by Dana Volney
She had to walk away. Her new plan depended on it.
Yet, instead of leaving, she relaxed into him, opening her mouth to his and pressing her hands around his jaw.
She wanted him.
She’d crawled naked into his bed to relate to him in the best way she knew how, and to get up the courage to tell him why she was really here. She’d desperately wanted to drop her usual guise and come at him straight with the information, but he’d been in no mood to hear her plight. She chickened out.
But she’d be lying if she said a part of her didn’t want him to take her up on her clear offer of pleasure. Right now, all of her was mad that he hadn’t. If he had fallen into bed with her, if they had made love and then slept in each other’s arms, then she could’ve come clean. Maybe she would’ve had the courage to tell him what was going on after all. Maybe he’d have wanted to save her life on his own instead of being tricked into it.
But now she had to throw him off kilter, plant thoughts in his head, to get him on her side.
This is for the best. You’re doing what needs to be done. She readied her mind to walk away, steadied herself so no lust or disappointment would show through as she backed away, and slid her hands down to his hard pecs. “Always a pleasure, Felix.”
His eyelids were low with desire. So sexy. She stifled a moan because, ohhh, the man in front of her made her panties wet. She could stay and have sexy-time fun. Her meeting wasn’t for a little while. But she’d already set up the lie. If she took it back now, he surely wouldn’t trust her.
“Nox.” He nodded as his cool blue eyes hardened.
That one little word was a mood killer every time. Her last name was reserved for when they were in the field and he meant business. He didn’t usually use it when they were alone. The blissful bubble they’d been in for a few moments officially popped.
He was always the hardest to walk away from. But she had to—when he found out the real reason she’d returned, he wasn’t going to be happy, and she didn’t need extra emotions complicating the matter. All she needed was his help. His body would have to wait.
She gave a little, sultry smile that made most men putty in her hands, pivoted on her heels, and added an extra swing to her hips as she walked out his front door and into the parking lot. He was still watching; she’d bet her life on it. She was betting her life on it.
He must’ve had one hell of a night not to notice the black sedan and the driver who had brought her here.
As the car rolled past his living room, she could see Felix’s tank-like shadow, hands on hips, probably cussing her out. She gritted her teeth at what she’d just done. There was no one after Felix. Not directly. There was, however, someone after her. And if she didn’t get to Darek first, it would be only a matter of time before he did go after Felix. None of those scenarios were pleasant.
Felix was her only ally.
She’d freshen up at the hotel and then head to her meeting. A deep breath did little to calm her rising nerves. She had no reason to be anxious about tonight—it was tomorrow when shit would really hit the fan. Round one had just gone to her.
CHAPTER TWO
Where the fuck was she going?
Felix had hung back in his black Hummer and was just about to get out and scout the perimeter of the hotel when Arabella reappeared. She’d changed into combat boots that laced mid-calf, black cargo pants, and a black, short-sleeved shirt that looked like it’d been cut out just for her curves. She was in full scouting uniform. Did she have a line on the team Darek had sent to kill him, or was she on another job?
This time she wasn’t using a driver but instead had summoned a brown Jeep Wrangler from the valet. He respected switching vehicles, but leaving the same way she came in seemed a little reckless. Training for Delta Force had beat military tactics into him, and he knew she had ample training too.
He followed her out of downtown, and she headed straight toward the interstate and then south. The traffic was still decent, so it was easy to stay hidden. Where was she going, and who was going to be at the other end of this drive? There was no sense in coming up with the best-case scenario—there probably wasn’t one. The worst thing that could happen, by his estimation, was that she was headed straight for Darek—the sheikh prick who wanted him dead.
Ah, shit. What was he doing? Did he really need to follow her? He checked his rearview and side mirrors. Sadly, yes. If she’d ratted him out, he needed to know exactly what he was dealing with and how many. Because marriage didn’t equal trust. Which really sucked in this case.
She crossed over the bridge into territory reserved for shipping and other water-related businesses. What the hell are you up to, Nox? The tension in his every muscle as she drove closer and closer to the new Wyn Security office told him he already knew. But why would she have any reason to go to his office? Was she going to spy on him?
Sure enough—she was let through the front gates of the shipping yard and parked in front of the Prince Industries building. Winter Wyn, his boss, had finally decided they needed offices, and now that she and Eliam Prince were a couple, the office had landed on the second floor of his building with a great view of the city. Not to mention all the fancy new technology, gear, guns, and their very own individual offices. That part was damn weird. He’d never really had an office before.
Eliam’s silver Challenger was the only other one in the lot. Winter’s new SUV was absent. He waited for Arabella to enter and then followed, careful to be absolutely quiet. Felix and Eddie had rigged up the security system around the yard and in the building but hadn’t hired anyone to monitor it 24/7 yet. He’d be able to watch Arabella on camera later to make sure he didn’t miss anything she’d done.
He took the stairs, his footsteps light, a skill that had taken him years to master, and heard voices as soon as he opened the door to the second-floor landing.
“It’s nice to finally put a real-life person to the name. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Winter’s voice cut through the pumping of his heart.
He had to be in some alternate universe right now. Why the hell would Winter want to meet with Arabella? Fucking fantastic was what this was. His first instinct had been correct—never trust Arabella. He tightened his fists and released the pressure when he thought he might fracture his own bones. All the adrenaline that threatened to consume him needed an outlet. As it was, he wasn’t going to be cheery when he went in there and started demanding answers.
She’d come to his house, she’d been naked in his bed for fuck’s sake, and yet she couldn’t tell him that her next stop was where he worked? Based on that action, the new probability that Darek was gunning for him was low, which should’ve been a good thing. Unfortunately, he knew Arabella too well—if she was starting with a story like that, the truth was way worse.
The women moved into the conference area that sat in the middle of the outer offices. The room was encased by a 360-degree, half-glass wall, so he hung back by the front door, hoping to hear more.
Fuck, he hated the position he was in. Totally in the cold. He could walk away—that option was always on the table. But who would he be kidding? He wouldn’t get a wink of sleep until he knew exactly what was happening. Right now he’d settle for the CliffsNotes version. The sooner Arabella was out of town, the sooner he could go back to not sleeping because of his own damn problems.
He walked through the front doorway and approached the oval room. He leaned on the door frame and crossed his arms around his chest. “Ladies.”
Winter’s head snapped up, and Arabella’s back stiffened.
“Felix. What are you doing here?” Winter asked as she narrowed her eyes.
“I’d like Arabella to answer that same question.”
“I hired her to come on board to help us through some busy patches.” Winter’s gaze volleyed between them.
“And you didn’t consult me?” Now here was another item to add to his list of annoying things taking place tonight. He’d opted out of running
and owning the security business, happy to call Winter boss, but he still should’ve been included in hiring decisions.
“We’ve all been busy.” Winter glanced back at her new hire. “You two know each other?”
Arabella still hadn’t turned to face him—no doubt figuring out a lie that made sense and that could continue to serve her purpose for the long game she had going. Shit. Was he ever going to learn with this woman?
“One could say we’re well acquainted.” He moved to the other side of the conference table square between the women, arms still folded so he wasn’t tempted to shake the answers out of Arabella.
“We’ve worked together before.” She looked over her shoulder at him, swiping her chin over her black T-shirt quickly before turning back to Winter.
“Cut the bullshit.”
Arabella blinked at his harsh tone and language. The lady could cuss like a sailor but never enjoyed when it was directed toward her.
“You were just at my apartment.”
“You were?” The surprise in Winter’s voice was satisfying.
“I wanted to stop in and say hi.” Arabella swiveled her chair to face him. Her eyes flashed with fire.
Good. He didn’t want to be the only one frustrated tonight. Thank his lucky stars they hadn’t slept together earlier.
Business was personal, and personal issues were business right now. There’s nothing he wouldn’t say to keep her riled up. He’d find out more that way.
“In fact,” he winked at her and then gazed at Winter, “Arabella and I have been—”
“Close for many years, and I did know he worked here, but I didn’t want any special treatment, so I didn’t say anything.” She spoke like the strike of lightning. “To either of you.”
“So you’re in town for a while, huh?” Sarcasm masked his intrigue. Was there really an issue with Darek? Was she here to make sure he made it out of the hit alive?
“Until some things get sorted out and Winter no longer needs my help, yes.” Arabella’s easy smile was back. She thought she was home free. He had other plans.
“We have a new client in tomorrow. First thing.” Winter wrote on a piece of paper while she spoke. “Why don’t the two of you take the case since you’ve worked together before. I could use Eddie for another job.”
He nodded as they stood. Good. He wanted to keep Arabella close.
“It was nice to meet you.” Arabella shook Winter’s hand and glared at Felix as she headed for the elevators.
Winter gathered the folders on the table and held them close to her chest. “I’ll lock up. Eliam’s my ride. You all right?” A wary eye checked him up and down. He’d been getting that a lot lately from her. “We’ll talk about this more tomorrow.”
“She’s a strong operator,” he reassured and followed the warm amber trail to catch up with Arabella before the heavy, metal doors closed. Of course, that victory only put him close to her in a moving box. Well, he could stand anything for ten seconds. “What in the fresh hell was that?”
“A job offer.”
“You’re going into personal security now?”
“You seem to like it.”
She didn’t know shit about his life. If she did, she’d know that he didn’t like anything right now. He should be back fighting for his country, standing beside his brothers and sisters in arms, stopping convoys of unsuspecting soldiers from getting killed, not using his hard-learned skills for babysitting.
He’d seen a lot of horrible situations in the army and Delta Force, but losing three buddies over a senseless, unscheduled meeting they were on their way to had put him over the edge. The attack on his team on his watch was too much at the time, and he’d wanted out. There was a part of him that assumed he could walk back on the team whenever he wanted. He had yet to actually attempt the communication.
“Think you could’ve mentioned all this two hours ago?”
The doors opened, and he jogged to catch up to her quickened pace.
“I had other things on my mind. And nothing was solidified. I didn’t want to get you all worked up for nothing.”
“Oh, you have me worked up all right. What’s your angle, Nox?”
“Only work. It wouldn’t hurt to be around when you need some backup either.”
Eye twitch. Sonuvabitch. She was lying, hiding something, or all the above. She’d never lied to him about work before. Not that I know of, apparently. The past was easy to clean up in the mind, to make nicer than it actually was. Still, he’d always thought his eyes had been open with her, that he’d known the good, bad, and ugly when it came to Arabella. He’d been dead wrong.
• • •
Holy fucking shit if that wasn’t a big mistake on her part. Of course he would tail her. How could she not have anticipated that move? She’d been so caught up in the careful manipulation of her plan that she’d somehow underestimated the consequences of getting Felix riled up.
She drew in a deep breath and pulled her keys out of her pocket before she stopped and faced Felix. “Since when do you go around telling people you have a wife?”
There might be a lot of things going on right now, but she never wanted their relationship brought up to a stranger—used as a weapon. Yeah, they used it against each other, but that was their own sick game, not one they involved others in.
“I don’t have a wife.” He scowled.
“Then why the hell were you going to bring it up?” she fumed at the only thing he’d done wrong tonight.
“Because you’re lying. Tonight has been a total lie. And I don’t like lying.”
“That’s hilarious coming from you.”
“I said that I don’t like it, not that I don’t ever do it.”
Their trade involved a lot of fakery, but the only time it had ever hurt was when he’d used it against her, which made what she was now doing worse. Even if it was to save her life. She knew how he was going to feel. “And you don’t discriminate who is lied to.”
He shoved his hands in his pants pockets. “We got off track. Out with it, Nox. What’s your angle? I’m not asking again.”
“I don’t know what you want from me. I needed a job for now. This is a good one. And the timing was right.”
“It’s the timing I’m most concerned about.”
“It’s not the chemistry we had earlier?” She had a lot of balls bouncing in her mind, but the kiss from earlier kept creeping in. Like light blue in a sea of gray terror. She was running scared; she knew that. The kiss had grounded her though, which ticked off part of her. Dammit. She didn’t need to fly halfway round the globe to kiss a man to feel like she was going to live to see next week. Right?
She could be her own hope.
He blinked his soft blue eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever actually used that term with anyone but you.”
“Term?”
“Wife.” His voice softened and the “f” stayed on his lips long enough to catch her attention.
“Oh.”
Warmth spread from her cheeks to her belly, and flashes of their wedding made her mouth dry. They’d flown back to the States to get married. Felix was from Seattle, and she’d spent most of her time in the United States on the East Coast. They’d discussed visiting a remote area different from the desert they’d just spent six months in. She’d never seen Wyoming, so they’d ended up in Buffalo in a charming bed and breakfast that, along with horse rides, offered weddings as well. They’d said their vows near a waterfall surrounded by pine trees and rolling hills. The smell of a babbling brook still brought her back to the moment she promised to love Felix forever.
When they were first married, they called each other husband and wife nonstop, and every time it turned her on like crazy. She knew it did for him, too—or at least it used to.
No one who wanted to hurt them would ever think to look in Wyoming for a marriage license for either of them. She never wanted to give anyone an edge over her, and letting people know who you were attached to was a big sign
that told them just where to go.
Besides, that kind of secret had been hot.
She stepped closer to him, just enough to get a whiff of his woodsy musk. “Come back to the hotel with me and say it again.”
She could be brazen because she knew the odds of him taking her up on her offer were low. Felix had always had way more self-control. It used to be a game to break him and exhilarating when she did, but tonight it was annoying. What would one more night hurt? Holy hell, she was all over the place—she needed to settle down and focus. She wasn’t in Seattle to win back Felix. She was there to save herself from the consequences of a job gone bad.
He stepped forward and she swallowed. Heat radiated off his perfectly muscle-defined body, even though the night had a dewy bite. His gaze roamed over her face, and she barely breathed, waiting for an answer.
“I want a divorce.”
She stopped breathing. She needed him by her side for this. Their past was all she had at her disposal to persuade him to help her. He was her ace—she was out of all other cards to play.
“Some other time then.” She winked and pivoted to get into her rental.
She watched him walk away—a broad-shouldered, tanned, handsome man who could do anything he set his mind to. One tall, sexy as all get out, best kisser in the world, decent guy. Why would he ask her for a divorce? They’d never even talked about it before. And times had been much worse than this. Technically their sixth wedding anniversary was right around the corner. And he wasn’t seeing anyone—not with the way he’d kissed her.
“Oh, and Arabella?” he called out from his Hummer. “I will find out what’s going on, and for both of our sakes, you better make sure it’s tomorrow.”
She’d tell him tomorrow—after she came up with a story tonight.
CHAPTER THREE
Felix hadn’t slept a wink. There were too many unknowns—which were getting cleared up today whether Arabella liked it or not.
He hauled his ass out of his Hummer in the new morning light, the bite to the air fully waking him up. He’d beat Arabella to the office but not Winter. Good. He wanted to ask her a few questions too.