Rebels : The Complete Series

by Alexa Riley

  “I have a Taser,” she adds, as if she’s just remembered it.

  “You won’t need it,” I say, catching a hint of a sweet smell. “I promise to be on my best behavior.” I hold out my hand between us, palm up, and wait for her to take it. “It’s nice to meet you in person.”

  There’s just a moment of hesitation before she places her delicate hand in mine. “Nice to meet you, too,” she says.

  I can’t help myself and I step a little closer as I run my fingers across her wrist. Her heart is beating like a hummingbird’s wings, and I wonder if my own is doing the same. This little room is charged with electricity, and I wonder what it would take to make it snap.

  If I spotted her on the street, I think I would follow her like a lost dog until she took me home. Her voice, striking green eyes, and dark hair already have me panting. Even now, the way she’s dressed, I’m thinking how easy it would be for me to push up her tight skirt and have my way with her. She’d bring home a street dog and I’d act like one.

  Would she keep the heels on if I asked her to? The image of them wrapped around me as I bury myself in her has my body shaking with desire.

  I blink a few times and clear my throat. Why am I here, again? This woman has me crazy with lust, which is something that’s never happened to me before. My work always comes first, but right now I can’t even tell you what my job title is.

  She slips her hand from mine, and I immediately dislike not having it anymore.

  “I’ve got a few more questions about the time you spent with Brad Chalmers. Would you mind?”

  “I’m sorry, but I already told you everything there is to tell.” She bites her lip and then looks up at me. “But you can still go ahead and ask if you want.” She looks around the room as if she’s just now realizing she doesn’t have an extra chair for me to sit down.

  “How well did you know him?” I ask as I sit down on the edge of her desk, with her standing in front of me. In this position we’re almost eye level.

  I spread my knees apart, and she’s standing in between them. I have this urge to pull her closer and press her body to mine, but I fight against it.

  “Um, like I said before, yesterday was the first day I met Brad. It was a blind date. We were talking and he was telling me about his job as chief of staff. It seemed really boring, if I’m honest. I wasn’t having a great time.” She shrugs, and I like that she didn’t want him. “I was pretty sure we wouldn’t be a good match. He seemed like a nice enough person, I guess, but there was nothing there. I never felt a click or a spark or whatever you’d call it.”

  When she looks up at me through her lashes, I can’t help but think I can feel a hell of a click right now. And the fucking spark that’s charging between us could set this place on fire.

  Even with her saying she wasn't into him, I can feel the jealousy creeping up the back of my neck. She went out with another man, and I don’t like it. I try to shake it off, but it’s still annoying me.

  “Yeah. I know what you mean.” Because it’s happening right fucking now. “Go on.”

  “What else is there to tell?”

  She stares at me, and I see her fidget with her fingers. Is she hiding something? I look at her full lips and wonder if they’re as soft as they feel. Would they open when I kissed her? Would they stretch around my cock? Would she bite them when I put my mouth between her legs?

  I have to clear my throat again to stop the building desire. “Tell me everything you can remember. Everything is important. What food was ordered, the people who served you, what he had to drink. I’m really needing details.”

  “Why do you want to know all this?” she asks as she crosses her arms.

  It draws my eyes to her tits, which are pushed tights against the deep red material. Would she taste like sweet flowers there?

  I try and push past my need for her and figure out whether I can trust her with my hunches. But at this point, I want to lay her down across this desk and fuck a baby into her, so I’m going to have to trust her.

  “I am looking at every minute detail because I don’t think he’s dead,” I admit. For some reason I don’t want to lie to her, and I want her to trust me, too.

  Her bright green eyes meet mine and she raises her eyebrows in surprise. “What makes you think that?”

  “Here’s the thing, he wasn’t really chief of staff to The Leader. His real job was something very different.”

  Her eyes widen with interest. “Tell me.”

  “He was the Regime’s top Insurgent Hunter,” I say, unable to deny her what she wants.

  “What?” she whispers and pales a little.

  “He was their most skilled when it came to weapons. He never missed, and I don’t believe he would ever let a target shoot first. There’s just no way. So, I want to know if he was acting strange toward the end. Like, maybe if all this was staged as a way to escape.”

  “Escape from what?” Now she is inching closer. I want to wrap my arms around her hips and fold her into me.

  “Escape from getting married, maybe. There was talk of an arrangement happening soon. I had assumed that’s why you were on the date.” I spit out the last part and try not to let it bother me. She didn’t want him, I have to remind myself. “People have escaped before.”

  She gives me a confused look. “Escape to where? There’s nothing but chaos on the other side.”

  “Have you ever even been to the other side? Way out there beyond the chaos in the cramped city. There are other places.”

  “Why would he give it all up?” she asks, and there’s genuine need in her eyes. As if she’s asked herself this same question before.

  “Brad was a friend of mine. I’m worried, and maybe I’m being paranoid. But my instincts have never failed me.” I take her hand and draw in closer to her, and she doesn’t back away. I take it as a small victory. I can’t seem to stop myself from touching her.

  “They’ve never failed you?” she asks with a teasing smile. “Ever?”

  “Nope,” I reply, entwining her fingers with mine.

  “What are your instincts telling you right now?” She licks those full lips, and I wonder if she’s doing it on purpose to try and torture me with her sweet tongue.

  “They’re telling me a lot of things. But when it comes to Brad, something is off. Someone is lying to the public.”

  “And by someone, who do you mean?” She’s dancing around it, but so am I. We both want to know which side we fall on.

  “You know who,” I say, pulling her just a little closer.

  “I don’t know if I can trust you. Even friends report each other to the police, and you and I just met.” She takes a step back and lets go of my hand. Instantly I miss her touch.

  “The Regime. The Leader. The Police. The Clean Up Crews. They all lie. All the time,” I say, putting it out there. I want her to know that whatever she tells me, I’d keep her safe. That I can protect her.

  “That’s pretty rebellious talk for someone working for the state media.” She smiles and relaxes a little.

  “Are you saying I’m pretty?” I tease, changing the subject she blushes.

  “Definitely not,” she says, but she won’t look me in the eyes.

  “Look, I’m just going to be straight with you.”

  “Shhh…” she says, stepping between my legs again as she puts a finger over my lips.

  I have the urge to reach up and pull the pen out of her hair to let it fall down around her. I want to bury my fingers in it as I kiss her, but instead I remain still.

  She whispers, “This is a library, sir. We have to be quiet. Haven’t you ever been told that by a librarian before?”

  “Not by one that looked like you,” I say against her finger as I rest my hands on her hips.

  “Listen,” she says, taking her finger off of my lips but not moving away. “There was something. After that girl took off with my bag, and Brad took off after her, he called me a car. He made sure I got home okay. He knew he was
n’t coming back. Does that help your story?” She looks up at me through her eyelashes, and my grip on her hips tightens.

  “It does,” I say, pulling her closer to me. “But I’ve got a lot more I need from you.”

  When I press my lips to hers she freezes for a second before she opens her mouth in surprise. I use the advantage to taste her sweetness and let my tongue brush against hers. She’s more innocent than I had first imagined, and I wonder if she’s ever been kissed before. The thought makes me aggressive and I pull her closer, letting her softness rub against the hard cock in my jeans. Her hands move to my shoulders, and I pull the pen out of her hair and do exactly what I wanted. I grip the dark locks with both my hands as I kiss my way down her neck.

  Naomi surrenders as she slips her hands up my T-shirt and rests them on my bare chest. The feeling of her skin against mine is driving me mad with desire, and I don’t know how long I can only just kiss her.

  Maybe it’s the whiskey from earlier, or maybe I’m totally intoxicated by every inch of this woman, but I’m suddenly inspired. I know exactly how I’m going to go about getting the truth out there, while I make Naomi mine.

  I’m going to do exactly what the Regime wants. I’m going to take the editor job, get married, and make babies. Then I’m going to take the Regime down, brick by brick.

  When I break the kiss, I stare down at her bright green eyes. She looks surprised at me and surprised at herself.

  I kiss her hard one last time, and then without a word, I stand up and leave her office.

  My wife is going to be Naomi. The sexy librarian who just turned everything in my world upside down.

  Chapter Five

  Naomi

  Ryan walks out without a word, but he leaves behind his taste on my lips and the smell of his skin on mine. It’s a mix of the outdoors and a touch of bourbon, and I crave to have it back. I’m in a daze and my legs are weak from being kissed like it was our last moment on earth. That kiss was nothing like I’d ever felt before. I’m drenched between my legs and I might not be able to walk a straight line.

  I reach up and touch my lips, like I can still feel him there.

  It was the single hottest thing to ever happen to me. And that voice of his. Jesus. He’s big and sexy and acted like he knew exactly what he wanted to do with me. Like I was a toy for him to play with, and I ached for him to do it. To throw me down on the desk and take out his pleasure on me.

  I press the back of my hand to my cheek to try and cool myself down. I’ve never been this worked up in my life. That devious smile of his made him look like the devil, but all I wanted to do was give in to temptation.

  Stumbling over to my desk, I sit down and put my head in my hands. I have to keep it together. There are parts of my life he can’t know about. No matter what side he’s on. I can’t be found out. My secrets are too important. Who knows what would be done to me. No matter who my father is, the Regime wouldn’t show mercy. Not to mention the Insurgents need me on the other side. I can’t fail them. Not when I’ve come this far. There is no turning back.

  I take a deep breath and push all thoughts of Ryan and that kiss out of my head. I can’t worry about if I’ll see him again or what that kiss even meant. I can’t even listen to my body that’s screaming at me to find some sort of relief. Instead, I throw myself into work and make that my focus.

  I work late into the night, archiving as much as I can. I’m proud of myself that I only have to redirect my thoughts a few times because they drifted to Ryan’s lips kissing down my neck.

  But once I’m done for the day, I lean back in my chair and let them drift. I allow the thoughts to spark inside me and keep going. I think about his wavy dark hair and how soft it was. Then I’m in a fog of his ice-blue eyes as I remember the edge of mischief they held. His rough hands and how possessive his hold was. Am I remembering it right? Or was it all too good to be true?

  I recall the impressive weight between his legs as I pressed against it, and my core clenches. That was unyielding lust, and everything in me is crying out for it.

  Why does everything about him turn me on? He’s a bad boy who pushes the rules. This isn’t the type of man I was bred to be with. But for a second, he made me feel not so alone. I could tell even in that short time that he was like me. He pushes the boundaries between what’s right and wrong, and that’s what I’m trying to do.

  He’s forward, rebellious, and cocky. Everything I’ve been taught to stay away from. Yet I can’t stop thinking about how much I want him. Thinking about what he might be doing at this moment.

  I try to tell myself that Ryan Sharp is bad news. I should do my best to dismiss any idea of seeing him again. He’s impulsive and arrogant. Who grabs a girl like that and just kisses her? Then I blush as I replay it over again in my head.

  I don’t have a ton of guys to compare him to. Brad had seemed like a perfect gentleman, just not my type. And if Brad and Ryan were as close of friends as Ryan claims, then Ryan can’t be that bad of a guy. Right? I don’t have any experience when it comes to men. I’ve just been told when the time came I would be matched up and that would be the end of it. Then Ryan barged into my office and everything’s been disrupted.

  I sigh as I reach into my desk drawer and pull out a snack. I much on some dried fruit and nuts while I think about what I’ve got to do tonight.

  According to the note from O earlier that day, I am going to have to hang around until ten tonight. That isn't too unusual for me, so my coworkers won’t bother to check on me before they leave. Security will lock the building tonight, and the place will be empty. I can be a pretty big introvert, but this job doesn’t help. I’m so secluded and separated from everyone, but I want to keep it that way. Besides, nothing would be worse than getting caught doing what I’m about to do. It’s safer for everyone to be out of the library.

  At about ten, I gather up the dormitory building plans in my arms and walk the long distance to the far back of the archive stacks. It’s a cavernous room with very little lighting. There’s a small cubicle for viewing documents, manuscripts, and microfiche that nobody ever uses, but other than that it’s a basement the size of an airplane hangar that contains stacks and stacks of files. Files that nobody cares about or knows about. I just so happen to be the only one who does, and I know this place like the back of my hand. It’s the perfect place for a secret meeting.

  Or, in this case, a secret doorway.

  I push on a nondescript bookshelf and it rotates on a platform just like in the movies. I shine my flashlight in the darkness, but there’s nobody there. It’s not unusual, so I sit down and pull a book off the shelf and wait.

  When a big man in dark clothes approaches, we nod to each other. We don’t exchange names or pleasantries, but instead share the signal that lets people know they are safe. I lead the big stranger through the archives and into the cubicle. He looks over the building plans intently and he seems a little on edge. He mumbles a woman's name a few times until he nods, getting what he needs from the documents.

  I return the plans to their file and lead the man upstairs and out the back door to the book delivery truck. He climbs in the back, and I close the door behind him. I’m glad it’s dark out and no one is around to see me attempting to drive a delivery truck in high heels. Or see what I’ve just done.

  I drive slowly, paying attention to traffic signals and not arousing suspicion. When we arrive at the back entrance to the hospital dormitory, I get out and ring the bell. Eventually a security guard shows up to help me bring a stack of books into the dorm. We rotate books for the nurses who are on weekend calls or spend longer than a few nights while on rotation. It’s a way to give them something to pass the time without them having to leave. It’s also the perfect cover for what O asked me to do.

  I pretend to have trouble with the wheel of the cart and then accidentally spill all of the books onto the ground. The guard helps me collect them while the big stranger from the tunnel sneaks out of the cargo hold of t
he truck and shimmies up a drainpipe. He’s quick as lightning and is out of sight in seconds.

  “Thank you,” I say to the guard as I drop off the cart and return to the truck without him suspecting anything.

  When I get to the library, I park the truck in the same spot and make sure everything is locked up. I let out a deep breath, relieved that we weren’t caught before I make my way to my car.

  I slide into the front seat of my car, and just as I’m about to put my purse on the passenger seat, I let out a scream when I see a big shadow of a man sitting there. I reach into my bag to pull out my Taser, but the man’s hand snatches out in the dark and clenches my wrist like a vise. It’s pitch-black and I can’t see a thing, but when I go to scream again, he puts a hand over my mouth.

  Chapter Six

  Ryan

  Naomi’s cries are muffled, and I move my hand away.

  “Shhh,” I say, but she’s panicked.

  “Don't hurt me, I don’t know anything!”

  I hate the sound of fear in her voice. “It’s me, Ryan.”

  “You?” she breathes out, sounding relieved.

  I loosen my grip on her wrist and starts grasping around in the darkness. Her hands brush against my leg, then she grips the bulge of my cock.

  “Jesus, Naomi,” I growl as I thrust into her hand and lean close. “What are you doing to me?”

  “Oh shit,” she whispers, pulling her hand back. “I’m sorry, I was looking for my purse.”

  “You should really lock your doors,” I say, grabbing her wrist again, but this time more gently. I lean close to her and put her hand back where she had it, letting her feel my arousal for her.

  “You shouldn’t break into people’s cars,” she says, but her voice is soft and shy. Her fingers move in my lap as she explores the growing length.

  “I couldn’t stay away,” I say, my lips an inch from hers.