by Laurie Roma
Tara glanced over at them, hesitating for a moment as she eyed Julian before issuing a brief nod. She went in fast, attacked, and in seconds Charlie was writhing on the ground.
“Christ…” Julian breathed in disbelief.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” Adrian chuckled. “Stick around.”
Tara looked back at Julian and their eyes connected. He blinked in surprise as he saw the flat, cold, dead eyes of a killer staring back at him. It was nothing like the moment they had shared right before she had gone on the attack. It was like looking at a completely different person and the change had the blood chilling in his veins.
Damn the man, every time she met Julian’s gaze it did something to her. Something she wasn’t sure she liked. Tara broke the connection to look down at the man at her feet. “You’re not bad.”
Charlie scowled at her, a mixture of rage and embarrassment apparent on his face. “I don’t need you to fucking placate me.”
Men and their elephant-sized egos. Squatting next to him, she held back a sigh. Instead of smacking his head like she wanted, she tried an olive branch. “I can tell you’ve had training. Military right?”
Charlie hesitantly nodded.
Undeterred, Tara continued speaking softly to him so the rest of the men wouldn’t hear her. “Listen, Charlie, I grew up an army brat and worked for the CIA before I retired and got my gig with Mac Securities. I’ve been trained by the best. There are very few people who can beat me at hand to hand.”
Tara watched with approval as the anger slowly faded from his face. “You can’t always tell what your opponent is capable of just by looking at them. The way I see it, you can be pissed off I beat you or you can use this as a way to teach your team a lesson. They obviously follow your lead. Laugh this off and next time let me teach you.”
Charlie studied her for a minute and then chuckled. “Serves me right for mouthing off. Who knew a little thing like you could kick ass like that,” he said loudly. Holding out her hand, Tara helped him to his feet. They slowly walked over to the benches by the wall where Tara helped him sit down. He winced as he leaned back. “Jesus, Ms. Toshi, I think you punctured my lung.”
“Naw, just bruised it a little. And call me Tara.”
“Shit.” Charlie eyed her warily. “I may want to learn from you but I don’t know if I like you.”
Tara grinned at him. “I get that a lot. Don’t worry, I grow on you.”
Her head turned as Adrian called out to her. “Don’t worry about your team, they’re about to see how I beat you.” Tara patted Charlie on the shoulder then went back to mat where Adrian waited.
“Warmed up?”
Tara smiled, her eyes warm and sparkling with anticipation. “Oh, yeah.”
They bowed to each other, then took up fighting stances on opposite sides of the mat.
“Ah, Mr. King? I was wondering if…holy geez…”
Julian turned as one of his security men had spoken to him but the man’s reverent tone had him jerking his attention back to the mats.
Once again he felt his jaw drop in amazement. His own body jerked as Tara hit the ground hard. Before he could blink she had flipped up, was back on her feet, and with a feral grin went at Adrian again. The fight was vicious, with Tara and Adrian going at each other like something out of a movie. No, it wasn’t like a movie…This was raw, brutal, and very, very real. He had never seen anything like this. There on the mat were two combatants out for blood.
It was the most impressive display of fighting skills he had ever seen.
Julian felt his own breath hiss out as Adrian landed a solid punch to Tara’s middle. For fuck’s sake, how was he supposed to stand back and watch this? Julian realized that his hands had fisted at his side, every fiber in his being telling him to stop them. He found himself taking an involuntary step forward then stopped abruptly. He watched as Tara performed a jump in the air using both of her legs to wrap around Adrian’s neck. Using her body weight, she spun him in the air so he landed hard on his own back with her perched over his prone body, her forearm tight against his throat.
Julian sucked air into his lungs as they called a halt. He didn’t have a clue how long he had been holding his breath and was furious at the emotions surging through him as he stared at the two lunatics grinning at one another.
Damn it, she was making him crazy.
Forcing his gaze away from the mat, Julian looked around to realize that the rest of his security team had stopped what they were doing and had come over to watch the brutal battle that had taken place. Now that the fight was over, the only sound echoing in the room was the clink that came from where Rock steadily kept lifting weights.
The crowd broke up and several of the men and women went back to their own sparring sessions while others stood around, waiting for the chance to speak to either of the Mac Security agents. Tara and Adrian each took a towel from a man who held them out and Adrian graciously answered the questions being peppered at them as they wiped the sweat off their faces.
Tara broke away from the group and walked over to where Julian was standing. He could see that her eyes were back to that deep, warm brown, hinting of mystery and seduction. Her head tilted back to look up at him as she hooked the towel around her neck.
“Checking in on us?”
“Where did you learn to fight like that?” Julian watched the warmth in her eyes dim a little. He felt a twinge in the vicinity of his heart and couldn’t help but miss that light.
“Do you have a problem with me working with your men? That was one of the points you requested in the security upgrade.”
Hell yes, there is a problem. He didn’t want any of his men touching her.
“I know it’s part of the upgrade, I’ve just never seen someone fight like that before,” Julian clarified.
She studied him for a moment with those penetrating eyes. “You know how to fight.”
“Sure, I know a little martial arts and box some”—his arm swept out as he gestured back toward the mat—“but this, this I’ve never seen.”
“We just wanted to show your security team that even someone smaller can control a fight. Your guys and gals have the basics, but they need to tighten up their skills.”
Julian nodded slowly. “I can see that.”
“Good. I think I’m done. I’m going to head upstairs.”
“I’ll head up with you.”
Tara strolled out of the gym, stopping briefly to pick up her jacket from where she left it on the floor before exiting the room. She was acutely aware of Julian keeping pace with her as they made their way down the hall to the elevators. She watched him push the button and pulled the towel from around her neck to tuck between her knees as she put the jacket on over her tank top.
The elevator arrived with a soft whoosh of sound and the doors parted silently. Julian held a hand out, gesturing for her to enter before him. She felt the heat of his body at her back as he followed her inside the elevator car. They both turned as a security guard hurried down the hallway at a trot, carrying a large plastic sign.
“Excuse me, sir!”
“Not now, George.”
A pained look crossed the guard’s face. “Oh, but, sir, please—”
“I said not now,” Julian snapped.
The elevator doors slid closed with a solid thunk.
Chapter Five
Alone at last.
Julian felt a thrill rush through him. He finally had Tara where he wanted her, alone. He pushed the button for the fortieth floor and leaned back against the far wall as the elevator car began to rise.
“Shouldn’t you have stopped to listen to your man?” Tara inquired, slightly amused. “It seemed like it might have been important.”
He shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. “Not as important as this.”
An eyebrow rose in question. “This?”
“Yes, this. You and me in one place, alone, where we can finally speak.” He paused for a moment,
watching as a small smile lifted the corner of her beautiful lips. “You aren’t going ask me what I mean by that?”
Tara’s husky laugh filled the small room. “Oh no, I know exactly what you mean. I’ve been very careful not to be alone with you since I got here.” Her husky laughter filled the air again at the startled look on his face. “Did you really think I didn’t know you’ve been stalking me all over your hotel? Really, Julian, you weren’t exactly being covert following me around. Isn’t that also why you assigned me a room on your floor?”
Julian had to fight the urge to stick his hands in his pockets and defend himself when she looked at him that way. She was perceptive. Nothing put a man on guard faster than a perceptive woman. Going for nonchalant he shrugged. “Yes, I do have a penthouse on that floor, but it’s on the other side of the hall.”
“We’re still the only ones on that floor,” she countered. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.
Julian always admired smart women, and if his guess was accurate, Tara was one of the smartest he had ever come across. He didn’t deny it, he had cleared the floor, blocking out the other four suites to ensure that they were the only ones on that floor. Okay, maybe he had put her in an awkward position, but he wouldn’t apologize for his instinctive move to keep her close.
“There is a large conference room attached to your particular room, Tara. I thought it may be useful for one of your team, so why not you? The guest penthouses are the two floors above ours so just consider it more a like a working floor.”
Tara considered what he said. It did make sense to have use of a private conference room. Much to her delight the suite also included two large bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and its own private pool on the outdoor patio. It was a far cry from her last few assignments. This was a luxury that she could definitely get used to, if she wasn’t careful.
Tara’s train of thought suddenly shifted as the phone rang from an inset in the wall of the elevator right below the panel of buttons. The elevator came to a sudden stop and the lights went out.
Tara stiffened, her body automatically going into combat mode. The emergency lights flickered on, casting the small space in a soft, golden light. The ringing got louder as Julian reached down to flip the panel door open, revealing an old-fashioned corded phone.
Even as he brought the phone up to his ear, Julian was cursing himself. He knew that the service elevators had been scheduled for maintenance this evening, by his own order, and yet he hadn’t given it a thought as he had followed Tara inside. It was a wonder he could think at all, considering that the majority of his blood always seemed to rush to his groin when he was around her.
Just looking at her was enough to have his cock growing to half-mast under the confines of his pant. He was tired of walking around with the constant hard-on she produced. He felt himself falling within the dark depths of her gaze and it took him a moment to decipher what the soft mumbling of a voice on the other end of the phone was saying.
“I’m so sorry, sir. I tried to remind you before you got in. You ordered that elevator’s repairs to be done tonight and I was just going to put up the sign when you—”
Julian sighed in self-derision. He was quick to clarify when he heard the security guard gulp in fear. “That’s all right, George. It’s not your fault, I forgot I changed the schedule. We can get out and take the guest elevators.”
“Uh…well, actually sir, the elevator is stopped between floors right now and the crew is up on the top floor working on the cables.” Shit. Julian could practically hear the poor security guard sweating through the phone. “I’m so sorry—”
No used getting angry about what couldn’t be changed.
Actually, this could work in his favor…
A muffled voice spoke on the other end of the phone. A few seconds later Julian heard Devon on the line, loud and clear.
“You okay?” Devon chuckled softly. “Damn, Julian, I know you wanted to have some time with Ms. Toshi but really, trapping her in an elevator? Is this what you had to resort to?”
“I can hear you,” Tara said dryly, loud enough so both Devon and Julian could hear.
Devon cursed softly, then lowered his voice. “Sorry, boss.”
“It’s all right, Devon, we’re fine.” Julian covered the mouthpiece for a moment to address Tara. “He was joking.”
Tara’s eyes sparkled with humor. “Sure he was.”
“We could pry the doors open to get you out of there or I can tell the crew to stop the repairs to let you out…”
Tara let out a loud, exaggerated sigh then wiggled her fingers in a gesture for Julian to hand over the phone. Curious, he passed it to her and she held it up to her ear.
“How long will the repairs take?”
Devon cleared his throat. “Ma’am, about thirty minutes, forty-five tops.”
She rolled her eyes at Julian. “Don’t worry about us, let them finish the repairs. But if this thing drops and I survive, I will find you and make you pay.”
“Understood, ma’am.”
At his agreement she shot a glare up at the camera in the top corner of the elevator. “You call me ma’am again and we’re gonna have words, Devon.”
“Got it, Ms. Toshi.”
“Just call me Tara, clear?”
“Crystal, Tara.” Devon cleared his throat again. “Could you put Julian back on the line, please?”
“Sure.” Tara held out the phone to Julian. “I think I scared him,” she whispered conspiratorially as she sat down on the floor.
Julian lifted the phone to his ear, aware that he was grinning like an idiot as he did so.
“I am so not afraid to say she does scare me,” Devon immediately said before lowering his voice in an effort not to be overheard. “Boss, I turned off the camera in your elevator so you can have some privacy. Not that you’re…well, you know what I mean.”
“Thanks. Ring me again when the repairs are complete.”
“Will do.”
Julian hung up the phone and slowly lowered himself into sitting position opposite Tara so they were facing each other. Even in the soft glow of the emergency lights her eyes were hauntingly beautiful. They gave her an almost otherworldly aura, like she was some mythical creature he had trapped for this brief moment in time.
“You surprised me. I figured you would have balked at being stuck in here with me.”
Her smile held a hint of mischief. “I would hate to be predictable. Besides, you tried so hard to get some time with me I figured we’d get it over with now so you can stop following me around.”
“Gee, how altruistic of you,” he said dryly, making her laugh.
“Sorry if that hurts your ego, Ace, but it’s true.” She paused before saying, “I always love staying at Palace hotels. I wasn’t going to tell you that, but I don’t know, it just seems like I should.” She rolled her shoulders and pushed at the bangs that had fallen to cover one eye with the back of her hand. “So what should we talk about? The security upgrades?”
“I guess we could talk about the upgrades if you really want to, but I think we’ve gone over everything. We can go over the schedule for next week, I have it on my phone,” he said with a politeness he sure as hell wasn’t feeling.
“Don’t bother. I went over it already.”
Julian eyed her. “You don’t have any questions?”
To his amazement Tara rattled off the complete upcoming schedule, including each upgrade that would be put in place. “I have a photographic memory. I told you I looked at it, don’t worry. Your precious casino will be updated and safe as we can make it.”
“Damn, that’s impressive.”
She chuckled in that low, husky tone that never failed to stir his blood. “Remember to watch what you say to me. Many people find it disconcerting that I remember everything.”
“I find it useful,” he replied honestly. “So now that we’ve covered business we can move onto more interesting subjects, since we have the time.”
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br /> “Such as?”
His gazed drifted over her hungrily. He had to stop himself from pouncing on her like a rabid animal. He didn’t know quite how she would react to that, and to be honest with himself, he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk it with a woman who could probably take him in a fight.
No, that wasn’t the way to win a woman like her. He had to take things slow with Tara, make her trust him before she let him in. Instinctively he knew the walls she had up that kept people at bay since he had similar ones himself. He couldn’t rush things if he was going to get what he wanted. And what he wanted was her, in his bed, over him, under him, basically any way he could have her.
Instead of pushing the attraction he knew was humming between them, he contented himself with asking a question he had been wondering about earlier instead of something more…intimate.
“Why do they call you T-rex?”
She took a moment before answering. “It’s just a nickname.”
No, it wasn’t. He knew there was more to it, but it seemed that something that personal would have to wait until he knew her better. Unsatisfied with the answer, Julian grudgingly moved onto a safer topic. “What kind of martial arts do you do?”
Tara shrugged. “A few.”
Julian frowned and she felt a sliver of annoyance prick at her. He was making her feel like this was an inquisition. “I know a lot of them I guess. Mostly I prefer a mix of aikido, dim mak, and Krav Maga. It’s useful in my line of work.”
Julian wasn’t very familiar with those disciplines, although he knew enough to know those weren’t run-of-the-mill martial arts. They weren’t just for exercise or basic self-defense, they were deadly. True, she was in a dangerous profession, but the nonchalant way she spoke of it had him believing that there was more to her than met the eye. Something knotted in his gut. If his suspicions were right, he didn’t like what he was thinking. He wanted to ask more but he didn’t want to push at the moment. Although he was a man comfortable with getting his way, he had a million questions he wanted to ask and knew he wouldn’t get anywhere pissing her off. He was patient.
He could wait.
