Circle of Desire (11 page)
Collin settled Olivia in the backseat with her head in his lap. Her face relaxed and pale, she looked younger. He lifted her hand and kissed a finger, the same one that had been on the trigger. Thank goodness, she was a pro. Otherwise, she could’ve accidently killed him. No matter what she intended to tell him when she woke up. She’d been more upset about his refusal to sleep with her than she was worried about his betrayal.
He chuckled. But would she ever admit she had a soft spot for him?
O
livia stared at Collin as he interrogated Mason. He was driving her absolutely nuts. When she’d woken up in the hospital bed again, he’d merely said, “No. We’re not trading you,” and then walked away. She’d been pissed and wanted to teach him a lesson, but until she found a way, she’d wait for an opportunity.
In the meanwhile, he’d been telling the truth. She remained at the OS, watching Collin drill Mason on where the artifact was and who had it. What was so important about an old sword anyway?
The door behind her opened and in the reflection of the glass separating the two rooms, Rex hesitated, making it obvious he hadn’t known she was in the observation room. Kind of sweet, the way he eyed her with distrust instead of his usual out-and-out hatred. Per the OS grapevine, Collin had given Rex a stern talking to about his attitude toward her. She wasn’t sure why Collin thought it necessary, even though it did make working with Rex tolerable. Like that would actually stop Big Foot from trying to kill her. Anyway, she still owed him for knocking her out twice, once with his fist and the latest with drugs.
“Come on in and have a seat.” She waved her hand to the uncomfortable metal torture devices they called chairs.
“So Mason still hasn’t broke?” he asked the obvious.
In her attempt to get along with Collin’s second in command, she stopped the smart-alecky comment she wanted to make and merely shook her head. “In the last three days, I’ve been tempted to confess to anything, even in knowing where Jimmy Hoffa’s body is just to make Collin stop. I don’t know how Mason’s not giving it up.”
Rex turned, forehead furrowed. “You know where his body is?”
Cutting her eyes over to the big man, she sighed. “No. I was making a funny.”
He blushed. “There were rumors that The Circle had a hand in that. So I thought Theo may have . . . never mind.” He turned the chair and straddled it, placing his arms across the back. “Mason’s the hardest nut for Collin to crack in a long time.”
“Nut is a good word to use. The guy’s crazy.” Hand under chin and elbow on her knee, staring at Rex, she asked, “Why’s the artifact so important?”
“Partly because it used to belong to Benjamin Ryker.”
“Collin’s dad?” she asked, watching Rex suck on his bottom lip in deep thought before dipping his head. “Oh. How did it leave the family?”
“Not really sure. I do know the red diamond in the pommel is worth a pretty tidy sum. But the story is, ‘whoever owns the sword will control The Circle.’ A bunch of shit if I’ve ever heard.” He snorted and glared at Mason in the next room. “That idiot either found a way into The Circle’s Main Sector or had inside help and took it. Thankfully we caught him before he could sell it to the highest bidder.” A crooked grin lit his features. “I bet Theo’s fit to be tied.” Rex darted a concerned look at her.
“No. I don’t care what you think. I don’t have a direct line to Theo.” His apprehension made sense. She’d been an eliminator for The Circle. What Rex didn’t know was Theo treated her as he did any woman. Like she didn’t have the sense to get out of the way of a speeding bullet, thus she was expendable. Though she had as much freedom as any male operative, she’d known at any time he could order her eliminated and not blink an eye in regret.
Eyeing the red-headed maniac, she wondered how he heard about Theo’s sword. During her time as Theo’s mistress, she’d seen his collection of medieval artifacts. He loved that collection more than anyone’s life. But she didn’t remember a sword with a red diamond or Theo mentioning one.
The door on the other side of the interrogation room opened and Dr. Shelton walked in carrying a small tray with a white cloth covering it. Collin spoke to her and exited.
Olivia stood and leaned back against the far wall with her arms crossed, not feeling comfortable with the doctor being alone with a psycho. Her gaze darted to the door as she expected Collin to return any second.
The doctor took Mason’s blood pressure and checked his pulse, ignoring the man’s obscenities. When she pulled out a large syringe, his face turned red as he struggled with the cuffs holding him in the chair. Suddenly one of the cuffs opened and he backhanded the doc.
Slamming her body into the door, Olivia darted to the other side of the interrogation room before Mason could work free of the last handcuff. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Rex rushing in behind her.
With a smooth, powerful kick, her foot landed square in the middle of Mason’s chest, pushing him against the wall away from the doctor on the floor. “Get Shelton out of the way!” she shouted at Rex. The room was too small for all four of them to maneuver.
When Rex hesitated, she knew they would be in trouble if she couldn’t convince him to leave. “I can hold this asshole off until you move her out of the way.” She blocked his attempt to grab her.
“This asshole is going to have your heart for supper,” Mason shouted. His spittle sprayed her and ticked her off. Who knew what type of germs the jerk had? She remembered the disgusting way he’d mauled her at the party.
“For God’s sakes man, say it, don’t spray it,” she jeered. By the look he gave her, a person would believe she’d called his mama a whore. He yelled and leaped at her. She took a deep breath and kneed him in the balls as his hands touched her neck.
A loud “humph” and the foulest gust of air brushed passed her. Luckily she moved to the side as Mason vomited on the floor and then followed it face first, landing in his own filth.
“The bitch has sent my nuts to my spleen,” Mason said in a high-pitched voice.
“What in the hell is going on in here?” Collin stood in the doorway, arms crossed, scowling at her.
“Hey, don’t look at me. He started it.” She pointed to Mason. The man had rolled over onto his back with his knees to his chest. His regurgitated supper smeared from face to knees.
“Rex, give Dr. Shelton over to Rick.” The bald orderly stepped around Mason and took her from the big guy. “Take Mason to the showers and clean him up. Get someone to help and keep a gun on him. Then you can do what’s needed to make him talk. I’m tired of fooling with his ass.” The other orderly stood nearby Mason holding a Glock two-fisted, arms straight out. Collin returned his attention to Olivia. She really wished he hadn’t. The man looked as if he would love nothing better than to dump her cold, lifeless body in a ravine. “You.” He jerked his head toward the door.
Did he really believe she would meekly do as he said? Hell, no! She hadn’t gotten to be The Circle’s lead eliminator without some guts.
“Is this how you thank the person who saved your precious doctor’s life?” Hands on hips, she huffed.
That was when her stomach protested the horrible smell in the tiny space. A clammy and cold feeling washed her face. If she didn’t get out of here, she wouldn’t be responsible for what happened next.
“Olivia?” Collin reached for her and she stepped back not wanting to be sick on him. She clamped her mouth shut, in effort to hold her stomach back by not breathing anymore of the foul air.
When he scowled at her, she knew he misunderstood her reaction.
She closed her eyes hoping that would help, instead the earth shifted and she swallowed, instantly regretting it. Her knees buckled, but then a light-headedness engulfed her, causing her to feel like she was floating on air.
Unable to hold her breath any longer, she tentatively inhaled. It was fresh and clean. Warmth flooded one side of her body. She opened her eyes. He’d picked her up and they were in the hallway. Collin looked down at her in his arms, his dark eyes filled with worry. She liked that, him worrying about her. Had anyone ever worried about her except in how she would kill them? Why did she have to ruin her vulnerable moment with that thought?
He continued to carry her, turning several corners and causing her stomach to roil with each turn. The OS was a freaking maze. They came to a huge double door she’d never seen before. At least eight feet wide and definitely castle worthy. He stopped next to a box on the wall, shifted her until she leaned against him and the wall. He then spread his hand on the glass, a blue beam flowed down his palm, and with a two-tone beep the doors drifted open.
“I’m okay now. I can walk.” She’d enjoyed being in his arms, but the feminist side of her said to protest.
The man had his ignoring routine down to an art. When he picked her up and stepped into the huge room, she gasped. It
was
a fucking castle. Or at the least, it wouldn’t be out of place in any stone and mortar stronghold a person could find in freaking England. Heavy furniture and tapestries everywhere with gargoyles of all types and sizes. What was up with that? Did he have a fetish for them?
“You can put me down now. I feel better. I won’t barf on your . . . my God! Is that a silk Persian rug?” she asked, her eyes wide and disbelieving.
She stared at the beautiful brown and blue design as they left the room. He hadn’t hesitated when they walked over it, but she recognized it. One similar to it was sold by Christie’s a few years ago. She’d wanted it so much but the bidding had reached a few more million than she had.
The wide hallway was lined with shelves that lit up as they walked by. Displayed on the glass were
objets d’art
that appeared old and rare.
Using his shoulder, he opened another wooden door about half the size of the first set. The bedroom was as large as her suite. In the center sat a huge bed covered with a royal blue comforter and several matching pillows. She’d expected the bed to be on a platform and drapery all around it, considering the tone of what she’d seen so far. Though large, the bed looked normal and almost out of place. She checked the ceiling. No mirrors but a beautiful mural of stars and a quarter moon were painted realistically.
Instead of dropping her in the middle of the bed, he continued to a small door off to the side. Inside was a well-appointed bathroom consisting of a separate shower and bath, and a double sink, mirrors everywhere, and another door that probably led to the toilet. The man didn’t believe in doing anything halfway.
He released her legs, letting her body slide down his. Oh, yeah, she liked that. She was all better. Wanting to taste those stern lips again, she leaned in. He stepped back.
Her body shivered. How much more of his teasing could she take? Either she would lose her mind and kill him or maybe she would get over her obsession. With his masculine good looks, broad shoulders, and the dangerous amber glint in his dark eyes, how could she not be half way in love with him?
Oh, hell.
O
livia stumbled and leaned back against the countertop in the bathroom. She needed to pull herself together. Being around him all the time almost drove her crazy and just because he acted like he cared. She needed to remember who he was, the master controller of the OS. Everything he did was for the greater good of his organization. And men were assholes. She was a grown kid from a trash bin. She was a killer. Those were facts. She liked facts. She could deal with facts. Ah, hell, she was falling apart.
Collin pulled out a cloth and soaked it with cool water from the silver faucet. While one large hand cupped her cheek, he used the other to wipe her forehead with gentle strokes and then follow a trickle of water to her neck. “Does that feel better?”
Only able to manage a nod, she closed her eyes. Had anyone ever taken such tender care of her?
The cool cloth worked its way over her collarbone. He pulled down the crewneck of her T-shirt and swiped the top of her breasts. Her nipples hardened. Then the cloth swept up and over to the back of her neck as he lifted her hair.
She shivered.
“Cold?” he asked.
“No.” It felt like ages since he’d last kissed her. Those lips of his were made to lick, bite, and suck on. Full but firm like the sensual man he’d proven to be to her.
Without touching him anywhere else, she tilted her head up and kissed him. Light and soft like he’d kissed her the first time. She no longer felt the cool cloth. He clasped her body to his, lifting her until her toes barely touched the floor as he took over the kiss. She loved how he invaded her mouth and wanted more. His hips ground against hers. He was hard and she loved it. On remembering what he’d done to her that first night, hell for that matter the night in Phoenix, she decided turnabout was fair play.
She wiggled until her feet were flat on the floor again. Her hands slipped down until she held shaft and balls through his slacks. Pleased by the way he hesitated in sucking on her tongue, such a turn-on, she massaged until he swelled bigger and harder beneath her hands. With an ease she hadn’t expected, he allowed her to unzip and unbuckle him. When she finally had his hot flesh in her hands, she squeezed enough to make him gasp in her mouth. Oh, yeah, he liked a little roughness. She’d guessed right.
She shrugged her shoulders and pulled away enough to run her tongue along his strong jaw. Then she slid down his body to her knees.
He was beautiful, long and thick, not too much of a good thing. She loved men’s cocks and understood why they loved playing with them so much. She did too. Hot and hard, she rubbed her cheek along his length.
“Dammit, woman, put me in your mouth and suck.” His voice guttural, almost sounding as if he was in pain.
Grinning, she licked the tip and savored the muskiness that was uniquely his. Unhappy with her dawdling, his fingers clutched a handful of hair and pulled back until she was looking up at him.
“Just having you on your knees nearly makes me come, but I want that beautiful mouth sucking my cock hard now.” His amber eyes flared so bright they almost frightened her. That just made her hotter to have him in her mouth, to show him what he had to be afraid of.
She took him as far as she could with one pull. Then using all the skills taught to her by Theo, she proceeded to give him a blow job he’d never experienced. His cock hit the back of her throat as she breathed slowly through her nose. Before she knew it, she was becoming even more excited by the moans Collin emitted. The best part was that she could tell by the foul words he used, he resented like hell his need for her touch. His fingers held her head but didn’t guide her. Her fingers caressed and rubbed his balls and then slipped to a special sensitive spot between his cock and anus. When he was about to come, she pinched him.
“Fuck!” Without pulling away from her mouth, he leaned down and grabbed her arm, squeezing hard. “Don’t do that again.” Her mouth stretched in a way he would know she was grinning. “I mean it, Olivia.”
Oh, the bigger they were, the harder they came. Still grinning around his cock, she took a long hard pull, thrust a finger into his anus and he exploded at the same time. He shouted and slammed a fist onto the countertop behind her, jabbing his cock deep into her mouth until he was limp.
Faster than she’d ever seen him move, he jerked her to her feet. “Damn you, won’t you listen? You’re always pushing it.”
She laughed and then he covered her mouth with his as his hand yanked her zipper down. He ate at her mouth as if he loved tasting himself on her lips and tongue. Then he plunged his hand between her legs and jammed two fingers into her wet cunt. One knuckle rubbed the small knot of nerves as he thrust another finger into her. Just having a part of him in her, even if it wasn’t the part she craved, had her hips meeting his touch and when he whispered, “Come for me,” she screamed against his mouth as wave after wave shook her body and she continued to tremble for several seconds more.
Before she could recover, he turned her to face the bathroom mirror. Her lips were swollen from his rough kisses. Her eyes shone with unshed tears and her hair mussed from his hands, she looked soft and feminine and well used. Never had she looked more like a woman and it all was brought about by the man studying her with his dark eyes.
Seconds ticked by and nothing was said; no movement was made. Then he shifted, sweeping her hair out of the way, and kissed her neck. She tilted her head and closed her eyes. The tenderness in his touch was more than she could handle from him. Abuse and anger she understood. She’d grown up with such attitudes, but the look in his eyes before his lips met her skin, they were filled with awe and nothing about her was worthy of such a look.
“Let’s fuck,” she said.
His eyes narrowed as his face flushed in anger. Oddly, even though she wanted the tender look gone, she mourned the loss. She’d only disappoint him. She leaned back into his hard body.
When her gaze met his again in the mirror, she caught the softness of pity. No way would she let him or anybody feel sorry for her. She was what she was and had come to terms with it years ago.
“Well?” she asked, expecting him to turn her down and she wasn’t disappointed.
He released her and stepped away. “Get dressed. We have somewhere we need to be.”
She turned facing him. “What is wrong with you? You like my body and I like yours. So why do you never want to fuck me?” From the way his lips straightened and the grooves on both sides of his mouth deepened she could tell her question bothered him. Was it really the question or that she asked it at all? Or maybe he was one of those prudes who hated to hear a woman swear.
Knowing she was about to poke an angry lion with a short stick, she smiled. “Did I find out your secret? You like boys?”
His head snapped up and his hands stopped arranging his semi-hard cock in his jeans. Then he laughed. A belly full, body-rich laugh. “You would like that. Then you’d think you’re safe from me.”
“There has to be a reason you haven’t fucked me.” She grinned back.
“Who says I haven’t?” He didn’t even look at her when he said that.
That wiped off her grin. She knew of men who loved screwing a limp unconscious woman. He had to be teasing her. Right?
After he zipped his pants and snapped them, he looked at her with one eyebrow raised.
She was still standing with her jeans open and riding low on her hips. Her face warmed. He made her feel like a schoolgirl having her first tryst in the boys’ locker room.
“Go. Put on a pretty dress for me. We’re going out.” He chuckled and walked into his bedroom leaving her to figure out what in the hell just happened.