by Croft, Nina
“Do you want me, Lissa?” He whispered the words close to her ear and his hot breath feathered against her throat. His mouth touched her skin and only the counter kept her from falling. As his lips parted, he tasted her with the tip of his tongue. Then nipped her once and pleasure sizzled along her nerves to settle between her thighs. A shiver ran through her and he drew back.
“It’s been a long time for you.” Again, it wasn’t a question and she wondered how he could tell. Hopefully, she didn’t appear as desperate as she felt.
When she didn’t speak, he took her hand still splayed across his chest and slid it down his body.
“It’s been a long time for me as well.”
She tried to make sense of his words. Did that mean he wasn’t sleeping with The Evil One? Were they waiting for marriage or something? He pressed her hand against his body and all rational thought fled. Through the soft material of his pants, she could feel his erection. Holy hell, had he always been that big? And that hard?
Of their own accord, her fingers wrapped around him and he went still. She peeked up into his face. His eyes were closed. She squeezed gently and they shot open, his pupils shrunk to pinpoints of darkness. His nostrils flared and his head went back.
He grasped her hips and lifted her so she was perched on the granite counter top behind her. The T-shirt rode up and her naked ass was against the cool surface. It should have brought her back to her senses, but he stepped up close and her senses abandoned her. The hands at her hips slid under her T-shirt, up over her rib cage to cup her breasts and nothing else mattered. Not the plan, not the last ten years, not the fact that she didn’t believe in happily ever after. Nothing. He stroked over her nipples and she felt the touch in her groin. A pulse beat frantically between her thighs. She needed him to touch her there, and a whimper trickled from her throat.
“You’re doing well,” he murmured. “I’m almost seduced.”
She opened her mouth to say something sensible, but he leaned in and his hard mouth slanted over her parted lips and his tongue pushed inside, filling her with the taste of him, driving everything from her mind.
She parted her thighs so he could move between them, her hands sliding into the hair at the nape of his neck to drag him against her. He deepened the kiss, his tongue thrusting inside as his hands played with her breasts, tugging at the distended nipples, until her whole body clamored with the need to have him deep inside her.
He went still against her, and she whimpered again, pushing her hips up against him, trying to make him give her what she needed so badly.
“Julia’s back,” he said.
Her brain couldn’t grasp what he’d said.
Reaching up, he detached her hands from his shoulders, gave her breasts one last squeeze, tugged her T-shirt down over her hips, and stepped away from her. Lissa watched numbly as he smoothed his clothes and seconds later, perfect Daniel was in place. Except when she dropped her gaze down his body the telltale bulge of his erection was obvious.
Daniel followed her look and smiled. “Julia will no doubt be pleased you’re making progress.” He sank down into one of the upright kitchen chairs and picked up his cup of coffee.
“Progress?” she croaked and then coughed to clear her throat.
“With the plan.”
There was a plan? Her mind had turned to mush. She was still trying to formulate an answer when the kitchen door opened and Julia stood there. Her mouth dropped open as she took in Daniel at the table and Lissa still perched on the counter.
“What are you doing up there?” she asked.
An amused smile curved Daniel’s lips. “She’s practicing for the party.”
“She’s what?”
“Isn’t that the plan—that she seduces me away from Sophia?”
“You’re obviously delusional.” Julia sniffed. “Of course there’s no plan.”
“Why not? You’ve done it before. Sent her in to seduce me.”
Julia seemed baffled for a moment, and then her expression cleared. “Oh, you mean the night of your birthday? Well, no one sent her. It was her idea for God’s sake.”
“Julia!” Lissa couldn’t believe her friend had said that.
“Well, it’s not as if we coerced you or anything. You’d been dying to jump him since you were fourteen and actually grasped what it was all about.”
She gritted her teeth. “You know that. I know that. But was it entirely necessary that he knows it?”
“And me,” a new voice said.
Julia was not alone. Wonderful. A tall man lounged against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest. He had black hair and dark golden eyes. Familiar eyes. And a grin on his face. “You know, I always thought you were the perfect one of the family. It’s good to discover you’re as big a fuckup as the rest of us.”
“I’m not a fuck-up,” she snapped. Family? She looked at him again. “Jason?”
His smile broadened. “That’s me.”
She stared at him, taking in the familiar features and a smile spread across her face. “What are you doing here?”
“You wrote to me remember? Said you wanted to meet. And something about a dog. So here I am.”
Of course, she’d asked if he could take Spot, only she hadn’t expected him to turn up out of the blue. “But how did you find me here?”
“I have my ways.”
At that moment, she became aware of how crowded the small room was and of the fact that she was nearly naked. And sitting on the kitchen counter. Daniel was still seated at the table watching them, his expression once again blank, but his eyes still had that strange gleam in their depths.
“I can’t believe Lissa told you the plan,” Julia said to him, staring at him intently. “Did she fold under torture?”
He turned his attention to Lissa and his gaze stripped her bare, as if he were considering which type of torture would work best. “None needed,” he said. “I guessed. The pair of you were always transparent. But it’s been a long time, and she needed a little reminder of how it should be done.”
“So you were giving her a…reminder?”
“Well, we hadn’t actually got to the important—”
Lissa finally found her voice. “Okay. Enough.” She jumped down from the counter.
“I agree,” Daniel said. “I have a meeting to go to, so I’ll say good-bye…for now.”
She watched him out of narrowed eyes. Was he planning on coming back? Then she realized he must mean at the party.
He pushed himself up and strode toward the door. Jason stepped further into the room and Daniel paused and held out his hand. “I’m Daniel Melville. I take it you’re Lissa’s brother.”
Jason examined the outstretched hand for a few seconds, and Lissa thought he might not take it. Then he slid his palm in the other man’s. “Jason Jackson.”
A look passed between them, they dropped hands, and both stepped back.
“Right,” Daniel said. “I’ll see you two in Spain.”
Lissa didn’t move until she heard the slam of the front door as he left, and then she slumped into the nearest chair. Leaning forward, she banged her head on the table.
When she lifted it, two pairs of eyes watched her with amusement.
“You know, there are some occasions when disappearing in a puff of smoke would be real nice.”
“Never going to happen. So suck it up and take it. But wow.” Julia glanced at the door where Daniel had disappeared. “What the hell happened to Mr. Cool and Emotionless?”
“He took a vacation.”
“You’re telling me. All I can say is you’re a fast worker Melissa Jackson.”
“Am not.”
“Anyway, at least we’ve discovered he’s still alive under that stuffy exterior. There is hope.”
“Oh yeah, he’s alive.” She had a flashback to the feel of his mouth against hers, his hot breath, the thud of his heart under her palm. “Very alive.”
“He’s also dangerous,” Jason said.
Lissa frowned. “Who, Daniel? Of course, he’s not dangerous. He’s a scientist.”
“He has the eyes of a killer.”
“Of course he doesn’t,” she scoffed. “Does he? Wait. Hold that question. I can’t have this conversation nearly naked. I need to put some clothes on. Don’t go anywhere.”
Without waiting for an answer, she got up and hurried out into the hall and up the stairs. When she opened her bedroom door, Spot bounded out, heading for the kitchen as fast as his three legs would carry him. She heard his ecstatic barks. Obviously, he knew Jason.
In the bedroom, she stripped off the T-shirt and stared down at her breasts. The nipples were still tight and she ran a palm across the tips, as she remembered the feel of Daniel’s hands.
She shook herself and headed for the shower. Running the water cold, she stepped into the spray and forced herself to stay until she was shivering and all memory of his hands on her skin had washed away in the deluge of icy water.
When she got back to the kitchen ten minutes later, Julia and Jason were seated at the table talking quietly together with cups of coffee in front of them. Spot was perched on Jason’s knee, tail wagging frantically.
She hadn’t seen Jason since she was sixteen and he’d joined the army. It had been that or another stay in juvenile detention. She’d always been a little scared of him. He’d been a ferocious teenager, always getting into fights, but now she recognized that as his way of dealing with their family life. Or lack of it.
Glancing up, he caught her gaze, holding it for long minutes, his face solemn. Then he smiled. “Hi.”
She crossed the room and poured herself a coffee and sank down beside Julia, opposite her brother. “So where did you pop up from?” she asked.
“I found him loitering in the corridor outside,” Julia said. “We introduced ourselves.”
“I got your letter,” he said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to Dad’s funeral.”
“Really?” The unspoken words were that he hadn’t cared enough, and could Lissa blame him? Their father had not been a lovable man.
He gave her a rueful smile. “No, not really. I hated the bastard. But I was out of the country anyway so I had the perfect excuse. When I got back, your letter was waiting. I almost ignored it.”
“I almost didn’t write it,” she admitted.
“So why did you?”
She shrugged, not sure how to put it into words. “Maybe I thought it was time to reconcile the past. You’re my only close family, it seemed…” She shrugged again. “Or maybe I was merely curious.”
“Me, too. And I’ve got to say I’m glad I came. I wouldn’t have missed this morning for the world. My perfect, brilliant little sister sprawled half-naked across the kitchen counter.”
“I was not half-naked.”
“Rubbish,” Julia said. “And if we’d been five minutes later, I’m guessing you would have been totally naked and the two of you would have been shagging like rabbits.”
Jason choked on his coffee.
Lissa sniffed and sent her friend a narrow eyed stare. “Nonsense.”
“Really? And you’re suffering an extreme case of self-denial.” She turned to Jason. “Your sister has had the hots for my brother for about fifteen years.”
Jason studied her while he sipped his coffee. “You should stay away from him.”
“Why?” She frowned. “You said he was dangerous. What did you mean?”
“Some people give off vibes.”
“And Daniel, Mr. Perfect, is giving off danger vibes.” She snorted. “I don’t believe it. And you said he was a killer. Daniel wouldn’t kill a fly.”
“Maybe he hasn’t yet, but he could. I worked with a lot of men in the army—you learn to recognize the killers.”
“Well, luckily Daniel is a business man and he’s not going to have to do much killing.”
“Let’s hope.”
Lissa wanted to dismiss Jason’s warning—the old Daniel would never have hurt anything. But she remembered the strange energy that had filled the room this morning, how she’d sensed the pent-up power seething beneath the surface. The way it had prickled across her skin. Some “vibe.” She shook off the feeling. It was nonsense. Daniel wasn’t dangerous.
“So tell me about yourself,” she said to Jason. “What are you doing now?”
“I’m a partner in a private security firm. We take on freelance jobs, government contracts mostly. We’re doing well. What about you?”
Hmm—he didn’t seem too keen on talking about himself. She wondered why that was. “I’m between jobs at the moment.” She took a sip of coffee and sighed. “The truth is, I don’t really know where to go next.”
“Something will come to you,” Julia said. “In the meantime, we have a makeover to do. A major makeover. I’ve got you appointments at my beautician’s and then shopping—lots and lots of lovely shopping.”
“You still think we should go through with the plan?”
“Hell, yes. We’re almost there.” She frowned. “Why did Daniel come here this morning anyway?”
“He wanted to ask you to be nice to Sophia.”
Julia’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Who’s Sophia?” Jason asked.
“Daniel’s long-term girlfriend and soon to be fiancée. We think. And the biggest bitch in England.”
“He says he’s in love with her,” Lissa said.
“Yeah, right. Was this before or after he started snogging you? I’m not sure what hold The Evil One has on Daniel, but I doubt it’s got anything to do with love.”
Lissa suspected she was right. Daniel had said it had been a long time for him, which didn’t make a lot of sense if he was in love with Sophia. Maybe she was religious and was waiting for a wedding ring, though she didn’t seem the religious type. Unless she was a follower of Satan. Or maybe she had some hold on him—was blackmailing him. Damn, she was letting her imagination run away with her.
Lissa thought it was more likely some sort of business merger. Sophia had said they were working on something together. But why marry her? Why tell his family he was in love?
Today, she’d learned that Daniel’s feelings for her had been far deeper than she’d ever thought. For the first time, it occurred to her that maybe the reason Daniel had been a virgin at twenty was because he’d been waiting for her to grow up.
If so, he’d waited too long.
But if she’d stayed, she would have fucked it up somehow. Like she’d fucked up every other relationship she’d had.
She glanced across at Jason, and he stared back. He was almost as good as Daniel at hiding his thoughts. Simple curiosity might have brought him here. But perhaps he was willing to put some effort in and they could be a real family.
“We have to go out,” she said. “Would you like to come back for dinner?”
“I can’t. I’m working tonight.”
Was he brushing her off? “Sunday lunch?”
He nodded. “You’re on.”
Chapter Five
Daniel sank down into the seat behind his workstation in his laboratory deep beneath the Stone International offices. Putting his head in his hands, he groaned.
Well that had gone well.
Not.
He’d gone this morning to see Julia, meaning to appeal to her better nature, ask her to welcome Sophia to the family. He’d been going to play the love card, lie through his fucking teeth, and tell her he loved Sophia. Underneath her brisk exterior, Julia was a softy and he knew she cared about him. It would be easier if she didn’t—because then she might mind her own business.
Now, he knew what this was about. Oh God, the sisters were after him, and they had a plan.
Shit. He was well and truly fucked.
He’d been too good and played his part too successfully, which had made his family suspicious. What had Lissa called him? A goddamn robot.
He almost laughed at the idea. Almost. But really, there was nothing funny her
e. He wished he were a robot. Inside, he was a seething mass of emotions. With full moon still nearly two weeks away, he expected his control to be better than this. Already the magic was building inside him, waiting to explode out of his skin.
Had he gone too far, pushed himself too fast? But he suspected he’d have to go much further before this was over. He crossed to a cabinet, unlocked it, and examined the contents. Ten vials. Enough to increase his strength tenfold. Maybe he should inject the whole lot, go fight Ethan, and get it over with. Either take his life back or end it. But he still hoped there was another way, because after that, even if he survived, there would be no turning back. He’d be a ruthless killer. A monster beyond redemption.
What would Lissa think of him then? Disgust and hatred, he was guessing.
No, he certainly didn’t feel like a robot. But these days it seemed to be all or nothing. And he couldn’t risk the “all” around his family. Or around anyone for that matter. So he kept everything locked in tight.
Now everything was threatening to fall apart.
Because of Melissa.
To take his mind off her, he switched on the laptop. He wanted to learn more about the man at Julia’s—Jason Jackson. Lissa’s brother. In the years he’d known her growing up, she’d never talked about her family. Julia had let enough slip for him to understand that her home life was far from happy, but he hadn’t been aware she had a brother.
Something about the man put him on edge. The way he’d gripped Daniel’s hand, stared into his eyes as though he was hunting for something.
After typing the name into search box, he flicked through the ensuing pages and found Lissa’s brother easily.
He was ex-army, which explained a lot. He’d enlisted and ended up as a sergeant serving in the SAS, the toughest regiment in the British army. The man was a goddamn hero, with medals and commendations to prove it. He’d left the army after being injured in a bomb blast in Afghanistan and started up a private security firm. Which was doing well.
He resembled Melissa, at least in the hair, and the eyes, though he’d been big, tall, and broad-shouldered. And he looked like a fighter. Like Lissa, who had always fought for anything she felt strongly about. No doubt, that was how she had gotten into her line of charity work. Fighting for the underdog. If he’d realized that all those years ago, he could have played on her sympathies and she might never have left. He just hadn’t been pathetic enough.