Training the SECRET (Corrigan & Co #6) (4 page)

“I have a great job
and the best friends anyone could hope for, but it hasn’t been the
same without you.”

“So we’ll just have
to make the best of the time we have, won’t we?”

“Yeah. We will.”

I hug him one more
time, and wave at Heath before walking out with Nate. He takes my
hand and squeezes it as we walk to my car. I deactivate my
alarms—yes, I have more than one—and let him open the door for
me.

“You want me to pick
up dinner before heading to your place, J?”

“How will you know
what I want?”

“I’ve been paying
close attention for over two years. I’ve got this.”

A get a little tingly
inside, thinking about him noticing things about me. I try to keep it
to myself, but a smile breaks out on my face. “Just in case, how
about we both drive over to my favorite deli.”

“As long as I get to
try and order for you.”

“I find the fact that
you want to try kinda romantic.”

“Do you now?” he
asks me with a smirk.

“Wipe that cocky grin
off your face, Soldier. I said
kinda
.”

“I have no problem
stepping up my game, Angel. Anything for you.”

My panties have
officially disintegrated. Hearing this super alpha, who can have
anyone he wants, tell me that he wants to please me is about the
hottest thing ever. I may not survive that kiss he’s promised me. I
lick my lips without meaning to, and watch as his smile grows even
wider. Ugh, I’m way too transparent where he’s concerned.

“Go on and get in
your car. I need food.”

“We both know that’s
not what you
really
need, but I’ll feed you first. You
are
gonna
need it later.”

He closes my door and
swaggers over to his rental car as I throw my head back against the
seat, and fan myself. How the hell am I supposed to act normal while
we get our food after what he just promised me? Especially when I
don’t doubt that he can deliver. I almost come just thinking about
how exactly he’s going to deliver.

A horn sounds next to
me, and I look over to see that he’s pulled up next to me and is
looking at me like he just won the lottery. I flip him off, and put
my car into drive. Yeah, I’m hot and ready for him, but his damn
attitude still pisses me off. And makes me feel insecure, wondering
why he’s not affected by me the same way. Then again, he never has
been.

When we get to the
restaurant, I don’t wait for him to come get me. I walk inside
before he’s even fully out of his car, and get in line. I feel him
behind me before he leans over to whisper in my ear.

“What’s with
leaving me in the dust out there?” I shrug, and stare straight
ahead. “Tell me what I did wrong.”

I start to answer when
a group of kids comes over to us. “Are you really Nate Anderson?”

“Yeah, he is,” I
tell them, pulling away. “Sign some autographs. I’ll be back in a
minute.”

“Jade.”

“I’m fine. Really.”

He can’t walk away
from the kids without looking like a major asshole, which gives me
time to walk down the hall to the restroom. I splash some water on my
face, and remind myself that he came here for me, that he says he
wants me. If he’s not acting as hot and bothered as me, then oh
well. I’ll just have to work harder to make him that way.

I square my shoulders
and open the door. I’m not expecting the punch that comes, and it
hits me hard, almost knocking me to the ground. Two teenagers I’ve
never seen before enter and corner me near the sinks.

“Hey guys, this is
the
ladies
room. No
boys allowed.”

“You should’ve
stayed gone, bitch.”

“And you should leave
now before you make me hurt you.”

Because I will. They’re
really just kids, but if it’s me or them, well, it’s going to be
me.

“You’re real funny.
Not,” says the one on my left before he lunges at me.

I easily flip him over
my head, but take a punch in the kidney from his friend for my
efforts. That’s all he gets, though. I swing out my leg and take
him down, watching as his head hits the floor hard. Just like his
buddy’s did. They’re both out cold, and I’m just a little
bruised and winded.

Time to go before
anyone else wants a turn, especially since that kidney punch hurt
like a mofo. He’s got a good arm—he just needs to use it in a
ring, and not on a woman. I’m trying not to wince as I walk back
into the main part of the restaurant, but I see Nate freeze, and know
I’ve failed.

“What the fuck?”

“I’m okay. There’s
two kids in the women’s bathroom who are going to need some medical
attention, though.”

“What did you do to
my brother?” one of the kids Nate was signing autographs for asks.

He starts to run at me,
but Nate picks him up by his neck and holds him in the air. “Were
you distracting me so your brother could have a go at my girl?”

“Do you know how much
money we can get for hurting her?”

“No. But I know you
can’t spend any money if I kill you.”

“You-you wouldn’t
kill me.”

“For her? Yeah, I
would. Put that message out on the street,” he tells him, dropping
him to the ground.

The kids all run in
different directions as I just stand there in shock. Little kids are
after me. I need to see my dad, but I’m no good to anyone if I’m
dead.

“I’ve got our food,
Jade. Let’s go home and talk, okay?”

“Huh? Oh yeah.”

“Can you drive?”

I shake myself. “Yeah.
I can drive. Sorry about this.”

“None of this is your
fault. Let’s just get going before I really do have to kill someone
tonight.”

I nod and take his
hand, still freaked out. About all the people who are willing to sell
a piece of their soul for some money. And also because I know in my
heart that Nate
would
kill someone for me. I guess I always knew that he—and my
friends—would, but it’s different now that
we’re
different. Or maybe we’re not. I don’t know what to think
anymore. I just need to get to my house, where I know I’ll be safe.

Nate

What happened at the
deli was bad. Jade didn’t get hurt much—she’s been well
trained—but just the fact that some punk kids went after her tells
me that whoever’s actually after her is in it to win it. I was once
a desperate kid who’d do anything to earn my next meal, so I
understand where the kids are coming from. I also know that being
that poor makes you feel like you have nothing to lose. Anyone with
that mentality is even more dangerous than a trained assassin,
because they’ll take chances that they shouldn’t.

When we get to Jade’s
gated home, I realize that she’ll be safe here. I can hear the
electricity crackling in the air from the fence, and maybe even
beyond. She has to use a pretty sophisticated hand, eye, and code
combination to get the gate to open, and I hear her tell the system
that a second car is entering. I grip the steering wheel tightly
because I know that there are only a few people who could set up a
system like this, and that means she asked someone besides me for
help when she left.

“This security looks
like Aiden’s work,” I tell her once we’re inside the house.

She turns to look at
me. “That’s because it
is
Aiden’s work.”

“You called him. Not
me, or even Ellie. Him.”

“Yes.”

She starts to walk
away, but I grab her arm. I know it’s the wrong thing to do, but
I’m angry—and jealous. “How did you pay him, Jade?”

“Excuse me,” she
says, pulling her arm away to glare at me. “I know you aren’t
implying that I traded sexual favors for my security system. With the
man my best friend is in love with, no less.”

I need to answer her,
but I don’t. I’m practically shaking with how upset I am. She
called Aiden when she needed help. She should’ve called me.

“Please give me my
sandwich. You can use any of the guest rooms down here. And then you
need to leave in the morning.”

That snaps me out of
it. “Dammit, Jade. I don’t think you slept with Aiden, or even
offered to. It’s just…I…you should’ve asked me for help.”

“You can set up a
security system like Ainsley, Scott, and Aiden can?”

“No, but I would’ve
called him for you.”

“I didn’t need a
middleman. I know how to dial a phone.”

“You mean that you
didn’t need me.”

“I didn’t know I
could have you. You’ve pushed me away for over two years, treating
me like I was just some silly girl with a crush. Why would I ask you
for help?”

She’s right. I know
she’s right. Well not about everything. “I never thought you were
a silly girl.”

“And this is the
other thing. You show up here acting like some switch has been
flipped. Saying you want me now. What the hell am I supposed to
think?”

“I’ve always wanted
you, J. You’re supposed to think that I’ve finally decided that
I’m man enough to have a woman like you.”

“Like me? I don’t
know if that’s a compliment or an insult?”

“I’d never insult
you.”

“Then tell me what
you mean.”

This is the easy part.
Well, not really. If telling her how I see her was easy for me, I
would’ve done it years ago. Now that I’ve decided that I’m
going for it with her, I want to tell her. I need her to know how
gone I am for her.

“You’re wicked
smart, sexy as sin, so gorgeous it hurts to look at you for long, and
the best friend anyone could ever hope to have. You bring me to my
knees every time I’m near you.”

“You’re not on your
knees now.”

“Is that what you
want, Angel? You want me on my knees?”

I see her chest rise
and fall, even in that loose shirt. Oh yeah, she wants me there.
Right where I want to be. I just need her to say it.

“We should eat,”
she says suddenly.

“Isn’t that what we
were talking about? Eating?”

“Food, Soldier.
Food.”

She turns and starts
walking towards what I’m guessing is the kitchen. I catch up to
her, and pull her against me so I can whisper in her ear. “I know
I’m coming on strong, but I can wait. It’s your call. When,
where, how. For our first time, at least. After that, well, I’m as
alpha as they come, so I
do
need to be in charge. I’ll give you what you need, though. You can
count on that.”

“Please stop with the
mixed signals. That’s not what I need right now.”

I’m shocked enough to
drop my arms from her. She takes the opportunity to move away from me
and grab two beers from the fridge. I set the sandwiches and sides
down on the kitchen island as she stands on the other side.

“You’re going to
need to explain those last comments to me. I thought I’d made
myself very clear today.”

“Seriously? You show
up saying you want me, but won’t kiss me because it’s ‘not the
right time.’ Then you say things to get me all hot and bothered
while not getting the least bit excited yourself. And finally, you
accuse me of sleeping with your best friend because I called him, and
not you, for help.”

Is she kidding? No,
looking at her I can tell she’s dead serious—and she took
everything I said today the wrong way. That’s my fault. I forgot to
put away my player persona with her. I need her to see
me,
the real me that I don’s share with other women.

“Come over here and
sit with me. Please.”

She looks nervous, but
she nods and walks over. “Okay.”

I reach out to cup her
face with one hand, while I hold one of hers with my other. “I kept
my armor up with you today, and for that, I’m truly sorry.”

“You don’t need to
protect yourself from me.”

“You’re the most
dangerous person on this planet to me, Jade. The only woman who could
ever break my heart, because you own it already.”

“I do?” she asks,
moving closer to me.

“Yes. You own all of
me. You have since the day we met.”

I close that last
distance between us and touch my lips to hers. Just little kisses,
slow and sweet. I won’t rush this—or anything else—with her. I
want to savor every second because I’ll never know which one of
those will be my last with her.

She moves her free hand
to the back of my neck, raking her short nails lightly over my skin
as she angles her head. I let her take the kiss a little more
passionate, but still keep my lips closed. She licks, nibbles, and
then outright bites me as she gets frustrated with my resistance.

“Open your damn mouth
for me,” she demands, her breath washing over my pleasantly bruised
mouth.

I chuckle without
meaning to, and she takes that window of opportunity, slipping her
tongue into my mouth to tangle with mine. I groan as I taste her
fully for the first time. She’s everything I expected, and more. I
let go of her hand to intertwine both of mine in her silky hair. Even
as I pull her fully between my legs, it’s not close enough. I move
my head back a little, doing some nibbling and biting of my own,
before breaking away to look at her.

“God, you’re
amazing.”

“Why’d you stop
kissing me, then?”

“Because I need to
taste more of you. I promised myself that I would wait until I gave
you your romance, but I can’t. I need my mouth on you. On your tits
that have been making me crazy since you started wearing those too
small exercise bras around me. And then down to suck on your clit
before tasting your sweet pussy. When you come all over my mouth, I’m
going to lick you clean and do it again, and again, and againonce
more until you can’t stand. Then I’ll carry you to your bed and
fuck you so hard that we both black out.”

“Oh, God Nate. Yes.
Please. Yes.”