by Nowlan,Anya
Selina spent the hours leading up to the meeting with Parker pacing and worrying. Stone came and went, assuring her he was using back roads and hidden entrances in case they were being watched. Tom and his driver were still in the basement with Kate’s security guys keeping a close eye on them.
Kate appeared in the living room where Selina was already waiting in a cloud of Chanel No. 5, wearing a skintight light pink dress, hair in her signature curls. The outfit definitely didn’t leave room for any weapons.
She looked less and less like a scary assassin and more like a suburban Barbie every time Selina saw Kate. In a way, Selina was sure that it was a part of Kate’s skillset, to look as unthreatening as possible.
Selina guessed the over-enthusiastically applied perfume was to mask any scents she might have been carrying. She had already heard Kate take a very long shower beforehand.
“That must be one tiny microphone,” Selina remarked, keeping her distance.
Kate laughed, tapping her chest.
“It’s hidden under the edge of my bra. Very powerful, you guys should be able to hear every whisper.”
“Shouldn’t we have a safe word so we know if you’re in trouble? Like ‘pineapples’ or something?” Selina asked, suddenly recalling every action movie she had ever seen.
It sounded ridiculous when she said it, but the idea itself had to have some merit, because Kate didn’t laugh her out of the room.
“Maybe something a little less conspicuous,” Kate smirked before considering it for a moment.
“If I ask to use the bathroom, you come running in. How’s that sound?”
Selina nodded, before getting up and heading to the garage to meet up with Stone. Her heart beat heavily in her chest when she entered the large space, but Stone barely took note of her. He was still a bundle of tightly wound nerves and his body language told Selina all she needed to know.
As far as Stone seemed to be concerned, Selina should be tied up and left home with seven armed guards standing over her. The last thing he must have wanted was her to be put in the path of any kind of possible danger again.
Tough luck. I’m going to help in any way I can, she thought.
They were going to arrive early to set up and stake the place out. Stone handed her a laptop before picking a black SUV with tinted windows as their ride for the evening.
“It’ll be fine,” he told her, but he didn’t sound particularly convincing.
Selina climbed in, hands sweating and bile rising in her throat.
Kate is going to be fine. Right?
Eighteen
Stone
Stone pulled into an alley near Parker’s apartment complex, careful to stay in the shadows and not draw attention. Selina handed him the laptop they took with them and he got to work.
Keeping his gaze off of Selina took more work than he dared admit, either to himself or her. She made focusing on anything other than her damn near impossible.
Get a grip, he told himself sullenly, willing the danger to pass so he could finally spend time with her without danger constantly on their heels.
It didn’t take long until the chatter of Kate’s security guards flowed out of the speakers. He hooked up two sets of headphones using a splitter, handing one pair to Selina. Their hands touched, sending a jolt through him.
Somewhere along the ride, her obvious nervousness had turned to determined concentration. Her eyes were focused on the building as she listened to the feed. With pursed lips, she turned to the laptop and fiddled with the audio controls, nodding to herself when she got them just right.
My little spy, Stone couldn’t help but smile.
They sat in silence, Stone stealing glances at her when he thought she wasn’t looking. The small blush on her cheeks told him he was being less than subtle.
Finally, he spotted Kate’s car pulling up to the curb outside of the building. Two men got out first. One of them was the guy posted at the door when he and Selina first came to Kate.
Stone remembered now that the man’s name was Richard. Kate had promoted him to head of security shortly before she and Stone broke up.
She must be more worried than she let on if she brought her top guy with her.
Richard opened the door for her and Kate got out. Stone could hear Selina’s pulse quicken beside him.
“She’s going to be fine,” he assured her, disliking how worried she looked.
He was saying ‘fine’ too much. Another sign that he wasn’t being completely in control of his faculties either.
Once this is over, I’m going to make sure she never has to worry about anything ever again.
Stone scoffed at his own thoughts. He was assuming she would want anything to do with him, despite the obvious attraction between them.
“Yes, we’ll make sure she is,” Selina answered.
For a while, all they heard was the clicking of Kate’s heels. That was followed by the whoosh of an elevator.
“Miss Walker, right on time. I like that,” an unpleasant sounding voice said.
By the way Selina’s breath hitched, Stone could tell it was Parker. He remembered the bruises on Selina’s arms and his lion roared, urging him against all better judgment to run in there and rip him to shreds. With great difficulty, he pushed the impulse down.
“Of course. I am a professional, after all,” Kate answered, smooth as honey.
“I can see that there is no need to search you,” Parker purred. “But I would feel more comfortable if your guys waited in the lobby. These are delicate matters we are about to discuss,” he continued.
“No problem. As soon as you do the same with your men,” Kate countered pleasantly, earning a laugh from Parker.
Nothing more was said on the subject, but Stone could hear a row of footsteps pass Kate’s microphone.
“Please, this way.”
Kate’s heels clicked, followed by a rustle of fabric. Stone assumed it was just the two of them now, with Parker’s goons lurking somewhere out of sight.
Kate spoke first.
“I was surprised to get your call. One would think you would handle this kind of business internally.”
There was a slight edge to Parker’s reply.
“We are handling it, but I thought we could benefit from someone who knows the target personally.”
Selina threw Stone a worried glance, her mouth in a grim line. Her face seemed to echo his own thoughts.
How much does Parker know?
Kate let out a small laugh.
“Personally? I was forced to work a job with him once, doesn’t really make me an expert on the man,” she replied without any hint of nervousness.
“Yes, but you must have picked up on something during that time. His methods, who his contacts are, those kinds of things.”
Selina let out a sigh of relief. It didn’t seem Parker was on to them.
“You know we don’t just share that information in my trade. If I may ask, why do you think he’s even still in Chicago? The smart thing would be to get out of town.”
“Calloway probably figured we would be watching every major transportation hub in town, which we are. And the girl he has with him has attachments here. Not to mention a couple of my guys went missing today. All that was left behind was the body of a business associate. Someone had used his throat as a chew toy.”
Parker was starting to sound agitated. His reputation within the Crimson Claws was on the line and he needed to wrap things up sooner rather than later. Stone grinned at the discomfort in the bastard’s voice.
“How inconvenient,” Kate commented sympathetically.
Stone could hear Parker take a deep breath, probably to calm himself.
That’s it, you bastard. Enjoy cooking in the fucking mess you created for yourself.
“Is there anything you can tell me that might be useful? I will pay you for the information, of course.”
There was a small pause in the transmission.
“I can tell you he�
��s stubborn and a pain to work with, but that’s about it. I’ll reach out to all my contacts, maybe he has turned to someone I know for help. I’ll keep you posted on my progress and bill you accordingly,” came Kate’s even reply.
Stone would remember to thank her for the compliments later on.
“If you do happen to find Mr. Calloway, I’d prefer to have him alive. But if that’s not a possibility, I understand. The woman he’s with I want unharmed, though.”
“Understood.”
Another rustle of motion, and Parker’s voice sounded closer to the microphone this time.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Walker.”
Kate’s voice carried a hint of a smile.
“Likewise.”
The familiar sounds of Kate’s shoes hitting the floor filled the following silence. Soon, Stone could spot her exiting the building, her security team following closely behind. He let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, relief flooding him. If he had had to run in there with guns blazing to mount some sort of a rescue, he was pretty damn sure that it would have turned out ugly for both sides.
Stone took off his headphones and turned to Selina, who was loosening her death grip on the edge of her seat.
“We’ll wait here for a while in case Parker has her followed.”
Selina surprised him by slipping her hand into his as he spoke, her little body tense and wound up. Her skin was soft and warm and he closed his fingers around hers with a suppressed growl.
“I hate the sound of his voice,” she said quietly, looking at Stone.
Images of him biting down on Parker’s throat filled Stone’s head. The fact that he had caused Selina any discomfort at all was unforgiveable in Stone’s book.
He lifted her hand to his mouth, peppering it with kisses, attempting to get her mind off that sorry excuse of a man. Selina’s lips parted slightly as her eyes followed the movement.
“Let me help you forget,” he murmured against her skin, looking up at her as his lips lingered longer on her skin.
Selina’s breathing became shallower as her dark eyes bore into his, glowing with the same need his own eyes must have been expressing. Stone gently pulled her towards him and started to slowly kiss up her arm, the smell of her skin filling his nose.
He didn’t miss the tremble that ran through her.
His lion roared, pleased.
“Oh, what the hell,” Selina suddenly mumbled, climbing over the gearshift and into his lap.
Stone’s hand went instinctively to recline the seat back a little to give her room.
I like where this is going.
She was an odd little thing. All full stop and then full steam ahead, like she had only two options. Entirely involved or completely drawn back. He liked that about her, the little enigma she made of herself kept his interest piqued like no other woman ever had.
Stone slid his hands over the thighs straddling him, enjoying the weight and feel of the gorgeous woman on top of him. He was finally free to touch her, let his hands roam over every luscious inch. Nothing could feel better or more right than that.
Selina wrapped her arms around his neck and hungrily slanted her mouth over his. Their tongues tangled, her sweet taste filling his senses. Her passion was unmistakable, sending an electric charge through his body. No woman had ever affected him the way she did and both he and his lion knew that no other woman would either.
Stone broke away to move down, dragging his lips along the sensitive skin of Selina’s neck in between nibbling kisses. Her head tilted back, raven hair tumbling down her shoulders. Her hips bucked against his rock hard erection as his mouth reached the top of her breasts, swirling patterns there with his tongue.
Stone grabbed her full ass, pulling her hips even closer to his. This prompted her to grind against him, unraveling his self-control. Stone’s hands roamed upward, dipping beneath the back of her shirt and unclasping her bra. Pulling the front of her V-neck down, he exposed her full breasts and hardened nipples. He gently sucked one into his mouth, eliciting a moan.
They were barely hidden behind the dark-tinted glasses of the SUV, and it only added to the experience. The hint of danger along with the lust made Stone’s blood boil, adrenaline pumping through his veins like a long-lost sensation he’d been needing like air.
Peeking up, he saw that Selina’s eyes were closed and her face twisting in pleasure. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen and made his lion growl proudly. He couldn’t help but grab her chin and claim her mouth with an all-consuming kiss.
Mine.
Stone hadn’t even noticed that all their scrambling around had yanked the headphones from the laptop until a female voice flowed out of the speakers.
“Guys, are you there?”
Not now, Stone groaned. Kate always did have the worst timing.
Selina abruptly stopped moving, her mouth still lingering on his.
“I’m home now, I don’t think I was followed,” Kate continued, her voice sounding more than a little annoyed already.
Selina climbed off of him and back into the passenger seat while avoiding eye contact and fumbling with her bra.
“We should go,” she blushed.
Stone’s lion rumbled, dissatisfied. There was so much more of her body Stone wanted to explore. Right now.
He cocked a brow at her disheveled appearance and swollen lips. This time, the evidence of her attraction towards him was clear for both of them to see. He wouldn’t let her hide from it.
“In a hurry to continue this somewhere a bit more comfortable?” he suggested with a wry smile.
“You’re a good kisser, but you’re not that good. I’m not just going to fall into bed with you,” she answered with a pointed look.
There she went again, pushing him away. It stung a little, but at least now he knew for certain he affected her just as much as she did him.
He’d never been the kind of guy to shy away from a chase.
“We’ve already shared a bed, if you recall. And you were the one that jumped into my arms just now,” he countered.
“I wasn’t thinking clearly,” she said, looking away, blushing scarlet red.
“Or maybe you think too much,” Stone suggested, starting the car.
She made his head spin and hormones were running wild in his bloodstream. If she’d say the word, he’d be all over her in a heartbeat.
Funny how the hardest thing he’d had to do in his life so far was to not claim that which he knew to be his.
There’s an undeniable attraction between us, and I have just the plan to make you admit it.
Nineteen
Selina
The drive back to Kate’s house was a bit tense, to say the least.
Selina’s body was still humming and a part of her wanted Stone to pull the car over and continue right where they left off. The way he kept looking at her gave her the feeling he was probably considering it. Worst of all, she got the feeling that he could smell it. To a shifter’s keen senses, her arousal must have been completely evident.
Selina squirmed in her seat.
She was from a different world than him. Getting attached would only end in pain. She just needed to focus on bringing Parker down without getting killed in the process, and getting Kate and Stone through it all unharmed as well. Not that she could do much to ensure the latter, most of the time.
Fucking with Stone’s head probably doesn’t help, she thought with a roll of her eyes, cursing her own lack of self-control.
Kate was already waiting when they slipped in through the back door, stepping out of her shoes and removing her diamond earrings the moment she saw them walk in without a scratch on them.
“So what do you think?” she asked.
“I don’t know. He could be on the level, or he could just be waiting for you to lead him to me. Whatever the case, we have to be extra careful,” Stone answered, standing so close to Selina she could feel the warmth radiating off of her. “I�
�m just glad to be out of that apartment. It looked like Fort Knox in there,” Kate shuddered.
“Right?” Selina exclaimed, glad to hear she wasn’t the only one who found it distasteful.
“It’s getting late, I think we all should get some rest,” Kate sighed.
The way Selina’s pulse jumped every time Stone even glanced at her with that little knowing quirk on his lips told her falling asleep would not be easy tonight. Keeping Stone out of her thoughts was proving to be more and more impossible.
Or keeping herself off of his lap, apparently.
“What about our guests downstairs?” Stone asked.
Kate rubbed her temple, looking like she might have a migraine.
“I’d forgotten about that.”
Leave it to Kate to forget about kidnapped men in her basement.
“Let them stew, think about what’s coming,” she said with a dismissive wave. “It’s not like they’re going anywhere.”
“I guess we’re not in any particular hurry…” Stone trailed off, pursing those kissable lips of his.
“It’s settled then,” Kate nodded before strolling away, curls bouncing with each step.
Stone turned to look at Selina with fire in his eyes. It was getting dangerous just to look at him. She didn’t trust herself in his presence anymore. Better to avoid it if at all possible.
Never figured myself to be a masochist, she thought, swallowing dryly as he caught her in that gaze of his.
“Good night!” she quickly said before rushing to her bedroom.
Selina closed the door behind her with a sigh. The whole day had been an insane rollercoaster ride. She slipped out of her clothes, deciding a long hot shower was just what the doctor ordered. Padding into the bathroom, she couldn’t help but think of Stone, and if he was undressing right now as well.
The glass around Selina steamed up as she stepped under the stream, sighing as her muscles relaxed under the current. Heat spread through her body, not unlike when Stone had run his hands up her back or nibbled on her neck. The memories had her mimicking his touch with her own hands, sliding her wet fingers over her body.