He shifted again, and her chest expanded with air. “I need to take care of the condom,” he murmured. “It won’t take long.”
Libby closed her eyes as he lifted himself away. Her body was cold where the air rushed in, and she felt suddenly alone. “Good grief, be sensible,” she muttered to herself once he was gone. “This is sex, not life.”
A moment later, she sat up and started searching for her clothing. No way did she want to experience any awkward aftermath while Jared thanked her for the sex and waited for her to think about going back to her own bed. She wasn’t going to be clingy, no matter how much she wanted to do it all again.
She’d just dragged her shirt on when Jared returned. “Shit,” he said, and she looked up to find him studying her. He was utterly, gloriously naked, and her gaze dropped to follow that happy trail down the world’s tightest abdominal muscles before landing on his half-hard dick. “Regrets already?”
“Huh?”
He nodded at her. She was standing beside the bed, sleep pants in hand. The T-shirt covered her ass, at least.
“You look like you’re planning to rush back to the guest room.”
“I, um—I thought you’d want me to go.”
His eyes flashed. “When did I give you that impression? When my tongue was down your throat and my dick was buried deep inside you, or when I came so hard I couldn’t form a coherent thought for a solid minute? Or maybe it was earlier, when I said you were making me crazy. Sure, that had to be it.”
Libby didn’t know what to say. When he put it that way, she felt like an idiot. “In my defense,” she began, “this is pretty much my first time sleeping with a guy who saved me from people trying to kill me. I’m not sure of the protocol here.”
Jared lifted an eyebrow. Then he laughed. Before she could think of a response, he closed the distance between them and tugged the T-shirt off her body. Then he took the sleep pants and panties and tossed those as well.
“Honey, the protocol is this: you’re mine for the rest of the night.”
Chapter Nineteen
He didn’t like Daniel Weir. Jared sat in the conference room and listened silently as the man discussed the benefits of his exoskeleton with Ian. He was cocky and arrogant, the kind of person who knew he was smart and thought that meant he was better than most of those he encountered. It was interesting, considering his arrogance, that he’d come to BDI for a meeting rather than insisting that Ian visit Ninja Solutions. Jared thought it was a measure of Ian’s reputation in the intelligence community that Weir had made the journey. Though Weir had arrived by helicopter, so it was just as likely he’d done it to impress upon them how important he was.
“Obviously, there are some proprietary modifications we’ve made for the US Army that we can’t disclose,” Weir said. “But the basic template is there to be customized by the end user. We can make modifications to your specifications, of course. The software is quite special.”
“It’s certainly interesting,” Ian said. “But what kind of delivery date do you anticipate? This thing is still a prototype, right?”
Weir nodded. “That’s right. We’re moving forward very quickly and anticipate mass production to begin within a few months. We have our sources lined up for the manufacturing process, so producing the number of suits you want would be within our scope. I assume it’s not the thousands the Department of Defense requires?”
“Not quite, no. I’d need to consult my team, of course, but we’d probably place an initial order between thirty and sixty. When can we preview the prototype?”
Weir looked pleased. “It will take some time to set something up since we’re so busy with the Army, but I can have my secretary get back to you with some dates.”
“That would be great,” Ian said, offering a hand. Weir shook it, then offered his hand to Jared.
Jared squeezed. He managed to stop himself from squeezing too hard. It wasn’t a contest and he didn’t know that this man had anything to do with Libby’s kidnapping and abuse.
After Weir had gone, Ian frowned at Jared. “Smarmy. That’s my impression. You?”
“Smarmy and arrogant.”
“Reminds me of a used car salesman. The kind that tries to get you to spend more than you have on a piece of shit that’s gonna break down ten miles from the dealer.”
“Why’s he out hustling his suit if the Army is about to buy thousands of them?” Jared mused as they walked down the corridor toward the elevator that would take them to the Cove where Libby was hanging out with Angie and Maddy. Tallie’d been working on a client project today and couldn’t come.
“My thoughts exactly. I need to know more about this deal with the Army. Something seems off to me.”
“Agreed.”
“How’s she doing, Jared? Any progress at all?” Ian asked as they stepped into the elevator.
If by progress the boss meant had Jared had hot sex with Libby in the bed, the shower, on the couch, and the dining room table, then yes, there was all kinds of progress. But if he meant did she remember anything about Ninja Solutions and the exoskeleton, then no. Not that he planned to ask which definition Ian was looking for.
“She’s remembering who she is. Her childhood, that kind of thing. Nothing recent. It’s only been a little over a week since I found her. I expect more things will come back faster now that the memories have begun to trickle in.”
“Yeah, that was Dr. Puckett’s assessment too. She said there’s no lasting brain damage from the trauma, but that Libby might not remember the events immediately preceding it.”
Jared nodded even as his gut clenched at the idea of Libby experiencing any brain damage when Joe Boggs had thrown her into the wall. If the asshole wasn’t dead already, Jared would have happily killed him again. “That’s what I expect will be the case. What happened was bad enough that her brain is trying to protect her from it.”
And that made him feel sick. Libby was open and warm. She was friendly, chatty as hell, and trusting. At least with him. To imagine someone hurting her, scaring her—well, it was more than he could bear. He knew that people were sick. Knew from experience that bad things happened all the time to good people, but this time he couldn’t find the professional distance he needed. He was involved. Maybe too involved, but he’d crossed that line a while ago and there was no going back.
The elevator doors opened onto the Cove. The three women were sitting at the bar, drinking something fruity and laughing. They looked up when Ian and Jared appeared. Libby’s smile hit Jared like a gut punch when she turned her gaze on him.
She looked happy, and it made him feel protective. He’d kill any motherfucker who tried to hurt her ever again.
Ever again?
Jared shook himself. That wasn’t the kind of thought he typically entertained about a woman he was dating. Though they weren’t exactly dating, were they? They’d passed dating and gone straight to getting down and dirty as often as they could. Jared didn’t think Libby had a ton of experience the way she often seemed so amazed at what he did to her, but damn if she didn’t catch on quickly.
Her blushes hadn’t entirely disappeared, but even when she did blush, she didn’t let it stop her from acting on her impulses. He loved her impulses. They were hot, sexy, dirty impulses and he encouraged them as often as she wanted to give into them.
Jared went over and kissed her. He didn’t stop to think about what he was doing, he just did it. She put her hands on his face, and his skin sizzled.
“Hi,” she whispered when he broke the kiss.
“Hi. You having fun?” he whispered back.
“Yes.” She turned her head, and he belatedly remembered they had an audience. “Maddy was just telling me about a party she’s throwing at her house Saturday night.”
Maddy was looking at him with an arched eyebrow. “You should both come. We’d love to have you join us.”
Jared looped an arm around Libby’s shoulders. He didn’t care what they thought. He liked the way sh
e felt against him. Right as rain as his mother would say. He didn’t know what this was or where it was going, but he liked it.
“Sure, sounds good,” he said because he could tell that Libby wanted to go. He’d rather keep her naked and beneath him—and maybe on top of him too—but if she wanted to party, then they were partying. Whatever made her smile like that.
“Great,” Maddy said. “What about you, Ian? Can you come?”
Jared looked over at Ian, who pointedly dropped his gaze to Jared’s arm and then back up again with a knowing grin. “Can’t make it, Dr. Cole, but thanks for asking.”
Maddy frowned. “You haven’t managed to make the last two. And why are you calling me Dr. Cole all of a sudden?”
Ian laughed. “I was just remembering that time you told me only your friends got to call you Maddy, and I wasn’t one of those.”
Maddy rolled her eyes. “Well, you weren’t. You were holding me prisoner and refusing to believe I was who I said I was. But I forgive you for it, as you’re well aware. I want you to come eat yummy food and have a good time with friends.”
Ian bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Thanks, Maddy. I can’t, though. I’ve got a meeting in Rome on Saturday.”
“Haven’t you people heard of Zoom yet?” Maddy teased.
“Yeah, but if we teleconference everything, when do we get to see the world?”
“So it’s all about the expense account then. Fine, but we’ll miss you. And one of these days, you had better join us. Or I’m going to think you don’t like me.”
Ian laughed and went over to give Maddy a quick kiss on the cheek. “Don’t tell your man, but I like you just fine, Maddy Cole. I sometimes think I should have stolen you for myself instead of letting Jace have you.”
Maddy swatted him good-naturedly. “Flirt.”
The elevator doors opened again and several of the guys emerged. Colt, Jace, Ty, Dax, and Rascal, who’d been gone until recently. Jared blinked. “Dude, you grew your hair out.”
Rascal ran a hand over his formerly bald skull. “Yep, sure did.”
The others laughed. “He’s unrecognizable, right?” Ty said. “And not nearly so ugly.”
Rascal snorted. “Not ugly at all, prick. Or so your momma said last night.”
Dax guffawed. “Shit, he found a sense of humor when he grew his hair. Who knew?”
Rascal went behind the bar and grabbed a beer. “I love you guys, too. Missed you bastards. Beg pardon, ladies.”
Angie balled up her napkin and threw it at him. “Who are you calling a lady? I work here with you people.”
Rascal fist-bumped her. “Sorry, Ang. You’re one of the bastards then. But my apologies to Maddy and this lovely lady,” he said, turning his gaze to Libby.
She smiled and held out her hand. Jared loved how spontaneous and comfortable she was with people. Unlike him, who had to think about everything first. “I’m Libby. Pleased to meet you.”
Rascal cut his gaze toward Jared. “Are you with this dweeb or can I ask for your number?”
Libby laughed. “I’m with the dweeb. But thanks for asking.”
“Hey,” Jared protested, tightening his grip around her shoulders. Though he also felt unaccountably proud that she’d said she was with him. “I’m not a dweeb.”
“Yeah, you kinda are,” Rascal said. “But you’re the smartest guy I know, so it ain’t all bad.”
“Careful, Rascal. I can still kick your ass. Remember that time in Acamar?”
“It’s a bit hard to forget. I thought you medical types were too concerned with doing no harm.”
“Not this one.”
“I know that now.” Rascal looked at Libby. “It was a friendly fight. One of the other guys bet me I couldn’t take Jared down. He hadn’t been with us that long, and I thought they were kidding. Found out I was wrong.”
“Very wrong,” Jared added.
“Definitely wrong. But I know your moves now. Might not be so hard this time.”
Jared snorted. “If you want to try.”
Rascal took a long pull on his beer. “Nope, not feeling suicidal today.”
“Hey, who wants to play me at Frogger?” Dax asked from over near the arcade machine.
“Dude, seriously?” Ty said. “Isn’t that like an eighties game or something?”
“Yep, sure is. But it’s a lot harder than it looks.”
The Cove filled with laughter and people talking, and Libby put her arm around Jared’s waist and squeezed softly. He looked down at her. Her eyes sparkled.
“This has been a lot of fun,” she said. “But if you want to leave, I wouldn’t mind.”
It took him a moment to realize she was asking if he wanted to leave because she knew he liked things quieter. She had no idea what he lived when he went on missions, or the absolute lack of quiet there often was. She just thought that he was an introvert who needed to be in spaces where there weren’t so many people.
It touched him deeply that she thought of it. And as much as he wanted to go so he could be alone with her, he also knew she thrived on situations filled with people and noise. Libby was as extroverted as they came. She got a charge out of people whereas he needed to be alone to recharge. They were complete opposites in that respect.
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Let’s stay for a while. But when we do go, I want you naked the minute we get home.”
“The very minute?”
“The very minute we walk through the door. I need you to strip for me so I can bury my face between your legs.”
Libby shivered. “You’ve got a deal.”
Libby turned over in bed and stretched. Light streamed through the curtains, and she could hear the shower running. She pictured water rolling down the hard muscles of Jared’s body and her pussy tightened. When they’d gotten back last night, he’d made good on his promise. She’d stripped inside the door and he’d dropped to his knees and spread her apart. Then he’d rocked her world with his tongue and fingers until she’d screamed.
After that, he’d produced a condom and fucked her against the door until he exploded, his cock twitching deep inside her as he came, his breath panting in her ear with need and pleasure. Then he’d carried her up to his bed and started all over again.
She was constantly amazed at how much Jared seemed to want her. There was no doubt she wanted him like crazy, but why did he want her? That’s what she couldn’t quite figure out, but she wasn’t going to question her good fortune. It wasn’t that she didn’t think she was worthy of his attention, but she could see in the mirror as well as anyone. She might not know everything about herself yet, but what she saw reflected back to her wasn’t a stunning beauty.
She wasn’t unattractive, but she also didn’t look like the kind of woman who should be the recipient of Jared Fraser’s attention. He was, quite simply, gorgeous. He was the stunning one, not her. She was just like millions of women. Pretty enough to get a man, but probably not an extraordinary one like Jared.
His body was lean and hard and strong. He moved with lethal grace—and she knew quite well how lethal he could be. His smile made her heart skip. His eyes were blue and broody, and he had a way of looking at her that made her think even if she spent a lifetime with him, she’d never know everything about him.
As if a lifetime with him was possible. She really needed to get a grip on those kinds of thoughts. There was absolutely nothing to indicate his desire for her was anything other than physical. And how could it be? You couldn’t get to know someone who didn’t even know herself.
What was between them was physical, and maybe it was everything to do with proximity and the fact she was so willing. What man wouldn’t avail himself of the opportunity?
“Boys won’t buy the cow if they can get the milk for free.”
Libby was no longer shocked at the bits and pieces of her life that kept floating up to her conscious mind like flotsam after a storm. That was her mother talking, though she didn’t remember the
context of the conversation. Or lecture, more like. She didn’t think she’d been a promiscuous teenager. She was still somewhat shy with Jared sometimes, so she didn’t think she was a been there, done all of that kind of person.
She also hadn’t been a virgin, though. Nothing about sex in general had been shocking. Dirty talk had shocked her at first, but she found that it whipped her excitement higher. Especially when Jared said things like he was going to lick her pussy or fuck her until her knees were weak. She’d even managed to start saying dirty things to him, which definitely excited her because of the way he reacted. He never made her feel silly for it. Instead, he made her feel like she had the power to make him crazy for her. It was a heady feeling, but it also worried her.
Because what was going to happen when she remembered everything and he no longer needed to protect her? They would go their separate ways. It was a thought she didn’t like having, but one she had to consider. Boys didn’t buy the cow when they got the milk for free. And when they were tired of milk, they’d move on.
Thanks, Mom.
Libby pushed upright in bed. The sheet fell, revealing her naked breasts. The room was chilly, but not freezing, and her nipples budded tight. She dragged the covers up again, her thoughts turning sour. What was she doing here? What was she thinking to throw her whole self into this thing with Jared?
Because she had.
She wouldn’t say she was in love, but she definitely cared. The thought of going back to her life without him physically hurt. She lay back against the pillows and tried to redirect her thoughts, but she was in a spiral of negativity now. She heard the bathroom door open, heard Jared’s footsteps. He kept going, past the bedroom, and down the stairs.
She should get up and go shower, but she didn’t move. She lay there thinking about the future.
But how could you predict your future when you didn’t know your past?
She heard Jared coming up the stairs again. A moment later, the door opened and he walked in with two cups in his hand. His hair was wet and tousled. He wore a navy henley that opened at the neck, and faded jeans that hugged his body. Dear God he was delicious. His gaze met hers, and her heart skipped at the contact. Mercy.
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