Taking Control

by Nina Croft

“Right, for the jump you’re going to be close together. As close as you can get. Jess, wrap your arms around Declan’s waist and tuck your head right in against his neck. Declan you hold her around the shoulders.”

  Declan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, felt her arms come around his middle and hold him tight, so she was plastered against the length of his body. She burrowed her face in the curve of his shoulder. A tremble ran through her.

  He hadn’t thought she was scared of anything. He couldn’t decide whether to laugh or to throw her over his shoulder and carry her to safety. Then the gate was closing, shutting them in, the cage jerked beneath them, and they were rising into the air.

  “Oh God.”

  He rubbed a hand down her back, then looked around him. One of the bungee team guys was in the cage with them, but Declan zoned him out as they rose. The view was amazing. Three-hundred-and-sixty degrees over the city. For once the sky was blue, the sunlight sparkling on the dark water of the river now far below them. Jess’s head was once again shoved in his shoulder.

  “Come on, Jess, take a look. You’re missing all the fun.”

  “Fuck off,” she mumbled.

  He chuckled, and she lifted her head and glared. At least her eyes were open, though they fixed on him not the view. Maybe time to try and distract her. He pressed his hips against hers, letting her know his cock liked having her wrapped around him so close.

  Her eyes widened. “I can’t believe you can do that at a moment like this.”

  He chuckled again, but his dick was becoming painful and he shifted a little away from her.

  “So have you done this before?” he asked.

  “Are you crazy? Do you think I’d be here now if I had?”

  “But you knew you were scared of heights?”

  A visible shudder ran through her. “Yes. I’ve jumped out of planes during training.”

  “And you were okay?”

  “Of course I wasn’t okay. What sort of normal person jumps out of planes? I puked before and after.”

  “So why are you doing this if you’re afraid of heights?”

  “I told you, it’s for charity. Plus, I was somewhat under the influence when I agreed. But…”

  “But…?” he urged.

  “I think you need to face your fears head-on. It’s the only way to defeat them. But I swear if the rope breaks, I will never forgive Dani.”

  He peered over the edge. “No, probably not.”

  She followed his gaze and went a little greener. “Holy shit.”

  He smiled. “I’ll hold on to you.”

  “You might change your mind if I throw up on you on the way down.”

  “You won’t. You’re the bravest person I know.”

  The cage jolted to a halt, and she gave a little squeak. She really was scared and he was filled with an overwhelming urge to protect her from her fears. Make them go away. “We don’t have to do this, Jess. We can just ride back down. I’ll match whatever you’re raising from the jump. Your friend’s doggies won’t lose out.”

  Her spine stiffened, her jaw clenched. “No way.”

  The gate opened, and they were teetering on the edge. The ground looked a long, long way away. He felt a flash of fear and grinned. At least he wasn’t bored. Maybe Jess didn’t fit into his world, but she certainly made it a brighter place.

  “Oh. My. God.”

  She clung to him like her life depended on it. He liked the feeling.

  “You want a push?” the bungee guy asked. “Or are you going to jump?”

  “We’ll jump,” he said.

  Pulling her even closer, he stared out at the view, the world laid out before him, Jess in his arms. His gut churned; his adrenaline spiked. “You ready?” He felt the slightest nod against him.

  Taking a last deep breath, he leaped out into open space. Then he was diving head first toward the Earth. Jess’s arms tightened around him, her fingers digging into the skin at his waist, her scream muffled in the curve where his neck met his shoulder. And in that moment, free-falling through the sky, the hard ground racing toward him, he knew he didn’t want to ever let her go.

  He had a split second to brace himself for the jolt, but it never came. The deceleration was smooth, and then they were rising again.

  Bouncing on the end of a rope, his woman in his arms, it occurred it him that life with Jess would never be boring.

  She thought they were getting each other out of their systems. She was wrong. He just had to work out the right time and place to explain that to her.

  Finally, they stopped moving, someone grabbed his shoulders and lowered him to the ground. Jess wriggled free. Her face was white, and he leaned toward her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “That was fun. You want to go again?”

  She curled her lip in a snarl. “Bugger off.”

  Chapter Ten

  Declan had changed after the jump. There had been something in his eyes she couldn’t recognize, but it had made her twitch. Determination? But what was he determined to do?

  Anyway, it made her nervous, but not enough to stop seeing him. Rather it had made her more desperate to get as much as she possibly could of him before everything went to shit.

  It was five days since the jump, and they’d had sex every one of those days. Lots of sex. Quick sex, slow sex, at his office, in his apartment. She couldn’t keep her hands off him. Though she refused to spend the night, which he said was a pain because he wanted early morning sex with her all sleepy and tousled.

  But that was getting into dangerous territory.

  She needed to get a little distance, but more than that, she needed to prove to herself that she could control this thing between them. Because there was something between them. Even if it was only sex, it was there. Drawing them together.

  All the time in his presence she sensed him watching her, wanting her. It made her body twitch with need, until her dreams were filled with Declan and each morning she awoke, hot, bothered, restless, and ready for more sex.

  Now, watching him across the room, cool, remote, businesslike, she decided she was worrying too much. In just over a week, the court case would start. After that, presumably Declan would no longer need protection. And there would be no reason for them to ever see each other again.

  She hated the shaft of pain that pierced her at the thought.

  Looking away, her gaze clashed with Jake, who watched her, his brows drawn together as though he were picking away at a particularly interesting puzzle.

  They were in a meeting, this time in Jake’s office. Jake had wanted to meet their newest client. No doubt he’d been listening to office gossip.

  The two men had sized each other up, then shook hands, one of those testosterone-fueled handshakes that always looked like they’d result in broken fingers. But she got the feeling that Jake respected Declan, and it took a lot to impress her boss.

  Dave and Steve were also present. The guys were all seated, but Jess was too restless and she paced the room, listening while Jake outlined a plan for drawing out Declan’s attackers. For the first time, it occurred to her that there was actually danger involved. That there was a small chance they would get to Declan, maybe hurt him, even kill him. These guys were serious. Something unexpected and almost unidentifiable twisted inside her.

  She was afraid. Not the adrenaline-inducing fear of the bungee jump, but something much darker. Plonking herself down on the edge of the sofa, she tried to get a grip on her fear.

  “You okay, Jess?” Jake asked.

  She rubbed the spot above the bridge of her nose as she thought about her answer. She suspected the correct response was “no.” She was pretty sure she was not okay. Instead, she tried to give a casual shrug. “Just having second thoughts. I’m not sure we should be playing around with these guys.”

  “And have you an alternate suggestion?” Jake asked.

  “Up the security. Keep him safe until after the court case.”

  Jake turned to Declan.
“How do you feel about all this? Are you okay to go ahead?”

  Something flashed across his face and then was gone. He shrugged. “Whatever you think best.”

  Did he want this over with? Including her? A week ago, she would have said yes. Now she wasn’t so sure. “We go ahead then.”

  Declan rose to his feet. “Will you walk me out?” he said to her.

  She followed him out of the room, eyes glued to his very impressive ass. At the elevator she pressed the button for the ground floor and gestured for him to enter.

  “You don’t need to worry about me,” he said as the doors closed behind them.

  She shrugged again. “It won’t do the firm’s reputation any good if we lose a client. Especially now, when Jake’s stepping down. So I’d prefer it if you didn’t get yourself killed.”

  He leaned back against the wall of the elevator. “Maybe I should get a gun.”

  “I don’t think so.” She shuddered. Clients with guns were not on top of her things-I-want list. “Can you shoot?”

  “Never tried. Never even held a gun.”

  “Never? Really?” She considered him for a moment. “You want to?” Was she just looking for an excuse to keep him here? Probably. But what the hell. “Or have you got an important meeting to go to? You look like you have an important meeting.” He was dressed in a sharp charcoal-gray suit, crisp white shirt, and dark red tie and looked the perfect executive. Except for maybe the restlessness in his silver-gray eyes. It occurred to her that maybe he wasn’t happy with his perfect life.

  When they’d been teenagers, she’d always known that under the controlled exterior had lurked a wild boy. It was what had drawn her to him. What had pushed her to get a reaction from him. She’d believed when they met again, that the wild boy was entirely eradicated beneath the perfect veneer of sophistication. But he wasn’t gone entirely. He might show a perfect front to the world, but beneath the glossy facade there was a volcano waiting to explode. There always had been. Her question was did Declan have more or less control now than he’d had ten years ago?

  But why should she care.

  He studied her for a moment. Then pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed speed dial. “Paul? Cancel my meetings this morning. Something’s come up.” He closed the call before the other man could speak and turned back to her.

  Heat coiled in her belly, and her heart rate picked up. Leaning across him, she pressed the button for the basement.

  It was quiet down on the lower level. There were a lot of cases at the moment and most of the operatives were out on assignment. At the far end of the corridor, she punched in the code for the shooting range, then pressed her thumb to the pad. The door clicked open. Jake had contacts that facilitated them getting the licenses for their firearms, but there were strict rules for their storage.

  The room was big, but narrow, and the longer side ran along the whole depth of the building. It consisted of a counter that spanned this end of the room, and then the room was split into three alleys. She paused just inside the door, glanced at him, then turned back and locked it behind them. Declan’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t say anything as she led him to the gun safe at the far corner of the room, and again input the code and pressed her thumb to the pad. Declan shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the counter and rolled up his sleeves.

  She selected a Sig Pro 9mm—one of her favorites—and a magazine. She turned and handed it to Declan, minus the bullets.

  “It’s not very big,” he murmured. The weapon did look small in his large hand.

  “It’s big enough.” She took the gun from him. “You need to insert the magazine, like so. Then to load the chamber you pull back the slide, like this”—she demonstrated—“and release it. Easy. Here you go.”

  After removing the magazine and bullet, she handed the gun and ammunition to Declan. He slotted the magazine, chambered the bullet. “Now what?”

  “Take out the bullets. We’ll have a go without them first.”

  She stood behind him, stepping up close so she could feel the heat of his skin though his clothes. “Now,” she said, “grip your pistol firm in both hands, but keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.” Her hands rested on his upper arms, steadying him, and a prickle of awareness ran through her.

  “Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.” Jess slipped a leg between his and nudged them apart. “Stretch out your arms, and lean slightly forward, but stay balanced. Now take a deep breath, exhale halfway, hold it, and squeeze the trigger.”

  He squeezed, the pistol made a slight clicking noise.

  “Okay, let’s try it with bullets. Load up.”

  Declan took the magazine from her and reloaded competently while she pressed a button. Halfway down the room, a target swung into position. Jess stepped to the side this time, leaving him alone, and he took up the stance she had shown him, arms outstretched, feet apart. He closed one eye, sighted down the line of the pistol, took a deep breath, and squeezed.

  He was good. A natural. Most people jumped a mile when they first felt the recoil, but he stood easy and relaxed. He hadn’t hit the center of the target though, which made her feel slightly better and brought a frown to his face. She was guessing Declan liked to do everything perfectly

  “Again,” she said. He was slightly better this time but still failed to hit the center.

  Jess took the gun from his hand, spun round, and shot a bullet into the center of the target without even aiming.

  “Show-off,” he muttered.

  She gave him back the gun. “Once more.” She moved back behind him, rested her hands lightly on his hips, turning him slightly. “Focus on the target. Clear your mind of everything else.”

  “That’s a little hard with your hands all over me.” But this time he hit the target right in the center.

  She still had her hands on his hips and she squeezed. “Put the gun down, Declan.”

  A subtle tension ran through his body, but he removed the magazine from the pistol and rested them gently on the counter. He didn’t turn, just stood, hands loose at his side. Jess stepped up closer until she was pressed against the length of his back. She slid her hands around from where they rested on his hips to his groin.

  “Jesus.”

  “Just checking if anything else has come up,” she murmured. He was becoming hard beneath her palm and heat sank through her body, pooling in her belly, then lower, so her sex tingled and an insistent pulse set up between her thighs.

  She needed this.

  She tugged his shirt out of his pants, then flicked open the button and lowered the zipper. Pushing her hands inside, she found him hot and hard. She wrapped her fingers around the steely length and squeezed.

  He did move then. Grasping her wrist, he tugged her hand out from inside his pants, then turned around, lowered his head, and kissed her. Deep, wet kisses that filled her mouth and made her breasts ache.

  With his hands gripping her hips, he picked her up and placed her on the counter without ever breaking the kiss. She was gasping for air now, need filling her as he nudged open her thighs. She tore open his shirt, buttons flying across the room, but she had to touch him. His skin was burning hot. She hardly noticed as he dragged her jacket from her shoulders, threw it to the floor. Her shirt followed, then her bra. At last he released her mouth and she took in huge breaths of air, filling her starving lungs.

  Lowering his head, he sucked one tight nipple into his mouth, then bit down, and she gasped. He repeated the process with the other, alternating stinging bites with soothing strokes of his tongue until she was mindless with need.

  His hands were at her waist now, unfastening her pants, and she arched her hips up off the counter to allow him to drag them down over her long legs, tugging off her shoes without slowing until she was entirely naked, sprawled on the counter before him. Now his movements slowed. He straightened, gazing down at her with eyes darkened and a dull flush across his cheekbones.

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nbsp; “Lie back.” When she didn’t move fast enough, he placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently until her spine rested against the smooth, cool metal of the counter. He trailed his hand down over her breast, rubbing the engorged nipple so sensations shot to her groin. Then lower so it splayed across her flat belly.

  “Tell me,” he said. “Did you bring me down here just to seduce me?”

  She didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

  He chuckled, but then the laugh stilled in his throat. He dug his fingers into the soft skin of her stomach, then dragged them lower through the pale blond curls. She came up on her elbows because she didn’t want to miss any of this, holding her breath, waiting for the first touch.

  His gaze was fixed on her sex as he slowly slid a finger along the seam and her thighs widened of their own accord, her hips rising to push against his hand. His finger slipped inside.

  “Jesus, you are so wet.”

  He parted her with one hand, then trailed his fingers over the drenched folds, stopping just short of her swollen clit, so she bucked her hips in protest. Then back down to push inside her, first one finger, then a second, rubbing at her inner walls so her flesh tingled and tightened around him.

  Then finally, he lowered his head and kissed her. He used his mouth and his tongue, long strokes along the length of her sex, pushing inside, nibbling at the outer lips, sucking and licking. Heat washed through her in waves, threatening to drag her under.

  She growled low in her throat as he circled her clit, never quite touching, until she thought she might go mad with need. His hands were splayed on her inner thighs now, holding her open to him, holding her still, while he continued his slow torture.

  “Please, Declan.”

  He glanced up and his darkened eyes captured hers. “I like it when you beg. Say it again.”

  “Please.”

  She could feel his warm breath blowing over her, and her muscles clenched. “You want this?” He dropped the lightest of kisses on the tight little nub and the breath left her in a whoosh. She held herself perfectly still, waiting for his next touch, then nearly jumped as the tip of his tongue teased her until she thought she would go mad with the need for release. He lapped at her gently, and she could feel her orgasm building, tightening everything inside her.