Contracted Defense

by Piper J. Drake

  Well, couldn’t have that.

  He leaned in and kissed her.

  He’d intended to be quick, startle her out of her thoughts. But as soon as their lips met, hers parted in a gasp and he couldn’t resist the invitation. He took her deeper, tasting.

  She kissed back, drinking him in and leaning into him. Her hands gripped his waist in encouragement.

  Just like that, he was on fire and she was living flame under him. He’d backed her up against the table until she was on her back. His hips fit between her legs, grinding until they both groaned with the friction. He gripped her ass until she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist. Her hands hooked behind his neck, pulling him in for hungry kisses.

  A sharp, happy bark sounded outside.

  Sucking in air, he straightened and pulled her up to stand with him. They stumbled back from each other. Each of them dragged their hands through their own hair in an attempt to straighten themselves up.

  A minute later, there was a knock on the pool house door.

  “Hello? It’s Roland. We’ve lunch up at the main house.”

  Chapter Seven

  Victoria let Adam walk ahead to join Roland as the two of them headed for the main house. Tegan took it upon his corgi self to dash up to them then trot back to her, doing his valiant best to keep them herded in a close enough group for him to keep his doggie attention on all of them.

  She smiled at his antics, but didn’t give in to his urging to catch up with the group. No. She was going to take her time and assess the very awkward situation. Obviously, what she was doing had no sound reasoning or logic to it. In fact, her brain had shut down and her body had definitely taken point.

  Interesting fact: she had no regrets. She’d thought her attraction to Adam would ease off to something manageable. After all, she’d worked with some of the most intense men and women in the world. People in her line of work tended to have the sort of charisma that transcended physical attributes. And if they happened to also be gifted with symmetrical features and well-endowed physiques, magnetism was the least of the ways to describe their effect on others.

  Being drawn to Adam made sense. He was not only charismatic, but a balance of intelligent and creative, practical with a good sense of when it was the right time to take a risk. Incredibly, deliciously gorgeous could be added to her growing list of things she liked about him. He was the whole package, and she was particularly tempted by a man like him. But she’d scratched that itch and she shouldn’t be hungry for more.

  Obviously, her body didn’t agree.

  As they all climbed the steps to the front landing leading into the main house, she had the opportunity to appreciate Adam’s tight behind. He’d taken the steps two at a time and left Roland to catch up. If anything, their employer had slowed on the steps as Adam passed him. Once Adam reached the landing, he turned and flashed her one of his lopsided grins, sweeping an arm out to take them all in and indicate they should precede him as they went through the front door. Roland paused, cleared his throat and proceeded into his home.

  She huffed. Adam was over the top, larger than life, if she was the type of woman to be overwhelmed. But as she entered the main house, having him hold the door for her brought an unaccustomed heat to her cheeks.

  She didn’t need a man to do anything for her. There was nothing to prove. There’d been plenty of missions over the years when she’d had to establish her worth to a team.

  The thing about Adam was the lack of douchebaggery. He didn’t doubt her ability or her intelligence. So far, when he questioned her decisions, it was to request she take other options into consideration. If he challenged her, it was as an equal and not with any misguided assumption that he might have the upper hand. He’d simply acknowledged her. Furthermore, he demanded her to be more than she was on her own by utilizing the skills and knowledge he brought to the table.

  It’d been a lesson in humility for her, and one she’d needed. It’d pissed her off at first. But she’d cooled down to a sort of wry respect. Man had balls.

  He’d spent the last several hours working with her, not in direct conflict with her. It was...nice, the way he made her feel. He’d established his respect for her as a professional and as an independent woman, so it was strange to get the rush out of his small gestures, a pleasant buzz. Sure, she could open a door for herself. It was nice when someone else had the consideration to do it for her. She felt feminine and desired, not because she was a contrast to his masculinity but because she was a match to it.

  It was a heady feeling, and she smiled, savoring it.

  She shouldn’t let it go any further. Her thoughts were already running down paths that were so far beyond the limits of a working relationship, she wasn’t going to be able to call them back. Despite today’s slip, they would need to go back to cold professionalism. But as he said, they could discuss the chemistry between them after this contract was completed.

  In the meantime, he was proving to be a decent partner. So far.

  “We generally leave lunch out on the dining room table for people to serve themselves.” Roland led them from the foyer, through a sitting area, to the dining room. “Cuisine changes each day so please let me know if you have a preference. I won’t promise I’ll always accommodate, but I will take your requests into consideration.”

  Thus far, she and Adam had been working on the grounds security to design layers from the perimeter inward. This gave them the opportunity to consider enhancements to the house without needing a formal tour just yet. She noted the sparse furnishing inside the house first and, in particular, the lack of blinds. Roland was apparently one for fabric curtains. He had separate sets of sheers and heavier drapes. The main house’s architecture was elegantly simple in straight lines, echoed in the interior design. The entire house seemed to be an arrangement of rectangular rooms set perpendicular to each other. What furniture there was had a modern look and feel, equally as straightforward in design. In fact, she wasn’t sure she could find a single angle in any room that wasn’t ninety degrees.

  She studied the tops of the window frames. Something was odd about them. “You like a lot of natural light.”

  “When appropriate, yes.” Roland paused near a set of switches on one wall. “But I’m told so many windows can be detrimental to the safety of people inside the house. This house was designed by an eccentric architect with a penchant for reading apocalyptic fiction. I’m told the house could withstand a...zombie apocalypse, if needed.”

  As he spoke, Roland pressed a button and metal panels lowered on the outside of every window within line of sight. The panels moved slowly, so no one climbing in a window would necessarily be caught and injured, but once they were down, they provided a solid barrier to entry.

  “Interesting choice.” Adam’s voice was rich with amusement, but he was studying the windows just as closely as she was. She could almost see the gears turning in his head.

  The outer security cameras would be that much more important if they decided to make this protected mode of the house an integral part of their defensive plan. They’d need the extra vision.

  Tegan trotted past them all, continuing through the living area and around the corner. Well, a dog had different priorities, and he probably knew better than anyone else where there was food to be found.

  Victoria glanced up and her gaze locked with Adam’s. He’d been looking at her. His smile warmed her from her sternum out to her fingertips and toes. It was not the kind of smile friends or colleagues shared. His carried a different kind of heat.

  “Well, then, this will be key as we continue to enhance your security.” She tore her gaze away from Adam and tipped her head as she faced Roland.

  Their employer removed his glasses and polished them absentmindedly with a soft cloth he’d pulled from his trouser pocket. Then he hit the button to r
aise the metal shielding, letting natural light back into the house. “I’ll try to make a list of any other features to the house that may be of use.”

  “Excellent.”

  Roland motioned for them to continue through the room and into the next. It was a good thing too. Victoria was worried her stomach might reach out and consume her from within. Really, she never realized she was hungry until after it was far too late to snack. She was famished.

  They turned the corner and walked the length of a bright room furnished with a pair of angular lounge chairs. Despite their obvious purpose, they were still straight lined and very contemporary in style. It was a room for relaxation. On the few sunny days the region had, this room would be flooded with warm sunlight. The windows were floor-to-ceiling here on the outer walls, and a sliding glass door led to a long lap pool. She wondered if it was heated.

  Not that there would be time for a swim, of course. But she loved swimming better than any other exercise. Maybe she could arrive early one morning for a swim workout before starting the day, after they’d gotten the majority of the security in place.

  They turned again into another room. A huge dining room table was positioned slightly off center in this room, with a buffet along one wall. Set on the buffet was a large selection of black plastic containers with clear lids.

  Jay stood leaning against the wall, leaning over the food.

  “It’s about time you all got here. I’m about starving.” His words were delivered in a friendly tone with a slight undercurrent to them.

  Victoria slowed. Despite her earlier thoughts, there was no way she was going to hurry to get to the food with him complaining. She’d barely met him and already he irritated her.

  “Sorry, bro, we were checking out a feature or two about the house. You probably noticed the shields go down.” Adam walked over to the food and stooped low to ruffle Tegan’s ears. The small dog sat patiently looking up at the buffet with a hopeful gaze.

  “Help yourselves.” Roland started opening containers. “But please, don’t feed Tegan. He’s not allowed ‘people’ food.”

  There’d been a slight hesitation and a discomfort in using the term. Maybe he’d picked up the phrase from a veterinarian or the pet supply store. It didn’t come naturally from him.

  Roland looked down at Tegan. “Go lie down.”

  The corgi sighed but left the buffet area, skirting around the big dining room table to lie against the opposite wall.

  * * *

  Adam thought he’d had a lot on his mind, but the scent of food rising up from the opened containers set his mouth watering. Damn. Breakfast had been a long time ago.

  “I hope you enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine.” Roland stood back as Jay grabbed a plate and started to scoop food into his plate with a spoon and fork held together in one fist.

  Victoria was still studying the interior, particularly the layout and windows. “We appreciate you providing the meal. We’re really not picky.”

  Depending on the mission or deployment location, food could end up very simple and more designed to provide calories than to taste like...anything. Some bases did a decent job, but they had to cater to mass numbers. During his months in New Zealand, Adam had rediscovered how much good food, made with caring hands, could improve a man’s life. He wasn’t picky either, but he did try to pay attention to good food when he smelled it.

  There were quite a few dishes to choose from and most weren’t immediately recognizable to him. Didn’t matter. He was hungry and his nose promised his mouth a good time. As eager as he was to start, he held back and waited until he caught Victoria’s gaze.

  He gave her a smile and tilted his head toward the food. She blinked, then took a plate in hand. The faintest hint of pink stained her cheeks. He grinned.

  “Where’s the General Tso’s chicken?” Jay asked around a bite of egg roll, pointing with the remainder of the fried roll toward the buffet.

  Adam chuckled. “I’m guessing it’s not going to be here.”

  Roland cleared his throat but didn’t confirm.

  Jay swallowed and moved around the dining table to sit with his overflowing plate. “Why not? This is Chinese. Every Chinese restaurant has General Tso’s chicken. The only thing I recognized over there was stir-fried beef, potstickers, and beef and broccoli.”

  “There’s a few interesting dishes here as well.” Victoria hummed happily as she served herself from a dish of greens, shredded pork and bean curd. “And you don’t find these pan-fried meat pies on most menus.”

  “There are pork pies and beef as well.” A hint of pleasure colored Roland’s voice. “You’re familiar with authentic Chinese cuisine, then.”

  Adam grinned and decided to try a little bit of everything. Sounded like it was going to be one of the best lunches he’d ever had on the job. He even dished up a helping of the stir-fried purple vegetable that was too long and skinny to be the eggplant he was used to seeing in eggplant Parmesan. He froze when Victoria gasped.

  “Are these xiao long bao?” She hovered over a container, chopsticks poised.

  Roland nodded, making a pleased noise. “They’re never as good served this long after steaming, but they’re still quite delicious. I heated these again just before coming to ensure they are at least properly hot. If you enjoy all this, perhaps you should visit the restaurant in person once security is complete here.”

  “These things? Just another kind of dumpling, right?” Jay nabbed one with his fingers.

  “They’re much hotter inside than you might think. Be careful.” Roland even lifted a hand in warning.

  Heedless, Jay popped the dumpling in his mouth and bit down. His eyes widened and his lips opened in a large O as he sucked in air and blew it out quickly. Tegan jumped up from his spot on the floor and barked.

  Quickly, Victoria grabbed a bottle of water from an ice bucket on the buffet and set it on the table in front of Jay. He tore at the cap and took a long chug of water. “Burned the entire fucking inside of my mouth!”

  Adam glanced at the container in question. It was partially covered and steam was still wafting from around the lid.

  “Xiao long bao—also called soup dumplings—are my favorite.” Victoria turned and began to serve herself a few, unfazed. “Done well, the dumplings have extremely thin wrappers around scalding hot soup and meltingly tender filling. I’m very impressed you’ve managed to keep them this hot even if you did heat them up before coming to get us. I’m looking forward to trying them before they cool.”

  Jay growled. “One of those almost killed me and you’re still going to eat that?”

  “There’s a way to eat them without scalding your taste buds into uselessness.” Victoria seated herself at the dining room table, several seats down from Jay while still opposite him.

  “At your own risk.” He scowled and applied himself to the mound of stir-fried beef on his plate. Adam shook his head. Jay must’ve fished for the beef, leaving behind the broccoli in the dish.

  Sitting directly across from Victoria, Adam waited for Roland to serve himself and join them. Tegan resumed his sad spot on the floor against the wall. Almost as one, they started eating. Adam went for the beef pie first. He’d never had something like the pan-fried round pastry. It was crispy on the outside though the pastry was moist and soft on the inside, and the filling was savory, seasoned beef.

  Focused as he was on the food, he watched Victoria place one of her soup dumplings on her spoon and poke it precisely with her chopsticks. As steaming hot broth spilled out, she sipped at her spoon and closed her eyes. Pleasure suffused her expression, her lashes casting delicate shadows on her cheeks. Then her lashes lifted as she looked down at her dumpling and placed a few shreds of ginger marinated in some sauce on it. She finally ate her dumpling off the spoon.

  “Oh.” She chewed slowly and swallow
ed. “Those are quite nice.”

  “Mmm.” Mouth too full for words, Roland’s tone and nod indicated his agreement. It took him a few chews and a swallow before he could form words. “Normally, I wouldn’t bother to have xiao long bao as takeout. I’d only order good ones at the restaurant when I have time to enjoy them immediately when served. But these are good enough to be worth bringing home cooled.”

  “You call that cold?” Jay was still in a surly mood as he continued to eat. “You said you heated them up again. Nothing needs to be that hot. What the fuck?”

  There was a pause as everyone at the table fell silent.

  “Of course, the reheating helps, but the best flavor is immediately on serving.” Roland’s posture was stiff as the man continued to eat.

  Great. The last thing they wanted to do was piss off the man who held their contract.

  Glaring at Jay, Adam took a sip of his own water. “Generally, people are friendlier once they’ve had a mean as feed like this.”

  “A what?” Jay’s brows came together in a deeper scowl. “You saying I’m mean?”

  “Nah, bro.” Adam held up his hands, empty. “I’m saying we all are usually better people with full bellies. There’s a lot of good food here.”

  Jay stared at him for a long moment, then shrugged, his face clearing. “Yeah. It’s all right. I don’t know what kind of place this is if they don’t have General Tso’s chicken though. Can’t be legit.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Roland sounded amiable, but there was an undertone of brittle irritation.

  Victoria raised an eyebrow, then met Adam’s gaze. Adam decided to apply himself to his plate so he could get seconds. Last time he’d checked, General Tso’s chicken wasn’t particularly considered a measure of any restaurant’s level of authenticity. He’d thought the dish was an American thing evolved from Chinese cooking. Thanks to Jay, this might be the last time their employer treated them to this particular lunch again.