“Is that right?” she threw back.
“I can see you need some control in your life.”
“Control?” She snorted. “No one controls me, Ryan. No one is man enough to.”
“There’s me.”
“Sure.” And then she lunged away.
He could have tightened his hold, kept her securely in his arm, but the predator in him, the love of the chase, let her go just so he could go after her, catching her so easily before she’d even gone three steps.
It was so easy to hook her elbow, use the momentum of her flight to swing her around to bring her tumbling against him, taking her mouth ruthlessly as he fisted her hair, mindful not to hurt her - never hurt her - but let her feel the command as he held her head still while plundering her mouth.
She fought. If he didn’t know her, know that she enjoyed this fight to see who would win, loved knowing that he’d best her even though she wouldn’t ever acknowledge it, he’d have released her instantly. But he knew his Ella mine, and he loved this struggle between them just as much.
Times like this he could unleash his darker side, give her the fight she wanted, her mood matching his, knowing that while he might make her uneasy just a smidgeon she still trusted him to watch over her, not hurt her with his greater strength.
He’d sooner cut off his own arm than harm her deliberately.
But he’d wrestle with her, subdue her enough to take her the way she wanted, the way he wanted, fulfilling their desires in another way.
He loved their quiet, sweet lovemaking, loved the fiery passion, and equally he loved the rougher, more carnal lovemaking.
Breath coming in rapid gasps, Ella fought him. Wrenching her mouth from his, she shoved him with both hands while at the same time hooking her foot behind his knee in a blatant attempt to knock him backwards off balance.
Nice move, but he wasn’t born yesterday.
Spinning her around, he shoved her forward against the table, ensuring at the last second that she didn’t slam into the wood but had time to brace her hands on the surface.
Leaning over her, forcing her to bend over by simply resting his chest against her back, Ryan flattened his hands beside her own on the surface of the table, placed his mouth to her ear and growled, “Oh, Ella mine, you are a little fiery right now.”
“Can’t handle the heat?” she panted. “Then get out of the-”
“Honey, I can handle the heat, but can you handle me?”
“Give me a chance and-”
“No. No, you can’t. But I sure as hell can handle you.”
“So you keep saying.” She tried to shove upwards, shove back. “But so far all I can hear is blah-blah-blah.”
“God, you’re a little witch when you get like this.” He laughed darkly, shifted back enough to smack her smartly on one plump buttock.
She gave a little yelp of genuine surprise before snarkily retorting, “Is that the best you can do?”
“Oh, honey, do you really want to go there?”
“I want to go somewhere, but you’re sadly lacking in that direction.” The sideways look she cast him held a mix of sinful mischief. “Need a map?”
The wickedness in her eyes, the taunt of her words, played along his libido, the lust already boiling low in his loins. “Mouthy, honey.” Reaching down, he grabbed the hem of her skirt, yanked it up her thighs and over that deliciously curvy bottom and left it hooked around her waist. “Let’s see how mouthy you are when I’m finished with you.”
“About time I saw some action - uh!” That last came out on a gasp as Ryan twisted his fingers in the side of her lace panties and ripped them right down the seam. “Hey, these are new!” That last was squeaked out on a definite aroused note of half laughed protest.
“You should have thought of that before.” Keeping her bent over beneath him, he ripped the other side of her panties open and tore them off her, lifting his hand enough to toss them onto the table in clear view. “Pretty. But I much prefer this.” With that, he brought his palm up between her thighs to clap lightly onto her secrets, cupping the damp silken skin and soft curls in one smooth motion of confident claiming.
That made her squirm, rise up on her tiptoes in an effort to avoid his touch, but he pressed down harder with his chest, causing her hips to arch up, pushing her bottom so decadently into his loins, opening her to him.
“Dirty fighting!” The words were gasped out in unmistakeable sexual hunger.
Sinful intent threaded his tone as he tsked. “Still mouthy. Later we’ll put that mouth to better use, but right now I’m going to ride that sass right out of you.”
“Still only hearing that blah-blah-blah,” she managed to pant as she continued squirming.
“Maybe I should gag you.” Amused but hotly turned on at the same time, Ryan eased his hips back enough to unsnap the button on his jeans and yank down the zipper.
The pressure of his shaft against the ungiving material eased a fraction, but it was still painful until he shoved his jeans down around his thighs. The hard, thick length sprang free, giving momentary relief but not what he needed.
“Putting you off?” she taunted.
“Let’s see how much you can say in a second.” One hand braced down beside hers on the table, the other holding her hip, he flexed his hips, the tip of his shaft instinctively lodging at the entrance to her body.
“You can’t shut me - uh!” This time the sound rushed out of her as he thrust inward.
Hard.
He didn’t give her time to recover, fingers digging into the lush curve of her hip as he thrust hard again, drawing out until he almost slipped free, shoving hard back in again, setting up a punishing pace.
He could see every thought, every intention she had of smart-mouthing him vanish. Her head tipped back, a whimper escaping her at the force of his thrusts.
Moving further over her, still gripping her hip with his hand, he moved his other from the table to fist firmly in her hair, pulling her head back and around so he could avail himself of her mouth, kiss her mercilessly as he held still deep inside her, his hips tight against her bottom, shaft in her up to the base.
Releasing her lips, he looked down into her pleasure-dazed eyes, smiled enigmatically, voice harsh with a dark edge. “I’m in control of you, Ella mine. Your body belongs to me. I’m riding you, I’m taking you. And in turn you will take-” He shoved against her, the closeness of their bodies only succeeding in nudging her against the table, but he shifted his hips, ground into her, watched her start to fall apart as he found that little spot inside her “-every damned thing I give you.” Another shove as he changed angle again, twisted his hips, and with fierce, lustful hunger, he started nailing that spot, snapping his hips forward to mercilessly peg that erogenous zone until she literally almost screamed for mercy.
For more.
Sinful satisfaction curled through him as she begged and pleaded, losing track of her words, her thoughts, frantically reaching to form a coherent thought.
No bloody way. His Ella was going to know he held all the power now.
True to his word, he rode the sass right out of her.
Lifting his chest from her, he straightened, spread his legs as much as the confines of his jeans would allow, bent his knees slightly to adjust the height his position required, and gripping her hips in both hands, he pounded into her.
No longer worrying about the erogenous spot, knowing he’d pegged her enough to send every nerve ending into a threatened meltdown of pure insatiability, he rode her hard.
Rode her for his enjoyment. Controlled her, controlled the pace, ruthlessly pushed her to her limit and beyond. The position was dominant, the way he took her almost predatory as he used her body.
But he used her for both their enjoyment, both their needs that were now burning almost out of control.
Heat seared through him, fire blazing through his veins, pure carnal eroticism driving him onwards, fuelled by the sight of her arching before him, her hands on the table, knuckles white as she sought to stay in one spot, to keep her palms from sliding across the table in response to the almost savageness of his thrusts. Her head was arched back, the golden hair long having fallen out of the loose bun to curl with wild abandon around her shoulders and back, messy and wanton from his fingers twisting in the silken strands.
The sight of the deliciously plump globes against his pumping hips was decadently sinful, and he looked down, watching his shaft withdrawing from her sheath, the slickness of her desire coating him, the way he disappeared inside the shivering sheath as he invaded her body without mercy.
Heart hammering, ardour clawing from his sac to his spine and back down, fiery pricks splintering up his shaft.
Teeth gritted, jaw hard, he continued to pound into her, the resulting whimpers and moans carnal music to his ears.
The swell of fire filled his shaft, hot seed burgeoning forth and he shoved hard into her, heard her scream his name, felt the muscles of her sheath clamp down on him as he pushed her out into an orgasm, and then he was following her, hips snapping forward, grinding into her as his passion burst from him, filling her, coating her inside, marking her internally with his scent, his life force.
The roiling mass of sexual fire took him, burned him, dropping him so that he fell forward, one arm coming out instinctively to brace his hand on the table, hearing it hit with a bang, a loud slap, managing to keep himself upright, his chest to her back, curled over her even as his hips shoved hard against her, pushed, straining as that hot seed poured forth, but even as his ardour swamped him, he was aware of her, the need to protect her from his weight, to keep her safe making him support himself on one arm, the bulge of his bicep so very evident as he wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her into him as he gave her some of his weight, pressed her down, rode out the storm with her safe in his embrace.
**
It took awhile for his heart to stop thundering and settle to a more regular pattern. Once the delicious aftershocks stopped shivering through him, he lifted from her, brushing a kiss to her nape that lay exposed as she rested her forehead on her hands.
Straightening, he found his hips still nestled hard against her, a wicked grin curling his lips as he slowly - so very slowly - withdrew from her.
“Oh, God!” She shuddered, her sheath instinctively clamping around him at the stirring sensations the decadent movement elicited.
Not going to lie about it, he felt an immense satisfaction knowing he’d brought her to this. Stepping back, slipping free from her luscious heat, Ryan ran his finger over the crease of her bottom, down further to slick around the opening he’d just left, sliding his finger in to quickly turn it and drag back, hooking at the entrance and bringing her to her tip toes. Then, with a low laugh, he smacked her smartly on her bare bum.
With a surprised swear word, she jerked upright and spun around to face him.
Grinning, he yanked his jeans up and fastened the zipper and button while she brushed her skirt down with dignity and attempted a composed expression.
“Not working.” He admired her flushed cheeks, bright eyes, passion-swollen lips, and thoroughly sated expression.
“Huh,” was all she managed.
God, he loved her. Ryan pulled her into his arms, hugged her tight, dropping his head down to inhale her scent, turning his head to nuzzle beneath her ear. “So, fiery little shrew, no sass left.”
Ella sagged against him. “Give me a second.”
“A bit of sass left. Maybe we should go for round two.”
“I don’t think I can walk.”
He chuckled.
“I’d hit you, but I can’t lift my arm,” she said dreamily.
Kicking out a chair, Ryan dropped down into it bringing Ella with him, tipping her so her bottom rested on his thighs and her head against his. One arm behind her back, his other hand resting on her thighs, he leaned against the backrest.
Lovemaking with Ella, be it sweet, passionate or rough, he revelled in it, but this time, this quietness when they simply recovered together, all that heat and tempest cooling down to a heart-warming softness and awareness of each other, that was another jewel in the crown of their love.
Slumped against him, Ella sighed happily.
Smiling, he pressed a kiss to her temple.
“So you came on business first,” she murmured a little huskily. “I guess this second bit was pleasure?”
“Definitely pleasure.”
“I approve.”
“Glad to hear it.”
The cosiness of the moment seeped into him. He really had to buy a jumbo size box of condoms, because the rate he and Ella ended up making love, they - a sudden thought hit him. They’d never talked safe sex. Never used a condom. For the first time in his life, Ryan hadn’t thought about using a condom.
“What’s wrong?” She combed her fingers through his hair in a soothing motion.
Ryan debated. They had to have this talk, but to say he wasn’t concerned about her reaction would be a lie. Nevertheless, he never shirked a responsibility no matter the outcome. “We didn’t use protection.”
“Protection?” She continued finger-combing his hair.
Lifting his head from where he rested against hers, Ryan looked at her.
She met his gaze with one raised eyebrow. “Ah. Protection.”
“Last night and today. No condom.”
She shrugged. “No biggie. I can’t get pregnant, remember?”
“Safe sex is more than just about getting pregnant.”
Give the woman credit, she didn’t stiffen, simply replied, “I’m clean. I haven’t been with a man since you.”
That had his eyebrows shooting upwards.
“I told you, I went out a couple of times.” Ella shrugged again. “I wasn’t interested enough to go to bed with anyone else. No man tempted me. You, Ryan Hargreaves, ruined me for any other man. Happy?”
Bloody oath he was. Call him a hypocrite, but knowing that he was still the only man for her just made him want to, well, puff up his chest. But still… “Seriously? All these years?”
“Sex doesn’t rule me. I made the decision way back then that if I wasn’t serious about a man, I wasn’t going to just sleep with him. I don’t judge anyone. If they need that intimacy, if they choose to do it for their own enjoyment, good on them. It just wasn’t for me.” Ella regarded him seriously.
His heart stuttered a little. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t slept with other women. His baser urges after missions, facing death at times, especially in earlier years. Since he’d joined Wells Security he had sought female companionship for sheer, self-gratifying trysts when the need took him, but nothing permanent, nothing serious. Crudely put, he scratched an itch. But it had never been the same as with Ella, never had the softness, the fun, the soul-warming intimacy. It was also something he didn’t do unless the urge became too strong, the loneliness. It had been awhile. Nevertheless…“I won’t lie,” he said softly.
Ella didn’t look away. “I don’t expect you to.”
His hand on her waist tightened. “I was never with a woman more than once. And I never slept with her. It was base gratification, nothing more. But I was careful, I never once went without a condom. Not once.”
“It’s okay.” She laid a hand on his cheek. “I don’t expect you to make the same decisions as me. Your circumstances were different, the danger you faced every day my life can’t compare to.”
“I’m sorry.” And he meant it. What he’d shared with Ella was everything, what he’d shared in lonely hours with other women had been nothing more than giving in to base urges.
“Why?” Ella asked. “You never expected to see me again. We were no longer together.”
“What we had was special. What we have is special.”
“And that’s what matters. Here and now.” Cupping his cheeks, she lowered her face to brush a kiss across his lips. “Just know this, Ryan. While you’re with me, there will be no other women for you. I ever hear you even looked at a woman with anything vaguely resembling interest and I will cut your donger off and hang it from my car rear-view mirror. Got that?”
He grinned.
“I’m not joking.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“Do I need a bodyguard?”
“Do you intend to cheat on me?”
All hilarity fled him as he gripped her chin gently but firmly, tipping her head back to meet her eyes. His tone deepened, filled with sincerity. “I will never cheat on you, Ella. You’re the only special woman in my life - always have been, always will be. I’d give my life for you in a heartbeat.”
Her eyes softened. “Ditto.”
“Yeah,” he growled, “you better not.”
Her eyes crinkled engagingly at the corners.
Using the same grip, he drew her face to his, his breath feathering across her lips as he said huskily, “I’m clean. I have regular checks for my own sake. Condoms until I get another check to prove it to you.”
“I believe you, Ryan.”
“Still-”
“There’s nothing to prove.” She placed her hand over his mouth when he started to argue. “You’re clean. You said it yourself. If we don’t trust each other now, when can we?” She removed her hand.
Love swelled inside him. “You’re quick to trust me, Ella mine.”
“Because I know that you would never put me at risk.” She rested her forehead against his. “This subject is done.”
Ryan could happily drown in those beautiful grey eyes. “I love you, Ella mine. I’ve always loved you and I always will.”
“Ditto.”
He laughed softly. “So romantic.”
She nestled closer, tucking her head beneath his chin.
He was more than content to sit there in that little kitchen with the rosy glow of satiated gratification and loving acceptance filling the air between them, but a knock sounded on the door. A very brisk knock, followed by a voice calling out urgently, “Ella! Ella, are you all right?”
Ella sat up with a jerk. “That’s Mrs Featherstone.”
“Ella!” More knocking, a little more frantic.
Every instinct snapping to attention, Ryan stood, keeping an arm around Ella as she slid off his lap, steadying her while she found her footing. Before she could move, he was striding towards the hall.
“Wait!” Hot on his heels, she grabbed his arm. “Ryan, wait!”
He cast her a quick glance to find her cheeks red.
“I think - I think she heard me.”
In a split second he realised what she meant, and no way in hell could he stop the very satisfied grin from curving his lips.
“Stop it!” Cheeks really flushed now, Ella pushed past him into the hallway, quickly approaching the door which her neighbour continued to pound.
Moving more leisurely behind her, Ryan didn’t bother to hide his amusement.
“Stay right there.” She pointed at the wall.
Out of sight of Mrs Featherstone when she opened the door. “Are you embarrassed, Ella mine?”
She scowled warningly at him. “Just stay there, don’t show your face, and for goodness sake, say nothing.”
Prepared to be entertained, Ryan leaned against the wall, crossing his ankles and tucking his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans.
Ella opened the door, effectively shielding him from sight as she leaned out to greet her neighbour. “Hi Mrs Featherstone. Something wrong?”
“Ella, are you all right?” Ryan heard the woman ask in concern.
“I’m fine.”
“I heard you scream out.”
He watched Ella’s hand on the door handle tighten a fraction, but she asked innocently, “Really?”
“Several times.”
“Ah.”
“Is everything okay?” He could see the woman’s shadow moving beyond the door.
“Fine. Just fine.”
“There’s a strange car in your driveway.”
“Ah. Yes, well, I have a visitor.”
“A visitor. I know you have a visitor. But why - oh.” There was a split second of silence, then “Oh!”
“I assure you everything is fine, Mrs Featherstone.”
“Oh yes. Yes yes yes. Of course.” The woman was starting to babble a bit. “Sorry. I must have heard your TV or something.”
“I’ll remember to turn it down next time. Horror movie, you know.”
“Oh yes. Horror. All that screaming.” Footsteps sounded on the wooden veranda. “Okay, I must go, dear. Cake in the oven and everything.”
“Don’t want it to burn,” Ella agreed cheerfully. “Bye, Mrs Featherstone.” Ella shut the door, cut her eyes sideways at Ryan. “Not one word.”
“You are a screamer.”
“Shut up.”
“I made you scream.”
“Stop it.”
He grinned.
“Oh geez!” She started to giggle. “How embarrassing!”
“Oh, I don’t know. I like making you scream.”
“You’re just evil!” She smacked his chest as she walked past him.
Following her into the kitchen, Ryan crossed to the table to scoop up her panties, letting them hang off his forefinger. “Pretty. Not much of them, but pretty.”
Snatching them off his finger, she tossed them into the bin. “You owe me.”
“By all means. Now?”
“I mean panties!”
“Sure. Into thongs?”
“Only on my feet.”
“Panty thongs.”
“That’d be like flossing my arse.”
His lips twitched.
“Tell you what,” she said, “you wear them, I wear them.”
“Not happening, Ella mine.”
“Ditto.”
He laughed softly.
“You still owe me.”
“I know what panties you like.”
“Alarming that you’d remember after all this time.”
His smile faded as he studied her. “I never forgot anything about you.”
Sobering, she met his gaze. “Same.”
Boof chose that moment to walk in, drawing their attention as he stomped across the room to Ryan. He sniffed his jeans up and down, then his sneakers. Standing there, he looked from Ella to Ryan before he rubbed himself against Ryan in a slow slide, his tail curling around Ryan’s calf as he sidled around him. Coming back to the front, he sat down and blinked at Ella.
“Wow,” she said. “You’ve just gotten the seal of approval from the other man in my life. Normally he just bites people.”
Squatting down, Ryan stroked Boof along his head, rewarded with a rusty purr. “He’s a little battered.”
“He’s beautiful,” she shot back defensively.
“Never said he wasn’t.”
“Sorry. Just some people can be a bit mean about his appearance. He’s had a hard life.”
Ryan nodded.
“You know we come as a pair.”
At the odd inflection in her tone, Ryan glanced up to find her regarding him closely, her arms folded. It was plain what she meant. Continuing the slow, light strokes to Boof’s big head, he replied mildly, “I know.”
“Boof and I are a team.”
“So we’ll be a team of three.”
Her eyes softened. “He sheds hair.”
“I’ll get a brush.”
“On your clothes.”
“That’s what the brush is for.”
“Don’t worry. I have one.”
He didn’t remove his gaze from her. “Are we sharing it then?”
No expression crossed her face as she regarded him intently, then she reached for her bag, taking two keys from it on a small ring and holding them out to him.
Uncoiling from the squat, he stepped over a disgruntled Boof to take the keys.
“My house keys,” she said.
Ah. His Ella wasn’t ready to take this to the next level yet. He couldn’t blame her. His decision was easily made, she needed more time. He understood. But this was a big step for her, inviting him into her home, and he’d take it gratefully.
“Thank you, Ella mine.” Bending down, he kissed her gently on the forehead.
Ever so slightly she leaned into him before shifting back to smile up at him. “Now the fun’s over, I better start unpacking.”
Accepting the change of subject, Ryan cast a glance over the shopping bags. “Hmm, I have a bootful myself. I better get this burner mobile into the office then get home before something goes off.”
“Especially in a car.” Ella’s nose wrinkled. “You’ll never get the stink out.”
Ryan gave her a gentle chuck under the chin before moving out into the hallway.
“Hey, if you had shopping in your boot, that meant you were on your way home.”
“Yes.” He opened the door.
“So you swung past here after some do-gooder guard dobbed me in.”
He cast her a glance over his shoulder. She was surveying him thoughtfully.
“Geez. Why didn’t the guard come instead?”
“He rang Aaron.”
“Doesn’t answer the question.” She leaned against the door frame.
Ryan plucked his keys from his pocket. “Aaron rang me.”
“Wow, the mill was in overdrive.”
He slid the keys she’d given him onto the ring with the others. “He couldn’t be sure you’d tell Richie the truth.”
“Ah, Richie the guard. So?”
“Aaron gave the option of bringing you into the office for questioning.”
“Cripes, I’m such a fugitive.” She looked mildly amused.
“I told him I was onto it.”
“Sweetie.” She winked. “You were all over it.”
He couldn’t stop the twitch of his lips. The woman never failed to make him laugh when no one else could.
“I’ll let Aaron know how effective your interrogation technique is.”
“Why not. Mrs Featherstone already does.”
Ella pointed at his car. “Go home.”
“I’ll see you tonight.”
“Only if you’re good.”
“I already proved that.”
She gave an exaggerated sigh and roll of her eyes.
With a wink, he left.
~*~
The first morning back at work following the mission, Ryan walked into the office fifteen minutes before it was due to open and halted.
On every surface of the reception desk was a little hula dancer gyrating madly on little stands. The hula dolls were the same kind that sat on car dashboards with the sun making them move, but somehow these were moving without the sun.
There were a lot of hula dolls. They gyrated everywhere. Across the surface of the desk, on the keyboard, Blu-Tacked to the top of the computer and across the back of Raymond’s chair.
Marietta had struck again.
Ryan checked the time. Any second Raymond would walk in and her mischief would get results.
“This’ll be good.” Big mug of steaming coffee in hand, Ben appeared in the doorway to the back offices.
No sooner had he said this than the front door opened and Raymond entered. “Man, there’s this new café across the road that serves the best tasting - what the hell!?” His mouth fell open as he stared at the gyrating dolls.
“Didn’t know you were into dolls, Raymond,” Ben said cheerfully.
Raymond’s face went red. “Marietta!”
“Not here.” Ben lifted his mobile and aimed it at Raymond. “Smile.”
Stalking around the desk, Raymond swept the dolls off the back of his chair and keyboard. “I’ll kill her!”
Ben happily keyed something into his mobile. Seconds later there was a ‘ping’ from Raymond’s email inbox, followed by several more. Raymond flicked the screen on, his eyes almost bulging as a cartoon hula dancer gyrated lewdly across the screen. The body was va-va-voom, the clothes sparse, the head was his.
Ben started chortling.
Being a tech whiz, Raymond had the hula doll off his screen within seconds and his inbox up, swearing as he did so. “What the - what’s this?” He peered closer at the screen. “My cursor is a hula doll!”
“Kinky.”
“Ben, you idiot. Get a box and help me clear this crap off my desk before a client comes in. What the heck will they think?” He glared at Ryan’s impassive face. “You need to do something about that woman!”
“I’ll talk to her.”
Muttering, Raymond grabbed for his pen, found it missing and dug into the desk drawer. “I swear that woman is soft in the head. What is she - my pen!”
“Oh man!” Ben goggled at the pen.
Raymond dropped it onto his desk in horror.
Looking at it, Ryan had to admit it was at the kinky level. It was shaped like a hula dancer, the main grip area right over her doodah and the click bit to bring the nib out one of her nipples. Ingenious, actually.
“She didn’t. Tell me she didn’t.” Yanking open a small cupboard beneath the desk, Raymond yanked out a mug. “Oh my God!”
The mug was in the shape of a hula dancer, very prominent breasts and nipples sticking out, part of one luscious hip forming the handle.
Swinging around in the chair, Raymond stabbed a finger at Ryan. “Sort her out!”
“I’ll talk to her.”
Steps sounded on the stairs, Gail’s voice carrying down as she called out, “Hey, Raymond! Loving the new signature line on your emails!”
Raymond’s eyes widened. “She didn’t!”
Knowing Marietta, she probably did.
“Haven’t checked my emails yet.” Ben glanced questioningly at Ryan.
Ryan walked past him into the back office, going to his computer and powering it up.
“That woman!” Raymond was cursing from the reception before Ryan’s email could even load properly.
Ben started guffawing from the desk he was manning, having just checked his email.
Gail’s head popped around the corner. “He is going to kill her one day.”
Watching the raunchy hula dancer gyrating across the bottom of every team email Raymond had sent out, Ryan couldn’t blame him. A luscious dancer with big boobs and rounded hips with his head on top was not something Raymond would appreciate.
Predictably, emails had already arrived for Raymond - cc’d to everyone, of course - from team members in different states of Australia and all over the world wherever Wells Security was working.
“Aw, look, Raymond,” Ben called out cheerfully, “Victor in London wants to know if you fancy a date, but only if you promise to wear your grass skirt and coconut bra.”
“Ryan!” Raymond bellowed.
“I’ll talk to her.” Hiding his amusement, Ryan started doing a quick skim of his emails before going in to Aaron for a briefing of the day’s upcoming events. “Ben, help Raymond clear his desk before someone comes in.”
“You should get Marietta to do it.”
“Marietta isn’t here.” When she came back from her days off, he’d be waiting for her. As usual.
Grinning, Ben went out to get a box from the store room.
Finding nothing that required urgent attention, Ryan went to see Aaron.
Glancing up briefly from whatever he was reading on the computer screen, Aaron nodded.
Returning the nod, Ryan sat down in the chair at the front of the desk, resting his palms lightly on his thighs.
Leaning back in his chair, Aaron rested one ankle on his opposite knee, his elbow on the armrest as he pondered Ryan while resting the side of his finger against his mouth. Typical Aaron posture.
But there was something different. It couldn’t be seen, but Ryan could feel it. It was the way Aaron looked at him. Nothing on his face, unruffled as always, but Ryan knew. Just as he knew with certainty what it was.
Normally he would wait for Aaron to ask, but considering the implications he spoke first. “Ella and I are seeing each other.”
Aaron studied him.
“Out of hours.”
Aaron nodded slightly.
As he returned the steady regard, Ryan continued, “She’s agreed to give us a second chance.”
Damn. He hadn’t meant to say that much. For a man who was intensely private it was more than Ryan had ever thought of revealing, but this was Aaron, and Ryan respected him too much to gloss over the facts. “It won’t interfere with my work hour duties, my rostered time of watching her. But if you prefer to replace my roster with someone else, I understand.”
Aaron thoughtfully tapped his thumb against his bottom lip. “The thought you’d not conduct yourself appropriately during work hours never crossed my mind. You have proven yourself many times to be loyal and conscientious. I’d not have made you my second-in-command if I believed otherwise.”
Inwardly, Ryan relaxed.
“I’m pleased that you and Ella are working things out.”
“We’re trying.”
“You’ll maintain your rostered time of bodyguard duty as usual, no change to the plan.”
Ryan nodded.
Obviously done with that detail, Aaron switched topic. “Edward dropped around earlier. Rose has given Fran and Carlson more info. This time it’s linking to a lot more people. The techs have been unravelling the line in the Dark Web and they’re digging in pretty deep.”
The consequences weren’t lost on Ryan. “They’re getting close.”
“Yes.”
“And Rose’s safety?”
“She’s being watched twenty four hours a day but Edward is getting edgy. There are experts digging in the Dark Web, but just as the feds have techs, so do criminals. Edward’s caught between reeling in what Rose discovers, and her safety that she may get caught.”
“Pull her out.”
“Rose refuses. She insists she’s being careful.”
“So who are you sending in?”
“Byron’s sending in Felicity from the Melbourne-based Wells Security. Felicity is an experienced bodyguard with the added advantage of looking very young for her age. She’s going to stay with Rose at the mansion under the alias of a friend Rose made when on a recent holiday.”
Ryan nodded. “Live-in bodyguard.”
“Now Rose has one on-site as well as hidden surveillance. One hint of things going wrong and Felicity will get her out. I’ve sent the details of Felicity to your computer to familiarise yourself with her record, the same with Edward.” Aaron’s mouth quirked ever so slightly at the corners. “Only as much as Edward needs to know about her.”
Of course. That also meant Felicity had a background that wouldn’t be approved in the local law enforcement circles, but would be welcomed for the greyer areas. Invaluable in various roles, in other words, and just the kind of agent Aaron hired. Ryan would find out more about her from the record.
“Now, Marietta.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“Her artistic bent is admirable.” Aaron’s face was dead straight but deep underneath Ryan knew his boss enjoyed her antics, the sparks that flew between Raymond and Marietta, saw it as light entertainment in the dangerous lives of his employees, just as he knew when to pull them all in line. Some fun to lighten the mood then back to business.
“I think she could use some of that energy in washing the work cars when she comes back from days off.”
“I’m onto it.”
“Wash, polish, vacuum.”
The only thing their irrepressible agent hated more than missing out on action was cleaning cars. Ryan nodded. It also meant Wells Security guards had a couple of more days of fun before it was stopped.
“Now, other business.” Aaron turned back to the computer.
The next fifteen minutes was spent discussing the day’s work, which team was where, catching up on the reports from other countries, and doing the everyday discussions because Wells Security had more than one area and one person covered at any given time.
By the time Ryan returned to his desk he had a list of things to do. From the front he heard someone talking to Raymond about security cameras for their shop, and the little light next to the door leading to reception came on, an indication that Raymond needed one of them to attend a prospective client. Ryan sent Ben out.
Before he settled down to deal with the list of things to be done and reading Felicity’s file, Ryan went into the back hall and up the staircase to Control Centre. Aaron would have been up here when he arrived earlier, but Ryan always did a run-through with the guards.
Gail was sitting at one computer while Kent manned the surveillance cameras.
“All quiet so far,” Kent said as Ryan came up behind him to survey the monitors.
Ryan’s gaze flicked from monitor to monitor. The spy base, the council building, the mayor’s home, shopping centres and individual shops, businesses, private homes of rich and not-so-rich, celebrities, VIPs, hospitals, several nursing homes. And Ella’s home. Back and front, everything was quiet. Boof appeared on the veranda, wandered down into the garden, chose a particularly nice, shady spot, dug a hole in the earth and squatted.
“Holy cow,” Kent said. “That is one ugly-arsed cat.”
“He’s okay,” Ryan replied.
Startled, Kent stared up at him.
“Hard life,” Ryan said.
Gail glanced shrewdly at him.
Ah, the Wells Security bodyguards rostered to cover Ella would have seen her go to his house and stay the night, seen him go to her house and come out a few hours later. The monitored cameras would catch him coming and going to her house. All would have seen him kiss her.
Ryan looked steadily at Gail and she immediately started giving him a report.
It was good to be second-in-command. And a damned scary man. Because while he was more than happy to share with Ella, no way was he doing it with his co-workers. Or anyone else for that matter. Work was work, and he never let it cross the line into his personal life. Being with Ella might raise eyebrows but he wouldn’t tolerate questions about anything personal. Just as while on the job he was a professional, the job his life until he was off the clock.
He listened to Gail’s report, acknowledged it with a calm nod and left Control Centre to attend the waiting work.
~*~
Standing in the front garden watering the hibiscus bushes, Ella wondered idly who was watching her this time. Marietta? Richie? Maybe Ryan?
The thought that he was out there watching made her insides tingle a little. It also made her self-conscious. She frowned. Being watched covertly, even if it was by Ryan, was not on her wish list.
In fact, she hated it.
Boof came through a hole in the chain-link fence and sat down not far from her, sticking one leg up in the air to commence washing his manly bits.
“My point exactly,” she said to him. “You do realise that someone, somewhere, is watching you lick your non-existent gonads?”
Boof kept industriously washing.
“I mean, I can’t even scratch my boob because someone has their eye on me. Can you image the report Aaron would get? ‘1630 hrs - client scratched tit. Vigorously.’ I’m just glad I’m not wearing a scratchy bra.” Stepping to the side, she aimed the stream of water at the base of another hibiscus bush. “If I get a wedgy, everyone monitoring the cameras will see me digging between my arse cheeks to get it out. I tell you, Boof, this is an invasion of privacy. I don’t care what Ryan says, I can’t relax outside my own house.”
Broodingly, she watched the water soak into the base of the bush.
Boof dropped his leg back to the ground and looked towards the road. His movement made her glance up but when it proved to simply be the neighbour two doors down driving past, she resumed staring at the bush.
To be honest, it wasn’t just the monitoring that was annoying her, it was a few things. One of them was the waiting around for news, to hear that the club had fallen, been taken, but so far there was zilch. She watched the news, read the papers, listened to the radio on the way to and from work. She’d thought that Ryan would keep her informed but he’d proven tight-lipped on the subject the previous evening.
Deliberately leaving early for her nightshift at the service station, she’d dropped in on him to do some questioning. His refusal to impart information had thrown her. He’d simply replied “Nothing yet.” When she probed, he’d quietly stated, “It’s an on-going investigation. The feds are handling it.”
“But Wells Security is involved,” she pointed out.
“In a guard capacity.”
“Monitoring Rose and her home, too.”
“Yes.”
“And I know Aaron talks to Edward and you.”
Taking measured sips, Ryan had watched her over the rim of his coffee mug.
“Seriously?” She slammed her hands onto her hips. “You’re not going to tell me?”
He lowered the coffee mug.
“Seriously?”
The bloody man was as calm as the eye of a storm. In fact, that description was pretty apt. Calm in the middle, that hint of danger swirling around the edges unseen but nevertheless very real.
That might have made most people decide to shut up. Ella didn’t give a hoot. “If it wasn’t for me and Rose, none of you would even have a case.”
Leisurely, he swirled the coffee in his mug.
“I thought we were sharing things?”
That had his eyes sharpening, but he still didn’t bite. Damn it.
“I can’t believe you’re pushing me out.”
“Not pushing you out,” he replied mildly. “Protecting you.”
“By keeping me in the dark?”
Leaning back against the kitchen bench, Ryan continued to regard her steadily. Not long knocked-off work, he was still in his plain security uniform with lace-up boots, the bulge of his biceps almost straining the short sleeves of the polo shirt as he took some of his weight on his arm where his hand was braced on the bench, the even rise and fall of his impressive pecs under the shirt, that slightly brooding air, he looked a little dangerous. Formidable, actually, especially when his gaze was locked on her.
She still didn’t care. He might be a scary bloke to others, to her he was Ryan - lover, friend, and right now a pain in her arse.
Ella decided to change tack. “Rose has given more information to Fran and Carlson, hasn’t she?”
Raising the mug, Ryan took another mouthful.
Man, he made her angry when he did this. Folding her arms, she snapped, “Maybe I should just catch a plane to Melbourne and find out for myself.”
If she thought the edge of danger lurked before, she sure as hell felt it now. It almost filled the air, a dark menace that oozed from him. He stood there watching her, completely unnerving her now - not that she’d admit it to anyone.
Slowly, deliberately, he placed the mug down on the bench, pushed away to lightly stalk across the tiled floor.
Stalked was the only way to put it. It was akin to being approached by a predator.
Correction, she was being approached by a predator. A predator that was very much in control.
Ryan stopped right in front of her, so close that her folded arms brushed his hard abdomen with every breath she took.
Ella actually swallowed, her throat a little dry, but she refused to give ground, glaring up at him.
His brown eyes were hard, a tightness to his lips. Tall, tanned, heavy muscular build, menace seeming to shift subtly around him.
A little thrilling, a little scary, very intimidating.