He flicked a finger at the box she was holding. “What’s this?”

  “I stopped by my apartment to grab the last of my things. The agent’s got tenants moving in soon.”

  Luke peered at the box. “This looks like it hasn’t been opened in a long time.”

  She nodded, pulling in a breath and setting it out on the island. “It’s some of Will’s stuff.” Her heart began to thump hard in her chest.

  Luke looked at her, then reached out and gripped her shoulder. He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

  She pulled off the old, brittle tape holding the box closed.

  The first thing she pulled out was a framed photo of her and Will, aged six and five. She stared at it, seeing her brother’s wide grin. She touched it, running her finger over his face.

  “You two looked alike,” Luke said.

  She nodded. The next thing she pulled out was a chunk of plaster with a small handprint embedded in it. Will had written his name on the back in large, untidy letters. “He gave this to me for my birthday.”

  Luke gave her shoulder another squeeze.

  The next thing she pulled out was a colorful painting done in swirls of bright colors. It was pretty darn good for a five-year-old.

  Luke ran a finger over it. “It looks a lot like—”

  “All the paintings I bought.” She smiled. “I spotted one of them in a gallery window a few years back, and instantly thought of Will. I contacted the artist and purchased everything she had.”

  The final item looked like a small, wooden Christmas tree, haphazardly painted. It had glitter stuck to it, and a tiny ribbon on top.

  “Another piece of Will’s handiwork.” Sadness washed through Blair. She wondered what kind of man her brother would have been, where he would have gone…but then she let it go. He would forever be this smiling boy who’d loved her. “I don’t want to keep him locked up anymore.”

  “He’d be so proud of his big sister.”

  Luke took the framed photo and walked over to the mantel, setting it beside another picture. A framed photo of Luke’s mother.

  “And the decoration can go on our tree for our first Christmas,” he said.

  Their first Christmas.

  Together, they nestled Will’s decoration into the branches.

  Blair pressed her face to Luke’s chest. His solid arms wrapped around her. Safe and comforting.

  But with the heat of her man pressed against her, the sadness slowly receded and something else filled its place. She was alive and life went on.

  She shifted against him, her fingers curling into his abs.

  “How about a swim?” She started backing them toward the back door.

  He raised a brow. “I think your swimsuit’s upstairs.”

  She started undoing the buttons on his shirt. He gripped her T-shirt and yanked it over her head.

  “Swimsuits are overrated,” she murmured.

  They stumbled out the door, tearing off the rest of their clothes. The winter air was cool on their bare skin, but Luke lifted Blair off her feet, striding down into the pool’s shallow end.

  She wrapped her legs around his hips, her lips on his while his hands kneaded her ass.

  “Luke? Is that you?”

  Meredith’s voice sounded from the yard next door and Blair growled in Luke’s ear. “She still hasn’t taken the hint that you’re taken. I’m damn well living here.”

  Luke’s chest shook with silent laughter. He turned his head, kissing Blair deeply, his tongue sliding against hers.

  “Keep quiet,” he said.

  Blair scowled. “Why?”

  “So Meredith won’t hear me fucking you.”

  With a quick thrust, his hard cock slid deep inside her. They’d both had their check ups and Blair was on the Pill, so they’d dispensed with condoms.

  She tried to stifle her moan. Then he started thrusting inside her, fast and hard, and she made noise. A lot of noise.

  If Meredith heard it, Blair didn’t care one little bit.

  “Get there, Blair.” His fingers dug into her ass, helping her work up and down on his cock. Water splashed against the pool edge.

  “God, yes. I’m going to…” Her orgasm hit and she threw her head back, grinding down on him. Pleasure splashed over her in a hot rush.

  Luke lodged deep and groaned through his own release. They were both panting when he hauled her out of the pool.

  Satiated and happy, she dropped her head against his shoulder. He set her down and wrapped a towel around her.

  Mmm. She watched as he swiped the towel over his naked body. She was looking forward to a delicious meal, then she was planning to drag her man to bed early.

  Suddenly, she heard a phone ring and she groaned. “That’s mine. It’s Lachlan’s tone, so it probably means something’s up.”

  Luke leaned down and rubbed his thumb across her lips. “Looks like my woman has to go save the world.”

  She smiled. “Yep.”

  Then Luke’s phone started ringing. He frowned. “That’s work.”

  She rose up on her toes and kissed him. “And my guy needs to go keep the law and order.”

  He tugged on her hair. “Be safe.”

  “Always. See you later at home?”

  “Always.”

  * * *

  I hope you enjoyed Blair and Luke’s story!

  Team 52 will continue with Ty’s story, Mission: Her Safety, as he tracks down his intruder. Coming May 2019.

  For more action-packed romance, and for a peek at Treasure Hunter Security owner Declan Ward’s action-packed story, read on for a preview of Undiscovered.

  Don’t miss out! For updates about new releases, action romance info, free books, and other fun stuff, sign up for my VIP mailing list and get your free box set containing three action-packed romances.

  Visit here to get started: www.annahackettbooks.com

  Preview: Undiscovered

  She was hot, dusty, and she’d never felt better.

  Dr. Layne Rush walked across her dig, her boots sinking into the hot Egyptian sand. Ahead, she saw her team of archeologists and students kneeling over the new section of the dig, dusting sand away with brushes and small spades, methodically uncovering a recently discovered burial ground.

  To her left, the yawning hole in the ground where they’d started the dig was like a large mouth, ringed on one side by a wooden scaffold.

  In there, below the sands, was a fantastic tomb, and Layne was only beginning to unravel its secrets.

  She paused and drew in a br
eath of warm desert air. To the east lay the Nile, the lifeblood of Egypt. She swiveled and watched the red-orange orb of the sun sinking into the Western Desert sands. All around, the dunes glowed. It made her think of gold.

  Excitement was a hit to her bloodstream. Only days ago, they’d discovered some stunning golden artifacts down in the excavation. She’d found the first one—a small ushabti funerary figurine that would have been placed there to serve the tomb’s as-yet-unknown occupant in the afterlife. After that, her team had discovered jewelry, a golden scarab, and a small amulet of a dog-like animal.

  Stars started appearing in the sky, like tiny pinpricks of light through velvet. She breathed in again. The most exciting thing was the strange inscriptions carved into the dog amulet.

  They had mentioned Zerzura.

  Oh, Layne really wanted to believe Zerzura existed—a fabulous lost oasis in the desert, filled with treasure. She smiled as she watched the night darkness shroud the dunes. Her parents had read her bedtime stories of Zerzura as a child.

  Thoughts of her parents, and the hard punch of grief that followed, made Layne’s smile disappear. Unfortunately, life had taught her that fairytales didn’t exist.

  She shook off the melancholy. She’d made a life for herself, a career, and spent most of her time off on adventures on remote dig sites. She’d held treasures in her hands. She shared her love of history with anyone who’d listen. She hoped that if her mom and dad were still alive, they’d be proud of what she’d achieved.

  Layne made her way toward the large square tents set up for dealing with the artifacts. One was for storage and one for study.

  “Hey, Dr. Rush.”

  Layne spotted her assistant, Piper Ross, trudging up the dune toward her. The young woman was smart, opinionated, and not afraid to speak her mind. Her dark hair was cut short, the tips colored purple.

  “Hi, Piper.”

  The young woman grinned. “Give you a whip and you’d look like something out of a movie.” Piper swept a palm through the air. “Dr. Rush, dashing female adventurer.”

  Layne rolled her eyes. “Don’t start. I still haven’t lived down that last interview I did.” What Layne had thought was a serious article on archeology had morphed into a story that turned her into a damned movie character. They’d even Photoshopped a whip in her hand and a hat on her head. “How’s that new eastern quadrant coming along?”