Solid Steel (Unseen Enemy Book 6)

by James, Marysol

  Stupid, stupid woman.

  Selena yanked her hair out of its snug chignon, ran her fingers through it a few times until the unruly curls were semi-tamed. With a sigh of relief now, she headed for the door, dropped the time sheet on the front reception desk. The new woman, Roxanna, gave her an open, friendly smile.

  “Hi, Selena.”

  “Hi, Roxanna. Bye, Roxanna.”

  Roxanna laughed. “Long night?”

  “Oh, man. The longest.” Selena stifled a yawn. “I think I’ll go down to the track, do a few laps.”

  “You’re not going home to collapse?”

  “Not yet.” Selena gave her a small grin. “I love to work out after a shift, then grab something to eat, then go home and fall in to bed.”

  Roxanna nodded, amazed yet again at Selena’s discipline. Hell, if that were her and if she’d just finished work at eight a.m. on a Monday? She’d be begging for mercy by now. She supposed, though, that Selena and Griff were used to the night work. They seemed to really love it, in fact, and they were a great team.

  Her eyes traveled over Selena’s body now, envious and admiring. Wow, the woman was all taut, tight muscle and streamlined curves, without an ounce of fat anywhere on her long, perfect frame. It was clear as day that Selena worked for that body, worked like hell for it, but in her line of work, fitness wasn’t a vanity: it was a basic job requirement. It was survival and it could mean the difference between life and death when Selena was in a tight spot.

  Yeah, the guys at Solid Security were all huge guys, strong and powerful, but Roxanna was damn sure that Selena could give them a run for their money in terms of speed and stamina. And the word around the office was that Selena was one hell of a shot: she never missed. Not ever. Not even when she was backed in to a corner and had no time to do much more than just react.

  Roxanna watched as Selena stretched, those amazing, full breasts pushing against the buttons of her blouse. She dropped her arms now, flushed a bit, glanced down at her chest. A look of anger and disgust flashed over Selena’s beautiful face and she turned abruptly, hauling her beaten-up leather backpack over her shoulder.

  “Bye, Roxanna. See you tomorrow morning.”

  “Sure,” Roxanna said, a bit taken aback at the other woman’s sudden change in mood. “Take care.”

  “Yeah, you too.”

  And Selena was gone, headed out in to the crisp, bright September morning. Roxanna glanced down at her thighs, briefly considered the box of doughnuts on the counter in the staff kitchen, then thought about Selena’s strong, curvy body. Nope, she was not going to eat four doughnuts. She was going to look to the older woman for inspiration and motivation – she’d never have Selena’s perfect figure, but Roxanna could definitely be healthier.

  I’d kill for that body, I swear to God. The woman is goddamn G.I. Jane crossed with a supermodel with all-natural breasts. I will not hate her; I will not hate her.

  Well. Maybe just a tiny bit.

  **

  Selena pulled her car keys out of her jean jacket pocket and shut the office door behind her. When she turned around, she was stunned to see Luke standing right in front of her.

  “Hi,” he said, his voice as gruff and sexy as she remembered. “How you doing?”

  “Luke! I – what – you –” His obvious amusement at her stuttering took her from horrified to enraged; she immediately regained the power of speech. “What in the actual hell are you doing here?”

  He held up a brown paper bag. “I brought you breakfast.”

  “You – you what?” She stared at him. “Why would you do that?”

  He shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I do that?”

  “Because I didn’t ask you to,” she pointed out.

  “No.” His grin was devastating and her heart jumped in her chest. “But don’t you ever do nice things without being asked?”

  She ignored that. “Well, I’m not eating right now. Thanks, anyway.”

  “No? How come?” He leaned against his pickup truck and crossed his arms loosely. “You going home to sleep?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going to work out.” She waved her hand at the bag. “So I’m afraid that Mexican food is out right now.”

  “You’re going to the gym?”

  “Again, none of your damn business, but no.”

  “Oh, right.” He tilted his head at her and looked her up and down and she was suddenly incredibly self-conscious. She stood up a bit taller, trying to stop the blush that was no doubt working its way across her face at his scrutiny. “You’re a runner.”

  “How did you know that?”

  “Griff said that you were a marathoner.”

  She paused. “He did?”

  “Sure. We talk about our work, you know, so he told me a bit about you. You are his partner.”

  “Oh. Right.” Selena wasn’t sure if she was pleased that Luke knew things about her or not, decided that on the whole, she was not. “Well, I’m off. Have a good day.”

  “Hey, wait up. I have an idea.”

  She turned back to him, straining hard for patience. “Yes?”

  “Well, it just so happens that I’m off to work out too.”

  She rolled her eyes.”What an astounding coincidence.”

  “No lie, I swear.” His eyes were wide and innocent. “I usually finish my shift at Curves around eight or nine, then I head off to The Rock to work out.”

  Despite herself, she was interested in that fact. “The Rock? The martial arts gym?”

  “Yeah. I kickbox.”

  Now Selena was the one looking Luke up and down, frankly and with a hint of appreciation. Yeah, she could totally see him in loose black sweatpants and nothing else, spinning and kicking a punching bag, sweat glistening on his massive shoulders and broad chest. No way a man got a body like Luke’s without working for it… and the man clearly worked. His arms alone were staggeringly impressive.

  She wondered about his hand, though: did he have some way to use his missing hand to punch? Did a boxing glove cushion his stump, or did he just use one hand and have strategies to protect himself with the other? She stared at him, not about to ask because surely it was horribly rude… but she was inexplicably curious about Luke. She wanted to ask him things, all of a sudden. She wanted to get to know him a bit.

  Luke saw the spark in those amazing dark eyes and hope rose in his chest. Maybe, just maybe, she’d start to let down her guard around him. Maybe just a bit.

  “OK,” she said now, abrupt and defensive, effectively crushing his hopes that she was coming around. “So you’re going to work out right now. And?”

  “And,” he said. “I’ll make you a deal.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  Ignoring her sarcasm, he gave her his most charming grin. “So here it is: I come with you for a run.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. We’ll do a one-mile race, OK? If I win, we go on a date. I choose where and when, and you just show up looking gorgeous. Hopefully in a short skirt that’ll show off those long, hot legs.”

  Selena opened her mouth, closed it. This was fucking unbelievable.

  “Uh,” she said at last. “And if I win?”

  He shrugged. “I leave you alone.”

  That stopped her dead in her tracks. “You – really?”

  “Really. I’ll never come near you again.”

  “Will you call me?” she asked suspiciously.

  He laughed and she liked it: Luke’s laugh was open and deep and husky. Oh, Lord, he was attractive.

  “You looking for loopholes that I may exploit, babe?” he teased her.

  “Yeah.” She disregarded the fact that she also really liked it when he called her ‘babe’. “So… you won’t come near me, won’t call me, won’t contact me in any way, shape or form. Right?�
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  “Right.”

  “You won’t send me notes passed to me by Griff?”

  “What, like grade six math class, passing the cute girl notes? Nope, I won’t do that.”

  “Smoke signals?”

  He laughed again and she found herself smiling back.

  “Nope.” He ran his hand through his messy dark hair. “No Morse code or flag semaphore or signal lights.”

  “Telepathy?”

  “Fuck, you’re adorable. Nah, babe. No telepathy.”

  She looked at him now, really considered his offer. She could run a six-minute-mile without any major effort and she knew that Luke would never be able to keep up at that pace. His body was built for strength, not speed, and she would leave him in the dust. No debate and no doubt.

  So, yeah, if she took this deal, she’d kick his ass and then he’d leave her alone. Easy-peasy solution, all resolved, headache gone. The surprising and upsetting thing was that she was actually hesitating. She didn’t want Luke to stick around since she felt like she was just leading him on, but she didn’t want him to go, either.

  Shit. I actually like the guy. Dammit.

  OK, so. She liked him. She was attracted to him. There was chemistry. Fine. But she was damaged goods and a guy like Luke would never find her attractive once he got under her shirt. Best to just kill this where it stood. Best to just send him on his merry way. Best for both of them that way, whether he knew it or not.

  “OK,” she said. “One mile race. I win, you leave me alone. You win, I put on a skirt and a smile and show up for a date.”

  “Great.” He pushed himself off his truck and she almost sighed at the strong movement. “So, I’ll drop this food off for Griff and then I’ll meet you at the track?”

  “Yeah. See you there.”

  **

  Thirty minutes later, Luke watched as Selena walked towards him. She was in a red hoodie and dark blue spandex and her legs just went on forever. Her hair was tied up tight, her cheeks were pink in the morning chill. She looked stunning and he felt his cock harden at the sight of her long, curvy body in those running pants. He wanted to cup her pert ass in his large hands, pull her in close. Kiss her until she begged for him to peel off those tight little pants and fuck her.

  Despite her holding herself away from him and her coldness, he knew she’d be responsive. He knew she’d writhe under him and scream his name as she came, shaking and clutching him close.

  Selena tried hard to not notice how goddamn hot Luke looked in workout clothes. She was a tall woman, but he towered over her; she wasn’t a pixie, but his bulk made her feel tiny, delicate. Impossibly feminine. He made her feel like a woman, despite it all. That was a surprise to her, that she could still feel that way. And it only happened around Luke.

  They stared at each other, took each other in fully. Then Luke smiled.

  “You ready?”

  “Yeah,” she replied. “You sure you want to do this?”

  “Sure I’m sure.” He stretched a bit and helplessly, her eyes were drawn to the way that his long-sleeved shirt sculpted to his chest muscles. “I want to see you in a skirt.”

  She shook her head, amused and exasperated. “Uh-huh. So… let’s do it.”

  “OK.”

  “You did a few warm-up laps?”

  “Yeah. You?”

  “Yeah, around the other side of the building.”

  “So we’re on,” he said.

  “It seems so.”

  They walked over to the starting point and stood with their toes on the line. The track was quiet that morning, with only one other person making leisurely circles. Selena sighed a bit, tightened her ponytail.

  “OK, so,” she said. “Four times around.”

  “Got it.”

  “You want to count down?”

  “Sure. From three, yeah?”

  “Fine.” She pointed and flexed her feet in her sneakers, bent over with her fingertips on the track. “Ready when you are.”

  “Oh, I’m ready. “ He bent over too and balanced perfectly on his one strong hand, turned his head to grin at her. “So here we go.”

  She nodded, trying not to notice how blue his eyes were in the morning sun.

  “Three… two… one!”

  Selena exploded in to movement, her legs pumping under her without any conscious thought at all. Her body loved running, went in to sprint mode easily, and she hit her stride right away, fell in to the rhythm as naturally as she breathed.

  For two weeks or so after recovering from her surgery, she’d found running awkward. Running without the weight of her breasts on her front had thrown off her balance, she’d been surprised to discover, and it had changed how she’d moved her arms. She’d had to relearn how to move, how to run, how to find her center. She’d done it, of course, and now she found it effortless. Well, it was physically effortless, but still a source of emotional pain.

  Wrenching her mind away from the scars on her chest, she heard Luke’s heavy footsteps pounding on the track behind her. He sounded surprisingly close, actually, but she wasn’t worried. No way he’d be able to maintain that speed for the whole mile – his body simply wouldn’t be able to keep moving his massive weight at that momentum. Physics were physics, and it was pretty damn hard to argue with the relationship between mass, speed and force.

  It’s called velocity and at two-hundred-and-twenty pounds or so, it isn’t your friend.

  She ran the first lap in about seventy seconds, picked it up a bit for the second one. Luke’s footsteps had fallen farther behind already, but she didn’t let up, didn’t slow down. If anything, she wanted to get as far away from him as possible. It made her feel safer, somehow, to be away from that straining, sweating body.

  She shot over the line, started her third lap, her breathing steady and controlled. That was when she heard Luke fall.

  It sounded like he went down hard: she heard the thud as his solid body hit the track, then roll off the smooth curve and under a tree. As she spun wildly to look at him, his loud grunt shocked her. Fuck, he was hurt. The thought that this gorgeous, confident man could actually show pain or weakness stunned her and drove her forward.

  “Luke!” She sprinted over to his inert body, saw how he was clutching his ankle. She fell to her knees next to him in the shadow of the overhanging tree branches. “Luke! You OK?”

  “Urgh,” he groaned. “Yeah.”

  “Your ankle?”

  “Hurts.” He sat up now, grimacing. “I think I may have twisted it.”

  “Shit. Really?”

  “Yeah.” He stretched his leg out in front of him. “I think so.”

  “Oh, God. I’m sorry.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I knew your body wasn’t built for this. You aren’t a sprinter. And you’re cocky as hell so I should have known you’d push too hard and hurt yourself, just to prove a point.”

  “Yeah. I’m kind of a competitive dumb ass.”

  She laughed, then bit her lip. “Can I see?”

  “My ankle?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be careful, OK?”

  “OK.”

  He spread his large thighs to give her some more room and she knelt between his legs, steadfastly keeping her eyes away from the impressive bulge that was clearly visible even in those loose pants. Good God, the man was huge everywhere, and the urge to touch him overwhelmed her. He’d feel amazing, she just knew it.

  Getting her mind out of the damn gutter was an effort, but she managed it somehow. Getting back to the task at hand, Selena carefully lifted the bottom of his track pants, exposing his tanned skin. She ran her fingers over his right ankle, pressing gingerly. He flinched.

  “Hurts?” she said.

  “Uh-huh.”

  She nodded, continued her examination. No swelling, no edges
under the skin, not even any bruising or redness. She heaved a sigh of relief.

  “It looks fine, actually.” She touched him one last time, liking how he felt under her fingertips. “Definitely nothing broken. Maybe you lucked out and just sprained it.”

  He nodded and moved closer to her. Startled, she leaned back a bit, lifted her eyes to his. When his powerful arms snaked around her, she was too shocked to react right away, and when he kissed her, she was too dizzy with desire to react at all.

  Luke’s lips were tender and slow-moving, a direct contradiction to his hard, urgent body. Selena whimpered, just a tiny sound in her throat, but he heard it.

  Quick as a flash, he slid his forearms along her sides, under her arms, lifted her up and over, lowered her gently to the grassy ground. He rolled now, covered her body with his own. He gripped her hair with his one hand and held her in place, and she gave up fighting this. She just gave in to this moment, just for a few seconds. She needed this strength, this heat. Just this once and just right now.

  Luke couldn’t believe it when she kissed him back, so fucking sweet and soft under him. Her fingers were curled in his shirt, tugging him closer. God, she was almost burrowing in to him, her smaller body swallowed up by his massive frame. She shuddered, held on tighter, and he felt nothing but need and want coming off her.

  He kissed her again and again, the intensity and heat increasing as she responded fully. When he touched her lips with his tongue, she moaned and opened up to him right away. No hesitation, no protest.

  He stroked the inside of her mouth slowly, loving the taste of her. She was minty and bright, so goddamn fresh and pure, and he was sure he’d never get enough of her. He lifted his upper body, moved up and over her trembling curves, took most of his massive weight on his forearms. His elbow brushed her full breasts and that was when she seemed to come back to herself. He silently cursed when she opened her eyes and blinked. God, he hoped she wasn’t going to pull away.

  She leaned away from him. “Luke…”

  “Yeah, babe?” He moved his fingers through her hair. “You OK?”

  “Me?” She shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts. “What about you? Your ankle…”