Finding His Mark

by Piper J. Drake

  It made her feel worse for the pretense. After this, she hoped the man forgave Michael.

  “We’re old friends.” Sushar reached for more to say but came up at a loss.

  Ben snorted. “The way he looks at you? More than friends, obviously. An old man knows these things.”

  A blush rose in her cheeks, and she hadn’t needed to fake it. “Michael would be upset to find you here, outside his security.”

  Redirect. Even when she was in close conversation, she preferred the discussion to be about tales she was spinning or other people sharing. She didn’t like the actual topic of conversation to be directly about her.

  Ben Ward nodded, a spark of rebellion in his eyes. “I kept myself safe a long time before I became head of this corporation. Michael lets me relax my guard, but once in a while a man likes to sneak a smoke without everyone in the company giving him grief.”

  Sushar gave him a mock scowl. “Smoking is very bad for you.”

  He laughed.

  She liked this man. Michael looked to him. The rest of his people respected him, even if a few of them valued their own ambition more. “I will walk you back to the suites. You probably didn’t have much time before one of the security team came looking for you anyway.”

  “True.” Ben turned and offered her his arm. “We’ll head back together, then.”

  Old style gallantry, without the patronizing attitude she hated. He and Michael both had a knack for treating people with sincere consideration. A lady could become addicted to it.

  * * *

  Michael strode down the hallway in the direction his men had last seen Sushar walking. Oh sure, she’d had her dog with her. They all figured she’d been on her way to let the dog take a piss. Fine. It didn’t take this long for a dog to take a piss, shit, and run down a goddamned squirrel.

  He had no reason to be worried. In fact, she was supposed to be out there finding his mark. There was a damned assassin contracted to eliminate his boss. Su was more than capable of keeping herself safe and tracking down the enemy.

  If he did find her, he could say he’d been out looking for her to maintain their ruse. His men would be suspicious if Michael wasn’t anxious to know where she’d gone.

  But he wasn’t fooling himself.

  Every minute she was back in his life, he was surer he needed to find a way to convince her to stay in it.

  “Ah, here he is.”

  Michael stopped in his tracks. “Sir.”

  Ben shook his head. “It’s always a giveaway that you’re worried or distracted when you forget to call me Ben.”

  Su, hand on Ben’s arm, laughed quietly.

  “Your lady caught me sneaking away to get a smoke and convinced me to come back to the suite before you came looking.” Ben patted her hand on his arm. “You have a way of surrounding me with good people, Michael.”

  “It was a pleasure to chat with you.” Su let go of Ben’s arm, which was a good thing for Michael’s blood pressure, and crossed the short distance to Michael. “Tongdaeng needed to explore the resort grounds a bit. Did you miss me?”

  Yes.

  “Of course.” Michael let a little of his desperation for her bleed through his composure. She’d dismiss it as acting and Ben would see it for what it was.

  Ben winked. “Dinner is in an hour. I’ll see you downstairs.”

  Michael curved his arm around Su’s waist and guided her back to his suite, pausing to make sure Ben headed back into his. Michael exchanged glances with his man at the door.

  If Ben decided to leave his suite again, Michael would be notified. He couldn’t risk having Ben out and wandering with an assassin on the loose.

  But for the moment, he could focus on the assassin he had at hand.

  Su’s posture changed as soon as they were safely inside their suite. “He really shouldn’t be walking around without your protection.”

  “I’m glad to hear you’re invested in his well-being.” He couldn’t help it, he let his gaze rove over her, making sure nothing was out of place. “Run into any issues out there?”

  She puffed her cheeks out in frustration. “None. I also would find it fairly challenging to access your boss’ suite. Nice job, by the way. It was much easier getting into your rooms than it would be to get into his now.”

  “Not many people are trying to get to me.” He leaned closer and brushed a loose lock of hair from her shoulder.

  She tapped his chest. “You are definitely not focused on the same thing I’m focused on.”

  “You’re right.” He kissed her then.

  Her only response was a gasp.

  Her mouth was hot against his and he raised his hands to cup her face. When he licked her lips, tasting sweet gloss, she opened for him. Their tongues met, stroked, and danced.

  Her hands settled at his waist and he stepped forward, one step, another, and another until she was backed up against the wall. He pressed against her as she melted, her softness caught between the unyielding wall and his hardness.

  She didn’t whimper. She grabbed a tighter hold of his hips and encouraged him to grind against her. He was the one who groaned, releasing her face to plant his hands on the wall to either side of her head.

  “If we’re going to do this, and I want you to, then we’re going to need to do this fast and get back to work.” Her whispered statement kicked his brain into gear.

  He opened his eyes—when the hell had he closed them?— and stared down into her dark, smoldering gaze. Yes. They were doing this.

  He bent his knees and grabbed her by the ass, lifting her and striding into the bedroom.

  Over his shoulder, she gave a quiet command. “Tongdaeng, bleib.”

  Stay.

  “Dog speaks German?” He tossed her on the bed, kicking the door closed behind him.

  “Multilingual.” The statement came out of her in a rush as she hit the mattress and bounced on the springy surface. Her breasts did too, even caught as they were in her swimsuit.

  He stood over her for a moment, trying to calm his ragged breathing. Urgent was fine. But he was not going to rush past taking care of her.

  “Michael.”

  “Say no if you don’t want this.” He could walk away. He was so hard, he’d be paying for it, but he would back off if she changed her mind.

  “Do you have a condom?”

  He barked out a laugh. Practical Su, even on the brink of whatever hell they were about to dive into, headfirst. “I’ve got several.”

  Actually, there’d been a fresh box thoughtfully provided in the nightstand drawer. He didn’t know if it was standard for the resort to provide them or if the maids had simply left the unopened box from a previous occupant. He didn’t care.

  “Ah, well then.” Su smiled and writhed a little on the bed. “What are we waiting for?”

  He leaned forward, touching her knee ever so lightly and coasting his hand up her thigh. “We’re not.”

  She stilled under his touch, her breath going shallow as she watched him touch her. He spread his hand wide over her thigh and gripped, enjoying the play of muscle under skin. She was lean and strong, his Su. He adjusted his hand on her until he could slide his thumb under the edge of her swimsuit.

  “Are you wet, Su?” He wasn’t going to be able to speak intelligibly for long. Her skin was smooth between her legs and as he moved his thumb ever so gently over her, he found his answer.

  She was wet. For him.

  He undid his suit pants with his free hand, pulling his cock free of his boxer briefs too. She licked her lips when she saw him exposed. “Hot. You are so incredibly hot in a good suit.”

  Good, because he didn’t have the patience to get either of them out of their respective clothing. He found her clit with his thumb and began rubbing her in a gentle circular motion.

  She writhed again, this time in abandon. “Yes. Keep touching me.”

  Oh, he planned to. He continued to play with her with one hand and reached up and undid the hooks to h
er cover with the other, flicking the transparent fabric to the sides. Then he grabbed the shoulder strap of her swimsuit and pulled.

  Su helped, dropping her shoulder so the swimsuit came down and one breast popped out. He was going to remember to drink to whatever person invented tight swimsuits. She reached up and pulled the other side of her swimsuit down until both her breasts were free. He lunged forward and caught one of those perfectly puckered nipples in his mouth before she could free her arms.

  She gasped and arched her back, turning her palms down onto the bed and balling the cover in her fists. He kept up the pressure with his thumb over her clit as he circled her nipple with his tongue, then he sucked. She bucked under him.

  Neither of them was going to last long. He left her just long enough to yank the bedside drawer open, rip the box, and retrieve a foil-wrapped condom. It took another second to rip open the package and roll the condom over his cock. Having her watch him with hungry eyes helped and goaded him.

  He climbed onto the bed, covering her and pressing up between her legs. It took barely a second to pull the stretchy fabric of her suit to one side and he fitted the tip of his cock at her entrance. He pressed at her tightness and she groaned, waiting for him.

  He reached between them, taking himself in hand and sliding his tip up her wetness to circle her clit then come back to her entrance. She cursed at him.

  He chuckled and thrust, entering her hard and fast.

  She cried out, throwing her head back and raising her hips for him. He almost blacked out as he pulled back and slid into her again, she felt so good around him. He planted his hands on either side of her hips, holding her as he set a rhythm for them both. Her lips were parted and the most delicious sounds were coming from her throat every time he rammed home inside her. And god, her gorgeous breasts bounced for him, lifted and pressed together by her swimsuit.

  Her inner muscles were tightening around him as he pulled back and buried himself deep inside her over and over again. She twisted on the bed, changing the angle of his entry into her with every thrust, until she froze, straining. He reared up over her then, grabbing her hips and holding her steady as he slammed into her. She bucked one more time, her inner muscles convulsing around him as she came, and the sound of her crying out took him over the edge with her.

  5

  Su glanced around the long dinner table and considered the guests. She and Michael probably weren’t the only ones who’d indulged in wild, hot, incredibly mind-blowing sex before stumbling into the shower and dressing for dinner. Or maybe they were. There was no way the guests here were in the kind of physical shape she and Michael had to their advantage.

  A waiter poured champagne for her from a freshly opened bottle. All of the wine and champagne was being opened table side for everyone to see. Smart. Michael had probably arranged it to set the more cautious at ease. Some of the wines probably weren’t at their best since they should’ve been decanted for as much as two hours before consumption but it seemed the guests present were willing to make allowances for caution.

  There were ways to slip poisons into drink and food, but it took more effort. The gesture worked to build confidence in some minds though, because the guests were all sipping from their glasses. Appetizers were being carried in and placed on the long tables to be enjoyed family style. Platters of fresh-grilled prawns and skewered tender chicken were piled high.

  She nibbled, pulling the head off a prawn and enjoying the succulent tail meat before sucking delicately on the head. One or two of the European ladies blinked and picked delicately at a chicken skewer.

  Talk floated up around her and Su scanned the room. Her gut twisted. This was the perfect venue to make a scene, a statement. This was when she’d have made her hit if she intended to completely sabotage these negotiations. So where was her opponent?

  She pushed back her chair and stood. Michael rose with her. She gave an apologetic smile to their tablemates. “Just need the restroom. Please keep an eye on my champagne glass.”

  There were answering grins and assurances as they moved away. Michael went with her.

  “I need to walk the perimeter.” She was restless. The timing was right. She just needed to find her quarry.

  “Usually, that’s my line.” Michael placed a hand at the small of her back and guided her to the doorway, headed toward the restrooms. “We’ll take a lap around after you step inside to prove you really were going where you said you were going.”

  So she entered the ladies’ room and took a thorough look around while she was in there. No vent opening big enough for an adult to go crawling through the ventilation system. The other stalls were empty and there were no weapons conveniently tucked away in any hiding places. She washed her hands, refreshed her lipstick, and headed back out into the hallway.

  Michael stood there, his face red with fury. Not two, but four of his own men stood around him. One of them, looking pale under his tan, stepped forward. “Miss Sakda. Mr. Ward would like to speak with you.”

  Shit.

  They were escorted down the hall, away from the dining room. Dancers were just arriving, lined in the hallway to enter and walk onto the low stage at one end. Apparently, there would be entertainment between courses.

  Chances were, she was going to miss dinner anyway.

  They arrived in Ben Ward’s suite to find Ben standing with Adam Durante and one of his advisors. Durante’s advisor pointed at Michael and her with a shaking finger. “Yes. Them. I received intelligence indicating he has hired her to kill you.”

  None of the exits were going to be easy to get to. The most likely was the balcony but she knew from earlier there was a man stationed on the roof. She’d be shot before she could make it safely down and into the shadows of the landscaping. Plus, Tongdaeng was still in Michael’s suite.

  “Michael.” Ben Ward sounded tired. “Did you know Miss Sakda has a contract out on her life? Apparently, she is a wetwork specialist who turned on her most recent employer.”

  Michael straightened to his full height. “No. I didn’t know.”

  Su died inside. He was going to cut her loose.

  Bastard.

  * * *

  Michael figured Su was going to hate him. Hell, even Ben looked disappointed. But Michael wasn’t finished yet.

  “I didn’t know she had a contract out for her. But I’ve worked with Su on too many missions to count. I know her. There’s a reason for what she did.”

  “Damn straight,” Su growled.

  Ben cocked an eyebrow at them both.

  “They admit it. She’s a killer!”

  Adam Durante lifted a hand to silence his man.

  “I was contracted to kill a man. I eliminated the mark.” Su ground out the sentences, gloriously angry. Michael savored the sight because he wasn’t sure she’d ever forgive him. “My client was happy with my services, but when I came to provide proof and collect the balance of my fee, he tried to force me to fuck him. He had a few of his men attempt to hold me down for him.”

  A red wash of anger obscured Michael’s vision.

  But Su wasn’t done. “It was self-defense. They are all dead.”

  Clear. Concise. Definitive. There was no revenge to exact on her behalf because she’d collected the debt herself.

  “I am a wetwork specialist.” She lifted her chin and stared directly at Ben. “And I was hired to take out the assassin hired to kill you.”

  “You can’t possibly believe her,” their accuser sputtered. “She admitted your man hired her. Admitted she kills for money. Are we to believe there are assassins around every corner of this place? There is an assassin and she has confessed her identity. Her explanations are only to save herself.”

  Ben shook his head. “She had the chance. She was alone with me earlier today. If she’s good enough for Michael to hire, she’d have done it then. It would’ve been quick and she would’ve been able to leave with plenty of time before someone found my body.”

  Relief wash
ed through Michael. It would have hurt him more than he could say if Ben hadn’t believed in Michael’s loyalty.

  “Perhaps.” Adam Durant was looking at Su thoughtfully. “Or perhaps our skilled specialist here has a greater objective. Kill all three of us? It would be quite the coup. I didn’t invite Kuroda to join us because I didn’t want all three of us gathered here, away from our people, as we confronted these two.

  Michael clenched his jaw. “My priority is to keep Ben Ward safe. I couldn’t do that and take out the assassin too. I brought in the best asset I knew, the person I trust most in the world, to take on that objective in my place.”

  “Then where is this supposed killer?” Durant posed the question they were all wondering. “Find him and clear your names.”

  Silence in the room. The men on either side of Michael shifted their wait uncomfortably.

  Su made a rude noise.

  Durant’s little man stared at her, wide-eyed and incredulous.

  “You already believe it isn’t us.” Su bit off each word. “Don’t insult us. We were already doing what you’ve challenged us to do. You provide no additional incentive.”

  Durant tugged at his cuffs and cleared his throat.

  Su ignored him and turned to Ben. “We’ll find and eliminate the threat. Then you owe Michael an apology.”

  6

  Fuming wasn’t the word for what Su was doing as she walked at Michael’s side back to the dining room. Seething might be closer to the description of what she was experiencing. Rage fit much better.

  So of course, when Michael pulled out her chair to seat her again, she gave him the sweetest smile she had in her arsenal of expressions. He had the presence of mind to look nervous.

  “You’re just in time. This is supposed to be the last dance before dinner is served.” The man seated to her left patted the table next to her hand.

  Oh fun, she hadn’t missed dinner. She eyed the wine glasses and platters. Perhaps poison had been the method after all. But it’d potentially kill everyone here. The person who’d hired the assassin would be here too and it’d be too obvious if they were the only ones who’d survived.