Authors: Cyndi Friberg
“I have no idea.” The amusement in Osric’s dark eyes only
added to her anxiety. “I was told to fetch you, and that’s what I’ve done. You
will refer to the men as sir, and the woman as ma’am. You are not allowed to
ask questions.”
They stood in the corridor outside the conference room, the
only office in the complex from which global communications were possible.
Every other office had limited access and the available access was monitored.
“They’re our employers, not psychotic dictators.”
His eyebrow arched in silent challenge as he reached for the
door handle. He swung the door open and motioned her inside. “Have a seat.”
Osric waited until she obeyed, and then he closed the door, leaving her alone
in the room.
The oval table could seat eight comfortably. She wasn’t even
sure how many “backers” there were. Unsure what was expected of her, she chose
a chair near the middle of the table and sat. She’d made presentations in this
room and had attended other people’s presentations, but she’d never been
summoned by the backers before.
Had they learned of her sexual escapades with Officer
Samuels? The young man had been embarrassed by how quickly he came the first
time, so he’d made sure she found release twice before he came the second time.
Surely she wouldn’t be dismissed for one night’s indiscretion.
The massive screen at the far end of the room illuminated
then divided into six rectangular panels. So this was to be a
video-interrogation. Carly sat up straight and folded her hands on the
tabletop. The top three panels activated as the backers arrived. With glossy
black hair and almond-shaped eyes, the woman in the middle appeared to be of
Asian descent. The man on her right had very short gray hair and light-blue
eyes. He might not be in uniform, but Carissa could spot the watchful bearing
of a career military man anywhere. The man on the left was harder to define.
His longish brown hair was a sharp contrast to his piercing dark stare. With
swarthy skin and a diamond stud winking from his earlobe, he reminded her of a
pirate. A pirate, a general and Madam Butterfly? An interesting mix.
“You are Dr. Ides?” Madam Butterfly asked.
“I am.”
“How are you coping with compound life? Our expectations are
not easy.”
Concern was the last thing she’d expected. And somehow she
didn’t believe a word of it. “I understand the need for discretion. The
possible ramifications of what we’ve discovered are unbelievable. Without
careful control…it will be pandemonium.”
“We agree.” The pirate spoke English with a European accent,
Spanish or Italian, Carly wasn’t sure. “You seem to grasp the gravity of this
situation better than your coworkers. We are impressed by your accomplishments
as well as your attitude.”
She nodded. Osric had told her not to ask questions, but she
was about to ignore his advice. “What would you like me to do?”
The general came right to the point. “We don’t trust Osric.
When push comes to shove, he’s one of them.”
“He claims he is reestablishing his rightful place within
the power structure of the Therian nation, but we have our doubts,” Madam
Butterfly told her. “If he were truly reclaiming his rightful place, he
wouldn’t need our assistance.”
“You’re using him while he believes he’s using you?”
Anticipation tingled through Carly. Dangerous situations had always turned her
on, and her work environment was about to become a lot more exciting.
“Look at her eyes.” The pirate chuckled. “We’ve chosen well,
my friends.”
“Dr. Ides, we need you to get close to Osric.” Madam
Butterfly moved closer to the camera, her expression intense and assessing.
“Find out everything he’s not telling us. Things he would only confess to a
lover. We will make it worth your while in ways you can only imagine.”
Carly tensed. Osric had made his interest in her obvious
from the beginning. Getting close to him would be no problem. Suppressing her
revulsion while he had his way with her would be the hardest struggle of her
life.
“Can you do it?” the general asked. “You don’t look pleased by
the idea.”
“What I want to do and what I’m willing to do are two very
different things. Osric has been sniffing after me for weeks. All I have to do
to gain his attention is stop pushing him away.”
“Very good.” The general nodded, obviously pleased with the
outcome. “I have another meeting, but Roberto will set you up with an access
code so you can get in touch with us.”
“Welcome aboard,” Madam Butterfly said, and then she and the
general blinked off, leaving Carly with the pirate, whose name, apparently, was
Roberto.
* * * * *
Quinn advanced on Carissa, not stopping until her back
pressed against the wall of the loft. Their trip down memory lane had left him
irritable and restless. She’d ruthlessly stripped him bare and now he intended
to return the favor.
“This isn’t what I meant.” Her tone was breathless and
shaky, but her eyes dilated and color deepened across her cheeks, making her
claim hard to believe.
“Maybe not, but it’s what we need.”
“What about the security grid?” She gestured toward the
desk.
“Let me worry about that.”
She glanced into his eyes then looked away, adorably
flustered. “We can’t do this. You know we can’t.”
He slipped his hand into the back of her hair and formed a
careful fist. His cat paced, anxious and eager. He accepted the urgency without
absorbing the possessive demand. “When did you last use the Heat kit?”
She started to reply when his phone vibrated, emitting a
low, moaning sound. He released her hair with a muttered curse and pulled the
phone from his pocket. Landon’s text said his men were in position, so Quinn
crossed to the desk and activated the security grid. Then he pushed both chairs
in, freeing up the floor, and turned around. “No more interruptions.” She stood
where he’d left her, near the wall, flushed and fidgety. “Come here.” He held
out his hand.
She shook her head. “I won’t let you define me.”
He crossed the room and caged her with his arms, not
trusting himself to touch her. “If I’d wanted to define you by force, I
wouldn’t have stopped last night.” Pressing his face against her hair, he drew
in her scent, allowing the warmth to soothe him. The faintest trace of fear
tainted her evocative musk and he tensed. “I will never hurt you. Do you
believe that?” He eased back and looked into her eyes.
“Not intentionally.” She stared up at him, gaze wide and
earnest rather than challenging. “I know you want to protect me, but there’s so
much in life we don’t control.”
Curving his fingers around the back of her neck, he traced
the underside of her jaw with his thumb while he searched her eyes. He felt a
whole hell of a lot more for her than protectiveness, but she didn’t understand
the significance of their connection. Never before had his body locked in sync
with a female. He’d given up hope of ever finding a potential mate, and then
all of the sudden the impossible had happened. He’d found a female capable of
trusting him, a female compatible with his unique physiology. Which didn’t mean
she’d accept him! It just meant they were compatible when and if he managed to
convince her he was a worthy mate.
“Answer my question. When did you last use the Heat kit?” He
angled his thumb up and brushed her lower lip.
“This morning.”
He moved closer, his legs touching hers. “Mist or cream?”
“Mist.”
After tilting her head back, he bent and pressed his mouth
over hers. It wasn’t really a kiss, just a momentary contact to reacquaint his
lips with the softness of hers. “Are your senses still muted or has the mist
worn off?” His lips moved against hers as he spoke, his breath warming her skin.
“I’m not sure.” She shifted restlessly, her legs
intertwining with his. “I’m not as crazy as I was in the truck, but I…”
“You what?” He ignored the urge to grab her hair, to crush
her against his chest and kiss her into submission. Each time he gave in to his
aggressive needs, he brought his cat closer to the surface.
“I want you.”
Her whispered admission sent desire spiraling through him,
igniting his senses and stoking fires already ablaze. He took her face between
his hands and claimed her mouth in a passionate kiss. Pressing her firmly
against the wall with the entire length of his body, he forced his cat back
through sheer strength of will.
His tongue teased her lips, waiting for her to open before
venturing beyond the silken portal. Her mouth was warm and her tongue greeted
his with a playful curl. Their breaths mingled and their lips meshed as he took
the kiss deeper. She tilted her head, bringing their mouths into better
alignment as their tongues slid from one mouth to the other.
She was so damn sweet, he wanted to devour her, to touch her
and taste her until she was as wild for him as he was for her.
Untucking his t-shirt, she slipped her hands inside the
clingy material and groaned as she encountered his heated skin. In response, he
tore her knit shirt off over her head and unfastened her bra. She hesitated for
a moment then slipped the undergarment off and tossed it aside.
He sank to his knees and pressed his face against her
breasts, wrapping his arm around her thighs. “You’re perfect.” An abrupt chuckle
vibrated her soft flesh and made him look up.
“You’re lust crazed. Any willing female will seem perfect to
you right now.” Despite her dismissive tone, she didn’t quite conceal the
insecurity in her gaze.
With more assertiveness than he’d intended to unleash, he
pulled her away from the wall and lowered her to the carpeted floor. She gasped
and extended her arms protectively, but he was beyond caution, beyond human
compromise. No Therian male allowed his mate to be maligned, regardless of the
source.
He parted her legs and knelt between her thighs then arched
over her and pinned her hands above her head. Her breasts quivered with each
breath, the nipples rosy points. He bent to one and sucked, scraping the hard
little peak against his teeth as he let go.
Shifting both wrists into one hand, he freed the other so he
could touch her. “Your skin is incredibly soft and I love the way your body
responds to me.” He caressed the underside of her breast then worked the tip
into an even tighter peak.
Each gasp and groan fueled his determination to erode her
emotional defenses. She needed to understand that this was about more than
physical pleasure. No Therian approached sex with the casual indifference so
prevalent among humans.
She turned her face to the side and closed her eyes.
Was she concentrating on the sensations or tuning him out?
Possessiveness spread through him like a cancer, devouring the softer emotions,
demanding attention as it spiked his lust. “Who’s touching you?”
“You are.” Her lashes fluttered then she opened her eyes,
their blue depths unfocused and murky.
“Say my name.”
“Quinn.” They gazed into each other’s eyes for a long, tense
moment. Then she arched her back, pushing her breasts toward him. “Please,
more.”
Thrilled by her offer, he let go of her wrists and pulled
her body up toward his waiting mouth. He teased and sucked, licked and nibbled,
addicted to the feel of her beaded flesh sliding against his tongue. She buried
her fingers in his hair and pushed herself deeper into his mouth, her cries of
pleasure urging him on.
He kissed his way down her abdomen, circling her navel as he
frantically unfastened her jeans. Rocking back onto his knees, he searched her
gaze as he pulled off her shoes and socks. As their link solidified, they’d be
able to sense each other’s thoughts and emotions. But for now he had to depend
on her expressions and physical responses.
She’d returned her arms to the floor, hands clasped above
her head. Was she pretending she was bound? Whether she was willing to admit it
or not, surrendering control excited his little hellion. His gut clenched and
his cock bucked against the confines of his jeans. His jaguar roared, more than
ready to explore her submissive nature.
Quinn closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting her scent
soothe him. He had to slow down. If he frightened her now, she’d never trust
him again. He skimmed his fingers along her sides and across her tense belly,
watching her squirm beneath his teasing touch.
When he finally unbuttoned the top of her jeans, she lifted
her hips so he could peel them down and then tug them off. All that remained
were her flower-printed panties. The garment was designed for comfort, not
seduction, but somehow she made cotton look sexy.
He traced the waistband with his index finger, watching
carefully for her response. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and her
abdomen tensed as his fingertip skated over her soft skin. Then he ran both
hands down the back side of her thighs and slipped his fingers inside her
panties, cupping her ass cheeks.
She gasped and wiggled and he smiled. “Another perfect fit.”
He squeezed as he lifted her hips, bringing her sex closer to his face, his
mouth. “Your scent makes me dizzy. And
hungry
.”
“You’re killing me,” she whispered, arching up until her
panties brushed his lips.
He breathed over the damp material, savoring the
unmistakable scent of her arousal. As long as the mist had worn off, her cream
would ease his hunger and give him enough control to make the rest good for
her. Besides, he wanted to feel her undulate against his mouth and hear her
cries of pleasure echo off the walls of his cabin.
Lowering her back to the floor, he eased his hands out from
under her and grasped the sides of her panties. She raised her hips as he
gently dragged the underwear down and tossed it aside. Her blush deepened with
each article he removed until she lay before him wearing only a bright red
flush.