“Why do you wear them?” He was curious, plus he wanted her to talk to him.
“Because it looks professional, and it’s expected.”
“But you’re not working now,” he pointed out.
“But I will be. I’m not packing an extra pair of boots.” She continued down the stairs with him beside her. Her heels rang on the metal stairwell.
“Too many pairs of shoes?” he innocently inquired. He didn’t know why he was baiting her. When she stopped on the landing and whirled to face him, he was forced to admit he knew exactly why. He either wanted to drive her away or have her come closer. And riling her up was a way to accomplish that goal.
“What is your problem?” She stood beside him, blue eyes flashing with an inner fire that drew him. Her winter coat hid her slender form, which was just as well. He didn’t need any more encouragement.
He moved closer, forcing her back against the wall. He pressed one hand against the wall beside her shoulder and leaned closer. “You want to know what my problem is?”
The pulse in her neck was fluttering wildly. He was near enough to breathe in her unique scent. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t back down. Not one bit.
“Yes, I want to know.”
“This.” He slammed his mouth down on hers, groaning with pleasure as their lips touched. She was so damn soft. She tasted sweet. And innocent. She was everything he wasn’t and would never be.
He knew he had to stop. But a part of him was greedily taking every second he could get before she pushed him away. Victoria was his. His.
His entire body throbbing with need, Luther started to pull away. But Victoria wasn’t having it. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and went up on her toes, returning his kiss. Her tongue touched his. The temperature in the stairwell skyrocketed until it felt as though he was about to go up in flames.
He had to stop.
…
What was she doing? Victoria knew she’d lost her mind. She had no business kissing Luther, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. He overwhelmed her senses, made her believe anything was possible, when she knew quite well that it wasn’t.
His big body radiated enough heat to make her sweat. Even though the only place he was touching her was her lips, she could feel him everywhere, especially deep in her core.
She had to stop. This was dangerous.
She wrenched her head to one side, sucking in air to catch her breath. Her hands still clutched the fine wool of his coat. She forced herself to release it when what she really wanted to do was cling.
“There’s such fire in you.” He stroked one finger down her cheek. There was wonder in his voice. “Such fire.”
Ice queen. That’s what the security guards called her. Was this some kind of a game? She knew some of the guards had placed bets about whether or not one of them would be able to get passed her reserve.
“Trying to melt the ice queen?” The hurt was like a punch to the stomach to think that might be the case.
“Is that what you think?” He tightened his fingers around her face, holding her in place.
She shrugged. “What else am I supposed to think? That I’m suddenly irresistible?” She wanted to be, but she wasn’t that kind of woman. Most men were intimidated by her straightforwardness and her aloof nature.
“Yes, damn it. This isn’t smart. Not for either of us.” He dragged in a deep breath. He looked so disgruntled, she smiled. She couldn’t stop the pleasure curling inside her at his confession. He didn’t appear any happier about the attraction between them than she was.
“What are we going to do?” Why was she asking him that? She just had to shore up her defenses and slide behind the icy barrier she kept between herself and all men. But she didn’t want to. Not this time. And that was the problem.
“We do nothing.” He slowly pulled his hand away and picked up her suitcase. “It’s too dangerous for you.”
Luther knew a heck of a lot more about her boss and this trip than she did. “Why am I traveling with Mr. Temple?” Maybe it was stupid to ask. No, scratch that. It was definitely stupid to ask any kind of questions, especially to her boss’s head of security. People who asked questions had a tendency to disappear, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
“Damned if I know. And I don’t like it.” He jerked his head to indicate she should start walking again. “It’s out of character for Temple to take you with him.”
She started walking but held on to the railing. Her knees were still a little shaky from their kiss. The last thing she needed to do was take a tumble. “It is. He never takes me on business trips. Prefers I stay in the office and send him anything he needs. Sometimes he’ll link me into meetings by phone or video conferences so I can take notes, but that’s it.”
It occurred to her that maybe Luther was trying to discover exactly how much she knew about Mr. Temple’s business. She had to start thinking with her head and not her hormones. As much as she wanted Luther Henderson, she couldn’t afford to trust him.
They walked in silence the rest of the way. Victoria was glad to step outside into the cold whip of wind snaking down the street. Two cars were waiting for them. She assumed Mr. Temple was in the lead vehicle.
Luther stepped around her and opened the door to the second car. She slid into the seat, thankful it was empty. She didn’t know the driver, but she recognized the man sitting next to him. Great, she’d have to deal with Saunders for the next couple of days. The way he looked at her made Victoria uncomfortable. She ignored him, making a production of putting on her seat belt and checking for something in her purse.
“Not going to say hello, Victoria?” Saunders taunted.
She lifted her head and stared at him. “No.” Then she went back to poking around her purse. She pulled out a pack of mints and popped one just as the door opposite her opened and Luther slid in beside her.
“Drive,” Luther commanded. The car pulled away, and they made the trip to the airfield in blessed silence. Victoria closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window. It was going to be a long couple of days.
…
Luther was on alert the second he claimed the seat beside Victoria. He sensed her unease. It was higher than it had been only moments before. He studied Saunders intently, caught the subtle glances the other man made in Victoria’s direction. He’d have to watch Saunders, make sure he was never alone with Victoria.
He wanted to reach across the seat and hold her hand, reassure her that everything would be okay, but he couldn’t. Not only couldn’t he touch her in front of others, but he had no idea what was going to happen once they arrived in Utah. There was something about this whole trip that had him on edge. Temple was being extra secretive. Never a good sign.
Luther inhaled and caught a whiff of Victoria’s light scent. The familiar vanilla calmed some of the fears growing inside him. He wasn’t worried about himself, but about her.
He wanted to swear but kept his mouth shut. This woman sitting quietly beside him could upend all his careful plans. He couldn’t let that happen. He had to find a way to get her away from Temple before she got in so deep she could never leave.
Even if that meant he’d never see her again.
Every cell in his body rebelled against the mere thought. How would he ever let her go?
He almost laughed aloud. He didn’t have her, not really. Outside of fantasies and dreams, they’d shared some intense moments and an earth-shaking kiss, but that was all there was. And it was as far as it could go.
The drive finally ended. And not a moment too soon. Luther was ready to kill Saunders and the driver, grab Victoria, and make a run for it.
“Wait here.” He climbed out of the car as soon as it stopped near a private jet. He walked toward the plane and went up the stairs to check out the interior. When he’d determined everything was in order, he went back out into the cold night.
The sky was dark and overcast. The wind found its way down the neck of his coat, but
the cold didn’t bother Luther. He was used to it having grown up in the cold and wild environment of the Alaskan wilderness.
He almost walked past Temple’s car, every part of him screaming for him to go to Victoria. He remembered at the last second that he was supposed to take care of his boss’s safety first and yanked open Temple’s door. “All clear.”
“Finally.” Temple got out and hurried toward the stairs.
“Follow him,” Luther ordered Oscar. He then pointed at Jenkins. “Get the luggage.” When both men sprang into action, Luther walked back to Victoria, only to find Saunders already out of the vehicle standing by her open door.
She was still inside the car.
Luther strode up to Saunders. “Help Jenkins with the luggage.” He shouldered the man out of the way before pinning him with a glare. “And be careful with it.” He didn’t put it past Saunders to damage or “forget” to load Victoria’s suitcase.
“Ready?” he asked her. She nodded and took his hand when he offered it. He hurried her toward the plane, blocking the worst of the wind with his big body. He followed her inside but released her hand and kept one eye on Saunders, coming behind him with several suitcases.
Within minutes, everyone was settled and the plane was hurtling down the runway. Luther only relaxed when they were off the ground and in the air.
He stayed in his seat and listened to everything going on around him. Temple spent an hour working with Victoria, reviewing financial documents. Oscar was quiet, as always. Saunders and Jenkins were talking softly.
“Coffee, sir?” The male flight attendant stopped beside Luther.
“Yes. Thank you.” Luther took the cup that was offered and ran logistic plans in his head. It didn’t ease his worry that he had no idea what they were walking into, why Temple was actually meeting Caine.
“Mr. Temple wants to speak with you.” Victoria’s soft voice made his cock jump to life. He set down his cup and slowly rose.
“Are you finished working for the night?”
She nodded. “Yes.” A single strand of her hair had come loose from her bun, blown free by the wind. He wanted to tuck the silky lock behind her ear but didn’t dare.
“Sit here.” He pointed to his seat. “It reclines, and you can try to get some rest.”
He expected her to decline, but she slid into his seat and shivered, obviously cold. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He left her and walked down to sit with Temple.
His boss was simmering with impatience. Luther didn’t know why. Wasn’t as though they were going anywhere any time soon. They still had hours left in their flight.
“Sir.” It was difficult to even pretend to be deferential, but he managed.
Temple studied him and gave a curt nod. “I’m not sure how this meeting with Caine will go.”
Luther nodded and kept silent.
“Even if negotiations go well, it may well be dangerous.” He glanced toward Saunders and Jenkins. “I’m not worried about Denning. He was Dent’s man and knows what to expect.” Temple pinned him with a hard glare. “And I trust you.”
“I’m no Matthew Riggs,” he told his boss. No, he wasn’t like Temple’s last head of security. He was infinitely more dangerous.
“Good. I need men I can trust at my back. If Jenkins and Saunders prove to be a problem—” He broke off and sat back in his chair.
“I’ll take care of it,” Luther promised. He had no problem killing either man. He knew for a fact both of them had murdered innocent people before. He had in-depth files on all the people working under him, had made it his business to know as much about them as possible.
Only Oscar was the wild card. He didn’t know much about him, beyond what he’d told them himself.
“I’m going to rest. Wake me before we land.”
“Yes, sir.” Luther stood and watched as Temple made his way to the small private cabin in the rear of the plane.
Oscar was sitting halfway up the plane, his eyes closed. But Luther wasn’t fooled. He knew the other man was wide awake. There was a sense of readiness about him. It would be a mistake to underestimate him.
Jenkins and Saunders, on the other hand, were totally relaxed, as though this was no more than a joy ride. Both men nodded to him as he made his way back down the aisle to where Victoria was seated.
He took the time to get a blanket from an overhead compartment. He shook it out and spread it over her legs.
“Thank you.” She smoothed the cover down and then tugged it a bit higher.
Luther took one last look down the length of the plane. Then he sat in the seat next to Victoria. “Sleep, if you want. I’ll watch out for you.”
He expected her to give some pithy reply about not trusting him. Instead, her blue eyes darkened slightly, and she nodded.
Deep within him, in the place he kept secret from everyone, something dangerous stirred. Victoria was his now. His to protect. His to care for. And he’d kill anyone who threatened her.
When she closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into her seat, Luther barely swallowed a groan. He wanted to lift her up and settle her on his lap. He wanted her naked body against his, wanted to experience the hot clutch of her squeezing his cock as he made love to her. But more than that, he wanted her safe and warm.
He really was in over his head.
Closing his eyes to shut out everyone else around him, he listened to the sound of Victoria’s breathing as it grew deeper and slower.
Chapter Eight
Victoria knew she was dreaming. This was not the time or place. She wasn’t safe, and she knew it, but she could no more hold back the vision unfolding before her than a river could stop the flow of its water.
She was standing in the shadows of a large room. Men were grunting, and metal clinked. It took her a moment to orient herself and realize she was in a gym. It was so real, so vivid. The air was none to fresh, and the language some of the men used was colorful, to say the least.
She panned the area in front of her, wondering why she was in such a place. Then her gaze landed on Luther. He was wearing sweatpants and T-shirt. And he was fighting Oscar.
She realized this was a replay of this afternoon.
Spellbound, she watched the men spar, cringing when Oscar kicked Luther in the lower back. But Luther smiled, as though he were enjoying himself. Then he hit Oscar in the face. She’d wondered about the bruise she’d seen on his jaw. Now she knew how it had happened.
The vision fast-forwarded in a blur, and she was watching Luther hit a punching bag over and over. Sweat rolled down his forehead and temple.
She wondered what he was so angry about. Because she could sense the fury rolling off him in waves.
He suddenly stopped, lowered his hands, and looked not at Oscar, but at her. “I’m angry because you’re along on this trip. It’s going to complicate things.”
“You can’t talk to me,” she admonished him.
“Why not?” He took the towel Oscar threw to him. The other man seemed oblivious to her presence.
“Because this is something that has already happened, and I wasn’t there.” This was like watching a movie, a recording of an event.
He shrugged. “Doesn’t seem to matter.”
She shook her head, and the scene changed. She was now reclining in her seat on the plane, could feel the weight of the blanket Luther had laid over her, sense his presence beside her.
“This better?” he asked.
“Are you controlling the vision?” That was a frightening thought. Such a thing had never happened before. The only thing that had allowed her to accept her gift without losing her mind was the fact that she was apart from whatever was happening. She might not be able to control where she went when she fell asleep, what she saw, but she was never involved in the drama. And no one—no one—ever interacted with her.
At least, not before she met Luther.
He shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “I just thought I’d rather deal with the present, and here
we are.”
“This is wrong,” she muttered. It was one thing for her to have lucid dreams, quite another to share them with Luther.
“Why?”
“Because it is, because it’s never happened before, so that makes it dangerous. You’re dangerous.”
He cupped her face in his hand. “You don’t need to be afraid of me.”
“Yes, I do.” She knew she should pull away, but she was held captive by his gaze. “You could distract me from my goal.”
His gaze sharpened. “You have a goal?”
Damn it, she had to think before she spoke. She had no idea if Luther would actually remember this, if he was truly a part of the dreaming process or if this was all her doing.
“Yes. I want to get out of this trip alive.”
He stared into her eyes for a long time. “You’re telling the truth.” She started to heave a sigh of relief, but before she could, he added, “But you’re also holding back something.”
She tried to shake her head, to deny his accusation, but he was still holding her face in his hand.
He leaned so close she felt the warm puff of his breath against her skin. “That’s okay. I’ll find out your secrets. In the meantime, I’ll protect you.”
She didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry at his heavy-handedness. Then it no longer mattered. He pressed his lips against hers.
After their passionate kiss in the stairwell of her apartment, she knew what to expect, knew what kissing him would be like. And dream Luther didn’t disappoint her.
His lips were firm and warm. He didn’t overpower her, but rather coaxed her into opening her mouth to him. He slipped his tongue inside. It was so deliciously sexy it made her toes curl in her boots. Beneath the blanket and the sweater she wore, her breasts began to tingle and her nipples pressed against the cups of her bra.
She reached out and grabbed his arm. Her fingers couldn’t quite circle his wrist. Luther was a big man, but he was always so careful with her.
She suddenly wished this could be more than a dream, but that was dangerous. What she was doing was incredibly stupid. She already knew that her visions were changing, and she might not be the one in charge of what was happening. Even if she was, what if Luther remembered? How could she explain such a thing?
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