He understood why. Someone had tried to run them down. Only Gaige’s fast thinking stopped what could have been a catastrophe.
“Yeah.” Alec still couldn’t process the events or put them in order, but one thought kept shouting in his head—Gaige had dragged him to safety. Alec stood up straight but didn’t let go of Gaige’s forearms. “Are you hurt?”
He shifted and winced. “Knocked my side, but it’s fine.”
“Gaige…” Alec had no idea what to say next. People talked to the two of them in German. One guy said something about being a doctor. Alec only cared about the man who held on to him with an iron grip.
“What the hell was that? A drunk, maybe?” Gaige looked at his shaking hands. “Damn, that’s annoying.”
Alec wanted to believe that. Tried and failed. Sure, freak accidents happened. People lost control. This felt much more targeted. “He headed straight for us.”
The crowd dispersed when the police car arrived. Some went over to talk with the officers. Others stood around in groups, talking and taking photos.
“You think the car will come back?” Gaige asked in a low whisper.
Alec waved off the last offers of help from the concerned witnesses. It was his one shot to have Gaige alone for a few seconds and establish their story. “Unless his job was just to shake us up he could easily be back to finish the job.”
Gaige made a groaning sound. “Shit.”
“Exactly.” Alec saw the police headed for him. He dreaded this type of attention, but he had no choice now. “Let’s get this over with.”
—
Three hours later Gaige sat on a stool at Alec’s breakfast bar. They had talked to police and taken a quick run to a medical clinic to check his side. The bruise was already turning a deep shade of purple but it wasn’t serious. Painful, yes.
Gaige had meds for that, but he had no intention of taking them. If people were going to try to run down him or Alec, Gaige planned to stay wide awake and aware.
He ignored the cup of coffee in front of him and the ache in his side. Watching Alec pace back and forth in front of the sink captured most of his focus. For a man usually so in control, he looked wide-eyed and on edge. A strange energy radiated off him.
Almost dying did that to a guy.
Seth had shown up twenty minutes ago and demanded a full explanation. They’d told him the story twice and he still shook his head as he poured himself a cup of the coffee he’d made. “Where’s Finn?”
“Handling the press,” Tony said as he hung up his cell. “He has the situation under control. Pam is taking the lead on calls back at the office. Pam being Pam, she also called in extra security in case anyone tries to make a run on the office.”
This was how they worked in a crisis. With a team and complete calm. Never mind that Gaige had to beat back the yell that crept up his throat. “What is there to handle? Someone tried to mow us down.”
Seth eyed Gaige over the top of his mug. “Maybe you’re exaggerating?”
A thud sounded as Alec stopped. He looked up and glared at Seth. “I should shoot you.”
Tony raised his hand. “I’ll volunteer to do it.”
“Tony, no.” Seth put a hand against his chest in what looked like fake concern. “I thought we were friends.”
“We messed up his date night.” Alec exhaled as he rested his hands against the edge of the counter across from Gaige. “Please apologize to Caroline from all of us.”
“Girlfriend?” Seth asked in a low voice.
Tony rolled his eyes. “As if you don’t know and haven’t had her checked out.”
The guy was a pain in the ass. Gaige didn’t understand why they ever helped him or his team. “That’s not true, is it?”
Seth shrugged. “Job hazard.”
“Nosy bastard,” Gaige said under his breath but just loud enough for Seth to hear.
Alec glared at Seth. “He’s not wrong.”
“Should we take a few minutes and talk about your dating life?” Seth’s gaze flicked from Gaige to Alec as he asked the question.
“Get the fuck out of my house.” Alec shoved away from the counter and stepped over to the refrigerator. He opened the door, then closed it again without taking anything out.
Seth put his mug down. Gone was the amusement and the smartass vibe. His expression, closed off and unsmiling, telegraphed his concern. “In all seriousness, this attack could have nothing to do with me. It might be connected to you and your business. You have enemies, Alec.”
As far as Gaige could tell he was the only one in the room without a gun or a reason to shoot it. He got Seth, a special ops guy with an attitude. Understandable in light of the danger he likely faced on a regular basis, but still annoying.
Tony and Alec were businessmen who sometimes strayed into undercover work. That still didn’t totally make sense to Gaige. On the sly, he’d been digging through office information. There were brochures that pointed out the breadth of what Drummond did every day. This wasn’t a small company dealing in minor contracts. Drummond had been tagged as “the world’s supermarket,” which explained some of Alec’s unending seriousness.
Still, they were talking about food, not weapons, which had Gaige confused about exactly what Alec sometimes did for Seth and his team. “Can someone tell me why producing food leads to such danger for Alec?”
Tony laughed. “Well, he’s a billionaire.”
The word bounced around in Gaige’s head. He put that fact away to deal with it later and glanced at Alec. “With all that cash you’d think you’d be able to afford a wall in here then.”
For a second Alec’s stern demeanor slipped. “I’ll let the architect know you’re not impressed.” Alec opened the refrigerator door again and took out a bottle of water for himself and handed one to Gaige. “But as to your original question, Drummond supplies food and food hybrids across the world. We’re involved in alternative fuel sources and some other side projects that Seth and his people care about.”
Seth dropped his empty coffee mug in the sink. “Which are top secret, so wrap up your explanation without any more information.”
“All of that food, those seeds, that information and intel, moves across the world,” Tony explained. “There are people who would prefer if their opponents—rebel factions, demonstrators, groups they don’t like—didn’t have food.”
“The concept of starving people out.” Now that sounded like power to Gaige. Scary fucking power.
“Right.” Seth nodded. “And now we have this issue with the Doomsday Vault.”
The term sucked up most of Gaige’s days right now. “I really think that place needs a different name.”
“But that’s what it is.” Alec held up his hand when Gaige started to ask a question. “Don’t look skeptical.”
“Explain it to me then.” Because Gaige really wanted to know. If he was going to get sucked into this mess and run down in the street, he should have the specifics.
“For example, Syria has been working on drought- and heat-resistant wheat but all of that blew up when the civil war broke out and Aleppo came under siege. Scientific work stopped and the vault there was partially destroyed, so Syria turned to Svalbard. It was the first seed withdrawal since Svalbard opened.”
The way Alec explained it got through. Gaige could see the scenarios. The desperation. Famine and drought on a global level sounded apocalyptic. “So, you’re saying the vault is…?”
Alec played with the lid to his water bottle. “Literally humanity’s backup plan if the unthinkable happens.”
“Which is why we spread the word that you’re working on an audit of the seed deliveries,” Seth said. When Tony rolled his eyes at the answer, Seth talked even faster. “Cover is important. If we accuse someone of playing with seed vault deliveries and nothing is wrong, we could start an international incident. If something is wrong and an American is behind it, we have an even bigger problem.” Seth gestured at Gaige. “You will help us figure it o
ut.”
And that’s the part Gaige did not want to talk about. He stood up, moving away from the counter. “I’m not in the mood for the you-are-a-target lecture again.”
“Me either.” Alec put the bottle on the table and stared at Seth. “It’s time for you all to go.”
Seth looked around and whistled. “I like the place. Impressive since you got it for a steal.”
Of course Seth would know the particulars. Gaige didn’t even know why facts like that surprised him anymore.
“Lose the address.” Alec didn’t do anything to hide the fury vibrating in his voice. “Seriously, if I ever see you in my house again, I’ll shoot you.”
“In your dreams,” Seth said.
“Okay, we’re done here.” Tony put a hand on Seth’s shoulder and pushed him toward the door but not before waving over his shoulder. “Have a good night.”
When the door shut behind Seth and Tony, Gaige and Alec were locked inside together. Gaige could think only one thing—the time for talk was done. He wanted Alec naked. Fucking now.
Chapter 13
He should leave Gaige alone tonight. Give him one of those pain pills the doctor prescribed and let him drift off. But looking at him now, standing there in black pants and a black Henley sweater, looking like a tall, hot package he wanted to unwrap, Alec knew that wasn’t going to happen.
He’d be careful, hold back on everything he wanted to do with Gaige. Limit the pleasure and keep things emotionally disengaged. But they were happening tonight. And soon.
Gaige shook his head as he put his water bottle back in the refrigerator. “That guy is a pain in the ass.”
No argument there. Alec had been saying the same thing about everyone in the CIA for years. Working with the agency from time to time suited him. It opened doors for Drummond that had closed under his father’s lack of company leadership, back when greed got in the way of good business decisions. Now being on call for the CIA was more nuisance than help.
Getting into bed with the CIA meant one day someone would come knocking and bring a wave of trouble right behind them. Alec needed Gaige to know that and be careful to put limits on how “helpful” he’d be.
“Ready to tell me what he has on you?” Alec knew he wouldn’t get an answer but tried anyway.
The refrigerator door shut but Gaige didn’t turn around. “No.”
“Want to tell me what piece of information you have that I don’t?”
Gaige rubbed the back of his neck as he faced Alec again. “Not yet.”
But he would. Alec sensed it and could wait. “Fair enough.”
Whatever Seth had used to rope Gaige into this assignment might not be enough. Gaige had already turned over the phone. Nothing about him said he’d blindly follow orders, maybe in the short term but not for long. The only real question was how much danger Seth would dump Gaige into first.
“You’re accepting that answer?” Gaige laughed. “I’m a little surprised.”
Only because he had other activities in mind for tonight. “I think you’re going to realize it’s better to trust me than Seth, but I’ll let you get there.”
Gaige didn’t move from his side of the counter. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”
That sounded positive. For now, Alec let that be enough.
He stalked around the end of the counter and headed for Gaige. “But, in the meantime, we need to find something else to fill our time.”
Some of the tension left Gaige’s face and a very different expression lingered in its place. “Will we be naked for this something else you want to do?”
“Oh, definitely.” Alec stopped in front of Gaige and gave in to the need to touch him. Let his hand trail over the front of Gaige’s sweater, down and down until his fingertips rested on the top edge of Gaige’s belt.
This close, Alec could see Gaige visibly swallow. Watch as his mouth dropped open just a fraction as he let out a small sigh.
“My bed or yours?” Gaige asked in a rough voice.
Now they were back on track.
“Mine is bigger.” Alec’s fingers went to work opening Gaige’s belt. The buckle jangled as he slipped the leather out of the belt loops.
“If you say so.”
A boiling mix of need and excitement welled up inside Alec. He strained to get closer. Shifted until his fingers touched the top of Gaige’s zipper and started lowering it one tempting tick at a time. “Shut up and take your clothes off.”
Gaige slipped his hand over Alec’s. “You first.”
A challenge. Alec liked it. Control was his thing, but an active partner, someone so totally into it, was the ultimate turn-on.
He didn’t step back because he didn’t want to move even one inch away. Slipping his hand from under Gaige’s, Alec unknotted his tie. Took his time and let his arm brush against Gaige’s chest as material slid against material.
“That’s a good start,” Gaige said.
Without breaking eye contact, Alec dropped the tie to the floor and started on the top buttons of his shirt. Undid one, then a second. Drew it out, waiting to see if Gaige would take the bait.
“You’re taking too long. Let me.” Gaige lowered his head and slipped his mouth inside the opening of Alec’s shirt. Kissed his way down Alec’s throat.
The gesture, so simple and sexy, had Alec’s heartbeat hammering hard enough to echo in his ears. He could hear the blood whoosh as a thumping started in his head.
I want him. The refrain repeated in his mind. It grew louder, faster, overwhelming whatever doubts still hid inside him.
Gaige appealed to him on a basic level, so raw and frantic, that Alec couldn’t touch him enough. His smell, the feel of the muscles under his sweater, the hitch of his breath as he licked Alec’s neck.
Alec didn’t fight the need thumping inside him. He dove headfirst into it, digging his fingernails into the cotton sweater covering Gaige’s shoulders. Alec pulled Gaige in closer until their bodies met from chest to thigh. Still it wasn’t enough. The heat built. His skin flushed and his nerves pulsed to life.
“Your turn.” Gaige’s fingers slipped down Alec’s shirt. He tugged it out of his pants, then undid each button until the ends hung open against his chest. With one push, he swept the material off Alec’s shoulders, sending it falling to the floor.
Gaige’s gaze dipped. Bounced down to Alec’s pants then back up again. “Much better.”
“Not quite.” Alec couldn’t strip fast enough. He had the slim white tee he wore under his dress shirt off in less than a second. His fingers went to work on his belt and zipper next.
Through it all, Gaige just watched. They stood almost on top of each other. He pressed a line of kisses along Alec’s jaw. Used his tongue and nipped with his teeth.
The gentle bites had Alec’s head spinning until he thought it would explode. The heat surging through him made it difficult to think and nearly impossible to breathe. No matter how much he inhaled and gasped, he couldn’t draw in enough air.
“We need the bed.” Gaige didn’t wait for an answer. He slipped his fingers through Alec’s and guided him over to the end of the big bed.
Before Alec could say anything Gaige sat on the edge of the mattress. He locked his hands against the back of Alec’s thighs and glanced up. Squeezing just a bit, Gaige tugged Alec closer. Leaned in until his mouth skimmed over the front of Alec’s pants.
Right there, through layers of clothing, Alec felt the heat of Gaige’s mouth. The flick of his tongue. He used his lips to outline Alec’s growing bulge, caressing him through the dress pants.
“Jesus, Gaige.” Alec’s head fell back as the need washed through him.
He expected wild. Ripping off clothes, tearing and fumbling to press skin against skin. He got a slow seduction, coaxing out every groan. The clasp of Gaige’s mouth, the strokes against his legs—Alec didn’t know he needed any of it until the force of it swamped him.
When Alec’s knees buckled, Gaige dragged him down to
the mattress. Gaige fell back with Alec on top of him, sliding over him. The friction was hypnotic, reeling Alec in.
He reached for Gaige’s fingers again and pressed the backs of his hands against the bed. Holding him down, feeling the press of Gaige’s erection against his leg. Alec dreamed about this last night but the live-action version turned out to be so much better. Here, he could see Gaige’s bright blue eyes cloud with need. Feel the brush of Gaige’s breath against his chin.
Alec caught Gaige’s bottom lip between his. Nipped at it. “You have too many clothes on.”
“Peel them off.”
They kissed then and Alec wondered why he had tried to skip this part. Of all Gaige’s talents, this was one of the most impressive. His mouth proved fierce and demanding. His kisses didn’t leave a single doubt about where he wanted to be and what he wanted.
Still, with his past, Alec had to ask. He forced his body to still and the muscles in his neck to heed. He finally lifted his head and stared down at the man he wanted until he couldn’t think. “Yes, right?”
Gaige blinked. “What?”
“I need you to say it.”
Gaige put his palms on Alec’s cheeks. “Alec, fuck me.”
The words shot through Alec. Shattered his control into tiny pieces. He practically tore at Gaige’s clothes, and he wasn’t alone. Two sets of hands pulled, stretching Gaige’s sweater and lifting it over his head. They fell back on the mattress again.
Alec couldn’t get close enough, kiss enough. His hands traveled all over Gaige’s chest, learning every firm inch. Then his fingers dipped into Gaige’s hair and held his head still for another stunning kiss, one that only hinted at the heat to come.
Gaige raised his knees, making room between his legs. Alec didn’t hesitate. He slid into the space as the kiss raged on.
One of Gaige’s thighs dropped to the side. His hands slid down and Alec’s pants started to drop. Lying there, curled together without a word, Gaige managed to strip Alec down to his shoes.
“Fuck, yes.” Alec lifted his head just long enough to get the words out as he kicked off his shoes.
His mouth trailed over Gaige’s skin to the base of his neck. Then to his chest. He spent long minutes licking his way to Gaige’s nipples, sucking Gaige’s skin between his teeth. He wanted to make a mark. To claim him in the most fundamental way.
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