by F F Perez
Mark smiled. “I’ve heard all about that, son. I meant where did you come from? What’s your story? You’re in security?”
Lance nodded. “I was in the army for twelve years before leaving to go into security.”
“You didn’t retire?” Mark asked, surprised.
Lance hesitated. “I was injured in deployment, and I left once I recovered.”
I tried to hide my shock. Lance had been injured? I’d had no idea.
“What happened?” Mark asked, and I wanted to hug him for asking what I couldn’t.
“We were on a patrol just like any other day. There was a newbie that had just joined our group and we were showing him the ropes. God, he was so young. The enemy ambushed us not long into the patrol. I covered the kid with my body and took three bullets in the process: one to the chest, one to the shoulder, and another to the leg.
“The kid survived along with two others and myself. But it took a while for me to recover, and by that time, Malcolm had convinced me to come home and work for him. I still see a lot of action, and it’s still dangerous work, but I think he feels better knowing he has more control over where I’m sent.”
“Malcolm’s… your boss?” Mark asked, frowning.
“He rescued me from foster homes when I was younger. He’s like a father to me.”
Mark nodded. “Well, you did your country a service, son. You have my respect. I was all set to chase you off from our Nancy here in honour of her father’s memory, but I think the old man would have liked you.”
I swallowed my shock as Mark strode away. Nobody impressed him. Nobody. Frowning, I squinted at Lance. Something just didn’t add up about him. He was way too comfortable in a setting that would set most people to tearing their hair out. His ease and charisma came from years of practice I knew he didn’t get while in the army, and I intended to find out what exactly was going on.
Before I could open my mouth to pepper him with questions, however, a newcomer to the party made my stomach clench in fear. Sensing my unease, Lance whirled around, narrowing his eyes when he caught sight of William Jameson strolling into the room as if he owned it. William caught sight of me and made a beeline for me, his eyes flashing.
“Nancy,” he said, his voice making my skin crawl. “How good to see you. I heard you were out of the country.”
“We just got back,” Lance said, pulling me closer to him.
“And you are?” William asked rudely.
Lance smirked. “Her husband.”
William spluttered. If he’d just taken a drink, he would have done a perfect spit-take. “Her husband?” he hissed. “She doesn’t have a husband!”
“I can assure you she does,” Lance growled.
The look in William’s eyes chilled my blood.
“It was a whirlwind romance,” I blurted, pulling William’s attention from Lance. “But from the moment we met, I was hooked. He was just so sweet and caring. Lance always looks out for me, and his insistence on my safety endeared me to him. It was nice to have someone take care of me for a change, you know?” I knew I was babbling, but I couldn’t stop.
“Besides,” I continued with an insane giggle. “Just look at him. We can’t seem to keep our hands off each other.” A sudden thought struck me, and before thinking it all the way through, I acted on it. “But I guess everyone will know that soon,” I said, placing a hand over my belly, insinuating I was pregnant.
Anger flared in William’s eyes. I would have taken a step back if Lance’s hold on me hadn’t tightened considerably.
“Well,” William spat. “I offer you my congratulations. You and your new little family will get everything you deserve, Nancy. I’ll make sure of it.”
If anyone else had said those words, it would have been a sweet gesture, but the way William said them, my blood turned to ice and my heart stuttered in fear.
“Thank you,” Lance said, his jaw clenched. “If you’ll excuse us…”
He pulled me away from Jameson and off to the side of the room. “Make your excuses. We aren’t staying here if he’s here.”
“Why?” I asked, bewildered. “It’s not like he’ll shoot me in a room full of people.”
“Because I don’t trust myself in the same room as him,” Lance replied through gritted teeth.
Chapter Eleven: Nancy
I could tell on the ride home that Lance was upset, and I knew it wasn’t just at William. He was upset with me, too. I told the driver to take us to my apartment rather than my father’s sprawling house. It would take forever for security to sweep my father’s house, and I didn’t want to run into Elsa.
I had kept the apartment in the city so I would have a place of my own. Although I now owned my father’s house, I hadn’t had the heart or motivation to sell my apartment. I didn’t want to move into my childhood home just yet. It reminded me too much of my father, and it was just too soon.
Elsa came regularly to check on me at my apartment, but she wouldn’t be there this evening. Lance and I would have the privacy to work out whatever was bothering him. I suspected it had something to do with the pregnancy comment.
We arrived at my apartment building, an old stone building draped in ivy. It looked out of place in a city filled with neon lights and metal, but that’s why I loved it so much. I lived on the top floor of the five-story building, and there were no elevators, so we walked up the five flights of stairs. I unlocked my door and stood aside so Lance could check that there was no one lying in wait for us.
“All clear,” Lance called out.
I walked into my little sanctuary, breathing a sigh of relief. There was a stone fireplace in the corner of the living room surrounded by giant glass windows that looked out onto a courtyard with a large pool and hot tub surrounded by palm trees. I had a decent-sized kitchen separated from the living room by a granite-topped breakfast bar. Past the kitchen was the large bedroom with an attached bathroom and walk-in closet. The closet and the large soaking tub in the bathroom had first turned me on to the apartment, but I had fallen in love with all of it over time.
I set my suitcase in the bedroom and walked back out into the living room to talk to Lance. He was busy closing the curtains and didn’t look up.
“Lance, what is wrong with you?”
“You tell me,” he snapped. “What the hell was all that about a baby, Nancy?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “I panicked.”
“It was completely off book,” he raged. “You goaded him, Nancy. He’ll double his attacks now!”
“Isn’t that what we want?” I asked my heart racing at the thought. “You wanted to catch him. To do that, we need to get him to attack.”
“This is different, Nancy. If you’re expecting a child, he can’t risk failing anymore. I might not be able to protect you the next time!” Lance screamed.
My whole body shook as I stared at him, wide-eyed. “I didn’t know, Lance,” I said, my voice cracking. “I panicked. And I was angry. He killed my father and Jim.” Tears misted in my eyes.
Lance’s arms were around me before the tears could fall. “It’s okay, Nan,” he whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”
I sniffed against his chest, inhaling his masculine scent.
Gripping my chin in his fingers, he lifted my face to meet his. “Never do anything like that again, Nancy. Do you understand me?”
His commanding voice sent shivers down my spine, desire fluttering in my stomach. Instead of answering him, I leaned up and caught his mouth with mine, seeking comfort and something else, a deeper, more primal need that both scared and thrilled me. I poked my tongue into his mouth, tangling our tongues together and running my tongue over his bottom lip. My tentative explorations caused him to groan deep in his throat and break the kiss to search my face.
He stroked my cheek with the pad of his thumb, his eyes burning into mine. Reaching behind my head, he pulled my hair out of its ponytail, running his fingers through the thick strands as they fell around my sh
oulders.
“Shit, Nancy. You’re so fucking beautiful.”
His whispered admission touched me in a place deeper than anyone had ever touched. I didn’t have time to worry about assassins as burning warmth spread from my centre to the very tips of my fingers and toes, flushing my skin with desire and longing.
I launched myself into his arms, mashing my lips on his. He responded with the same urgency I felt, nipping and biting at my lower lip and making me gasp with pleasure. Tossing my head back, I drew in a deep breath. I felt as if I was drowning in sensation, and the funny thing was, I didn’t care.
Lance trailed kisses down my neck, unzipping my dress and letting it fall to the ground. He unhooked my brain one fluid motion, taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking hard. Crying out in pleasure, I pushed him back and yanked his shirt open, buttons flying everywhere. I almost felt bad, but he’d done the same thing to me only a week ago.
He raised one eyebrow at me and pulled the shirt off, baring his solid chest. I ran my hands over his exposed skin, licking and kissing wherever my hands landed. When my tongue grazed one of his nipples, he growled and grabbed my wrists in one hand, slamming me against the wall.
His lips met mine in a deep, passionate kiss. His fingers teased and pulled at my nipples until I was all but sobbing against him. Kicking his pants off, Lance scooped me up with one arm and lowered me onto his throbbing erection. The sudden fullness made me scream with a mixture of pleasure and surprise, but I quickly recovered. Bracing my hands on his shoulders, I bounced up and down on his shaft, unintentionally shoving my breasts in his face. He took a nipple into his mouth again, his tongue flicking the hard peak.
Through my pleasure-induced fog, I registered his quick walk to the bedroom where he threw me down on the bed, collapsing on top of me, his forearms taking most of his weight. He took my wrists in his hands again and held them above my head, pressing them into the bed as his fevered gaze burned into mine.
“Stay still,” he growled.
I obeyed him as best I could as he pulled out of me and then slammed back into me, forcing a low moan from my throat.
“You’re mine, Nancy,” he rasped against my ear. “Say it. Tell me you’re mine.”
He pinned my hips with his, forcing me to remain still underneath him. I glared up at him, my breath catching at the primal savagery in his dark gaze.
“Fuck, Lance,” I breathed. “I’m yours. I’m yours.”
He released my hip and pounded into me, setting a punishing rhythm as he reached down to play with my clit and I squirmed and writhed underneath him.
The muscles deep inside me clenched as a pressure stronger than I had ever known built within me. Stars burst behind my eyelids and I screamed Lance’s name as waves of pleasure crashed over me and spasms rocked my body. With a deep growl, he shuddered, and warmth spread out of him into me, causing my sensitive pussy to twitch with aftershocks of pleasure.
He collapsed beside me, pulling me to him and throwing the covers over us. He held me close, and I listened to the beat of his heart, wondering when I had lost myself so completely to him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked after a few minutes, intuitive as always.
“I don’t know,” I whispered. “Everything is just so different.”
“Care to elaborate?” he teased.
“I’m not good at this, Lance,” I said, sighing and lifting my head to look at him. “I don’t know how to be yours.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, frowning.
“My entire life has been about my father and his legacy. I don’t have friends. I don’t date. My life has been our business. I get my business. But you… you changed all that. Now, I have you here, in my bed, and I don’t know what to do. I’m scared. Contracts and parties—even William and his assassination attempts—those I can handle, but you… I don’t know, you scare me, Lance. This scares me.”
Lance took my face in both of his hands, kissing my forehead. “Nancy, it’s not that hard. I know what you mean. Feelings like these are scary. You don’t think I’m not scared?”
“Are you?”
“I’ve only ever fallen in love one time, Nancy. She was my world. I left on my first deployment and came home to find out she had married someone else. She hadn’t even bothered to tell me.
“I don’t care if you’re a workaholic. I don’t care if you’re scatter-brained and distant sometimes because that’s how you’ve had to survive. Those things are a part of you. And I like you. All I care about is your loyalty, affection, and devotion. Friendship and trust are more important than anything else. That’s all I ask for. Give me your honesty and your loyalty, and we’ll be okay.”
Nodding, I settled my head back on his chest and fell asleep to the sound of his beating heart and the echo of his words in my mind.
Chapter Twelve: Lance
The bright light of dawn woke me from the first deep sleep I’d had in years. I looked down at the beautiful woman in my arms and smiled. Edging out of the bed, I dressed quickly in a t-shirt and jeans and slipped from the room.
I glanced around at the small apartment and got to work. Kevin had prepared everything I needed to bug Nancy’s apartment, handing it all to me last night in a large duffel bag. I crossed the living room, opened the duffel, and rummaged through it.
Two hours later, Nancy’s apartment was more secure than most government buildings. I had added the sound bugging to the mix which I knew would put Nancy on edge, but it was the only way I could think to trap Jameson in his own web.
Zipping the duffel bag back up, I crossed to the kitchen and searched through the fridge and cupboards. I had almost finished making breakfast by the time Nancy emerged from the bedroom wearing nothing but a silky robe. She smiled and rolled her eyes as I eyed her appreciatively and let out a low whistle. I could get used to having her around all the time, I thought as I turned back to the stove with a grin. Too bad I wasn’t sure she felt the same.
“Breakfast is almost ready,” I said as she sat down at the bar. “And the house is officially secure and bugged.”
“Great,” Nancy muttered, not sounding too happy about it, but she smiled as I set a plate of eggs in front of her. “Can we talk?”
“What about?” I asked, my heart flipping in my chest.
“Last night, our marriage, everything.”
“Go on,” I pressed.
“I want to know if you think this marriage is real, you know, instead of the fake one it started out as.”
My gut clenched. Was she trying to remind me it wasn’t real? I chose to avoid the question. “I know you think it isn’t real.”
She glared up at me. “How can you possibly know what I think?”
“You’re a pretty open book,” I answered, crossing my arms over my chest.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just that I can tell that after we deal with Jameson, you’ll want to go back to your simple little life where you don’t have to feel anything because that’s easier for you than admitting there might be something real between us.”
Anger burned in her eyes. “You have no idea what you are talking about, Lance.”
“Oh, come on,” I scoffed. “Everyone could tell how freaked out you were at the wedding when my mother gave you her dress and ring.”
Nancy blinked. “Your mother?”
Fuck.
“Wait, Elizabeth is your mother?” Nancy asked confusion plain on her face. Then, anger contorted her features. “If Elizabeth is your mother, that means Malcolm is your father!” she yelled, standing up, her fists clenched at her sides.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Yes. They’re my parents.”
“You… you lied to me,” she accused, backing away.
“Look, yes, I lied. But I’m the sole heir to Malcolm’s company, and—”
“Which is worth three times as much as mine,” she whispered.
I frowned. “Yes,
so?”
“So, you don’t come from some humble foster care background,” she snapped. “You come from money just like me. You lied to me about everything.”
“Yes, okay? You’re right,” I said, throwing my hands up. “The background I gave you was actually Kevin’s. I borrowed it from him. But what exactly has been honest between us from the beginning? Yeah, I lied to you about who I am, but you continue to lie about how you feel, so I guess we’re even.”
“You bastard,” she hissed, and then turned toward the bedroom.
I rolled my eyes and followed her, watching as she pulled on jeans and a t-shirt. Grabbing her unpacked suitcase, she tried to walk past me, but I held my hand up. “You can’t leave, Nancy.”
“Oh, fuck you, Lance.”
“Anytime, sweetheart, but I’m not letting you leave. Your life is still in danger.”
She pushed past me, heading for the front door.
“I’m fucking serious, Nancy,” I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. A loud crash of broken glass rang in my ears as the window beside us exploded. A bullet zoomed past the place Nancy had just been standing and buried itself in the wall.
Whirling toward the windows, I threw Nancy behind me, shielding her with my body. I pushed her toward the living room where my equipment duffel bag was still lying. Bending down, I pulled my gun out of the bag and aimed it out the window, squinting to see who had fired. A few minutes passed in tense silence, but I knew the assassin hadn’t gone. He was coming for Nancy.
“Get in the bedroom,” I barked at Nancy.
She rushed toward the bedroom door, but she never made it. The front door banged open and a burly man barrelled toward Nancy like a raging bull. I pushed her out of the way and into the wall, the large man hitting me from the side instead of Nancy.