Chapter 3
“Of course, he’s already here.”
It didn’t matter it was only seven-fifteen.
Solace let out a long, low groan while she pulled into her designated parking space two down from Duncan’s dark gray Lexus sedan and turned off her ignition, then sat for several seconds staring at the back door.
She needed to remember, he’s the colonel.
And the sooner she started accepting who this man had to be to her, the better.
There’s no relationship.
Other than work, of course. But nothing more. Saturday night was a mistake—an aberration. She huffed. Remembering that would be easier if she hadn’t kept reliving every second of whatever she called the night she and Dun...
She gave herself a mental shake.
Colonel.
She couldn’t forget that. Not if she was going to keep her heart and soul intact.
That task might be made easier if she still owned those two integral parts of herself.
Heat flooded her cheeks at how Duncan had not only taken her body, but every other part of her for himself. But that was then, and this is now. So…
She figuratively pulled up her big girl panties and got out of her car and slammed the door shut. Then did nothing but stare at the back door again. She wasn’t stalling.
Right.
All she had to do was get through the next few hours of seeing him again, while convincing them both it was a mistake.
Detaching herself from her emotions would be the key.
If she displayed even an inkling of her feelings, he would see exactly how weak she was where he was concerned.
And if he happened to be so inclined, it wouldn’t take much persuasion on his part for her to find herself pinned against another wall.
Then where would she be once he was finished with her?
Not only completely destroyed, but obviously not working for the Elite Protection Agency. It would be too awkward. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that thought.
Right, like it’s not going to be awkward now.
So, better for them to just chalk it up as one long, breathtaking—she wouldn’t use that word, of course, with him—night together.
One that could never happen again.
“Okay,” she muttered, while flicking her gaze at Declan’s truck pulling into his space, before focusing once more on the staff entrance.
“Something wrong?” Declan called out.
How long have I been standing here?
She dragged her attention to him climbing out of his truck, then watched as he shut the door. Seconds later, a beep sounded and lights flashed as he headed her way. Her friend’s drawn brows and light of concern in his good eye didn’t change when she shook her head.
For good measure, she added, “I’m fine.”
“Sure, you are,” he said stopping beside her and looking down. His doubting gaze met hers. “I don’t have to have two good eyes to know bullshit when I hear it.”
“Wouldn’t that be two good ears,” she quipped back with a grin, trying to lighten his expression. Hmm…
Still grimacy. Maybe even more than usual.
So, she held onto the intensity in his deep blue eye and attempted to keep her features smooth, while pushing as much sincerity into her voice as possible. “Honestly, everything’s fine.” Was he buying it? “I promise,” she finally said, placing a hand on his arm and squeezing.
“Okay,” he said, giving her hand a quick look, before once more meeting her eyes. “If you say so, I’ll believe you.” Then he bent down into her face. “For now. But if?—”
“Is everything alright out here?”
Duncan.
She took a deep breath and dropped her hand from Declan’s arm, then slowly turned toward the man filling the doorway. Had he been watching her…them? Hidden cameras monitored the back parking area, so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. But his blank features gave nothing away.
“Just talking,” Declan answered, frowning. “Is everything alright in there.”
Duncan’s jaw tightened.
“Just askin’,” Declan said, then muttered, “No need to give me the look,” while waving a hand for her to proceed him toward the building. It wasn’t easy walking toward Duncan, since every step of the way his eyes on her never wavered.
“I didn’t say anything,” Duncan grumbled, finally raising his gaze to Declan’s as he stepped inside for them to enter.
“Eh, you didn’t have to.” Then he grinned at their boss as they moved further into the building and the door automatically shut behind them. “You have a very expressive face.”
Duncan nodded, then narrowed his eyes on the other man. Her friend was getting the full colonel effect now. “And, Carter, what is my expressive face saying right now?”
“Mmm…” At any other time, Solace would be grinning hard at the way Declan tilted his head and pursed his lips, like he was really thinking about it, but she just couldn’t find it in her. Not with Duncan’s heat tempting her to lean against him. He was that close. “To shut up?”
“Very astute,” Duncan said, his gaze flashing toward her, then back. “But it’s also saying I need a moment alone with Davidson.”
Davidson…
Not Solace.
She shouldn’t be putting too much stock into the hard way he’d said that. The cold chill running down her spine? That she paid attention to.
“Sure thing,” Declan said, his curious gaze going back and forth between them. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” she and Duncan said in unison.
“Oookay.” Declan’s frowning gaze once again shifted back and forth between them—strange how that prosthetic eye mirrored his true eye’s movement. And his tone wasn’t suspicious at all.
Right.
She and Duncan might as well have waved a bright, red flag in front of him with the words, we’re hiding something, written in big, bold letters.
“I guess I’ll go get coffee then.” After one last questioning look at them, he sauntered away, leaving her alone with Duncan.
“Col—”
“In my office.”
There went that cold chill again at his near command. But this time the cold went all the way to her heart as she followed him. Had he come to the same epiphany she had?
Of course, he has.
She eyed his broad, tense shoulders.
I just hope he doesn’t fire me.
Sitting across from Dun…the colonel reminded her of the time she’d been called into the principal’s office in second grade for body slamming Stevie Fleming during recess.
“Young ladies don’t purport themselves in such an inappropriate manner,” Mrs. Black had intoned, looking down her pointy nose at her. The way Solace had seen it, if Stevie hadn’t wanted to end up on the ground, he shouldn’t have pulled her hair.
Ah, Ms. Black. If only she could see her now. After all the other types of purporting—and, yes, she’d had to ask her mother what that word meant—she’d been up to after joining the Marines and since, the woman would have an apoplexy.
“I guess you know why I wanted to speak with you.”
So, he was getting right to it.
“Yes, sir,” Solace said, swiping her cold hands over her jeans-covered thighs, then froze.
As soon as those two words left her mouth, she was taken back to Saturday night when she’d said them in a completely different way. And from his clenched jaw, flaring nostrils, and darkening complexion, he’d done the same.
And if that had been his only reaction, she might have been okay.
But no. His heated gaze just had to travel over her face, then down to her chest where it lingered until her damned nipples prickled and hardened.
It was a look she’d seen many times during those long, glorious hours.
And one that was currently soaking her panties and had her crossing her legs.
But it didn’t last long. It disappeared when his jaw clenched even harder and steely, pale blue eyes snapped back to hers.
“I believe we need to get something straight.”
“It was a mistake,” she blurted out.
She needed to have said it first. At least for her own dignity and peace of mind.
Instead of immediately agreeing with her, Duncan quirked one brow and sat back in his seat. Her eyes focused on his tense hands still on the desk. Oh, how she loved them—loved how they’d handled her body. But if his fingertips dug into the surface any harder, he’d leave marks.
Much like the evidence she’d found on her flesh. She forced herself not to squirm in her seat at how good those blunt, rough digits had felt tormenting her throbbing clit. How…
Snap out of it!
“I see,” he said, his tone flat. “Is that why you snuck out?”
“Snuck…” She tilted her head at him and frowned. “I didn’t?—”
“Davidson,” he growled, launching himself from his seat so fast she jumped in her chair.
Wait, was he angry? He leaned over his desk and planted his fists on the top.
Even with the big piece of furniture between them, he loomed over where she sat.
“You did. What else would you call leaving our bed and walking out on me?”
Our bed?
“I thought it was for the best,” she murmured, her eyes widening as he straightened and started around the desk.
“You thought it was for the best,” he grumbled coming to a stop beside her, then grabbed the chair arm and pulled the whole thing around. “The best for who?” he said low, while slamming his hands on the arms—surrounding her.
“For both…” She narrowed her eyes on his angry gaze and flushed features.
What did he have to be angry about? And while she might have been slightly anxious to start with—he had been her commanding officer and now her boss for years after all—she wasn’t going to let him get away with intimidating her.
“Look,” she ground out, pushing at his chest. “I don’t know who you think you are, but...” She eyed his stiff arms, then his hands still gripping the chair arms tight, before glaring up at him. “You need to let me up.”
“And if I don’t?” His gruff, smoldering tone had her flesh pebbling, while a light of challenge filled his gaze—along with a banked heat she refused to acknowledge. “What will you do?”
Solace had learned a long time ago how not to give a tell when she was about to make a move. That skill was about to come in handy as she faced off with Duncan.
“Do you really want to know?” she murmured—almost breathy—then pulled at her bottom lip with her teeth while slowly raising her hand, before motioning him closer with her finger.
Duncan’s intense gaze never left hers as he slowly lowered his head, while his cheeks went ruddy and chest rapidly rose and fell. His parting lips distracted her, while her own breathing had gone wild and the urge to kiss him almost made her lose focus.
What is wrong with me?
Teaching him a lesson had to come first. If kissing followed, so be it.
I’m so going to get fired.
That was the last thing that ran through her mind before she slung her body forward and up, smashing her head against his chin and knocking his head back.
“Son of a bitch.”
One of his hands flew to his chin, giving her the opening she needed to grab his other arm still holding the chair, locking it with one of her arms, then bounding up from her seat and using her other hand to grab his wrist and twist. The action forced him backward.
“Uhh…”
She grinned in satisfaction at his low grunt, though her smug attitude didn’t last long.
A split-second later, he made a move of his own, wrapping his free arm around her waist and doing his own twist, before taking her to the ground.
It was enough it loosened her hold on him, and gave him freedom to roll with her, leaving her…
Winded and staring up into his blazing eyes, with his heaving body straddling hers and his hands holding her wrists to the floor. How had she forgotten who she was dealing with?
“You know I can get out of this, right?” she panted out.
“I do.” He worked his jaw, then slowly grinned. “Nice head-smash, by the way.”
“Thanks.” She brought her knees up and bucked. “You can let me up now.”
“Ah, angel.”
Angel…
At that one endearment, her breath caught and every bit of tension left her body.
Why did he have to look at her that way?
It was a look that burrowed under her skin, then shoved itself straight to her heart.
It was a look she had no defense against. Cue her pulse racing and breath coming faster, while he lowered his body and settled himself completely atop her.
“What if I don’t want to let you up?” he whispered, his hard cock pressing into her stomach setting her heart hammering in anticipation. “What if I want to do this, instead?”
And then his lips were on hers, taking what little breath she had left as he let go of her wrists and bracketed his forearms around her head. And then he plundered—gripping her hair with both hands and holding her head still—taking all that he wanted.
All she had to give him.
But it still wasn’t enough.
She needed him inside her.
Filling her.
“Mmm…” she groaned against his lips, while her hands worked between them and went to his belt. He froze, his heart pounding so hard it vibrated against her own chest. Seconds later, he lifted his lips ever so slightly. “Duncan,” she panted out, sharing his sawing breaths.
“Fuck me.”