Whitney woke up seething and grabbed her phone, punching in Cory’s number before the sleep cleared from her eyes. The phone rang without answer, and she tossed it back onto the nightstand, not actually thinking about Cory, but Hicks. How dare he come to her door in the middle of the night pretending to want to talk to her sister? It was beyond obvious he’d hoped for a booty call. Why else would he have come to the door fresh from a shower, wearing a sleeveless shirt that revealed his powerful arms? It had taken a massive surge of willpower not to jump him right there. But no matter how attractive Hicks might be, she wasn’t about to let him use her as a doormat. And Hicks hadn’t just walked on her tonight—he’d wiped his muddy feet.

Well, at least she could derive some satisfaction from knowing she’d sent him away all hot and bothered—and alone. There were only three women on the premises, and they were all off limits to him.

Whitney slept soundly, gloating over the knowledge that she’d won that battle, but she woke up alone. Her sister, a notorious early riser, was long gone by the time Whitney crawled out of bed. After ransacking her bag, she settled on a pair of jeans and a V-neck white T-shirt. Classic and casual. Shoved in the bottom of one of the drawers.

Now she padded barefoot down the staircase toward the kitchen, her stomach reminding her it was past time for breakfast. Half afraid to find Hicks prowling about, she was relieved when she found the room empty. She went to the large double refrigerator that took up part of the far wall and pulled both doors open. There were bacon and sausage, cold cuts, eggs—everything she’d need to make whatever she wanted. Her stomach grumbled. It might be a little early for her to start pulling out pots and pans, no matter how much her fingers itched to try out that professional-grade stove.

Whitney closed the doors with a sigh of regret and looked around for the pantry. She found it just off the kitchen—a large, walk-in closet with fully stocked shelves. And an entire assortment of cereal was right at eye level. She could definitely handle this. She selected the Lucky Charms marshmallow cereal, found a bowl for the milk, and proceeded to devour an entire serving. Nothing like a good coating of sugar first thing in the morning to get her going. If she were still here tomorrow, she’d make herself a hot breakfast.

No one had come in and bothered her during breakfast, and she hadn’t heard anyone walking around the mansion, so after picking up her mess, she went off in search of her sister. There were three levels to the mansion, and from what Melissa had told her last night, all the living quarters were on the second. Did that mean the lab was on the third floor?

She went up to check, but after a thorough search of the third floor got hopelessly lost. Finally, she managed to find her way back to the stairs. There was no way Melissa would’ve just left her alone, and she seriously doubted the entire team disappeared in the middle of the night. So, rather than barge into someone’s bedroom, she started prowling around the extra rooms on the first floor. There was a study two stories high filled with dark leather couches and a fireplace and enough books for an entire city to read. But no Melissa.

And no Hicks…

She kept prowling around, determined to forget about that man…At least for now. She made it through a ballroom, a couple of storage rooms, even a fully stocked fitness room complete with treadmills and bikes and small free weights. But she encountered no other humans. She was about ready to give up, and maybe sit and pout on the staircase when she bumped into Diggs. The man’s grin was as wide as it had been last night, and he had a carefree recklessness about him that made her think he probably smiled like that all the time.

“Morning, beautiful.” He leaned against the banister of the staircase and flung a towel over his shoulder. He wasn’t wearing a shirt today, just a loose-fitting pair of gym shorts. She was woman enough to notice that he was a fine specimen of male, but there was no comparison to her heart-stopping reaction to Hicks.

“Morning,” she said. “Have you seen my sister?”

“Yep, she’s in the lab. Want me to take you to her?”

“Hmmm.” Was her sister with Hicks? Did she really want to pit the two men against each other again? Last night it had certainly been entertaining, but today… “Maybe you could just point me in her direction?”

“I don’t have anything else to do. Come on, follow me.”

He turned and walked off in the other direction, giving her no choice but to follow him like an idiot.

Whitney hurried to catch up with him. “I’ve searched this whole place and haven’t found anyone. Where is everybody?”

“In the lab. We’ve been there since zero four hundred.” He slowed his pace so that she could catch up and they walked side by side through what had to be the most intricate maze of hallways she’d ever witnessed.

Her irritation with him for not allowing her to find the lab on her own vanished. If he’d tried to give her directions, she would’ve gotten lost in a minute.

As if reading her mind Diggs said, “it’s one of the reasons we picked out this place as our base. Even if someone managed to break into headquarters, they’d never find the lab.”

“For sure,” she muttered. “Why do you call this your base instead of your home?”

She noticed Hicks had referred to it the same way last night. They turned down yet another hallway, the decorations growing more austere by the minute. “Because it’s not our home. It’s our headquarters. Our base of operations.”

“Operations? But Melissa said you guys weren’t military anymore.”

For the first time since she’d met the man, a shadow crossed features. “No, not anymore.”

She found herself studying him as they walked. He moved a lot like Hicks had last night in her apartment, with an unconscious power that ordinary people just didn’t possess.

“Here we are.” He stopped in front of a blank section of wall. No wood paneling or anything resembled a door, just plain, dark green-painted sheet rock.

“Where are we exactly?”

He gave her a wink and pressed his hand against a space on the wall. A bright green light rolled from the top of his fingers down his palm, and then an entire section of the wall slid back silently, revealing a staircase leading down—and none other than Hicks making his way up in their direction. Just like Diggs, he was shirtless and in gym shorts. Her traitorous heart fluttered at the sight of his raw, masculine beauty.

“If it isn’t the devil himself,” Diggs said. “Hey man, I was just about to hit the showers, and she’s looking for her sister. She’s your case, so you should take her.”

Hicks’s thunderous dark eyes met hers, and she could practically feel the frustration rolling off him in waves. The events of last night played out in her mind, and she shifted uncomfortably. From the look of him, he hadn’t gotten much sleep, which was exactly as she’d intended, so why did she feel guilty about it now?

She braced herself, waiting on him to tell Diggs to screw off and take her himself. She wouldn’t allow them to see that his rejection still bothered her.

“Thanks, I got her.”

Diggs left her standing there speechless. Evidently, he planned some retribution. She would if the situation were reversed.

“Well, are you coming?” His tone was too cordial—he definitely had something planned. But if she wanted to get to Melissa, she’d have to let Hicks take her. If the lab below was as much of a maze as the hallways above, she had no intention of traversing the place without a map or guide.

“How are you this morning?” She descended a few steps until she was standing just above him. The position allowed her to stare straight into his eyes, no looking up.

There was a tightness about his mouth that hadn’t been here last night, and she didn’t like the thought that she was the one who’d put it there.

“I think we both know the answer to that question,” he said gruffly.

What did that mean? Was he mad? Resigned? Lord help her, she couldn’t tell. Either way, she wasn’t apologizing to the man, not until he apologized to her. He was the one who’d been in the wrong from the get go, not her. He was the one who’d judged her without all the information. So why did she want to run her fingers across that strong masculine jaw?

Suddenly, the door behind her slid shut, and they were left in a dark staircase, lit only by a soft glow of light. It was the kind of place for an illicit meeting, and she found herself leaning toward him.

But he didn’t meet her halfway this time. He simply reached out to steady her and then let go as if his touch hadn’t just branded her skin.

“Come on, I’ll show you around the place.”

* * *

Hicks gave her his back and descended the stairs, fighting to keep his reactions hidden. He’d had a long talk with Dr. Averton this morning, and the results had not been what he’d expected. Although the enhancements could have affected his natural male reaction to females, it was unlikely. That meant Hicks’s response to Whitney was one hundred percent natural. The fact that he could smell and feel her arousal was in effect an enhancement, but Dr. Averton had been quick to point out that while Reaper had reacted to Caroline on a primal level, none of the other men on the team had been affected by her that way.

And Diggs had told him last night that he didn’t share Hicks’s…strange attraction to Whitney.

So, what was he supposed to do with all that information? He sure as hell didn’t know, and although he’d spent the better part of the morning trying to figure it out, he hadn’t come up with an answer. He couldn’t avoid her, not until he found who’d broken into her apartment, but maybe he could temper his reaction to her by sheer willpower.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and held the door open for her, and when she passed by him, he couldn’t help but inhale her scent. No matter how much she was trying to pretend otherwise, she was just as hot and bothered as him. Maybe he could turn the tables on her like she had done to him last night—make it so that she couldn’t think or sleep or even freaking walk without aching. Just as quickly as the thought came to him, he dismissed it. He wouldn’t have the willpower to stop halfway. If he started, he’d finish it.

“This place is insane,” she said.

Hicks dragged his eyes off of her and forced himself to look around. State of the art equipment filled the large glassed-in labs lining the hallway on either side. Instead of the deep, vibrant colors of the mansion upstairs, the research facility was all white and austere. With glass covering the top half of the walls and concrete floors, it was the exact opposite of the opulent luxury above. “Want me to show you around before I take you to your sister?”

Whitney bit her lip and Hicks had to hold back a groan. He wanted to bite her lip. He wanted to take her mouth in a fierce act of possession and then claim her as his own.

“I’d like that if you don’t mind,” she said without guile.

“Out here are the peripheral labs that your sister uses for data processing. We don’t use these facilities very often, but they’re there if we ever need to expand.” He led the way down the hallway.

“Expand how?”

Shit, he shouldn’t have said that. “The principal research facilities are deeper. Past them is our main training room and our actual HQ is in the back.”

“So, there is an entire below ground level as large as the mansion above?”

“That’s correct,” Hicks threaded his fingers together behind his back as they walked, needing to do something with his hands to keep himself from touching her. “We’ve laid it out in order of importance. The less critical areas are closer to the stairway, and the most important ones are on the very outskirts.”

“In case someone breaks in.”

“Exactly.” Their war room was the most heavily fortified section of the entire compound. Even if someone managed to breach the interior of the mansion, find the hidden entrance to the lab, bypass the scanner and get through the research facilities, they would still not be able to breach the final location. Not without activating two tons of C4 explosive, anyway.

“Why do you always talk like you’re preparing for an attack?”

“Because we are.” General Rainier wouldn’t give up his search for the team or Dr. Averton and the serum. They were, as far as Hicks was aware, his only link to his little pet project.

A project he’d lured Hicks’s team into under pretenses. They’d gone in thinking they were doing their duty to their country. They’d had no idea they’d end up like this. Cut off from normal life and the work they’d lived for, uncertain of their ability to control themselves…

At least Hicks hadn’t been forced to cut ties with his family when they’d gone into hiding—both of his parents had died when he was just a kid. He’d had a great foster home, way better than most, and joined up for the United States military at the age of eighteen. Some of the others had been forced to leave more behind.

“Can I see it?”

“What?”

“Your headquarters. Sounds kind of cool,” Whitney said casually.

“No.”

Her eyes narrowed at his harsh tone. He wouldn’t mind showing her their war room—it might impress her—but just because he wanted her like he wanted air didn’t mean he trusted her.

“So, this guy who’s trying to get you, what does he want?” Whitney had crossed her arms again, and even though she was wearing a simple white T-shirt—which looked utterly devastating on her—his mouth watered. He’d thought her hot in that skintight dress, but she looked more approachable like this. More like his usual type of woman.

“Who said anything about a guy?” Melissa must have filled her in on some of the details last night, but he had no idea how much she’d told her. Surely Dr. Averton hadn’t revealed all their secrets. Had she?

The thought of being able to share his real self with someone sent a surprising jolt of elation straight up his spine. He’d lived in the shadows for so long he honestly didn’t even know who his real self was any more. Maybe he didn’t have one. Maybe he was just an ex-operative who’d been sucked up and then spat out by the military, with no hope of having any other identity for the rest of his life.

He’d never given it much thought before. If anything, he’d always felt bad for the guys who’d had something real in their lives and given it up because of Project Mayhem. But now…Well, it seemed like it might be nice to have someone in his life. A sense of purpose beyond mere survival.

Queasiness rolled around in his stomach. There was no doubt they would have explosive sex, the kind he might not ever experience again, but did he really want more? With her?

If he was ever going to commit to a woman, and that was a big if, she’d be honorable and she’d be good. She wouldn’t be on the wrong side of the law.

But was she really as bad as he’d assumed? What if he was wrong about her?

“No one. I just assumed from the way everyone talks around here that someone bad is after you. I mean, why else would you be hiding out in a bunker dressed up like Donald Trump’s mansion?”

Damn, the woman was too inquisitive by half. He should’ve expected that since her sister was a genius. But he wasn’t ready to give away all of their secrets just yet. “Well, you know what they say about assumptions.”

Part of her smug look slipped but not all of it. “You really are a jerk.”

Whitney turned and stomped away, heading unknowingly in the right direction. Hicks took a moment to admire the way she filled out her jeans, not for any other reason beyond the fact that he couldn’t take his gaze off of her. He had to jog to catch up when she rounded the corner.

He was an ass, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. She made his nerves raw, like someone had poured acid over them. Every time she was anywhere close to him, his entire body went haywire. And, apparently, so did his mind. “You don’t even know where you’re going.”

“Yes, I do,” she said pointedly and kept walking. “Away from you.”

Her voice was full of anger, but he also detected a tinge of hurt. “I’m sorry, I can’t just take you into the war room.”

He was immediately pissed at himself for apologizing.

Whitney flipped a hand in the air. “Not interested. You don’t have to take me to my sister. I can find her myself. It’s obvious to both of us that you don’t want to be here.”

Without thinking, he grabbed her arm, stopping her from running away. Their skin seemed to spark at the contact. She jerked free of his grasp, her blue eyes flashing bright with fury. “Don’t touch me.”

The logical part of his mind shrunk to nearly invisible and his primal instincts took over. His blood pulsed and pounded in his ears and his veins swelled down his arms. He could feel her answering arousal—and also the fact that it was driving them both nuts. “At least I didn’t play nasty little tricks on you last night.”

She had the audacity to smile. “Toss and turn all night?”

Damn straight he had. He’d woken up on the edge that she was now pushing him over. “No,” he lied, “dishonesty is a turn off. I slept like a baby.”

She didn’t even blink at his response, and he knew she didn’t believe a word of it. The pulsing sound in his ears grew to a dull roar. He could feel the light bulbs overhead scorching his skin, stinging the back of his eyes.

“What’s wrong Hicks? Don’t know how to handle a real woman?” Her dark eyebrows arched with the smug satisfaction.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had her pinned against the wall, her hands trapped in his, his erection straining against her belly. Her eyes grew wide with fear. Good, she needed to be afraid.

Calm the fuck down.

“Aw, did I hurt the big bad bear’s feelings?” she taunted.

Why couldn’t she just be quiet? Every time she spoke, he felt the vibrations of her chest and diaphragm through his body. He needed her, and he almost hated her for it.

“Whitney,” he growled menacingly.

“Do you need—” She was speaking in that same saucy tone, and he couldn’t take it a moment longer. He slammed his mouth over hers, sucking her bottom lip until she opened for him. He thrust his tongue inside, fulfilling the need to dominate.

The roaring in his ears grew so loud he couldn’t hear anything else. All he could do was feel every inch of her skin, every breath.

Back off man, you’re too strong. You could hurt her.

Whitney moaned low in her throat and struggled to break free of his grasp. He let her hands go so he could cover her ass and pull her closer.

Her nails dug into his shoulders, and he braced himself for her to push him away, but she pulled him closer instead. He fought his way through the roaring sensory overload to realize she was kissing him back just as hard. The pounding in his head eased, and a wave of warmth crashed over him. He stepped back from the edge and gentled his kisses. Slowly, he drew her bottom lip between his, feeling its texture and learning every inch of her hot little mouth. When she whimpered, he nearly came in his pants.

Easy. I want to take care of her.

Mindlessly, he peppered kisses along her soft jaw and then down her neck, gathering her close to him when her hair fell around his face. Dear God, he needed her so bad. He was shaking with it.

Then her lips were on his shoulder, his neck. She nipped his earlobe. He groaned and shuddered, using every ounce of strength he had left just to hold himself upright.

This was heaven.

“Ahem.”

If that voice had belonged to anyone other than Whitney’s sister, he would’ve taken the person’s head off at that moment for daring to interrupt him. He stopped kissing her but damned if he could force himself to ease her to the ground. And Whitney didn’t try to shove him away either. She leaned her cheek against his shoulder, and the warmth in his chest bloomed.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt a private conversation?” Whitney said.

Hicks didn’t dare to lift his head, this was a family thing, and he’d leave them to it. Besides, if he moved at all, he would have to break contact with Whitney, and he had no intention of doing that right now.

“He has a bedroom, you know. My research lab isn’t for make out sessions.”

Hicks finally glanced back at Dr. Averton. She was standing there in her lab coat and professional slacks and shirt, arms crossed and tapping her foot, but there wasn’t any real annoyance in her voice.

“I just got a little distracted while we were looking for you.” Whitney’s nail trailed along the length of one of his forearms, and his cock pulsed in reaction. Shit, he couldn’t step away now if he wanted to—not with just his gym shorts on. There would be no hiding his arousal.

“I’m guessing this is a continuation of the little kiss you had in your apartment, Whitney? By all means, I’d hate to stop you now. Come find me when you’re done.” Melissa walked away without another glance in their direction.

Whitney chuckled and squeezed his arms. “She’s gone.”

And he’d nearly ripped off her clothes and taken her right there in the hallway. He’d literally lost it, something that terrified him. He’d never touched a woman in anger before. Never. That thought was enough to keep him from resuming what they’d just started, no matter how much he wanted to carry her up to his room and take her.

Back up man, let her go. This isn’t the place or the time.

He eased her to the ground and stepped back, unable to look her in the eye. He really was a fucking monster, and he apparently couldn’t trust himself around Whitney. No woman deserved to be physically mishandled by any man. There was no excuse. None. “Your sister is down the hall to the right,” he could barely squeeze the words out of his tight throat.

“Hicks?”

He didn’t respond. He did the only honorable thing he could. He turned and walked away.