One dark brow lifted.
“Okay, okay. The smell is causing my head to spin.” Barely restraining the desire to stick her tongue out at him, she looked away.
Just then she spotted Brody walking in. He looked as gorgeous as he had back when he’d been an all-American quarterback in high school. At six feet, he moved with the grace of an athlete who hadn’t allowed himself to grow out as he grew up. And as further testimony to his active lifestyle, his sun-kissed hair matched his tanned skin, and neither appeared to be artificial.
And speaking of things artificial, a tall blonde with too many hair extensions and dressed in a slinky red number looked broodingly at the crowd as she clutched his arm. She said something that Abby couldn’t hear, but she easily read the profanity on the woman’s scarlet lips. Brody laughed and then kissed her, showing several glimpses of tongue. His hand squeezed a breast so large and perfectly round there was no need to guess if they were real or not.
Yeah, that was the old Brody. He loved to be the center of attention no matter if it was good or bad. Maybe Abby was a little disappointed that he wasn’t fat and balding. Something about a person who had everything going for him in high school and then continued to be as blessed later on seemed unfair. That sounded shallow, but she had her reasons. Besides, he probably didn’t even remember her.
“It’s showtime,” she said as she rose on her tiptoes and kissed Rex’s cheek to ensure he heard.
“So that’s him.” Rex dropped his arm to her waist. “Introduce me.”
“Give me a minute.” When he looked puzzled, she added, “We went to school together but it wasn’t like we were friends. He was a couple years ahead of me and spoke to me only once.”
“You had a crush on him.” Another time, the surprise on his face would’ve been funny.
“Shh! I’m trying to think of the best way to approach him without sounding too obvious. Remember Jack said to wing it.” She nibbled at the corner of her lip as her gaze followed Brody making his way around the room. “Like I know what in the world I’m doing. You distracting me isn’t helping,” she murmured.
“You need to quit distracting me,” Rex grumbled.
“Huh?” She blinked up at him. He stared at her mouth. She released her lip and shook her head. “Behave.”
Before he could say anything more, a husky voice she remembered once upon a time came from behind Rex.
“Why, I do believe that this here is the infamous Rurik Volkov I’ve heard so much about.”
Rex turned with his hand still on Abby’s waist. “I know you?” His Eastern European accent became as heavy as Brody’s good ol’ boy drawl.
“No, no, no. I’ve never had the pleasure, sir.” Brody held out his hand, his big smile appearing more predatory than friendly. One top tooth slightly overlapped another, giving him a cute little boy look. His little imperfection brought back memories of her huge crush in high school—that was, her and about every other girl at Vestavia High.
“I’m Brody Walker of Walker Industries. A mutual friend told me you’d flown in today from Vegas.”
Rex shook his hand and stared hard. “Mr. Walker. I’ve heard of you. And who is this mutual friend who likes to keep track of me?”
What arms dealer liked the thought of someone following them?
“I’m honored that you’ve heard of me. I’m nowhere near the caliber of entrepreneur as you are.” Brody held his smile. “And let’s say the friend is someone who is highly paid to keep up with my competition and possible business partners. Anyway, presently we are in the same line of work.”
“And what line of work is that?” Rex dropped the man’s hand and shifted as if he planned to protect Abby.
“Why, we’re philanthropists. We have the desire to improve our fellow man’s life by making him feel secure.” Brody chuckled at his own joke.
“I never heard it put in such a way.” The deep guffaw from Rex startled her, so unlike his usual sexy chuckle. His hand tightened on her waist, keeping her from moving away.
Abby understood he needed to project the image of a man who lived cautiously but was still approachable. If Brody found them interesting enough, they would be invited to his farm.
Without introducing his companion, Brody looked over at Abby. “This must be the new wife.” Hard for her to believe, but his smile widened. He lifted her hand and placed his other hand on top. “How’re you doing, darling?”
“Fine. And yourself, Mr. Walker?” She allowed a small grin to show.
“Now, is that a Southern drawl I heard from that sweet mouth?”
She eased her hand from between his. “Yes. In fact, I went to Vestavia High with you.”
His hazel eyes sparkled. Damn! The man was good-looking. One major problem: He knew it.
“What was your family name?” Brody asked.
“Rodriguez. Abigail Rodriguez.”
“Yes! Ed’s little sister. I remember. I broke all of his records in football at Vestavia.” He looked her over again. People who knew her brother often did that. Edward was green-eyed and blond; though the older he became, the darker his hair had gotten until it was more of a light brown. “You’re nothing like him.”
Her brother was the sheriff of Sand County, so of course the local bad guy would know him. Edward hated being called Ed and only tolerated family calling him Eddie. Professionally, he preferred Edward or Sheriff Wentworth. Once she’d moved out of the house, he’d been Edward to her.
“Different dads.”
“Let’s move over to a corner and catch up on old acquaintances.” He reached for Abby’s arm, ignoring the huff of the blonde next to him.
The hand at her waist held tight. “No. No way will I allow my wife to sit in a corner with a strange man.” Rex’s voice sounded friendly enough, but he spoke between clenched teeth.
Going along with his pretend show of jealousy but remembering their goal of being part of Brody’s crowd, Abby pouted. “Aw, Rurik. What can he do in front of this crowd?” She lowered her eyelashes and looked up from underneath at the men.
Before Rex could answer, Brody said, “Ah, but, darling, he’s right. There are many things a man can do in public that could cause a husband to protest.” He leaned over to the blonde and slipped his hand inside the top of her dress and cupped a breast. “Isn’t that right, sugar?” The slinky material outlined his hand. The blonde gasped and closed her eyes in sensual bliss when his thumb and forefinger pinched her tight nipple. Instead of pulling away, she moved closer and raised her knee to rub her body against his.
Abby’s eyes widened. She’d seen high and intoxicated couples become too frisky in crowds before, but Brody and the woman appeared straight and sober. When Brody cut his eyes over to her and Rex, she knew then. He enjoyed shocking people.
“Excuse us. We get a little carried away at times,” Brody said to Rex as he unwound the woman, but his hand remained in her clothing. “We need to talk and I would dearly love to get to know your wife a little better.”
“I cannot imagine what we would say to each other.” Rex eyed the blonde, the smirk on his face saying to Brody and Abby that he found the display interesting. Was it part of the act? Then he dragged his gaze away. “Maybe if you explained.”
Brody chuckled. “You and I could find it to be beneficial. Most profitable, in fact.” The man obviously loved testing boundaries, for his gaze traveled to Abby’s cleavage. “But this is not the time or place.”
He might be handsome, but she in no way felt the same for him as she did years ago. His hungry look almost brought her dinner up.
Abby jumped when Rex placed his arm over her shoulders. His hand massaged her shoulder. The touch didn’t do anything to calm her nerves. She’d had others come on to her before and it never bothered her, but being aware of Rex watching the interplay with Brody made her nervous. She didn’t like his show of interest.
And why was that? It was supposed to be a simple operation: one arms dealer meeting another, possibly negotiating a business d
eal. When did it become two men eyeing each other’s woman? If Rex thought she was about to trade places for the good of the operation, he was sorely mistaken.
“Our suite is upstairs. Nice place. Plenty of room to relax.” Rex lowered his voice.
“Ah, but I’m meeting with a couple friends. And, anyway, this hotel has too many people milling around. No control. Not safe at all. And I like being in control.” Brody shot a look at her. “How about I send someone to pick up you and your little lady, and y’all come and stay the weekend at my farm? Then we all can get to know each other.”
“Sorry, but we have somewhere to be tomorrow,” Abby said.
What was she thinking refusing his offer? They wanted a way into his place, and the invitation provided a simple solution to get around the freaking farm’s security. Surrounded by guards patrolling on ATVs, cameras, and motion sensors, the only way into the house without drawing too much attention was by walking through the front door.
Then again, for her to jump up and accept the offer would appear strange. Brody could be testing them. And she wasn’t ready for whatever Rex and Brody were planning with their contemplations directed at her and the blonde. She looked up into Rex’s face. Or was she putting off the inevitable? That thought froze her up tight. Once they entered the house as a couple, she would have to sleep with Rex—and possibly Brody—to maintain their cover. Whatever it took to stop the ammo from being manufactured and shipped to Inferno, she would do it. It didn’t mean she would like it.
Lifting her chin, she straightened her spine and smiled. Whatever it took to get the job done.
Rex’s hand slid down her side, his fingers resting on the soft edge of her breast. His thumb swept up over the lower half. She inhaled sharply. Every nerve ending had been on high alert since the orgasm in the dressing room, and his possessive attitude in holding her close made her think of sex and nothing else. No matter how often she reminded herself they were on a mission, she wanted Rex in and on her.
Oh, goodness, she wanted to see if Rex’s technique had improved. The oral exam he’d provided earlier said he had.
Brody’s gaze drifted to where Rex’s hand rested. When his eyes and grin widened, her stomach twisted in a knot. Sleeping with a stranger, old crush notwithstanding, was not on her bucket list and was different from wanting to sleep with an old lover.
“That’s just sad about this weekend.” Brody’s hand stayed in the blonde’s dress, squeezing and pinching, as he spoke to Abby. “How about next weekend? To think of it, that would be better. I have two other couples staying with me. I say more the merrier. Give me your number, and I’ll send you a text next week with the directions.” His good ol’ boy act didn’t fool her for one minute, especially with him molesting his girlfriend in front of everyone. He had something planned and the way he stared at her was . . . disturbing.
“Much better,” Rex said. “My sweet Abby must introduce me to her family.” Rex spread his fingers as he recited his cell phone number to Brody. She felt his thumb brush over her nipple. The tip hardened as the heat shot down to her groin and moisture prepared her for something more.
She held her breath. Would Rex try it again? The naughtiness excited her more than she would ever admit to him. When his hand moved away, she exhaled.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Nic serving hors d’oeuvres. Jack worked the bar as several women stood at one end flirting outrageously with him. If she looked around instead of concentrating on Rex, she would see another Circle operative or two.
“Would you like a snack?” Nic nearly dumped the whole tray on Abby. “Oops. Sorry.” The last was said in a sneer. Jealousy showing its ugly face.
“No, thank you.” Out of pure spite, Abby leaned into Rex and rubbed her breasts along his side. “I’m worn out, Rurik. Let’s go to bed.”
Rex continued to share small talk with Brody, and once Nic showed up, his body tensed. When Abby’s body rubbed his, he tightened even further and she wondered if he’d shatter into a thousand pieces.
Yet she wasn’t sure if what he did next was an accident or a lesson for playing with fire. As he turned to step away, his hard groin grazed her hand. Her fingers tingled with a need to cup him, but she refused to play further. Ashamed of letting Nic get to her, she ducked her head and pulled out of Rex’s embrace.
“Please excuse us,” Rex murmured to the couple as he grabbed her arm and led her toward the exit.
“Slow down. I’ve got long legs but I can’t keep up,” she said.
He didn’t look like he cared if she kept up or not. As they rushed out the room, Abby caught a glimpse of Jack’s face across the room. Why in the hell was he laughing?
Chapter Nine
* * *
“WHAT THE HELL do you think you were doing down there?” Rex stood over Abby with his hands on his hips, daring her to move off the couch that he’d thrown her onto.
Uncertain if he wanted to choke or kiss her, at the moment he leaned toward choking. With her dark hair mussed and face flushed, she appeared turned on and pissed. Damn, she was hot. Maybe kissing her would be better.
“I don’t know!” For most women, that would be the beginning of an apology but not for Abby. She looked as if she was just getting wound up. “First, I get only two hours’ sleep, then I show up at a crazy Elvis-officiated wedding, then you get me off in a freaking public dressing room, and then an hour later I watch two people feeling each other up and getting turned on and not caring. Then you manhandle me in front of them.” She shot an evil glare at him. “This has been the most fucked up day of my life.” She shoved his chest as she stood, and he stepped back, giving her room. “No. Make that third most fucked up day. The first was the day I was told you were dead. The second was when I was kidnapped. No. Wait! First was when I found out you were alive! Crap! Maybe my whole life was fucked up because that’s a whole lot of fucked up days.”
Rex watched her as she paced back and forth. Her hands waving in the air, she added a couple stomps on the floor for emphasis as she worked herself to a fevered pitch. Despite being horny, he couldn’t help but start laughing.
She faced him, her chest heaving, and pointed a finger. “You! You and Jack. You’re both fucking jackasses. That makes sense! Jack’s certainly the biggest. The wedding was his idea alone, wasn’t it? Don’t answer that, because if I find out it was all your idea, I’ll kill you and don’t think I can’t.” A few short steps brought her close enough to stab him in the chest with her fingertip as she spit out each word. “Quit laughing. Quit! What’s so funny?”
“I’ve never heard you scream so many curses in such a short length of time. I do believe it’s one of your many hidden talents.” They needed to talk about her serious screwup downstairs, but she looked so good flustered and confused. He liked knowing he had a part in doing that to her.
“Humph!” She turned her back and headed for the couch again. “I still don’t see what is so funny. You really need to take this operation more seriously.” She flopped onto the cushion at one end, crossing her arms again. Her bottom lip stuck out a little.
He sure wanted to suck on that plump piece of flesh. Hot damn, she looked so good.
“Quit looking at me like that.” Her gaze dropped from his face to his groin. He knew what she’d noticed. The reaction couldn’t be helped. Whenever he was around her, he was semihard, but when she acted like a spoiled brat who needed a spanking, he became a tree trunk.
“Stop acting like a brat or I’ll have to take you over my knee.” His hands at his sides fisted to keep him from reaching for her.
“You and—” She stopped midsentence when he took one step toward her. “You want me to dare you. That would give you a good excuse for beating my butt.” With a gracefulness brought from hours of martial training, she moved off the couch and walked around him. “I’m going to bed. I’m tired and I need my beauty sleep before visiting with my mom tomorrow.”
Another long step and he stood in front of her, almost
nose-to-nose. “We’ll talk in the morning about how you almost threw this mission off track.”
“That’s what you say.” She lifted her chin.
“What I say counts.” He wouldn’t back down. Not when they were so close to getting inside an operation that could mean an end to several months’ worth of investigation and, more importantly, could save lives.
“You’re not my boss. Jack is.”
Before Rex even realized he’d done it, he’d grabbed her upper arms and pulled her off her feet to look into her wide eyes. “I might not be your direct boss, but I’m second-in-command of The Circle and that technically makes me Jack’s boss and yours. I agreed to be only lead operative here to keep confusion down. You’ve been at this long enough to know we do whatever it takes to be successful. Failure is not an option. Ryker was lenient when he first took over, allowing others time to adjust to the new command. Since then he’s decided that in our line of work, fear works best. Firing is only one solution to a disobedient operative. If you screw up big enough, he’ll have you killed and won’t think twice about it.”
“Jack won’t let him.”
The smug look on her face infuriated him. Bad enough she played with her life like that, but she dared to throw his brother in his face?
He shoved her away. She stumbled but caught herself on one of the chairs.
“Fuck Jack! So I was right. You and Jack were lovers. Do you really think he’ll willingly risk his life to save yours? I know him better than you ever will. Jack looks after Jack. He fucks a woman only if she’s unavailable. Were you two fucking when we were engaged? I would imagine that as soon as the news came in that I was dead, he dropped you like a hot cartridge.”
“You don’t know shit! That you even think that of me and Jack, that we would be together while you and I were engaged, my God! It shows how stupid you really are.”
Rex’s whole body tensed up. As a kid, his father used to beat him when he brought home bad grades. With him growing so fast and large, people always expected him to be smarter than expected for his age and would tease by calling him T-Rex, for the large dinosaur with a small brain. Everyone knew Jack was the smart one in the family.
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