by Lori Sjoberg
Nina shook her head. “No, he just used one hand. The other held a cloth over my mouth. I think it must have had something like chloroform on it, because I don’t remember much after that.”
“In that case,” Ty said as he leaned against the wall, “lesson number one: don’t breathe when the bad guy puts a cloth over your mouth.”
Austin couldn’t see Nina’s expression, but judging from the way her body just tensed, she was giving his brother the evil eye. “Gee, thanks for the advice, Captain Obvious.”
Fighting hard not to laugh, Austin adjusted his position, wrapping one arm around Nina’s slender waist and placing the opposite hand over her mouth. “Was it like this?”
“Mm-hmm,” she said, her voice muffled by his hand.
Having her pressed against him for this long was doing a number on his ability to think in complete sentences. Giving in to temptation, he lowered his head so his mouth was a whisper from her ear.
“Okay, in a situation like this, you’ve got a few options. You can go dead weight, which will throw your attacker off balance and give you a chance to wriggle free. If that doesn’t work, grab a couple of his fingers and yank as hard as you can in opposite directions. It doesn’t seem like much, but it hurts like hell and should distract your assailant long enough for you to get away.”
She nodded in acknowledgment, her breathing a little uneven. “Okay, makes sense.”
“Great. Now go ahead and give it a try.”
She twisted her neck to look back at him. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It’s okay, I’m a big boy. I can handle it.” He released his grip on her and took a step back. “We’ll start with the first tactic. When I grab you from behind, I want you to go dead weight and then try your best to get away.”
He waited a few moments before he wrapped his arms around her, and she immediately sagged in his arms. Though he knew it was coming, it still loosened his grip, and as soon as it happened, she wriggled free.
“Very good. Now try it with Ty.”
It shouldn’t have, but the sight of Ty wrapping his arms around Nina triggered all kinds of dark, possessive instincts. He kept them in check—barely—as he watched Nina turn to dead weight in his brother’s arms, and then squirmed like a worm on a hook until she slipped out of Ty’s grip. They repeated the exercise, this time with Ty trying harder to hold her, but she still managed to eventually break free.
“Very good,” Austin said. “Do it again, but this time go for the fingers.”
Ty shot him a pained look. “Do we have to?”
“Do you need me to actually answer that?” To Nina, he said, “Don’t hold back. Ty can take it.”
When Nina turned away, Ty flipped him off. “Thanks, bro.”
Austin grinned. “You’re welcome.”
Once Nina was in place, Ty grabbed her from behind, and it was like a switch flipped inside her. Going on attack, she reached up, gripped two of Ty’s fingers, and yanked hard in opposite directions. Ty grunted, his eyes going wide while his hold on her loosened, and she threw her head back, cracking his jaw, and wrestled free from his grip.
“Great job.” Austin clapped as she spun around, a horrified look on her face.
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry.” She looked up at Ty but stopped short of touching him. “Did I hurt you?”
Ty opened his mouth and moved his jaw around as if checking to see if it still worked.
“Nah, I’m good,” he finally said. “But I don’t think we need to do that again unless you want to try it with Austin.” With a grin, he stepped off the mat and walked over to where he’d left his shoes. “As much as I’d love another round of abuse, I better go grab a shower. Nate and I are meeting with the folks at Lorenz Industrial after lunch.”
Normally, Ty didn’t meet with clients. He had a tendency to get nervous around people he didn’t know. But he’d personally designed the surveillance system per the specs given by their operations manager, and he knew how to explain the technical jargon in a way most people could easily understand. It came in handy when justifying the cost of a pricey job.
Shaking the hand that Nina had yanked on, Ty left through the open door.
Once they were alone, Austin turned to face Nina. Her cheeks were a little flushed, and she still looked mortified by what she’d done to Ty.
“Don’t worry, he’s fine. If you ever came close to actually hurting him, he’d milk it for all it was worth.” Because of the seven-year age difference, he’d never tussled with Ty when they were kids, but his younger brothers had. And on the rare occasions when their parents had gotten involved, Ty always played up his role as the long-suffering, picked-on baby brother.
Nina’s brows drew down in apparent agitation. “What, you don’t think little old me is capable of doing any actual damage?”
“No, that’s not what I said. What I meant was—”
Without warning, she charged him, coming in low to grab him by the waist with enough force to knock the air from his lungs and push him back a few steps. His instincts kicked in, and he shifted his weight, flipping her over and tossing her flat on the mat. The impact echoed throughout the room and left her too stunned to do anything more than gasp for air. He pressed the advantage, using his size to pin her to the mat and restrain her arms over her head. She twisted and bucked in an attempt to break free, but his hold on her didn’t loosen.
“Not bad for a newbie,” he said, his mouth a few inches from hers. “Next time, lead with the shoulder. It’s safer and gives you more leverage.”
Frustration formed on her beautiful features as she tugged against his grip. She’d never been the type to take losing easy, and this was no exception. Her short blonde hair was mussed, her face flushed from exertion, and in that moment she looked so damn sexy it hit him like a punch to the chest.
“What?” she asked, her breasts rising and falling with each breath.
He didn’t say anything, just stared down at her, his gaze zeroed in on her lips. The need to kiss her grew inside him as though it were a living thing. It consumed him, engulfed him, and before he fully realized what he was doing, he lowered his mouth to hers.
Nina stiffened, and then immediately softened against him. A soft purring sound rose up from deep in her throat when she kissed him with equal passion. He released his hold on her arms as he sank into the kiss, basking in the way her lush lips parted, the way her tongue tangled with his. Shifting his weight, he settled his hips between her thighs, and when he ground his cock against her center, she let out an audible gasp.
She pushed against him, and he let her roll him over so she ended up on top, with her strong, slender legs straddling his waist and her arms gripping his shoulders. She smiled and her eyes reflected a hunger that nearly matched his own. Then she kissed him again, her mouth hot on his, and all coherent thoughts evaporated from his mind.
He skimmed one hand down her back to cup her sweet ass, and she let out a low, throaty noise that turned him on like nothing else ever had. He needed more—so much more—and he twisted to the right, taking her with him so her back was on the mat once again.
The tiny voice inside his head said this was a bad idea, but he ignored it, too drunk with desire to give a damn. He trailed kisses along her cheek, her jaw, her throat, lingering on a spot near her shoulder that made her writhe against him. Her legs wrapped around him, her heels digging into his ass, and his cock got so hard it was painful.
“Hey guys, Nate and I are heading out to—aw, jeez!”
The sound of Ryan’s voice was like an ice-cold bucket of water over Austin’s libido. He opened his eyes to see Nina staring back at him, her face pale with shock and her lips red and swollen from kissing him.
For a moment, he considered coming up with a cover story, but what was the fucking point? He wasn’t that damn creative, and his brother wouldn’t buy his bullshit anyway. “Aren’t you supposed to be meeting with Ms. Hale?”
“She’s booked until this afternoon.�
�� Humor lit Ryan’s voice.
Austin tilted his head up to shoot him a death glare, but his brother simply ignored it. “We’re kind of busy, Ryan.”
“So I noticed. Next time lock the door, will you?” He laughed when Austin flipped him off. “Like I said, Nate and I are heading out to lunch. You want us to get anything for you? Subs, burgers? A Do Not Disturb sign?”
Nina’s face turned a deep shade of red, and Austin made a mental note to kick his brother’s ass for embarrassing her. “No thanks. We’re good.”
“Obviously.” His brother snorted.
Teeth gritted, Austin counted to ten, but it didn’t do a thing to quell his temper. “Ryan, if you don’t get the hell out of here, I’m going to tell everyone about your nickname in the Marines, and exactly how you got it.”
They hadn’t served in the same unit, but he’d still heard all about the incident that earned Ryan a nickname that followed him around like a puppy dog throughout his military career. Ryan had asked him not to share it with anyone outside the Marines—especially their family—and he’d honored that request…until now.
The threat was enough to wipe the smug grin off Ryan’s face. “Oh, that’s bullshit. You promised.”
“I never promised; I agreed.” Austin glanced at his watch. “You’ve got five seconds before that agreement is terminated. Four…three…”
“Okay, fine. I’m going.” Ryan sounded thoroughly put out. “Not that you deserve it, but give me a call if you want us to bring anything back for you.”
“Thanks.”
Austin didn’t say anything for nearly a full minute after Ryan disappeared from sight. He blew out a heavy exhale, stood, and then extended his hand to Nina.
“Sorry about that.” He hoisted her up. “I shouldn’t have—”
“Don’t you dare apologize.” She cut him off. “I was into that as much as you were.”
He wasn’t sure how to respond. There were so many lines in the sand between them, so many ways things could go wrong. Not only was she a valued employee, but she was also his sister’s close friend. If he had a lick of sense, he’d back the hell off and stay as far away as possible. But with her, his rules seemed to fly out the window, and the thought of never touching her again made him sick to his stomach.
“We can’t do this,” she said on the heels of a heavy sigh. She stared at the floor while she rubbed the back of her neck. “I mean, I want to. Trust me, I do. But I work here…you’re my boss. Things could get weird if we…you know.”
“Yeah, I know.” For the life of him, he couldn’t think of anything else to say. On an intellectual level, he agreed with her completely, but his body still craved her with an intensity that shocked him to the core. Unsure and uneasy, he stuffed his hands into his pockets so he wouldn’t give in to the urge to touch her.
One corner of her mouth curled up. “I didn’t realize you and Ryan served in the Marines together.”
“Not together,” he replied, thankful for the change in subject. “Ryan joined about a year after I did. He served two tours in Afghanistan, and then he came home to join the force.”
Ever since he was a kid, Ryan wanted to be a cop, and he’d been a damn good one. But a bad situation went downhill fast and eventually drove him from the job he loved. It was a sore subject for him, and he preferred not to discuss it. He still had a lot of ties within the law enforcement community, and those connections often proved to be valuable in their line of work.
Nina stared at him for a long moment as though digesting what he’d just told her. Then curiosity formed on her face, followed by a playful smile. “So what was his nickname?”
Austin shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t say.”
Clearly disappointed, she pursed her lips in a pout that made him want to kiss her senseless. “But you just—”
“I only threatened him because he was being a pain in the ass.” He couldn’t stop from grinning. “Besides, if I tell you, I can’t use it against him anymore.”
“Okay, fine,” she said on the heel of a sigh. “Keep your secret…for now. I’ll get it out of you eventually.”
“I’m sure you will.”
A knock on the doorframe caught his attention. That better not be Ryan, Austin thought as he looked over and was surprised to see his sister instead.
“Sorry to bother you.” Larissa’s expression was difficult to read, and he couldn’t help but wonder how long she’d been there and how much of their conversation she’d heard. Her gaze shifted from him to Nina. “But we need to get started on those software updates if we want to get out of here on time.”
“Yes, of course. Sorry to keep you waiting.” Nina walked over to where she’d left her tablet and boots. After tugging the boots on, she crossed to Larissa, who was waiting for her at the door.
As they turned to leave, Nina glanced over her shoulder, and the heat in her eyes made it perfectly clear that it was only a matter of time before they crossed that line in the sand.
Chapter Eleven
NINA WALKED DOWN the long hallway with Larissa, trying to keep track of everything the other woman was saying, but it was hard when her mind kept wandering back to what happened in the gym with Austin.
That kiss. The feel of him pressed between her thighs. She could only imagine where desire might have taken them if they hadn’t been interrupted by Ryan. In truth, it was probably for the best. With her life in turmoil, the last thing she needed was to get involved with her boss.
“If we divide up the list,” Larissa said, her hands gesturing as she spoke, “we can probably update all of the accounts with remote access by the end of the day. Tomorrow morning, we’ll schedule appointments with the remaining companies that need their software updated on-site.”
“Sounds good.” In reality, the updates were more time consuming than anything, but once they were installed, they’d provide their clients with an added layer of protection against hacking.
From the look on Larissa’s face, there was something on her mind that had nothing to do with computers. Nina’s suspicions were confirmed when the other woman leaned in. “So. You and my brother, eh?”
For a fleeting moment, Nina thought about lying, but then decided against it. “Is it that obvious?”
Larissa let out a low sound of amusement. “The day something happens around here and I don’t know about it, worry.”
She so did not want to have this conversation with Austin’s sister. Yeah, they were friends, but it still felt odd. “How much do you know?”
“Enough to know there’s something going on, but not enough to know the full extent of it.” She paused a second or two, as though waiting for Nina to spill her guts. When she didn’t, Larissa said, “Come on, it’s not like I’m going to get mad or anything. I’m happy as long as you’re both happy. So what’s the story? I don’t need all the details, just the gist of it.”
“The story is there’s no story. Seriously,” she added when Larissa shot her a skeptical side-eye. “Well, there was a story, but we decided it was a bad idea, so we stopped it before it got started.”
The corners of Larissa’s eyes pinched a little. “Sounds like a lousy story.”
“Tell me about it.”
When they reached Larissa’s office at the end of the hall, she flicked on the lights and crossed to her desk, which had dual monitors on one side and a land-line phone on the other. On the wall to the right was a framed photo of Larissa with her husband, Shane, and their daughter, Emma.
“Could you please close the door?” She sat, one of her hands resting lightly on the top of her small but growing baby bump.
“Sure.” Apprehension pricked Nina’s nerves. In her experience, nothing good ever came from a closed-door conversation. Forcing a smile, she shut the door and claimed the empty seat on the opposite side of the desk. “What else is on your mind?”
The friendly expression faded from Larissa’s face, replaced with one of genuine concern. “How are you doing after everythi
ng that happened last night? The truth.”
Just the mention of last night had her stomach doing flips, and she tried her best not to let it show. “I’m okay, really. It was a long, stressful night, and I’m still a little freaked out, but I’ll be fine, I promise.”
The answer didn’t seem to satisfy Larissa. Her gaze sharpened, pinning Nina in place. “Austin told me about your run-in with your brother the other day. Was Ivan responsible for what happened to you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Nina inwardly cringed when Larissa gave her a look that said her internal bullshit detector was redlining. “More likely than not.”
Larissa nodded as though Nina had just confirmed what she already suspected. “Is he still involved with the Order of Petrov?”
“I’m pretty sure you already know the answer to that one.” Knowing Larissa, she’d probably dug up every available scrap of information about Ivan the second Austin told her about the earlier confrontation in the parking lot of her apartment complex. Heck, she probably knew more about Nina’s family and their criminal empire than Nina did.
Larissa pressed her lips together. “Now that he knows you’re here, and considering what he tried last night, what do you think he’ll do next? Will he go back to California without you?”
“I don’t know. He’s not the same person he was when we were kids. Being in charge of the family has…changed him. And not for the better.” For some strange reason, saying it out loud made it more real in her mind, and the reality made her heart lurch. The boy she fondly remembered was a figment of the past, forever replaced by a man who was just as bad—if not worse—than their father.
The answer didn’t seem to surprise Larissa, but she obviously wasn’t happy about it either. “Does Austin know about your family? About what they do?”
“No, not yet.”
“He needs to know, like now. It was one thing to keep it under wraps when your family didn’t know where you were, but now that they do, it’s going to come out one way or the other. It’ll sting less if you tell him before he figures it out on his own.”
