“What? They’re hot.”
Oh. My. God. He was. I would’ve laughed if I wasn’t so shocked.
“I normally skip those parts when I’m reading in public.”
“Really?” He drew the word out. “Is there a specific reason why?”
“Like you said, they’re hot.”
I was telling the truth and I’d learned never to read a Susan Stoker sex scene in public. Those were saved for the privacy of my own home.
We were both silent for a moment before Kyle said, “Maybe you should close your eyes and try to get some more sleep.”
“Why?” I asked even though I was still tired, and his suggestion sounded great.
“Either that or we need to change the subject.” His tone was gruff, and I could swear his voice had grown deeper.
“What subject?”
Kyle groaned before he mumbled, “Sex.”
He closed the book and laid it on his lap, causing my eyes to follow. Now I was wondering what he was trying to cover up with my paperback. And if he was hiding what I thought he was, how did I feel about my favorite book resting against his crotch while he had a hard-on? I didn’t have to think on it too hard because I really, really, liked the idea a lot. And that was a whole new level of psychotic.
Don’t go there, Anaya.
“Sleep sounds like a good idea,” I muttered.
“Sweet dreams, Anaya.” Now his voice wasn’t just gruff, it was thick with lust. I may not have a bunch of experience with men, but I knew what turned on sounded like, and Kyle sounded turned on.
I didn’t think my dreams would be sweet, they’d undoubtedly be filled with hot sex. Not that I had firsthand knowledge about what hot sex was, but a girl could dream.
I closed my eyes thinking about the book Kyle had read, and could easily picture myself as the heroine. But in my version, Kyle was my mountain hero. He was my lethal mercenary. And the sex wouldn’t be hot, it’d be wild and out of control.
My breath caught in my lungs and my muscles seized.
Again, what in the world was wrong with me? Why was I torturing myself? It had been years, and I mean, many, many years since I’d had sex. Now I was fantasizing about a man I just met? One whose sole purpose was to protect me. One who had zero interest in me. One who I needed to stop thinking about altogether—but most especially about wishing we could have hot, wild, and out of control sex. Which wasn’t even an option for so many reasons it was sad. Even if he offered it to me, I couldn’t do it because I was a freak who couldn’t stand being touched.
God, why was I so screwed up?
I needed to get my head on straight before things became awkward.
Chapter 4
Thank fuck, we were off that plane.
Sitting next to Anaya for the last twenty-five hours had been brutal.
Brutal for my throbbing dick. Brutal on my nervous system. Pure torture.
She was as sweet and funny as she was beautiful.
But it was the last ten that had been truly painful. I needed a cold shower STAT. I didn’t know for sure, but I was almost positive a hard-on lasting more than two hours required medical attention. Ten hours with my dick at half-mast had probably caused permanent damage. Which would be a crying shame because after all the fantasizing I’d done, I had it on good authority Anaya would be insanely hot in bed.
I blamed my current state on that damn book. After I relieved myself of my problem, I was drafting a strongly worded email to that Susan Stoker woman. She needed to include a warning label on the cover. Better yet, a fucking paragraph in the beginning about not reading in public or, most especially while sitting next to a beautiful woman who already has you tied in knots.
Perhaps Susan should market her books to old geezers who couldn’t get erections. Fuck the little blue pill. She’d make bank and put big pharmas out of business.
I never should’ve admitted to rereading the sex scenes, yet I’d been a dumb fuck, and I’d even been stupid enough to utter the word sex out loud. She’d thought because her face was tipped down, I couldn’t see the blush creeping over her flesh. She’d been incorrect. I may not have been able to see it on her cheeks, but I sure as fuck saw it grace her cleavage. Which had been another problem, she had big tits, they were not easy to hide, and the V neck shirt she was wearing showcased her ample breasts, and when the mounds started to pinken my mouth watered. Actual saliva pooled in my mouth as I thought of holding them in my hands and tasting her nipples.
Then Anaya had agreed she, too, thought the sex was hot, and it was all over. My cock had jerked in my cargos and the throbbing hadn’t stopped. I could honestly say, I’d never been so turned on sitting next to a woman. Especially next to a woman I hadn’t even touched. And a friendly hand hold wasn’t considered touching—not in my book.
Though to Anaya the simple touch seemed to be a big deal. To the degree in which she’d admitted to walling herself off concerned me. And her reasons for doing so made me feel like a dirty prick for fantasizing about her.
I needed to cut this shit out. Quick, fast, and in a hurry before I freaked her out. We were in Timor-Leste on a mission and that did not include me getting in her pants no matter how badly I wanted to see if the reality of her lived up to what my imagination had conjured.
“How far away is the hotel?” Anaya asked.
“Zane put us up in a house,” Dec answered.
“A house?”
“Yes. It’s more secure than a hotel. It’s only a five-minute drive from the airport.”
“But that puts us almost thirty minutes from Amisha’s. She lives on the other side of the city.”
Declan turned from the line of taxis to Anaya. Before he could give her shit about questioning him, I stepped in.
“We don’t want to stay close to her for lots of reasons. One being we stand out, and she’ll likely recognize you.”
“I didn’t think of that,” Anaya mumbled.
“That’s why we’re here, it’s our job to think of the things you wouldn’t,” I told her, leaving out the unsavory part of the job, which was to take the woman out if necessary.
“Right.”
Thankfully the taxi ride to the house was quick and silent. I used that time to calm my nerves and shove all dirty thoughts about Anaya into the dark recesses of my mind where they belonged.
When we arrived at the two-bedroom bungalow on the beach I was happy to see it was well-kept. Though it was tucked away with trees and foliage on two sides, it certainly wasn’t secure and the trees provided a lot of coverage for anyone wanting to hide.
“Goddamn,” Dec mumbled, taking in the scenery and likely thinking the same thing I was.
“We’ve stayed in worse,” I reminded him.
“One of us is going to have to stay up and take watch.” He said what I was thinking. “You’re up first, since you and sleeping beauty snoozed on the plane.”
I ignored Dec’s dig, hoping I wouldn’t have to have a conversation with my friend about laying off Anaya.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Declan. Was I supposed to stay awake for twenty-five hours and patrol the aircraft?”
Declan’s eyes narrowed and much to my surprise Anaya didn’t wilt. She stood her ground, shoulders back and standing tall. And damn if that wasn’t sexy as fuck.
“You know, you seem to have a problem with me. Instead of the passive-aggressive bullshit, you should just come right out and tell me what your issues are. It will make the next week so much easier,” she finished.
“Anaya, if I had a problem with you, believe me I’d tell you. I’m not passive-aggressive, I’m simply aggressive. If my attitude offends you, I suggest you toughen up, because if you cannot handle me, there’s no way you’re up for what’s getting ready to happen.”
“Toughen up? You’re kidding, right?”
“Not even a little bit.”
Fuck. This conversation was deteriorating fast.
“Dec—”
“Don’t start, Kyle. You kn
ow I’m right. You know what we’re going to walk in on, and we cannot have her dissolving into tears, or worse, freeze up and panicking. The only reason she’s here is because Zane agreed with Emerson and we need a woman to handle the girls.”
Declan was correct. We’d tried to form a plan where Anaya stayed safely tucked away back in the States and Declan and I came alone. But Emerson was adamant that we needed a woman, or the girls wouldn’t come with us. We didn’t need the commotion it would cause. When Thad had refused to allow Emerson to come with us without him tagging along as well, we had no choice but to bring Anaya.
Thad and the rest of the team were needed in Maryland. The fact that Zane Lewis had allowed Declan and I to come to Timor-Leste for a week when the company was under threat, was a testament to how much he respected Tex and Ace.
Ace had asked us to come as a personal favor and Tex had provided the intel ensuring our trip would be quick. But we were expected back at HQ in seven days. Dismantling the Omni Group was top priority at the moment.
“I’m certainly glad Zane and Emerson had agreed,” Anaya threw sass. “Whoever they are. But me staying behind was never an option. I know what we’ll be walking into, Declan. I’m well aware how those girls are being treated.”
“You are? Have you ever seen a traumatized victim after she’s been brutalized? The dull, dead look in her eyes? The fear? The stench of evil that lingers on her skin? Because I don’t think you have.”
“Why are you kidding me with that shit?” Anaya ground out. “You know damn well what I’ve seen. I know you did a background check on me. So, you know, it means you’re being cruel on purpose.”
Declan was way out of line and when my gaze zeroed in on him, I could see he knew he’d taken it too far. He’d allowed his mouth to engage before he remembered who he was speaking to. It was a supremely fucked thing to do.
“Anaya—” Dec had softened his tone but it was too late, he was going to get the hot side of her tongue.
“Don’t,” she cut him off. “You don’t get to backpedal now. I may not have been one of the girls that was brutalized in the way you’re talking about, but I was taken against my will. I was auctioned off. I was held in a cage right next to them, waiting for my turn. So, don’t you ever tell me again I don’t know. That stench still lingers on me, it never washes off. So, you can take your bullshit about tears and panicking and shove it up your ass until you choke on it.”
Anaya stormed out of the room, and when she slammed a door, Declan flinched. His face was a hard mask of remorse.
“That shit will never fucking happen again,” I told him, fighting to hold myself back from saying something I’d regret.
“Don’t—”
“Declan, you know I’ve got nothing but respect for you. I trust you with my life. But what you just did was so fucking jacked, I don’t know what to say except you need to pull your head out of your goddamn ass and admit this mission has you tweaked. As long as you keep denying it, you’re gonna keep twisting yourself in knots and saying stupid shit. It’s not fair to Anaya and you’re the one who’s gonna get us killed.
“I’ve never asked for details and I’m not now. But we all know what happened to you and Violet. It’s not a secret the two of you were separated after your parents died. She was adopted early, you were not. It doesn’t take a prodigy to figure out you spent some time in the system. I can’t imagine all the ways that fucks with a kid. But it’s not Anaya’s fault you can’t deal, and that will be the last time you take your shit out on her.”
I didn’t wait for him to respond, I turned and headed for the door.
As much as I wanted to go to Anaya—and I really wanted to chase after her—it wasn’t my place and I didn’t think she’d appreciate my intrusion after that shitshow. She needed a moment to pull herself together and I needed to calm down before I took a swing at my friend and team leader. And seeing her destroyed wouldn’t help my cause.
The perimeter needed to be checked and the fresh, salty air was what I needed to keep my emotions in check. Anaya was tough. She was strong and resilient and didn’t need me, but damn if I didn’t want her to. That was something else I needed to do, figure out a way to permanently shove these crazy feelings into a box and forget about them.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, I pulled it out, checked the number, then I swiped to accept the call.
“Smith,” I answered.
“Kyle?”
“Yep. Everything okay, Violet?”
“How is he?”
I should’ve expected this call. Violet Cain loved her twin brother, and from what I’d heard, she’d been worried about his state of mind for a long time. After the clusterfuck I’d just witnessed, she had a reason to worry.
“Listen—”
“Please, Kyle. I’m not asking you to betray his trust, but I read the mission brief. I know where you guys are going, and I know it’s gotta be fucking with my brother’s head. I have to know how he’s handling it.”
Of course she’d read the mission details. After she’d married Jaxon, Zane had hired her. Partly because Zane was a freak about keeping family close where he could keep a watchful eye on everyone, but also because her experience with the CIA brought value to the Red Team and Z Corps as a whole. She was wicked smart and a damn good intel analyst.
She also had a bullshit meter that was second to only Zane’s—she’d sniff out a lie in two-point-five seconds.
“Not well.”
“I figured,” she sighed.
“He just slammed Anaya and ground her into the dirt. You have any idea what happened to him? I’m gonna need something if I want to run interference between these two.”
“No. I’ve never looked into his past, beyond what I did when I okayed his clearance for the CIA. But, admittedly, the dossier I had was complete bullshit, or I would’ve found our connection.”
I couldn’t imagine how Violet had felt when she found out the brother she didn’t remember having sat across from her as she interviewed him for a long-term undercover mission with the CIA. Talk about a kick in the teeth. And what was worse, Declan had remembered her. He had known Violet was his twin sister and had chosen not to disclose the information to her.
“And since Zane hired him?”
“Zane may have a real file on him, but I’ve never asked, and I’ve never looked into him. It feels like a violation of trust. When my brother’s ready, he’ll tell me.”
“Maybe it’s time—”
“No,” Violet snapped. “He’ll bolt. He’ll never forgive that kind of betrayal and we’ll all lose him.”
Fuck it all to hell, she was right. But I was desperate. I hated seeing the pain in my friend’s eyes and I didn’t think Anaya could handle another blow. And she certainly didn’t deserve it.
Back to square one.
“I’ll keep my eye on him.”
“I’d appreciate that. Zane said he’d fly over if you need him. He’s worried, too.”
“We’re fine. How’s the investigation going into Omni?”
“Good. Tex and Garrett hit pay dirt. Ashaki Maloof got to Emilio Ruiz and convinced him she’s his best way out of Omni. Emilio is still seething his daughter was targeted for a kidnapping attempt. I think he’s feeling vulnerable and that’s why he wants to extradite his family from Omni ties.”
Ashaki Maloof was an undercover CIA agent. The team was still on the fence about her, on the outside she looked way too cozy with the bad guys. Which was the point of undercover work, but even to the trained eye it had looked like she turned. Then there was the fact she’d disappeared and had failed to check in. Now she’d resurfaced and had dumped intel.
Emilio Ruiz was also worrisome. He was up to his ass in Omni business. And he may’ve been disgruntled that someone in the organization had arranged for his daughter to be kidnapped, but the man was far from stupid. He was the second wealthiest man in his home country of Mexico, he didn’t find success by making off-the-cuff decisions based on emo
tion.
Then there was Omni. There was no way the group would allow dissension in their ranks. The secret group was comprised of the richest men in the world. They’d infiltrated the government and made behind the scenes plays that would further ensure their businesses and power would grow. It was doubtful Emilio would seriously try to leave the organization. If he felt vulnerable now, if he left, he’d be feeling something else entirely. Or typically, he wouldn’t be feeling much of anything considering he’d be dead.
“And Tex and Garrett verified Maloof’s intel? Ruiz isn’t dumb, he’ll understand if he tries to fuck over Omni, he and his family won’t be breathin’ for very long.”
“Tex verified but no one’s running headfirst into this blind. Ashaki’s intel is good, but Harry Landry screwed up and we hit gold.”
Harry Landry was a dirtbag of the highest order. He peddled in drug and flesh. Thad’s wife Emerson had dealt with him in the past but unfortunately she’d left him alive when she was done with him.
“What’d he do?” I asked.
“Arranged a shipment of girls on an unsecured line. You’ll never guess where from.”
“If you tell me Timor-Leste, I’m going to tell you it’s a setup.”
“Nope. Cambodia. Don’t be surprised if Zane reroutes your flight home. You and Dec are the closest.”
“No goddamn way. We’ll have Anaya with us.”
“She’ll catch a flight back to the States first.”
There was zero chance I was leaving Anaya to fly home on her own after this was over. Not only would the rescue dredge up painful memories for her, it would be dangerous. Even if we took Amisha out, there would be a lot of people who would be unhappy about their steady stream of income and girls getting cut off.
“Not happening. I won’t leave her unprotected.”
“Kyle—”
“No. You can tell Zane that Anaya stays with us. Period.”
“I’ll tell him, but you know Z, he’s gonna have a shit hemorrhage.”
Kyle Page 4