Wicked Games: The Extended Edition (Steele Security #1)

by A. D. Justice

  As they walked hand in hand toward the door, they could still hear Bull and Rebel’s laughter carrying over the crowd. “I’m glad the guys came with you tonight. I’ve missed my brothers,” Brianna admitted. “But, where’s Shadow?”

  “He took another assignment,” Noah replied, intentionally leaving his answer vague.

  “I’m glad you didn’t take another one,” Brianna replied. “I’m thrilled that you’re here. When did you get back home?”

  “A few months ago. I’ve spent that entire time getting my company up and running. It’s taken off faster than I could’ve hoped for and I’m so thankful,” Noah explained as they walked across the parking lot.

  “What company?” she asked excitedly.

  “Steele Security,” he replied humbly.

  “I’ve heard of your company. You really have been busy. My editor assigned me to a piece in the lifestyle section of the paper. I don’t normally report on that type of story, but he asked me to help out in a jam. Anyway, that name kept coming up when the other reporters talked about a huge event coming up soon,” Brianna replied. “That’s so impressive, honestly. You’re already the talk of the town.”

  Noah’s half smile and nonchalant shrug of one shoulder conveyed exactly what he thought about the notoriety. “We’re very lucky to have been selected for several excellent contracts, especially for a startup company.”

  “It sounds like more than luck to me,” Brianna bragged on Noah. “It sounds like the secret is out about how phenomenal you are at your job.”

  “We’ll see,” Noah replied. “Enough about me. Let’s talk about you.”

  “Why do I have the feeling you already know all there is to know about me?”

  “Fair enough,” Noah nodded. “I know you work at the Miami Herald, you take the dangerous assignments the others won’t hardly touch, and you’re great at it.”

  “And?”

  “And…I knew you’d be here tonight. You’re the only reason I came here,” he inclined his head toward the pub. “There’s one thing that I don’t know, though.”

  “What?” she asked. She was still trying to catch her breath from his admission.

  “Did you drive here?” he smiled.

  “No, I took a taxi so I didn’t have to worry about driving.”

  “Good. I’ll give you a ride to your apartment,” he offered. Clicking the unlock button on his key fob, the lights on his full-size SUV flashed. He opened her door, helped her into the vehicle, and stole a kiss before he moved around to his side.

  “Wait. You know where I live?” Brianna asked as Noah climbed into the driver’s seat. “You said apartment.”

  “The shocked look on your face is so cute,” he laughed. “Yes, I know where you live. I’m pretty good at my job, Brianna.”

  He took the long route to her apartment to keep her for as long as he could. Noah then walked her to the door of her apartment. He took the keys from her hand, unlocked the door, and stepped inside first. “Wait right here.”

  “Why?” she asked, clearly confused.

  “I need to check the apartment before I leave. Just to make sure it’s safe for you,” he explained.

  “Noah, I walk in here alone every day,” Brianna shook her head.

  “That was before.”

  “Before what?”

  Turning to look her in the eye, he replied. “Before me.”

  He completed his thorough search of her apartment and returned to where she waited just inside the front door.

  “Satisfied that no bad men are hiding in the closets? And that there are no pictures of other men in my bedroom?” Brianna asked pointedly.

  “I am now,” Noah grinned mischievously.

  “Yeah, you’re trouble all right,” Brianna retorted. “But since I’m already attached to you, I guess I’ll still keep you around.”

  “Damn straight you will. There’s no way you’ll ever get rid of me.”

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. As he kissed her, his tongue lightly grazed the part in her lips until she opened to give him full access. He moved his hands to her face and cupped her cheeks as he tilted her head to deepen the kiss. He pushed her backward with his body until the wall was at her back.

  He slid his hands down her arms until he reached her hands. He grasped them in his, pulled them above her head, and held them in place with one of his hands. The other hand trailed down her shirt, reached the hem, and moved underneath the thin material. When his fingertips found the soft skin of her stomach, she moaned softly.

  He pulled away from the kiss but his fingertips continued to draw slow, figure eights on her bare skin as he gazed deeply into her eyes. “You have no idea how hard it’s been to stay away from you these last several months. I had to establish my business before I could approach you, to build something for our future. But you’ve been on my mind every damn day and night.”

  “Since we’re confessing our secrets, I guess I should tell you that I jumped at this job, and the opportunity to move here, because of you. I hoped you’d find me through my articles and realize that I’ve been in Miami waiting for you,” Brianna whispered. “Because you’ve been on my mind every day and night, too.”

  The inferno that burned in Noah’s eyes revealed the struggle he faced to restrain himself. He placed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips, ran his thumb across them, and let his eyes follow the trail. “If I don’t leave now, I won’t ever leave. Goodnight, my princess.”

  The bass timbre of his voice washed his whispers straight through her. She inhaled sharply, her eyes widened, her mouth parted, and the rise and fall of her chest quickened. The ache deep inside her, which spoke of her need for him, increased exponentially as she watched him back away from her toward the door. When his hand grasped the doorknob, she opened her mouth to speak but he slowly shook his head.

  “Tomorrow. Sleep well, princess.” With that, Noah slipped out the door, making sure to lock it as he left.

  She stood motionless and stared at the door for a full minute after he left. Brianna then finally found her voice. Exasperation and frustration filled her as the scene between them replayed in her mind.

  “How the hell am I supposed to sleep now?”

  Chapter Eight

  Early the next morning, a knock on Brianna’s door woke her. She padded to the door in her bare feet, pajama shorts, and tank top, and peered through the peephole.

  “I know you’re looking at me, princess. Open the door,” Noah called from the other side.

  She quickly glanced in the mirror and ran her fingers through her bed hair in a hurried attempt to tame it. “Just a minute,” she called.

  Laughing, Noah replied, “I know what you look like when you wake up, Brianna. Let me in.”

  She slowly opened the door and stepped back to give him room to enter. “What are you doing here so early? The sun isn’t even up yet.”

  “I missed you,” he shrugged. “Come on.” He took her hand as he led her to the bedroom. He shed his clothes down to his boxer briefs before he climbed into her bed. He lay on his side and patted the mattress beside him. “Your spot is getting cold.”

  She shook her head but smiled before she crawled back into the bed and took her place beside Noah. His arm draped over her from behind and he pulled her to him, her back to his front. When they were comfortably positioned and fully relaxed, Brianna murmured to him. “I’ve missed this so much. I’ve missed you so much.”

  “So have I, princess. I’ve been awake all night thinking about how I used to sneak into your tent and crawl into your bed at night. I couldn’t get this bed out of my mind, how you were all alone in it. I fought the urge to show up here for as long as I could,” he whispered to her.

  “Is there really any reason we should fight it anymore, Noah?” Brianna asked tentatively.

  “You mean, do I think we’re moving too fast?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

  “For some people, it wo
uld be way too fast. But it’s not for you and me. We obviously both know what we want. Fortunately, that just happens to be each other.

  “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my line of work, it’s that we don’t have a promise to tomorrow. I don’t want to regret not being with you every day. Just because someone, whose opinion doesn’t even matter, thinks we should take things slower,” Noah adamantly stated.

  She turned over to face him and lovingly stroked his cheek. She reveled in the feel of his morning stubble on her skin. “I don’t want to take it slowly either, Noah. If anything were to happen to one of us, I’d want you to know exactly how I feel. I’d want you to know why I waited for you to find me, to come home to me.”

  “Why?” Noah asked. “Tell me why, Brianna.”

  “Because I love you. I fell in love with you in that desert almost a year ago and I’m still in love with you today. I’ll never stop loving you,” she promised.

  “I am so completely in love with you, princess.”

  He rolled her onto her back and positioned his body above hers, with his weight rested on his forearms. As he dipped his face to hers, he covered her mouth with his and instantly brought her entire body to life at once. As he lowered his hips to meet hers, he surged upward and glided across her clit. He groaned when her fingernails dug into his flesh.

  Brianna ran her hands over his chest and stomach. She lifted her back up off the bed as she placed open mouth kisses on his bare skin and then trailed her tongue across his chest.

  “Are you sure about this?” Noah asked, suddenly serious. “I won’t be able to stop if you keep doing that.”

  “I’m positive, Noah. I have no doubts at all.”

  He stared intently into her eyes as he looked for any signs of fear or hesitation. Her eyes only spoke to him of the love she felt. It swirled in her cobalt-blue pools, lured him in, and held him as a willing prisoner.

  “I want nothing more right now than to give you the things I couldn’t give you in that tent. It’s about to get loud in here. Hope your neighbors don’t mind,” he boasted.

  His hand slid down and quickly pulled her tank top over her head. As he slid his body down hers, he captured the hardened peak of her breast in his mouth. While he licked, sucked, and lightly bit it, he lavished attention on the other one with his fingers. He rolled one nipple between his thumb and middle finger, then he squeezed it while he bit the other. She writhed beneath him, her fingers ran through his hair, and her moans of pleasure filled the room.

  He slid further down her body and his mouth continued to work its magic against her skin. When he reached her boy-shorts pajamas, he hooked his fingers in the fabric at her hips and slid them off of her. He took his place between her thighs, his warm tongue circled, his lips sucked, and his teeth grazed her repeatedly until she utterly came apart.

  Her screams of ecstasy and heavy breathing were only masked by her demand. “Oh my God, Noah. That was incredible. I can’t wait any longer–I need to feel you now.”

  “Your wish is my command, princess,” he smirked and shed his clothes. Within seconds, he was completely naked, sheathed, and restraining himself from pushing deep into her. “I had to let you leave before, even though I didn’t want to. As of now, you are mine and I won’t let you go again,” he asserted.

  “You’ll never have to let me go, Noah,” she promised.

  He leaned his head down to capture her lips again. As his tongue swirled around hers, he surged forward and drove into her as her nails once again found his bare skin. He caught her moans in his mouth as he pushed forward, arched his back, and surged into her over and over. He felt her inner muscles grip him like erotic velvet fingers. He knew she was close to tumbling over the edge.

  He intentionally changed his pace, slowing and breaking their kiss. “You owe me some screams,” he murmured in her ear. “I’m collecting them right now.”

  He hooked his arms behind her knees as he continued his initial barrage on her senses. The intense build up of pleasure started low in her belly. Her inner muscles gripped and stroked him with each movement, until the dam erupted and she screamed out his name.

  “Oh my God, Noah!”

  “Mmm, I love that sound. That’s one.”

  “You’re counting?”

  “I’m definitely counting,” he smirked before he began moving again. “The second one is coming up very soon.”

  An hour later, Brianna lay sprawled across the bed, breathing heavily and trying to slow her heart again after the intense physical exertion.

  “The number was four, in case you lost count,” he boasted.

  Brianna’s head rested on his chest, her arm was draped across his stomach, and her leg was wrapped around his. She giggled at his announcement before replying. “Yeah, I was there. I remember. Four is a great number.”

  “It’s okay. I must be more tired than I thought,” Noah teased.

  “Well, I suppose you need to rest up then,” she challenged. “If that wasn’t your best, I’m afraid you have more proving to do.”

  “You know, one of these days, that smart mouth of yours will get you into trouble,” Noah laughed as he pulled her closer to him. “Good thing I’ll be there to protect you.”

  Brianna traced the lines, bumps, and ridges of his abdominal muscles with her fingertips. His body was pure perfection after hours of intense exercise. “I know you’re the best at what you do, Noah. But, I’ve always taken pride in my independence and my ability to take care of myself. I don’t really need you to protect me.”

  “Humor me,” he replied as his fingers lovingly stroked the smooth skin on her back.

  “This is going to be one of those sore spots in our relationship, isn’t it?”

  “Sounds like it,” he replied. “You think you can handle every situation and I want to handle every situation.”

  “Compromise?” she asked.

  “What are you proposing?”

  “If I feel like I’m getting in over my head, I’ll ask you for protection,” she offered.

  “And if I think you’re getting in over your head before you realize it?” he asked.

  “Tell me. Talk to me about it. But don’t try to take away my right to make decisions for myself. It’s important to me,” she explained.

  “It’s important to me for you to be safe,” he patiently explained. “I understand there will usually be an element of danger in the stories you get, but you have to be smart about it. Don’t walk into a situation blind. Don’t think you can talk your way out of every situation. The bad guys don’t work like that, baby.”

  “How about I keep you on speed dial then?” she kidded.

  “I’d better be on speed dial regardless. But if you’re going into something dangerous, I’ll be beside you,” he clarified.

  “Agree to disagree,” she shrugged.

  “Disagree all you want. As long as I’m beside you.”

  She shook her head as she muttered under her breath. “Stubborn man.”

  Noah’s answering whisper made her laugh. “Stubborn woman.”

  Over the next several months, Noah and Brianna barely left each other’s side. She joined him at Steele Security as frequently as her position allowed. She learned the business from the inside out and helped to efficiently set up the office routines. Gaining insider knowledge of how security teams are set up, how they communicate, and where their vulnerable spots were gave her a new perspective for her own protection.

  When Brianna ventured into the seedier parts of the city on a tip for a new story lead, Noah acted as her personal sentinel. He stood guard and dared anyone to make the wrong move. Pride swelled in Noah’s chest every time he watched her in action.

  She was a natural at making people comfortable with talking to her, giving her their innermost secrets, and willingly giving up information that could get them killed. She drew them in with her kindness, comforted them with the assurance they were doing the right thing, and encouraged them with her belief in th
em.

  He stayed just far enough away to allow her space to talk to her subject, but close enough to intervene if necessary. She still maintained the innocence of someone who hadn’t experienced the dregs of humanity–the false belief that it would always happen to someone else. Noah’s line of work had proved the opposite to him. Anyone would screw others over with the right motivation.

  “So, now that I know enough about Steele Security that I could be one of your agents, does that mean I can go on my assignments without you?” Brianna asked one evening.

  “Nope,” Noah replied casually.

  “Wow. Thanks for the talk, Noah.”

  He leaned forward in his chair, placed his elbows on his knees, and locked his eyes onto hers. With her rapt attention on him, he rephrased his original answer. “No, Brianna, that does not mean you can go without me. You know what we do, but you haven’t been trained like we have. You’re still way too trusting of others–people who aren’t known for being model citizens.”

  “You don’t think I could take you?”

  Noah laughed heartily. “No, you can’t take me. You’re nowhere close to being able to take me down.”

  “Let’s try it,” she suggested.

  “By all means,” he said as he stood. “I’ll even stand still and let you do your worst. Or best.”

  “Really? I can try?”

  “Yes. Come at me.”

  Brianna stood and let her eyes roam around the large living room. She allowed time for her gaze to settle on specific areas of the room, but didn’t look directly at Noah. She tried to remain aloof and casual as she planned her attack. Suddenly, she burst forward, wrapped her arms around his waist, and tried to tackle him to the ground.

  Leaned forward, with her weight pushing down through her thighs, calves, and feet, she pushed with all her might. The wall of muscle wouldn’t budge an inch. That is, until he bent slightly at the waist, wrapped his arms around her waist, and effortlessly lifted her off the ground–and held her upside down.

  He walked around the room with her in his arms, and she continued to flail, curse, and attempted to kick her way out of the predicament. To no avail. He carefully placed her on the couch before he covered her body with his, pinned her down, and prevented her from making the slightest movement.