Luke fell into step beside me, his gaze cautiously scanning the area, while Mateo hung back, following behind us. We were approximately thirteen hours from Atlanta now, so chances of us running into any Company soldiers were slim. But not impossible.
Someone from The Company could be watching to see if I showed up. So I was extra cautious as I made my way to the front door, my senses alert to any possible danger.
Silence greeted my ears as I opened the door and walked into the building. I headed for the front desk, my gaze scanning the room. No one was here. Not even a desk clerk.
Luke slammed his hand down on the little bell sitting on the edge of the front desk. Clang. I glared at him, but he only shrugged and lifted a brow. Mateo hung back, glancing around, then headed over to a rack of flyers.
I didn’t want to scare my mom off even before I’d even introduced myself. What happened to letting me handle this? I sent Luke another glare, letting him know I wanted him to back off.
A young woman came out of an office to the right of the front desk, smiling as she approached. I checked her out, catching a glimpse of her shapely figure before she stepped up behind the counter. Hot damn! This girl had curves that would put Marilyn Monroe to shame. The term “hourglass figure” was this babe all the way. I let my gaze roam over her, sending her a flirtatious smile. Mahogany-colored hair that was pulled back into a bun with several tendrils falling loose around her ears. A pair of slender, oval eyeglasses perched on the bridge of her small, cute nose. She was dressed in a form-fitting white blouse with a deep V neck and a black pencil skirt that ended just above her knees. I guessed her age to be somewhere between twenty and twenty-five. She wore only minimal makeup, her skin an attractive, natural-looking tan. She had a quiet, subtle beauty about her, not the loud, check-me-out hotness that was typical of the women I bedded. A name tag was pinned to the upper left side of her blouse. Liz.
Her gaze darted from me to Luke, then over to Mateo where he browsed through the flyers, before coming back to rest on me. Big, strikingly pretty, light gray eyes assessed me from behind those eyeglasses.
For a moment, I was struck dumb. Though her full-figured body was certainly one I wanted to get my hands on, her eyes were her most striking feature. Large and inquisitive, those eyes gazed at me speculatively, then narrowed, filling with a guardedness that intrigued me. Was I that scary?
This chick was probably five-foot-four or five, small, but not tiny. Since I was a master of women’s bodies, I guessed her to be a size seven or eight. Her features were delicate, utterly feminine, and completely enticing. And those eyes…damn. Girl had such amazing eyes. I could easily get lost in those unusual, light-colored orbs.
Though she wasn’t my regular type, I still took notice. With a body like that, how could I not? Ooh, damn, I wanted to tap me some of that. If Liz were to let down that pretty, mahogany-colored hair, and remove those glasses from her gorgeous eyes, or maybe even perch the frames sexily on the end of her nose and peer at me over the lenses with a “come hither” look…yeah, she’d be a total sex kitten. Hot.
“Can I help you gentlemen?” Her gaze landed on my prosthetic hand. She paled, wariness entering her eyes. What was that all about?
People occasionally gawked at my prosthetic, but she wasn’t gawking. Recognition flickered in her eyes. Followed by a hint of fear. Did she know me? If so, how? Who was she?
I glanced at Luke, who was studying her through narrowed eyes. Whatever vibe she was giving off caused him to be wary.
I might have to use the pheromone to get her to relax. For some reason, she seemed suspicious of us. Luke turned and met my gaze, giving a slight, barely perceptible nod. He agreed. It was uncanny the way we seemed to have the same thoughts. He knew me so well that he could anticipate my reaction in just about every situation.
I leaned across the counter, laying on the charm, and released just enough of the pheromone to make her relax. I always started out slow, releasing just a hint of the pheromone at first, so as not to overwhelm people. Too much too soon could lead to drastic results.
Like a chick humping me in a public place. Yeah, trashy and inappropriate. And likely to get us arrested.
So I always started out slow. And if more pheromone was needed to make her cooperate, I would release more as necessary.
“Hey, doll, how you doing?”
Her eyes widened slightly, her gaze darting to Luke, then back to me. “Doll?” she repeated, letting out a huff. “That’s a little insulting, don’t you think? A doll is a child’s toy. Plastic. Fabric. Porcelain. Fake. With no brains. Women are living, breathing creatures, you know. Real. With genuine brains. How many woman have you offended by calling them doll?”
Well, fuck me. That had never happened before. Heat crept up my neck and into my face, making my cheeks burn. What a stuffy bitch. Luke chortled in glee, slapping me on the arm, loving my discomfiture. Asshole.
I cleared my throat. “I apologize, miss. I meant no offense. I’ve always thought of it as an endearment, not an insult.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know your type. You think just because you’re good-looking that women are supposed to fall at your feet and forgive your offensive mannerisms. You think you can get away with anything. Well, I, for one, am not impressed.”
Excuse me? I moved back a step, stunned. I did not think that. What the hell crawled up her ass? Despite what she thought, I did not disrespect women. I loved women and I applauded them for all their achievements. I was totally in favor of equal rights for women. In the bedroom, and out. Just because I was a flirt didn’t mean I was an ass. And no woman had ever been offended that I’d called her “doll” before. For some reason, this chick had a hard-on for good-looking men. She’d already judged me without even knowing me. And that pissed me off. If she ever gave me a chance, she would discover I was a nice guy, and I could be quite a gentleman. Both in the bedroom, and out.
Whoa…hold on a minute. I was not thinking about sex with this chick. Hot body aside, she was sooo not my type. I preferred my women willing and eager. Not hostile.
Admit it, dude. She’s a challenge you’d love to master. No woman has ever dissed you so bluntly before. If you could break through her walls and get her to let down her guard, you would be achieving the impossible.
Luke’s smile widened, his eyes dancing with mischief.
Oh no, he’d better not…
“Again, I apologize,” I said quickly before Luke could open his mouth and say something to embarrass me further. “I meant no disrespect.”
She eyed me suspiciously for a long moment. “Well, it’s not endearing. Please don’t call me that again.” She paused, her gaze burrowing into mine. “So, how may I help you?”
Hell. She was going to be a tough one to crack. I’d have to release a little more of the pheromone, and then maybe a little more, until I’d released just the right amount to get her where I wanted her.
Luke sent me an impatient look.
Get on with it, will you?
I leaned across the counter again and smiled at her, releasing more of the pheromone. I waited, watching as her pupils dilated, her nostrils flared, and her gaze raked hungrily over me, then centered on my mouth with intense fascination.
That’s more like it.
“Yeah,” I murmured. “You may help us. We’re looking for Glenda. She in?”
My words didn’t appear to register in her brain, the pheromone having completely overtaken her senses. She kept staring at my mouth, then licked her lips, her gaze darting to mine. She plucked the glasses off her nose, dropping them onto the countertop. Then she yanked the pins out of her hair, shaking her head and letting the dark tresses fall loosely about her shoulders. She jumped up onto the counter and leaned toward me, invitation in her eyes.
Whoa...Liz was definitely hot without the glasses and all that thick, wavy hair down. The reddish-brown of her hair falling around her face made her light-colored eyes stand out more, big gray pools of seduction. Dam
n. Lips that had appeared stern before now looked soft and inviting. Luscious. I felt an immediate stirring in my loins. A total sex kitten.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spied Mateo’s mouth drop open. I didn’t know if his shock was because he’d never witnessed me releasing the pheromone before, or if he was just stunned by Liz’s sudden transformation. Because hey, the chick was hot. She’d gone from nerdy librarian to sexy seductress in a matter of seconds.
I never knew how the pheromone might affect a person. Sometimes if I released too much, it made the woman crazy with lust. Insatiable. I didn’t want this woman crazy and insatiable. I just wanted her pliable enough that she willingly gave information.
On second thought, maybe I did. A wicked thought struck me. I could use the pheromone to play with her. She was going to be pissed—and probably embarrassed and humiliated—when the pheromone wore off and she realized what she’d done. That was what she got for judging me so harshly.
Luke sent me a warning glare. Come on, already. We don’t have all night.
Right. This wasn’t the time to play around.
I backed the pheromone off a bit, giving Liz room to breathe, to think about my question.
“Glenda?” I repeated, ignoring my unexpected reaction to her. “Is she in?”
Liz blinked those big gray eyes at me, confusion crossing her face. “Glenda? Uh, no. She’s gone home for the night.”
Luke glanced at me, nodding slightly. She was telling the truth.
“When do you expect her back?”
She glanced at Luke, then back at me. “I don’t know. She’s heading for Georgia tomorrow.”
Georgia? Shit. That was unexpected.
“Why Georgia?” Once I had released the right amount of pheromone, it made people loose-lipped, but even if one of them did lie, Luke was here to let me know. The look in his eyes said she was being truthful.
She reached for my hand, gently running her fingers over my skin. “She thinks her son is there. She plans to go find him.” Liz lifted my hand invitingly to the wide V of her shirt and the expanse of soft-looking skin, thrusting her chest out. I let her press my palm to her chest just below her neck, the softness of her skin unexpectedly making my pulse race. “I told her she was crazy. I mean, come on, the guy’s got a bounty on his head, so he must be a criminal. But she wouldn’t listen to me. She’s obsessed with finding him.”
What? Mom was looking for me? She’d seen the wanted poster? How? I had to stop her from going to Georgia. It was too dangerous there. If The Company found out she was searching for me, they would kill her.
Luke and I exchanged a glance.
“How does she know about the bounty?” I asked, gently pulling my hand back.
Liz hesitated, turning to glance into the office she’d come out of earlier. “She has a wanted poster. It’s sitting on my desk.” She spoke reluctantly, as if she didn’t want to tell me that, but was being forced to. Because of the pheromone. I had no doubt she wouldn’t be telling me any of this if I hadn’t released the pheromone.
“Can I see it?” I persisted.
She turned her head, her gaze landing on mine. And I was suddenly struck by something in those gorgeous eyes, something deep and genuine that threw me for a moment. Vulnerability. Most of the women I’d been with were shallow, wanting the same thing I wanted. A good time, and nothing more. I’d never gazed into a woman’s eyes and witnessed what I saw right now—or maybe I’d just never looked deep enough to see anything more than I’d wanted to see.
Right now, I glimpsed more than I ever had before. Depth. Substance. Intelligence. Genuineness. Passion.
And I was struck with the truth.
Liz was a living, breathing, feeling woman. She wasn’t a “doll”.
Sudden shame washed over me. I really was a dick. Though I’d never been ashamed of using the pheromone before—it did what it was supposed to do, and I only used it when necessary—now a wave of guilt washed over me.
Because I understood being vulnerable and how much I hated the feeling. So I sympathized with her. I was toying with her because she’d offended me. And that was wrong. Hell, I’d been more offensive to her than she’d been to me.
Something stirred inside me. Unexpected curiosity. A deep desire to know who Liz was and what made her tick. Why didn’t she like me? Was it my mannerisms? Or did she not like men in general? Had some prick taken advantage of her? Cheated on her? Used her?
I didn’t want her just in my bed. I wanted to know all her secrets. Every last one. I wanted to tear down her walls. I want to know the real Liz. I wanted to know her mind, and then every inch of her luscious body.
Without using pheromone.
With just a few short words and a quick rebuff, this girl had turned the tables on me.
And I was hooked.
CHAPTER FOUR
Ryan
Seriously? Since when did I want to know anything about a chick other than how quickly I could get her horizontal? Seduction had always been a game to me. Making them beg. Making them weak. Satisfying them. And then taking my own pleasure. I was a generous lover and always made sure they left my bed happy. Yet I instinctively knew that playing with this girl would only hurt her. She wasn’t like the other women I’d known. She was real. Genuine. Not a casual one-night thing. I would be smart to keep my distance from her.
Liz slid off the countertop and walked into her office.
Luke eyed me with a smirk, his gaze mocking.
I glowered back. Fuck you.
“You want her,” he whispered, “admit it. You want the unattainable.”
Damn him, he was right. It had never bothered me before that he knew my feelings, but right now, I hated that he knew everything I felt, that he experienced it all right along with me. It left me with no privacy whatsoever.
I jerked my head in denial just as Liz returned with the wanted poster. She held it over the countertop to me.
“He looks just like you, doesn’t he?”
Shit. I glanced down at the flyer of my own face. Yeah, he looked like me. Because he was me.
I snatched the flyer up, smashing it into a ball in my fist, and tossed it to Luke. Luke caught it, stuffing it in his coat pocket.
“Nope. Not me.”
Her eyes widened briefly, then she reached for my hand again, lifting it and gently kissing my palm. Holy shit. Heat shot through me. Damn. Liz wasn’t even my type. Too stuffy. Too upright. Too principled. The girl needed to lighten up a bit. I preferred the bold, flirtatious type. Women who were “easy”. But I couldn’t deny I wanted that hot mouth of hers on other parts of me. What the hell was this girl doing to me? Why was my body reacting so strongly to her? And why was I so completely enthralled with her?
Because she’s real, and you’ve never had that before. You’ve only had quick, meaningless sex.
That was true, and realizing it now made me cringe. I really was an asshole. But I didn’t want that anymore. I no longer wanted to be the playboy who seduced women one right after the other. I wanted real. I’d wanted “real” for some time now but had been too afraid to admit it, even to myself. Luke would only mock me. He was a cold bastard who kept his feelings locked away. I wasn’t like him. I wanted what all my other dreg brothers had found. True love. Happiness. A woman who was genuine and caring and loved me for me.
Liz winked at me, as if she’d read my thoughts. Then she sent me a come-hither look, blinking those gorgeous light gray eyes at me and making my pulse race at the promise they sent me. She ran her fingers seductively along my palm as she lowered my hand. Damn. I’d never wanted to get naked so fast before. I wanted Liz’s mouth and hands on all of me. I wanted to undress her bit by bit, slowly baring that sexy, curvy body. Liz had a body that was made for loving, and I wanted to love all of her. I had no doubt she would never act like this without the pheromone. But I wanted her to. I wanted her to want me without forcing her to. I wanted her to lighten up naturally, to open up to me without being forced.
“Your friends can watch the front desk for me,” she suggested, leaning forward and giving me a clear view of her ample cleavage. “While you come back in my office with me.” She winked.
My jeans tightened, my body instantly responding to her words and that quick peek at those lush, tantalizing breasts. Shit. The pheromone was making her react a bit too strongly. Hell. It was making me react! I needed to dial it back a little more. I didn’t want to humiliate her.
Luke snorted, but Liz didn’t hear him, having eyes and ears only for me.
“Later,” I said gently. “Can you call Glenda and ask her to come to the inn? Tell her it’s really important.” I backed off the pheromone, letting her react more naturally.
She blinked up at me, contemplating.
Then suddenly, she reared back, her eyes widening in alarm.
Oops, too much, too soon.
“I’m not calling Glenda to come down here at this time of night,” she answered sternly. “If you want to book a room I can help you. Otherwise, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
I shouldn’t have pulled the pheromone back so abruptly. Now she was even more suspicious of me.
I cleared my throat. “Will Glenda stop by here in the morning before she leaves town?”
Liz narrowed her eyes at me, the pheromone wearing all the way off. The pheromone might make her talk, and it might make her crazy with lust. But it wouldn’t erase her memories. She probably remembered every word of our conversation. She would wonder why she’d reacted so strongly toward me. She would likely be embarrassed and humiliated later.
As if she’d suddenly recalled what she’d done, she glanced down at herself. She blushed furiously, pulling her gaping shirt back together and lifting a hand to her unbound hair.
My lips twitched. As prudish as she appeared on the outside, I sensed a very sensuous woman underneath. She just needed the right man to bring her out of her shell. I wanted to be the man to do so.
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