Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
L ogan moved in her mind. I have the information on Dark Industries. Meet me at your apartment.
How did you get it so quickly?
We have telepathic abilities. I can call to all my clan members for assistance at any time.
That’s handy.
It is. He cut contact, but she had the impression he was flying. She saw a glimpse of the Dark Industries building.
You left to do your own recon, didn’t you?
Yes. The darks can use magic to alter your perception of the building. You never stood a chance of obtaining the item you seek without my maps.
She would be mad under normal circumstances that he assumed her skills were inadequate, but not in this case. She understood she was out of her depth.
Thank you.
You are welcome. I will be at your home shortly.
Emily jogged through the door of her apartment building, her pace brisk and purposeful as she kept her gaze fixed on the ground, avoiding the doorman stationed in the lobby. With practiced nonchalance, she made her way to the elevator, ignoring the disapproving stare of the older woman who shared the lift with her.
As the elevator ascended, Emily’s mind buzzed with anticipation, her fingers flying across her phone as she fired off a quick text message. She was grateful that the other woman didn’t live on her floor, sparing her from any further judgmental glances.
Stepping into her apartment, Emily wasted no time in opening her laptop and navigating the keyboard as she booted up her programs. With a sigh of relief, she removed the long blond wig, revealing her own natural hair underneath.
But before she could delve into her work, Emily noticed Logan as he entered her apartment. His eyes moved over her barely-there outfit, his gaze intense and penetrating as he lingered on her form with a mixture of curiosity and intrigue.
Logan’s eye flickered with lavender, and she knew it wasn’t anger.
“This is not your usual attire.”
She glanced at her tube top. “I had to lose a tail. My uncle sent one of his men to watch me.”
Logan reached out and ran his hand over her shoulder and down her arm. His touch was slight and his eyes intense, as if she were an apparition.
As his touch lingered upon her skin, Emily felt a surge of heat course through her veins, her body responding instinctively to the proximity of his presence. Though his touch had not been overtly sexual, her senses ignited with a primal urgency, her skin prickling with anticipation as if every nerve in her body had been set ablaze.
Her breath caught in her throat as she felt her nipples harden in response, their peaks straining against the fabric of her outfit. A flush of warmth suffused her cheeks, her skin tingling with a heady mixture of desire and arousal that seemed to pulse with a life of its own.
Emily couldn’t deny the potent effect that Logan’s presence had on her, his proximity stirring a hunger deep within her core that she struggled to contain. Despite her best efforts to maintain her composure, her body seemed to have a mind of its own, responding to his touch with a fervor that left her breathless and wanting.
He retracted his hand. “I apologize.” He ran his hand over his hair, and she could see his erection straining his pants.
She had always avoided interpersonal relationships, even when her uncle encouraged it. He would have been happy to marry her off to an underling, so he could retain control over her when her debt was paid, but she would never have allowed that. No man would control her. Not again.
Now, as they stood so close and their bodies were yearning for one another, she found she was curious about sex. Would it be so bad to try it out? There was a good chance she would die tonight, and at least she could check that off her bucket list.
His eyes flickered as he met her gaze. “We will not have sex to complete this odd list of yours. When I take you, it will be forever. But I am just as eager to explore the images in your head.”
Her throat went dry. She was well aware of those images and part of her was embarrassed, but another part was disappointed he wouldn’t consider a temporary dalliance. She couldn’t commit to a week with someone, let alone forever.
“Tell me about the building,” she said quickly to change the subject.
“It does not have a conventional security system, except for the safe in the main office. Just a dark dragon who guards the elevator. It will be easy to lure him away. But their protections are magical in nature. I believe I can subvert them while inside the building.”
“You are not coming with me,” she said.
Logan took a step toward her. “If you go near that building, then I will be with you. There is no way for you to protect yourself under these circumstances. I will follow if you attempt to leave without me. That is nonnegotiable.”
“You can’t force your way into my life.”
“Yet I have, and I will protect you whether you want me to or not.”
“You are annoying. I can’t believe I considered having sex with you.”
His lip twitched, and if she didn’t know better, she would assume he was enjoying himself. “I will attempt to be useful enough during this endeavor to ensure your thoughts return to more carnal pursuits.”
“Ha ha. You will do everything I say. Magic or not, infiltration is what I am good at.”
“Understood. I am happy to allow you to take the lead. Perhaps you will teach me something about... infiltration.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she wasn’t quite sure if he meant that in a sexual way. When the muscle in his jaw ticked, she knew he did.
“Smart ass.”
Logan glanced at the computer screen. She had a picture of a zipline pulled up, as she was about to measure the distance between the buildings.
“You will not need this apparatus. I am perfectly capable of flying us to the rooftop of Dark Industries.
She had to admit the flying thing was pretty handy, and she was curious about the mechanics of it. “Alright, but I can’t lose this opportunity. We go in an hour. We will walk to the building, then you can take us up. A flying serpent might be a little distracting.”
“We can leave as soon as you change. Would you like to fly from here? There is no need to take a vehicle to the location. I can shroud our presence from the humans.”
“I think you are forgetting that I am human.”
His eyes roamed over her slowly. “You are not, but I recommend you change.”
She stood and put her hand on her hip. “It’s not nice to insinuate you don’t like a girl’s outfit.”
Logan touched her chin lightly with his fingers. “I would like this and a variety of other revealing outfit, but only if we are alone. My dragon wants to hunt down the man who touched you, and that would end badly for the human.”
Her face paled. “How did you know about that?”
“I can smell him.”
She wasn’t sure what scared her more. Logan’s readiness to resort to violence on her behalf or the fact that she had actually come up with an alternate skimpy outfit to taunt Logan with.
“Okay. Let me change.” She grabbed her purse and almost sprinted to her room, and closed the door.
She dropped the bag on the bed and blew out a breath. Logan was a force of nature. His presence was commanding and magnetic, like a powerful whirlwind that threatened to sweep her away in its wake. She felt like a fragile leaf caught in the grip of his personal vortex, pulled inexorably toward him with a force she could scarcely resist.
As enticing as his presence was, Emily knew that she couldn’t afford to be distracted. Not now, when the stakes were higher than they had ever been. This heist was the most important of her life, and it required her full attention.
Do you need help undressing ?
Her hand froze on the skimpy tube top she was wearing.
I am sure I will manage. She sent the thought with a snap to her voice, but smiled when he chuckled. She changed into her catsuit quickly and switched her gear to her other pack. She didn’t need the reversible purse this time. Her breath left her lungs in a rush as she exited her bedroom to find Logan shirtless.
If she hadn’t trained her expression to remain wooden, she may have drooled. Every muscle was clearly defined.
“Damn, Logan. You could wash laundry on those abs.”
Logan smiled. “We are muscular in our human forms, as it takes enormous strength to propel our dragon into the air.”
“Yeah, sure. But why are you half naked? We are about to head to?—”
His eyebrows arched. “We are about to fly. It is difficult when encumbered by clothing.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
He held out his hand, and she hesitated before she took it. “Put your backpack on. Let’s head to the balcony.”
He opened the massive sliding glass door. Her living room was a wall of glass, and she loved it at night. Everything had been fixed thanks to Logan. During the day, she normally kept the blinds closed.
Emily wrapped her arms around Logan’s waist, finding solace in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat as she pressed her ear against his chest. Their connection felt like an anchor amidst the swirling chaos of the night, grounding her in the reassuring familiarity of his presence.
As Logan’s arms encircled her, Emily felt a surge of warmth suffuse her being, his touch a comforting embrace that enveloped her in a sense of safety and protection. And then, in a breathtaking display of power and grace, his wings sprouted from his back, their majestic span unfurling to their full extent before he flapped them with a fluidity that spoke of centuries of mastery .
With a powerful thrust, they launched into the air, the rush of wind caressing their faces as they soared into the welcoming embrace of the night sky. The city below stretched out before them, a glittering tapestry of lights and shadows that danced in the moonlight.
They made their way toward the Dark Industries building, and the journey seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. With a soft thud, they landed gracefully on the rooftop, their arrival heralded by the quiet hum of the ventilation system.
She startled when Siro exited the shadows.
“Don’t be alarmed, Lass. I am here to help. I will distract the dark by the elevator while you procure your item.”
Her body remained taut, and Siro backed up a bit.
Logan rubbed her back. “Siro is my brother. You need not fear him.”
“He does look like you.” Though the other one had looked identical to Logan. But his revelation of magic meant she couldn’t trust what she saw. Maybe it was some kind of spell to trick her.
“He is not a brother by blood, but by clan. He is a brother in every sense of the word. My own brother died many years ago. Family is everything.”
She grunted and failed to keep the disgust from her voice. “Not mine. They are complete assholes.”
Logan tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. “Not all of them.”
The image formed in her mind. Her mother was watering her plants, and the yellow dress she wore seemed to attract the sunlight. “No. Not all of them. My mother was... everything family should be.”
The memory played in her mind of the day her mother had died, and her father had told her they had to move closer to her uncle. While she had cried, her father had made arrangements for her training.
Logan’s jaw tightened, and she knew she had shared the memory with him. Whatever their connection was, it was growing.
“Are you ready, Emily?”
“Yes. Let’s get this done.”