A Deadly Business Read online

  “Val. Where are you?”

  The house was so damn big. Most of the eight bedrooms and five sitting rooms went unused except when he entertained or had special guests. Val lived with him, in a suite at the opposite end of the house, where he also worked when Maes didn’t need him right at hand.

  “In the kitchen getting coffee,” came the answer. “Althea is fixing a tray for you. Would you like me to join you?”

  “Yes. Right away.”

  He fiddled with the gold pen on his desk, flipping it back and forth over his fingers until the door to the room opened and Althea, his longtime housekeeper, walked in carrying a tray with coffee for two and a plate of pastries. He always liked to indulge himself late in the afternoon. The sugar somehow assuaged the fury eating at him with such a vicious punch these days.

  Althea set the tray on the little table between two club chairs, backed out of the room, and closed the door. She had learned early on what he expected of her, and she was well paid to meet those expectations.

  Desmet joined him, and they each fixed their coffee. Maes picked up a pastry, took a small bite, and savored the taste before he spoke.

  “Are all the arrangements made?” he asked Desmet at last.

  The man nodded. “Just as you requested.”

  He’d had to move quickly to take advantage of the information, but everything was now in place. The key element to his plan was gaining access to Princessa Key and Rosewood, where the traitors were on vacation. An unexpected helicopter landing there would alert everyone before he was ready for that, so he needed a logical, acceptable way in. Then, as if fate decided he needed a break, one of the group of traitors, Henri Joubert, backed out of the trip to the resort due to illness.

  Truthfully, Maes didn’t give a fuck if the man was on his deathbed. He just had to live long enough for them to make the trip, get them through the arrangements at the private airport, and confirm his identity over any radio communications. Joubert lived just outside of London, which made him convenient and accessible. A threat to his family would make him compliant, and Maes had put that threat into place almost at once.

  “How is Joubert holding up?”

  “Better than you could have hoped.” Desmet’s lips curved in a cruel smile. “Thoroughly acquiescent. He was stunned to see me when I showed up at his house. I was surprised he let me in so easily.” He gave a dry chuckle. “Your phone call while I was there put the fear of hell into him, along with the two men you had show up before I left.”

  “I needed eyes on him at all times, and a threat to make sure he was, shall we say, accommodating?”

  “Their daily reports say the plan is working.”

  “And his call to Rosewood to tell them he’s coming after all?”

  “No problem, especially with the threat to his family hanging over his head.”

  “Good, good.” Maes rubbed his hands together.

  “The men know they will remain with his wife and daughter until we no longer need him.”

  “We need to be careful with this one, Stefan,” Desmet cautioned. “Joubert has more tentacles than an octopus, and his wife comes from a very well-connected family. Just stick to the plan. Afterward you’ll be so insulated it won’t matter who tries to come after you.”

  Maes glared at him. “Are you questioning my decision?”

  Desmet threw up his hands. “Not at all. Just trying to be the voice of caution here.”

  Maes slammed his hand on the arm of the chair, then pushed to his feet and began pacing. He was losing the self-control he’d spent years learning, and it pissed him off.

  “I was cautious all those years and where did it get me? Almost destroyed. Now is not the time for caution. Now is the time for action. I’m going to show those bastards they can’t fuck with me. And when I’ve drained them dry and my network is operating again, I’m going to go after your Miss Lauren Masters and make her sorry she ever heard my name.”

  “Fine. Just be sure you follow the plan.”

  “You confirmed that they are all at the resort this weekend?”

  Desmet cocked an eyebrow. “Would I be wrong about something that important?”

  “Forgive me.” Maes waved a hand in the air. “My only excuse is the anticipation of revenge now at hand. After all, it’s quite a stroke of luck that they will all be in one place at the same time.”

  Desmet pulled out his phone and scrolled to Notes. “They arrive at the resort two days from now. They will stay through the weekend. There is a business meeting somewhere in there. Then Saturday night they will all be at Sunset, the restaurant, having dinner.”

  “I hope they enjoy their dinner,” Maes ground out. “It may be the last one they ever eat. The men are all in place and ready?”

  Desmet nodded. “Just waiting for your call.”

  “The plane? The helicopter? What about Joubert’s pilot?”

  Val’s smile was anything but pleasant. “Taking an unexpected vacation until this is over. We have our own man in place. Everything is arranged.”

  “Good. Then let’s get moving.”

  * * * *

  Justin opened the door of Orchid House and waited for Marissa to precede him inside.

  “Dinner was very nice.” She smiled at him. “For a little while I could almost forget why we were here.”

  “A little relaxation was nice, but—”

  “I know, I know.” She held up a hand. “Never forget even for a minute and all that.”

  He reached for her hand and tugged her around, so she faced him. “Your safety is my number one priority. And I take that very seriously.”

  “I know. I don’t mean to be flippant.” She looked up at him. “And I’m very grateful you’re on top of things.”

  He stroked two fingers gently down her cheek. “Situations like this can throw a person off balance.” He blew out a breath. “It’s been a long day and we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. You should get some rest.”

  “I guess.” She stood there, again nibbling on that lip.

  Just watching her made him hard as a rock.

  Down, boy.

  He wanted to run his tongue over the surface of that lip, soothe the tiny teeth marks. Jesus! He hadn’t felt this way about a woman in, well, maybe forever. When he was with the SEALs, he hadn’t wanted a relationship that would distract him from his commitment to his team and their missions. When he joined Vigilance, his complete focus was on his assignments. And truth to tell, he hadn’t met a woman in all that time with whom he wanted anything more than casual sex.

  But Marissa was different from the moment Avery introduced them. The kickboxing lessons were a special kind of torture for him, watching that toned body with the curved hips and nicely rounded breasts execute maneuvers without grabbing her and hauling her in for a kiss.

  Shit! Avery would castrate him if he let his dick screw this up. Although two of her agents had recently married their charges. Avery had begun joking people would think Vigilance was a dating agency instead of a security agency.

  Meanwhile, Marissa was still standing in the foyer with him, looking around for—what?

  “Justin, there’s only one bedroom in this place and it does not have two beds in it. How do we handle this?”

  He allowed himself a tiny grin. “There are a lot of ways to answer that question but…how about you take the bed and I’ll sack out on the couch? It’s huge and looks comfortable enough.”

  She frowned, a tiny vertical line creasing her forehead as she drew her brows together. “I hate to make you do that.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve slept in a lot worse places.”

  Indecision swept across her face. “I’m sure. But I’ll feel guilty about it.”

  He shrugged. “Do you have a better suggestion?”

  He waited, holding his breath. It had to com
e from her. He’d opened the door earlier. Now it was up to her. If nothing happened, he could rein in his libido and still do his job better than a hundred other men. But shit, he’d wanted her from the first moment he saw her.

  He had a job to do. Could he protect her if they got involved?

  His answer was yes. Maybe even more so. There was something so different about his feelings toward her than what he’d ever felt for another woman. They’d smacked him like a blow to his body the first time he met her. And they had only grown stronger with each meeting. Her safety was his first priority, now. If they allowed this thing between them to grow, to be tested, he knew he’d have an even stronger motive to protect her. For the first time he could apply all his years of training to a person who was more to him than just an assignment.

  He watched as a hundred emotions played out across her face, hardly daring to breathe. Please say yes, he thought. Then, at last, she nodded.

  “Did you mean what you said earlier? About seeing where this could go?”

  “I never say anything I don’t mean.”

  “Neither do I.”

  He reached out and pulled her into his arms, felt the press of her breasts against his chest, and the round softness of her belly where his aching cock pressed into it. The heat of her body against his. Thrusting his fingers into her hair, he held her head firm in his grip while he licked her full lips then teased the seam of her mouth until she opened for him. She was hot and liquid, the inside soft as he swept his tongue over every inch of it.

  When she reached her arms up and wrapped them around him, pulling him even closer, he sent up a silent prayer of thanks before deepening the kiss even more. When he finally lifted his head, they were both breathing hard. From somewhere he dredged up the remnants of his sanity.

  “Will I sound idiotic if I say I don’t make a habit of this?”

  He touched a fingertip to her chin and tilted her head up, so he could look into her eyes. “I want you to be absolutely sure of this, Marissa.”

  Her lips curved in a tremulous smile. “As sure as I can be. And sure that if we don’t do this I might regret it for the rest of my natural life. But…”

  “But?” he urged when she stopped.

  “You may be disappointed in me. This hasn’t been in my life since the CIA recruited me.”

  He shook his head. “Never. Not even a chance of that.”

  “Are you sure? You can still change your mind.”

  “Hell to the no. Just wait right here. Don’t move. Do. Not. Move.”

  He made sure the deadbolt and chain were in place on the front door before he lifted her and carried her into the bedroom. He stood her on her feet beside the bed and touched his mouth to hers for a brief moment.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Although he rushed through his routine he was thorough. Double check the front door. Make sure the lock on the back gate was in place. Lock the sliding doors. And finally set the alarm. The code had been included in the packet of information. He didn’t want to think about the kind of people who came here for vacations or meetings who needed security alarms in their individual villas in addition to what the resort provided.

  Then he was back, standing in front of her, drinking in the sight of her. She was like a feast just waiting for him, and he didn’t know quite where to begin. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, framing a face that needed little makeup. The dress she wore flowed around her body to her ankles, leaving her neck and shoulders bare and gently outlining her breasts. His palms itched to cover those tempting breasts, squeeze them gently, and slide his tongue across the nipples.

  He’d had many women during the past several years, but they were little more than encounters where the only thing each of them looked for was gratification and some fun. From the moment he laid eyes on Marissa Hayes he knew she was going to be someone special in his life.

  But he also knew his track record didn’t make him a good candidate for a relationship. He’d never dared hope they would connect on this level or have the opportunity to see if it worked. Now his palms were sweating and his nerves jumping because he didn’t want to make a mistake.

  Marissa looked at him with a mixture of heat and expectancy in her eyes, and that was all it took. He reached out a hand, tugged her closer, and slid his other hand around her neck and into the silk of her hair. Her lips when he touched them had the same satiny feel he remembered from before. He couldn’t resist running his tongue over the surface, then edging just the tip into the seam.

  Without hesitation she opened for him, and he slipped his tongue inside. The heat of her mouth surged through him, her delicate tongue dancing with his. Every nerve in his body danced with anticipation and his cock was so hard he worried it would break through his fly. He pulled her tighter to his body, and she responded by putting her arms around him and pressing herself against him from shoulders to feet. He could feel those wonderful breasts against the wall of his chest and the heat of her body through the layers of their clothing.

  With an effort, he dragged his mouth from hers and trailed his lips along the line of her jaw. She tilted her head back, giving him access to the slender column of her neck, which he peppered with small kisses before sucking on the hollow of her throat where her pulse beat a frantic tattoo.

  “We have too many clothes on,” he murmured.

  He slid his hands down to her hips, bunched the fabric of her dress, and dragged the garment up and over her head. His own pulse accelerated at the sight of her silk and lace bra and the tiny scrap of bikini panties that barely covered her sex. The skin on either side of the tiny triangle looked smooth as glass, tempting him. He watched her face as he ran his thumbs along the edges just to be sure, sucking in his breath at the possibility of a Brazilian wax job.

  Jesus Christ!

  He wasn’t in favor of barbering a woman’s mound so severely that every bit of skin was exposed. But Brazilian wax jobs that left a tiny strip of curls on either side of a wet slit, the outlined swollen lips? Shit! He could come in his pants just thinking about it, and he was a man who prided himself on his self-control.

  “Damn.” He’d better go slow or the party would be over before it started.

  Marissa drew in a deep breath, resting her hands on his shoulders to hold herself steady. When he dipped his head to capture one taut nipple in his mouth, bra and all, she pressed her fingers into his shoulders and her breathing hitched.

  He took his time, not wanting to hurry tonight even a little. From the moment he met her he’d known sex with her would be cataclysmic, and he wanted to take his time and savor every minute. He paid equal attention to the other nipple, all the while stroking his thumbs along the crease where hip and thigh were joined.

  “Exquisite,” he murmured, sliding his hands back up and around to unclasp her bra.

  He stared with hunger at her exposed breasts and the dark rosy nipples, flicking his tongue over each one in turn. They were hard now, and he couldn’t resist closing his teeth just for a moment over each one. When he did, a soft moan drifted from her mouth.

  Hungry for the sight of her bare sex, he hooked his thumbs in the tiny lace bands at her hips and dragged the fabric down to her ankles. In seconds, he had her seated on the bed, the bikini panties tossed to the side. Placing his palms on her inner thighs, he pressed her legs apart and drank in the sight of her gorgeous sex. Sure enough, two narrow strips of hair the same warm brown as the hair on her head framed her very tempting slit.

  Overcome with lust, Justin knelt between her legs, lowered his head, and took a long lick of her pink flesh. Her sexy little moan speared through him and made his cock jump against the restraint of his clothing. Pressing his face to her body, he inhaled her scent before treating himself to another swipe of his tongue.

  Jesus, she was wet. Deliciously so.

  He glanced up at her and saw she was le
aning back, bracing herself on her hands, her eyes half-closed, a rosy flush suffusing her face.

  “More,” she whispered.

  He bent to his task again, licking the glistening pink flesh with long slow lashes of his tongue, getting drunk on the taste of her. Her sexy little cry when he closed his teeth over her clit made him bite down harder. He held her open with his thumbs while he lapped and sucked and nibbled and ate at her like a starving man.

  When he thrust his tongue deep inside her she hitched her hips toward him. Oh, yeah. He set up a rhythm. Thrusting his tongue in and out while with thumb and forefinger he tormented her now very swollen clit, pinching and tugging. The more he worked her, the more she thrust at him.

  Finally, he lifted her legs and draped them over his shoulders, tipping her back on the bed and giving him greater access to her body. And then he began in earnest, fucking her with his tongue while his fingers played with her swollen flesh. Her cries were one steady stream of sound now, as arousing to him as touching any part of her body.

  He knew she was getting close, so he stepped up his rhythm even more, his tongue moving harder and faster.

  And then she exploded, tightening her legs around his neck and pressing his face to her body. Her liquid poured into his mouth, the sweetest nectar he’d ever tasted, and he swallowed every bit of it while spasms shook her body.

  At last the shudders slowed, and then subsided. Justin gave one last lick to every bit of her sex before easing her legs from his shoulders. He rose from his knees and bent over her, resting on his forearms. Heat still blazed in her eyes, but satisfaction showed on her face. And something else. Surprise? Had she not expected it would be good? Shit, he’d known from the moment he first set eyes on her they’d set the sheets on fire if he ever had the chance.

  What he hadn’t expected was the sudden pinch of emotion that resonated through him. Oh, yeah, he’d known it would be different with her. For the first time, more than his dick was involved. That meant it was doubly important for him to keep her safe, so they could see where this thing could go.

  He pressed his mouth to hers, sharing her taste with her, sliding his tongue inside and licking everywhere. When he drew back her lips curved in a slow smile.