“Where are you going?” Jules asked with a yawn late Sunday morning, as she curled up on the sofa with a cup of coffee wearing black flannel pajama pants and a white tank top. “I was going to cook breakfast for us, but I guess I’ll just settle for a Pop Tart.”
Now, she was offering to cook him breakfast? He was starting to suspect his unexpected partner was resorting to the same guerilla tactics he’d planned to utilize, if necessary, to get information from her. Her tactics were subtler—but effective—if that was the case.
Keegan tried not to notice that she wasn’t wearing a bra under the tight tank. He failed because her dime-sized nipples, which tipped her perfect size B breasts, were saying good morning to him, and his cock wanted to say good morning right back.
It was a very good thing he was getting out of here, he thought, sliding his belt through the loops on his jeans, which were entirely too tight right now. The cease fire they’d settled into since the other night was really fucking with his mind, and he suspected Natasha knew that.
He might have won the battle of wills, but she was winning the war. She was entirely too passive and amenable now, which made this whole setup suddenly seem entirely too…domestic. Images of eating breakfast with her, then having her for dessert flashed through his mind, and he bit back a growl.
With her snark in remission, Keegan was defenseless.
He wished like hell now he hadn’t suggested sharing an apartment with her rather than letting Greg set him up in a hotel—just to spite her—because the joke was on him.
“I’m going to the base to have brunch with a few buddies,” Keegan finally replied as he fastened the buckle. And get my head right. He attached the chain from his wallet to his belt loop, then forced himself not to look at her as he sat down on the sofa to pull on his boots.
“You see Ari at the bar lately?” he asked, trying to refocus on business. She surprised the hell out of him when she responded.
“Nope, he hasn’t been in since last Thursday when you saw him. He usually only comes in once a week, so I’d bet he’ll be in this Wednesday or Thursday.”
He didn’t want to wait that long. Hopefully, he could get some good intel from his buddies at brunch so he could finish this and go back home where he belonged. But just in case he got nothing today, lap-dance-loving Ari was next. But right now, since his sexy roomie was in a talkative mood, he was going to keep her talking.
“Does he ever talk to anyone other than Ruby when he’s there? Meet with anyone else in that room?” Keegan asked as he sat up.
“He’s sat with a few other men to watch the show, but I’m not sure they were with him,” she replied.
“Any idea what they talk about when they’re in the private room?” he asked, thinking again he might want to ask Greg for some com equipment.
She laughed, and he looked up at her.
“No, but if I did, I wouldn’t be telling you, Boris.” She batted her eyelashes over playful blue eyes as she took another sip of her coffee. “I’m still not even sure we’re on the same team, so you’ll have to do your own surveillance…unless you want to be more forthcoming.”
Yeah, not going to work for the ninth time either, Natasha. Not even with the added ammunition of those big, blue eyes framing the question.
“OpSec—so not happening, babe,” Keegan said as he pushed up to his feet.
“What is that, Boris?” Her voice brimmed with agitation as she stood too. “Secret Squirrel SEAL code or something?”
The soft-kitten was gone and her claws had come out again, which thrilled him, because Keegan could deal with that wildcat.
“Operational Security, and yes, military protocol. It’s on a need to know basis with proper clearance, which you don’t have.” Her growl tickled in his midsection, then zipped down to the end of his dick. Oh yeah, needling still did it for him in a big way, but there wasn’t a damned thing he would do about it with her.
“I have top secret clearance, asshole!” she shouted, following him to the door.
“But you don’t have special access clearance.” He grabbed the door knob, but her hand covered his and he released it to turn around to face her.
“You said you want to be partners, but I can’t be your partner unless I know who I’m working with—I have to know I can trust you.” The kitten was back with hurt in her deep blue eyes. “I want to trust you MacDonald, so we can work together and solve this quickly.”
Those eyes sucked him right in and he swam there for a minute in her disappointment and confusion. She was right—not knowing who you were working with didn’t make for a very good partnership, but it was the hand he was dealt.
“I’ll tell you what I can, Lawson. I promise.” Keegan sighed and put his hand to her face. “But who I work for is not something I can divulge.”
That was in his contract and Keegan knew why. Greg Lambert and his cronies wanted plausible deniability if something went south on an operation.
She took a step closer to lay her hand on his chest and it burned through his t-shirt. Something magnetic flowed between them as her lips came closer and her breath fanned his mouth. A hot tingle raked through him, but Keegan fought the draw.
“Even if I said please and promise not to tell anyone?” she whispered, her eyelids drooping to half mast, which made his cock go full sails ahead.
Those eyes begged him, that mouth tempted him beyond his limits. His hand slid to the base of her neck and he pulled her to mouth to his. Her moan vibrated his tongue as he tasted her flavor. Rich, dark coffee, mixed with peppermint, and her own unique sweetness. It was an erotic combination that immediately set him on fire.
She leaned into the kiss, pushed him back into the door and settled her body into the space between his legs. She opened wider and his tongue fit perfectly into the cradle of her hot mouth as she shoved her hand into his hair to kiss him harder.
Keegan’s toes curled in his boots as her heat burned though his jeans and her hips made needy little circles against him, making him harder than he’d ever been in his life. A craving to be inside of her slammed into him and almost brought him to his knees.
This woman did not play fair, he thought, as his hands found her hips. Without breaking the hot kiss, he lifted her up and turned to ram her into the door. His control snapped but he knew he couldn’t finish this. He couldn’t pay the price she’d ask from him for that pleasure.
Taking over the kiss, he ravaged her mouth, ground his cock into the wet heat between her legs and soaked up the pleasure from each moan and mewl of hers that he swallowed. It cost him a lot to finally pull away, to lower her to her feet and step back on shaky legs to run a hand through his hair.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her face flushed and her eyes molten.
“I’ve got to go,” he said, dragging in ragged breaths. “I won’t be back tonight. I’m going to bunk with a friend off base. You have my number if you need me.”
Keegan opened the door, rushed out and double-timed it down the steps. Letting himself be used again was not something he was willing to allow—and he knew that is exactly what Jules Lawson had in mind to get information out of him. Having his own intended tactics used against him didn’t feel so good.