To his delight, Peyton didn’t seem like a woman who cared what people thought of her; good thing because neither did Wyatt. She didn’t appear to mind getting a little dirty. If Wyatt ever got the chance, he would make sure she got a lot dirtier. An unexpected groan passed his throat. Damn, he felt like a pervert. Here he was sitting on the side of the road, his dick hard enough to hammer nails and all because he finally got his first glimpse of Peyton.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you looked at it, he couldn’t pull his eyes away from the beautiful woman in the picture. His dream version hadn’t even come close to her perfection. Girl next door looks with a little rough around the edges thrown in to make the whole package even better. He could imagine her running around barefoot in the woods behind his home, playing, not afraid of getting mussed. She was simply perfect.
He had dealt with high-maintenance women in the past and had no interest in reliving the experience. Hours to get ready, hair so stiff a person would find it hard to get their fingers through it if they tried, layers upon layers of war paint or makeup which took hours to apply. Wyatt had to fight the urge to mess up what they perceived as perfection, and he viewed as a barrier or mask. He hated staid and uptight and had always craved unencumbered and fun.
He’d always wanted someone he could play with, in and out of the bedroom. He hated pretense and propriety. He’d enough of that growing up. His family looked perfect from the outside looking in, but in reality, was anything but. His father was an elder in their community. Even though he was an accepted addition to the family, the man used Wyatt to his advantage. Much like he did to his mother. Wyatt’s father used everything he could to further his standing within the clan, even his own child. The man had never truly wanted that child to begin with.
His mother presented herself as the perfect wife and mother. Always dressed and styled to perfection. Doted on Wyatt when eyes were watching, ignoring him the rest of the time. He often wondered if she craved more than being arm candy or a facade created for the clans and his father’s advancement. A symbol of perfection which wasn’t even close to the truth.
If he considered his mother cold, then his father was downright frigid. Growing up he didn’t know which was worse, their attention or the lack of it when prying eyes were gone. Wyatt always craved something different, warmth only a loving spirit could bring to his life, something he had yet to find. Something he was starting to hope existed now that some had found true mates and the legends were becoming a reality.
He was starting to think of Peyton for this role in his life. She would understand if he was caught up in a project and ignored basic necessities like showering. He was pretty sure she would even help. Her skills and intelligence only further endeared her to him. Thoughts of the challenges she would present excited him instead of putting him off. He was sure she wouldn’t bow to his will like others, she would stand on her own two feet and fight for what she believed in. She’d already done so, numerous times, when she felt her approach to a project would be better. He liked their dynamic more than he cared to think about, only letting those feelings free in his dreams.
Peyton was off limits until this little mission. She was Bas’s sister, and he seemed to want to keep her off limits to the team, making her forbidden fruit. The kind you craved to taste, but you knew the consequences could, and more than likely would, get you killed. Now that he had a face to put along with the person he had been getting to know and crave for so long, he didn’t think it was possible not to take a little bite. To explore the feelings that had been building for so long regardless of the consequences. His loyalty was to his team and his teammates, but Peyton was a draw he knew he wouldn’t be able to ignore.
Focusing in on the picture he had yet to put down, he zeroed in on her smile. It was full and wide, her supple lips stretched wide over her tiny white teeth. He imagined their color would be like freshly squeezed berries, a dark pink. He could also see those same lips stretched even tighter while she sucked on his cock. The color would contrast beautifully with his rigid length. Leaning his head back on the headrest and closing his eyes, he could almost feel the warmth of her mouth over the sensitive head of his cock. The glide of her tongue as she played particular attention to the little notch on the underside. The nirvana of the suction as she bobbed her head back and forth, taking him further than any woman before.
Quickly shutting down his phone, Wyatt couldn’t help the small growl which escaped. This shit had to stop. He wasn’t some fucking pervert who daydreamed about a woman he’d never meet before. Shit, he couldn’t believe he let his reaction over the picture go this far. He was on the side of the road, anyone could come by and decide to check out what was going on. How in the hell would he explain he’d just laid eyes on a woman he couldn’t wait to taste and had to take a little time to himself? So fucking not happening.
Peyton Carlton was in for a surprise. If he was motivated before to find her, he was even more so now. She’d called to him before, but now, actually having a face to put with the rest, she was downright yelling for him. She was more than a dream or fantasy now, she was a reality, she just didn’t know it yet.
Chapter 8
Shit, could things get any worse? The facial recognition software finally spit out some names. Both of the men were retired military and both worked for Davis Defense. Davis was a defense contractor which mainly worked for the government developing weapons and supplies for the military, at least that’s what it seemed from the outside. They also had a large biochemical division and ties to some pretty shady companies. Davis Defense was also the company Peyton had tracked Emma to. Peyton didn’t believe in coincidences. She was pretty sure Bastian and his team were in some type of danger, she just didn’t know what kind. She needed to get into that system, but every attempt failed. Davis Defense was locked tighter than the CIA or Pentagon, which shouldn’t be possible. Their cyber security seemed airtight, something Peyton had never encountered before, and it caused her to worry even more. The CIA and Pentagon systems were a cakewalk compared to Davis Defense. Peyton should know, she’d hacked both without any detection. Which only brought more questions.
Peyton needed to come up with a plan to help Bastian and his friends, to figure out what was going on with her mother and the men she was spotted with, then stop her hellish mother in her stripper heels. The only way was to perform a piggyback hack, and she didn’t trust anyone else to help her with that. Bastian was good, but even he would have a hard time with the hack. He would have to anticipate not only her movements, but watch Davis Systems response as well. There wasn’t anything straight forward or easy about what she was planning. Peyton considered Bastian’s buddy because she knew he had the skill level, having worked with him a couple of times. She’d even flirted with him a bit on messenger, texts, and emails. It was all superficial, but what she did know was he was a good man.
God, she would be embarrassed when she actually met the man, having built him up to superhero status in her mind. Not to mention, the superhero movies of the carnal variety he starred in. Every time she thought of her version of one Wyatt Green, she couldn’t help but lick her lips and rush to change her panties. But damn, every girl needs a bit of fantasy, didn’t she? It would be such a letdown if the guy was a pocket protector wearing, tiny man. Peyton liked geek, spoke it, and even understood it, she just hoped Wyatt Green was a geek with a twist of rock hard, gorgeous man. Her ultimate man. Shaking her head, she got her mind out of the gutter and focused on the man’s real skills, not the blissfully perfect ones Peyton had dreamed about, but the tangible ones, the one she knew for certain he had.
Wyatt Green starred in many of Peyton’s X-rated, late-night fantasies, at least the version of him she’d created. She imagined he looked like the guy who played Thor, only better. Bigger, darker, more animalistic, and wild. Peyton had never been a fan of Ken doll beauty in a man—blond, hair blue eyes, with a runner’s body, and perfect tan. She always tended to like more et
hnic-looking men—darker, naturally tanned skin—who were body builder big without the extreme arrogance to go with their outer appearance. She also liked a man with a bit of an edge. She didn’t have the time or the patience to deal with a man who expected her to take charge and lead the way, in or out of the bedroom. She sounded like a doormat, but the truth was, it was something she craved.
Her life was often chaotic, and she wanted a balance. She wanted someone who cared that she ate, took a shower, or was getting enough sleep. She also wanted a man who would think about her pleasure instead of only taking his own. Peyton didn’t mind giving pleasure, she just wanted it reciprocated occasionally, was that really too much to ask? Apparently, for the men she’d been with, it was. Maybe that was one of the reasons she’d created this dream version of a man she never thought she’d meet. He could be everything she ever wanted without any of the work. Sometimes, dreams were better than reality.
She had a whole scenario worked up in her head. He would see her and instantly fall madly in love or lust. He would be so taken, he couldn’t keep his hands off her, and they would live happily ever after. They would spend their nights making love, soft and slow, rough and fast. Their days would be spent working together, helping his team and the many women and children NAC saved. It would be a full life.
The reality was, she had no idea what Wyatt Green, or Wy as her brother like to call him, looked like or even if he was the happily-ever-after type of man. What she did know was he was as good as she was with a computer if not better, and she needed that, right now. Not the made-up version. Sex was great, but it only helped for a little while, at least that’s what she kept telling herself when the days and nights by herself became a little too long.
But could she trust him? Would he be willing to help her check things out without letting his Team or her brother know? Should she or could she even put the man in that position? Was it wrong of her to even consider asking? Yeah, she knew it was, but she was starting to think she didn’t have any other choice. She needed to know Judy’s end game. Maybe it was time to come clean. Bastian and NAC had a lot more resources than she did, but she hated bringing Judy’s taint into their world. That was her cross to bear, no one else’s.
Bas hated Judy as much as she did, but if this was just another one of her cons, Peyton wanted to keep him out of it. She didn’t want to go through all the what ifs again. Peyton knew Bastian suspected more about how Judy came to have her, they had discussed it at length, but she needed to focus on the here and now, not the past. When she finally decided to deal with the past, she would do it on her own terms. Bastian needed to accept that.
Peyton knew he meant well, but he’d only had six months of living with Judy. Peyton had paid the price for much longer. She might be stupid for holding off telling Bastian and his team, but Judy was a fucking wild card. For all Peyton knew, the men worked for Davis Defense, but whatever her mother was involved in might have absolutely nothing to do with the company. Shit, it was always a crap shoot dealing with her so-called mother; damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Peyton didn’t like playing the odds, but she didn’t really have much of a choice.
All she could do right now is pump some fellow hackers for information about Davis Defense. Determine if the men were working for the company or on their own, and track Judy’s movements. She would have to be subtle; no one, including herself, on the dark web wanted to be found asking questions which could lead to detection, it wasn’t an option. So, for the next four days, Peyton hid out in her safe house, working as fast and with as much subtlety as possible, putting out feelers, hoping to get the information she needed, and moving on to the next source. It was a pain in the butt way to work, but her options were limited.
Chapter 9
Wyatt had finally tracked down Bas’ sister to a general area. He was tired, dirty, and a bit pissed. Not to mention, horny, frustrated, and suffering from one of the worst cases of blue balls he’d ever had in his life. It should have been easy to track down one little woman, but she proved to be skilled. After getting her picture, his misery increased exponentially. She made him want. Peyton consumed his every thought and every minute of the last 48 hours, which ticked him off further.
He knew his goal was finding her and ultimately, reuniting her with Bas. So, Wyatt tried to rationalize he should, in some sense, be consumed with thoughts of her, and generally, where to find her. The problem was that wasn’t the goal his mind often wandered to when he thought of Peyton. He wanted to know if her skin felt as soft as it looked and so many other things.
He’d spent the past two days chasing his tail. Every trace he found of Peyton led to one dead end after another. He finally had to investigate the old-fashioned way. By showing her picture around in an area, he was able to track her. It had taken hours on his computer, hacking into various video feeds. Even then, the glimpses he found were few and far between. Never once did he get a full view. Peyton knew how to avoid being found. That only increased his desire to get to know the woman.
He had shown her picture to several people. Each time he did so, his bear scratched him from the inside out. The beast didn’t want to share even that little part of the woman. Truth be told, neither did Wyatt, but he was running out of time and options. He was becoming consumed with Peyton, and he didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad one. Peyton had intrigued him before with her wit and skills; now, she was becoming a downright obsession.
After making contact with one of the other NAC teams in the area, Wyatt was finally able to get to his current location. A vague set of coordinates was all it really was. He was able to drive in, but only so far. The area was a nature preserve with untouched land which would remain that way for years to come. There was only one property in this area which was individually owned, and that’s where Wyatt was headed. He was pretty sure that one Lily Andover would indeed be his true target, Peyton.
Tobias, the Enforcer for Charlie Team, had caught the scent of a woman in the general area. He had checked it out and determined her not to be a threat, so he went on his way. He observed her moving in supplies from a ratty old truck. Tobias was able to confirm the person he saw resembled Peyton. Charlie Team consisted of Wolf Shifters, and Wyatt’s bear didn’t like the idea of the mangy mutt anywhere near Peyton.
Looking around the area Liam’s man had directed him to, Wyatt had to wonder if the wolf was pulling his fucking leg. There wasn’t anything here. Shit, he had to check his phone several times to make sure he had service. Why would Peyton decide to go so far off the grid? Trees, bushes, and wildlife, but nothing else surrounded him. Reaching out with his keen animal senses, he didn’t detect any human presence. He hoped like hell this wasn’t another wild goose chase and a waste of his time. He had passed the truck Tobias had mentioned about a mile down the road. Not wanting to raise any suspicion should there happen to be anyone watching, Wyatt chose to travel further down and backtrack. He was eager to get this hunt over with and confront his prey once and for all. But all good things would have to wait.
Looking down at his clock in the console in his car, he knew the guys would be calling soon. He needed to get his gear set up and wait for the call. Once that happened, Peyton better hope she was in these woods because if she wasn’t, he was going to spank her ass. Well, not really. But, hey, the possibilities were endless.
Right on cue, his phone rang. Looked like this day was going to get way worse before it got better. For the team to risk this type of communication, Wyatt knew a bunch of bad shit was about to go down. He decided to get out of the car, so he wouldn’t feel so stifled if the bear started to get agitated. He leaned back, taking a couple of deep calming breaths before answering the call.
He had been expecting the call. Jacks had warned him, saying it was imperative Wyatt secured the line. He had hoped he would be making it from his safe house with Peyton Carlton in hand, not standing in the middle of some freakin’ forest. Wyatt knew, basically, what the call was about, and it was ab
out damn time, too. Jacks was going to finally come clean with the details he’d been holding back.
Wyatt had kept in touch, but being out on a mission with Echo Team had severely limited him. He felt completely out of the loop, and it was really starting to piss him off. He was the information guy, and right now, he had less than nothing. It wasn’t sitting well with him. The Alpha Team now had two more members; Dalton’s mate, Emma, and a little girl named McKenna. It also seemed Jacks wasn’t the only one to have a fated mate. Dalton and Emma had bonded, mated, and the fates had blessed them as well. That was incredible even if it remained only the two couples. It was still a miracle in Wyatt’s book.
He also knew those two brothers would be safe. Once a Shifter met their fated female, the man and beast united as one, irrevocably binding the three, calming the animal, and cementing their future together. Shifters didn’t love often, but when they did, they loved hard. At least, that’s what the stories said. Seeing Jacks and Ryleigh, he wanted to believe in the fairy tales. But sometimes, things which were too good to be true often were just that. He didn’t doubt their connection. Anyone with eyes could see the love they shared. What he did doubt was the forever part. Shifters weren’t much on monogamy.
“Green...” Wyatt answered the call as if he was still in the military.
Cash was on the line. They made the usual pleasantries, but his Second was short and clipped with his answers, indicating what Wyatt was about to hear would hold a significant impact on all of their lives.
“I’m going to put you on speaker, Wy. Jacks is ready to start.”
NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team Page 66