Polar Opposites (In Aeternum Book 4) (26 page)

Her cries. His grunts. Their passion. They crescendoed together, her pussy milking him as he thrust through his own orgasm and her thick cream coated him.

Expended, heart beating erratically and limbs trembling, Ivan stared at the woman watching him with burning passion in her gaze.

“Shit.”

She smiled and reached up to touch his chin. “Well said. Are you up for more?”

“Fuck yeah.” He readjusted so he could lift her while remaining buried in her. “Let’s start over.”

She winked. “I’m game.”

And man, was she ever. Then again, so was he.

* * * *

Bailey sat at her table finishing her final stage of cleaning some of her pistols. The last two days had been idyllic to say the least. She and Ivan had spent all of their free time together. In bed.

Not only the bed. We’ve made good use of walls, tables, sofas and more.

He’d arrived a short time ago and had showered. She heard the water cut off and figured he was dressing. A soft chime filled the room and she glanced around.

“Ivan!”

“Yeah, babe?”

“Your phone is ringing.”

“Answer it for me, I’ll be right out.”

She ensured there was no grease on her hand then did as he’d bidden. “Hello?”

“Hi? I am look for Ivan. This is his number,
da
?”

Bailey hid her distaste at hearing the female’s thick, Russian-accented voice.

“Yes, this is his phone. He’ll be here momentarily.”

“Oh good. I am friend from Russia. He was just here visit me.”

Bailey didn’t recognize the voice and she was good at remembering them. “Nice. I’ll get him.”

Speak of the devil. He stepped into view, a smile on his handsome face. She held out his cell for him.

“Who is it?”

She lifted one shoulder. “Some Russian woman. She didn’t give her name.”

“My mother?”

“No, her voice I would recognize. Here.”

He took it with a puzzled expression. Bailey returned to the table and cleaned up since she’d been finished with her project when the phone call came in. She did her best to ignore his timbre as he spoke to whoever that woman was.

Not like I understand Russian.

She grabbed the SIG, Walther and Kahr CW, carrying them to her mini armory and safe combo. Once they were in, she closed the door, ensured the lock had engaged then replaced the panel hiding it from view.

He continued to talk and she walked to her bedroom where she stripped then got in the shower. They were attending a
fútbol
game tonight. She was excited, not having been to one in a good long while.

Ivan sat on her bed when she strode back in, a towel wrapped around her midsection. He wasn’t on his phone and she bit back her curiosity, opting to search for what she would be wearing tonight in her closet and chest of drawers.

“That was Kisa.”

She found a nice three-quarter-sleeved blue and red shirt. “Should that name mean something to me?”

“My mother took me to meet her the day you weren’t with us.”

Of course she did
. “Okay.” She selected a pair of white premium painter’s pants.

“I told her I wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship with her.”

“Okay.” She went to her dresser and dug for undergarments.

He appeared behind her, gripping her wrists. “Bailey.”

“I didn’t ask, Ivan. I told you, I trust you.”

He kissed her neck. “I know.”

She grabbed her bra and panties. “Thank you, though. You know, for telling me.”

His chuckle was decadent. “You’re welcome. I wanted you to know who she was. Now, do you need help getting dressed?” He turned her toward him.

She pushed him back. “No. You helping would mean me not getting any clothes on or going to the game.”

“And that’s…a
bad
thing?”

No.
“Yes. We’re
supposed
to be going on a date.” She dropped the towel and laughed at his expression. Pained. Horny. Aroused. She pointed to the bed. “You stay over there.” She slid on her underwear and put on her bra as he made his way there.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “My woman wants a date, she gets a date.”

She tugged on the shirt. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to one of
Universidad de Chile’s
games. Especially a home game.” Her pants were next.

“Where are we going again?”

Bailey dug for her Doc Martens, grabbed some socks and sat on her bed near him but not close enough to touch. “
Estadio Nacional de Chile
. It’s in Ñuñoa.”

He tugged on the end of her hair. “You truly are enthusiastic.”

“Love the game, I make no apologies for that fact.” Socks on, she reached for one boot. “What’s yours? No, wait. Hockey?”

“Something against that sport?”

She tied on her other boot. “No. Quite the opposite. I’m a fan of the game. Not much call for it here.”

“So you think you have me all figured out now,
da
?”

Bailey stuck her tongue out at him. “
Da.
”

He grinned. “Come on, woman. I still can surprise you.”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Perhaps.” She pocketed her ID and some money. “I’m— Wait.” She swiftly braided her hair and bound the end. “Ready.”

Ivan’s laughter was comforting. She enjoyed the familiarity of it. “Come on, you.”

They caught a cab to the stadium. Ivan had the tickets and they walked together into the noisy building. The energy flowed into her and beat within her blood. It was infectious. She’d not ever understand how someone could come to a game and not get drawn in. The fans were like a needed pulse. A wave that overtook her, engulfing her. Making her part of the event.

Weaving through the raucous crowd, they found their seats. Up close with a great view of the pitch.

After usual exchanges of handshakes and whatnot, the ref whistled to signal the start of the game. In the end, they had four minutes of stoppage time to add on and the game finished knotted up at two. Her throat was sore and she had enjoyed every minute of it.

She tucked her arm through Ivan’s and leaned against him while they departed the stadium. “Have fun?” She posed her question as they waited for a taxi.

“Yes. You know you get extremely foul-mouthed when you watch this game?”

Bailey chuckled as he held the door for her. “I’ve heard that a time or two.” She slid across the seat. “I suppose you’re a perfect gentlemen during a hockey game?”

He joined her, gave their destination and said, “Hell no. Trust me, I didn’t say it was a bad thing, just pointing it out. I found it kind of hot.” He rested his large hand on her thigh, his fingers rubbing the inside of her leg. “Very much so.”

She shifted on the seat and cleared her throat. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“You wanted to go, how could I say no?”

“Easily.”

“I like sports in general. Are you sure you don’t want to stop and get something to eat?”

“I’m sure. I ate and drank enough there.”

“Bailey, you barely eat. Even when you do it seems you eat so little.”

“You’ve been paying attention to something else then, because I’m a pig.”

He leaned close and kissed her. “A very adorable pig.”

She smacked him on the arm. “Thanks.”

At his place, he paid the driver and walked her inside. He shut his door and locked it behind him. “What now?”

She grinned. “I’m sure there’s a spot of wall I’ve not been up against yet.”

His smile wetted her panties and kicked her heartbeat into a much higher gear. “I’m sure you’re right.” He reached for her and drew her close. “Get over here. I have plans for this body tonight.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“Here’s to the two of you!” Ivan lifted his glass and toasted the two women with him. “That was some damn good work. And you, Trick, to come up with what you did. You’re amazing.”

Chrissy and Trick touched glasses with each other and him. They all drank. The bar was loud around them but they were in the back at a table and he was between the two women.

“For a while there, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to pull it off.” Chrissy stirred her drink as she gazed around the bar.

Trick nodded her agreement.

Ivan understood. During a good chunk of time, the other prototypes weren’t even working like the first one had. So the three of them had stopped using anyone else in the lab to assist in the building and had done them on their own. Yes, it had taken longer but they hadn’t cared.

Once they had ten working ones, they had put them with the packs. On the final one, after all the tweaks and adjustments, they’d figured out and had it where the wearer wouldn’t explode into a ball of fire upon landing.

He’d done the first test on a live person and thankfully it had worked. Today they’d talked to the head of research and development, with the working prototype. After the demonstration, they’d wanted to know more about Trick’s addition that removed the static and made it safer.

Ivan had shaken his head and demanded that this remain hers. The patent for it would be hers. So then, the lawyers had come into the room and more discussion had ensued. But what ultimately happened was Trick had the option that the patent would be hers or that Theta Corps would purchase it from her as opposed to just a few devices—that way, production would be much faster for them. In the end, she’d agreed to sell it. And the item had gone into production.

Now they were out celebrating.

“I had moments as well,” he admitted. “But we were successful and Trick is now one hell of a rich woman.” He toasted them again. “Here’s to you, ladies.”

“Now all we have to do is figure out what the hell that tingling sensation is when using the bracelet to repel bullets.”

“That’s next week’s project. Tonight, we celebrate then take off a well-deserved weekend.”

“I’m in for that. I sure could use a few days of doing not a damn thing.”

He laughed with understanding. They’d been going hard for the past month. “We haven’t been resting on our laurels, that’s for sure.”

“No, that’s the job for Howland.”

That wouldn’t get an argument from him. That woman would make a monk swear and give up his peaceful ways.

“What are you all doing here?”

Ivan looked up to see more folks from the lab standing there. “Just out having a drink. You guys want to join us?”

“Sure.”

Tables were dragged over and their party of three turned into one of ten. Ivan didn’t mind, they were all out to have a great time and there wasn’t anyone at the lab that he didn’t get along with.
Aside from Howland, of course.

They ate and drank until well into the wee hours of the morning. He saw the women into a taxi and waved them off before stumbling to his own. At his place, he didn’t even shower, just dragged his ass to bed and fell in.

Most of the weekend he stayed around his apartment, doing laundry and catching up on some other things the long hours at the lab had stopped him from achieving. He missed Bailey and, late Saturday afternoon, called her.

The phone rang and rang before it was answered with a “Hello?”

He frowned. “Bailey?” It didn’t sound like her.

“No, this is her message service. May I take a message for her?”

Message service? When did she get a message service and where is she?
“When will she be back?”

“I’m not at liberty to say, sir, I’m sorry. May I take a message?”

“Just have her call Ivan when she can.”

“Any last name to go with that or a phone number?”

“No, she’ll know.”

“Very good, sir. Anything else?”

Frustration filled him. “No, thanks.”

“Have a good night, sir.” She hung up and he did as well.

He slumped back in his chair. “Message service? Where are you, Bailey?”

Realizing he couldn’t do anything about where she may or may not be, he got back to work. He fell into bed that night ready for a good sleep.

* * * *

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.

Ivan reached blindly for his phone as it played a song guaranteed to wake him from any type of slumber.

“Hello?” he said, struggling to wrap his brain around the fact that he wasn’t sleeping any longer and coherent responses might be in order.

“You called?”

Bailey. Her voice was smooth and sexy without even trying, and he smiled in the dark.

“I did. I never knew you had a message service.”

“Oh, that’s just what my phone does when I’m on a job. I usually take a disposable with me.”

On a job
. He woke up a bit more with that snippet of news. “Where are you?”

“Currently flying over the Pacific Ocean.” She shuffled. “I’m sorry, did I wake you? I wasn’t thinking of the time difference.”

“Forget the time, I’m just glad you called. Can I ask what you’re doing?”

“Talking to you.”

“Bailey.”

“I don’t discuss my jobs, Ivan.” Her tone had grown hard and unyielding.

“I know.” He didn’t like it at all. Her doing what she did or with the skill she did it with. He needed to go a different tactic. “Where are you going now? Are you coming home?”

“I’m going back to Chicago.”

He reached over to click on the light, squinting when the glare filled the room. “Why not here?”

“I have some contacts to meet.”

Contacts. Killing.
All of it was just another day at the office for her. “Contacts about what?”

“The disappearance of one of our agents. I don’t know if you know him, he works with Valentino. Anyway I had one reach out to me and he said he thinks he may have a lead on him. So I’m going to go talk to him and get what I can from him.”

Valentino. So the man taken was damn good at his job also, had to be to work with Valentino Cassano. Whoever had managed to take him must be stellar.

“Will you be in danger?”

“No. But my contact won’t deal with anyone but me so I am going.” She muffled a curse then there was a clinking of ice. “I don’t know when I’ll be back in Chile.”

“What are you doing?”

“Making a drink.”

“So this isn’t a commercial flight.”