Enemy Within (Unseen Enemy Book 1) (2 page)

“Hey,” he said. “Looks like Jessop changed his tune, huh?”

Chris and Jim turned around and smirked.

“Yeah,” Jim said. “Maybe he just wasn’t in the mood for blonde, was the problem.”

Dallas got to his feet and the redhead pouted. “I’ll be right back,” he said to her. “Just going to talk to my friend over here.”

Dean and Emma were getting their drinks when Dallas swaggered over. Dean saw him coming and rolled his eyes.

“Hey, Emma? Just ignore him, OK?”

“Ignore who?” she said.

“That’d be me, darlin’.”

She turned to see another tall, broad, muscled man in front of her. His dark hair was cropped close to his head and his blue eyes were clear and hard. He was drop-dead gorgeous and smoldering away at her and she blinked. “Umm. Hi.”

“Hi.” He looked at Dean expectantly.

Dean sighed. “Emma, Dallas. Dallas, Emma.”

Dallas extended his huge hand. “Very pleased to meet you. Now, tell me. Is Dean here bothering you?”

“Not yet. Hopefully later.”

Dallas liked that. He grinned at her, taking in her heart-shaped face and stunning eyes. She wasn’t Dean’s usual type, but Dallas heartily approved of his deviation from the norm. Emma was short and curvy, with glorious breasts and shapely legs. A lush and juicy little package – and look at that fucking amazing hair. Dallas was a firm believer in bedding redheads, but he might make an exception for her. He could totally see himself clenching his hands in that dark waterfall of curls, pulling that mouth to his, holding her in place so he could watch her come against him.

Emma stared back at Dallas, equally intrigued. Like Dean, he looked tough and intimidating, with a hard face and loads of tattoos, but also like Dean, he had humor bubbling just below that ferocious surface. She actually felt surprisingly relaxed around these two strangers, sure that they were more than capable of hurting her but they’d never raise a finger to do so.

“OK, man,” Dean said. “You’ve done your recon and as you can see, the situation is under control. Go on back to the table now.”

“Table?” Emma said.

Dallas gestured across the room and Emma followed his finger. Sitting at a table were two more huge men, both staring at her with curiosity.

“Oh,” she said. “More friends?”

“Yep.” Dean glared at them. “Chris and Jim. Chris is the blond one.”

“Right.” She gave them a small wave and they waved back.

“So,” Dallas said. “Maybe you want to join us?”

Emma didn’t really, but she wasn’t sure how to refuse politely. Thankfully, Dean stepped in.

“Nope.”

She blinked at his one-word answer but Dallas accepted it with good grace, his light blue eyes sparkling. “OK. Nice to meet you, Emma.” He wandered away and she watched him go. Yeah, he was a good-looking guy, no matter which direction he was facing.

“Huh,” she said. “The four of you look like a group of bodyguards or something.”

“Actually, Dallas
is
a bodyguard.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” He took a sip of beer. “He runs a protection service, has a staff of fifteen guys. All highly-trained and totally professional. Dallas and his boys are one of the most in-demand outfits on the market.”

“And what do you do?”

“Nothing so glamorous, I’m afraid. I own a tattoo parlour and Jim over there is one of my employees.”

“Wow,” she said. “You’re both tattoo artists?”

“Yeah,” Dean said. “And Chris works at a garage. He’s the best mechanic I’ve ever known, but really, the man should build furniture. You wouldn’t believe what he can do with wood and some tools.”

“You’re quite a mixed bag.”

“We are. What about you? Where are your friends?” He looked around.

“Uh, well. I’m here on my own.”

Dean looked down at her. “That’s not really safe, is it?”

“No, I know.” She fiddled with her shirt button and his eyes were drawn to her breasts. “And I’ve never done this before. I just – I had kind of a rough day and I decided to just stop for a drink as I passed the bar. I didn’t plan it, it was totally spur of the moment.”

OK, that’s the first lie of the night.

“Rough day, huh?’ Dean said. “What happened?”

She shrugged. “Oh, just my job. You know how it is… some days are just lousy.”

He leaned back and looked at her. “So what do
you
do, Emma?”

“I’m a PA.”

Lie number two… keep them coming, girl.

“PA? Personal assistant?”

“Yeah. Kind of a glorified secretary.”

That explained the tight black skirt and heels, then. “So –what? You run the boss’ schedule?”

“Uh-huh, and that’s just for starters. I handle all her personal stuff too, and make all her travel arrangements – and she travels
a lot
– and all the press.”

“Press? This person is famous?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Who? Can you tell me?”

“Have you ever heard of Olivia Jameson?”

Dean whistled. “Sure I have. Local girl turned supermodel who rocks the bikini shoots for every men’s magazine on the market.”

“That’s her.”

“Man, Dallas
loves
her.”

“Oh, yeah?” She grinned as she looked over at the table again. “He
does
seem to have a thing for redheads.”

“Sure does. Olivia Jameson is his dream redhead, I can assure you. Wait ‘til I tell him who you are – you’ll never get rid of him.”

Emma giggled.

“So what happened today that was so bad?” Dean asked.

She froze. “What?”

“You said you had a bad day. What happened?”

“Oh,” she said. “Nothing major. Nothing I can’t handle.”

Lie number three.

Chapter Two

An hour later, Dean was about to burn up with his wanting to kiss her.

Emma was just so damn sexy, in all kinds of surprising ways. She was clearly smart as hell, her smile lit up the whole damn room, and the way she looked at him when he was talking made him feel like he was the only guy in the bar with her. Those eyes just zeroed right in on him, attentive and almost unblinking. He’d never felt so listened to by a woman, ever. He was shocked how much he liked it, to know that she was fully present in the conversation, that his words weren’t just empty blather to kill time before they got down to fucking.

But
would
he be taking her home? Dean still didn’t know. If it were any other woman in the bar, he’d be damn sure of it: Shooter’s was the kind of place where when a guy bought you a drink, it was an accepted invitation. Emma, though, didn’t look like the type of woman who understood the rules of that kind of game. She’d just stopped by for a drink after a bad day, after all; she hadn’t walked in looking to get laid. Every once in a while, though, he caught a hot gleam of interest in those amazing eyes and that made him think he had a chance with her.

She was sitting down on a stool now and he leaned over her a bit, testing her reaction to him getting in to her personal space. With every inch of his body, he didn’t want her to pull away. Dean wanted her to want him, too.

When Dean moved closer to her, close enough that his hand brushed her knee, Emma almost sighed with relief. She had no idea how to make a move to show him she was interested, and she was counting on him to take the lead here. If he asked, her answer was yes.

He paused, gauged her body language at his touch. When she didn’t back away, he moved in a bit closer, closer again. He was so close to that sweet mouth now, his left arm extended to its full length on the bar next to her, her knees touching his thighs. Dean stared down at her, saw the way her pupils dilated.

Slowly, not wanting to startle her, he raised his right hand and ran it through her thick hair. Emma closed her eyes and shuddered. That was it: that was all he needed. He ran his fingers down her neck, felt her pulse speed up against his hand. He waited a few more seconds to see if she’d change her mind and move away. When she didn’t, he leaned in and kissed her.

Emma almost moaned aloud when his mouth rested on hers. His lips were soft and gentle; the kiss was a question and he was asking her if this was OK. She answered by blindly reaching out to touch him. Her hands made contact with that broad chest and rested there, relishing the feel of hard muscle under her fingertips. God, he was just so strong and she responded fiercely to it, loving being so close to a man who made her feel more feminine and female than she ever thought possible.

At her touch, Dean deepened the kiss, moving both hands around her waist now. He pulled her up and in tight, her breasts rubbing against him. She gasped and he lifted his head away to look in to her eyes.

They were glowing and hopeful and he knew that she wanted this too. But he needed to hear her say it. He had to be sure that she knew what she was agreeing to; he had to give her one last chance to back out, if she wanted.

“Hey,” he said softly. “You want to get out of here?”

Her smile was hot and he felt his cock harden. “Yes.”

“My place or yours, baby?”

“Yours,” Emma said without even one second of hesitation.

“You sure?” He ran his thumb over her lower lip. “You’ll feel OK there?”

“Yeah.”

He stepped back and extended his large hand to her, palm up. “Come on, then. Let’s go.”

She took his hand, let him pull her down off the stool. He didn’t let go of her as they walked through the crowd to the door, his wide body clearing a path far more easily than she’d ever be able to. At her height, she always had to inch and ease her way around people. He kept her behind him, pulling her along, and she just followed in his wake.

The late spring air was cool and refreshing. She took a deep breath.

“OK,” Dean said. “Where’s your car?”

“Over there.” She pointed.

“Mine’s right here. You OK to drive? You just had the two, right?”

“Right. I’m fine to drive. What about you?”

“I’m good.”

Their eyes met and he tugged her to him again. This kiss was stronger, more feral, now that he knew she wanted him. His tongue glided over her lips and she opened to him. Dean took her mouth hard, licking and plunging, and Emma closed her eyes and just luxuriated in being so thoroughly tasted and enjoyed.

Dean pulled back so suddenly that she clutched him to regain her balance. They gazed at each other, their breaths coming out tight and harsh.

“Get in the car,” Dean said. “Follow me.”

“OK.” Emma was shaking with her need for him to touch her again. “Yes.”

**

In front of Dean’s place, Emma opened her car door, her legs still weak from that kiss in the parking lot. Dean came to her, yanked her out almost roughly, slammed her door shut. His hands were everywhere: running over her breasts, cupping her face, gripping her hair. He kissed her and she opened her mouth to him again, her hands clutching the front of his shirt.

Dean pulled back. “Inside. Right now.”

She stumbled behind him, barely taking in the cute little house they were entering. He shoved her up against the living room wall, peeling off her coat and his own, pulling her skirt up and over her thighs, kissing her at the same time. She gasped when he gripped her ass and picked her up and without even thinking about it, Emma wrapped her arms and legs around him, pushing her hot centre against him as hard as she could.

Dean pinned her to the wall, holding her there with his whole body. His cock was throbbing, reaching for her, and he was barely holding it together. She was totally spread to him, completely open, her hips moving in small circles on him. Dean wanted to just rip away the barriers between their bodies, to put his mouth on those lush breasts and that pulsing pussy. He needed her in his bed. Now.

Emma gave a small cry when he moved away from the wall, afraid that he’d drop her.

“Easy, honey,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ve got you. Hold on to me.”

He carried her down the hallway, one hand cupping her ass, the other strong across her back. She buried her hot face in his shoulder, dizzy and breathing hard. All she wanted was for him to make her forget – she wanted release and relief, and she wanted to feel alive and beautiful. Just for a few hours longer.

When they got to the bedroom, Dean gently set her back on her feet. He reached out and yanked her shirt over her head, took off his own. At the sight of that broad chest, Emma’s legs almost gave out under her. He was even more muscled than she’d thought, his tattoos gorgeous on the curves and planes of his taut body. He had a line of blond hair that ran down his body, over his hard abs, and disappeared in to the waist of his jeans. She wanted him naked and on her, in her. She wanted everything.

He spun her around, undid her bra and tugged down the zipper on her skirt. The material fell to the floor and he groaned at the sight of her curved ass in black lace. She turned to face him and she reached for him, needing to get her hands on his strength. She undid his jeans, knelt down in front of him to pull them down his legs. He kicked them away, pulled her to him, his shaking hands running free over her smooth skin. She was like cool silk and he couldn’t seem to stop touching her. He ran his hands across her shoulders and his eyes widened when he saw her upper arm. He stopped.

“Hey,” Dean said. “He
did
hurt you.”

“What?”

“Here. Your arm.”

She looked down and saw the finger marks standing out clearly on her pale skin. She blinked at them, confused, then she remembered what the doctor had told her that day: that bruising easily was one of the signs of AML. Her bruising was the whole reason she had gone to the doctor in the first place; it was the first symptom to fully present itself as something unusual. She had been able to explain away the exhaustion and weight loss, but those vivid purple and black marks coming up on her skin out of nowhere had scared her.

“Shit, Emma.” Dean was running his fingers over the bruises gently. “That fucker really grabbed you… I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“It isn’t. I mean, it doesn’t hurt that much.”

“No?”

“No.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I should have moved faster, stopped him.”

“It’s fine, Dean. I feel fine.”

“Maybe I can make you feel a bit more than fine.”

She looked up at him, her pussy slicking up at the look in his eyes.

“I’d like that,” she said softly. “What do you have in mind?”

“How about I show you?”

“OK,” she said. “Show me.”

Dean kissed her again, walking her backwards until the backs of her knees hit the bed. He gave her a small push and she fell. In a flash, he had his boxer shorts off and was down on top of her, pressing her in to the mattress with his weight. His erection ground in to her abdomen and she pushed back against him, hard. She reached for him, running her hands up and down his length, loving how he throbbed between her hands.

My God, he’s huge.

He made a guttural sound deep in his throat and moved both hands to her waist. He wanted to just fucking rip the lace right off her body, but he forced himself to inch it down her curves instead. Emma was totally naked now and she shivered when he started to move down her body, his tongue running over her nipples, between her breasts, down her hip. He reached her pussy and settled his massive shoulders between her spread thighs. He didn’t touch her yet; he just stared at her lower lips, his warm breath coming fast and hard. She waited for him to touch her there and she was seconds away from begging.

His hand moved now, just brushing over her mound. Emma arched, every muscle in her body tight. Dean’s fingers stroked her lips, parted them, spread her wetness over them. He was slow and in control, but all he wanted was to be buried in her sweetness, thrusting deep inside her, making her shake and call his name.

“Dean,” she whispered, unable to hang on any longer. “Dean, please.”

He looked up at her now, holding her eyes. He leaned down, his green gaze hard and hot, and he kissed her just above where his fingers were gliding. Her beautiful blue eyes closed and her breath caught. The look of pure fucking ecstasy on her face turned him on more than he ever thought possible and he couldn’t wait any longer.

Enough teasing. Fuck it. I need to taste her.

With his fingers, he spread her pussy wider, touched the tip of his tongue to her clit. Her whole body came up off the bed and his hands clamped her down again, holding her in place. Her hands were in his hair, pulling him closer. She didn’t care what happened next; all she wanted was for him to not stop, not for anything.

Dean moved up higher and settled his mouth over her fully, his tongue firm and sure. She gave a small scream as his mouth covered her heat, sucking and licking her vulnerable bud in turns, driving her insane. His slipped his hands under her, lifting her to him and he lapped at her juices, loving how she tasted, wanting to suck up every drop of her intense arousal. She twisted on the bed, begging and incoherent, shaking and pulling his face closer, deeper.

She is so fucking hot, so passionate. Who’d have thought it?

He slid down her slit now, found her slick channel. She screamed again, louder, as he fucked her with his tongue, in and out, doing what his cock ached to do. Her thighs were open as far as they could go, her whole body on overload from the sensations he was causing – and he was nowhere near finished yet.

Dean kissed and licked his way back up to her clit and slid two fingers inside her. Holy hell, she was so fucking tight… tighter than he’d ever felt a woman before. The thought of how that was going to feel when he got in there made his cock pulse.

I can’t wait. I need to hear her come.

Emma knew that she looked and sounded completely out of control, but she honestly didn’t care. She was flat on her back, her legs spread, an almost-stranger going down on her, licking and kissing her most intimate places, and she didn’t want to be anywhere else on the whole planet but where she was.

He thrust inside her with his fingers, felt her pussy pulse and pull on them. He flattened his tongue on her clit and felt her shocked response. He did it again, then again, faster and harder, and she stiffened. Her thighs tensed, her whole body went rigid. He knew she was just waiting for that one last thing to push her over the edge to orgasm… and he gave it to her.

He sucked on her hard bundle of nerves, not letting up at all now. He clamped his mouth down and gently pulled, his tongue snaking out every few seconds to flick her clit. The combination of hard fingers and soft tongue and firm lips drove her on, made her pleasure reach heights she’d never before imagined.

The sensations became almost unbearable and she sobbed with needing to come now. Her body couldn’t take any more of the sweet torment and when her climax started, she almost passed out from relief and release. The pleasure rippled out from her pussy, in waves that grew more powerful and overwhelming, whiter and hotter, and all she could do was hold on to his head, her fingers tangled in his hair, and come against his mouth.

Dean felt her orgasm shake her, felt her thighs jump helplessly, and he kept his mouth fused to her clit until she calmed and relaxed. He worked his way back up her body, his tongue moving up her flat belly, his lips caressing her heaving breasts. His hands stroked her hair back from her flushed cheeks, he kissed her eyelids.

He rose above her now and ground his body on hers. She was still shaking from her climax and he felt the moisture dripping down her thighs. He growled and ran the tip of his cock up and down her lower lips. She gave a small cry and arched against him.

“You’re so fucking wet, baby,” Dean said. “So hot, so ready.”

She gasped. “Dean…”

“I’m going to fuck you, Emma. I’m going to make you come again, this time with me inside you.”