“She’s my second in command from here on out. If I’m not available, you go to her.”
“She’s done a decent job with the McKendry case, but that doesn’t mean she’s qualified to lead us.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Xander scoffed. “I told you guys she was former CIA when I hired her. She has the qualifications and then some.”
“As what? An analyst or something.”
My spine straightened at that. It wasn’t that I had anything against analysts, but I’d busted my ass in the CIA and saw more action than this guy ever had. I’d more than proven myself.
“She was not a fucking analyst,” Xander growled. “None of you have seen her official file. But, I’ve seen the un-redacted version of her record, and trust me, she’s more capable than any of you.”
“You’ve what?” I gasped, as a mixture of shock and relief hit me. It didn’t make sense, considering the clearance level of most of my missions. It shouldn’t even be a possibility, but I found myself filled with hope anyway. If what he was saying was true, then it meant he wanted me even though he knew about my past with the CIA.
Chapter 10
Maybe I should have told her about my clearance before blurting it out to our entire staff. I honestly hadn’t thought much about it; her file was catalogued in the “employee” part of my brain because it was only applicable to the job.
From the look on her face, it was clear that I’d mishandled the situation. I’d deal with that in a minute, though.
My eyes locked on Chad and I scowled at the condescending glare he was giving Calista. “Chad, I think you and I need to have a discussion. Be in my office at nine AM tomorrow.” His expression slipped long enough to show a moment of indecision, obviously reconsidering his choice to speak up. He quickly covered it back up, nodded and spun around, striding down the hall toward the gym.
“Unless anyone else feels the need to question my decisions…” I let the comment hang for a moment, waiting. No one spoke up, so I continued, “Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be scheduling time for each of you to meet with Calista so she can get to know you, after which you will have time with her in the gym, and she will assess your physical abilities. I want her to be as familiar with each of you as I am.” Everyone else seemed to take the news like a professional with nods and murmurs of agreement. “Alright, back to work.” The crowd dispersed quickly, and I used the arm I had around Calista’s shoulders to steer her to my office.
Once inside, I shut the door before walking us around to my desk chair, sitting and settling her on my lap.
“What did you mean when you said you’d read my entire file, even the redacted sections? Were you exaggerating to squash more dissension?” She sounded wary and pissed at the same time.
“Baby, you know I wouldn’t lie to you, my employees, or anyone else.” I felt like a pansy, but I wasn’t able to keep the hurt out of my tone. “I do a lot of freelance work for the government, and I have code word clearance and am rarely denied access to the information I request. I didn’t think to mention it because it had no bearing on our personal lives and, as an employee, it’s my prerogative as the boss. After you left that first day, I read C. Lewis’s whole file. But I did it as the CEO of Gray Security, not Xander Gray who was in love with Calista Lewis.”
Calista gasped and leaned back so she could stare directly into my eyes. “In love?”
I laughed and kissed her nose, forehead, eyelids, and finally her mouth. “You think I’d knock up and demand to marry just any woman? For fuck’s sale, baby. Of course I’m in love with you.”
Her mouth had formed a little O, and her eyes were blinking owlishly. I decided to take advantage of the moment and opened the top right desk drawer. After locating the little box I was searching for, I opened it and removed a three-karat diamond ring. “About that question and a ring,” I drawled. “There is no question, because we’re getting married and that’s final. However”—I softly kissed her lips as I slipped the ring onto the third finger of her left hand—“I do have a ring.”
She studied me for a moment. “Since you’ve been doing your best to put your kid in me since the moment we met, I think I can safely assume that this proposal isn’t because of the pregnancy?”
The tilt of her lips made me smile, and I laughed again. “That’s just a perk, baby. You want to tell me why you’re marrying me?”
Her dark eyes sparkled with mischief. “Who says I’m marrying you? I don’t recall you asking,” she sassed.
“You’re marrying me,” I growled. “This isn’t up for debate. Now, tell me what I want to hear, baby.”
“Yes.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, what?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Rolling my eyes, I twisted her around to straddle me and cupped her face in my hands. “Calista,” I grunted, my voice full of warning. “Your pretty little ass is going to be cherry red soon if you don’t stop being so cheeky.”
“Cheeky?” Calista bubbled with laughter, and I lost myself in the beautiful sound. I fucking loved hearing her laugh.
But, it didn’t distract me from my ultimate goal. I gripped the back of her head with one hand and used the other to land a quick smack on one ass cheek. “Woman, I am—”
“I love you.”
“It’s about fucking time,” I growled before crushing my lips down on hers.
I made good use of my sturdy desk to celebrate being officially engaged, then cleaned us both up before we headed back home.
As we passed by her desk, I gave Jessa a warm smile. “Great wok today, Jessa. Goodnight.”
She looked shocked, but she didn’t jump and squeak. She simply gave me a wave back.
Calista laughed as we got on the elevator. “You’re going to make that girl’s head spin with your mood changes. Perhaps you should think about always being that nice to her.”
“If it makes you happy.” I shrugged. “When you’re happy, I’m happy.”
The elevator doors swooshed open to the lobby, and I clasped her hand in mine with a contented sigh as we exited the building.
At the sound of a shot, my world turned to slow motion. I pulled my gun and aimed in the direction the sound had appeared to come from, even as I moved to block Calista, but I felt like I was trying to swim through molasses. I couldn’t get my sights on the shooter and focused on covering Calista. But she was already stumbling back, and I grabbed her arms to steady her. Her face was a mask of pain and… rage? Everything sped up to warp speed as she whipped out her gun and leaned around me and fired. People were screaming and running, but my sole focus was on Calista.
“Fuck!” she shouted in agony and frustration as her arm went limp. “I am so fucking sick of getting shot!” Her tone was furious, and if I hadn’t been so fucking scared, I might have smiled at my woman’s strength and how damn adorable she was. I searched for her wound and almost sighed with relief when I saw the red blood soaking the shoulder of her shirt. Tearing the fabric, I confirmed that it was superficial, but she’d fired with the injured arm and was clearly in a lot of pain as the adrenaline wore off.
“Shit, Calista, nice shot,” Quinn said with awe as he jogged up to us. “Hit her in the fucking wrist just below her weapon.”
“Who the fuck was shooting at her?” I bellowed.
Police cars and an ambulance came screeching to a stop across the street in front of a large park. Two more Gray Security employees had a mousy, brown haired woman in their grasp. She was screaming and crying as they hauled her to the ambulance and got her inside, two of the cops jumping in to escort her. Another ambulance pulled up in front of us, blocking our view of the drama unfolding across from us.
“Seriously?” Calista sighed. “You called the paramedics?”
“You were fucking shot, Calista,” I barked. While Quinn shrugged and said, “Protocol.”
They whisked us to the hospital where it was confirmed that the bullet had only left a shallow wound, not e
ven deep enough for it to have gotten lodged in her shoulder. I made them check her everywhere and do an ultrasound, just to make sure both she and the baby were truly alright before I would even hear any talk of going home.
Calista didn’t seem to care about the pain, the wound, anything, except how fucking mad she was that she’d been shot AGAIN in the same year, and even after leaving the CIA. Her tantrum was the cutest thing I’d ever seen, and I did my best to keep the smile off of my face, but she glared at me every time I failed.
“Knock it off, Gray,” she snapped. “I swear, this is becoming a habit. The next time I get shot at, I’m not going to be so nice with my aim.”
“Next time?” I shouted. “You will not be putting yourself in any situation where that is even a remote possibility. Is that clear?” She was about to answer when a young woman in a police uniform knocked on the door jam, requesting entrance.
“What can we do for you, Lieutenant Jensen?” I asked, reading her name tag.
“We checked your records and as you have a concealed carry permit, and witnesses recounted that she fired the first shot, no charges are being brought against you. The young woman is going to be fine. She’ll likely lose a lot of the functions in her right hand, but it means it’s unlikely that she’ll ever hold a gun in it again. So, nice shot, Ms. Lewis.” She glanced behind her before whispering, “Don’t tell anyone I said that.”
Calista laughed, but I wasn’t in the mood for the cop’s brevity. “Why was she shooting at my fiancée?”
She raised an eyebrow at the title, but I didn’t comment, only continued to glare. “Oh, apparently she’s the woman who’s been stalking Ms. Lewis’s boy—uh”—she shuffled uncomfortably—“stalking Ewan McKendry. She was screaming and mumbling to herself about a myriad of things, including talking about taking out the competition for Ewan. It’s very likely she’ll be serving out her sentence in a mental health facility.”
She asked a few more questions then set a time for Calista to go down to the station the next day to give her statement. Shortly after, the doctor brought the test results, clearing Calista to go home.
I ordered dinner, and we picked it up on the way. Then I got her settled on the couch, made her take some Tylenol, and brought her food. Taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch, I lifted her feet into my lap and simply watched her. I’d set my food on the coffee table, but it remained untouched, I had no appetite.
“Baby,” I murmured and waited until she looked at me. “I can’t go through this again. You know I want you to do what makes you happy, but fuck, I think I’m going to have to put my foot down on this. No more field work. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I’d spend every day as a nervous wreck. It will put me in an early grave.”
She sat up and set her food on the small table as well, then crawled across the couch and into my arms. “No need for you to go all caveman, honey. I’d already made that decision when I left your office with your ring on my finger. I’m going to be a wife and mother; those things trump everything else. I don’t want to quit and helping you run the business intrigues me.”
I gathered her up even closer in my arms, careful of her shoulder, and kissed the crown of her head, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her silky hair. “I love you so fucking much, baby. I don’t know how I lived the last thirty years without you.”
“I love you too. And, I’m not sure how you survived without me either, I’m pretty fucking awesome.”
I threw my head back and laughed before kissing the fuck out of her. “You’re definitely a badass, baby. And it’s hot as fuck.”
She leaned in so her lips brushed the shell of my ear as she spoke. “Does that mean you get turned on when I threaten to kick your ass?”
“Fuck yeah.”
She bit the lobe, and a shiver raced down my spine, all the blood in my body suddenly surging into my cock. “I can’t kick your ass until the baby is born but… I’ll let you tie me up,” she breathed.
I didn’t remember how we got to the bedroom, but I remembered every single fucking detail of what happened after.
Epilogue
The sight in front of me was beyond adorable. So much so, I could barely concentrate enough to record it with my phone. My gorgeous baby girl twirled across the dance floor in her purple leotard and pink tutu. Her long, brown hair was pulled into a ponytail that whipped back and forth, and her dark eyes were lit up with laughter. She was always happy when she danced, but she was on could nine this time around because of the tall, dark-haired man following behind her. His hair was tousled as usual, and I could see the outline of his nipple rings through the purple T-shirt that clung to his sculpted chest, one our baby girl had picked out so she and her daddy matched. The shirt hid all his tattoos, including the two names inked right over his heart—our baby girl’s, Madison, and mine. He had them done the week after she was born.
He was hotter than ever, even while failing miserably at the dance moves he was supposed to be doing. Not that any of the moms in the audience seemed to mind. When I’d signed him up to participate in the Daddy & Daughters special event at the school where she took her dancing classes, Madison’s teacher had told me it would fill up quickly once word got out. Judging by the lack of empty chairs, it looked like she was right. I couldn’t blame them, though.
My husband was damn fine eye candy—extremely loyal man candy at that since he never seemed to notice the flirtatious glances so many women sent his way. I noticed each and every one, but I didn’t let them get to me since I knew that if any of them were stupid enough to try to get too close to him, I could easily kick their asses. I was a mommy, but that didn’t mean I didn’t keep up with my fighting skills once I’d received the clearance from my doctor. And the first place I’d put them to use was a no-holds-barred spar with Chad, where I’d pounded his ass into the mat. Whatever Xander had said to them in their meeting the morning after we’d found out I was pregnant had worked because his attitude made a complete turnaround. But that didn’t mean I’d forgotten the shit he’d pulled back when Xander and I first got together, and I made sure he knew it.
“Did you see us, Mommy?” Madison screamed as she ran towards me.
I knelt down to wrap my arms around her as she crashed into me. “I sure did, baby girl.”
“Daddy and me danced so good togever.” She turned to look up at him when he joined us. “Didn’t we, Daddy?”
“You were amazing, Maddiekins.”
I could almost hear ovaries exploding all around me. Mine would be, too, if I wasn’t already pregnant again. When we found out Madison was a girl, Xander had sworn we couldn’t have any more children because it would just up his odds of getting tossed in jail for killing teenage boys later in life. After her third birthday, he’d been bitten by the baby bug again. It had taken him less than a couple of weeks to knock me up, and he’d breathed a huge sigh of relief last week when the ultrasound had shown this one was a boy. Then he’d mumbled something about needing the extra backup since Madison was a handful like her mommy.
“You did kinda amazing, too, Daddy.” She smiled up at him sweetly. “I’m sure you’ll do better next time if we practice lots and lots.”
“What an excellent idea, Madison. Daddy looked like he was having so much fun up there, I bet he wants to come to your classes to practice with you every day from now on.”
“Yay!” she screeched before running to the side of the room to grab her dance bag.
“You’re going to pay for that later,” Xander growled, as if we both didn’t know he’d have his ass right back on the dance floor any time Madison wanted him there.
“Oh, please,” I laughed. “Like I don’t know that I’m always safe with you.”
And I was… even when he was making me pay at night for whatever hell I’d raised during the day.
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Until Death Do We Part
Prologue
Alex
“Sold!”
A smile crawled across my face as the tall, silver haired auctioneer slammed the gavel down on the podium. I stood slowly, biding my time as I watched the most beautiful woman on the face of the planet walk toward the stage to collect the painting. She was tall and graceful, her hips swaying seductively as she moved. Her profile showed off her long lashes, straight nose, full lips, and an incredible set of tits. My mouth watered, but when she turned to face the front, I surreptitiously checked for drool at the sight of her ass. Her shiny, mahogany hair hung long, the ends brushing right along the top of her ass and I flexed my fists, trying to relax the muscles twitching in their need to wrap it around one hand while the other left a pretty pink handprint on her skin. She glanced behind her and my eyes met hers, glued to the sight of round, chocolate brown eyes, accented by her tanned complexion. Her full, rosy lips tipped up and she raised an eyebrow, clearly amused at my unabashed staring. Fuck, she was amazing. An absolute goddess. I winked, and her smile became a wide grin before she took the wrapped Cézanne being handed to her and sauntered to the exit on the left side of the room, leading to a wing of offices.
A low whistle sounded from beside me and an unexpected growl rose to the surface. I tamped down the desire to hit something, or someone, as I turned to look at my companion. Colin’s eyes were on the door where Genevieve Porter’s very fine ass had been seconds before. “That’s the art dealer?” he asked then looked at me, his brow lifting in surprise.
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