Be My Forever: The Complete Series Box Set

by Lauren Wood

  “That was exactly the same reaction I had the first time I saw it. We’ve done everything we can to find out if it’s true. We’ve seen him out of his penthouse suite, but for the most part he sequesters himself and surrounds himself with security. We need you to infiltrate and obtain proof of his true existence. Once that has been confirmed, we will amount a clandestine attack to bring him in by any means necessary. You’ll have to gain his trust and get close to the subject.” Normally, Catherine would tell her asset that they needed to sleep their way to the top. She wasn’t going to do that with her daughter, but the intention was there. Catherine was bulletproof and she had the ears of those movers and shakers that wanted to make the world safe. Her green eyes looked soft and innocent, but there was something deadly that only a select few had been able to see. That was when she became more of a threat than ever before.

  “I think you already know that my teachers in seduction have said that I have exceeded their expectations. I know how to take care of myself with several forms of hand to hand combat. I am a marksman with several weapons and I do not let my emotions get involved. This man is a symbol of everything that is wrong in this world. He has to be made responsible for his actions.” “I’ve seen subjects come in, but alas I’ve never seen them go back out. I don’t know what my mother does with them and I haven’t had the courage to ask her. I suspect that there is a military application and a lot of money on the table to get things done in the most expedient way possible.”

  “This man is considered a humanitarian and someone that we have to walk on eggshells around. He has a lot of clout and people in his corner. We need to make sure that he is this thing before we act. I know that’s a little different from how I usually do things. It stands to reason that we need to treat this one with kid gloves. Marcel Foster is considered off limits, but I will not stand idly by and let him make a fool of us.” Catherine had watched the video several times and still couldn’t believe that she was throwing her daughter at the man that was capable of that. She looked at Natalie and saw a confidence that she had been lacking growing up. There was a real change in her demeanor and that shy naïve girl had been extinguished.

  “I will start with doing my own research. There are plenty of articles that are dedicated to Mr. Foster.” The one thing that had been stressed during training was to never personalize a subject before going into the field. “That being cannot be allowed to run rampant in my streets and think that he’s above suspicion. That poor animal was defenseless and that thing charbroiled him like he was Sunday dinner. I will not be turned by flattery or by the muscles that I can see through anything that he’s wearing. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with anyone. I get a little tired of turning in the morning to see that empty side of the bed. I want warmth and friendship, but in this business the one thing that needs to be sacrificed is relationships. I learned that the hard way. There are things about what I do that has to remain private and secrets have a funny way of wrecking a good thing.

  “I’m not one to tell you how to do your job, but remember there have been others that have failed miserably. I expect better from the one that came from my loins. I want you to put everybody else on notice. I want you to show them how it’s done and take a bow after succeeding. I’m expecting big things and I don’t want you to disappoint me.” Catherine showed no emotion and went back to shuffling papers. Her one true love was her job. It didn’t hurt to have that necessary paycheck in her pocket. She was powerful in her own mind. She knew that she was better than all of them and what she did was necessary for the continued survival of the human race. She had a facility that was 1000 feet below her that housed some of those things. They were born that way and some would say that they were the evolution of mankind, but she only considered them to be abominations.

  The one thing that Catherine was known for was to have no mercy. Experimentation and cutting these things open for better inspection was where her funding was coming from. She had been in charge of this division for the past 10 years and before that she was kissing ass and taking names. She knew how to play the game and politics had become something of a hobby for her. She could manipulate anyone.

  Seeing that the meeting was over, Natalie walked out of the office into a sterile hallway that was completely white and devoid of any kind of decoration. Those in lab coats were walking by with clipboards in their hands. She had always been interested in science, but she felt more drawn to her mother’s work. She didn’t have to go to a normal boot camp. The one she went to was more specialized and took six months of her life to complete. Even after that, she was constantly learning something. Linguistics or how to fly a plane or even a helicopter had come easy for her. She was well rounded and had no problem throwing herself into new and exciting things.

  She didn’t make a sound and walked amongst them, till she came to her quarters. Nobody was allowed to live off the base and that meant most of these people had no lives of their own. They were dedicated to what they were doing, but there were times that Natalie thought that maybe they were not the right ones to be playing god. “I see the way that this man has the world in the palm of his hand. Mr. Foster is hiding from the world and nobody has a damned clue of the monster underneath the mask. I’m afraid that I need to orchestrate a meeting and make sure that it looks nonchalant and quite spontaneous. It’s not like I haven’t done it before, but I usually have backup in case things go awry. This time, I’m flying without a net. I’m exhilarated by the chance to prove myself and I’ve always considered myself one of the lone wolves. That’s what my mother called those that were able to do this, as a one man army or one woman army as it were.”

  "The commander asked me to give you these. This is everything that you will need and believe me I’ve been exactly where you are. It’s fun to play dress up, but remember that all these fancy things are only window dressing. I’ve taught you everything that you need to know and I think that you are more than qualified to step into the shoes.” Sheila Masters was a resident expert in seduction and she had the raw sexuality that she used on many occasion to lure the suspected victim into her trap. She had worked with Natalie on a few occasions and found her to be competent. In fact, she would say than Natalie could immerse herself into any role with relative ease. It was interesting, but there were a lot of similarities to the commander. They were two peas in a pod.

  Chapter 2

  Marcel couldn’t stay cloistered in his penthouse all the time. There were functions meant to give him the praise that he deserved for many of the causes that he chaired daily. He didn’t like wearing this monkey suit and he was more comfortable in a pair of blue jeans while lazily watching reality television. Unfortunately, this was something that was unavoidable and hearing them talk about him made him cringe to think of how easy he had blended in. He was not a man that took chances. His main guard was an island on to himself.

  “Mr. Foster, I implore you not to feed into their false platitudes. You’re here for one reason and then I’m going to get you out of here as fast as possible. I know that you want me to stay incognito, but I don’t think that I can do that this time. There are too many variables and I can’t account for every one of them. This place can be easily attacked from many fronts. I have my best people keeping an eye on anything that might seem out of place.” Benjamin was a seasoned African American with many tours of duty under his belt. He wore the black suit as a form of armor. He didn’t like having the control taken away from his hands.

  “I know that you’re not comfortable with this situation, but I can’t afford not to make some kind of appearance. They’re going to need a sound bite and I have to let them see that I’m not just some phantom with a lot of money.” He had shaved his dark beard down to a very manageable goatee. His dark blue eyes took in his surroundings like that of a soldier that had been trained to look for anything out of the ordinary. He stood at over 6 feet with dark hair that went down to his shoulders. He was no stranger to working his body into a spe
cimen and had Benjamin to help him continue his regiment every morning. “All of these people are starving for the truth and they wouldn’t know it if it came up and bit them in the ass. They only want to believe what they can see with their own eyes. They are blind and they cannot see. They want to believe in heroes and I have to project that to them.”

  “I still don’t like this and there’s too much that can go wrong. You know how you get when you’re pushed into a corner. Refrain from making any grand gestures and don’t even think about getting in front of the camera.” Benjamin had known from the moment that he went to work for Marcel that he was different from all of his other charges in the past. Seeing him change the first time was a little alarming, but the money was good and the man had proven that he was more than what was underneath. “I don’t want to see another video like the one that showed up on the Internet a couple of months ago. There have been those that have been suspicious and they’re taking action. I’ve been right there on the front lines to make sure that they didn’t get close.”

  Marcel really didn’t know what Benjamin had done and really wasn’t in any position to ask questions. There was something deadly about Benjamin. It was the way that he carried himself with authority.

  Natalie in her best white flowing dress that accentuated her curves to the best of their advantage was now making her approach. She pretended to be talking on the phone and not watching where she was going. She bumped into the man and spun around like she had lost her equilibrium. The champagne glass in her hand dumped onto the white tuxedo shirt of Marcel Foster.

  She was accosted by this giant old black man that looked like he could blot out the sun. His huge hands were pressed up against her chest and that ignited a certain something down below that had gone unfulfilled in quite some time. “My apologies, but I guess I can’t juggle and chew gum at the same time.” “The best way to break the ice is to show some humor. This is a tried and true method that I have mastered with my own flair for the dramatic. He’s looking at my huge breasts and the way that the nipples are poking through the fabric of this very sheer gown. I have him by the balls and I plan to pull at his short and curlies to get his attention.”

  “You’ll have to forgive Benjamin for acting like a Neanderthal. He’s here for my protection, but sometimes he tends to go overboard in the course of his duties. I do hope that you are okay. I would hate to think that I had anything to do with taking that smile from your face.” He put his hand on her cheek, letting his fingers linger on the softness and the warmth of her skin. “I do believe that they are playing our song. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me onto the dance floor?” He was being charming and felt a sort of longing that came from being subjected to only four walls. He had to be careful and there were those out there that were still looking for him. He wasn’t making it easy. Anytime that he felt their hot breath on the back of his neck, he would make sure to stay quiet and not attract their attention.

  “How can I possibly refuse an invitation like that?” Natalie purposely pushed up against him and made it look like she had stumbled on her high heels. One of those heels had broken by design and with just enough pressure she was able to become that damsel in distress. She pitched forward and landed into his arms. “It seems I’m nothing but a klutz these days. You might have to lead on the dance floor, unless of course you want me to break your toes. I do hope that your bodyguard won’t be joining us. You know what they say about three’s a crowd.” Her hair had red on the tips. She felt his arm encircle her and he dragged her with no effort onto the dance floor.

  Natalie had learned that there were five golden rules. One of those was not to rush into anything. She had taken her time over the last two weeks to get to know Mr. Foster intimately down to the minute detail. She found some things that were quite enticing. It had her touching herself in the middle of the night. “I’ve seen him in my dreams, but it’s so much better when it’s personal and in a more one on one situation. I thought that I would be immune, but he really is spectacular. He could easily carry me to the bedroom and have his way and I would gladly give into my carnal cravings. Why shouldn’t I be able to mix a little business with pleasure? It was obvious from what my mother said that she was expecting me to go above and beyond.”

  Marcel put his arms around her and was enjoying the fact that she was not like all the others. The socialites dieted needlessly and he had always been more attracted to those that were comfortable in their own skin. “I’m guessing that you already know my name, but I’m afraid that you have me at a disadvantage.” He had learned how to work the room and seduction was mere child’s play for a man with his obvious character and age.

  “My name is Natalie Wells. I believe that you might know my family. I supposedly died in a boating accident, but reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” The Wells family was known for their generosity. It didn’t take much to get them to play along with her as their long lost daughter. It was good fortune that their daughter was named Natalie, but the rest was fictitious. “They found me in an Indian hospital. I had no name and was in a coma for almost a year before I finally came to. I know that it sounds ridiculous and most likely something of a plot from a soap opera.” “Touching him is like being in front of a raging fire on a winter’s night with a bearskin rug splayed on the floor for obvious intimacy. Touching his hand is making me aware that I have been denied the touch of the opposite sex for too long.

  “I do believe that I have heard this story, but it was mostly in passing. I try to keep up with the day to day events, but sometimes it’s a little depressing. We seem to have a knack for killing and a day doesn’t go by that somebody doesn’t fall victim. I pity those that stick their head in the sand and hope that their lives are never touched like that. I’m sorry for being so depressing, but sometimes my passion gets the best of me.” Marcel dipped Natalie, making her gasp which gave her chest the arch that he was looking for. He could easily see her nipples and the silver dollar tips were not exactly easy to forget.

  Natalie was happy that things had progressed nicely, but now she was breathless with anticipation for the first kiss. They were looking at each other with more than just friendship and suddenly they were hot and heavy. His tongue wiped across the surface of her teeth. He was trying to gain entry. She was letting him believe that he was the one that was in the driver’s seat.

  He lifted her to her feet and turned away like he couldn’t quite believe that he had done such a thing. “I’m sorry. I’m usually not that forward. I do hope that you will forgive my behavior. That was certainly not becoming of a gentleman. I assure you that I’m not like all the other guys that you’ve met in your life. I respect women and I know that they are the backbone of our society. They may not get the credit, but their influence is felt in everything that we do.” Marcel was a study of human nature, but this time he felt a little out of sorts. He couldn’t explain it, but the obvious chemistry between himself and Natalie had gone off the charts. “I’m sure that you heard this line before, but I really am not like any other guy. I don’t believe that just because I shower you with gifts that you have to give something in return. I’m not one that thinks with the head between my legs. I admit that I find you alluring and I would like to spend more time getting to know you. Perhaps you will join me for brunch on Sunday at my estate in the Hamptons. I do believe I have a drink with your name on it.” This was the first time in almost a year that he had invited anyone to his personal haven away from the real world.

  “I’m guessing from your expression that this is not a common occurrence. I guess I should feel honored that you would present me with this option. I also would like to get to know you better and I’m not talking in the Biblical sense. You would be one hell of a one night stand, but I really have more respect for my body than that. I’ve been widowed for the last two years and his death came when I was not there to hold his hand on his last breath.” She was pulling out all the stops and doing what she could to pull at
those heartstrings. “I learned everything I can about Natalie Wells and everything that I’ve said can be verified with one phone call or even a global search.

  “That kind of loss cannot be easy to get over, Natalie. I grieve for you and my heart breaks to know that you will never see the one that you love again. Everybody should take time to smell the roses and you never know when your time is up. Life is so fleeting and if you don’t take a hold of it then it can be gone in the blink of an eye. It’s good to see that you’re brave and standing after everything that you have gone through. You stand in front of me and I see your every breath as a gift.” Marcel had other women vying for his affections, but he never really had any interest in going any further than a chaste kiss.

  After the dance, they enjoyed about an hour together, before Natalie feigned that she had something that she had to do. She promised that she would be in touch and even scribbled her cell phone number on his palm like some cheesy romantic notion from one of those movies. “I don’t know if you are serious about having me for brunch, but I’ll be more than happy to show up.” “One step at a time is the order of the day. I was getting closer to learning if he truly is more than these people can see. I’m kind of hoping that he’s not. For some reason I don’t want anything to happen to him. I’ve only met him this one time, but it was something that I will remember.”

  Marcel took her hand and did the exact same thing to the palm of her hand. “I figure that one good turn deserves another. Be at this address and my private helicopter will be there to escort you the rest of the way. If you’re thinking that this is something that I do for everyone, then you are sadly mistaken. I am more selective than that.” They separated and mingled among the masses. When he turned at the end of the night she had disappeared like that of Cinderella in one of those fairy tale stories.