Rage (A Jaden Rayne Adventure Book 1)

by Lilith Darville

  “Okay.” She stares off into the distance as if awaiting reentry of a missing thought. “How dangerous?”

  “Very!” A fine edge of fear slides through me. “Think of Viper as a nice guy compared to the ones you’ll meet.” I practically shudder as I think of all the ways Rayne could get hurt. I grab her hand and pull it close to me. She has to realize there is no future for us. “Rayne, don’t take this lightly. It’s no laughing matter.”

  Reassurance spreads a soothing balm throughout my system as she squeezes my hand. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stop bastards like ES and Viper from hurting children ever again. If you won’t work with me, I’ll do it on my own.” She’s quiet for a moment. “What will we be doing?”

  “What do you mean?” Oh God, she thinks this is a game.

  “Look, if this is about the Dom-Sub thing, you can park that on the shelf. You said we’re going under deep cover, and they need a man and a woman. What’s our cover?”

  I can’t help the smile that cracks the edges of my mouth. “If we were going to do this, which we are not, I’d be the badass Dom, and you’d be my Submissive.”

  She stares at me, incredulous, her big brown eyes wide. “Is this a joke?”

  “Nope.” More staring.

  “Good bloody thing I’m in the Sub training program then, isn’t it?”

  I school my features as a tingle of hope washes through me.

  “It would be if you were going.” I say this in half humor, but I stare intently, waiting for her reaction. Rayne is analytical. She takes everything and turns it around in her mind, tasting it, testing for flavor. If she doesn’t like what she ingested, she spits it out. Just like that. Black and white. She can see grays if she wants, but her fallback position is “doing the right thing.” She has very specific ideas of what that might be.

  “Oh, I’m going. You’re not the boss of me.”

  I haven’t smiled this much since Savannah was killed. “Before I would even consider this, we’d have a lot of work to do. You must be able to protect yourself. Everyone would have to believe we’re a couple. We’d need to be smooth and very comfortable with each other if we’re going to convince anyone that we’re part of the life.”

  She chews on this for a moment. She is not taking this lightly. I wait for her to ask the inevitable—at least it’s what I need to know.

  “Where does that leave us?”

  I return her gaze with the gravity she’s giving me. Hell, I have no idea where I’m at with this woman. I just know we’re not done yet.

  “I just don’t know. I can’t make any promises. Hell, I barely know who I am.” I take a deep breath. “I—”

  “Thank you for being honest.” Rayne stiffens her spine and starts to rise. I pull her back down.

  “I’m not trying to be obtuse. I really don’t know how I feel. You get me, so you get that, right?”

  She nods.

  “I have no right to ask you to stay. I don’t do relationships.” All I know is I feel good when you’re around. You’re like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day. “I just know things are different when you’re here. Friendship is all I can offer. How about we call it friends with perks?”

  “You mean friends with benefits.”

  I wink. Navigated that land mine. “Nope. I mean you get the added perk of sex with me.” Now I’m grinning. “I’m very good.”

  Her baby browns turn almost black with desire. “When I’m bad, I’m better.”

  I tip my head back and laugh uproariously.

  “So how come you don’t want to work with me?” Rayne asks.

  “I never said that. I said I wouldn’t go undercover with you. Look, you’ve got to get better before we even think about what’s next. Two physiotherapists will start working with you next week. Once your leg is in shape, we’ll go back to the house, and then you can decide what you want to do.

  “That doesn’t leave much time.” Rayne looks at me belligerently. “I’m going. If you don’t want to work with me, I’ll tell CSIS to give me another partner.”

  I go rock hard and almost rupture myself in my jeans. She drops her eyes in her lap and twists her hands.

  I check my watch. “This isn’t some kind of romantic adventure. I don’t think you understand the seriousness of this. We’ll have to continue this discussion later.” My heartbeat sprints a few steps as I see her questions bubbling behind the lust glowing from those intense eyes.

  “Okay. When and where?”

  “At the Masquerade. Be ready to leave by seven p.m.”

  “But how—”

  “Helicopter. Just like we arrived.”

  “That costs too much. I can’t afford it.”

  I laugh. She still doesn’t get how rich I am. I love that she doesn’t seem remotely interested in my money. I hold my right index finger in the air. “First of all, I own the helicopter. Second of all, we need it to get around. Third of all, if I decide to take you, you’ll make more than enough on this job to afford your own helicopter.” Middle and ring fingers join the index.

  She looks at me stupefied. “Get out of town. Since when does the government pay that kind of money? They’re cheap bastards.”

  I laugh again at her naïveté. For all her bravado, she’s seen very little of the world. She’s a scrapper who’s had to learn a few life lessons fast and hard, but she’s actually lived a rather sheltered life.

  “They’ve got deep pockets when they need them. Government consultants make a shitload of money.”

  “So, like, how much?”

  “We each get fifty thousand going in. All expenses. Another fifty thousand if we see the job through. A quarter million if we bring down the kingpin.”

  “Each?” Her voice jumps so high, it squeaks.

  “Each.”

  “Sweet!”

  42

  Rayne

  You can’t fool yourself and cheat your heart …

  Once I get over my fear of heights, the helicopter ride is a blast. My stomach does two rolls and a loop before settling in for the ride. I text Kat and let her know we’re coming. When we arrive, she’s on the helipad, and all three of us wait as the copter lifts off. Jaden leans down and kisses Kat’s cheek.

  “Hello, beautiful.”

  Kat gives him a playful slap. “Flattery will get you everywhere, you rascal. Dinner’s at seven in the private dining room.” She whisks me away before Jaden has time to respond. Kat marches me to her suite and the largest walk-in closet I’ve ever seen. My eyes practically bulge out of my head.

  “Come on. We’ve got to get you into something sexy.”

  “Oh, Kat, you’ve got it all wrong. Tonight, we talk business, and I don’t do sexy.”

  I don’t know why I’m spouting this bullshit. I’m so horny I might jump the first guy I see. But I’m not that person. Jaden, despite my best intentions, gave me a taste of something different. I want him to fuck me. I want him to take away all memory of Viper. I want his cock to massage my pain, make me feel the pleasure I’ve had a taste of.

  Kat looks at me as if I’m a lost sheep in serious need of direction.

  “Oh, honey, if you think that, you’re all wrong. Trust me on this. Sex is always at the core of things where our men are concerned.”

  I return her sad-to-be-you look. “Not this time. This is strictly business. Apparently, CSIS asked Jaden and me to go undercover, and he says no.”

  “And why do you think that is?” While we’re talking, Kat pours bubble bath into her enormous tub and wrestles me out of my clothes. “In you go.”

  Kat stands there looking me over as if she’s never seen me naked. I’m not sure whether to be alarmed or complimented. “You know, you’re not his usual type, but I can sure see the fascination, bruises and all. Let’s find you something sexy to wear. I’ll leave it on the chair. Help yourself to the makeup.” She points toward a beautiful dressing table lined with expensive-looking bottles then walks back into the ginormous closet.

&nb
sp; Kat doesn’t know what she’s talking about. No doubt Jaden’s into lots of curves. He’s definitely a big breast guy. Oh, he’s all kinds of subtle and has the “not interested” facade down to a fine art. I know better. This is one of the areas where I’m über-connected to him. When he spots a babe, his pulse beats just that touch harder. His pupils dilate. That doesn’t happen when he sees my small boobs.

  I bask in the bath until it cools off, contemplating Jaden’s “usual type” and how much I don’t fit it. After a love affair with the thickest Turkish cotton towel I’ve ever seen, I go in search of this sexy outfit … and sexy it is. Draped over a chair is a long black dress with slits below from hip to ankle and not a panty in sight. Holy shit, I can’t wear this. But curiosity wins the day, and somehow the offending garment makes its way onto my body. I twirl in front of the full-length mirror. Wow. I almost look stunning.

  As I enter the dining room, Jaden waits by the door looking more than just fine in sharply creased black pants and another of his glorious black knit shirts. It’s pushed up on his muscular forearms, showing those fine light brown hairs screaming for my attention. I stop beside him. His heartbeat quickens for a few seconds. I reign in my responding flutter.

  He gestures toward the dining table with those impossibly graceful hands—hands with long, tapered fingers and well cared for nails. Hands that I want to grab my ass and pull me tight. He arches an eyebrow as I stay rooted to the spot. Several awkward moments pass. He says nothing, but his gaze never leaves mine. Prickly heat tingles through my system at his scrutiny. Several more moments pass before I find the wherewithal to move.

  A crisp caesar salad sits on a table resplendent with crystal, bone china, and fine linens. We each take our chairs and fold our napkins across our laps. I take a healthy gulp from my glass of red wine. Jaden smiles as I dive into my salad. He still says nothing, just watches me. Awkward. Finally, I can’t stand the silence any longer.

  “How did you find me?”

  Jaden looks at me as if I’m a nervous hummingbird about to take flight. “Tracking device.”

  I almost choke on my food. I shut the fuck up for one minute before I fire off both cannons. At least he doesn’t play games, pretending he doesn’t know what I’m talking about.

  “Tracking device! You gave me a tracking device? When? Didn’t you remove Viper’s tracking device?”

  “I did.” He takes a bite of his salad and sits back while he chews with great deliberation. This man really can be annoying.

  “And?”

  “I replaced his with one of mine. Simple.”

  I carefully place my fork on my plate, sit back in my chair, and level what I hope is a cold stare at him. Hoping he doesn’t see the raging inferno of fury. Hoping I hide my pleasure.

  “You had no right to do that without my permission. Were you ever planning on telling me?” I lean forward, my blood pressure rising with every increment of my anger. Stay calm. I sit back. He matches my movement, steepling his hands under his chin as he returns my steely gaze, undeterred.

  “I gave you a tracker so I could find you if Viper got through my defenses. Obviously, I was right to do so.”

  “You weren’t right to do it without my permission. Just when I was starting to trust you, you turn out to be like all the rest. What is it about fucking men that they think they own you?” I get up and pace. “Don’t even bother answering that. I’ve heard it all before. Who the fuck gave you the right to decide what’s right for me? Maybe one of these nights while you’re sleeping, I should insert something into your balls. Would you like that?” Out of breath, I stop and inhale.

  “Are you done?”

  No. Maybe. Shit. I huff but refuse to respond. I give him what I hope is another “killer” look.

  “Sit.” He waits until I do just that. “First of all, I’d do it again. Right now, your safety is my first priority. No one’s going to get you on my watch, not if I can help it.”

  “You should have asked.”

  “Maybe I should have, but I knew you’d refuse. Right now, I’d rather have you safe and pissed at me than dead.” His amber eyes darken as he leans forward and takes a bite of his caesar salad. “And then we wouldn’t have tonight, would we?”

  I go all sorts of tingly inside. I stamp that down and cross my arms over my chest.

  “Let me be very clear about this. If this thing is to work, I need your word you’ll never do anything to me again without my express permission.”

  “What thing would that be?” The coolness in his tone matches mine. Usually, guys run for the hills when I go into Roaring Rayne mode. Not Jaden. He’s matching my intensity, but I feel humor roiling inside him.

  “This isn’t funny, you know.”

  “Oh no, Rayne. You’re not getting off that easy. I’m getting used to your tricks. Now, what thing would that be?”

  “Working together with CSIS. That thing!” I fling the words at him.

  “I never agreed to work with you.” He steeples those damned hands again. “I turned them down.”

  “Why on earth would you do that?“

  “This type of work isn’t for someone like you. I couldn’t live with myself if I caused you harm.”

  “You aren’t God, Jaden. Get over yourself.”

  That enigmatic smile makes another appearance. “No, but he told me to keep you safe.”

  Now he’s playing with me. I love it, but I’m far too intense to bite.

  “You have no right to make decisions for me. I’m frigging sick and tired of men telling me what to do. Give me the name of your contact.” I hold my hand out for emphasis. Jaden cocks his head, that smile deepening.

  “What for?”

  “Seriously. I think that’s patently obvious. You are not going to ruin this opportunity for me. If you won’t work with me, I bet they’ll know someone who will.”

  “You’re a stubborn little shit.” He resumes eating while I glare at him.

  “Look—”

  Jaden raises his hand. I shut up.

  “Sometimes you’re going to have to learn to dummy up. I’m thinking.”

  I open my mouth, then snap it shut. I chatter when I’m nervous, and he wants me to shut up? Indignation dukes it out with excitement. Excitement wins. I just know he’s going to say yes. If you play your cards right.

  Jaden points his fork at me. Seventeen measures of intensity glare at me. “We’ve got some more talking to do before I decide.”

  “Yes!” I pump my fist in the air. Excitement courses through me at the possibilities. Maybe, just maybe, I can do something meaningful to stop predators like ES and Viper. Something that matters. And be with Jaden. I shove that thought away.

  “I haven’t said yes.” His voice is firm, but there’s a twinkle of humor in those magnetic eyes.

  “No, but you will.”

  “What makes you so certain?”

  I hold up my index finger. “One, you need me for the cover.”

  Middle finger. “Two, I promised Sasha.”

  Ring finger. “Three, you need my computer skills.”

  Baby finger. “Four, I know the lifestyle.” Okay, maybe this was a bit of an exaggeration.

  Thumb. “I can get us into places you can’t.”

  Jaden studies me with those wolf eyes. A server comes in and replaces our salad with steak frites. Somehow, Jaden manages to cut his steak without taking his eyes off me. The guy is frigging scary when he does stuff like that.

  “You’re going to cut yourself if you keep that up.”

  Jaden points his knife in my direction. “That’s one thing you’re going to have to lose for this to work.”

  “What?”

  “Trying to be my mother. If I need help, I’ll ask.”

  I let his words singsong in my head. Right. I know better …

  “Speaking of mothers, you haven’t mentioned your parents.”

  “Another thing. You’re going to have to get rid of your habit of constant chatter.” />
  “Fine.” Asshole. “Just let me know when you don’t want to talk. What else?” I cannot hide my belligerent tone.

  “If we go through with this, you’ll need to do as I say without hesitation. It could mean the difference between life and death.”

  I think he’s being a tad melodramatic, but I nod. “Anything else?”

  Jaden grins. “Nope, that about does it. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.”

  “What about me? What about my terms?”

  “Shoot.”

  I don’t have a blessed thing to say, so I take a large mouthful of steak to buy time. How do I ask without sounding like I’m begging him to like me? I gulp a mouthful of wine and hold my glass out for more. Jaden lifts and wraps a linen napkin around a dripping bottle of what looks like very expensive wine. He pours half a glass and returns the bottle to an ice bucket. Nope, not a blessed thought comes to mind.

  “What about us? Where do I fit in all this?”

  43

  Jaden

  Reach out and help me; I need a loving hand, and I don’t think I can stand alone …

  Rayne is absolutely stunning, decked out in black. Appealing. I drink her in. Even more attractive is her subtle sense of unease—she’s not at all used to dressing for a man. I watch, fascinated as she alternates between hugging herself and trying to be sexy. Which makes her sexy as hell.

  She’s all sorts of awkward as if she has no idea how to act. But there she sits, facing me down like she’s Angelina Jolie or somebody. There’s no agenda as there is with most of the women I’ve hooked up with. My little dragon seems quite devoid of subterfuge. Whenever she fibs, the tips of her ears go beet red. Her bravado makes me want to strip her naked and fuck her right here on the table. I picture her, legs spread wide …

  “Excuse me a moment. Time for a pit stop.” She’s all kinds of sexy with those tiny bare feet and a slight limp as she favors her healing leg. My cock hardens as I imagine a tiny, delicate foot sliding up my leg, toes massaging my inner thigh. But we have business to attend to first. My little dragon is practically blackmailing me into working together. Now, she wants to know about us.

  I turn the gas fireplace up a notch. Another thing I’ve learned about Rayne—she craves warmth. She isn’t a sun worshipper like me, but cool temperatures make her cower and run for a tower of blankets.