Loved it.
Loved him?
“What is it?” Seth prompted sharply as she stared up at him with bewildered eyes. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
Oh dear God…
She couldn’t be in love with this man. Could she? She’d known Seth only a matter of days. Not true. She and Seth had met for the first time eight months ago. When, in all probability, he’d saved her life. No probably about it—he had saved her life.
Gratitude, then? She was grateful to him for—
That wasn’t the answer either.
She had barely spoken to Seth that day, and she hadn’t seen him again until two days ago. Hadn’t really thought of him again until this past week, when she knew he was the only person she could trust to help her.
She couldn’t have fallen in love with Seth in two days. It wasn’t possible.
Was it…?
It wasn’t as if he had been particularly charming or in the least pleased to see her again. Charm and Seth Armstrong just didn’t go together. He had agreed to help her, yes, but there had been nothing gracious about that agreement. Nothing Seth had said or done since to encourage her into falling in love with him. The opposite, in fact. He was arrogant and dictatorial, threw out instructions and expected them to be obeyed, and played hell when they weren’t.
And minutes ago, he had obeyed her instruction to come. He had liked it so much, he had kept on coming.
“Diana!” Seth knew his arms were finally about to give out, and he disengaged before rolling to his side and onto the bed beside her, leaning up one elbow to lie looking down at her.
She gave a shake of her head, her gaze not quite meeting his. “I think we both forgot that Jonas is in the house too,” she said low and huskily as she reached for the sheet to cover her nakedness. “Do you think he heard us?”
Seth stilled her movements, eyes narrowed as he studied her slightly averted face. “I think you mean did he hear you? I barely said a word in comparison to you.”
Color warmed her cheeks. “Do you think he could have heard u—me?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it matters,” she choked out incredulously. “I don’t want him to think—to believe—”
“What?” he rasped. “That you could totally lose it sexually with someone like me?”
She blinked. “Like you…? I don’t know what you mean.”
“No?” He rolled to the side of the bed and got to his feet, mouth twisting derisively as Diana immediately finished pulling the sheet up over her nakedness. “Look at you and then look at me. I’m sure the answer will come to you.”
Diana couldn’t stop looking at him. He was utterly gorgeous. His skin was lightly tanned, indication of a Mediterranean ancestor perhaps, shoulders wide, chest and abdomen muscular, those taut muscles veeing down to his groin, where his slightly softened cock nestled among dark curls, his legs long and also muscular. His face was classically perfect, chiseled as if by a master, the scar on his face and throat only adding to his piratical air.
She genuinely had no idea what he meant by describing himself as “someone like me.” Or the implication that she was somehow embarrassed by her desire for him. She wasn’t embarrassed by it; she was totally bowled over by the intensity of feelings Seth inspired in her. Mind-blowing sexual pleasure. And that other emotion she was reluctant to look into too deeply.
“You’re right, Seth.” She threw off the sheet and got out of bed, her back turned toward him as she began pulling her clothes back on.
“I am?” He didn’t sound at all pleased by the fact.
Diana glanced at him over her shoulder from where she sat on the side of the bed, pulling on her jeans. “We shouldn’t talk.” She stood to fasten the button and zip on her jeans. “You obviously don’t know me at all, and I…” She swallowed, not sure what she wanted to say next.
I’m falling—if I’m not already—in love with you, would send a man like Seth—tough, hard, a loner—running in the opposite direction.
Running?
She doubted she’d be able to see him through the blur created by the speed of his hasty retreat.
She straightened. “Let’s not insult each other anymore and move on, hmm?”
Seth had absolutely no idea why it always ended this way between the two of them. Heart-pounding, mind-spinning, totally compatible sex, followed by yet another argument that sent them hurtling off in opposite directions.
What was that all about?
Why the hell couldn’t the two of them behave like rational human beings who had sexually enjoyed each other?
Seth now knew the answer to that question. It was because there was something more humming just below the surface of that pleasure. Something bigger. Something more.
And this wasn’t the time or the place to talk about it.
As he possibly wasn’t the right man to contemplate what he was contemplating?
Possibly?
He wasn’t the right man for someone like Diana, a woman who came from a loving family, had a degree in history, and worked at a museum. Women like her didn’t become involved with rough diamonds like him, someone the army had trained to protect and kill, and who now used that training in the private sector.
Diana was grateful to him for agreeing to come to Paris with her, for bringing Jonas along so that the two of them could protect her. A little raunchy sex with one of her protectors was a bonus.
He certainly wasn’t the sort of man she would take home to meet Mummy and Daddy.
Did he want to be?
Hell if he knew what he wanted anymore.
Except to know he didn’t want to continue standing here naked when Diana was now fully dressed.
“Let’s,” he answered her through gritted teeth before turning away to quickly pick up his own clothes.
He had managed to pull on his boxers and jeans when two soft knocks sounded on his closed bedroom door.
Two knocks for danger, the same way, when he was out in the field, two vibrations of his mobile meant the same thing.
It was Jonas’s way of letting him know that they were all in danger.
Chapter 10
“You stay here and lock the door behind me—”
“No.” Diana gave a firm shake of her head in response to Seth’s quietly spoken command. “That was Jonas, wasn’t it? Letting you know something’s wrong? That perhaps Garcia’s attacker has discovered where we are?”
He bared his teeth in a humorless smile. “The answer is probably yes to all three of those questions. And it looks as if Jonas knows exactly where you spent the past hour too, so you’ll have to suffer through the embarrassment—”
“Shut up, Seth!” She glared at him. “Put that chip on your shoulder away for a while, and for the moment let’s concentrate on what’s really important—”
“I don’t have a fucking chip—”
“If it gets any heavier, you’re going to collapse under the weight of it,” she said with an arched brow.
“You—” Seth broke off what he had been going to say when a second set of two soft knocks sounded on the door. “I have to talk to Jonas,” he told her distractedly as he picked up his gun from the side table beside the bed, shoving it in its usual place in the waistband at the back of his jeans before quickly crossing the room to open the door. He stepped out into the hallway, wearing only his jeans, his chest and feet bare.
He was gone mere seconds before coming back into the bedroom.
“Do you have that second gun I could use?” Diana prompted as she saw the grimness of his expression.
His eyebrows rose. “I thought you found the whole idea of having a gun unacceptable?”
“Circumstances have changed.”
“And if you shoot yourself in the foot with it, or someone else by mistake? Knowing our luck, Jonas or me.” He grimaced.
“If I shot you, at this moment I’m really not sure it would
be by mistake,” she snapped in exasperation. “Look, I know how to shoot, okay? My father used to take me to the shooting range with him when I was a teenager.”
“Your father the artist?”
“He’s also a man,” she said dryly. “And he likes to shoot. He didn’t have a son, so when I was old enough, he took me with him.”
“You couldn’t have told me that before?”
“Pot, kettle?”
She had a point, Seth accepted as he turned to search through his bag for his second gun and ammunition.
“Hand them over.” Diana held out her hand. “I’d prefer to load it myself, if you don’t mind. That way I can get used to the feel and weight of the gun before I need to fire it.”
“If you need to fire it,” he corrected pointedly.
“Chauvinist.”
“Hellcat,” he returned the compliment as he handed over the second gun and bullets. “Just because you’re now armed doesn’t mean I intend letting you go anywhere you might actually need to use it.”
She gave him a deathly stare. “You aren’t agreeing to anything. I’m telling you, after what happened to Garcia, if I need to use this gun, then I’ll force myself to do so. The man outside has probably already killed his own associate by slitting his throat,” she continued doggedly as Seth would have interrupted her. “Do you really think he’s going to hold back when it comes to you and Jonas?”
“We can take care of ourselves.”
“I’m sure you can.” She tested the weight of the loaded gun in her hand before raising it and aiming at the mirror over the dressing table.
Which was when Diana got her first look at herself since making love with Seth. Her hair was a silky tangle, her eyes were wide and staring, her lips puffy and swollen, and she had abrasion marks on her chin and throat from the rasp of Seth’s stubble.
Jonas didn’t need to have heard the two of them making love. He’d only have to look at her to know exactly what she and Seth had been doing in this bedroom together for the past hour.
She quickly turned away from that telltale image. “What did Jonas tell you?”
Seth was now sitting on the side of the bed, fastening his boots. “At the moment, the intruder is looking for a place to get over the wall into the garden. Jonas is going to turn off the perimeter alarm when he gets downstairs.”
“To lure the man inside?”
His eyes darkened appreciatively. “That’s the idea, yes.”
She was relieved Seth was no longer trying to shield her from the truth. “What’s the rest of the plan?”
His mouth twisted derisively as he stood. “Adaptable little thing when the need arises, aren’t you?”
“Please don’t patronize me.” Diana eyed him scathingly.
“Was that what I was doing…?”
“I am neither little nor a thing. But yes to the adaptable. I’ve had no choice but to learn quickly these past eight months, most especially these past few days.” She gave a shudder. “Kill or be killed seems to be the code these other men live by.”
“Well, this one isn’t going to be allowed to die,” Seth assured her. “The plan is to take him alive and then get some answers as to what the hell is going on.”
“It’s a good plan.”
“Thank you.”
She looked at him pityingly. “Sarcasm is another defense mechanism.”
He eyed her mockingly. “Dear, dear, between that chip on my shoulder and my defense mechanism, it would seem I have something of an attitude problem.”
“You do.” Diana ignored his sarcasm. “It’s as well I like you in spite of it.”
“You like me?” He looked stunned.
Irritation creased her brow. “I would hardly have gone to bed with you if I didn’t.”
He shrugged. “I’d assumed you were just responding to our sexual chemistry.”
His reply was so unexpected, she gave a splutter of laughter. “You arrogant ass,” she finally said without rancor.
Seth gave an unrepentant grin. He had been aiming for distracting Diana from the looming danger, but he would happily take being called an arrogant ass as long as it erased the haunted expression that had been about to return to Diana’s beautiful turquoise eyes. It had worked, because right now they were sparkling with amusement. At his expense, but what the hell.
“Okay, let’s go,” he instructed briskly.
She hung back. “Aren’t you going to finish dressing first?”
“No.”
“But it’s cold outside.”
“So?”
She sighed. “There are scratch marks on your shoulders.”
Seth glanced down at the telltale marks on his flesh from where Diana’s nails had dug into him at the height of her passion. “War wounds,” he dismissed with a shrug before striding over to the door. “You either come with me now, or I’m going to lock you inside the bedroom,” he added impatiently as she still didn’t move.
“I don’t advise you to mess with me when I’m armed and dangerous,” she warned through gritted teeth as she marched out of the bedroom ahead of him.
Diana’s thoughts were racing as the two of them hurried downstairs to join Jonas in the kitchen.
She would be lying if she didn’t admit, to herself, at least, that she was terrified of what might happen during the next few minutes. Worst-case scenario, Jonas and/or Seth would be shot and killed. Best-case scenario, they would manage to capture the intruder without any blood being shed. She was hoping for the latter, and mentally trying to prepare herself for the former.
If Jonas was injured or killed, she knew that Seth would never forgive her for involving him in her mess. There was a respect between the two men that spoke of affection too.
She doubted Jonas would feel all that kindly disposed toward her if anything happened to Seth either.
How would she feel about herself if Seth was shot and killed?
Devastated, came the immediate answer.
He annoyed her, irritated her, infuriated her, but the thought of anything happening to him made her feel physically sick.
Because she was in love with him?
Their lovemaking earlier had been…well, nothing short of incredible. Possibly life-changing. For her. She doubted it had meant any more to Seth than another conquest in a long line of conquests. It was—
“What’s she doing here?”
Diana turned as Jonas growled the question, but his censorious gaze was fixed on Seth.
“If you think you can stop her from coming with us, then go right ahead and try.” Seth shrugged.
Dark blue eyes narrowed on her for several long seconds before Jonas turned to Seth. When he no doubt saw the scratches on the other man’s shoulders. “She’s your responsibility.”
“I’m no one’s responsibility—”
“Not a good idea to annoy her at the moment, Jonas, not when she has a gun and insists she isn’t afraid to use it,” Seth pointed out wryly.
“A gun you gave her.” The other man scowled.
“She threatened to shoot me with my own gun if I didn’t.”
“Pussy.”
“What can I say—”
“As little as possible would be the wisest course of action!” Diana glared at both men. Seth looked unabashed. As usual, Jonas’s deadpan expression revealed none of his thoughts.
“Okay, we don’t have time for this,” Jonas finally rumbled. “But she goes with you to search at the front of the house. I don’t have the time or the patience to deal with a hysterical woman when the going gets tough.”
Diana’s chin rose. “Do I look hysterical to you?”
No, she didn’t, Seth noted with admiration. In fact, this Diana bore little resemblance to that scared and nervous woman who, only days ago, had pleaded with him for help in a London bar.
Jonas gave a grumble deep in his throat. “Okay, let’s assume we’ve given him enough time to get into the garden. Shoot to wound rather than kill,” he instructed Diana.<
br />
“God, I didn’t think it was possible, but he’s even bossier than you are,” she told Seth with a roll of her eyes. “I’m not stupid, Jonas. I know you want the man alive, because I do too.”
Seth bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from smiling at the fact that, in just a few days, Diana had changed from being afraid of her own shadow to verbally taking on two tough and hardened men like himself and Jonas. And she handled his second gun like a pro too. Whether she would have the guts to use it was another matter. It was more important she looked as if she would.
Jonas caught his eye, his expression questioning. Seth gave him a barely perceptible nod, tacitly assuring the other man Diana would manage fine.
He only hoped his confidence in her was warranted.
Diana had no intention of letting either Seth or Jonas see how nervous she was as she followed them outside. The two men parted without saying another word, no doubt from years of working together. Diana followed Seth, also without speaking.
He was good. Silent. Senses honed as they moved through the overgrown garden. Totally alert as he held his gun ready for firing.
But neither of them were expecting the man to drop on Seth from above as they moved stealthily beneath the cover of some trees.
Seth went down, his gun knocked from his hand as he hit the ground and the other man, much heavier, landed on top of him.
Diana lifted her gun and aimed, only stopping herself from pulling the trigger when she realized Seth had recovered enough to grasp the other man’s wrist and point the gun away from him before rolling over. Diana’s heart pounded in her chest at the realization she had almost shot Seth in the back rather than the heavier man.
The assailant gave a grunt as he bucked beneath Seth and rolled, again presenting Diana with a target, before the two men rolled and she once again looked at Seth’s bare back.
Sweat popped out on her forehead as she watched the tussle that followed, her intention to be ready to fire the next time she had a clear shot at the man attacking Seth. She shouted for Jonas, but there was no guarantee he was going to arrive in time to help Seth. Which meant she had to.
“Shoot the bastard!” Seth obviously thought the same thing, as the two men continued to roll and fight for possession of the other man’s gun.
Rogue Alpha (Alpha 7) Page 10