by Kelly Goode
‘You need to calm down.’
Carter loosened his grip and lowered her back to the ground. At the last second, she kicked out again, and he stumbled forward, losing his footing and sending them both crashing to the ground.
‘Get off me,’ Ember said, scrambling to get away but Carter exploited the position to his advantage and used his body weight to pin her down. She continued to struggle beneath him until she had nothing left to give. Then she lay under him panting, causing his dick to harden until it was straining painfully against his trousers.
Carter stared down at her, not liking the vulnerability that was reflected back at him. He watched a single tear roll freely down her face and felt a painful twisting in his gut. He pulled them both up until they were sitting face to face, and Ember was nestled between his open legs.
Carter held her to his chest, soothing her even though she insisted that she wasn’t crying.
‘I know this is difficult, Ember. That what we’re asking you to do is difficult, but we need to secure the artefact that Darrick has in his possession.’
Ember lifted her head.
‘What is it?’ she asked quietly. ‘What does it do?’
‘That’s classified.’
‘I call more bullshit.’
Carter could feel her breath on his face. He wanted to taste her, to kiss away the damage that had been done since she’d joined the unit, but for now, he would have to settle for being honest.
‘Darrick has something called a toothstone. It’s an old relic containing fossilised bone mixed with vivianite. I don’t know much more than that, other than the government wants it and we’ve been charged with getting it.’
‘Aren’t you curious about why they want it?’
Carter shook his head.
‘It’s not my place to be curious. I’m a soldier, and we live by the rules. We obey orders.’
Though there was one rule that he’d already broken. He’d grown attached to the fire-wielding beauty before him.
‘Aren’t you tired of obeying orders?’ Ember asked.
Carter nodded and slid his hands under her buttocks, pulling her up onto his lap so that she was straddling him.
‘What are you doing?’
‘I don’t know,’ he said truthfully. ‘But I really want to find out.’
Carter’s lips hovered inches away from hers. The anticipation was killing him. He inclined his head but stopped as he heard a throat being cleared. Ember jumped off him as if she’d been doused with cold water.
Carter looked towards the doorway where Chief Andrews and Pete were standing. The chief looked furious as he marched out, slamming the door behind him.
Pete raised his hands in an apology.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t know you two were in here.’
‘I need to go and get ready,’ Ember mumbled as she practically ran out of the room.
Carter watched her leave, a feeling of helplessness engulfing him.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Pete repeated, walking over and extending his arm, which Carter took to lift himself up. If his charred clothing surprised his teammate, he said nothing.
‘There’s nothing to be sorry for.’
‘It looked as if you two were sharing a moment. I didn’t realise until it was too late. The chief saw it all.’
‘Honestly, it’s fine. She was upset. I was just comforting her.’
Pete’s face broke into a wide smile.
‘So that’s what you’re calling it these days, is it?’
‘It’s complicated.’
Pete made his way back to the door.
‘You need to talk to the chief,’ he called over his shoulder. ‘You don’t want to throw away your career for a mistake.’
Carter watched his friend leave and for the first time in a long time, he yearned for a life outside of the agency.
‘Who said it would be a mistake?’ he murmured.
52
I waited patiently in line for the cloakroom. The club was already heaving with guests, sipping champagne and snagging tasty treats from passing waiters. Darrick had spared no expense in decorating for the festive season. There were tall fir trees, adorned with bells and tinsel. Fairy lights twinkled alongside intricate displays of candy canes and gingerbread men.
I tensed as I spotted Harvey snaking through the crowd. I felt a pang of longing as he casually slung his dark suit jacket over one shoulder. His white shirt was open at the neck, and I remembered running my hands over the hard plains of his chest. I quashed those thoughts straight away.
I was still angry with him.
I swapped glances with another woman in the queue and realised mine were not the only pair of eyes giving the handsome demon the once over.
‘Do you come here often,’ Harvey quipped, stopping beside me.
I remained silent until the young girl behind the counter gave me a ticket in exchange for my coat.
‘More often than I would like to,’ I replied, moving away from prying ears and envious stares.
Harvey caught me by the shoulder.
‘Look, I know you’re pissed off with me,’ he said, ‘and I can’t change that. I messed up. I know that.’
I looked into his dark eyes but they showed no hint of what he was feeling. I was sure my own were betraying the words leaving my mouth.
‘I’m not angry with you.’
‘Could have fooled me.’
‘If I were angry with you, Harvey, then it would imply that I care what you think of me. And I don’t care by the way.’
I shook off his hold and stalked to one of the darker corners of the club. Of course, he followed me.
‘Go away,’ I said over my shoulder, not slowing down.
‘I can’t. I was invited.’
‘By whom?’
‘By Chief Andrews actually. The team made an exact copy of your invite, which proved good enough to fool the girl on the door though it was touch and go for a few seconds.’
That did cause me to pause.
‘That was dangerous, Harvey. What do you think Darrick would do to you if he finds out you’ve been deceiving him?’
He shrugged.
‘The same thing he’d do to you, Red. We’re all taking risks tonight,’ he said, reaching out and lightly tracing his hand over my bare shoulder. ‘You look beautiful.’
His change in tone confused me.
‘Please don’t say things like that to me.’
‘Why?’
‘Because it’s not true. A new hair style and an expensive dress don’t make someone beautiful.’
Harvey stepped closer. His dark eyes were full of need and I turned my head so I wouldn’t have to acknowledge that I felt a similar stirring low down in my stomach.
‘It’s not your outfit, Red,’ he growled, sliding his hands from my shoulder to the waist of my tiny white dress. ‘You were beautiful the first time I laid eyes on you. Even in that horrible blue jumpsuit they forced us to wear.’
‘Stop it,’ I demanded.
‘Why?’
‘Because I have a job to do and I can’t deal with any other shit at the moment.’
Harvey pulled me closer, his lips sweeping over my earlobe.
‘If Darrick tries anything, don’t hesitate to use your powers,’ he whispered.
‘You know I can’t do that.’
‘You’re more important than the mission….’
‘No one is more important than the mission,’ I said.
It appeared as if Harvey was going to argue but he eventually conceded with a sigh.
‘Better get going then, Red. Darrick is in the V.I.P area.’
I nodded.
‘Ok…are you staying?’
‘I’ve got my own thing to do,’ he said ambiguously, ‘but I’ll be watching.’
He lightly kissed my cheek and walked away. His words should have been a comfort but knowing how I was supposed to act towards Darrick, I just hoped he wouldn’t be watching too closely.
53
&
nbsp; ‘The party started an hour ago, Ember.’
The tone of Darrick’s smooth voice swirled around me as soon as I entered the V.I.P area. Gaining access had been much easier than yesterday thanks to the stamp on my wrist, proving that I was indeed an “important person”.
Well at least for tonight anyway.
Although the handsome vampire was on the other side of the room, I’d heard him speak as clearly as if he’d been standing next to me. Another vampire mind trick.
Darrick excused himself from the conversation he was in and walked towards me. Trapped by his intense blue gaze, my feet felt as if they were rooted to the spot, preventing any attempts at escape that I might have wanted to pursue.
Darrick was wearing another expensive tailored suit. This time, it was pale grey with a black shirt underneath. His long dark hair was loose around his shoulders and his full lips twisted into a smug smile as he slipped his arms around my waist and kissed me chastely on the cheek.
‘Were you worried I wouldn’t come?’ I asked, running my hand up the sleeve of his jacket, trying to initiate the flirty banter as early as possible.
‘I don’t worry about anything,’ he replied.
‘Well, I would have been here sooner if my invite hadn’t gone through a washing machine cycle first.’
Darrick’s smile broadened.
‘I find your sense of humour intriguing, Ember.’
‘And I find your indirectness confusing. You didn’t need to hide the invite inside my top. Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?’
I was still annoyed that I’d missed his sleight of hand but told myself he was a vampire and he could move quicker than a human could.
‘Do you find this confusing?’ Darrick asked, pulling me closer into his embrace. His hands traced the curve of my lower back as he kissed me hard on the lips. I allowed myself to lean into him, willing my body to react but all I felt was numb. Not only because his lips were cold, but also because all I could think about was Harvey.
Harvey’s kisses set me on fire.
This vampire, although handsome, turned me as cold as ice. I closed my eyes, imagining it was the sarcastic and annoying demon that I was kissing instead of Darrick. I parted my lips, allowing him to slide his tongue against mine.
I could do this.
I felt his hands move from my back, down to the swell of my bottom and then under the hem of my very short dress. It took all my restraint not to stop his wandering fingers from sliding beneath the lace of my knickers.
‘Sorry to intrude, boss….’
The voice behind us was an opportune relief and I pulled away, trying to break out of the circle of Darrick’s arms but they felt like bands of steel wrapped around me.
Darrick turned his head to address his employee and his pale face conveyed his anger at being interrupted.
The young man took a few steps back.
‘I’m…I’m sorry,’ he stammered.
‘You will be,’ Darrick growled and the unmistakable menace in his voice even had me shivering.
‘Mr Smith is here.’
That piece of news changed Darrick’s demeanour and his anger faded as quickly as it arrived.
‘Has he got the stone?’
The young man nodded.
‘Have security escort him through to one of the private rooms and I’ll be along in a minute.’
I placed a hand on Darrick’s chest.
‘I can see you’re busy, I’ll go back to the party,’ I said, indicating the mass of bodies surging together on the dancefloor.
Darrick’s eyes narrowed. He was obviously not happy with the idea of letting his prey get away from him.
‘I’m always busy, Ember,’ he said. ‘It’s one of the downsides of owning a nightclub but this particular business meeting won’t take long.’
‘Is there somewhere I can wait for you then?’ I asked, hoping I wasn’t coming across too eager but I needed to retain his interest in me before another bimbo took his fancy.
‘I’ll keep an eye on her,’ the young man said, his appraisal of my breasts indicating just which part would be getting the most attention.
‘No, take her to my office,’ Darrick demanded, and I tried not to let the surge of elation I felt show on my face.
‘If you’re sure I won’t get in the way.’
‘You won’t,’ he murmured, kissing me softly on the lips. ‘Go with Gary and help yourself to a drink. I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes.’
54
Carter knocked firmly on the door to Chief Andrews’s office. He’d fully expected his commanding officer to summon him after the gym incident, but the old man had let him stew for hours before sending the message.
‘Enter.’
Carter did as ordered, moving into the room and standing to attention. The chief was sitting at his desk, flicking through a pile of papers. He didn’t acknowledge him, and Carter suspected he was only pretending to read to make him sweat for a little longer.
‘Do you know why I called you here, son?’
‘I’ve got an idea, sir.’
‘Good, so cut through the bullshit and tell me what’s going on between you and Ember?’
Carter wasn’t taken aback by the question. The chief had always been direct and to the point with his team.
‘Nothing is going on between us. She was upset…’
‘And you had to be the one to comfort her?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Chief Andrews shook his head.
‘No attachments, remember?’
‘I remember.’
‘So you’ll also remember what happened after we had a conversation like this last year.’
Carter felt his gut churn over at the memory the words evoked. A beautiful brunette. Her cunning smile. So much blood….
‘Yes, sir, I do. But this is different. Ember is different…’
‘Ember is as much a criminal as any other creature we’ve used in this unit yet I’ve seen the way you act around her. The way you try to protect her. It’s the same way you treated Cassie before she turned on us.’
Hearing Cassie’s name made him want to vomit and he tasted bile at the back of his throat.
‘You can discipline me as you see fit, sir. I don’t have any other explanation for you.’
Chief Andrews sat back in his chair and ran his hands through his grey hair.
‘Do you admit that there is a certain tension between you and Ember?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘And how do you intend to handle that tension in future? I don’t want to walk in on another scene like I did earlier.’
‘No, sir.’
Chief Andrews sighed.
‘I don’t want to come down hard on you, Liam. She’s a pretty girl, but this has to be where it stops. We should take the lessons we learned with the “Cassie episode” and ensure we never allow one of the recruits to fool us again.’
Carter remained silent as thoughts of shooting the unarmed woman in the chest flooded his mind. It had been one of the worse days of his life. He jumped when the chief slammed his fist down onto his desk.
‘Distance yourself from Ember. You’re one of the best agents I have in this team and I don’t want to lose you. Do I make myself clear?’
Carter nodded.
‘Crystal clear, sir.’
Whether the chief believed him or not, he at least let the matter go. He got up from his chair and indicated the door.
‘Let’s go and find out what progress the recruits are making. This particular bunch has been nothing but a headache from the start.’
Carter took a moment to study his chief as he rubbed his temples. He could see dark shadows under the old man’s eyes that hadn’t been there a few weeks ago. He was usually the picture of health, but this assignment was taking its toll.
‘You ok, sir?’
‘Yes, son. I’ve just been having trouble sleeping lately, is all. Let’s go.’
55
The mo
od changed after Darrick left the V.I.P area. I searched for Harvey but couldn’t see him amongst the crowd on the dancefloor or in the clusters of guests at the main bar.
‘This way.’
I flinched as Gary wrapped his hand around my wrist and pulled me towards a staircase.
‘I didn’t say you could touch me,’ I said, trying to wrench myself out of his grasp but for a small man, Gary was surprisingly strong.
‘You’d do well to be nice to me because tomorrow night, Mr Darrick will have a new plaything and you’ll be begging me to let you back in here….for a price. Judging by those luscious lips, it’ll cost you a blow-job.’
‘I don’t think so.’
He must have seen the look of revulsion on my face, as he gripped my arm harder causing me to wince as he jostled me up the stairs.
‘Oh, you think you’re special?’ Gary sneered. ‘Sorry to burst your dream but you’re just tonight’s entertainment. He won’t even remember your name tomorrow.’
‘Good job I’m not looking for anything more than that. Now let go of me.’
I felt my skin crackle and heat up until the young man couldn’t keep hold of me any longer. He released my wrist and cradled his blistered palm with his other hand.
‘You fucking bitch.’
Gary made a move to slap me but a wall of flames instantly appeared between us, shocking him into retreat.
‘I hope Mr Darrick drains you dry,’ he said, before turning on his heels and scampering back down the stairs.
There was only a short corridor on this upper level, so it was a safe bet that the red padded leather door I could see at the end was either the entrance to Darrick’s office…or his dungeon.
I took a deep breath and pushed open the door. The room I found myself in was large and tastefully decorated. The walls were pale blue, a shade that reminded me of Darrick’s eyes. The carpet was black and the furniture was white.
A large desk dominated the centre of the room, which I didn’t hesitate to rifle through but even after a meticulous examination of the drawers, I did not find a safe or lock-box.
I remembered watching a film where the spy found something in a false bottom but no amount of tugging or searching for hidden switches revealed anything more sinister than a few formidable sex toys, which I quickly returned to their hiding places.
