"Ladies," Steve interrupted the standoff, his voice rich with male amus.e.m.e.nt. "Can"t we just get along?"
Marlena didn"t want to talk to him. He had found out who she was, then abandoned her. Now he showed up with Tess, obviously having spent some time with her. Never mind that she herself had decided she was going to forget about him. That was then; this was now. If he wanted to play kissing games, it had better be with her.
"What were you doing, letting yourself get caught?" she demanded, shifting her anger to the real object of her irritation.
Steve gave her a sideways glance. "Saving your a.s.s."
"Saving my a.s.s? I didn"t need you to save my a.s.s!"
"Yeah, right. What about the knife-wielding bodyguard? You think he was just attempting to give you a haircut?"
His voice was a notch lower, but she ignored the danger sign. "I can take care of myself."
"Ha, you weren"t looking his way. Your mind was on how to get the laptop out of there."
Her mind had been on several things actually. "I was wondering how to get you out of there!" She remembered the moment of panic when she realized that the attacker had a knife and that Steve was going to get slashed. She had hesitated long enough to make sure he was going to be all right, then done her job, which was to secure the laptop.
"I"m here now," Steve pointed out.
"You weren"t here yesterday." The words tumbled out. Marlena knew she sounded illogical, but she couldn"t stop herself. Where was he when she truly needed him?
"No, you weren"t there yesterday," Steve growled back, his voice another notch lower.
Tess"s smoky laugh broke their verbal exchange. "Can"t we just get along?" she mimicked.
Marlena jerked around and glared at Tess. A biting retort rose to her lips, something stinging that she knew would shut her friend up. All she had to do was refer to Alex, and she knew Tess would back off a little. But she couldn"t. Of all things, she understood the raw pain of walking away from someone one cared about too much. Pursing her lips, she turned back to face the front and hoped her silence would get the message across to Tess.
"Stop messing with my mind," she muttered softly.
"My job," Tess replied calmly. "But that"s enough for tonight, I suppose. I"ll drop both of you off at Marlena"s hotel and take this nice little car home with me. I"ll pick both of you up tomorrow morning at 0900 hours. We have a meeting with Admiral Madison."
This was getting to be an overcrowded affair. "May I know why?" Marlena asked, then added sarcastically, "Since this is my contract."
"I"m sure Stash will fill you in later," drawled Tess, obviously forgetting about her previous comment that she wasn"t going to mess with Marlena"s mind any more for the night, "or maybe you prefer to be alone? If so, Stash and I can drop you off."
Marlena tossed a stormy gaze at Steve. "He can do whatever he wants," she answered stonily, not wanting to admit that she wanted him with her. Who was she to tell him what to do, anyway? He was working with Tess. "Or maybe he"s waiting for his next orders."
Steve stopped at a red light. "I"m taking us to the hotel. You and I are getting out. Then I"ll follow you to your room. We"ll close the door behind us. And then"-he looked her straight in the eye, and she saw, too late, that she"d ignored all the warning signs-"I"ll do what I want."
Chapter Fifteen.
A mong his SEAL teammates, Steve was known to be the patient one, the man everyone wanted on point duty in a scope-out for danger ahead. When he walked point, he relied on his teammates to look out for danger around while he was looking down at the trail, making sure it was safe. His life was in their hands, and theirs were totally dependent on his sight and patience.
He must have been too busy looking down at the trail after Marlena, Steve thought as he got out of the car after parking it at Marlena"s hotel. If he had looked up just once, so to speak, he would have been aware of how far off the mark everyone else around him was. n.o.body seemed to be following the trail that he had cleared for them.
That was the problem, he mocked, as he stood on the curb waiting for Marlena and Tess. He was too patient. Too reliant on his ability to clear paths. None of these folks had asked for a point man; they all were charging full steam ahead. Harden and Task Force Two. Marlena. Tess. The admiral. Even du Scheum was busy covering for his business deals.
He had a few things to say about the whole d.a.m.n thing, but he was going to be patient one more time. He would wait for the right moment. Right now the frustration he had left simmering since finding Marlena gone was at boiling point. That kind of patience he didn"t have. That woman wasn"t going to give him an inch. If he just stood there, she would drive on by pretending she didn"t see him. That didn"t sit too well with him at all.
"That laptop," he said to both women, who had gotten out of the car. Tess was walking to the driver"s side. "There"s still some people after it. Marlena had some threatening phone calls at the other place."
"Don"t worry about them," Marlena said.
"I say, let"s," Steve countered, watching the stubborn tilt of those lips. "Why not find out who they are? Get rid of them once and for all."
"I give up!" Marlena stalked away with the laptop, heading off toward the hotel entrance. She tossed Tess a glare as she pa.s.sed by, adding, "You started this. You explain it to him. I don"t like having someone tell me how to get my job done."
Steve was about to go after her, seething for that overdue confrontation, when Tess"s hand on his arm stopped his progress. He turned to her impatiently. "I have to go," he said shortly.
"You can keep for another five minutes," Tess told him calmly.
He reluctantly watched Marlena walk farther away. "What is it?"
"Marlena isn"t used to working with someone."
"Too bad."
"She is given an a.s.signment, reports back to either me or someone else, gets enough information to proceed, and gets her job done."
Steve shrugged. "I"m not arguing with her over her job."
"It"s a matter of style, hmm?" Tess ran a finger down the front of the leather jacket. "She doesn"t communicate like a team member. You"ve functioned within one, know how to disperse certain information to help the team achieve the task. Marlena is...not good with that."
"Why are you telling me this, T.?" Steve asked, frustrated and impatient.
"Darling, I don"t tell anything without a reason," Tess replied, and moved away. "When she asked you not to worry about the people after the laptop, you took umbrage. Why?"
"Because they are a danger to her. What"s wrong with being worried about that?" It hurt that Marlena had pushed him away when he was trying to show that he cared about her.
Tess shook her head, then turned to open the car door. "Both blind as bats and obstinate as mules," she muttered as she got in. The streetlight gave her gray eyes a strange glitter as she peered up at Steve. Tilting her head slightly, she added, "It"s a matter of semantics, darling. M. meant it another way. She asked you not to worry about them because they"re part of her mission. Just keep in mind that she has worked alone for a long time, Steve, okay? She doesn"t like to share her thoughts too much."
"Part of...I see. She wanted to be found." Steve frowned and leaned down, his hand on the roof of the car. "She knows who they are?"
"Don"t look at me for answers. I"ve none where you two are concerned. Just don"t walk away unless you are very sure."
Tess"s expression was grave, although her voice still held an amused note. Steve studied her for a moment. Tess, who he knew by now could talk circles around anyone, was directly telling him something from the heart. She might coat on that mockery and laughter thick and fast, but he felt the sincerity in her advice. He nodded. "I won"t," he told her quietly. "Thanks."
She flicked her hand, dismissing him. "The first five minutes are free. It"s $3.99 a minute from now on, darling."
Steve grinned and took a step back. She fired up the car. "She probably locked me out."
"She won"t. She"ll give you another five minutes before she comes after you."
Oh, that sounded good. "You think?"
"Here"s the elevator key to the top floor. You can"t just press the b.u.t.ton at this place. You"ve got the room keycard?" "Yes." He bent down again to take the key from her, and to his surprise, with her hand still in his, Tess leaned out and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
"See you two tomorrow." Tess gave him a sultry smile and a wink and backed the car out.
Steve acknowledged her wave and turned toward the hotel, which sat atop a small hill. He barely paid attention to the grandeur of the hotel lobby as he made his way to the elevators. While waiting, he took note of the exit points and the few people that he could see, but his mind was on Marlena upstairs. She wanted a fight? Well, he would give her one, but this time he was on equal ground.
He got on the elevator and inserted the key before punching the floor number. The red light turned green and the elevator door closed. He wasn"t going to play lackey anymore, humoring her orders and wishes. There wasn"t any need. She knew who he was and vice versa, and he didn"t see why she felt threatened by that.
He stepped out into the huge foyer. He looked for the arrows that would show him where to find her suite. Unlike the usual plastic plaques, these were etched on metal and held up by some Greek statue that pointed in the same direction. Steve"s lips quirked. Obviously the rich needed bigger road signs than normal folks.
He reached the suite, carefully considering his options. Should he ring the bell? Or should he just use the keycard and walk in? Why would that make a difference?
The door swung open and a pair of intense blue eyes met his like a laser beam. Marlena"s arm reached out and grabbed the collar of his leather jacket and pulled hard. Steve didn"t resist, following her into the suite. The heavy door closed quietly behind him.
She pushed him down into some chair by the entrance-he didn"t have time to look around yet-and jumped on top of him, squishing the air out of his lungs. Not that he was breathing. Her breath was hot against his face. Her hands were busy, moving all over him. Her lips locked on his and her tongue pushed in, fierce and sweet.
What were his last thoughts? Something about options. Steve felt her hand grope his pants, and his whole lower body jerked up when her hand invaded, targeting his suddenly wide-awake member. He felt it eagerly rising for its treat, like a well-trained pet. Her hand was too d.a.m.n efficient, sliding up the whole length of him and squeezing. Manhandling him, in fact.
He grabbed her face with both hands and forced her back. Her hair tumbled all over the place and her expression was defiant as she continued to fondle him, her thighs forcing his legs to part further so she could delve deeper into his pants. Staring into her angry eyes, he demanded, with the little concentration he had left, "What do you think you"re doing?" He hadn"t expected this kind of attack.
"I"m marking my territory," Marlena said, and ripped the T-shirt under his jacket. "Take these d.a.m.n things off."
Marlena had doubled back and seen that kiss. The fury that had welled up at the thought of Stash and T. together slammed down like a tidal wave. She had never thought much about the expression "seeing red" till she saw them so intimately close. But she did now.
It took all her control to turn away and go up to her suite. It would not do to be caught spying on them like a jealous wife. She wasn"t jealous! She wasn"t going to get jealous.
Easier said than done. In the elevator, the red monster had turned green, and it gnawed at her as she stomped into her room. Pacing only added fuel to the furnace inside her.
Did he enjoy that kiss? What was he doing now? Where was he, anyway? Did he think he could just move on to the next woman, right under her nose? Did he think that working with T. meant that he could just breeze by her?
Five minutes. Where the h.e.l.l was he?
When she jerked open the door, she caught sight of T."s red lipstick on his mouth. It was just a small smear, but she zeroed in on it like a bull to a waving flag. Marked him, did she? Let her mark him, did he?
Marlena didn"t stop to think about what she was doing. All she felt was the need to run her hands all over him, to let him know exactly who turned him on and not let him forget it. If it took more than once to teach him that lesson, well, so be it. She had all night.
"Take the d.a.m.n things off!" she repeated, and shredded another piece of what was left of the front of his T-shirt.
Steve"s reply was equally ferocious. With one hand he ripped her lacy black blouse from collar to sleeve, exposing flesh and bra. "All"s fair," he growled.
Marlena lunged forward and bit him on the chest, marking him. He grunted and half pushed, half lifted her off him as he tried to get off the chair. She bit harder, mad as h.e.l.l that he was fighting her.
She was going to take a chunk out of him! Steve grabbed her by the neck, and using his free arm, finally stood up. Obviously, the woman wasn"t in the mood to talk. That was fine by him. If she wanted war, he was willing to oblige. His hand still on her neck, he turned her around and quickly wrapped his arms under hers, but she was a second faster, having antic.i.p.ated his locking motion. He only managed to grab part of her short jacket and she shrugged out fluidly, like wet soap in his hand. He threw her jacket over his shoulder as he went after her.
She dropped down sideways, tripping him over her. He used his hands to break his fall, and she took the opportunity to land on his back. Steve grunted as she kneed him where it hurt. He felt her hand pull aside his leather jacket. He had stuck Dankin"s knife back there earlier.
s.h.i.t. He lay perfectly still as the sharp blade swished through the air above him, cutting with proficient ruthlessness. He heard the sc.r.a.pe of leather against metal. Well, it had been a nice leather jacket. She kneed him harder as she cut through belt and pants. He was going to have a bad bruise there. Then her hand was on his naked back, pushing aside whatever was left of his clothes. The moment she stopped brandishing that knife he reared up, toppling her backward, and turning quickly he grabbed her ankle.
Marlena kicked out at him. And left a boot behind when she pulled back. Still on his knees, he tossed it over his shoulder. She rolled several times to avoid his quick counter moves, losing her other boot as he tried to grab that leg. He finally lunged forward and gripped her around the waist, using his weight to pin her.
Marlena knew that she was at a disadvantage as long as she remained on the defensive. Instinct and training made her twist at the same time, and his weight caught behind her thighs, his hands still holding on to her waist. She faked a jab at him with the knife, knowing he would try to block it. Sure enough, he tried to grab her hand, and she immediately dropped the knife and used both her hands to help her twist and scoot forward. Right out of her pants.
Steve growled at the empty pair of pants in his hands and under his body, then pushed them out of the way. His glare was met with an equally determined one as she looked back at him while she scooted on all fours to a safer distance. He wiped the sweat dripping off his chin. That"s it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. He stood up. And his shredded pants fell down in a dismal pool around his ankles. He kicked them off impatiently, along with his boots. A low rumble escaped his lips as he stalked his prey.
Slowly standing up, Marlena registered with a vague awareness that she was wrestling in her underwear. Her opponent was more beast than man at the moment, tattered clothing hanging on his magnificently sculpted body, barely hiding his briefs. The muscles on his bare legs were coiled with tension, bringing every line of sinew into relief. His hair stuck out where she had pulled at it, parts of it plastered against his forehead. She met his eyes.
They were midnight-black, glittering back at her, promising punishment. And her heart, which was already beating hard from exertion, roared like a runaway train. The wildness in his eyes called to the wildness in her heart. His nose flared as he stalked closer, as if he were really some wild animal scenting a mate. She bent her knees slightly, ready to counter any attack.
For endless charged seconds they stared at each other. There was fury. And excitement. And white-hot desire.
"War? Or love?" he asked, making both sound like a threat.
War. She hated his guts. Love. She wanted him like no other man. Both. "You"re on," she snarled, eyes narrowing.
They both leaped at each other at the same time.
Arms grabbed and pushed. Legs kicked and twined together. And their bodies rolled across the thick soft carpet. A lamp fell over with a crash. A vase tumbled off its stand, barely missing Steve"s head. He had pulled off some material from somewhere, and it wrapped itself around the leg of the coffee table as Marlena rolled on top of him. Steve flipped her back, pulling off whatever was left covering her body.
A soft groan, quieted by a conquering mouth. Flesh slid against flesh as hands ruthlessly explored each other, making each other moan, pushing each other higher.
Finally pinning her with his weight, Steve clamped his teeth down on Marlena"s neck, sucking on her rapid pulse, tasting her feminine saltiness, holding her down as he forced her legs wide apart. She jerked her hips left and right, avoiding his thrusts; he bit down a little harder, making her gasp. Her nails were sharp where they dug into his back. He put his hand between her legs, palming her ready wetness with a wicked touch. She jerked again and her nails dug harder. And still she refused to let him in, bucking him off the moment he tried to thrust inside.
He would make her stay still yet. Throwing her legs over his shoulders, he started loving her with his mouth instead. With her trussed up and open wide in that position, every attempt she made to escape only served to give him better access to her sweetness, and the advantage was his.
He feasted. He licked. He used his lips and tongue and teeth as she fought off her climax. Her scent drove him crazy and he opened her wider, delving his face against her heat as he kept making love to her with his fingers. Her hands in his hair at first pulled, then roamed, then stopped altogether. Her pants became whimpers. That was when he got to the dessert. He licked around it. He stabbed his tongue softly on its protective cover, repeating until her whimpers became gurgles. He took his wet fingers out of her and slid them along the side of the nub. He blew on it. Her hips swiveled higher, begging him silently. He pinched it with his fingers. He had her now. He could feel every tensed muscle in her legs locked securely over his shoulders. Mine. Mine. He parted her with his fingers. Such a tiny little nerve, and all his. He twirled the pink quivering nub delicately with his tongue, then placed his whole lips around it, and sucked. Hard. She screamed his name. And this time, with a violence that almost knocked him over, she came.
That was how he wanted her. Screaming for him. Wanting him. Giving herself to him. His own need was sharp and painful, a heavy throbbing thudding between his legs. No. This time he had to be the one in control longer. This was war. He was going to conquer this woman. He took one final taste, burying his tongue in the tangy heat, and slowly dragging it over her c.l.i.toris. Her wet release only fed his already burning desire.
Marlena was still lost in a spiraling vortex of pleasure when Steve climbed back on top of her. He dragged her hands high above her head, lacing his fingers through hers, and kneed her legs apart. Spread-eagle and still climaxing, she didn"t struggle when she felt him prodding, pushing determinedly into her softness. He squeezed her hands as he entered, making sure she couldn"t fight back. Not that she wanted to. He felt too good. The friction of his hard possession against her already sensitized flesh made her moan, and she shivered as she started peaking again.
His groin ground against hers, and as if that wasn"t enough for him, he pushed in deeper still, undulating against her c.l.i.toris that seemed to send lightning up and down her spine. Marlena went limp, letting her body take over.
He seemed happy to remain buried in her all the way, just flexing inside her. Something vibrated inside whenever he touched a certain place, driving her crazy with l.u.s.t and need. And always, each flex inside rubbed him against her on the outside, too, until she couldn"t tell where one climax ended and another began. Sensation spread like wildfire all the way to some center in her that seemed to have taken over her whole mind. Her head fell back as each wave hit her, and she clenched around his hard invasion, needing more of him.
That"s when Steve lost control, and he jack-hammered in and out of her. She was slick from coming, and the silky possession of her body felt incredible. Tight. Hot. Eyes closed, totally lost in this sensual paradise, he pushed, felt the tip of her womb, and he wanted to touch her where no man ever had. He changed his angle and heard her strangled cry. There, she liked it there. His pleasure doubled as he felt her long ripples of ecstasy ma.s.sage his whole length over and over.
More. He needed her to give him more. He buried in deep again and flexed.
And still Marlena kept climaxing, unable to rise to the surface, hit over and over by the darkest of pleasures, hearing her heartbeat. His heartbeat. Feeling the hard pounding of his body into hers as those waves tossed her around in some magical s.p.a.ce. She wasn"t sure what he did, but she felt like dying. Every time he flexed, the feeling was akin to dropping down into some deep abyss. He was everywhere-in her, on her, scenting the air she gasped in, totally commanding all her senses. Out of control, her body continued to milk him greedily, even as her thighs trembled from the tension of each climax.
Suddenly he stopped, a rough growl escaping him, as if his body protested what his mind commanded. "Look at me." His order was harsh with emotion, bringing her back to reality.
He rose above her again, making her ache for him to come back. She opened her eyes reluctantly to meet his, dark and heated with l.u.s.t, his lips sensual as he pleasured himself against her. His expression was triumphant, very male, very satisfied with himself.
"You can"t hold me down forever." She meant to sound challenging, but her voice came out weak and breathless. His little thrusts were torturous. She wanted him to come back into her all the way. Little tremors shook her body. "You can"t hold my hands above my head all night."