He bit back a moan and did his best to concentrate elsewhere. He would not embarrass himself here tonight. Not in front of their mark and his backer and all these important guests. Fortunately, he found a good distraction. “Martin’s here.”
“Where?” M straightened, her body shielding his stained shirt—and his rapidly hardening cock—from the rest of the room.
“Over there, by the entrance. I think he just arrived,” Loki said, his tone strained. If M didn’t back up soon, he wasn’t going to be liable for his actions. Meaning he’d have her pressed up against this ballroom wall, kissing her and caressing her until neither one of them cared about Martin or this mission or anything else but each other and this electric connection between them. Thankfully, she did move and so did he, turning slightly to rearrange his clothing and button his tux jacket. The stain was gone, thank God, and the jacket was long enough to hide most of the straining bulge pressed tight to his fly. Dammit all to hell and back.
By the time he had himself reasonably under control again, the jewelry portion of the auction was over and they were moving on to the highlight of the evening.
“Ladies and gentlemen, up next we have a special treat for you. Pop star Todd Martin is here and he’s generously offered to sing one song tonight for the highest bidder, their choice. Now who here would love to be serenaded by one of the hottest celebrities in music today?”
An excited rush of shouts went up from the crowd, men and women alike, all cheering for Martin. Loki had never really been a fan of the guy. He preferred jazz or classical over the bubblegum sweet lyrics and oversimplified tunes popular on the radio.
“Why don’t you come on up here now, Mr. Martin, and we’ll get this party started.” The MC waved to Martin, who cut a swath through the crowds up to the stage.
Loki leaned over to whisper to M that they should each guard a different side of the stage to make sure Todd Martin didn’t get away after his performance, but found only empty space around him. A quick glance forward showed a glimmer of red lace weaving through the guests toward the stage where Martin now stood.
“Fuck.” So much for coordinated efforts and working as a team. Loki took off after her.
By the time he made it to the dance floor area before the stage, the bidding for Martin’s prize was up to half a million dollars. Ridiculous, even for charity. Loki spotted M a few feet down and sidled over to her.
“Five hundred thousand going once, going twice. Sold!” The MC smacked his gavel on the podium and the guests erupted in cheers and applause. The winning bidder, a woman in her thirties, was helped up on stage by her husband—a guy in his forties who looked about as thrilled with having Martin croon to him as Loki felt. Still, the man graciously shook hands with Martin and wrote out his check to the auctioneer, then his wife picked their song. A slow ballad originally made famous by people like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
As the opening strains of The Way You Look Tonight filled the air and Martin began singing, the winning couple started dancing a slow waltz shuffle on stage. They invited the crowd to join in and Loki seized his moment. If new intel was going to be leaked tonight by Martin, it would most likely happen during his performance. How? Loki wasn’t quite sure, but there’d be no better cover than Martin on stage while hundreds of people swayed on a dance floor before him, distracted by love and other nonsense.
Surprisingly, M didn’t protest as he led her over to a spot near the stage then pulled her into his arms. They moved to the rhythm of the music, bodies brushing lightly.
“You think he’ll go for it during this performance, don’t you?” M asked, her gaze locked on Martin.
“I do.” Loki also kept an eye on the surrounding couples and the stagehands lingering just beyond the dance floor. “Not sure how yet.”
“There,” M said, slipping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to take over the lead. She turned them slightly and tilted her head toward where the band sat playing. “I’ll bet it’s one of them, or their crew. He’ll try and pass it off at the end, when he shakes hands with them.”
Loki, resuming control of the dance, spun M out in a turn then pulled her back into his arms, tighter this time, with her back to his front. He lowered his head to whisper in her ear. “Not bad, darling. Not bad. But I’m going with the stagehands.” The feel of her curves fitting him and rubbing against him in all the right spots nearly had him out of his mind with need. Still, he forced himself to focus on the task at hand, loving the game too much to quit now. “See that one there, in the corner. He looks shifty. I’d guess Martin will pass him the intel as he walks off the stage at the end.”
M rotated her hips against him, her soft warm butt sliding against his ever-hardening cock. Her breath caught and she bit her lip, color flushing her cheeks as she smiled again. “Very nice. Very nice indeed,” she said, her voice breathy. “But I need more.”
“More?” Loki asked, his pulse thundering loud in his ears at the double entendre. He’d love nothing more than to give her everything right about now. “How much more?”
She spun in his arms and rose on tiptoes until their lips were only millimeters apart. “Everything. I want it all,” she said before capturing his lips with hers. By the time she pulled back they were both panting. “I want you.”
Loki held her to him as the world slipped away until all that was left was this woman, this night, this moment. Martin’s song drifted around them as he lowered his head to hers once more. “I want you too, M. So badly I ache.”
He took control of the kiss this time, tasting her, teasing her, needing to make her as crazy with lust as he was. She moaned low and slid her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, making him shiver against her.
Lost. He felt lost and adrift and yet never more at home than he was right here in M’s arms. If only they were alone and could consummate this bond between them right here, right now.
But they weren’t alone. They were in a crowded ballroom, surrounded by other couples and one guilty as fuck ex-Russian bastard who was selling secrets to the highest bidder.
Martin’s song ended and the crowd went wild. The couple on-stage kissed and Martin headed over to shake hands with the band.
M lifted her head from Loki’s chest and peeked past his shoulder, her grin widening. “Told you so.”
Loki frowned, watching as Martin shook hands with each of the musicians. “My guy’s there too. The stagehand. See him? Lurking there in the shadows. He hasn’t passed any intel yet that I can see.”
“There!” M said. “See that? He lingered with the drummer. Longer than with the others. I’d say he palmed him a USB drive. I’m going after him.” She pulled free from Loki’s embrace before he could stop her and headed off the dance floor.
“Shit.” Loki glanced around to see the shifty stagehand back over with the rest of the crew again with no contact from Martin at all. Looked like M was right, dammit. No time for bad feelings though, not when Martin was on the move again. If he’d passed the intel to the drummer, he wasn’t going to stick around to party afterward. He was headed straight for the entrance again. After a quick look to make sure M had the situation with the drummer under control, Loki took off for the entrance, hoping to cut Martin off at the pass. He charged out into the relatively empty lobby and spotted Martin near the doors. If the guy got outside, there were multiple routes of escape. They needed to keep him contained. What better way to do that than with the element of surprise? “Tardova! Wait!”
At the sound of his real name, Todd Martin stopped and whirled around to face Loki. His tanned face went deathly pale, nearly as white as the tux shirt he was wearing. It was the break Loki needed.
Gotcha, bastard!
Sprinting forward, Loki had a hand out to grasp Martin, but just before he made contact, the guy turned and grabbed Loki around the neck with both hands and shoved his shoulder into Loki’s chest, attempting to use his body weight to flip Loki over onto the floor. Luckily, Loki was prepar
ed and able to wrench free at the last second by twisting around and using his forearms to break Martin’s hold on his neck. The move cost Loki though, allowing Todd Martin to burst through the doors and narrowly escape.
Loki followed close on his heels, but Martin was smaller and faster and reached the curb where his limo was idling before Loki could catch him.
Martin wrenched the back door of the town car open and yelled for the driver to go as he dove into the backseat. Loki rushed after him, but it was too late. The limo peeled away in a squeal of tires and a haze of burning rubber. Well, fuck. Loki turned to head back inside to help M deal with the drummer when two beefy bodyguards stationed outside the convention center converged on him and took him to the ground despite his efforts to stop them.
M came running out moments later, out of breath and—given her dark expression—out of patience too. “Where the hell’s Martin? Don’t tell me you let him get away,” she said while the bodyguards kept Loki’s face pressed into the cold pavement beneath him.
“Shsdlhkjf;woeiurweh,” he said, his words slurred by a mouth full of carpet and concrete.
“I’m so sorry, guys,” she said, her tone now full of flirt. “You’ll have to excuse my brother. He’s just gaga for guys like Todd Martin. But he’s harmless, I swear. His boyfriend’s gonna be pissed though about dirt on the rental tux.”
One of the bodyguards snorted and eased up the pressure he’d been applying to Loki’s back while the other hauled Loki up by one arm and set him on his feet. They patted him down for weapons, finding none. He didn’t bring his gun tonight and knives weren’t really his thing. Besides, he could kill a man with his bare hands if needed. Too bad he hadn’t gotten the chance with Martin tonight. He went along with the rabid fan schtick long enough to get the guards to back off then walked back inside with M.
“Thanks for that,” he said, adjusting his bow tie as they moved to a quiet corner of the lobby. “Martin was a loss, though I did confirm his former identity. What did you get on the drummer?”
“Nothing really,” she said, smoothing a hand down her dress and drawing his attention to her fantastic body once more. Then M looked up at him and grinned, a small black flash drive in her hand. “Nothing except this.”
6
“C’mon. Hit me. I dare you,” M taunted from across the mat. She and Loki were sparring in the apartment building’s gym in the basement, the place deserted except for the two of them. Then again it was three-thirty in the morning. Not exactly the time most people worked out.
They circled each other warily, both barefoot and sweaty.
M wasn’t surprised that Loki was an excellent fighter. Hell, a guy didn’t make it into the SEALs without being able to take care of himself. She was, however, intrigued to discover that he knew almost as many martial arts as she did. Karate, MMA, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, even Krav Maga.
“I’m telling you, the guy tried to Kubi Kudaki me.” Loki looked at her. “You know what that is, right?”
“Of course.” She scoffed. Actually she didn’t, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. “Whatever.”
“Whatever?” Loki gave her an annoyed stare. “Breaking my neck is just whatever?”
Ah. Okay. That made sense. Loki had mentioned Martin grabbing him around the neck. If played just right, such moves could severe an opponent’s spinal cord and kill them instantly. Such techniques were illegal in most martial arts sports, but that didn’t mean they didn’t exist in backroom brawls and on the streets. And if Todd Martin had been trained by the KGB as the evidence suggested, then sure as shit he’d know all the dirtiest tricks to win a fight.
“Well, you’re still here, so you obviously handled it,” M said, trying to play off her earlier nonchalance. In truth, she liked working with Loki, way more than she should. Especially given how attracted she was to him. Not that she’d act on that. Nope. That would just be a disaster waiting to happen and she wasn’t about to throw the life she’d worked so hard for away over a man, no matter how incredible the sex might be. She swiped a hand across her forehead then grinned. “You gonna circle me all night or are we gonna fight?”
With a growl, Loki charged forward and locked his arms around her waist, using his superior size and bulk to take her down to the mat. M anticipated his move, however, and rolled with him, managing to lock her legs around his waist while squeezing her arms around his chest, constricting his air supply. In turn, he wrapped his hands around her neck, his grip firm and his thumbs pressing upward into the bottom of her jaw, forcing her head back and making it harder for her to breathe. They waited. Sooner or later, one of them would pass out from asphyxiation.
“Let go,” Loki bit out.
“You first.” M gritted her teeth and forced herself to inhale slowly through her nose despite the fact that her vision was beginning to tunnel and panic rose inside her. Stay calm, stay focused, stay in control. Years of training allowed her to overcome her body’s natural instincts to flail and fight for life. Instead, she narrowed her gaze on him and took pride in the fact that his handsome face was turning purple from lack of oxygen. Stubborn ass. All he had to do was surrender and she’d release him.
“Don’t. Understand,” he managed to pant out. “Catch. Martin.”
M’s thighs trembled around Loki’s sides as she battled to stay conscious. If she didn’t get air soon, she’d pass out. No way around it. Loki didn’t look much better. His grip on her neck loosened and in a last-ditch effort to save herself, she used her last ounce of energy to roll sideways, away from him. The move caused her to lose her hold around Loki’s ribcage and he collapsed on the mat beside her, heaving in breaths while she coughed and sputtered. Jesus. They’d both nearly died because they’d wanted to win. That had to mean something, yeah?
Maybe she’d finally met her match, professionally anyway.
After a few minutes and many gulps of oxygen later, Loki finally rolled his head to the side to look at her. His face was back to normal now—tanned and far too chiseled and perfect for his own good. His voice, though, emerged huskier than normal from all the choking and hacking. It made her think of dark nights in warm satin sheets and whispers of passion and promise. Her core clenched with want despite her wishes to the contrary.
“That move Martin tried to pull on me. It’s called Kubi Kudaki. Wrist Neck. And there’s only a few practitioners who still teach it in this area. Since the Marcogonoff family lived in Arlington, Virginia when Todd was growing up, I’d suspect he learned it around here somewhere. We can use that to try and track him down.”
M swallowed hard, wincing at the soreness in her throat now. “Sounds like a long shot to me. The guy travels the world these days, touring for his music. I doubt he’ll stick around here. Hell, he’s probably on a private jet to California by now.”
“Fine.” Loki pushed himself up on one elbow to lean over her, frowning. “I’m sorry about your neck. Such lovely soft skin. I hope my roughness won’t leave a mark.” The fact he was tracing a gentle finger over her flesh while he said it made her breathless again for completely different reasons. His gravelly tone dropped another octave, making the empty gym seem as intimate as any bedroom. “Do you have a better idea for how we should spend our time?”
For a brief second, M considered just giving in to all the want inside her and making love to him right here on the gym mat, regardless of who might walk in and catch them. If the heat flaring in his eyes was any indication, he would be fully on board with that. But the other part of M, the driven one hell-bent on winning at all costs, urged her to knee him in the groin while he was so close and vulnerable, then go searching for new leads on Todd Martin’s whereabouts herself because she was so desperate to win this game.
In the end, she compromised. Quick as lightning, M shifted, taking charge of their position and rolling Loki over onto his back while she straddled his hips with her thighs. Grinning at his astonished expression, she bent until her lips hovered just millimeters above his an
d whispered, “I think we should spend our time catching the bad guy, so we can indulge in more…” She pressed her lower half tighter against him, deliberately rubbing against what she could feel was his rapidly growing erection. Feminine pride swelled inside before she shoved it aside. This had to be about work right now. Anything else would have to wait. Still, M wasn’t above a bit of cockteasing. She ground against him once more and savored his sharp inhale. “…interesting pursuits.”
Loki stared up at her, dots of crimson lining his high, tanned cheekbones, his pupils blown wide with lust and need. He opened his mouth as if to protest, and damn if she wouldn’t have caved like a wet paper bag if he’d asked her to fuck him just then. But no. His phone buzzed and threw an icy blast over their proceedings.
With a curse, Loki sat up and fished his phone out from the pocket of the black sweats he wore. M moved off his lap and grabbed her towel, glad for the much-needed kick of common sense. Until they solved this case and nailed Martin to the wall for his crimes, she couldn’t afford to lose focus. Her promotion, her career, the entire life she’d built for herself depended on it. She couldn’t risk all that up for a man, no matter how intriguing and gorgeous.
She wiped away her sweat while Loki paced to the far side of the gym, his voice a low murmur in the otherwise silent space. It was going on six a.m. now. Other patrons would be coming in soon to get a workout before they headed off to their jobs. She and Loki weren’t doing anything wrong by being here, but she didn’t really want to draw attention to the fact they were together either, at least as work partners.
Norse Security: The Complete Series Page 23
