Hidden Obsession: An Alliance Agency Novel: Book 2

by Kells, India

  Her stomach somersaulted. “It’s flattering, but I don’t believe you. You’re just trying to distract me.”

  His hold tightened. “I’m not a player, Cleo. Nor am I a liar. I’m telling you the truth.”

  “We’re too different.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  Cleo knew two people who were so different couldn’t make it in the long run. “I don’t date co-workers. Ever. Besides, you’re not thinking straight.”

  That made him pause for an instant, his body eerily still. She was telling him the truth. There might be an attraction, an itch to scratch, but there would be nothing more between them. Even if deep down she yearned for it, she wasn’t delusional, and it was probably his protector gene revving him up. If she succumbed, maybe she could get him out of her system, once and for all.

  “Are you trying to tell me I don’t know my own mind, Miss Darwin?”

  “I’m only stating facts. You’re probably swimming in adrenaline and so am I. This isn’t real.”

  “Interesting theory. And if we go with that theory, I’m not really attracted to you, and you’re not attracted to me?”

  Should she lie? Common sense wanted to; her naughty side didn’t want to lose Mason’s touch. “I’m attracted to you, but as I told you, it’s only stress and hormones talking. This is nothing more than lust.” A half-lie could work after all.

  “Well, for the sake of that theory, how can we prove it?”

  It was apparent he was testing her, and everything that had happened tonight blurred her limits. Mason’s hand splayed on her stomach, caressing her in a lazy line just below her breasts, not low enough or high enough to ease the ache.

  After a few minutes, her hips started to sway in a silent call, and she cursed under her breath. Lust was coiled too deep inside her to make her sensible. “I don’t know what it would take, Mason. I…”

  She swallowed hard, and Mason’s velvety voice returned to her ear. “I think you’re lying because your body is singing an entirely different tune. You have complete control here, Cleo. So if you could do anything, what would you do?”

  Again, her mouth opened and closed, and at that moment, she wished she could kiss him. She tried to turn, but he kept her in place. “No way. You say it’s hormones, stress, or adrenaline making me want you. I’m sure it’s not. But you’re not convinced, so I think the best bet is to clear your head of all of those pesky hormones so you can start to think straight, don’t you think?”

  Unsure where he was going, it suddenly clicked, and she turned her head. “You’re not serious.”

  His smile was the most beautiful and wicked one she had ever seen. A fantasy. “I am.”

  “But you won’t…”

  He kissed her hair once more. “My head is full of fantasies about you, so if I can have one fulfilled, and at the same time help you to relax and sleep, I’ll take it. I know we can be more than you think. Please, Cleo, violet-haired goddess, be my fantasy.”

  It was insane, and wild, and hot. “It doesn’t change anything between us, Mason.”

  He hummed, never stopping caressing her under her tank top, his hand warm against her skin.

  Throat dry, but unable to resist the challenge or her lust for the sexy man, she reached under her pants, between her legs. When she found herself wet and ready, her breath caught, and Mason answered with a deep moan behind her.

  “Please don’t stop.” Pushing her hand gently, he whispered in her ear. “Move your hand.”

  Cleo shivered but obeyed him, her body no longer hers to control.

  Mason put his rough hand on her waist and caressed her hip and thigh to her knee, rounding her ass every time his hand went up again. Spurred on by the man behind her, her brain in a fog of desire, she started teasing herself like she did so many nights, imagining it was Mason worshipping her body. Her fingers knew her body well, and she knew it wouldn’t take long for her to explode, especially with her fantasy man in the flesh enticing her with his words and subtle touch. How Cleo wished he would cup her breasts or let his hand wander over her fingers. Better yet roll her beneath him and take her like she’d imagined so many nights alone in her bed.

  At some point, Mason grabbed her knee and hooked her leg back over his, allowing her better access. Unable to think, unable to stop herself, Cleo pursued her pleasure until the teasing was too much to bear, and she frantically pushed herself toward the most brutal orgasm she had ever experienced.

  Her body seized and she cried his name before the air got stuck in her lungs. It was like an electric shock coursing through her every muscle, burning her skin, extending the mind-blowing ecstasy as Mason whispered sexy-nothings into her ear.

  Slowly, she relaxed, spent and unashamed, for now at least, and as Mason had predicted, her body shut down, unable to resist being pulled into a deep slumber after the intensity of her release.

  With Mason cuddling her, his breath in her ear, unable to understand his words anymore, Cleo fell into a blissful sleep.

  Chapter Four

  Mason placed the pod into the coffee machine and discreetly watched the door. He had slipped out of bed silently, leaving Cleo asleep, her violet hair spread out on his pillow as he had imagined, only his imagination had not done her justice. The image of her pale skin, relaxed face, long black eyelashes flat against her rosy cheeks, was a vision not even he could conjure.

  It was the way she had cocked her top leg over the sheets, hugging the pillow to her body, the delectable curve of her ass on display in those yoga pants had him contemplating throwing away good sense and crawling back into bed. He wanted nothing more than to wake her with his mouth or hands on her body. But last night was new, and he worried how she would feel this morning.

  Cleo was important to him, way beyond a colleague or friend. She had the potential to be everything, and he didn’t want to screw that up by scaring her off or moving too fast. So he backed away with the sole intention of making them some breakfast and having a cold shower, not necessarily in that order.

  He poured himself a cup of coffee and put a mug with sugar and creamer on the side for Cleo in case she came looking while he was in the shower and moved toward the bathroom. He would use the bath off the hallway this time; he didn’t want to freak her out by using the en suite.

  He silently grabbed his clothes from the drawers and moved to the bathroom, ignoring the erection that hadn’t gone away since he’d crawled into bed with her last night. As he showered, he replayed every second of her climax in his head. The way she sounded, the way she pushed her body into his as she sought relief. It had been heady and erotic, and his hands itched to make her climax so hard she fell into a blissful sleep.

  His cock bobbed, growing harder under his hand. Mason swiped his thumb over the head, imagining it was Cleo’s hand touching him. He wrapped his hand around his shaft and worked his cock, leaning his other hand against the wall for support. The water hit his skin pouring over him as he came in a rush of breath, the force of it making him sag against the tile.

  He took a few seconds to recover and catch his breath, then finished his shower. Drying off, he dressed in a crisp white shirt with a dark blue tie and a dark navy suit. It was second nature for him to wear a suit to work; he had worn one for so many years it felt wrong not to wear one now. It was also a great way to hide a weapon and still give him the freedom of movement that combat pants did. Knotting the tie in a traditional Windsor knot, he combed his wet hair and threw the damp towel and his pajamas in the laundry hamper.

  He exited the bathroom and ran into Cleo, barely having the reflexes to grab her arms and stop her from landing on her ass. “Are you okay?”

  He took in her sleepy, mussed form and it became his new favorite look on her. Her hand moved to his bicep to steady herself as she examined him, the blush that crept over her skin from her neck to her cheeks was adorable.

  “Yes, I need coffee.” She ducked her head and moved away from him toward the kitchen.


  He followed, not looking at her ass at all, and made his way to the coffee pot to pour her some of life’s great elixir. “So, we have to meet with Emme and Shane at nine to go over your case.”

  “Is that necessary?” She took the cup and added milk and half a sugar.

  “Yes, absolutely, it is. The stalker knew where you were last night, where you lived, and he threatened you. We can’t just brush it off as nothing. He needs to be caught and locked up before it escalates.”

  “Fine. Anything I can do to help?” She hugged the mug and took a sip, her eyes closing in ecstasy, a moan slipping from her throat.

  Mason found himself gripping the edge of the countertop to stop himself from moving to her. Her eyes opened and found his, and she must have seen the desire there because her lids went heavy with need, her bottom lip dropped open slightly, and he saw her breath hitch. He was seconds away from saying screw it to his plan to take things slow and dragging her back to bed to finish what they started when his phone pinged on the counter in front of him.

  Her eyes cleared, and he saw her walls go up as she jumped off the stool, with her coffee in her hand. “Can I grab a quick shower?”

  “Yes, of course. Everything you need should be there.”

  As she vanished down the hall, Mason opened the text from Shane to distract himself. He couldn’t resist calling after her though. “Shout if you need me to scrub your back.” He heard the sexy laugh from her as she walked away and smiled.

  “Dream on.”

  “Every night, baby.” He laughed back and grinned harder when she laughed louder.

  * * *

  They arrived at the Alliance offices with ten minutes to spare. Cleo seemed to be in a flap because she hadn’t been able to get everyone coffee as usual. Mason had nixed the idea of her popping into her usual coffee house, telling her that her regular habits needed to change until they had caught the guy. That had gone over like a lead balloon.

  Cleo, he was finding out, was a creature of habit. She liked things done a certain way and in a particular order. He had kind of known that about her but not how agitated she got if things couldn’t be done the way she was used to.

  Cleo flew around her reception desk, with only a cursory pat to Killian who came wandering out to greet her just in front of Caitlin.

  Caitlin rushed forward, her eyes coming to his in question, to which he nodded. “Hey, Cleo, are you okay? I heard what happened.”

  “Yes, I was a little shaken up, but Mason took care of me.” She blushed at the double entendre. He would like to take care of her more if she would let him.

  “That’s good. Don’t worry we’ll catch this asshole,” Caitlin stated as she walked to the door, her work dog at her heel. “Come on, Killy, let’s take you to see your new friends before the meeting starts.”

  Alliance had taken on another four dogs in the last year. Kingsley Knight’s wife Sydney, who also happened to be their former client, was working the breeding program with Caitlin. The two new German Shepherds and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks were less than a year old, and training was going well from what he could see.

  He saw Cleo moving around like a madwoman and went to her. Grasping her shoulders, he spun her to face him, holding her tight but not painfully so. “Calm down.”

  Her flushed face and the almost panic-stricken look on her face made him want to hold her and never let go. “I can’t. This isn’t me, Mason. I don’t flap. I’m in control. I’m organized. I have ways of doing things, so everything runs like clockwork and this man, this stalker, is ruining that.”

  He realized she was hanging on by a thread. “What changed between us leaving my place and getting here? You were calm at home, what happened?”

  “That was just us. You don’t expect anything from me. Here I’m organized Cleo. I have the paperwork you want before you want it. I have lunch ready. I handle my business. I haven’t done that this morning and now everyone will know this is getting to me.” The distress she was feeling was evident on her face.

  “Right, give me a list of everyone’s order, and I’ll go get the coffees while you take a minute to calm down and get your game face on.”

  “But...”

  “Let me help you, Cleo.” He kept his tone gentle as he caught her eye. “Please.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  He felt her shoulders relax under his hands. Giving them a gentle squeeze, he let go and waited while she made a list and tried to hand him some cash. “I got it.” And he left the office.

  Mason jogged to the closest coffee house down the block and had the order filled, adding bagels and muffins for good measure. He carried them back into Alliance and found a much calmer and more in control Cleo behind her desk. She offered him a grateful smile, which he felt in his dick, and then answered the phone as it rang.

  Mason carried the coffee and food into the conference room where Shane was talking to Malco and Alex. Both men looked up as he entered and nodded.

  Shane frowned. “How’s Cleo?”

  “She’s good, holding it together well all things considered.” He didn’t add anything about her meltdown. If she needed people to see her as strong, then he would help her do that.

  “She’s a tough cookie, would make a fine operative but I think if we lost her as office admin, the place might fall apart. A good office manager is harder to find than a good operative if you ask me.”

  “Yeah, she’s fantastic at her job.” It was a clear affirmation. “Are the others joining us to go over the case?”

  “We figured we’d get you to lead and Malco and Alex can offer support. We can draft others in as and when we need them, but we have a few cases at critical stages right now so it’s going to be a bit of a juggle. Honestly though, Mason, this is your bag. Close protection is what you do best, and between us all we’ll find this asshole.”

  “Fine by me.”

  Emme walked in the room then shaking her head. “Cleo amazes me. She’s always so calm and collected.” His boss went to sit beside Shane. Mason found it interesting Cleo had only shown her distress to him. It gave him hope that maybe he could talk her into taking things further and giving them a chance.

  Mason spent the next hour telling them everything he knew about the case including everything he and Cleo had discussed regarding it. Alex was going to look into any cameras around the places Cleo frequented to see if he could spot anyone who seemed to be following her. Malco was going to look into her past boyfriends to see if anything popped, and Mason would be her shadow.

  Shane looked at Mason. “What about her home? Are we going to get some cameras up?”

  “Yes, I’d like to. Does Kingsley have time?”

  “Yes, we can pull him off his case for a few hours. Is Cleo going to stay with you or are you going to stay at her place?” From the slight smile on his lips he could tell Shane’s inquiry wasn’t only for professional reasons.

  “I’ll speak to her, but I prefer my place. It has better security and more room but let me see what she says.”

  “She could always stay with Emme and me for a few weeks until this is sorted.” Shane seemed to be taunting him.

  “No, she stays with me.” Mason’s expression made it clear there was no room for argument.

  Shane’s eyes shot to him with surprise at his tone and he lifted his chin as he crossed his arms over his chest and took his time to assess Mason. “Like that is it?”

  “Not yet.” Mason made it clear where he was headed if she would let him. “Although Cleo may take some convincing.” This time he grinned.

  “Yeah, good luck with that.” Shane chuckled, and Mason felt himself relax. He loved this job and would have hated to jeopardize it.

  “Lucky fucker.” Malco shook his head with a smile which Mason returned.

  “Yeah, well, it’s far from certain.”

  “Well, the man that catches Cleo will be a lucky one, and he better be prepared to work his ass off because something tells me she’ll be a tough nut to cr
ack.” Emme beamed at him, her features softening.

  “Bit like me, hey, baby.” Shane gave wink that made Emme blush.

  “Nothing like you, you big softie.” She laughed as she stood and kissed his cheek before leaving the room.

  The others followed, and Mason went to his office to make a start on all the things he needed to get done including starting some searches. It was around eleven-thirty when he heard a scream from reception that made his blood turn to ice.

  Chapter Five

  Cleo closed the box and put both her hands on it with force, trying not to lose her mind, but

  Fearing it was too late. She was shaking hard, but couldn’t move. If she did, what was in the box was going to get out.

  People quickly surrounded her, which was no surprise considering her scream. Screaming was very unlike her. The Alliance agents surrounded her desk with Mason pressed against her side, but all her focus was on the box.

  “Cleo, what’s going on? Talk to me,” he said, and she could hear the urgency in his voice.

  She opened her mouth to tell him, tell them, but no sound came out, and a shiver made her tremble. Mason touched her shoulder, trying to remove her from the box, but she vehemently shook her head.

  A scratching sound came from inside the plain brown container, and a whimper escaped from her lips. “I… I… have a phobia, okay. And it’s inside the box. If I let go of it, they’ll get out and be all over the place. I can’t let go of the lid. I don’t know what to do.”

  Damn! At that moment, she hated herself for reacting that way, but it was a visceral reaction and something she had no control over.

  Mason started rubbing her back. “It’s fine. I can keep the lid closed. And I’ll take it outside.”

  Cleo breathed hard and tried to move, but it was like being trapped in cement. “I can’t. I can’t let it go, Mason. I’m sorry,” she said, hating the weakness in her voice.

  People shifted around, and Malco moved to her other side. More sounds came from the box, and Malco nodded. “I can guess what’s inside. Don’t worry, Cleo. You can leave it with me. Go with Mason now.”