Watching From The Shadows: Trident Security Book 5

by Samantha A. Cole

  “It should be, but I’ll have two of the Omega team tail us until we get back to my house. With the security system the geek installed, we’ll be perfectly safe there. Well, I’ll be perfectly safe…you, however, will be at my mercy.”

  Heaven help her! And now he was going to leave her like this…wanting…needing. Maybe a little nudge…

  Shifting her hips one more time, she moaned when her clit rubbed against the hard bulge in his jeans. Clutching her ass, he stilled her movements. “You’re killing me here, sweetheart. When was the last time you had an orgasm?”

  “Before the baby was born.” Even she could hear the yearning in her voice. “About a month before.”

  “Seriously? You haven’t gotten off in over six months?”

  His wide eyes and the incredulous statement made her giggle. “Um…yeah. Dealing with an infant, while working full time, tends to be a tad tiring.”

  “Shit. Well, let’s see what we can do about that.” He turned her body until she was sitting sideways on his lap again. Tugging on the string at the top of her stylish sweatpants, he undid the knot and then slid his hand under the waistband faster than his intent registered in her mind.

  “Wh-what’re you doing? Oh God!”

  He found her pussy soaking wet. Using two fingers, he stroked her clit and swollen lips, causing her to gasp and moan. “Like that, huh? Just because I want to hold off fucking you for a few hours, doesn’t mean I can’t give you a little taste of what’s to come. Damn, you’re on fire down there, and no matter how wet you get, it won’t be enough to put that fire out until I make you cum.”

  Curling the tips of his fingers, he breached the entrance to her core. She spread her legs wider to give him more room as his mouth latched on to the tit closest to him. “Oh, fuck, Marco! Yes!”

  A pop sounded when he stopped sucking and looked up at her. “This is going to be a quickie, baby. Just enough to take the edge off, but not enough to completely satisfy you. That we’ll take care of later.”

  “Anything. Oh, please anything.”

  His fingers plunged deep, then withdrew and plunged in once more. Over and over. Faster and faster. Then he held them inside her and searched…searched for the hidden spot which would send her flying. She panted for air as her body soared higher and higher. He’d been right. This was going to be a quickie—she was right there…just a little—

  “Ahhhhhhh. Oh…oh shit…ahhhh…ssssshhhhhhit…”

  “That’s it. Ride it, baby.”

  He prolonged the orgasmic waves as long as he could with the two fingers rubbing her G-spot and his thumb strumming her clit. Flashes of light appeared before her closed eyes until she had nothing more to give him and began to float back down to earth. His mouth nuzzled her neck and all she wanted to do was fall asleep in his arms, then wake up and do it again.

  “Thank you…Sir.”

  * * *

  When they returned to the barbecue, Marco noted a few more people had arrived. Mistress China, a.k.a. Charlotte Roth, was chatting with Colleen and her Dom/fiancé, Reggie Helm. The Omega team members, who weren’t currently on guard duty, were also scattered about. The huge flat screen TV on the wall had been switched over to Skype and showed Jake and Nick sitting on the couch in their living room in San Diego. Jenn was standing in front of the camera attached to Brody’s laptop, holding Mara for them to see, with Alyssa blowing softly in the baby’s face to make her giggle.

  Devon’s face lit up when he saw Marco and Harper. “Great, you’re back. Now we can get down to business. Everyone gather round.” He pulled Kristen to his side as Alyssa picked up the camera and turned it so the two men in California could see Nick’s second oldest brother. “I’m glad mostly everyone was able to make it today. Kristen and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and slow day. It’s great to have such a wonderful group of family, co-workers, and friends—Harper, Karen, and baby Mara, that includes you, too. If someone had told me two weeks ago that Polo would be the first one of us with a kid, I would have laughed my ass off. But as it turns out, we couldn’t be happier for him. Aaaaand…it looks like I’m going to be needing pointers from him because my beautiful wife is carrying my future son or daughter.”

  Delighted gasps and squeals filled the air, followed by shouts of congratulations, whistles, and clapping. The women rushed to pull Kristen into hugs while Devon took some fist bumps and back slapping. After the excitement died down a little, Devon put his arm around Ian’s shoulders and looked up at the big screen where Nick and Jake had huge grins on their faces. Alyssa moved so she could get all four of them in the camera range. Devon held up a glass of soda. “Kristen made a few suggestions and I wholeheartedly agree with them. First off—if it’s a boy, his name will be John Devon Sawyer.” A chorus of ‘aww’ met his statement from those who knew about the deceased Sawyer brother. “And Ian and Angie, we would like you to be the baby’s godparents.”

  “Yes!”

  Everyone laughed as Angie’s hands went flying into the air and she did a little happy dance. Ian’s smile couldn’t have gotten any bigger. “As my fiancée has already indicated, we’d be honored, brother. Congratulations. Shit! Did you tell Mom and Pop yet?”

  “We called all the soon-to-be grandparents this morning,” Kristen answered, her arm wrapped around her husband’s waist. “With everyone here, the only other people we really still want to tell is my editor, Jillian, who I’ll call tomorrow, and Carter, but Devon left a message for him to call when he can.” The spy had a system where messages were left at a phone number very few people knew and he checked them when he could safely do so. “We’ll also tell everyone else at the club tomorrow night.”

  Standing next to Harper, Marco sighed, then whispered in her ear. “This is going to alter our plans, sweetheart. We can’t leave the party after that announcement and I’ll be expected to be at the club tomorrow night as well.”

  She leaned into him and the honeysuckle shampoo she’d used tickled his nose. “Don’t worry. I’ll think of something. I really don’t care about the dinner…just the dessert.”

  His eyebrows shot up as he turned to fully face her. Keeping his voice low so only she could hear him, he chided, “Oh, woman, how you tempt me. But I’m serious. I want at least one date with you before we wind up in bed together again.”

  “Fine,” she replied with an exaggerated huff. “How about lunch tomorrow? Then we’ll come back and go to the club later on.” A blush came over her face. “Oh, wait…I mean, that is if you want me at the club.”

  Growling, he put his hands on her waist as he stared at the bottom lip she started nibbling on. “Sweetheart, I want you in the club, my bed, the shower…hell, I’d take you right here, if it was just those of us in the lifestyle. Lunch tomorrow and then the club in the evening is fine, but we won’t be able to play in the club until you’ve been fully vetted and cleared. The policy applies to everyone. Even Kristen, Angie, and Kat had to wait to be cleared. But as you said a moment ago, don’t worry…I’ll think of something.” And he would, because the wheels of creativity were already spinning with his options. Something else came to mind as well. “Tell your mom we’ll take Mara with us to lunch, so she can have a few hours to herself. She can relax here, or if she wants to get a change of scenery, maybe visit some friends. I’ll arrange an escort for her with Dev.”

  Harper grinned, clearly pleased he wanted to include the baby in at least part of their plans. “I’d think she’d like that—she’s going a little stir crazy, just like everyone else. One of her friends had hip replacement surgery the other day and I know she’d like to go visit her at the hospital.”

  “Done. I’ll talk to Dev later about adding it to the schedule.” He took her hand and led her to where Ian was opening a few bottles of champagne which Kristen had hidden earlier in a nearby cooler. “Come on. Let’s get something to drink and eat. We’ve got a lot of celebrating to do.”

  * * *

  “God damn it! Are they ever going
to leave that fucking compound? And why didn’t you take care of the bitch the other day when she was at her office?”

  Lairson was getting fed up with being yelled at. This was supposed have been an easy gig, but that was before those military assholes got involved. “How the fuck was I supposed to do that with all those goons watching over her? It’d be fucking suicide.” He was still upset that Grant Rodgers had been killed. Not that he gave two-shits about the jackass, but he was afraid he might be next, despite reassurances that it wouldn’t happen.

  After hearing about it on the news the other night, he’d picked up the throwaway phone he’d been using for this cluster fuck and hit the speed dial number he’d programmed in. The explanation he’d been given was that Rodgers was a loose end who would’ve blabbed the moment the cops came looking for him. And it was obvious the jackass had screwed up somehow, because why else would the bomb squad and half the cops in Pinellas County have been knocking on his door?

  “I don’t want excuses. I want results. If you can’t get close to her, then use your fucking head and get her to come to you. And do it soon, or I might start thinking that you’re a loose end and find someone else who can get it done.”

  The caller disconnected and Lairson was tempted to throw the phone across the room. “Fuck!” There was no way he was getting out of this alive unless he got the job done, left Tampa for parts unknown, or took out the person who hired him. “Fuck!”

  CHAPTER 13

  Pulling into a parking space in front of Donovan’s Pub, Marco killed the engine as their escort did the same in the space behind him. He’d picked this place for several reasons—in addition to knowing the owner and the fact that the team spent a lot of down time here. One—the food was awesome and the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable. Two—when Trident first opened its business, Ian and Devon had created several escape and evade routes, in case anyone ran into trouble like Angie and Brody had last year. The brothers paid to have both the inside door to the office of the restaurant and the one that led from there to the back alley reinforced with bulletproof materials. The locks were heavy duty and the doors couldn’t be kicked in easily. In fact, it would probably take the impact of a dump truck to break them down. There was a weapons safe installed next to the business’s safe and it had everything the team would need in a crisis. Like the system at the compound, the safe could only be opened by a hand scanner. Mike had been trained how to help if needed, although his and his staff’s safety were his number one priority if something happened.

  Before opening his door, Marco glanced at Harper. “Stay there until I come around for you.”

  While he was being very cautious with their surroundings, he knew she’d been excited to get out of the compound for a while, and the change of scenery would do them good. It was one thing to keep Harper and Mara safe, but it was another to stop enjoying life because of some maniac. He wouldn’t have even considered this excursion, though, without his back-up being in place.

  There was the normal Sunday traffic and shoppers out and about, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Foster and McCabe confirmed they agreed to his silent assessment with quick nods of their heads. He’d sent the two men over here this morning with Brody, when it had just been Mike, his chef, and sous chef inside getting ready for the day. The geek had programmed their palm prints for the safe and he showed them around, so they were aware of the setup.

  Marco opened Harper’s door and held her hand as she climbed down. He then opened the rear door and pushed the release buttons to unlock Mara’s car seat, before lifting the sleeping infant out of the vehicle. The kid had passed out cold as soon as they’d hit the highway.

  Taking Harper’s hand again, he led her to the entrance of Donovan’s with their two guards—one on point, the other on their six. Foster posted himself at a small table that had been reserved for him at the front of the restaurant, while McCabe strode to his assigned seating at the rear. The men had the entire bar and dining area within their sights and would quietly monitor the patrons coming and going.

  Taking a booth also near the back, so the office was only a short distance away, Marco set the baby seat on the bench, and then stepped aside to let Harper sit next to their daughter. Just as he took his own seat, Jenn came rushing over, having spotted them as she came out of the kitchen after dropping off an order. “Hi, Harper. Hi, Uncle Marco. Aww, you made my day bringing Mara in, but I wish she was awake. Any time you need a babysitter, look no further. I’ll even do it for free.”

  Harper grinned as she removed the sleeping baby’s blanket, showing off the cute, pink and purple outfit she had dressed her in. “You’re on. As much as I love spending time with her, I’d be crazy not to take anyone’s offer to babysit. But I insist on paying you if you do it. And don’t worry, she’ll be waking up again soon, I’m sure.”

  Placing his cell phone on the table, Marco glanced from the baby to Jenn. “Do you believe I remember when you were that tiny, Baby-girl? Back then, the entire team was terrified to hold you—not just me.”

  “It’s hard to believe I was that small.” She smiled at him. “And you were great holding her last night—you’re going to be an awesome dad. Trust me on this because you’re an awesome uncle.” He winked at her in appreciation as she began to step away from the table. “Let me grab you some menus and the specials.”

  The young woman hurried off and returned moments later with two leather folders, then took their drink orders. While Harper perused the menu, Marco, knowing the choices by heart, only glanced at the specials before folding his arms on the table and watching her. She must have sensed his stare, because her gaze met his. “What’s the matter?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m just remembering the last time we were here together—”

  “Nina’s funeral.”

  “Uh-huh. It’s just amazing how much has changed since then.” He jutted his chin toward the baby. “And not just the new addition. It’s weird, but when Nina passed away, Kristen and Devon had only been dating a short time, which had already blown everyone’s mind since Devil Dog never dated. Then Angie came along and, boom, there goes Ian. Kat and Boomer were next, followed by Jake and Nick, who again, blew everyone’s mind. No one saw that coming, including them. And I was happy for them. All of them. But it wasn’t for me. I figured Brody was next and I’d remain the team’s consummate bachelor.”

  She closed the menu and leaned back against the leather padding. “And now?”

  “I think Nina is laughing her ass off at me. Seriously. I had a dream last night about something that happened years ago. We were kids—I was maybe fifteen or sixteen. I’d come home from school and our grandmother had gone to the casino again, or something. Nina had been taking a home-ec class and had learned to make meatloaf. Or thought she did. That afternoon, she’d taken her babysitting money and picked up the ingredients at the store to surprise me. It’d been years since we’d had a meal that wasn’t frozen, out of a box, or fast food. I asked her what she was up to and she said she wanted to be able to cook for her family someday. She wanted to get married and have kids. I thought she was crazy and asked why, since our home life had been such crap.” He paused then the corner of his mouth ticked upward. “You know what she told me?”

  “No. What?”

  He snorted and shook his head at the memory. “She said everyone was entitled to their own happily-ever-after, but it was up to us to want it and demand it. If we wanted it badly enough, we could look beyond our past and embrace our future.”

  “Nina said that? At what, thirteen? That’s pretty deep. But, actually, I can hear her saying something like that. Despite what you two went through, that woman had the sunniest disposition I had ever come across. And I think it was because of you. She thought you walked on water.” He took a deep breath, but she held up a hand to stop him from interrupting her. “Don’t think she didn’t know you were human and made mistakes like everyone else, but no matter what, Marco, even from a young age
, you put her first. She once told me she wanted to have a son someday so you could be his idol. She said every boy deserved an uncle like you to look up to.” She paused, and when he remained silent while absorbing everything she’d told him, she asked, “What ever happened with the meatloaf? You said she thought she’d learned how to make it.”

  A chuckle escaped him as he leaned back in the booth, his face lighting up with amusement. “Oh, God, it was awful. I don’t know what she ended up putting in it, but I didn’t want to disappoint her, so I said it was good, and tried to swallow it without tasting it. She finally took one bite and spit it out all over the place. It was the first time in ages the two of us laughed until our stomachs hurt. We threw out the meatloaf, or whatever the hell it was, and I used the money from my part time job to take her out for burgers.”

  Harper smiled and pointed at him. “And that’s why she adored you…”

  Whatever she was about to say next was interrupted when Jenn came back for their food order. The rest of their lunch was spent chatting about a variety of things. Marco realized that as close as he was to Nina, and as close as Nina was to Harper, there was so much about the woman sitting across from him he never knew. It really did feel like a first date, getting to know each other in a way they never had before. The more they talked, the more he recognized they were compatible in more than just sexual attraction. This was a woman who would challenge him every day, yet submit to him in the bedroom. She would be his equal as well as his submissive. Well, technically, she wasn’t his…yet. But he was hoping to change that real soon.

  She swallowed the last of her sandwich, and the movement in her throat brought his gaze to her bare neck. He didn’t have any collars in his toy bag except a simple black leather band, which had been worn by very few women and for only the length of a temporary contract. And that wouldn’t do—not for Harper. He wanted to give her one that no one else had ever worn. Tonight when they went to the club, he’d take her into the fetish store on the second floor. There he could purchase one she could wear in the club for now. But if things worked out for them the way he was now hoping they would, he’d have to check out the jeweler where his teammates had gotten permanent collars for their subs. Huh. It was amazing how his life had changed in just one week.