by Blake, Lexi
Ten got in her space, his big body brushing against hers as a twangy country waltz started playing. “You want to dance, pretty girl?”
Yes. So badly. Just not with him. It was so frustrating. Ten was offering her everything she wanted. Free access to all the information she could handle and a team at her back, him in her bed when she wanted him and no need to say I love you.
She took a sip of champagne. Ten was the whole package, so why was she hesitating? “I would love to dance. I just can’t.”
His face split in a gorgeous smile. “Of course you can. Just follow my lead. That’s actually really good advice for life, Chelsea. Follow my lead and I’ll make sure you get everything you want.”
What she wanted was to see Simon. She just wanted to see Simon, but she had to be patient. The last thing she wanted was to get them moved to a more secure location. Simon knew this ranch. Ten might not understand it, but Simon had the upper hand here and she wasn’t going to lose it for him. Patience. He would want her to be patient.
He took the champagne glass from her and threaded his hand through hers, leading her to the patio which served as the dance floor. Ava Malone and her husband, David, were already out there along with Theo Taggart and a pretty blonde woman who had been introduced as Beth and who couldn’t seem to take her eyes off JT.
Ava was a lovely woman with auburn hair who appeared to be in her late forties, though Chelsea was pretty sure she’d read the woman was sixty. Her husband was a burly man whose hair was graying but his body still bore the muscular fitness of a man who worked for a living.
Ten started out slow, which was good because she really was terrible at dancing.
“Hello, dear,” Ava said as they met on the floor. “Are you having a good time?”
She still had a British accent. She was Simon’s aunt, his father’s youngest sister.
“Yes, everything is lovely,” Chelsea replied, trying to concentrate on the steps. Why did everything have to be so hard? The other women on the floor made it look effortless, but she had to think about every step.
“I can’t wait to see Simon.” Ava moved with grace. And she had that smile on her face that told Chelsea her husband had done a brilliant job of keeping her away from the news. She had to wonder what would happen when Ava eventually discovered the truth. “It’s been a while.”
David frowned as he twirled his wife around in time to the music. “Too long. That boy’s avoiding us, I tell you.”
Ava shook her head. “He certainly is not. He’s been busy with his new job. That’s all. You know how single-minded that boy can be. Chelsea, dear, how did you say you were connected with my nephew?”
The last thing she wanted to do was lie to Simon’s relatives. But how exactly did she say “we’re locked in a power struggle because I want to jump his hot bod and he won’t take my virginity until I tell him I love him. Which I don’t. Because I can’t.” Yeah. That probably wouldn’t go over too well. “We just work together.”
“At that security firm? David, why don’t you move our security to them now that Simon is working there. I really prefer to keep it in the family.”
“I’ve got in-house security, baby. And then there’s Michael’s firm, of course.” He gave Ten a pointed look.
Yeah, David Malone should probably leave the spy stuff to his son.
“Michael hasn’t exactly signed on as of yet,” Ten said with a sure smile. “I’m looking to seal that deal this weekend. He seems to get along really well with the rest of the team. I think he would fit in perfectly, and with all his experience as a SEAL, he would move right to the top.”
“Well, I for one will be happy to see him leave the military,” Ava said with a sigh. “It’s bad enough to have JT constantly on oil rigs in the middle of warzones, but Michael actively seeks battle.”
“He’s served his country.” David frowned at his wife. This was obviously an argument they’d had more than once.
Ava soothed her hands over her husband’s chest. “And I’m proud, but I’m also very happy that he’s settling down. The corporate security world isn’t the same.”
Chelsea exchanged a look with Ten. He winked her way as if he enjoyed pulling a fast one on Simon’s aunt. What she didn’t know was the corporate world was one long war after another.
“What do you say we go somewhere and talk for a while.” Ten pulled her close and whispered into her ear. “You know I can give you more than Big Tag can. And Simon is a Boy Scout. He’s never going to understand you the way I can. Let’s go somewhere and talk.”
And he would attempt to seduce her. He was attractive and smart. She could handle him because he wouldn’t push her the way Simon was. It made sense to go somewhere quiet and see if Ten could move her.
She just wasn’t going to do it. She might end up taking Ten up on his offer of employment, but she suddenly knew without a shadow of a doubt that she wouldn’t go to bed with him. Not ever.
Damn it. She was going to die a virgin because she didn’t want anyone but a British do-gooder Boy Scout who always acted like a gentleman.
“Sorry to interrupt this little party, Aunt Ava,” a familiar voice said.
Simon stepped up and he wasn’t alone. He was making a human shield out of his cousin as he stepped onto the patio. He had a SIG shoved under Michael Malone’s ribs.
Every man in the room stood up and suddenly Simon had five guns pointed his way.
“Give me Chelsea Dennis and I won’t gut my own cousin. Do you understand me, Ten? Get your bloody hands off her this very second or I swear I won’t give a damn who I kill as long I get to you,” Simon said.
Gentleman? He didn’t look like a gentleman now. Well, he kind of did because he was still in his dress shirt, slacks, and vest, though there was blood on the shirt. It didn’t matter. Without the jacket, he was predatory and lean and so gorgeous it kind of hurt to look at him. But it was the gleam in his eyes that really got her. He was dangerous. He was on the edge and it was all about her. He wasn’t a gentleman. He was her Dom and she was in serious trouble.
Jesse winked her way as he obviously lined up a shot in Ten’s direction.
Ava had gone a pasty white but she kept her stiff upper lip as she turned to Chelsea. “Just work partners, then?”
Yes, that cover seemed to have been blown all to hell.
Chapter Eleven
Simon didn’t feel even vaguely civilized as he watched Chelsea step back from Tennessee Smith. He felt like shooting the bastard. His hands had been all over her. There had been no mistaking how the agent’s big palms had been inching their way down to her ass. And she’d been smiling at him. Dancing. She’d been bloody dancing with the bastard. She never danced and she never wore heels but she did both for Ten.
“Hey, cos, could you maybe let up on the gun a little. I think you’re going to crack a rib,” Michael managed to say.
“I think he should drop the damn gun all together or I might have to ruin this little party by splattering his brains all over this lady’s nice garden,” the man who had to be Ian’s brother said.
His aunt stepped up. She walked right up to the man who had at least a foot on her and seven stone of muscle and pointed a well-manicured finger his way. “If you lay a finger on my nephew I swear I will make your life a living hell. How dare you threaten him in his own home?”
The big guy had the grace to flush but he didn’t drop his weapon. “Mrs. Malone, he has your son in a hostage hold. He’s the one who’s threatening your blood, ma’am.”
His aunt’s eyes narrowed as she placed herself between Simon and the big blond man. “If Simon is using Michael as leverage then I say Michael has been doing something he oughtn’t.”
A low laugh came from Simon’s left. Sure enough, JT stood watching with an amused look on his face and a beer in his hand. “I think you were right, brother. Simon can look after himself. Momma, did you just figure out Mikey’s using this weekend getaway to recruit for the CIA?”
; Ava’s jaw dropped open.
Michael managed to put a hand up. “Momma, just listen to me…”
“Hey, let’s all calm down.” Ten stepped up. Of all his men, he was the only one who wasn’t pointing a gun, which was sad because Simon wanted so very much to kill him. “Case, boys, let’s drop the weapons. Simon, as you can see I wasn’t hurting your lady love there.” He frowned back Chelsea’s way. “You were lying about sleeping with him. I’m surprised.”
Chelsea stood still, her eyes moving around as though looking for an exit. She was about to find there wasn’t one. Not from him. “I didn’t lie. Not exactly.”
Ten’s men holstered their weapons and the testosterone in the yard seemed to go down significantly. He wasn’t really going to kill his cousin. He eased up and let Michael go. “She signed a contract with me. She’s mine and she’s going to stay mine.”
Ten snorted a little. “Oh, you’re toeing Ian’s line then. I always said that man should have been born about three hundred years ago.”
“Does he know he has two brothers?” It was the only explanation. The two men in front of him had to be related.
“I might have failed to mention that fact to him,” Ten confirmed. “It wasn’t something he needed to know.”
“What are you talking about, boss?” the taller of the two asked. He had roughly an inch and a half on his brother.
Ten held up a hand. “That’s a discussion for closed quarters. Stand down, Case.”
Case stood down, but there was no way to miss the look in his eyes. He didn’t like standing down. He would prefer to fight it out.
His cousin turned and proved he preferred to fight as well. Simon took a hard punch to his face that almost had him seeing stars. Bastard wanted to play? He might not be at his finest, but he was righteously angry and ready to take it out on anyone. He would have preferred Ten, but he would take a stand-in at this point. Simon reared back and got Michael with a quick uppercut to his chin that sent his cousin flying back.
Michael hit the ground but was on his feet in seconds, wiping blood from his cut lip. “You want to play, Si? You think I wanted it to turn out this way? All you had to do was listen to me for ten minutes. You owed me that.”
“Simon, you need backup?” Jesse asked, his expression as bland as if he were watching two friends playing tennis.
Something nasty had taken root in his gut. “I can handle the little SEAL on my own, brother.”
Michael’s eyes widened. “Oh, you think you can? You think you can take me on? I let you get the drop on me, pretty boy. I know you like to play at being tough, but we all know you won’t get that damn suit of yours dirty in order to play with the big boys.”
“Mike, shut that shit down. He’s family. Can we sit down and talk about this?” JT suddenly seemed to be the voice of reason.
“Simon,” Chelsea walked across the patio wearing a pair of fuck-me heels. She’d put them on so she could dance with Ten. “Come on. This isn’t you.”
No. Being the tough guy wasn’t him. He certainly couldn’t handle an American operative because he was just a dandy in all their eyes. Everything he’d done, none of it mattered. He utterly ignored Chelsea. She’d obviously made her bloody choice. “I don’t get my suit dirty because I don’t have to to take you down, Michael.”
He feigned moving to the left. Michael was bigger than he was, but he was also less agile. When Michael came after him, it was easy to sucker punch him right in the gut, momentarily taking away his ability to breathe. From there, he used his elbow to break his cousin’s nose and when Michael went down to his knees, he kicked him in the groin for good measure.
“Shit,” JT breathed. “I don’t think he likes being called a pretty boy, Mike.”
Michael managed to hold up his middle finger.
Simon straightened his tie and turned to his aunt. “Hello, Aunt Ava. Sorry for showing up unannounced.”
She held her cheek up for his kiss. “Don’t worry, love. I’m thrilled. I’ll set up a bedroom for you unless you’re really leaving us so quickly. Michael, do go and get cleaned up. You know I detest blood at my parties. As for the rest of you, you’re all on probation, including you, my husband.”
Uncle David was giving Michael a hand up. “Damn it. I told you she would find out.”
Ava shot his uncle her sternest look. “I always find out.” She turned to Ten. “Mr. Smith, if that is your real name…”
Ten stepped up, right beside Chelsea. “It is, ma’am. I’m sorry to have to fudge the truth a bit, but my mission is to help your husband with some of his problems overseas. While we were here, we found out about Miss Dennis’s issue, and that really is a matter of national security. We drugged your nephew because I needed to speak with Chelsea privately and he wasn’t about to let me do that.”
“I bloody well wasn’t,” Simon said under his breath.
“His associate is also on several watchlists,” Ten said, staring at Jesse.
“Watchlists?” Chelsea asked, but Simon noticed she didn’t move away from Ten. “Why would anyone be watching Jesse?”
“Because Mr. Murdoch is dangerous and your friend there refuses to see it. The United States government would still like to know how he managed to survive when the rest of the team didn’t,” Ten said.
Simon was just about to start another fight when his aunt jumped in. She walked right up to Jesse and looked him in the eyes.
“Well, he looks perfectly fine to me,” his aunt said and she held her arm out, fully expecting that Jesse would understand she was giving him the honor of escorting her. Ava Weston Malone might live on a ranch in Texas now, but his aunt had never forgotten that she was the daughter of royalty. “Shall we? I find the barbecue tiring. I believe I would like more civilized refreshments, Mr. Murdoch. I think I shall ring for tea.”
“Okay.” Jesse frowned a little, but offered his arm. Simon nodded approvingly. He’d been attempting to civilize the younger man. “But I’ve never really liked tea.”
“Oh, heavens, it’s not really tea, young man. I’m going to call for the good vodka. My husband has driven me to drink. But calling it tea sounds so much more civilized, don’t you agree? Simon, dear, you should join us when the spy shenanigans are through. I’ll have new clothes brought up to you. Despite what Michael said, you do seem to have gotten your clothes a bit dirty. It doesn’t suit you.”
Jesse walked into the house with his aunt, leaving him alone. Only his aunt would call what had just happened spy shenanigans.
Chelsea started to take a step forward. She wobbled a bit on those heels she’d worn for another man. “Simon…”
“Don’t. I completely understand.” She’d made her choice, but he still owed his boss and that meant he couldn’t turn her over to Tennessee Smith. “Get your things together. It’s time I took you to Ian.”
Ten’s eyes narrowed, and Simon got the feeling that the guns were going to make another appearance now that his aunt was gone. “That’s not going to happen. We’re going to keep Ian out of this.”
“Says you and what army?” Simon asked.
“The one I brought with me,” Ten replied. “You make no mistake, Weston. I will not allow you or Chelsea to leave this ranch until I’ve had my say, and even then I might take her into custody.”
“Because you want to fuck with Ian?”
“Because she is a valuable asset and I won’t allow anyone to blow her up. Not while I’m breathing. I waited until you were awake because I was going to give you the courtesy of a debrief. I have valuable information on who’s trying to kill Chelsea Dennis.”
“And you couldn’t have mentioned this before?”
“Before or after you were getting your ass kicked in a motel she had no business being in. I won’t leave her with you because you have no idea how to take care of her. You’ll dump her someplace where any idiot could get to her.”
Guilt churned in his gut. He’d done the best that he could in the time he’d had, but she
’d still been placed in harm’s way. It was only luck that Ten’s men had shown up or they might have been taken out. “What kind of intel do you have?”
Ten sighed and his shoulders finally relaxed. “Now, that is something that can only be discussed after I get some of that very delicious barbecue. The good thing about being out in the open is we can talk in the open. Let’s sit down and have a beer and figure out just how fucked we all are.”
Chelsea turned her face up to him, obviously looking for guidance.
He walked past her. He was certain Ten could help her find her way.
* * * *
He was freezing her out and she wasn’t even sure why. Chelsea stared across the table as Simon tipped back a beer. She’d never seen him drink beer, but he’d taken the bottle when JT had offered it to him and gone back to looking broody and gorgeous and being noncommunicative when it came to her.
“You want some more brisket?” Ten asked, pulling the chair beside her back and sitting down.
She shook her head. “When are you going to debrief us?”
Ten sat back, his lean body relaxed. “Malone offered us use of his office after lunch. A couple of my boys are checking it out right now. We’ll sit down and I’ll put my cards on the table and you can put your cards on the table and we’ll see how our hands play out.”
Simon’s eyes found hers. It was a little like getting hit with an arctic blast. He was brutally angry with her and she couldn’t figure out why. Could he really be so angry about getting knocked out that he blamed her, too? Was he pissed that she’d gotten to stay conscious?
She didn’t understand men. When she’d looked like crap he’d been all over her. The whole time she’d been changing and trying to look halfway decent, all she’d been able to think about was him and where he was and how he was doing and yes, she’d wondered if he would like the way her butt looked in the jeans and if he thought the heels were pretty enough for her to deal with the discomfort.
He didn’t like any of it.