RT’s expression turned inquisitive. “Why do you ask, anyway? He’s been gone for months. Are you just now noticing?”
Hunter continued to glare at RT, hating himself for having been weak and coming in here in the first place. He should’ve kept his mouth shut.
“Hunter?”
“Forget it,” Hunter barked, pivoting toward the door.
“Stay,” RT demanded.
Reluctantly, Hunter turned back to face the man he’d come to respect not only as a friend but also as his boss. With Casper and Bryce having retired, RT was the only one who had stepped up to take over the company their fathers had worked so hard to build. Although Conner should’ve been working alongside RT to run the family business, everyone knew Conner’s past wouldn’t allow him to do that. That made Hunter next in line, but he would rather die than sit behind a desk, drowning in political bullshit and paperwork.
“Have a seat.” RT motioned toward the chair across from his desk.
Hunter shook his head. “I’d rather stand.”
“Your hip still bothering you?”
“It’s fine.” It wasn’t, but he wasn’t the sort to bitch and moan about his pain. Although the doctors had managed to remove the bullet from his body, the pain had never completely dissipated.
“Did something happen between you and Kye?”
“That’s none of your business,” he grunted.
“Is it the reason he left? I’ve always wondered.”
“Probably.” Hunter hated admitting that, but it was the truth. Although he wasn’t about to divulge their personal relationship, it was no secret that Hunter was a difficult man to work with.
“Have you tried calling him?” RT questioned.
“No.”
“Are you going to?”
Hunter grimaced. “Of course not. He left on his own. If he wanted to talk to me, he would’ve called me.”
RT was silent for a few minutes and Hunter was gearing up to bolt when the man finally spoke.
“I know about you and Josh,” RT revealed.
Now Hunter was getting defensive. “What about me and Josh?”
“The two of you were more than partners.”
“The fuck we were,” he countered, lying through his teeth.
RT sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “Look. I don’t care what my agents do on their personal time, Hunter. And you can deny it all day long, but I knew you had a personal relationship with Josh.”
“I was with Dani,” Hunter argued.
“And Josh.”
Hunter narrowed his eyes, trying to read his friend’s mind. Did he really know about him and Josh and Dani? Or was RT simply digging, trying to get Hunter to admit it?
“The three of you were together,” RT said. “I saw you.”
“You were fucking spying on me?”
RT barked a laugh. “Fuck no. Trust me, that’s something I wish I could unsee.”
Yeah. Hunter knew no one would understand.
“The last thing I want is the image of your naked ass in my head. But don’t for a second think that I’m judging you. I don’t give a shit who you’re with. You’re more than welcome to love whoever you want.”
“Even if it’s two people?”
RT shrugged. “The heart wants what the heart wants, man. And if all parties are on board, whose decision is it anyway as to what’s appropriate and what’s not? I certainly don’t give a shit.”
Hunter wasn’t sure how they’d gotten on this topic, but he suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable.
“As for Kye…” RT sighed heavily. “The day he handed in his notice, he was upset. I could see it in his eyes. He didn’t say why, and I didn’t ask. But if you’re worried about him, call him. See where he is.”
Hunter shook his head as he turned toward the door. “I’m not worried. Sorry I bothered you.”
The last thing he heard was, “Goddamn it, Hunter,” right as he was walking out RT’s door.
“FUCK,” KYE WHISPERED AS HE pressed his lips to Dani’s.
He honestly had no idea how they’d ended up back at her condo, much less rolling around in her bed.
Okay, he did know because that had been his intention all along. He had spent the day with her, flirting and laughing, offering casual touches, doing his level best to get close to the woman. And it had worked, much to his relief.
“Joe,” she murmured against his mouth. “Please.”
“Please, what, baby?” he asked softly, sliding his hands over her smooth, soft skin. She was practically naked beneath him, her bikini bottoms the only article of clothing still covering her. He wanted those gone so he could bury himself inside her heat, get as close as two people could.
“I need you,” she whispered.
Fuck. Kye knew he should push away, walk right out of her bedroom and out of her life. He wasn’t who she thought he was. He was lying through his teeth with every breath he took. Well, except for this. He wanted the woman with a passion. He hadn’t intended to let it go this far, but he couldn’t seem to turn back. Touching her felt so damn good. Being with her the only thing he could think about.
“What do you need, baby?” Kye trailed his lips down her neck, over her collarbone, then lower. He stopped when his tongue grazed her nipple.
Dani’s hands curled around his head, holding him to her. She was so hot, practically melting beneath him. He had to wonder how long it had been for her, because she seemed to be coming apart at the seams.
When he sucked her nipple into his mouth, his cock throbbed as she moaned.
“Joe…oh, God. Don’t stop doing that.”
He hated that she didn’t know his name. Hated that he was someone else entirely when he was with her. Kye wanted to hear Dani scream his name, to beg and plead as he slid into the warm depths of her body. He didn’t want to be Joe, the sports store manager. He wanted to be Kye, her lover, the man who wanted to keep her safe no matter what.
Dani’s hips shifted as she ground against him. His cock was pressed against her thigh, hard and aching, desperate for her touch.
As though summoned by his mental request, Dani’s hand slipped down, caressing him through his shorts. He groaned, tweaking her nipple with his teeth.
She cried out, her hand curling around his cock as she writhed beneath him.
“Please…Joe…” Her eyes opened, and she looked right at him. “I need to feel you inside me.”
For fuck’s sake.
Kye knew deep down that he shouldn’t be here. He was taking advantage of this woman, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted her with a passion he’d never felt before.
When Dani shoved his shorts down his hips, Kye knew he was a goner. Before he pushed them down his legs, he retrieved the condom he had tucked in his pocket before he went out for his afternoon workout. He hadn’t expected anything, but he’d been hopeful.
Dani smiled up at him when he went to his knees, ripping the condom open with his teeth while she deftly removed her bikini bottoms.
And then she was naked. So fucking hot. And naked.
“You were a Boy Scout, weren’t you?” she teased.
He laughed. “No.”
“That’s surprising.”
Kye rolled the condom on, then moved over Dani once more. Tucking his hand behind her head, he pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him, their bodies molding together as his cock slid against her pussy. He was dying here, and Dani had no idea. Kye knew without a doubt he wouldn’t be able to walk away from this woman when this was over. Sure, she would likely hate him when she figured out who he was, but no way could Kye walk away.
“Inside me,” she demanded, her lips brushing his.
Reaching between their bodies, Kye guided his cock to her entrance, pushing in slowly.
Dani’s eyes closed, her head tipping back as a soft moan escaped her.
She was so fucking tight, her pussy clasping his cock like a velvet vice.
“Aww, fuck,” he moaned. “You
feel so good.”
Too good. Kye wasn’t sure he would last. He shook off the thought. He damn sure didn’t want this to be over before it even started.
Taking control of his body, Kye began rocking into her, pushing in deep, retreating slowly. He kept his eyes locked on her face as he made love to the sexiest woman he’d ever met. She would hate him for this, he knew. But he didn’t want to think about that. Not now. Not when he had her in his arms, so pliant, so fucking sweet.
“More…please…” Dani’s hands gripped his hips, jerking him closer.
Okay, maybe not sweet. Dani was a wildcat, taking what she wanted from him.
He thrust his hips forward, driving into her as deep as he could.
“Yes…” Dani’s eyes closed. “Harder. Please.”
Unable to refuse her request, Kye slammed into her over and over, watching as the need consuming her contorted her beautiful face. She was in the throes of pleasure as he fucked her ruthlessly, driving them both closer and closer to their inevitable release.
“Don’t stop…oh, God. I’m so close…”
“Look at me, Dani,” he insisted. Kye wanted her to be looking at him when she came, to know exactly who was inside her, who was giving her this much pleasure.
Her eyes opened.
“I want to see your pretty eyes when you come,” he whispered.
Kye continued the brutal momentum, slamming into her, loving the way her body twisted, trying to get closer, her hands sliding over him as she held out. Her pussy fluttered over his cock numerous times and he knew she was close. Was she holding out for him? Did she never want this to end, the same way he did?
“Joe! Oh, God!”
Dani’s body went still, her pussy gripping him tightly as her orgasm rocked her. She was so fucking beautiful. He never closed his eyes, even when his climax ripped through him, driving the sanity right out of him. Dani was everything he’d ever hoped for, everything he’d ever needed besides the one man who had refused to accept him.
She was also the very thing that would keep Kye from ever truly being happy.
Unfortunately, that was his own fucking fault.
*
Two days later, Kye was in his condo. Alone.
He couldn’t sleep, so he decided to entertain himself by watching the cameras set up in Dani’s condo. Granted, there wasn’t a damn thing going on over there. All the lights were off, the doors were locked up tight—he’d watched her check them three times—and she was curled beneath the blankets in the big king bed.
God, he wished he was still there with her, wrapped tightly around her as she slept in his arms. They’d spent the past two days fucking each other senseless. Rather than spend their evenings down by the water, they spent them naked in her bed with Kye lodged deep inside her.
Each night, he would leave her, hating himself all the more for doing so. It was obvious she didn’t want him to stay the night, but Kye couldn’t have even if she had wanted him to. He had to stay alert, and being with Dani…it would’ve been too much to sleep in the same bed with her. As it was, he could already feel himself falling for her.
His thoughts drifted to Hunter. Although he was overwhelmed with desire when it came to Dani, he couldn’t stop thinking about Hunter. About how the man would hate him for what he was doing. Then again, so would Dani. The two people he’d come to care about would likely shun him from their lives as soon as they realized what he’d done.
He sipped the water bottle and flipped to one of the outdoor cameras. Leaning forward, he kept his eye on the black Maxima pulling into the parking garage. One o’clock in the morning wasn’t all that late for someone to be strolling in. At least not in the real world. Out here in the sticks, the only people around were the elderly folks who lived in the beachfront condos full-time and the families of four who were enjoying their summer vacation right on the water.
This person qualified as neither.
Reaching down, he grabbed his SIG, checking the clip and the chamber, then ensuring the safety was on before tucking it into the holster on his side.
“What’re you up to, you sneaky bastard?” Kye mumbled to himself as a man exited the vehicle.
Squinting, he tried to get a look at the guy’s face, but the man was keeping his head down, the ball cap he wore effectively shielding his identity.
“Damn it.”
Kye got to his feet but didn’t leave the computer. He had no idea who this guy was or where he was going, but whatever his motives, they weren’t good. He knew that much. Most guys around there didn’t dress all in black and slink up the stairs in the middle of the damn night.
“Fucker. Why’d you have to stop on the first floor?”
Kye flipped to the camera he’d put in place to monitor the first-floor walkway. He watched as the mystery man moved toward Dani’s front door. Kye wouldn’t have a bead on him from this point on, but the least he could do was tip her off. With the punch of a button, he caused the alarm clock on the nightstand to go off.
In the other camera angle, he saw Dani bolt out of bed, grabbing her gun. He could tell her attention was now on the front door.
“Good girl,” he whispered, then took off at a run out of his condo, not even bothering with shoes.
Unfortunately, he was in the building next to hers, on the third floor to boot, so it took him some time to make it down the stairs. He stayed as silent as possible, not wanting to alert the other tenants. The last thing he needed was for the cops to be called.
He eliminated the distance between the buildings, then darted up the stairs. As he was nearing the end where Dani’s condo was, he heard a car engine start up. He ran to the railing and glanced over just in time to see Dani lay on the gas, tires squealing as she hauled ass out of the parking garage.
Good thing was, she wasn’t in danger.
Bad thing was, Kye needed to figure out who this asshole was.
Kye moved with as much stealth as he could, keeping to the shadows as he neared the condo. So far, so good. No one had come out to check on the noise, so he considered that a good thing.
Knowing he was going to have to confront this asshole at some point, he took a deep breath. If he was lucky, the bad guy hadn’t gone out the way Dani had, which Kye assumed was via the patio. No doubt, she’d selected the condo that was on the first floor for a reason. Although there was a parking garage beneath, she could’ve easily scaled the balcony railing and dropped down to the grass below without injury.
With his back to the wall, he inched closer to Dani’s door.
“Please be unlocked,” he muttered softly.
He gripped the knob and turned it slowly.
Well, someone upstairs was listening tonight.
It turned, and he pushed it in an inch. The interior was completely dark except for the muted light from the cheap bulb over the stove. It was enough to see that no one was in the entry hall.
Stepping inside, Kye closed the door, his eyes easily adjusting to the shadowy interior. Without moving, he strained to hear what was going on in the other room. The hearing aids did wonders to amplify the sound, but he wouldn’t hear as well as someone without a hearing impairment. Not that he gave it a second thought. He didn’t know any different.
Keeping to the inside wall, he moved toward the kitchen. With his gun at the ready, he peered around the corner. The small area was empty. Two feet more and he could see the entire living room. Nope. No one there, either.
That meant the person was either in the bedroom or the bathroom, nowhere else for them to go.
The question now was whether or not he waited them out. At this point, Kye had the element of surprise on his side.
Darting to the opposite side of the room, Kye pressed his back to the wall, inching closer to the bedroom door. Taking a deep breath, he opted to wait. Mystery man wouldn’t find much if he was hoping to search the condo now that Dani had bolted. Kye had already done a cursory look several days ago when Dani had been down at the beach. During hi
s exploration, he’d found only the bare necessities. Whatever was personal and important, Dani wouldn’t be carrying with her and, if she was smart, she kept secured in a safety deposit box somewhere. He figured that was likely the case since the woman was obviously prepared to run whenever she needed to.
What sounded like footsteps made Kye’s body go rigid. He lifted his right hand close to his chest, the gun securely in his grip, safety off, finger hovering beside the trigger. As soon as the intruder took one step past him, Kye put his gun to the man’s head.
“Who are you and why’re you visiting my girlfriend?” Kye asked, his tone menacing.
If he thought this was going to be easy, he should’ve known better.
Before an answer could come, the man in black’s elbow reared back, catching Kye in the side, his forearm catching Kye’s and knocking his gun to the floor. Instinct had Kye kicking out, trying to take his attacker out at the knees. It worked, but the guy was on his feet once more, and he wasn’t pulling any punches.
Well … technically he was.
They collided, the impact jarring. Fists, knees, elbows. They all connected, but this guy was good.
Kye knew better than to underestimate the nameless, faceless intruder. It didn’t matter that Kye had extensive hand-to-hand combat training thanks to Sniper 1’s agent boot camp. He soon learned they were evenly matched, despite the fact Kye had significant bulk and height on the guy.
He took a fist to the jaw, which rattled his brain a little, but Kye landed one to the guy’s gut, causing him to double over. He aimed his fist for the man’s head, but Speedy jumped back at the last second, causing Kye to follow the momentum of his swing. Before he could turn around, the fight was over as the guy darted out of the condo, leaving the door open wide behind him. Kye grabbed his gun, then went after him on foot. By the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, the black Maxima was heading for the main road.
He reached for his phone, but it wasn’t in his pocket, which meant it had been knocked out during the scuffle.
“Son of a bitch,” he grumbled, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand as he ascended the stairs one more time. “Teach me to complain about being bored.”
Tomorrow's Too Late (Sniper 1 Security, 3) Page 11