Own (Command Force Alpha #1) (22 page)

In someone.

“What is up with you?” she asked first, her sooty lashes narrowed.

“Smile.”

“Huh?”

“Smile. For me. And for your dad.”

“You only ever refer to him as my dad when you’re trying to placate me. So what is this crap?”

He rubbed a hand over his chin, delving into his flirtation with Katsu. She had always been his favorite distraction. “I don’t think
crap
is strong enough for a demerit. What do you think?”

“I think you’re going insane. Did they give you electroshock therapy at HQ?”

“Maybe Fletch wanted to, but no.” He pushed her against the wall beside the elevator call buttons. “Now do as you’re told, shark. Smile for me.”

A tremor of curling lips teased him with the possibility. “Is that an order?”

Sir.

Sir. Sir. Sir.

One word.

He wanted it to the point of irrationality.

“Yes, that’s an order.”

She inhaled long and slow, which lifted her breasts where they pressed against a tight-fitting tank top. She’d worn a modest sweater over it while visiting Nicky. Goose bumps covered her shoulders. Either she was nervous about how closely he pushed into her space, or she was cold, having taken off the sweater simply to torture Evan. Both options centered on him. He didn’t just want to kiss her. If a camera weren’t pointing down at them from the corner of the ceiling, he would’ve come up with a dozen ways to fuck her again. He wanted that more than he wanted another breath.

“Smile.”

“Ooh, that’s more like it. The ‘I mean it’ voice.”

Her voice was bubbling with the teasing he craved—the happiness and relief. She did as she was told. Her lips parted before turning up into a gorgeous grin that slowly softened into a smile. She had the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. Seemingly without effort, she blended innocence, experience, daring and modesty that made him want to control her. She’d grown into a woman who couldn’t be controlled, yet she offered herself to his whims in a way that left him crazy with power that wouldn’t be satisfied.

The elevator dinged its arrival. Evan pulled them inside then braced his arms against the wall, his hands planted flat on either side of her head. “Now come kiss me.”

The demand took effort. He stood a good foot taller than she did. Kissing him meant practically climbing him. Her smile turned wily as she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and clasped tight. First on tiptoes, she arched her neck and tipped her face toward his. He only looked down at her. He didn’t lean closer or make it any easier for her. With a frustrated growl, she gave a little hop and looped her legs around his waist. His hands were suddenly filled with a small, tight ass wrapped in well-worn denim. Her ankles crossed at the base of his spine. From that position, she looked down at him from an inch or so.

She crashed their mouths together in a kiss that demanded everything, surrendered everything. Evan shifted his hold on her ass to free one hand and curled it around the base of her skull. She was kissing him, but he was still in charge. He plunged his tongue into her pliant mouth. She tasted of something sweet, maybe soda. Mostly she was Katsu, and that was like a straight shot of moonshine. Nothing had ever gone to his head so quickly. He felt powerful there, holding her with one arm and angling her head where he wanted, but she was just as powerful.

They couldn’t get enough of each other, with kisses that strayed from mouth to cheeks, throat, eyelids, foreheads, and back to eager lips, as if they hadn’t kissed in a hundred years. Kat leaned into his strength and loosened her hold around the back of his neck. She used blunt nails to scrape up his spine and around to the caps of his shoulders. She shuddered and moaned. Evan wanted more of that. He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, so that her passion-clouded eyes lifted to the ceiling. He kissed her throat, then lower. He palmed her breast through her tank top, nuzzling his face along her cleavage.

She breathed his name, her hands like twin vises in his hair.

“Oh fuck,” he said against her damp skin.

“Yes, please.”

“No.” He pulled her tank top back in place and grabbed her discarded sweater. “Goddamn cameras,” he muttered. “I was enjoying that.”

“Me too.” Her smile was both sweet and erotic, with her stick-straight bob rucked into a tangle around her oval face. “But what was that for? We’re still in a hospital.”

Evan took a moment to flip the bird at the camera, hoping Fletcher got the message loud and goddamn clear. Some footage was meant to be destroyed. Making out with the colonel’s daughter in the secret Mass General elevator was just such an occasion. Fletch was going to lose valuable body parts if he didn’t erase the last five minutes.

The elevator doors swept open, revealing the brightly lit parking level secured for their use. Still, Evan moved carefully, keeping his gaze trained on the few shadows that remained beneath blinding fluorescent bulbs instead of on Katsu’s flushed round cheeks. Entering and exiting facilities where enemy operatives could lie in wait were dangerous. His mind was a mess, they had a conversation he really wanted to finish, and unbeknownst to Katsu, the next few hours could be harrowing.

But all of that could wait until they got in a car.

Without another word, he guided her to a sleek Infiniti coupe. He’d switched it out after the Oldsmobile had been reported stolen—and because Fletcher said
he’d
be the one removing body parts if Evan didn’t use an authorized car from now on.

So, Evan was back in a wired CFA special. It was a nicer ride than the Oldsmobile. He wondered who at HQ had been given the task of returning the Olds, as per standard procedure—with an oil change and a tune up for the owner’s hassle.

Katsu waited seven feet away while he circled the vehicle to complete a visual inspection then checked underneath. Most current-day explosives were too sophisticated to be caught by such precautions, but it never hurt to try. And not every one of the groups CFA came up against had top-of-the-line specs. That was part of the team’s advantage. They learned about the bad guys before they became too tough to handle simply and cleanly. Evan had always liked being on the cutting edge. The back foot didn’t suit him at all.

That made this afternoon all the more important.

“All clear, Kat.”

“Evan?” she said, getting in the passenger side. “You didn’t… To be honest, you didn’t feel like
any
of that when we were in the ICU.”

He closed his door and locked them in. “We were in the ICU. Did you want me to sweep you into a grand movie-style kiss right there?”

She pinched her lips in on themselves. “No. But anyway, you didn’t sweep me anywhere. I hopped.”

“Yes, you did,” he said with a grin.

“Then you held me with one hand, you caveman.” She fanned her face. “Don’t ever do that again unless we’re somewhere I can drop my panties and show you how much that turned me on.”

“You’re doing that on purpose.” He advanced on her. “You’re saying things perfectly within the rules, just to get at me.”

She ran her forefinger along his jaw until she reached his mouth. She edged his lower lip down to reveal his teeth. He sucked that slim finger into his mouth, running his tongue around the tip. “Until you tell me otherwise, I plan to do that. Repeatedly.”

Evan gripped her wrist and pulled her hand away, then pressed her palm flat against his cheek. Without thought he leaned into the caress he’d forced her to provide. “Taking back what power you can?”

“Yes. I’m younger, smaller, less worldly and certainly not as strong,” she said, gripping his upper arm with an appreciative squeeze. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I won’t be helpless either.” Dark eyes fastened on his, just as she pushed her hands deeper into the hair at his nape. “You know that, don’t you?”

“I know it. You do what I say because you want to.”

“In a way.” The words were feather soft, even though she hadn’t looked away. “I don’t always want to, but I want to prove that I can. And I’ve learned over the years, there’s…there’s a freedom in having no choice.”

“I’ll never understand that.”

“That’s why you’re not a submissive.”

“What?”

Kat yanked her hand back and made a fuss about buttoning her sweater. “So what was that kiss about, anyway?”

He could’ve pressed. He could’ve asked exactly what she’d meant, but that would mean examining his own flipside—that he was dominant. A Dom? Like chains and dungeons and red leather bullshit? None of that fit him. The way Kat cast a saucy glance over her shoulder, however, made him into just what she’d called him: a caveman. Like, hauling her back to his bed by her hair. Fucking her against a wall. Or even something so seemingly simple as watching in powerful amazement as she brought him coffee in the morning and knelt at the bedside, awaiting his approval.

It wouldn’t have turned him on so damn much had she been the meek little princess she appeared to be. Whatever she did at his behest was a conscious choice. It was a gift. What she got out of it remained just out of grasp. Was it really what she’d explained? Her need for order?

There’s a freedom in having no choice.

If that was the case, he could give her all the freedom in the world.

“That kiss,” he said, taking her hand, “was a celebration. The colonel was awake, cussing, and full of piss and vinegar. Definitely worth celebrating. So, we’re going out.”

“Mmm, beer nuts and nachos again? Although this isn’t the right outfit for playing pool.”

“No pool halls tonight. We’re heading down over to Quincy.”

Her dark brows lifted. “Quincy Market? That tourist trap?”

“That’s the one.”

“Is that safe? To go out like that considering how someone might have found us last night?”

His good humor ebbed, as he knew it would. “Frankly? It’s a tactic I’m not fond of, but it’s worked well before. We still don’t have any leads on who broke into your apartment. So…”

“We’re
bait
?”

“Technically, you are. The only place we could have given ourselves away is the parking garage downstairs. So we’re going to make a very flashy exit and see whose attention we can catch.”

“Does Dad know about this?”

“What do you think?”

Kat laughed sharply. “No way.”

“You’re right. But Snow and a few other keen eyes know very well. We’ll be strolling the market, but we won’t be alone. They’ll triangulate our position while watching for tails I can’t see from ground level.” He kissed her softly on the cheek. “It’s not as safe as I want. It’s sure as hell not as safe as your father expects of me. But we can’t live on the run forever. Don’t ask me why, but this is bigger than any of us.”

The trust in her eyes was humbling, which only served to squeeze Evan’s stomach. He’d run bait traps like this before, but not with someone he cared for this much—and not with someone he had been commanded to protect.

“I can take care of you, Kat. But the choice is yours.”

“Why there?” The question was one Evan hadn’t expected.

He sighed. “Strategically, it has good cover from the high ground.”

“And if you leave strategy out of it?”

“Tell me you didn’t love Quincy when you were a kid. I bet a million bucks your parents took you, balloon animals, acrobats and all.”

She lifted a fist to her mouth and pressed it against whitening lips. Her eyes pinched.

“Hey,” he said softly, pulling her fist into his hands. “I don’t mean to dredge up bad stuff. I only got to go once, okay? Dad was already a city counselor. Mingling with the little people must’ve seemed like a good idea. I wore a suit. Can you imagine?”

Kat looked him up and down. “Lemme think. You’re decked in cargoes, boots and a skintight, please-bend-me-over-an-armrest T-shirt. Nope. I remember you showing me pictures in bed one afternoon, but I still can’t picture you as some rich-boy brat.”

“Even when you make digs about how I managed to afford my horse farm?”

She ducked her head. “Sorry. That wasn’t my best moment.”

He turned on the ignition and drove out of the parking garage. “Besides, I wasn’t a brat back then. I was still under the delusion that if I tried hard enough, I could make them happy. Eventually it was easy to act just as entitled. That did more to score points than behaving myself. Bang a few cheerleaders, bribe a few teachers to up my grades—yeah, that was fine, as long as I kept it discreet. But behave myself at Quincy and don’t ask for a cream doughnut, with all those cameras following him around? That was expected.”

“No fun. But don’t mention banging cheerleaders again.”

“Got it.” He glanced at her. The teasing had fallen away, and she appeared too ashen for his conscience to bear easily. “So?”

“We go. I trust you, and you trust the team. And we try to have some fun.”

“Right.”

She ran her hand up the inside of his leg, settling her fingers in the crease where his thigh met his crotch. “Spoilsport.”

They were at a stoplight. Evan turned to stare into her eyes, where a combination of lust and nerves were a mirror of his own soul. “I’ll make it up to you later. Promise.”