Deceive Her With Desire

by Nina Pierce

  “He’s clean. This is his only gun.” The hulk of a man walked over to Jameson, waving his regulation Glock.

  It wasn’t his only weapon. Only a fool would come armed with only one gun. There was a second one in the small of his back, but the bulk of the regulation shoulder holster had kept the thug from finding it.

  “I don’t see any containers,” Ayden said. “Are you trying to pull something over on me? Is there a shipment coming in or not? We had a deal. You promised thirty kilos tonight. I have men ready to accept delivery.”

  “My, you are an impatient one, aren’t you, Schaeffer?”

  Ayden heard the low rumble of vehicles approaching from the beach.

  Jameson looked over the shoulder of his man clicking the keys of the laptop propped on the hood of the limo. The evil squint of Jameson’s eyes was made more ominous by the blue glow of the screen.

  “Right on time.” Jameson said, turning back to Ayden. “Don’t look so confused, Schaeffer. Amphibious assault vehicles. I have men on the beach erasing evidence of their arrival as we speak.” With an absent wave of his hand, Jameson motioned to the computer. “Now, if you don’t mind, those account numbers, please.” He turned to the driver of the limousine, “Please tell Anthony we’re ready.”

  The mountain man moved to the door of the limo. Ayden felt Ryan tense next to him. They were already visibly outnumbered. Despite his additional men, Ayden didn’t need more gun power to deal with. “Hold it right there. I don’t know what you’re playing at Jameson. No one moves, and no money changes hands until I see my merchandise.”

  “Oh, but I think you’ll like this little surprise I have for you.”

  The driver opened the backdoor, Jameson’s bald henchman climbed out. Without any effort, he reached back and hauled a struggling woman from the car.

  “Schaeffer, you remember my landscaper, Deirdre.”

  What the hell was going on? At the sound of Deirdre’s muffled protests, Ayden lost focus and grabbed his weapon, aiming it at Jameson. The night filled with the rolling clicks of guns being cocked. In the blink of an eye, Jameson pulled Deirdre from his body guard’s grip, positioning her in front of his body, his gun pressed against her temple.

  Deirdre’s eyes were wild, her fear as palpable as the rapid hammer of Ayden’s heart against his ribs. How the hell had he let this happen? She was supposed to be home in Delmont surrounded by her family, not a whisper away from death at the hands of a madman. Ayden’s stomach rolled, and he worked to swallow the panic leaping into his throat with his heart.

  He thought he’d had every contingency covered—but not this one.

  “An unfortunate standoff, wouldn’t you say?” Jameson ran his tongue up Deirdre’s cheek. “Umm, good enough to eat. But you already know that don’t you, Schaeffer? Or should I call you by your real name, Ayden Scott?”

  Ayden didn’t know if the rumble in his ears was from the approaching vehicles or the blood pounding.

  “It’s been a while.” Jameson’s cackle rolled through Ayden’s clenched gut. “You almost had me in Miami, Scott. Almost. But just like then, I’m going to disappear tonight, and you’ll be left with nothing but another body. Even the DEA won’t take you back this time, Scott.” He rubbed his face through Deirdre’s hair.

  Deirdre struggled in Jameson’s arms.

  “She’s a feisty one, Scott. I must admit, I had hoped she would have chosen me over you. Things would certainly have turned out differently for her.” Jameson leaned into her ear. “Did he tell you when he was fucking you that the two of us go way back to a little airstrip in Miami?”

  Ayden watched Jameson palm Deirdre’s breast as rage replaced the panic. “Shut up, Jameson, it’s over. There’s no way in hell you’re getting away this time.”

  The rumble of motors filtered through Ayden’s haze of disbelief. He couldn’t shoot Jameson without harming Deirdre, but if he didn’t do something, she’d be dead, anyway.

  “I’ll tell you what Scott. How about you give my man those account numbers and we’ll exchange Deirdre for the money.”

  “Fair enough.” The accounts were bogus, but they wouldn’t know money hadn’t really transferred until Deirdre was safely back in Ayden’s arms. He nodded to Ryan who began rattling off numbers to the guy at the laptop.

  “Of course shooting Deirdre wouldn’t be quite as satisfying as plunging the needle into your brother’s arm.” Evil marched across his face as a knowing smile turned his expression into one of sick triumph.

  “You didn’t know that part did you, Scott?” The evil riding on his words brought bile to Ayden’s throat. “One of my men infiltrated your little undercover operation. Became real good friends with your brother. The kid wasn’t addicted to heroin until I got a hold of him. Oh, you would have been so proud of your baby brother, Ayden. What was his name? Thomas? After I forced him to feed you the fictitious drop information, and he knew his life was over, he kept insisting you’d find me. Even as the heroin coursed through him, sucking the life from him, he talked about his big brother—the DEA’s rising star.”

  The darkness faded away, and Ayden saw only red. There was no way in hell the bastard was getting away a second time. But with Deirdre complicating the situation, his well laid plans had been shot to hell.

  He would give anything, including his own life, to get her out of Jameson’s grasp.

  “I’m here, Jameson. You need any help?’ The man Ayden had seen Deirdre with on Saturday materialized out of the shadows, no doubt coming from the amphibious vehicles. The guy aimed his gun at Ayden’s head.

  “Emilio, right on time,” Jameson said before turning to the computer goon. “We good?”

  The man nodded and closed the laptop.

  “Now, I think we’ll just climb right back in the limo and follow my shipment.” Jameson began dragging Deirdre to the limo. “Oh, and I lied. I’ll take Deirdre with me. I’m not sure I’m finished with her yet.” He spoke to Emilio, tilting his head toward Ayden and Ryan. “You stay here with Anthony and take care of this garbage. Dump it all in the ocean. There’ll be nothing left of their bodies after the fish have had their fill. Be sure to ditch the Jag as well. Meet us back up at the estate”

  “Sounds like a plan, sir.” Emilio said loudly.

  Without warning, the limo door swung open, shoving Anthony backwards and pulling Jameson’s attention away from Ayden. The limo window shattered as Anthony’s gun discharged, starting off a volley of shots.

  Ayden pulled off two rounds before hitting the ground in a somersault. He came up to a crouch, hot pain searing across his left shoulder as the driver came around the back of the limo and got off a shot. Ayden took him down with a bullet to his head.

  His men had come out of the woods on his signal, the firefight continuing as Ayden leaped over the trunk of the limo. Acid burned his gut, cold bands of panic squeezing the air from his lungs. He hadn’t seen Deirdre since shots began.

  Gun raised, Ayden came down hard on the ground on the other side of the limo. Emilio stood over Mark, but Ayden pushed past him and over Anthony’s body. Blood ran from the big man’s neck where Emilio’s bullet had penetrated. This thing was a mess. A goddamn mess.

  “Deirdre, where the hell is Deirdre?” The night had gone deathly still.

  Jameson lay face down. The back of his head was missing where Ayden’s bullet had exited.

  Ayden fell to his knees on the sandy soil, rolling Jameson off Deirdre’s lifeless body. She couldn’t be dead. Fear stung the back of Ayden’s eyes and filled his mouth with sand. Blood. There was so much fucking blood. It covered Deirdre’s face, clumped in her hair and ran in streaks across her eyelids and nose. He gently pulled the tape from her mouth. She was so still. Please don’t let her be dead.

  “Someone call an ambulance,” Ayden shouted at Ryan as he came around the front of the limo.

  Training took over. His hands searched for bullet wounds as he leaned over Deirdre, listening for the sound of breaths. His fingers
checked her supple neck for a pulse. She inhaled sharply. Her arms flailed in the air and pushed him away.

  “Deirdre, it’s Ayden. Baby, shh. You’re hurt. Lie still.”

  “My head, oh, my head.” Deirdre rolled to the side. The rock beneath her hair was covered in blood. She hadn’t been shot, just knocked unconscious when Jameson’s body had taken her down. The blood on her face must have been Jameson’s. Relief flooded through him.

  “Ayden?” Her eyes worked to focus in the murky light. “What the…?” He watched her face contort with confusion, the lines morphing to reveal her concern as the memories of the last few minutes worked themselves into her consciousness. “Ayden, are you all right? Jameson?” Deirdre pushed away from him, her head swiveling in all directions. “Emilio’s here. Watch out, Ayden, he has a gun.”

  “Deirdre, he works for our side. He was undercover too.”

  “No, not one of your men. I mean my friend, Emilio. I think he sold drugs like Mark. I think he’s one of Jameson’s men.”

  “Dee, I’m right here with Mark.” Leaning back, Emilio peeked around the open limo door.

  “Mark.” She crawled to her mentor. “Oh, Mark. He’s hurt. Someone get help. We need an ambulance. Emilio, do something.”

  “The ambulance is on its way, Dee. There’s nothing more we can do.” Emilio looked at her, tears glistening in his eyes.

  “This wasn’t in the plan. Mark and Deirdre shouldn’t have been here.” Emilio’s voice shook with emotion as he pressed his hand against the old man’s chest, blood oozing around his fingers. “It must have been the first shot from Jameson’s henchman.”

  Deirdre gently touched Mark’s chest, then cupped his cheek. “Hold on, Mark.”

  Liquid bubbled in the old man’s throat as he drew in enough breath to speak, blood painting his lips a sticky red. “Did you get the scumbag?”

  “Lay still, Mark.” Emilio propped the man’s head and shoulders in his lap. “We got him. Jameson’s dead. He won’t be bringing in any more drugs.”

  “I’m sorry. So sorry.”

  “Shh, don’t talk, Mark. We understand.” Deirdre brushed hair from the man’s face.

  He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Wrong. It was all so wrong.” Mark coughed, and more blood trickled out of his mouth. “I heard Emilio. I knew he couldn’t work for…that prick. I wanted to help someone…stop him.”

  “You helped. You did good,” Emilio said.

  “Mark, don’t talk.” Deirdre’s tears fell on the man’s gentle face. “It’s going to be okay, everything’s going to be okay.”

  “Yeah, it is, Deirdre. I’ve done terrible things in the past few months.” Mark wheezed and coughed out the words. “But tonight, I made up…for all sins…tell my wife…I’ll see her soon.” His voice trailed away.

  Deirdre lifted her head, crying into the night. “No!”

  Chapter 11

  “So, the Cutler police dropped all charges against you.” Ayden followed Deirdre out of the bathroom, absently rubbing the towel over his blond curls. He was happy to be seeing himself in the mirror again.

  It had been over a month since everything had come together just as he’d hoped at the Jameson estate, everything except Mark Pearson’s death and Deirdre’s sudden appearance. The mission had gone off with textbook precision. His team, working with the Coast Guard, had boarded the delivery boat. His men intercepted the amphibious vehicles and seized the drug shipment. Sixty kilos of heroin would never make it to the streets. There’d been no doubt in his mind that Jameson had been behind the Miami operation or that he would recognize Ayden.

  Ayden had counted on it—even asked Chief Lafflin to spill the information just to be sure. Cocky men make fatal errors.

  “I still don’t understand how Mark got mixed up in all that,” Deirdre said.

  “Turns out Jameson got to Mark through his students. He’d threatened his wife if Mark didn’t find him mules for distribution.” Ayden grabbed the end of her towel and spun her to face him as it unwrapped from her beautiful body. “DEA got that information from a couple of Delmont kids they arrested for possession.” Ayden slanted his mouth over her lips. Her naked body softened in his arms. “Drug addiction isn’t a conscious choice. It just happens.” He pulled her tighter against his body, lifting his hips to rub his stiff cock against her silken belly. Damn, she made him hard.

  “Speaking of drugs…” Her fingers played with his chest hairs. “I’m not very happy you sent my friend down to Miami.”

  “Emilio? They’re going to love him down there. He’s great. No one will suspect a mechanic who works for the good guys. Jameson didn’t.” Ayden cupped her breast and grazed his thumb over her pebbled nipple, enjoying the rush of her breath hot on his chest. “Besides, I needed to get rid of my competition.”

  Deirdre laughed. Her hands fluttered between their bodies, sliding down his torso to fondle him. “He wasn’t your competition. Now Rachel, on the other hand…”

  He lifted her up and dropped her on the rumpled sheets of the four-poster bed, covering her body with his. “She’s not competition. You want her to join us? Be my guest. Two gorgeous women in my bed? That’s every man’s fantasy, babe.”

  “Not on your life, Ayden. You’re all mine.” Deirdre massaged his ass, lifting her hips so his erection nestled in the slick heat of her folds. “I’m not sharing you with anyone.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “We may need to dig into that box of toys under my bed again, Ayden. I’m fairly certain we finished the condoms during our last go ’round.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. How would you feel about going without one?” He cocked an eyebrow.

  Her brows knit in confusion.

  He cupped his hands behind her neck. His thumbs grazed the tender flesh under her chin, and he tilted her face so she would look into his eyes and see everything he wanted to give her. “I know it’s not even two months since we met, but I love you. With all my heart, I love you.”

  “I love you too, Ayden. I hear a but in your sentence.”

  “But, nothing,” he whispered into her ear, nipping her lobe between his teeth. “My transfer came through to the Bangor office.”

  “Oh, Ayden, that’s fantastic. No more long-distance relationship for us.”

  “What would you think if we made this one permanent?”

  “Like you move in here? Oh, that would be wonderful. There’s plenty of room and—”

  His mouth hungrily took possession of hers, his tongue plunging in to taste and conquer. When he pulled back, her lids hung heavy. “Deirdre, stop talking. I’m asking if you want to make babies with me.”

  “Babies?”

  “Yeah, we could start before or after our wedding.” In a tender gesture, he laid his forehead on hers. “If you’ll have me.”

  She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. “Until the end of time, Ayden Scott. Only until the end of time.”

  The End

  Author’s Bio:

  Award-winning erotic romance author, Nina Pierce, grew up in a house full of readers. So becoming enamored with books was only natural. She discovered romance stories in her early teens, falling hopelessly in love with knights in shining armor and the damsels who saved them.

  Eventually, reading about alpha males and the journey to find their happy-ever-after endings wasn’t enough. She needed to pen her own stories of fated loves and soul mates. Nina’s discovered the passionate side of romance with her sexy stories. For her, it’s all about the sweet scent of seduction mixed with the heartwarming aroma of romance.

  Nina resides in the northeast with her high school sweetheart and soul mate of twenty-seven years, their three grown children and several very spoiled cats who consider her “staff”.

  Nina enjoys hearing from her readers. You can reach her at Nina@NinaPierce.com. You can also keep up with all her newest releases on her website http://www.NinaPierce.com or by following her on Twitter http://www.twitter.
com/NinaPierce and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/NinaPierce

  Other books by Nina Pierce

  Blind Her With Bliss

  Cheat Her With Charm

  Dangerous Affairs

  Invitation to Ecstasy

  Maid for Master

  Mating Bonds

  Bonded Souls

  Bonded by Need

  A Touch of Lilly

  Healer’s Garden

  Divine Deception

  Ripe and Ready

  Please enjoy this excerpt from …

  Cheat Her With Charm

  Tilling Passions Series Book 3

  by

  Nina Pierce

  Available Now

  Chapter 1

  Meghan Tilling’s body quaked with fear and the bone-chilling thirty-eight degrees of the cooler where she was trapped. She pressed her forehead against the icy metal of the door, her palm caressing its pebbled surface, trying to fight the panic lurking like a sinister shadow and threatening to overwhelm her in despair.

  How ironic that the annoyance of driving in a Maine snowstorm had kept her at Tilling Gardens and Plants, the business she co-owned with her two sisters. Finishing the shop’s holiday arrangements and festive decorations had seemed a better alternative to a white-knuckled drive home in the heart of a nor’easter. Except now, instead of being stranded in a ditch on the side of the road with a chance of being rescued, she was going to freeze to death alone in the walk-in cooler that was the lifeblood of her business.