Hard and Fast (9 page)

“Lex,” he whispered roughly, sounding as wound up as she felt.

One of his fingers brushed the curve of her cheek, and Alex closed her eyes, willing him to touch her again. It was insane! They were in her office, in the middle of the day and all she wanted was for this man to kiss her.

After a long silent pause, she finally opened her eyes to find Lucas staring down at her intently. Then he slowly leaned forward.

CHAPTER 9

Lucas covered his mouth with hers in a deep kiss, delving into the wet cavity of her mouth. Alex immediately responded by entwining her tongue with his with equal urgency. Delicious sensation rippled through his body, twisting his gut and weakening his knees. God, he had been wanting this for days, and to finally taste her lips again was setting him on fire.

“Lucas,” Alex gasped, sounding as hot and eager as he was.

With open mouths, they licked, sucked, swirled, and devoured each other. The sound of their breathing was ragged and labored as the heat between them flared out of control. She ran her hands over the back of his head and down to his shoulders, clutching at their broad strength as though to hold her upright.

The incessant throbbing from the fresh gunshot wound along the top of his shoulder seemed to have disappeared.

Lucas tried to hold back from touching her, to get a grip on his desires, to remember where they were—in her office, while he was on the job. But her taste was too sweet to resist. He pulled her into his arms, melting their bodies together tight through the torso. He ran his big hands down the length of her back. Damn, she felt amazing. All soft curves and lean lines. And her smell. Amber and brown sugar. Lucas squeezed the mounds of her ass, and his erection swelled to new lengths.

“Lucas,” purred Alex against his mouth. Her hips rotated against him in agitation.

“Yeah,” he muttered, incapable of anything more intelligible.

He needed more. Just a little more. The touch of her naked skin, the feel of her silky flesh. Then he’d stop, put on the brakes, get some air. Remember she was an asset under his protection . . .

“Touch me, Lucas. Please . . .”

His brain stopped. White-hot desire coursed through his veins, destroying his better judgment. He took her face into one hand, dragging his thumb over her mouth. With the other hand, he deftly undid the fly of her jeans and pulled down the heavy material. Alex gasped. Lucas swept his finger between her thighs, under the edge of her panties. Her skin was soft, the folds slick with arousal. She licked one of his fingers near her mouth with a torturous wet tongue. He thrust his middle finger into her tight sheath, chanting her name in a breathless whisper.

Somewhere in the background, an alarm was ringing.

Lucas sighed, trying to hold on to the feel of Alex, wet and quivering in his arms. The ringing became insistent and louder, signaling morning and destroying the delicious dream. Eyes still closed, he turned off the alarm on his watch, then lay there for several minutes to regulate his breathing. Finally, he rubbed the palm of his hands over his eyes and swung his feet onto the floor to sit up. It was six o’clock, Friday morning, and he had been stretched out on the couch in the living room of Alex’s town house.

The tense confrontation in her office had happened the day before. There was a moment of madness when he had been so drawn to her that Lucas had actually moved forward to taste her lips. But his discipline and professionalism finally kicked in, and he walked out the room. But leaving her standing there, smelling so good and vibrating with the same sexually charged energy that was flowing through him, had been harder than Lucas wanted to admit.

Jesus, that dream had felt so real, so vivid. It was everything he had wanted and craved while up against her in her office, yesterday afternoon. In that moment, while frustration and anger were still driving him, Lucas had almost lost his cool and crossed the line. Thank God he’d gotten it together enough to walk away from her at that point. Judging by the dream he just had, if Lucas hadn’t walked away, it was difficult to know just how far he would have let things escalate. It was a sobering thought.

But that didn’t change the fact that he had been seriously tempted. Or that he still wanted her.

Lucas stretched, then winced. The torn flesh on the top of his shoulder was bandaged and sore. It was a good reminder of how quickly this mission had changed from a simple network security administration job to a dangerous, high-stakes protective situation in less than a week. By the time the Fortis team had flown out of Chicago, Timothy Pratt was dead, Lucas was shot, and their only lead was a stolen car, eventually found ditched outside the city a few hours later. Not even Pratt’s laptop, which was recovered, or a full search of his apartment produced anything new or useful, except further confirmation that whoever was after Magnus information was well equipped and well funded, and they were not going to stop their attempts to take what they wanted. Fortis had to assume what they wanted could include the Cicada engine, the design, and potentially anyone who knew how to build it: namely Alexandria Cotts.

He had used the flight back to Toronto to call Marco Passante and provide an update on their progress, without too much alarming detail. Lucas had also advised his client that their analysis suggested Alex could also be at risk, and should have personal protection going forward. Unfortunately, Alex had not taken the direction as literally as it had been intended. Michael had seen her drive off the property during his surveillance review, and advised Lucas right away. Lucas was in the server room testing a new encryption algorithm when he got the call. Within minutes, he was in the black truck, trailing her sports car as she headed into the north end of the city.

Even though he had eyes on her for the full trip, including the pit stop to the drugstore, Lucas had been furious at her reckless behavior. The murder of Timothy Pratt and the gunfight after were very fresh in his mind. So to see their most valuable asset alone and out of his immediate reach on a stupid errand for over an hour was beyond frustrating. By the time they returned to the auto shop, Lucas was more heated than he rarely ever got. It was the only explanation for his behavior in her office, up against the wall.

It hadn’t taken long after he had walked away from Alex to realize that he had overreacted, and to see her perspective. While he and the team were preparing for a threat they were certain was coming, Alex and Marco couldn’t really know what that meant. Lucas had seen it many times through his career and since starting Fortis almost six years ago. The idea of a threat against Magnus and the Cicada was abstract and undefined. Hopefully, Alex and Marco would never experience concrete evidence of that threat, but Lucas knew with almost absolute certainty it was wishful thinking.

Though he had managed to avoid Alex for a few hours after the incident, Lucas had sent her a message later in the afternoon to confirm he would directly provide her protection outside of the office. He took a small overnight bag and drove home with her. They hadn’t spoken much for the rest of the evening, other than exchanging information that Lucas needed to do his job.

Now, Lucas stood up, rolled his wounded shoulder again, then quietly walked through the first floor of Alex’s town house and up the stairs to the main bathroom on the second floor to take a shower and get dressed. Back downstairs twenty minutes later, he found a large French press on the kitchen counter. He turned on the gas stove and filled up the whistling kettle before heading through the house to do a full security check.

The three-floor, three-bedroom town house was the end unit of a new complex built about five years ago. While the walls were still builder’s white, the rooms were decorated with cozy and colorful furniture and fabrics. Lucas started on the bottom floor, checking each potential point to ensure the silent alarms he had installed last night were still working and undisturbed. On the second floor, there was a spare bedroom used for storage and exercise equipment. When he reached the top floor, the two bedroom doors for Alex and her cousin Noelle were still closed. He inspected the laundry room and closets, then went back into the kitchen to check in on his coffee.

Lucas was pouring hot water over ground beans in the French press when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He turned to find Noelle Cotts walking toward him in pink hospital scrubs. She had the same look of curiosity and concern on her face as she did the night before when he had introduced himself.

“Morning,” Lucas stated softly. “Coffee?”

Her eyes shot up in surprise.

“Ah, sure.”

“It’ll be ready in a couple of minutes.”

She nodded warily as she entered the kitchen. Lucas walked out of the room and across the living area to give her some space. He picked up his cell phone from the counter on the way and began reading through the various e-mails and messages that had come in through the night, knowing that if anything urgent had happened, someone from the team would have called him.

“So, what exactly are you protecting Alex from?” Noelle finally asked from behind him.

Lucas turned to answer just as Alex came down the stairs. His eyes met Alex’s briefly. She was wearing gray, stretchy workout pants and a basic black V-neck T-shirt.

“It’s just a precaution at this point,” he replied with a calm smile.

“I told you, Noelle. It’s nothing,” added Alex as she joined her cousin in the kitchen. “My boss is a little paranoid, that’s all.”

Noelle didn’t appear at all assured. She looked Lucas up and down as though assessing his tall, hard body and seeing the lethal capabilities.

“A precaution against what, exactly?” asked Noelle, removing cream from the refrigerator.

“Nothing specific,” Alex insisted, sounding dismissive.

“Seems a little intrusive for nothing specific, don’t you think?” noted Noelle. “You said you’re not launching the new product until June, right? So, you’re going to have a bodyguard following you everywhere until then?”

Alex looked at Lucas briefly.

“Alex’s coverage will only be for as long as needed,” Lucas added, walking closer to Noelle and turning on the charm. “But I assure you, I will be as invisible as possible. Within a couple of days, you won’t even notice that I’m here.”

His smooth tone and warm smile seemed to make a dent. Noelle’s shoulders relaxed a bit and she smiled back. Alex rolled her eyes from where she stood behind her cousin, then turned to the counter.

“Coffee? Nice! Did you want a cup?” Alex asked, opening the cupboard where the cups and mugs were stored.

The question was directed to Lucas.

“Thanks,” he replied politely. “With cream and sugar, please.”

Alex took down two coffee cups out of the cupboard and filled them both with the rich, dark java. Noelle put her coffee in a travel mug. There were a few moments of silence while the drinks were being made and Alex handed Lucas his drink.

“What about tonight, Alex? Are you still staying with Shawn?”

Since the incident yesterday, the Magnus account file had been updated to include a brief summary of each employee’s immediate family and known relationships. From that, Lucas knew Alex had three brothers and a father living in the city or surrounding area. None of them was named Shawn. There was also no evidence of a boyfriend with that name.

Lucas raised a curious brow, looking at Alex over the rim of his cup. She shrugged at her cousin, but didn’t seem at all uncomfortable about the question.

“Apparently, he goes where I go,” she replied dryly before taking a drink of her coffee.

“The wedding, too?” added Noelle. “That’s going to be interesting.”

Alex flicked a glance at Lucas then back to the floor. Noelle looked back and forth between the other two.

“I have to get going or I’ll be late for the clinic,” continued Noelle. “Let me know what the plan is for tonight?”

“Sure,” Alex replied with a quick smile. “I’ll call you later this afternoon.”

Noelle gave Lucas a small wave and left the room. Alex and Lucas continued drinking their coffee in silence until they heard the front door close. He looked at his watch. It was just after seven o’clock. Enough time for the necessary conversation about logistics that he had deliberately but unwisely skipped the night before.

Alex seemed to read his thoughts. She put her empty cup in the dishwasher, then sat down at one of the stools in front of the kitchen counter.

“So, how exactly does this work?” she asked calmly. “I’ve never had a bodyguard before.”

“Well, it’s pretty simple. You just need to tell me what your plans are a day or two in advance, and we’ll work out the details,” Lucas explained, taking a few steps closer to where she was sitting. “Let’s start with your schedule for today.”

He took a relaxed stance in front of her, legs wide and arms crossed against his chest. Lucas caught Alex’s eyes brush over the bulge of his biceps before she looked to the floor. He wanted to grin with satisfaction, but controlled his expression. The last thing either of them needed was a reminder of the chemistry that seemed easily sparked whenever they were in very close proximity.

“Usually, I’m just at the shop late, then home. But I have a bridal shower to go to tonight. At the Metropolitan, actually,” she explained evenly. “The wedding is tomorrow morning also, if you’re still staying there.”

“We have a couple of rooms booked there,” he confirmed. “And who is this person, Shawn, you’re staying with tonight?”

He watched her carefully.

“Shawn Hampton is the groom for the wedding,” she clarified. “He’s my best friend, and I’ll be his ‘best man’ for the ceremony”

She used air quotes at the term.

“Or maybe it’s best woman . . .” Alex pondered, clearly amused by the unconventional concept. “Anyway, since the wedding party is staying at the hotel for the night, Shawn and I decided to share a room.”

Lucas nodded, stringing together various facts.

“That’s why you were there on Sunday?”

“Yeah. It was the bachelor party,” Alex confirmed.

“All right. I’ll accompany you to the shower, we’ll stay in my room for the night, then I’ll go with you to the wedding,” Lucas confirmed. “What time is the shower?”

“Seven o’clock.”