Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Miles fixed his attention on Vivi as she extended a file to him. “Thanks, beautiful.”
He winked at her, and she slapped his upper arm with the manila folder she held. “That won’t work with me.”
She gave a little shake of her head, then turned to Jaxon as she passed an identical folder his way. But Miles didn’t let up. “When you gonna let me take you out, Viv?”
She bared her teeth in a wicked smile. “You gonna make it worth my while?”
Mason scowled at their banter filled with sexual innuendo. Miles grinned widely, his lascivious gaze sweeping slowly over her body from head to toe. “Always do.”
“Knock it off,” Mason barked.
Miles might be his own flesh and blood, but Mason wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if he ever laid a hand on Vivi. Unless she wanted it. Had she been lying to him the other day when she told him there was nothing between them?
His knee jumped beneath the table as his hand curled into a fist to keep from dragging Miles from his chair and beating the truth out of him.
Mason could feel a half-dozen pairs of eyes on him, but he studiously ignored them as he flipped open the file. It was hard to focus, and he listened with half an ear as Knox outlined the plan for this week’s assignments.
Jaxon and Mason had been charged with staking out an antiquities shop suspected of fencing high-end items and auctioning them online. In addition to the recon there, Mason was responsible for an upcoming qualifications class for those who wanted to get their CCW.
He was acutely aware of the moment Vivi slipped from the room.
He waited for what felt like an interminably long time before he finally excused himself, unable to wait another second.
He bolted from the conference room after making an excuse to Jaxon that he was going to do some research.
Instead of heading to his cubicle in the bullpen, though, he turned toward the lobby.
Empty.
He held back a growl of frustration and headed toward the file room instead.
He could hear her moving around inside before he even reached the doorway, and a strange sensation filled his chest as he stepped inside.
Her back was to him, and he spent a few seconds watching her move quickly and efficiently as she organized the folders in the drawer.
Silently, he moved up behind Vivi, pinning her between him and the filing cabinet. “You love to torture me, don’t you?”
Vivi jumped a little at his low growl, her shoulders snapping straight. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No?” He pressed closer, placing a hand on either side of her, caging her between the filing cabinet and his body. He felt the heat rolling off of her in waves, and her body trembled—with rage or anticipation, he wasn’t sure. “You keep flirting with my brother. Why is that?”
“I don’t flirt,” she said breathlessly.
He snorted. “I beg to differ, and I think you know exactly what you’re doing. The question is why.”
She lifted one shoulder, and her hair tickled his chin under the movement. “Not my problem you’re reading too much into it.”
“So, you’re not doing it to spite me?” he asked, leaning in close. His lips were bare millimeters from the shell of her ear, and her sweet scent wafted up to him, like sunshine and flowers.
Lord… What was this woman doing to him?
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you like getting a rise out of me. Because you know you want me as much as I want you. Because you love to see me all worked up over you.”
“I plead the fifth.”
He could practically hear the smirk in her voice, and he leaned closer so he was pressed against her from thigh to chest. He slipped his knee between her legs, forcing them further apart as he nipped her ear. She let out a soft squeak and shuddered, and his body vibrated under the force of it.
He settled his hands on her hips and curled his fingers into her flesh. “Admit it. You love torturing me.”
“I—”
Whatever she was about to say was immediately cut off as he traced the shell of her ear with his tongue. She let out a little sigh, and he couldn’t help but smile. She was so responsive, so sweet. “Have I told you recently how much that new haircut of yours turns me on?”
She stiffened, her entire body going rigid. “I thought you liked my hair long,” she challenged.
“I did. You looked gorgeous then, too. But this…” He settled one hand at the base of her neck, then slid it upward into the silky-soft strands. “It's sassy. Sophisticated. It suits you. Plus…”
He dipped his head so his mouth hovered near the base of her neck. “I love easy access.”
“Easy access—?” Comprehension dawned a second too late, and her knees buckled as he bit down in that little spot that turned her on so much. She melted into him, seeming to have momentarily lost the ability to control her muscles. He clutched her close, loving the way she fit against him.
All too soon she recovered, forcing her legs to cooperate as she straightened. She arched her hips forward in a vain attempt to put distance between her body and his. “That’s cheating.”
“I beg to differ. I found the spot…” He allowed his teeth to graze over the sensitive skin once more as he pulled her back to him again. “Now it’s mine.”
“Yours? I’m sorry—”
“You should be.” He cut her off, lightly massaging her scalp, and a tiny tremor racked her body. “Did you really think that cutting your hair was going to turn me off?”
She licked her lips before she answered. “It was worth a try.”
He chuckled at her stubborn response. She felt this as much as he did; he knew she did. “Do you really want me to go away, Virginia?”
Her lids closed as he continued to knead his fingers into the base of her skull. “That would probably be for the best.”
Had there been any conviction in her voice, he would've let her go. But her words were low and breathy, and her muscles relaxed as she pushed her head against his hand like a kitten seeking to be petted.
He curled one hand into her hip and pulled her into him so his mouth was next to her ear. “Better for you, maybe. Why are you fighting this? You know you want it as much as I do.”
Her head brushed his chin as it shook back and forth. “You had your chance. One time.”
Once would never be enough. This thing between them was real. Intense. It was never just a fling. “That won't work for me. I want a lot more.”
From his vantage point, he watched her throat ripple as she swallowed hard. “I… I can't.”
“You can,” he encouraged. His lips traveled over the shell of her ear before he kissed his way along her jaw and down her throat.
Sliding his hand from her hip around to her belly, he pulled her fully against him.
She inhaled sharply as he lightly bit down on her neck, and her hands flew to the arm he’d wrapped around her.
Instead of pushing him away, her fingers curled into his skin, holding him close. He nipped the same spot a second time, then licked her skin to soothe away the sting.
“Come on, Virginia.” His lips brushed her throat as he spoke, her heady scent filling his nostrils. “Let me prove it to you. Give me another chance.”
Her fingers curled into his arm, and her lips parted slightly. Her resistance was wavering; he could feel it. “I—”
“Vivi?”
At the sound of her name being called, Vivi ripped herself from his arms with a gasp, eyes flying open wide.
Mason's jaw clenched, and he could practically hear her heart racing from where she now stood several feet away.
He fished a folder out of the cabinet just as Knox stepped through the doorway.
Knox’s gaze bounced between them before moving back to Vivi. “You good?” She nodded shakily. “Fine.” Knox looked suspicious, so Mason spoke up before he could question it further. “I came in to file this and scared her.”
Knox flicked a look at Vivi, who nodded, looking grateful for the excuse. “Yeah. Sorry, he just startled me.”
Knox nodded. “He's a sneaky bastard. Hey, can you confirm with Mrs. Howenstein?”
“Sure.” She smiled. “I'll take care of it.”
“Thanks.” He rapped his knuckles against the door jamb, then disappeared.
They remained frozen in silence until his footsteps had receded down the hallway.
Then Mason turned to her. She looked shaken, abnormally pale, something akin to humiliation or regret etched deeply into her features.
He needed her to look at him. He needed her to know that what they’d done—what they were doing—was okay. “Virginia.”
Avoiding his gaze, she backed toward the door, already shaking her head, her eyes full of apprehension. “Vivi…”
She held up one hand in his direction as if to ward him off, then fled from the room.
He watched her go, mentally cursing Knox and his terrible timing.
He'd been so close to convincing her to give him a second shot, and his intrusion may have spooked her for good.
He refused to give up, though. He wasn't going to let her go without a fight.