by Dawn Ryder
“The lassies like it…” Greer slid into his accent.
“Save it for after the case is closed.”
Greer offered him a double-finger salute.
* * *
Kirkland liked his parties.
He rubbed a hand across his eyes and sat up. His bed was rumpled, with forgotten bits of feminine attire littering it.
But he was alone.
He never closed his eyes with a woman in bed with him. No, that was a good way to have his defenses undermined. Women were fun, but he needed to keep them in the category of toys. Things he could cast aside when it was time to get back to work.
Kirkland grunted on his way to the mega master bathroom attached to his room. He stretched and popped his back.
Yeah, it was time to get down to work. He liked money, but the party was over, so it was time to get back to business. His father had served as example on just how important it was to focus on making the money. Example was the right word, too. Marc Grog had more than one son, and Kirkland wasn’t even his favorite.
Pulse had been.
But the important part of that fact was the knowledge that Pulse had died alongside his father Marc. Kirkland thought of it often but only as a means of learning from his father’s example. Marc had worked with the underground of New Orleans too closely to escape having his identity known.
Kirkland had turned his back on the New Orleans section of business. There were too many cameras now. However, the plugged-in generation was still happy hunting grounds for making money. He just had to make sure he was giving those little addicts to their mobile devices what they craved. Which was more, more, and more.
Instant gratification.
He liked it himself.
But he was careful to hold onto his self-discipline. He didn’t want to end up becoming one of the sheep most of the population was becoming. He was going to be the man feeding those animals, keeping them happy while they paid up.
But he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his money if he got caught. Sure, he might stick to legitimate business, but that wasn’t where the real money was. He finished dressing and went into his office.
No, there was profit potential in places that the Feds liked to try and keep him out of. Proven revenue streams that were older than the country itself.
Like people.
The disposable kind.
There was a rap on his office door. Kirkland looked at the monitor that showed him a picture of who was waiting on the other side of that door before he pressed the release button.
“We have a problem,” Mack said as he came in. “Couple of bodies got snagged by the fire department. Our normal pick up failed. Seems some old goat remembered Ji Su, wouldn’t let her claim the remains.”
“The sale on the mortuary will be final next week,” Kirkland said. “Any bodies will go through there in the future.”
Mack nodded. His main security man didn’t leave though. Kirkland looked up from his computer and eyed the man.“Check your backups on the house. Something feels off,” Mack said.
Mack was his head of security for one reason—he got the job done.
“What kind of off?” Kirkland questioned.
“The catering staff was flustered and didn’t arrive on their scheduled times. I’ve checked the main system footage but something still seems off,” Mack said. “And I know you’ve got cameras I don’t see.”
Kirkland did. That was something he’d learned from his mother. Never let the people working for you get better at something than you were yourself or you’d end up cheated. He tapped in a code and pulled up the footage from the night of the party. Kirkland put the display on the wall monitor so Mack could see it.
“Holy fuck!”
Kirkland wasn’t sure who cussed and he didn’t care. The additional footage showed the arrival of the team and recorded their entrance into his house.
“I love your instincts, Mack,” Kirkland said.
Kirkland was furious, and his words were cutting. Mack knew the tone, sharing a look with him.
“I’ll find the girl. She’ll lead me to the team,” Mack promised.
“Good,” Kirkland answered. “And make sure you do a better job with her body than the last two girls.”
He valued Mack. Really, he did. But Kirkland had learned one thing from watching his father run his vast empire and that was that the top dog had to be the one who showed his teeth. His people would fear him.
CHAPTER TWO
Agent Servant was definitely in the category of hunk.
Jenna snorted and sat up. She’d slept rough, tossing and turning, and had taken more over-the-counter painkillers than she should have.
Which was why Agent Servant shouldn’t be in her dreams.
She rubbed her eyes and crawled out of bed way too early in the morning for someone who didn’t have a job to get to.
Okay, fine, he was good looking too.
Her brain was still fascinated with the black hair. Lots of people had dark hair, but Servant was sporting midnight black hair and eyes. It was a really stunning combination, making him look like some kind of midnight marauder.
You need a job …
Boy did she! Something really complex to keep all her brain cells busy.
With that goal in mind, she put the coffee on and went toward her laptop to begin checking in on her applications. There were a couple of new projects she read through, making a choice on whether or not to throw her hat in for them.
But Servant still managed to invade her logically arranged plans for the day.
She cried defeat sometime in the early afternoon and spun around in her office chair. Round and around, with her head hanging back so her hair fell toward the floor.
Ridiculous.
Yep … and oh yeah.
But it felt good to laugh at herself. She opened her eyes, and Agent Servant was back in her thoughts but for a different reason this time. Looking up at her ceiling, she recalled her first sight of him. She might be a rocket scientist but she knew a thing or two about security cameras and how tiny they might be.
Had they bugged her house?
They put a tracking chip in your shoulder …
She contemplated the ceiling of her office, mentally debating where a camera might be hidden. They’d want a view of her laptop screen, which narrowed down the possibilities.
You’re playing with fire …
Really? It felt a whole lot like taking back control of her life.
And she liked it.
A whole lot.
* * *
Greer started snapping his fingers. “You might … want to see this…”
Dare didn’t hesitate. He moved toward his fellow agent’s workstation.
“She doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone…” Dare muttered.
Jenna was standing on a ladder, looking into the vent on her office ceiling.
“Some guys call that spirit,” Greer offered.
Dare sent him a narrow-eyed look.
Greer chuckled. “You’ve gone and drunk the Kool-Aid, Servant.” He pointed at the monitor. “The day you can’t enjoy the fact that she’s giving us a perfect shot down her bra…”
“It’s called professionalism,” Dare said.
“I hope I never get a case of it,” Greer remarked. “If a woman is going to be interesting enough to not accept being pressed under our thumb, I’ll enjoy her efforts.”
“That sort of interesting just might translate into trouble for her,” Dare informed his fellow agent.
Greer didn’t agree.
But his fellow agent did drop his teasing demeanor to shoot him a questioning look. “Why the stick up your ass? She’s loaded in the brain. I’m surprised it took her this long to start looking for bugs.”
“Might be smart,” Dare muttered tightly. “But she’s not very wise.”
And that was going to translate into a problem.
He moved away from Greer, but not before the sight of Jenna wa
s branded into his mind.
He didn’t need the distraction.
His cock didn’t seem to care.
The problem was, he wasn’t too sure which part of the situation was stirring his flesh. Sure, Jenna had a great set of tits. They were high and tight, just barely a handful with rosebuds for nipples and he wasn’t too sorry for noticing it, but she was the one staring down his surveillance camera.
Thing was, he was reasonably sure it was her tenacity that was sending a buzz through his system.
He liked tenacity.
Too much for where the source was coming from today. He needed to put her out of his mind, but sitting down at his terminal where Kirkland’s house was displayed from twenty different views didn’t seem to distract him enough from Jenna.
She was going to make herself a problem. One he’d have to deal with.
His temper got the better of him, her ignorance of just what might happen to her making him see red.
“Going to deal with it,” Dare said.
If Greer had anything to say about his decision, the Scot kept his thoughts to himself. Dare didn’t turn around to discover just why that was.
He had enough frustration in his day.
* * *
Her cell phone was buzzing on the bathroom counter. Jenna’s wet fingers slipped on the shower door as she hurried to open it. She nabbed a towel on her way across the tile and dried her ear off before answering.
“Good evening.”
“You’re totally job hunting,” Sam snickered on the other end of the phone. “That was perfectly professional.”
“So says the man with two cell phones, so he never inadvertently answers a client call in the wrong tone.” Jane punched the speaker button and laid the phone down so she could finish drying off.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s a living,” Sam replied. “I’m taking you to dinner, no argument.”
“I’m fine, really.”
“That’s an attempt at an argument,” her friend accused Jenna softly. “I’m buying, too. We’re going to Cliffside.”
“I can’t let you pay for that,” Jenna said.
“But you didn’t say you weren’t going,” Sam swooped in for the kill. “See you in an hour.”
The line died, leaving Jenna marveling at her friend’s ability to twist arms.
She ended up shrugging and heading toward the closet. Cliffside was amazing and Sam knew his stuff. Sunset was two hours away, which meant they’d have a stunning view of it while they ate their fifteen-dollar dinner salads.
Maybe she’d even forget all about Special Agent Servant.
She was going to give it a darn good try.
* * *
Working in a combustion lab meant wearing pants.
Jenna dove into her small treasure trove of dresses, selecting one that would suit the warm summer weather. During the day, California was scorching hot but now, as the offshore breeze blew in, everything along the coast was cooling down to that perfect temperature for short skirts, bare legs, and open-toe shoes.
She turned around and decided she needed to dress up more often.
That was the way to get Servant out of her dreams. Fill up the nighttime hours with other guys.
A twinge of regret went through her though. Servant was in the category of man-animal. Sure, the guy was a hard ass, but that just sort of enhanced his overall appeal because he was dedicated to his duty.
Man-oh-man … you need a date, girl!
Truth! Solid and undeniable.
Not that she wasn’t trying. In fact, she leaned over and made sure her lipstick was perfect before pushing off the counter and twirling around to take a last look at herself.
The fact was, she was going out … dressed to kill.
And her heart stopped when she made it down her stairs.
Sweat popped out on her forehead as she looked straight into the midnight colored eyes of the man she’d been determined to erase from her mind.
“I thought you would be a little happier to see me, Jenna,” Dare began.
Special Agent Servant was smooth and his tone too mocking for her taste. At least while she was fighting back a wave of panic over discovering him in her living room. When it came to power plays, the guy knew how to pull the carpet out from beneath her feet sure enough.
Well that wasn’t going to work.
Nope.
She drew in a deep breath and forbid herself to crumble.
“Really?” she asked. “Maybe this thing in my shoulder is malfunctioning because I didn’t send you a text inviting you into my house.”
He’d sat down in her favorite recliner, facing the stairs. It was insane how exposed he made her feel.
Of course, that was exactly what he wanted. He’d invaded her space, to make sure she knew he could.
And it pissed her off.
“There’s a few things you need to understand,” Dare began as he stood up.
Fuck he was tall.
And she hated the fact that she was so aware of it.
“You will be watched.”
She let out a snort. “I got that part when you shot something into my flesh. Thanks. Good night.”
“Yet you were looking for surveillance leads in your office.” He didn’t budge.
His tone made it clear he wanted her contrite.
She ended up flashing him a grin instead. Just couldn’t help it. He wasn’t the sort of man anyone got the jump on very often.
His pressed his lips into a hard line. “That wasn’t a compliment.”
“Actually, it was.”
His eyes narrowed, and she suddenly really regretted the circumstances of their meeting. He was deeply committed to his work, and that made him a definite “good guy.”
Suddenly, being flippant wasn’t working for her. She drew in a deep breath and started over.
“Look … I’m nobody in your world.” She decided to try to fend off hostility. “And as much as you’re asking for it, I really don’t feel like showing you my bitch mode. You are doing your job, and I was helping out a friend. Call it even and the door is behind you. I’ve got my own life to get on with.”
“So why are you playing with fire?” he demanded in an ultra-soft voice that sent a tingle down her spine. “My world will burn you.”
She believed him and yet, it bothered her to see he’d judged her so incapable of being anything beyond a soft civilian.
There was something about him that made her want to measure up better.
Or maybe prove her worth was a better way of putting it.
“Excuse me?” she asked, managing to stand in place as he came closer. “Looking around my house … is sort of my right. No reason for you to show up and unleash your intimidation tactics.”
“I haven’t even begun to try to intimidate you, darling.”
His lips twitched, giving her a flash of teeth. It was a menacing look to be sure, one that chilled her blood but also sent a twist of sensation through her insides.
Damn, man-animal was the perfect description for him alright. There was a hint of savageness in him that made her believe he could hold the line against … well, against whatever sort of bad guys he went after.
Bitch mode was looking like a great option.
She still didn’t want to go down that path.
“Okay.” She walked past him toward the door. “Thanks for dropping in. Next time, don’t be shy about texting me. I’m sure you have the number.”
She was sort of proud of the way she managed to pull off a steady tone of voice and open the front door while looking back at Servant.
“Who’s been shy about texting you?”
Jenna jerked, turning her head around to find Paul and Sam on the front walk. Her friend took in the startled expression on her face and shook his head.
“It really pisses me off that you can’t tell me why you’re so jumpy…” Sam started in on her.
“Sam … stop…”
Sam was shaking his head and breezed
right by her on his way inside the house.
“I know, you said you can’t talk about it…”
Sam stopped as he got a good look at Special Agent Servant. “Hello…”
“So this is the someone who has been shy about texting you?” Sam inquired. “I’d write you a formal invitation.”
Sam stuck his hand out. “Sam Griffith, very pleased to meet you.”
There was a half second of silence as Jenna tried to decide what to do.
“Dare Servant.”
He was shaking Sam’s hand with an easy grin on his lips that transformed his face. Agent Servant was missing and in his place was a drop-dead gorgeous hunk.
Fuck.
“You didn’t say you had a date, Jenna.” Sam was beaming at her, suggestion written all over his face.
“Well…”
“She’s too worried dating someone from work will compromise her project opportunities,” Dare supplied smoothly. “I came over in person to make sure she knows how committed I am to changing her mind.”
He was smooth, talking Sam over like a kitten standing in a rain puddle.
But the look Dare shot past Sam’s head was pure promise.
In the hard and unyielding way.
It pissed her off, and she made sure he saw it before Sam and Paul were looking at her again.
“Great,” Sam declared. “I made the reservation for three but you know that means a four-person table, so now were all set.”
“I don’t think Dare was planning on making an evening out of it.” Jenna enjoyed being able to use his name.
“Do I look like a fool?” Dare ask silkily smooth. “If going to dinner is the price for making it so you put that dress on for me”—he swept her from head to toe—“count me in.”
Sam let out a little chuckle. “I want to keep him, Jenna.”
Dare picked up her purse and held it out to her with a wink.
A wink.
Something shot through her that she refused to name. It was hot and tingly and everything she would have welcomed if it weren’t being triggered by Dare Servant.
She couldn’t be attracted to him.
How can you miss it?
Okay, fair enough. The guy oozed charisma. That wink, combined with the way his lips were set into an inviting grin, well, perfect combination for her hormones to do something … impulsive.
