Seducing the Saint

by Melissa Schroeder

  “Open the door, slowly. Get him in the room.” Whisper-soft, his command should have irritated the hell out of her. She liked to be the one giving orders when working. It was something that had always been a problem between the two of them. But she couldn’t get past the fact that his breath was hot against her skin or that her nipples had hardened the moment he stepped behind her.

  Liberty turned her head and looked up at him. The moment his gaze caught hers, the breath she was taking tangled in her throat. The intensity in his blue eyes sparked a fire in her stomach. A wave of sensual longing wound through her. She could feel his heartbeat against her back accelerate the moment they made eye contact. Damp heat slid from her belly to between her legs.

  Shifting her weight, Liberty brushed against his erection and both of them stopped breathing. Brady closed his eyes, visibly swallowed and drew in a deep breath.

  Her whole body throbbed, her heart slamming against her chest. She didn’t understand it at all. Less than a day in his presence and she was panting after him. She’d never been able to respond to her husband the way she had to Brady, and now she knew it had been her fault and not Tony’s. An innocent touch from Brady and she was ready to jump him like some cat in heat.

  He opened his eyes, and she noticed the banked fire simmering; the look he shot her told her he wouldn’t let this go. Nodding his head, he stepped back. Cold air replaced his heat, and she shivered as she opened the door.

  She didn’t know what to expect but it wasn’t the tall, handsome man standing across the threshold. Short blond hair and sparkling green eyes stood out against lightly tanned skin. Long and angular, his face sported several day’s growth of beard and full, smiling lips. He wore merc material, just like every other human in the business.

  “Ms. Wainwright?”

  She smiled and ignored the need to correct him on her title. “Mr. Masters, I have a feeling you already know who I am.”

  His own smile broadened. For a moment, she was held mesmerized by the boyish good humor on his face, not to mention the dimples winking at her from each side of his mouth. She knew now that the other rumors, those of his many conquests, were probably true.

  “Why don’t you come in?” She gestured with one hand while keeping the other on the door. Masters nodded and walked into the room. The moment Masters crossed the threshold, Brady came forward, stungun raised. In one fluid movement, he grabbed Masters by the arm, twisted it behind him and shoved him against the wall.

  “Shut the fucking door.”

  She bristled at the harsh tone but did his bidding.

  “What the hell is wrong with you, Saint?” Masters words came out muffled since Brady held his head against the wall.

  “What the hell is wrong with me? Jesus, Masters, what the hell is wrong with you? What the fuck do you think you’re doing here, anyway? Retrieval is not your forte.”

  When Masters didn’t comment, Brady squeezed his neck harder. Brady’s anger was making her uncomfortable. She’d never seen him in such a rage.

  “Brady. He can’t talk. You’re holding on to him too tightly.”

  He glanced at her as if he’d forgotten she was there. She recognized the moment he realized what he was doing. Shaking his head, he let up the pressure. The breath Masters drew in was audible.

  “Now, hand Libby all your weapons.”

  Masters, apparently terrified of the murderous look on Brady’s face, quickly handed over a stungun and a couple knives.

  She walked over to the bed and dropped them by her bag.

  “That’s good. I’m going to let up and you are going to park your mangy ass in that chair.”

  Masters nodded jerkily and followed Brady’s directions.

  “Now, what do you want with Libby?” Masters opened his mouth but Brady interrupted him. “And don’t give me that crap about wanting to help her find her father. I know you better. There has to be something else in it for you. Money.”

  Masters rubbed his neck, then smiled. “Not always money. I have other wants.”

  She heard the challenge in his voice but didn’t understand anything. Whatever it was, Brady’s fist shot out before she could stop him. Masters flew backward, chair and all. Both crashed against the wall. So much for keeping it quiet.

  “Brady, stop it this instant.” He’d stepped forward and was towering over Masters like a raving lunatic. “All this noise is going to draw attention.”

  His face was flushed with anger and he flexed his fists but he nodded and stepped back.

  Masters slowly rose to his feet and moved his jaw back and forth. His lip was bleeding. “Jesus, Saint. I thought she was free territory.”

  “You thought wrong.” Brady’s voice held the same lethal tone as before. And a second later, their comments hit home.

  “What the hell do you mean, ‘free territory’?” She settled her hands on her hips. Brady snorted. She rounded on him. “And what do you mean by your comment, buster?”

  Instead of taking her seriously, Brady laughed in her face. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” His gaze shifted to Masters. “Are you telling me you came sniffing around here because of her. Not because of the legend of the Snake King?”

  Masters grinned but then winced and touched his lip with his sleeve. “What other reason would I have? You know me. I don’t go after anything unless it’s a sure thing.”

  Anger simmered. “A sure thing? A sure thing?”

  “Easy there, sweets, you’re repeating yourself.” He turned to look at Masters. “She does that when she gets irritated.”

  She shot him what she hoped was a withering glance and gathered up her bag.

  “Are you ready to go?” She tried her best to hide her anger, but she knew some of it threaded her voice, because Brady smiled at her. Damn jackass.

  “And she ignores comments she doesn’t like when she’s really pissed.”

  Crossing her arms beneath her breasts, she tapped her foot and stared at him. Masters stood and one look told her that he was enjoying himself.

  “I’ll wish you both luck in your quest.” But before he could reach the door, Brady stepped behind him and smacked Masters on the head with the butt of his stungun. Masters collapsed into a crumpled heap, out cold from the blow.

  “What the hell did you do that for?”

  Brady glanced at her, then back down at Masters. “I know him, worked with him once or twice, but that doesn’t mean I trust him. He seems to get out of trouble too easily.”

  She sighed, and watched as he went through Masters pockets. When he found nothing but a credit holder and a stungun, he pulled open the door. After peeking out, he gestured for her to follow him. She did, carefully stepping over Masters’ prone body.

  As they left through the backdoor, she thought about her reaction to Brady and his strange territorial behavior.

  Maybe asking for his help wasn’t a good idea.

  * * * * *

  Brady set the ship on autopilot and glanced at the screen. He set the coordinates for their destination, hoping that what they were doing wasn’t a huge mistake. They wouldn’t have much time for second thoughts because their trip wouldn’t take that long. Relecita and Branerick were in the same solar system.

  The back of his neck itched, a sure sign that something was wrong. Their departure had gone smoothly. Too smoothly for his thinking. He knew they were being watched, felt it in his gut. So they probably had at least one tail.

  “That was easy enough.”

  He glanced at her and tried his best not to remember the encounter in her room. The memory of their first time together was still churning heat through his body. Besides that, emotions he had thought long gone seemed to have sprouted the moment he heard her prissy voice in the bar.

  “That’s what I’m worried about.”

  Her gaze focused on his face and, for a second, he lost all thought. She was paying attention like she had years ago. Looking to him for guidance. Believing in him. Her admiration had always been a
sort of aphrodisiac where he was concerned. Hell, she could probably look at him crossed-eyed and he’d have a hard-on.

  He cleared his throat. “I think someone is probably following us.”

  “Hmm.”

  “No comment?”

  “No. I figured we would have someone following us.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. She shrugged and unlocked her seatbelt, standing and leaving the cabin.

  “This is a pretty nice ship.”

  He glanced around the ship and allowed the compliment she’d tossed in his direction warm him. It had been years since he’d actually heard anything at all from her—let alone a compliment—so he figured he’d let it sink in. He’d been able to afford a top-of-the-line chip thanks to a lot of hard work on his part.

  He wasn’t like Sterling. Brady was more into functionality than style. So, instead of comfort, he’d gone for the faster ship. Libby would appreciate that. When he realized she’d left him mooning over her comments, he scrambled out of his seat to follow her.

  By the time he found her, she was looking through his food frigeration system. As she bent at the waist, her pants drew tight across her ass, clearly showing off a definite heart shape.

  “I’m amazed you could afford something so nice.”

  Oh Jesus. She was swinging it back and forth as she rummaged through his food. It took a second for her comment to register. Through his lust-induced haze, he realized that in her usual subtle way, she’d put him down.

  “What the hell you mean by that?”

  She looked back over her shoulder at him. The image of her bending over while he took her from behind was so clear in his mind, he was amazed he didn’t come right then and there. Libby had always liked sex in that position. Used to drive her insane, if he remembered right.

  “I mean that you tend to give things away. I thought you donated everything to museums and the proper authorities.”

  “I…ah…” What the hell were they talking about? Fuck. “Um, well, I did that teaching stint in New York last year to make some extra cash. I didn’t want to depend on hiring a ship.” His smile was self-deprecating as he remembered one really bad job. “I think both of us learned that lesson.”

  She returned the smile. “That excavation in Miradan was a shit job.” For a moment, the memory of shared history shimmered between them. Familiar heat crawled through him—the dangerous kind, at that. This wasn’t just lust, and never had been. They’d both had their hearts involved before or it wouldn’t have hurt so badly when it fell apart.

  She turned abruptly and started to rummage again. “You have anything edible in here, Brady?”

  The deepening of her voice, not to mention the tremor he’d heard, told him she’d felt it too. That heat, the connection, that no matter how many years they’d been apart, the spark was there. She pretended to keep looking for food but he knew her well enough. The moment her body flushed with heat, she would be raring to go. No one burned hotter or faster than Libby. The woman might look and act like an uptight pain in the ass but she had no inhibitions in bed.

  As desire threaded through his veins, he moved behind her. He placed both hands on her ass and smoothed them up to her lower back. She stilled as he stepped closer, pressing his cock against her. She straightened and shivered. He leaned his head over her shoulder, bringing his face even with hers.

  “Ahh, lass.”

  “D-Don’t use that old ploy. I won’t fall for the Irish charm this time, asshole.”

  Her voice shook. His heart jumped at the telltale sign of her arousal. He slid his hands around to her stomach. One descended to cup her cunt. Wet heat warmed his hand. His dick twitched against her. Closing his eyes, he hummed. The musky scent of her arousal filled his senses. He moved his other hand to her breast. Gently, slowly, he grazed the tip of her nipple with his fingers.

  “I beg to differ with you. And, darlin’, your body agrees.”

  Chapter Four

  A hunger she hadn’t felt in six years crawled through Liberty, robbing her of logical thought. As Brady’s lips moved over her neck, his tongue darting out over her sensitive skin, he slid his other hand to the buttons on the fly of her pants. Slowly, he popped each one, while he took her nipple between thumb and forefinger. His fingers brushed against her skin.

  Liquid heat poured through her. Brady could always do that with just a touch. A word. The man had amazing skill at seduction. He never had to work hard when it came to her.

  She tried her best to shake her head, clear her thoughts. But the rising tide of arousal swept over her, through her, and she felt her control slipping. From their history, she knew she was helpless to resist once she started going under. He murmured something against her skin. She couldn’t understand the words, but the sound of his voice, low and unmistakably aroused, danced down her spine.

  Once he had the last button freed, his fingers slid beneath the fabric and caressed her slit. His touch was feather-light, a caress, subtle pressure and had her moaning his name.

  “Hmm.” His teeth grazed her earlobe, and his heated whisper shook her to her core. “I think I’m right. Never knew a woman who got so wet so fast.”

  He removed his hand and pulled her gently away from the unit. With one fluid motion, he shut the door and backed her against it. The metal was cold but her shiver had more to do with the dark lust she saw in Brady’s eyes. Without taking his gaze from hers, he slowly unbuttoned her shirt.

  He was challenging her, daring her to say no. She choked on the denial she wanted to throw in his face. She wanted to tell him that she didn’t want this anymore. Need this anymore. Unfortunately, throughout everything, every problem they’d had, every disagreement, sex had never been a major issue. Most of their fights had been foreplay. Dysfunctional as it was, they’d usually had some of the best sex after those arguments.

  It unnerved her that within hours of meeting up, she was in the same situation she had been years ago. Even knowing it was completely wrong, she felt herself falling. Stupid woman, she thought, even as her blood flowed like molten lava. It had been so long, longer than she’d want to admit to anyone, even herself.

  Pushing the fabric aside, he focused on her breasts. He licked his lips and reached forward, brushing the backs of his fingers against her nipples. She felt the touch all the way down to her toes. Her knees almost buckled.

  “So sensitive.” His voice was a murmur, darker, deeper, more aroused. The deepening of his voice, the way his accent was now threaded with Irish, sent a delicious swirl of heat to the pit of her stomach. Stepping closer, he slid his hands to her waist and bent his head.

  Fire blazed through her as his mouth brushed against her nipple. She looked down. His shaggy dark hair tickled her skin as it slid against her breast. Softer than it looked, it teased her nipple. A moment later, she felt his tongue touch her nipple. As he took the tip into his mouth, his fingers dug into her skin, telling her he wasn’t as in control as he appeared to be.

  Her senses spun; her body throbbed with need. His teeth grazed her nipple, tension coiled in her stomach and heat seared her veins. Her pussy dripped with liquid. She shifted her legs, trying to relieve the building pressure, and felt his lips curve against her breast.

  He knew what he was doing, and what he was doing was driving her insane. And, fool that she was, she didn’t give a damn. The sensations pouring through her must have made her batty, because all she cared about was feeling his skin next to hers.

  He lifted his head. Cool air washed against her breasts, teasing her already-sensitive nipples. Before she could react, he was tugging off her boots and pants and was kneeling in front of her. He cupped her ass and pulled her forward, forcing her legs wider.

  “Ahh, Libby, you smell so good.” He licked her cunt, his tongue tracing her slit. “Hot, aroused, mine.” The last was said with such force, she opened her mouth to argue. But her argument turned into a moan when he slid his tongue between her folds.

  Over and over he tasted her. He k
ept one hand braced on her ass while he slid his finger into her. His tongue brushed against her clit, sending another jolt through her. As her muscles tensed, she felt another gush of liquid and Brady made an appreciative sound in the back of his throat.

  He lifted his head as he added another finger. The heat in his gaze held her almost paralyzed. The next instant, he brushed his thumb against her clit, once, twice… and she closed her eyes as the pressure exploded within her.

  “That’s it, lass, just like that.” His voice was rougher, more aroused.

  “Brady…” As the sensations swept through her, her bones melted.

  Brady removed his hand and came to his feet. She opened her eyes halfway and watched as he tore at the fly on his pants. His hands were shaking so badly she was amazed he could actually get it undone. When he finally popped the last button, his erection sprang free. She reached out and encircled the tip of it with her hand. A drip of pre-cum wet the head, and she licked her lips. Brady let out a strained chuckle.

  “Don’t even think of it, lass. I want to be inside you.”

  She caught the drop and spread it around, then pushed her hand to the base and back up again. Brady planted a hand on either side of her head and groaned. He caught her rhythm, flexing his hips to keep time. She felt herself dampen more and the pressure within her began to build again.

  Brady growled and removed her hand. He picked her up by her hips and braced her against the unit. Wrapping one arm around her, he took hold of his cock, positioning it at her entrance.

  “Look at me, Libby.” She met his gaze and sucked in a breath at the uncontrolled passion, the fires she had unleashed. As he held her gaze, he entered her, inch by excruciating inch. Her lungs seized at the feelings she saw in his eyes. The passion, the tenderness, the undisguised lust—all of them scared the hell out of her. She needed to ignore that and lose herself in the sexual release, but he must have seen her panic, her fear.

  “Don’t close your eyes, Libby. Wrap your legs around me, sweetheart.” Without thought, she responded to his commands. Slowly, he began to move. All the delicious warmth built, her muscles began to tense and she knew she was on the verge of another orgasm. “Aye, that’s it, lass. Oh damn, you feel so good.”