Chapter 11
I’d called Leon Brown and briefed him on the current state of play.
He agreed and hadn’t been surprised the Bitoos tried to double-dip on the tablets.
My mission was a bust. If we could recover the four tablets this evening that would be great, but he wasn’t holding onto hope.
He firmly believed they’d already been sold.
I didn’t have to tell him the other six had made their way into the hands of the US government.
He already knew. I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Much to my irritation he wanted me to stay with Gold Team.
He was making a call to Zane Lewis to clear my attachment to the guys.
Leon felt, if they were going after Lucre, it was best I stay with them.
I knew why. The last time I’d gotten too close I almost died.
I also knew Leon felt responsible for my injuries.
Apparently, he’d visited me at the hospital and he’d stayed a long time.
I didn’t know that as fact considering I’d been doped up on pain meds and was out of it.
Even if my eyes had opened and I saw him sitting there, I didn’t remember.
There was a whole lot about the hospital stay and recovery I didn’t want to remember, but there were certain pieces I couldn’t forget no matter how hard I’d tried.
One of those things was the reason why I’d been taken.
I’d been cocky. I’d been out to prove myself.
I’d spent years getting verbally beat down by my douchebag ex and I wanted to show everyone including myself I was better than what James had thought I was.
So, it was my fault, my own insecurities, that led me to be arrogant and I walked right into an ambush.
The hit to my pride was almost as bad as the pain.
A valuable lesson. One I will never forget.
I glanced up from my laptop when there was a hard knock on the bedroom door.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Brooks’ large frame came into view. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to bang the door down, I wanted to make sure you heard me this time.”
Whatever had crawled up his ass seemed to have disengaged, if his smile was any indication. Full lips tipped up, white, straight teeth on display. The only word that came to mind to describe it was dazzling.
“No problem. I was just working. What’s up?”
“Wanted to see if you were hungry. Luckily for you Max has KP duty. He grills a mean steak. The only thing Kyle knows how to make is grilled cheese. Declan only makes spaghetti and we’ve long ago taken Thad off rotation because, well, he can’t fuckin’ cook to save his life.”
“What about you? What’s your specialty?”
The dazzling smile turned into something dangerous.
Playful. Flirtatious. Panty dropping. I would be in big trouble if he smiled at me like that more often.
It was hard staying away from him. Especially after he saw my back and was angry on my behalf.
No one in my life knew what I’d gone through.
Not my parents, my siblings, or the few friends I had.
They couldn’t, they all thought I traveled the world working various safe jobs trying to save the world.
Sure they knew the places I went weren’t all that safe, but they all thought I worked desk jobs.
So, no one knew. No one had been there through my recovery.
Seeing Brooks so furious made my insides flutter.
It was stupid. But it was real. It made it all the more difficult to deny I was attracted to him.
“Daydreaming, again?” He chuckled.
I’d been daydreaming a lot around him. Something I never did. I didn’t have the luxury of feeling attraction. Hell, I hadn’t felt attractive in a very long time. I was ruined.
And on that thought, I answered, “Yeah, I could eat.”
He was eyeing me again, trying to work out what was going on in my head. Good luck with that. Maybe if he could figure it out, he could tell me. I needed to sort myself out and get Brooks out of my head and focus on work.
I closed my laptop and made my way to the door.
Brooks hadn’t moved. He stayed leaning against the doorjamb.
Strong arms folded across his chest, highlighting his muscled pecs and biceps.
One cargo pant-covered leg crossed at the ankle.
From top to toe he was badboy hot. Chiseled features, strong cheekbones and chin, straight nose, great smile, sexy, unusual eyes.
Yeah, he was hot as fuck, and dangerous. Heartbreaker.
“So could I,” he murmured.
Full body shiver. That’s what his husky voice did to me.
“You should come with a warning label,” I told him.
“Yeah? And what should it say?”
Brooks was no longer still, he unfolded his arms, one hand coming to my face, he cupped my cheek, and I leaned into his hold. His thumb stroked my cheek and I’d forgotten what I was going to tell him.
“Danger. Proceed with caution.” I finally got the words out.
“I may be dangerous. But I promise, you’re in no danger around me.” His words came out hushed and thick.
“I don’t think that’s true, Brooks. I think the reality of you is way better than the fantasy. Making you an imminent threat.”
His gaze heated and his lips did this weird twitch. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to beat back a smile or a laugh. Either way it made me melt. Apparently, honesty wasn’t always the best policy.
“The take away from this conversation was proceed with caution .”
“Was?”
“Yeah, babe. Was. Until you told me you’d fantasized about me, about us. Now it’s simply, proceed.”
“Um. I don’t think that’s exactly what I meant.”
“Yeah, it was. And you’re correct. The reality will be far better than anything your mind can conjure up.”
“Your arrogance is showing, Brooks.”
“No. My confidence is,” he returned. “And, Doll, I promise you my kind of certainty means really great things for you.”
Brooks’ hand was on the move again. His eyes were no longer heated, they were on fire and intense.
His hand twisted into my hair, and he slanted my head, right before his lips came down on mine in a mind-blowing kiss.
He didn’t ask for permission, he plundered.
He took what he wanted, how he wanted it.
Which was a very good thing, considering he was a good kisser.
No, a fucking great kisser. My belly whooshed, my heart pounded in my chest, and my panties dampened.
It had been, like never, since I’d been so turned on by a kiss.
I wasn’t sure if this meant the good things Brooks had promised or if it meant bad things for me.
If he could make me come unglued that fast, with one kiss, what would happen if he actually touched me?
I’d spontaneously combust, that’s what would happen .
He pulled his mouth from mine but left our bodies touching. His hard-on was hard to miss.
“Jesus,” he muttered. “You can fuckin’ kiss, Doll.”
I wasn’t sure if that was a good Jesus, or a bad Jesus.
What I did know was, I lacked the brain power to try and figure it out.
My mind was preoccupied and I was no longer hungry for food.
There was a mattress only a few feet away and I was getting ready to throw caution to the wind and suggest we use it when he spoke again.
“You taste so fucking good. I’m a heartbeat away from tossing your fine ass on that bed, but the guys are waiting for us to eat. ”
Thank god.
Thank god, my mind was muddled and I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I tried to pull back but Brooks’ hand on my hip tightened.
“I want you to know we’re leaving this room under extreme protest.” My eyes locked on his and they were no less intense than they were before he kissed me.
“We will be finishing this.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.
Because, what else could I do? I wanted to finish it.
“No way I get a taste of you and not go back in for seconds. And by seconds, Doll, I mean, with my mouth between your legs, tasting you.”
Did he just say that? He did. He said he was going to put his mouth between my legs. Was it possible for someone to orgasm by verbal stimulation? Because my sex was clenching and I needed a change of panties.
“I see you like that idea. And as much as I want to explore that now, I need to feed you and we need to prep for tonight’s mission.”
Shit. Right. Work. We had work to do.
“Damn, you’re pretty.”
I don’t think anyone had called me pretty since I was a child. It was nice. Brooks’ sweet side was far more dangerous than the sexy badboy with a dazzling smile.
I was fucked.