The Omega Team: Ethan's Promise (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Men of Mercy Book 7) (8 page)

CHAPTER TEN

              They set up the scenario like a small cut out from the wedding, with Aaron, Rowdy, Holden and Ethan surrounding her and Celine at her side. Kate kept herself between Ethan and Celine.

              “The bad guy isn't always the most obvious person in the room and you have to be prepared to react, because no matter how hard I train you, and I'm gonna train you hard, you may miss something and you have to be prepared for that.”               Ethan ripped a gun out from behind his back and leveled the pistol straight at Kate's head.

              Her heart stopped for a split second and then fired into overdrive. Kate shoved Celine away and ducked sideways, slammed her palm into his wrist and rolled her body around him. She grabbed the barrel of the gun, squeezed his pressure point with her other and ripped the pistol from his grip. Ethan didn't hesitate, but countered with a leg sweep and knocked her to the ground. The pistol went flying and Kate scrambled to her feet.

              “Good, you've managed to disarm me. What's next?”

              She didn't know. Her mind whirled, the possible scenarios playing out like broken movies in her mind. Kate lunged and Ethan moved to the left so that she stumbled past him. “Wrong move.”

Kate spun to see Ethan holding Celine, arm raised to strike. “What did you do wrong?”

              “I attacked,” Kate's frustration only fueled the need to do it again.

              “Wrong. You didn't think. Remember, your best weapon is your intelligence. Again.” Ethan released Celine back to Kate's care and she immediately shoved the girl behind her.

              “I thought you were supposed to be teaching me,” Kate ground out between clenched teeth, her chest heaving.

              “It's called immersion, and this is how you learn to focus.” They continued the slow circling, Ethan jumping into a false lunge, but Kate held back, refusing to take his bait.

              The next time Ethan dove, he kept coming. Kate felt the moment her training kicked in. She sidestepped his lunge and threw a double-fisted punch down on Ethan's back, using all her weight to drive him to the ground. Unfortunately, that seemed to be exactly what he'd expected her to do. He circled around, hooked an arm around her waist and pinned her to the ground.  “I read your moves before you even acted. You can't be that obvious or your enemy will do the same thing.”

              Kate heaved, her breath sawing like hot coals in and out of her chest as she tried to ignore the sinking sensation that she was in way over her head. That was twice now Ethan pinned her down, easily trapping her against the mat beneath his rock hard body. She couldn't focus on anything, her normally controlled mind in chaos from his nearness, her body heavy not with pain from the impact, but with pleasure. “Get off me.”

              She bucked against him, felt the obvious swelling in his pants press against her stomach and she froze as every ounce of awareness pooled there. Ethan's gaze bored into hers and she lost all ability to think. She'd never reacted so strongly to a man. Why now? Why him? How was she ever going to concentrate on her training if all she could think about was jumping his bones? 

              He lowered his head within an inch of hers and said, “Your enemy has you pinned to the ground. For all you know, his partner has already made off with your target, what do you do?”

              His voice came out cold and distant, but Kate felt just how hot he was. If he could shove his feelings aside, so could she. She was a fast learner.

              Kate softened and tilted her chin down to stare up at him through lowered lashes. “Ethan?”

              His gaze went dark and he focused on her mouth. She licked her lips. “I can’t think with you this close,” she whispered, skating the fine line of control and desire, fighting the urge to give in and lift up and take his lips in the scorching kiss they demanded.

              If possible, his ice blue eyes turned to midnight. She sensed the moment his training fell to the onslaught of desire. Desire they both felt.

              Her carefully crafted plan to seduce him into distraction backfired and she found herself reaching for him instead of tackling him. God, she wanted him more than anything she’d ever wanted in her entire life.

              A tremble worked through him and she felt it all the way to her core. Unbidden her fingers traced his jaw, his beard abrading her already sensitive skin. But it was his mouth that held her captive. She wanted to taste him. To find out if her dreams were as sweet as reality.

              Ethan ducked his head and breathed out her name, “Kate.”

              He drew closer. She yearned for his touch. His breaths fanned across her face.

              Kate drew in a breath and concentrated on breaking the spell wrapped around them.
Focus on the mission. Stay with the plan.

              Kate swung her leg up, threw Ethan to the ground and straddled him, her arm pressed against his throat and the hidden knife she'd had tucked in her clothes pressed against his jugular. “You asked what I’d do? I would use any means at my disposal to neutralize the enemy.”

              Heat sizzled between them, his harsh breaths fanned her across her face as she leaned more of her weight onto him. She expected him to erupt in anger at being bested by a girl, but Ethan shocked her and tossed her assumptions about him and his reactions right on their head.

              He smiled. “That's my girl.”

              Applause broke into Kate's awareness and she turned her head to see Celine and Aaron side by side clapping. Heat flooded her cheeks and she jumped to her feet, putting some much needed distance between Ethan and her treacherous body.

              “You go girl!” Celine whooped.

              “I thought you were supposed to be the instructor,” Aaron said to Ethan.

              Any man from her past would have flushed red with rage, their manliness threatened, but not Ethan. His smile didn't waver, not one bit. And Kate found that achingly wonderful.

              “I'll take her type of instruction any day,” Aaron said.

              Ethan's smile disappeared and his gaze narrowed on his teammate. Kate inserted herself between the two men. “I think we're good for now.”

              Ethan glanced down at her. “You did good, but we need to talk. In private.”

              Kate nodded in complete agreement, only she didn't have much talking in mind. They had to get rid of this tension between them if she had any hope of paying attention the rest of the week. Two days
in and she'd nearly seduced him in front of her new boss.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

              Later that evening, Kate stepped into the bathroom and locked the door. A few minutes later she was undressed and standing beneath a hot shower, praying it would work out the soreness in her muscles.

              She'd worked out five days a week, keeping her muscles toned and trying to stay healthy, but Ethan's training wasn't about health. It was about survival for herself and the person she would guard. And it was brutal. He'd continued to put her on the defense, tossing her to the mat more times than she could count, but each time Kate learned something new.

              The one good thing about their training, she'd been beneath him, body to body, and after giving in to the fact that she couldn't deny the attraction between them, she accepted it and used it to help give her energy.

              Each time he pressed against her, electric heat charged through her body.  After being on autopilot so long, almost like she’d been desensitized to other people, reacting so strongly flooded her with vitality. He made her feel wanted, especially when she felt his hard length pressed against her. Outwardly he kept his expression blank, but there was nothing he could do to hide the banked lust in his eyes.

              She'd left him with a promise to meet up later tonight at a bar in a neighboring town. Kate got out of the shower, toweled off and carefully selected her clothing for the night.

              She had no intention of pulling any punches when it came to seducing Ethan Slade.

              ETHAN nursed a beer at the bar, if he could label the ramshackle shack built on stilts over a murky Mississippi bayou a bar. Somehow the clapboard walls were holding up, although every time the wind shifted, the entire shack groaned. The girl behind the bar had more tattoos than his entire team combined and nearly as many piercings.

              There were two other couples in the bar. The first consisted of a broken down old cowboy clutching a bottle of rot gut and holding hands with a woman with hair so red it had to have come from a bottle. The other couple appeared almost normal, except they kept casting suspicious glances his way and twitching, which meant whatever reason they were here probably wasn't legal. This far out, they could be selling dope or smuggling alligator skin.

              Ethan cast up a silent prayer that the motel room he'd rented wasn't a close relative to the bar. How could he expect to seduce someone like Kate in a shit hole with cockroaches as decorations?

              The bartender stared past his shoulder and Ethan swung around and blanked. Kate strolled across the floor, graceful and predatory, almost feline. She'd let her hair hang long and straight down her back, a perfect touch to the skintight dress hugging her curves like it'd been painted on. And the heels. She'd worn those fuck me heels.

              Kate didn't stop until she stood between his spread knees. She took the beer from his hand, and placed the bottle on the bar behind him. Ethan sat there, unable to move, mouth dry and body tense and ready to snap.

              “Sorry I’m late. I wasn’t sure you’d wait.”

Her husky voice slid over his skin like a caress and snapped him from his stupor. Ethan pulled her to his chest.

              Kate rubbed her chest across his, and Ethan clenched his jaw so tight he was surprised his teeth didn't shatter. He was so much worse off than he'd originally thought.

              Ethan snatched her hand to his lips and nipped her palm, savoring her soft gasp. “I would've stay here all night if you asked me to.” Although more than likely, he would've ended up back at Noni's to check on her. Kate wasn't the type of woman to stand him up, even if she changed her mind, she would've told him to his face. But when her gaze slid away from his, he felt the first niggling of worry. “Why did you pick this place?”

              She nibbled her lower lip and faced him. “To be honest, I didn't want to chance running into any of the other guys.”

That got his back up instantly. Was she embarrassed to be seen with him or something? “Why?”

              “I didn't want to put up with their shit tomorrow. I already put up with enough crap just because I'm female, if they get wind I'm banging you too...” She let her words trail off with a shrug and Ethan found himself grinning in response.

              “So you're banging me, are you?” He palmed her hip and yanked her closer, allowing her to feel how much that thought turned him on.

              Her eyes darkened from pale green to emerald and she lowered her lashes. “In a seedy motel and everything.”

              The thought of her spread out beneath him on any bed was enough to drive him past the edge of control. Ethan ripped out his wallet, tossed a five on the bar and pulled Kate out behind him. “You lead the way to the motel.”

              He'd only been around her for a few days and yet their tension had built to the point of exploding. Ethan knew as soon as she touched him, he was done for.

KATE stood with Ethan outside the one-story 1900's era motel, a heavy set of old keys dangling from her hand. Their door, Room 101, boasted a large crack across the top left corner and enough chipped paint she couldn't really tell what color it was supposed to be. Maybe blue? Tan? Red?

              Ethan grabbed her hand. “You kidding me? No way I'm letting you stay here for the night. This is the place where murderers and thieves go to get rid of bodies, not for a romantic rendezvous.”

              Kate ignored him and shoved the key into the lock, “You said Aaron said this was the only place within a hundred miles.”

              Ethan's hand landed heavy on top of hers, stopping her before she could turn the lock. “I'm not kidding Kate, there's got to be somewhere better than this.”

              Kate turned the key. “I'm not kidding either. Besides, I did my own research. The FBI bought this place and uses it for undercover work. That nasty old man who checked us in is an agent. We are safer here than at the Hilton in town.”

              Ethan growled and pulled her behind him, stepping into the room first. “You could've told me that.” He pulled a pistol from his jeans and did a quick scan of the room. “You've been sitting here knowing I was worried about this place the whole time.”

              Kate kicked the door shut behind her and slid the lock shut. She tossed the keys on a cracked dresser and watched as Ethan strode into the tiny bathroom in the back and disappeared.

              Taking her opportunity, Kate peeled her dress over her head and tossed it next to the keys. She'd opted for shock value to hold on to her control of the situation. The only other item of clothing she wore were the heels. Those she left on.

              Ethan stepped out of the bathroom and placed his pistol on the small counter. “I don't know, that shower's seen better days...” Ethan's voice trailed off as he turned to her. “Jesus Christ.”

              Kate liked the shell-shocked look on his face. With sensual power fueling her veins, she strode across the room and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling the heat radiate off his body in waves. “You were saying?”

              Ethan's head dropped to hers, his words whisper soft. “You don't fight fair at all.”

              Kate jumped and Ethan wrapped her legs around his waist. Kate took the opportunity to nip and lick softly at his neck, his masculine fresh scent had her eyes nearly rolling back in her head. “I never said I fought fair.”

              Ethan carried her across the room and sat down on the edge of the mattress with her straddling his hips. Without waiting, Kate took his lips in the searing kiss she'd been dying to take ever since this afternoon.

              She deepened the kiss, her control close to snapping and she yanked back, unwilling to lose it just yet. Ethan let her have her way, peppering soft kisses across his nose and cheeks, down his neck, leaning back long enough to rip the shirt from his body.

              In the dim glow of the lamplight his chest was all dark planes and golden highlights and mouthwateringly sexy. Feeling as if some sensual spell had taken over her senses, Kate kissed her way across his pecks, tonguing his flat hard nipples into beads. His hands twisted in her hair, almost painfully, but the sharp bite on her scalp transformed into pleasure. “You're going to make me come in my pants.”

              His words only drove her further and she kissed her way down his abs, sliding down to the floor between his knees, every intention of continuing on her journey until she learned every inch of his skin. She yanked his belt buckle free, then unbuttoned his jeans, gesturing for him to help as he silently lifted his hips and she slid his pants down to his knees.

              “I have no intention of letting you come in your pants.” Kate licked her lips and leaned in to place a soft feather-light kiss on his thigh, the silky hair on his legs tickling her nose. She could hear him breathing hard and fast and she drove onward, skating the edge of control, as her own heat coiled and built to near pain. She wrapped her hand around him and then lowered her mouth to lightly kiss and lick his tip before taking him in deep, savoring how his hard length stretched her lips wide. Kate closed her eyes and gave over to the mindless pleasure of his hot steel encased satin sliding over her tongue.

              Ethan groaned and jerked under her touch, and when his hands went to her hair, he didn't do anything but rest and allow her to take the lead.