by Marie Harte
“Justice Ball? So, you’re a lawman? Not exactly my thing. I’m a private entrepreneur.” Jed changed the subject. “So, you and Alex are friends?”
“Yes, we are,” Peter answered quickly. He picked up Alex’s hand and kissed it, right where Jed’s mouth had been.
Alex allowed her discomfort to show with a hesitant smile and a glance between the men. She wanted Peter to see her as unsure, confused. She’d arrived with Peter, but Jed’s pursuit made an impact. Now to show Peter without being too obvious.
“Good friends?” Jed asked with a hint of disbelief. “What do you say, Alex? You fucking him?”
Alex didn’t have to fake her discomfort this time. “I only met Peter a few nights ago. But he’s very sweet, and we did arrive together here tonight.”
Peter’s satisfied grin told her she’d pleased him.
But Jed wasn’t finished. “Alex, honey, I wasn’t finished our dance.”
“Well, I don’t know.” She paused with a quick glance at Peter’s face.
Jed pulled out a wad of cash and handed her a hundred dollar bill. “Go get yourself another drink, and I’ll join you in a minute.”
Unable to deny the command in his voice, she complied with an apologetic look at Peter. She left, hoping she’d done her part. Now it was up to Jed.
THE MINUTE HER FEET hit the stairs, Jed turned to Peter with a shark-like grin. “Okay, Peter. Let’s lay it on the line. Alex wants me. I’m leaving here with her, and there’s not a whole lot you can do to stop me. I always get what I want,” he added with just enough arrogance to make Omaney clench his jaw.
The asshole regarded him with narrowed eyes. “Is that so?” He rubbed his fingers over the condensation on his glass. “You mentioned you’re here on business. I might be able to help you. I’m an important man around here, one who has connections. For example, say you needed extra security around the docks tonight. I could make sure the police arrived in record numbers to provide assistance.”
Perfect. Omaney had already heard and swallowed the rumors floating around about Jed Black’s business with the Cortez brothers. The man’s grim smile and loosely veiled threat said much about his growing attachment to Alex. She’d gotten under the man’s skin faster than they might have hoped. Hunter wasn’t surprised.
“You know, Pete,” Jed said, his trademark ego intact. “I know a few folks in the federal department who are really interested in your ties to Wraith.”
Peter didn’t so much as blink, though his hand tightened around his glass.
Hunter shrugged. “I figure they’re on a wild goose chase. But I hear things. I know someone is moving a very precious commodity pretty soon. A beautiful, living and breathing commodity worth a lot more than that wonder drug your nonexistent friend is peddling.”
Peter merely stared at Jed, neither confirming nor denying anything.
“I think it might prove fruitful for us to do business. Now, the way I figure it, I’ve got something you want.” He tapped his finger against the glass table.
“And what would that be?”
“Besides my contacts and my information? The girl, Peter. I’ve got Alex in the palm of my hand, and soon enough in my bed. But I’m not a greedy man. You arrange for a meeting with your friend, and I’ll deliver the woman as a token of good faith.”
Peter seemed to mull the idea. “What makes you so sure she’s worth it?”
Interesting he didn’t deny Jed’s claim on her. “Well, she’s worth a hell of a lot more than Rebecca Mitchell.”
Peter’s energy flared, the scent of fear ripe in the air. “Who?”
Got you, you bastard. “I know, Peter. But you don’t. You have no idea what I’m capable of. I’ll be moving millions in arms tonight, right under the nose of the Feds and the police. They can’t touch me. And neither can you,” he said in a low voice and stood. He tossed Omaney a business card with a cell phone number scrolled across it. “Set up a meet. I want what your partner has to offer. Screw me over and I’ll slit your throat, no questions asked.”
He turned to leave when Peter stood.
“Jed, wait.”
Hunter turned and noted the open frustration on the man’s face. Jed Black’s reputation put the fear of God into those who crossed his path. Omaney was no exception.
“I’ll see what I can do about my...friend. Just don’t harm the girl. She’s worth more than you know.” Peter frowned, clearly not happy about losing.
“Don’t sweat it. She won’t have a mark on her. Tell me, is she as good as she looks?” he asked.
“Better,” Peter murmured, his attention riveted to Alex below, standing by the bar. “If you’re serious about a meet and greet, you’re going to have to take good care of her. And I’m going to need some proof that you really are who you say you are.”
“Be at the docks tonight. You’ll see plenty.” Hunter nodded and left. He found Alex surrounded by several men while her brother kept a subtle watch over her.
“It worked,” he whispered and nipped at her earlobe. In a louder voice, he ordered her to accompany him to the dance floor, sure Omaney watched it all.
In the middle of the crowd, he commanded space. Going on instinct, he ran his hands over Alex’s curvy frame, resting his hands over her taut ass as he pulled her into his growing erection. The excitement of his triumph over Omaney was enhanced by Alex’s arousing presence.
Though he knew they played a part, his body couldn’t tell the difference between reality and fantasy. He felt every press of her breasts against his chest and could smell her essence with a dizzying familiarity as his body urged him to move even closer.
Jed wouldn’t ask. Jed would take. That in mind, Jed yanked her head close for a kiss. He kissed her breathless and thought she was doing a hell of a job playing her part. His dick rode her crotch, fitting perfectly against curves made just for him. Her breasts fit his palms, and he made no pretense about the fact he was sexing her up in the middle of a crowded dance floor.
Before he forgot he played a part, Jed raised his head and caught Omaney’s fierce gaze. He gave Omaney a nod, his job done, and decided to end this part of the evening. Escorting her away from the jeering crowd and out a back exit, he pulled her toward the car waiting for them. Hunter made sure to give anyone still watching a picture to remember. He ravaged Alex’s mouth and neck, wrapping her leg around his back as he surged against her core, wanting nothing more than to finally thrust deep inside her.
It took J.D. clearing his throat for the third time before Hunter let her go.
Hunter gave him Jed’s grin before entering the limo with Alex in tow. Once they sped away from the club, Alex shot across to the seat facing him and sat back on the cushions, panting for breath.
“I swear, Hunter, if you grab me one more time, I’m going to belt you.” She glared at him over heaving breasts and a sweet perfume that spoke of her need as clearly as the lust in her emerald gaze.
“Really?” he said smoothly. “Because it sure didn’t seem like you were putting up any resistance. Oh, that’s right,” he mocked. “You were acting, weren’t you?”
Prodding Alex’s temper eased his own frustration with tonight’s performance. Or lack of performance. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
J.D. lowered the window separating them and grinned into the rearview mirror. “You guys are making me sweat and Cole swear. Nice work. So, tell me, how do you think it went?”
Hunter shrugged. “Omaney’s familiar with Black’s reputation. He didn’t put up a fight for Alex, though he wanted to. He’ll convey to Wraith everything I told him. I mentioned Rebecca’s name. He knows that I know.”
Alex frowned. “Was that wise?”
“I needed to impress upon your playboy that Jed Black knows all, sees all, and is not a man to be trifled with. And then I delivered the killing blow. I took his woman.”
“Great. So now we go back to the Formati to reinforce the idea we’re together?”
“I’ll stay wit
h you for an hour or so, then leave to do business on the docks. I’ll return to your suite to get you around five. Be packed and ready to go.”
When they stopped at the hotel, J.D. once again played the role of chauffer. As he stood holding the door for them, Alex leaned close to tease him.
“You really do wonders for the uniform.”
Before J.D. could say anything, Jed knocked him back as he exited the limo. He tucked her under his arm as they walked to the elevator together, acting extremely possessive as he ran his hand over her hip. He drew soft circles over her thin dress, and Alex had to grit her teeth not to moan aloud at the exquisite sensation.
I’m playing the role of his lover. This isn’t real.
They entered the elevator and she forced herself to take a step back, needing the small space for self-preservation.
Thankfully, they rode alone. But Hunter left nothing to chance. He leaned closer to her and whispered, “There’s a camera on us. Play to it.” He nipped her ear and enveloped her in his solid arms. When he kissed her, he blazed a trail over her lips and down her neck.
Thoughts of their deception fled as his hands rose from her waist to cover her breasts, his fingers passing over her aroused nipples again and again, until she wanted to beg him to take her.
Alex groaned, her head thrown back as he sucked at the column of her throat.
“Oh, yeah, baby,” he said huskily as his gaze rose to meet hers. The elevator stopped. When the doors opened, he pulled her down the hallway, past several astounded couples.
Alex’s sanity returned as she realized how she must have looked. Flushed and mauled by Jed Black. Hell, she’d let the man fondle her in the elevator, on camera, for the enemy to see.
God willing, her family would never see that video. Cole would have an absolute fit if he saw how far she and Hunter had gone to be convincing.
Hunter could say what he wanted, but their act felt very real to her, as did the proof of his arousal when it dug into her hip. If things continued to grow more intense than their scene in the elevator, she feared they’d become lovers in truth. And considering they’d both experienced orgasmic pleasure in each other’s arms, there wasn’t much point in lying to herself. Alex desired Hunter Greye, plain and simple.
As she waited for him to unlock her door, she didn’t know how she felt about her craving. On the one hand, she didn’t view Westlake as the enemy anymore. She still considered them competitors, but having gotten to know J.D. and Hunter better, she didn’t see them as the evil scourge of government yes-men she’d once thought.
Yet, her very real desire for Hunter unnerved her. Some part of her wanted to surrender to him, fully accepting his dominance. Half the time she wasn’t sure she liked him, so why did wrapping her legs around his waist and holding on while he took her feel so right? Hell, just thinking about his lips made her hot. They obviously had the right body chemistry. That still didn’t explain their connection though, that sense of oneness she’d only ever experienced with him.
Hunter held the door open for her. She entered, tensely waiting for him to make another move. When he didn’t, she let out the breath she’d been holding. He gave her a wide berth and entered the kitchenette.
Grabbing a bottle of water, he chugged it down in one large swallow. He approached the couch with a sigh and lay on it, his six-four frame hanging over both arms of the sofa. Then he fiddled with his watch.
“Hunter?”
“Give me an hour,” he muttered and closed his eyes. In seconds, his breathing evened. Amazingly, the man had fallen asleep.
At rest, he definitely looked like someone else. The cosmetics were amazing in their ability to reshape his looks. Hunter seemed almost soft, his bronzed face relaxed. His breathing gradually deepened as she watched.
Irritated that she still wanted him when he couldn’t care less, she stomped into her bedroom to change clothes. She put on a pair of silk pajamas—a long-sleeved top and boxer set that her cousin Storm had given her last year on her birthday. She couldn’t see anything revealing with her outfit. No way he could accuse her of trying to seduce anyone in this thing.
As if Hunter would care. She couldn’t believe he’d fallen asleep. They should have discussed tonight’s strategy and whether or not it needed tweaking. Not that she could survive any more tweaking without screaming her release to the high heavens. She’d had to change out of wet panties, for God’s sake. Just an adrenaline rush that I shouldn’t confuse for sexual attraction. Nothing more than that. If a veteran like Hunter can deal with it, so can I.
She slipped into bed. The minute she fell onto the satin sheets, she felt an immediate exhaustion. Too much stress, she thought, and snuggled with her pillow. Alex fell asleep trying to convince herself that her partnership with Hunter would remain platonic. They had a case to solve, period. No sense in longing for what couldn’t—shouldn’t—be.
HUNTER BREATHED A QUIET sigh of relief the minute he heard Alex step away and close the door to her bedroom. The water he’d guzzled hadn’t helped to cool him off, so he’d found sanctuary in playing possum.
He wondered what she thought when she looked upon Jed Black’s features. Personally, he thought Black would appeal to her better than Hunter ever could. His alter ego had a brutal but sophisticated presence that someone like his friend Rafe or even J.D. looked at home with. Hunter always considered himself coarse, not like a polished criminal who could have stepped off the cover of a magazine.
As he lay awake, he tried to concentrate on the case instead of every sound and scent from Alex’s bedroom. The whisper of silk over her body as she’d redressed tempted him like crazy to say the hell with their assignment. He needed badly to sate his aching desire. The thought of doing so was enough to ruin what little peace he’d managed.
Knowing he’d never get rest without easing himself, he pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket, then unzipped his pants and reached inside. His cock was steel hard, needing to come in the hot woman just a few feet away. Imagining how good her pussy would feel gloving him, Hunter began stroking himself, not surprised at how quickly his hunger flared. Rocking against her, feeling her breasts over his chest on the dance floor and touching the bare skin of her back, had about killed him.
Alex was so fucking beautiful, so sexy, she made him ache. His cock was so thick, so hard. He needed to come. In her pussy, her ass, God, her mouth.
He could all too clearly envision her on her knees, servicing him. His sexual slave, sucking him deeper as he pushed himself to the back of her throat...
Hunter bit back a groan as he came hard into the handkerchief, wishing he were jetting into Alex instead. It took him a few moments to come down, but the sexual ache no longer distracted him from sleep.
He righted himself before moving to the bathroom to clean up. After disposing of the mess he’d made in the trash, he walked back into the suite, drew the heavy drapes and extinguished all the lights. Then he moved to the couch and lay down.
Cursing his acute senses, he willed himself to relax. Time passed. Just as his body settled down, someone knocked at the door. He sighed and sat up.
The door opened slowly, and J.D. entered. Anyone coming into the suite would be in complete darkness, while Hunter could see just fine. He watched J.D. walk cautiously into the room after relocking the door behind him.
“Welcome,” Hunter said dryly.
J.D. jumped and swore. “Thanks for scaring me to death,” J.D. snapped. “It’s time. You ready?”
Hunter nodded, then realized J.D. couldn’t see him. “Let me check on Alex before I go. You’re going to keep an eye on her until I get back, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. I highly doubt Omaney’s going to try anything after you put your mark on her, but on the off chance he does, I’ll be here. I guess it won’t look too awkward if your chauffer plays bodyguard while you’re out selling illegal arms.” J.D. sighed. “Go ahead. We’ll be fine.”
Hunter didn’t like J.D. using the word we in co
ntext with Alex. Irrational as he knew the feeling to be, he couldn’t help the niggle of jealousy that ate at him at thoughts of Alex in J.D.’s company, alone in a hotel room.
He swore to himself and hurried into the woman’s bedroom. She lay on her stomach, her golden hair blanketing most of her face except for her eyes. Long lashes covered her cheeks like smudges of charcoal, hiding the contradictory innocence and sexiness that continued to captivate him.
Helpless to stop himself, he ran a finger over her cheek. She sighed in her sleep and rolled onto her back. Her covers fell to her waist, and Hunter gritted his teeth in frustration. A few of the buttons of her shirt had come undone, leaving the swells of her breasts visible.
Annoyed that J.D. could have easily seen her in such disarray, Hunter buttoned up her shirt and dragged the covers up to her neck. She frowned in her sleep, but didn’t move.
“Good,” he whispered harshly. “You shouldn’t be so exposed anyway. You never know who might be walking in that door.”
She still didn’t stir, and Hunter realized he’d been hoping to wake her, if only to see that look in her eyes when she watched him, that desire she couldn’t quite bank.
Cursing himself for a fool, he strode from her room and drove himself to the docks. Jed Black had a reputation to maintain.
JED FINISHED HIS BUSINESS with Ramon and Diego Cortez. They laughed and joked in Spanish and promised to continue business with him, only next time in Miami, where they had a new line of work coming through.
He watched them leave by boat with a look of satisfaction on his face. He didn’t turn when Omaney showed on the dock, three unmarked police cars behind him. He’d known they’d arrived, had heard them as soon as they’d gotten within a quarter mile of his exchange. Jurek had a team already waiting to quietly clear out the cops.
Hunter waited for Omaney to approach him. The police waited in their vehicles some distance away. A show of strength, no more, and one that would mysteriously disappear before Omaney left for the night.