by Lucy Lambert
Then his fingers would excite goosebumps all up and down her body as he cupped one breast, using the ball of his thumb to excite and stiffen one nipple, then the other.
Charlotte grabbed handfuls of the fitted bed sheet, nearly pulling it out of place.
They'd kiss more desperately as she felt his excitement hardening against her.
She was already soaking for him when his mischievous fingers pulled up her gown and ran up the inside of one thigh.
She moaned as she imagined his fingers entering her, moving against her slickness. They were strong fingers, curling against her even as she tightened around them.
Charlotte gasped and moaned, squeezing her eyes shut as her hips bucked.
She so desperately wanted to moan his name. But something kept her full passion from exploding. She knew the reason.
Just because they couldn't bug Landon's office didn't mean they couldn't bug her apartment.
She couldn't keep her jaw from opening wide in a silent scream as his imaginary fingers stroked her to a climax. She felt the walls of her sex closing, opening, closing, opening, as her juices trickled out, wetting her panties.
Landon's imaginary lips brushed against her earlobe, sending an electric spark through her.
"Shh..." She heard his deep and resonant voice say.
She imagined his fingers running through her hair, soothing her.
Charlotte hardly noticed her waking mind slipping away, down into a dream world.
There, an evil, smooth voiced man tried chasing her through the city. But there was someone else there, someone who stopped him. She heard the man's smooth voice crack as he screamed in impotent anger as her protector captured him.
***
Her clock buzzed. Charlotte awoke instantly, none of the usual cobwebs of slumber clouding her mind. She had just enough time to jump into the shower before getting ready. The warm water flowing down every curve of her body soothed her some more, working to ease the palpitations of her anxious heart.
She put on a loose fitting pair of pants and a blouse with a frilly collar, letting her hair fall around that collar.
Landon hadn't told her what he was planning. He'd whispered to her in his office that it was for her own good. He knew she wasn't a very good actor. He'd even said that was one of the reasons he felt so drawn to her.
Her cheeks heated up, and she smiled at herself in the mirror at that thought. Her heart had fluttered when he'd told her that.
No, it all had to go according to plan. His plan.
Charlotte's smile turned to a look of concern as she examined her face in the bathroom mirror.
Then the phone rang, exactly as planned. She rushed over to it. However, she didn't pick it up. Her heart filled with anxiety as she reached out for it, then clutched her fingers before grabbing it.
It all had to go well. They couldn't suspect anything, or all this would continue for God knew how long.
The anxiety drained from her heart down into the pit of her stomach, where it pooled cooly.
Before she could second guess herself yet again, she grabbed up the receiver and pressed it against her ear.
"...Hello?"
"You have something of mine."
Landon. His anger sounded so genuine. She could hear it smouldering, roiling beneath the surface, ready to burst into full flamed rage.
Charlotte paused, trying to find that same thing in herself. She thought of the conspiracy. They wanted to kill Landon. They'd presumed to use her in that heinous task.
That did it. She let some of the rage boil up to the surface. She spoke through clenched teeth.
"Yeah, I do. You need it back, don't you?"
Landon let out a sound that was almost a growl before replying, "Yes. I thought you were more professional than this."
"Yeah, well. A woman scorned and all that. I hope you have a pen handy..."
She set up the meeting in front of the library with him. "Nice and public, in case you want those gorillas you call guards to grope me again."
Charlotte jerked the phone away from her ear as the loud crack of Landon slamming his phone down came through the line.
Were they still listening?
"Fuck you, too!" She screamed into her own receiver before also slamming it down.
Her trembling knees could no longer support her. She sank down to the floor, putting her elbows on the small table on which her phone perched.
It had all gone according to plan so far. But the phone call had been the least dangerous part. You couldn't kill a person over the phone.
Charlotte grabbed up her clutch and found the flash drive. Her mouth went dry. She shoved the drive back into her clutch, then checked the clock.
Unable to wait any longer, she went down and got a cab.
"Public library," she said to the driver. He nodded at her, the reflection of his eyes looking at her in the rear-view telling her that he knew not to talk.
The streets, the buildings, the pedestrians all passed by in a hazy blur, as if the windows of the cab had been slavered in oil.
No one had told her the plan. She was the double agent, and she knew nothing aside from the barest details.
"Miss?"
Charlotte shook her head. Squinting out the window, she saw the large concrete park in front of the library, leading up to the steps and the columned entrance of the building. It was full of people eating hotdogs from carts, listening to buskers, doing what normal people did in a bustling city.
Paying the cabbie, she got out of the car. A light breeze tinged with the smell of the exhaust of thousands of combustion engines ruffled her loose pants and her frilly blouse.
Spinning in a slow circle, she looked around. She didn't even know what it was she looked for. No one had told her how to proceed. They'd only wanted her to get Landon there. After that, they took everything out of her hands.
Then she saw it. Parked down the street was the black car. The heavily tinted windows obscured the interior. But she could feel them. His eyes, watching her. Her skin crawled with swarms of invisible insects under that unseen glare.
Her legs and back suddenly stiff, she moved deeper into the library courtyard. A busker yelled at her as she accidentally stepped into his guitar case.
"Sorry... Sorry..." She said.
Everything felt dreamy, unreal. The world seemed to slow around her. For an instant, she thought she might still be asleep in her bed back home, having another nightmare.
There were so many tall buildings. Any of them could obscure an entire army of snipers, just waiting for that clear shot.
Behind her, tires screeched. Charlotte spun in time to see a bunch of taxis along the curb pull away. They jerked out into traffic like a flock of angry seagulls as a convoy of three long, black limos pulled into their spots.
The rear and front cars expelled a horde of sunglass-wearing security guards, all muttering into microphones in their jacket cuffs. They examined the area for a few minutes before one of them went over and opened the back door of the middle limo.
Landon got out of this car. He pulled at the knot of his tie, then did up the button on his jacket. Even from that distance, Charlotte could see the stony mask he'd assumed.
His eyes found hers. He pointed. The army of guards surrounded him as he moved toward her. But then he stopped them, rounding on them. A few of them broke their professional composure, gawking at him as he gave them instructions that Charlotte couldn't hear.
All she could hear was the rush of blood past her ears. A single bead of sweat wormed its way down the crease of her spine.
Then Landon came up to her, alone. Grabbing her by the arm, they walked closer to the library.
"Get ready," he said.
"Ready for wha--"
Charlotte couldn't finish her sentence. Glass shattered behind her at the same time as Landon's grip around her tightened to a painful squeeze. He nearly fell, stumbling down to one knee.
"Landon!" Charlotte said, abandoning the
ploy altogether to drop down beside him.
She knew what had happened. He'd been shot again, in the back. A window high up on the building opposite the library had shattered. The long barrel of a rifle protruded out, so high up it looked like a needle.
The guards began swarming out, looking for danger.
"Landon!" She yelled again.
"It's okay," he grunted. He pulled down at the collar of his shirt. She saw the top of a thick bulletproof vest.
More men with long rifles appeared around the library courtyard. Two aimed up at the window and fired. The shots were quiet, whisper-like. Charlotte knew something was up. Guns weren't that quiet.
Then the other riflemen began firing into the crowd of security guards.
Charlotte screamed as Landon hauled her down to the ground beside her. Things whispered through the air above her.
One of the guards clutched at his neck, which had suddenly sprouted a small, metallic dart. His sunglasses fell away, and she saw his eyes roll into the back of his head as he collapsed to the ground.
Sleeping darts, Charlotte realized. Landon didn't know which of the guards were spies, so he took them all out.
One of the guards fired his pistol at the riflemen. Everyone in the courtyard who hadn't run away when the glass shattered ran screaming down the street. The rifleman groaned as the bullet hit him, falling to the ground.
Then the guard pointed his pistol at Landon.
"No!" Charlotte shrieked, trying to get between them.
A dart sprouted from the assassin's chest. He looked down at it, his brows furrowing over his sunglasses. He plucked it out. She could see the bit of red blood on the needle tip from where she stood. A thin trickle of red leaked down from the spot where another dart had penetrated his neck.
He dropped it to the ground, then levelled his pistol at her again. He fired an instant after another dart struck his neck.
Charlotte felt the bullet pass through the air fractions of an inch from her cheek.
All the security guards had been subdued by the sleep darts. A few of them twitched on the ground, numb fingers dropping black pistols.
Somewhere in the distance, a plethora of sirens wailed.
But that wasn't the sound that caught her attention. It was the gunning of an eight cylinder engine that made her look down the street.
The black car that had observed everything jumped the curb, speeding toward them.
Behind her, Landon struggled to his feet.
"Come on!" He said, grabbing her hand. He hauled her out of the way just as the car passed through the space they'd just occupied. The smell of burnt rubber filled the air as the car slammed its brakes, its taillights glaring an evil red at them as the car squealed to a halt.
The riflemen fired, but the darts glanced harmlessly off the sleek black sides of the car.
The white reverse lights came on. Smoke rose from the tires as they spun on the pavement for a instant before finding their grip.
It came right for them. Landon yelled, pushing her out of the way. Even though the car didn't have space to pick up much speed, the rear bumper hit Landon with enough force to throw him back.
Shielded from the rifles, two men jumped out of the car. One grabbed Landon, and the other, Charlotte.
"Let me go!" She yelled as the man threw her on top of Landon in the back. The car peeled away, the screech of the tires muffled by the closed windows.
When she looked up, the smooth voice man had a pistol resting on one thigh. Its singular hollow eye looked at her.
"Thank you so much, Miss Montgomery. We had originally just intended on killing Mister Pierce. But now, with him alive and in our hands, we'll be able to accomplish so much more..."
"No!" Charlotte yelled.
She had had enough. This was going to end, one way or the other. She threw herself at him. She had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen before she was on him.
He flailed at her with the pistol. It went off, the sound so loud in the enclosed space that her ears rung. The bullet poked a hole in the roof, letting in a shaft of light.
The car lurched as the driver panicked. The smooth voiced man snarled at her, forcing her away from him.
Her eyes widened as he put the barrel of the pistol under her chin. Even though the metal didn't touch her, she could feel the heat from the shot.
"Please," she said as his lips compressed into a thin line.
"I'm sorry, Miss Montgomery, but we no longer require your services. I can only offer you a speedy exit strategy..."
A leather covered finger wrapped around the trigger, squeezing it back slowly.
Charlotte shut her eyes as time slowed to a crawl. The machine gun beat of her heart changed to a long, booming echo of a single beat.
Then a powerful hand grabbed her shoulder and wrenched her backwards. She opened her eyes.
Landon snarled as he grabbed the man by the wrist, pressing the gun back. They yelled wordlessly at each other as they tried grappling in the enclosed space. A look of pure and primal rage twisted Landon's features as he snarled again, baring his teeth.
They fought. The smooth voice man tried punching Landon in the stomach, but the vest blocked every effort. Then he tried to free the hand holding the pistol from the spot on the window where Landon held it pinned.
Everyone lurched forward as the car slammed to a sudden halt. Charlotte looked through the window to see the blockade of police vehicles, keeping them from going any farther.
The man took the opportunity to free his hand. But he didn't try to shoot Landon. She could see in his face that he knew he was through.
He put the barrel of the pistol against the side of his own head, then closed his eyes.
The bullet went through the roof again as Landon grabbed his hand and jerked it back.
Then the doors opened and a dozen police officers levelled their service weapons at the man.
Landon dropped the man's pistol. He leaned back against the seat, gathering Charlotte up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He kissed her neck, whispering into her ear. He held her almost as tightly as she held him.
The smooth voiced man glared at them as the cops pulled him from the car by his arms, slammed him against the door, and cuffed him.
"Sir? Miss? Are you okay?" A sergeant said, poking his head in.
"Fine, we're just fine," Landon said, stroking at her hair as she pressed her face against his chest, breathing in the scent of his cologne.
***
She hadn't wanted to go back to her apartment, or to the office. So Landon took her to the closest five star hotel, booking out the top floor suite. She sat on the king-sized bed with its pillow-top mattress, staring out at the skyline.
She no longer had any concept of time. Already, the orange disc of the sun touched the tops of the highest buildings, limning them in streaks of fire.
Landon went down onto his knees in front of her, putting his hands on her thighs.
"Hey, look at me," he said.
His voice penetrated the veil that had fallen over her mind. The haze cleared from her eyes as she looked down at him. A small, controlled smile curled the corners of his mouth.
"We made it," he said.
She almost broke, then, feeling the pressure of tears behind her eyes. She didn't want to cry; she wasn't even sad. Why am I about to cry?
He drove back her tears by pushing her back on the bed, slowly climbing up to straddle her. He kissed each of her closed eyelids so gently that she barely felt his lips.
"I want you back," he said.
She smiled as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. "As your secretary?"
This time, his lips revealed his teeth when he smiled back at her. Her heart jolted with excitement as she saw that expression, so rare on his usually stony face.
"No," he said. He lowered his face until their lips almost touched.
Her eyes moved back and forth between his. "Then what?"
His smile broa
dened. His eyes caught hers for a moment, then flicked down to her lips and back up.
Their lips joined together. Gently, at first, then with a rising intensity that spoke of the passion awakening within both their bodies.
Using his feet, Landon spread her legs apart so that he could lie between them. She felt his hardness against her, then. It made her hips jerk involuntarily as a flash of heat shot up through her body.
His kisses trailed down to her arched neck as he ran one hand down over her body. His fingers caressed her breast through her blouse. She felt his lips curve in a smile against hers as he felt her nipple stiffen at his touch. He didn't stay there long. His hand moved down her side.
"I love your body," he whispered, his breath washing hotly against her skin, making it marble with goosebumps.
Their hips ground together harder. The walls of her sex throbbed as she felt how hard he was for her.
Charlotte tore at her clothes, doing her best to get it off as quickly as possible. She wanted this. She needed it so badly. Her body had been too long without his honest touch. Her whole being seemed to vibrate and tremble with the force of her need.
Landon, normally reserved, helped. He pushed himself up with one hand, using the other to undo buttons and pull.
In a moment, she was naked underneath him. She tried to kiss him, but he moved back.
She reached forward, grabbing his member through his pants. He groaned at her touch. Then they repeated the tearing off of clothes. His expensive suit lay rumpled on the floor beside her casual clothes.
His hardness stood out for her to see, long and thick and quivering with his own desire. She reached for it again.
Landon grabbed her hand. He collected her other wrist, then pressed them both on the bed above her head.
Then he found her sopping passage. His shaft trembled against her tightness for a moment before she opened for him and he slipped in. They both groaned at the heat. When he withdrew most of the way from her, she'd covered his entire member in a slick layer of her juices.
He gritted his teeth as he slammed back into her again and again.
