Rielle flinched when he reached for her. She wasn’t afraid of him, but he just moved so fast when he got like this. Fast and deadly. She leaned against him when he pulled her in.
He pressed his mouth against her ear. ‘Say yes. Sign the agreement.’
She nodded. ‘OK.’
Some of the tension in his body released. He let out a long breath and lowered his voice. ‘I’m going to make you trust me with more than your body.’
It was going to take time, but she wasn’t going to tell him he had a good start.
The phone rang again, and she jumped reflexively.
‘Easy,’ he crooned as he pulled back. ‘It’s mine.’
That didn’t mean anything. She watched him take the phone from his pocket. She was ready to throw it to the floor and stomp on it. ‘Is it him? Is it The Breather?’
‘No.’ He rubbed her side soothingly. ‘It’s someone else.’
‘Mike?’ She’d seen the name in his call history.
His head turned on a swivel, and his eyes narrowed. ‘You need to keep your eyes where you’re told.’
She sighed and rested her forehead against his chest. How would she ever learn anything about him if she did that?
She listened as he answered. As always, his answers were obscure and terse.
‘Damn,’ he said as he hung up. ‘I’ve got to go.’
Rielle’s weight went to the balls of her feet, but she forced her heels back down to the floor. She was not a woman who’d whimper for a man not to go. She was safe here with Nina. Sienna would be here eventually, along with a stream of clients and escorts. And last, but not least, she was adept in self-defence.
She just hadn’t realised she was in training for this.
Darien looked over his shoulder to Nina. ‘Stay with her until I can pick her up.’
‘Of course,’ Nina replied immediately.
‘Tonight?’ Rielle eased back. ‘The contract starts tonight?’
He watched her closely. ‘I’ll take you out for Italian.’
She bit her lip. ‘You’re going to make me fat.’
‘We’ll burn off the calories.’ He pressed his mouth to hers hard and fast before stepping away.
Nina watched the two of them in wonder. ‘I’ll have the paperwork ready to go when you get back.’
He nodded and left without looking back. Rielle watched him go, silent as always.
Her head was spinning.
‘He’s dangerous,’ Nina said quietly.
Rielle’s shoulders sagged. ‘I know.’
‘And I wouldn’t put you in anyone else’s hands this way.’
Rielle looked at her boss contemplatively. She walked back to the chair she’d left and sank down into it. ‘Are we making a mountain out of a molehill here? Do I really need to be with him twenty-four-seven? I don’t want to jump from the frying pan into the fire.’
‘Are you sure?’ Nina twirled an earring. ‘Some like it hot.’ She sighed. ‘Honey, why didn’t you tell me about this guy? I mean, I saw that kiss when he brought you home. It damn near melted my kneecaps, but I didn’t know the two of you had been seeing one another.’
‘We haven’t. Not really.’ Rielle traced the trunk of the blue glass elephant that sat on the corner of her friend’s desk. It was her favourite of the collection. ‘We just tend to bump into one another.’
‘You mean his boy parts into your girl ones?’
Rielle covered her hand over her eyes. She hadn’t thought she could get more embarrassed after the conversation they’d just had. Had she just become a callgirl?
‘Oh, sweetie, it’s a good thing.’ Nina caught her wrist and made her look at her. ‘He’s not the man I would have picked for you, but you’ve lived like a spinster for too long now. I was afraid you were going to get a cat.’
‘But…this contract…’ When it came to sex, Darien Scott was way out of her league. She didn’t know how she’d kept up with him so far.
‘You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,’ Nina promised. ‘I’ll make sure of it in the wording, but I’ve already seen you stand up to him – and he let you.’
‘I like him,’ Rielle confessed in a whisper. ‘He unsettles me, he frustrates me, and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so sexy.’
‘He seems to feel the same way about you.’
Rielle wasn’t so sure.
‘You just keep that boy on a short leash,’ Nina said. ‘I get the sense that’s what he wants.’
Rielle’s eyes widened. ‘I don’t think I can control him.’
‘Oh, sweetie, you can’t. You just tell him what you need. He’ll do the rest.’
It took Darien longer to get back to Luxxor than he wanted. He was committed to helping Rielle, but that didn’t mean his other responsibilities went away. His hours weren’t exactly normal, and it wasn’t as if he could take a sabbatical. He needed to be ready to go whenever the situation arose.
He loosened his tie and took it off as he rode the elevator. Damn noose. He unbuttoned his collar and headed down the hallway. It was only now that he was beginning to realise how constricting his working life was. How much it was cramping his style.
Luxxor Limited glinted at him from the door before him, and he caught a second wind.
He stepped inside and his gaze immediately went to Rielle’s desk. He braced himself when, instead of finding one pretty woman, he found a gaggle of them. They were gathered around the lobby desk, talking fast. The conversation quieted at the sound of the door, and heads turned in his direction.
He sought out Rielle’s gaze to make sure everything was OK. She seemed secure. Alert. Beautiful.
God, she stopped him in his tracks every time.
Only this time he felt as if he’d walked into a trap.
Four of them. He counted up his adversaries and surmised their mood. Only one seemed somewhat happy to see him. He was going to have to battle to extricate her from the situation. He’d probably have to sacrifice himself in the process. ‘What is this?’ he asked.
‘Your welcoming party.’ Nina crossed her arms and the toe of one dangerous shoe lifted from the floor.
An icy blonde leaned her hips against Rielle’s desk. It was the Nordic goddess from the other night. ‘Rielle is our friend,’ she said. ‘We want to make sure you’ll treat her well.’
Darien held up his hands. ‘Whoa.’
How much had she told them? This was supposed to be as much on the lowdown as possible. He worked best in the shadows, amongst the other ghosts.
The blonde’s gaze swept over him like a blast of Arctic wind. ‘We take exclusive contracts seriously around here.’
The contract. They were talking about her escorting him. Ah, hell. He shifted his weight. ‘I will. She’ll be fine,’ he promised.
‘Fine?’ It was a perky blonde he’d never seen before. She had hair the colour of sunshine. ‘You made an exclusive contract for “fine”?’
That earned her a sharp ‘Shhh’ from the tall blonde next to her.
‘What? It’s a valid question. We want her to have fun, too. You know, in that way.’
Nina stepped forward. ‘We’re all very protective of Rielle. She’s important to us, and we’re nervous about her accepting your offer.’
Darien planted his hands on his hips. ‘Ladies, I swear I’ll treat her like precious cargo. She’ll be safe with me.’
He looked at Rielle. She looked almost as uncomfortable as he felt. The corners of his mouth pulled upwards. ‘And I guarantee we’re going to have a lot of fun. In that way.’
The perky little blonde turned a healthy shade of red.
Good. He hadn’t known he was stepping into an ambush. They had to expect he’d fire back.
Nina rolled her eyes, but picked up a stack of papers from the desk. ‘The contract.’
They were going to keep this all official-like, were they? He moved forward and tried not to take it personally when all three of the women on their feet steppe
d back. ‘Where do I sign?’
Nina pointed with a pen that probably cost more than his shoes. ‘Here, and here.’
Rielle made a sound when he started to sign.
‘What?’
‘You’re not going to read it?’
‘Did she slip in something that I don’t know about?’
‘No, but you should always read what you’re signing.’
His gaze narrowed on her. ‘I trust you.’
He heard more than one sigh.
Rielle took the pen away from him. ‘Read it.’
‘Yes, read it,’ Nina agreed. ‘I want to make sure you understand what constitutes consent.’
OK, they were starting to piss him off. ‘I know that no means no.’
‘Good, then your kneecaps are safe.’ The tall blonde was cool as a cucumber. ‘Forget and I’ll send my boyfriend over. He’s very skilled with a hockey stick.’
The Sloan Gunman.
Darien felt the familiar weight of the handgun tucked against the small of his back. He knew which would come out the victor in that battle, but he wouldn’t mind meeting the former Capitals’ star.
He nodded solemnly. ‘Got it.’
It didn’t make for good retention with all of them staring at him, but he read through the legal document that was suddenly controlling his sex life. He shook his head. He and Rielle would do whatever the hell they wanted to do together, but if this was what it took to seal the deal, he was in.
He signed.
He passed the pen to the beautiful girl he was getting into bed with. Literally.
She’d been the quietest one of the bunch.
She did need more ‘fun’ in her life. She needed to not be constantly looking over her shoulder. She needed the release.
She frowned as she ran her finger over his name. He was sorry he’d had to keep it from her, but he’d never expected them to get to this point. He’d just needed a date for one evening.
She signed quickly, and Nina swept up the papers before anyone else could see them.
‘Is that it?’ he asked.
‘That’s it.’
The petite blonde smiled. ‘She’s all yours.’
Her taller friend threw her a glare.
‘What? I like him. He’s all tall, hot and intimidating. He’s hers now, too, you know.’
Rielle’s gaze swung up, and he was pinned.
‘For as long as the contract holds,’ Nina agreed. She lowered her tone for his ears only. ‘Which better not be long, Mr Scott.’
He nodded. ‘I’ll take the bastard down before he even sees me coming.’
She straightened the papers. ‘I don’t need to know the specifics – but good.’
The pack of protective females backed off then and dispersed. Darien blew out a fast breath. He’d passed the gauntlet.
He looked at Rielle. She was straightening the things on her desk and looking everywhere but at him.
Winning her over would be the bigger challenge.
‘Ready to go?’
She rubbed her lips together. She’d apparently been doing that a lot, because her lipstick was gone. It made her mouth look naked and kissable.
She stopped when she saw him staring. ‘Ready,’ she whispered.
She gathered her purse and pulled a duffle bag out from under her desk. She set it on her chair as she went to the coat rack.
‘What’s that?’ he asked.
‘My things. I didn’t know what I should bring or what I’d need.’
Well, that made it loud and clear. They weren’t staying at her place. Darien ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t know why he’d thought that contract would make things any different. She still wasn’t letting him set foot inside her inner sanctum.
He settled his hands on his hips. Well, shit. He couldn’t take her to his place, either.
He pulled out his phone and made a call. He got more guff than he expected.
‘Was that Mike?’ she asked when he disconnected.
He glowered at her. ‘Snoop. Let’s go.’
He carried the duffle bag for her, but when he turned for the elevator, she caught his arm.
‘Show me the other way out?’ Her expression was serious, but there was a hint of curiosity, too. Maybe even a little excitement.
‘Sure.’ It was probably a good idea. ‘This way.’
As far as secrets went, it wasn’t a big one, but he felt good sharing it with her. The route was simple and not even hidden. Most people just didn’t go down the end hallway to the janitor’s room. Beside it was a freight elevator that went all the way to the basement.
‘How was your day?’ he asked.
Her lashes fluttered down. ‘Too slow, and way too fast.’
She was nervous around him, even more so than usual. She was a nice girl, and he was making her be bad. He was sorry about that, but he wasn’t going anywhere.
‘Did you get any more calls today?’
She gave a small nod. ‘Nina and Detective Morgan argued about setting up a wiretap.’
‘Let him.’
‘We can’t. We’re an…’
The words ‘escort service’ hung unsaid in the air.
And she was his escort now.
‘I gave him my old smartphone instead,’ she said quickly.
‘Good girl. If that bastard calls again, Morgan might be able to trace it.’
‘Maybe…’
Those lines of stress on her forehead were going to become permanent if she kept worrying the way she was. He caught her hand and led her out the front door, past Security.
She frowned and looked over her shoulder at the side door by the freight elevator. It had a red alarm bar. She had her secrets, but he had his, too.
‘That was a pretty intimidating posse up there,’ he said as he settled her into the car he was using for the day.
‘Right. You looked real scared.’
‘I was.’ He didn’t spend a lot of time with the fairer sex – not ones who looked like that. ‘I recognised the tall blonde from the other night.’
‘That’s Sienna. She’s our communications director. Erin is her friend.’
‘She thinks what your people do is fun?’
‘No, but she had an exclusive contract once. So did Sienna.’ Rielle plucked at the purse in her lap. ‘Damn. You can’t tell anyone that.’
His head snapped around. ‘Those two are escorts?’
No wonder Luxxor was raking in the dough.
‘No! Situations just arose…They both had exclusive contracts that ended really well.’
‘They made a lot of cash?’
She gave him a look of horror. ‘They got their men.’
‘Oh.’ Darien sat back. He busied himself with starting the engine and pulling out of the lot.
‘Yeah.’ For the first time all day, he saw her smile. ‘Oh.’
Chapter Nine
Darien took Rielle to dinner as he’d promised, but for some reason it felt like a first date all over again. Hell, not even their real first date had been so tense. The conversation was stilted, and, when their hands accidentally bumped, they both apologised. He couldn’t figure it out. They’d been out. They’d slept together. How were things any different now?
Because they were taking it up a notch.
Even as a guy he knew that. It wasn’t what he’d intended, but he’d be damned if he was going to leave her alone out there to the wolves.
And don’t get him started on why Luxxor’s clients and the Jason Sloans of the world were included on that list. He knew he was looking for one guy, but he had his eyes on all of them.
Mike called during dinner with an address and, after their meal, that was where they headed. The apartment was in the Foggy Bottom neighbourhood, one of the oldest in DC. It lay close to the Potomac and had gotten its name from the fog and industrial smoke that used to collect in the area. These days, it was an upscale neighbourhood with government offices, the Kennedy Performing Arts Center and George
Washington University, yet there were still pockets of seedier streets. And the alleys. In the late 1800s they’d been makeshift campsites for thousands of newly arrived immigrants. Development had built over some of the dark interconnecting routes, but many of them remained. Lots of exit paths, if needed.
Nobody should look for them there.
He dropped Rielle’s duffle bag on the sofa. The place was clean but desolate. No pictures hung on the walls. There were no cushions on the sofa. She stood in the middle of the living room with her jacket still on as he moved about, checking all the doors and windows.
Once he determined the place was secure, there wasn’t much else to do.
He took off his suit jacket and went to the fridge.
‘Thank God.’ There was a bottle of whiskey sitting in the door.
He searched through the cupboards and found two glasses. They clanked when he set them down on the breakfast bar.
‘All right. Time to belly up.’
‘Oh, I don’t usually –’ She stopped. It didn’t take more than a split second for her to change her mind. She dropped her jacket on top of her other things and settled onto a barstool. Her legs looked long and sleek when she crossed them and hooked a heel around the bottom rung.
He passed her a glass, and she downed the whiskey fast.
He winced when he saw her grimace.
She was wound up tight, and he was coiling up pretty good too. Hell, he didn’t blame her. She was with a guy she didn’t really know in a strange apartment miles from her home. Something had to break the tension.
It was whiskey or sex.
He threw back a drink too, and felt the amber liquid burn in his belly.
‘Is this a safe house?’ she asked.
He coughed and set the glass down hard.
‘Well, is it?’
He glared at her, but she just circled her finger around the lip of her glass. ‘You won’t answer any questions I ask. How am I supposed to trust you? You’ve got me putting myself into your hands – literally – and I don’t even know if Darien Scott is your real name.’
‘It is,’ he said. What would it hurt? She already knew where the place was. ‘And yes.’
Courting Danger Page 13
