Crave (The MacKenzie Family #11) (11 page)

“That’s more than enough to kill for.” She fought the urge to move closer and read over his shoulder. “Who are the players?”

“Taber made a successful hit on John Amir, the head designer at AeroNaut earlier today, so process of elimination puts them out of the race. The loss of one man won’t hurt them in the long run, but the designs submitted were Amir’s work. It would take them out of the running for this contract.

“Then there’s Boulder Corp. They’re a few hours south of here, not far from Cape Canaveral. Biddle had notes on their submitted designs, but nothing that would give the information we need. Biddle and a guy named Ted Thomas were supposed to meet the day after Biddle was murdered to go over the contracts. Boulder’s strength is in the aircraft. Not necessarily the missile, but I haven’t found any sketches or design notes yet.

“And then there’s DyniCorp.”

She remembered the dinner she’d backed out of with her father and the bachelors of DyniCorp.

“They’ve been a powerhouse in the industry the last five years. The company was built slowly, taking on smaller projects that could be done really well instead of biting off more than they could chew. Their reputation is solid.”

“That doesn’t mean they don’t need the money. There’s not a lot of people who wouldn’t risk their reputation for a billion dollar contract. Especially if they felt they’d never get caught.”

“No, you’re right,” he said. “I haven’t started digging into financials yet. I’ll have to start a second search on that tomorrow.”

“Something about that bothers you.”

“MacKenzie Security holds a large percentage of shares in the company. Declan is going to be pissed.”

“I like how you don’t assume that he could be as involved in this as anyone. Seems naïve on your part.”

He laughed and leaned back in the chair so it stood on two legs. “Believe me, if you knew Declan MacKenzie as well as I do you wouldn’t question it either. You find out a lot about a person’s character when shit hits the fan and they’re responsible for watching your back. Dec is the most solid guy I know. He doesn’t flinch, and he sure as hell doesn’t compromise his principles.”

“Whatever you want to do,” she shrugged. “It’s only my life on the line after all.”

She didn’t know Declan MacKenzie—or any of the MacKenzies for that matter—very well. She’d met some of them in passing over the years at dinner parties or political events, but that’s as far as the relationships had gone.

“I’d never put your life at risk, Evie. You’ve got to trust me on that one. Keeping you alive is the most important job I have, even more than finding out who’s behind this. If it came to the point where I had to choose your safety or bring down a company that could potentially ruin my career and what Declan MacKenzie has built, guess which I’d choose.”

She went perfectly still, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. She wanted to believe him. Wanted to think that she was that important to him—that he’d risk everything for her safety. Promises of that magnitude were easily broken when push came to shove. Her father had always told her to look out for herself first, because no one else ever would. She had to assume he’d given the same advice to Cal.

“I’m still gathering information at this point, waiting for my program to break down the security at Langley. Biddle met with Deputy Director Frank Reed the morning of his death in Reed’s office. All of those meetings are monitored and recorded. I’m trying to get access to the video.”

Cal rubbed his eyes and then ran a hand through his hair. The urge to walk over and straddle his lap was huge, and she deliberately moved behind the island to give herself some more space. Her brain and her body were going to have to have a serious conversation soon.

“I could use the help, Evie. This would go a lot faster if we were each working on it.”

The laugh that escaped her throat was brittle with emotion. “You know, Cal, through all the years we’ve known each other, I never realized you have that kind of cruelty in you. So what? I sit down at the computer to help and then all of a sudden you decide to turn me in for what happened a decade ago. I don’t trust you.”

“Says the woman who was writhing beneath me only a few hours ago.”

“Trusting and fucking are two very different things. You don’t have to have one to get the other. And there’s nothing wrong with me wanting to sleep with you. It’s just pleasure. And we might as well do something if we’re going to be stuck here together.”

He looked at her like she’d grown a second head. “Jesus, Evie. That may be one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard. You’re not really that hard. Why are you trying to pretend you are?”

“My feelings are my own. I don’t owe you anything else. But my future—what there is or isn’t of it—is in your hands. So you can see why I’d pass on your very tempting offer to entrap myself.”

“You really think I’d do that to you?” She was surprised by the current of anger in his voice and the hardness that came into his eyes.

“I wouldn’t trust you to do any differently. Better to be safe than sorry.”

He stood up abruptly, the chair skidding back across the floor, and he came toward her slowly, stalking her like a cat would its prey. He stopped several feet in front of her and she wanted to flinch at the hurt and anger in his face. But that’s what he wanted her to see. Cal had spent too long in covert ops. He was a consummate actor.

“Are you afraid of me?” he asked.

She wasn’t. Had never been afraid of him. And that put her at ease. She hadn’t realized how stiff she was.

“I’m not afraid of you. I’ve been taking care of myself a long time. But I don’t know what your game is either. You’ve never been one to show your hand.”

“What good would that do? You might as well wave a white flag in defeat.”

“True. And yet here we stand. Knowing an opponents strengths and weaknesses is essential.”

“Is that what we are, Evangeline? Opponents?” he asked.

She didn’t realize how different her full name sounded coming from his lips. He’d always called her Evie. “Being opponents would mean that I care one way or the other. You’re just a guy here to protect me on my father’s orders. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“A guy you can’t trust but want to fuck? Just so we’re being clear.”

Her heart flipped in her chest at the look he gave her. Violence practically shimmered around the outline of his body, and his eyes—normally a clear blue—were so dark they were almost black.

He was asking her for permission. Giving her a chance to back down from her earlier statement. But that had always been part of her problem. Pride. She never backed down from anything. Even when it was the smart thing to do.

“Pretty much,” she said. If her body wasn’t so tense she’d be shaking.

“Good to know. Take off your clothes.”

Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth went bone dry. “I beg your pardon.”

“You want to play, let’s play. Take them off. Now.”

He stripped his white t-shirt off over his head and she felt her pussy dampen. Jesus, the sight of him without a shirt should be illegal. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. Anywhere. Tattoos covered both shoulders and his chest—an intricate scrollwork she wanted to explore with her tongue. And the thin lounge pants did nothing to disguise a very impressive erection.

She licked her lips once and knew she had to make a choice. So she gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head.

J
esus, he must be out of his mind.

Cal couldn’t remember the last time he’d lost control. His temper was always quick, but he’d learned through age and experience to tamp it down and think before he did anything rash.

But as angry as he was, still he wanted her. More than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. And if sex was all she was willing to give him then he’d take it and hope for more later.

He didn’t want to be gentle. Didn’t want to love her the way he’d always thought it would be between them the first time. He knew she was inexperienced. But it didn’t matter. If she wanted to fuck then that’s what they’d do. And then maybe one day she’d realized it was an empty pleasure without something more to back it up.

“Take them off. Now.” The words sounded hollow. Harsh. But he would be damned if he’d take them back.

Lust filled her gaze. She might not trust him, but she wanted him. His cock was hard enough to drive nails—so hard it was painful—and his balls were tight and aching with the need for release.

She licked her lips and he almost groaned at the glimpse of that pink tongue as it moistened her lips. And he held his breath as her hands went to the bottom of her shirt and she pulled it off without hesitation. Her bra was white and he could see the pink of her nipples through the lacy cups.

“That’s a good start,” he said. “Now the rest. I’ll know every inch of that body, Evangeline. I’ll touch and taste it all. That’s what fucking is. Possessing each other to the point of madness.”

Her breath came in shallow pants and her eyes glowed amethyst. And then her thumbs went to the elastic of her shorts and he thought he’d come in his jeans at the anticipation.

She pushed them down so they dropped around her ankles and then stepped out of them. The panties she wore were nothing more than a few bits of string and lace, matching the bra she wore. Her body was sun kissed from her afternoon outside and her hair tousled around her face.

“You’re wet for me,” he said. “I can see it from here.”

“I told you I wanted you. It’s no secret. What about you? I’d like to see you too.”

He shrugged. “Not right now. You can either do this my way or go to bed and get yourself off like you did this afternoon.”

She gasped and color rose to her cheeks. “You saw me?”

“Saw you and came in my hand the same time you did. But make a decision quick. Either you stay or you go. Which is it?”

“If I stay, you won’t leave me unsatisfied?” she asked.

He could sense her embarrassment and discomfort at having to ask for what she wanted. She had a lot of courage and a lot of bravado, and she’d never backed down from anything. But this was new territory, and insecurity clouded the lust for a moment. He wanted to soften, but he put the thought away. That’s not what she wanted. Only the physical.

“What are you asking? Be specific?”

She took a deep breath. “There’s all kinds of sex, Cal. I want you inside of me. If I stay, is that what I’m going to get?”

If possible his dick spiked even harder at the explicitness of her words. “If that’s what you want. So we’ve negotiated penetration. Anything else you’d like to add?”

“Why are you being such a dick? This shouldn’t be that difficult. Guys like to fuck. I want to fuck. End of story. Everyone should come out satisfied.”

“I just want to make sure there’s nothing you’re uncomfortable with. I don’t want you coming back later saying you weren’t a willing participant.”

Her face drained of color and he wanted to kick himself for putting that wounded look in her eyes, but goddammit, he was hurt too. And maybe she’d realize how much it sucked to not have the trust of the person your body is joined with.

And then her spine straightened and her chin came up, and the look in her eyes sent a frisson of warning down his spine.

“Fine. Whatever you want. Should we put it in writing?”

“If it makes you feel better.”

“I don’t need it.”

He smiled and took a step forward, untying the drawstring of his pants. Her gaze dropped below his waist and she licked her lips again.

“You first,” he said, nodding to her.

Her hands came up and flicked the front clasp of her bra, and the cups spread, teasing at the fleshy globes of her breasts. She shrugged her shoulders and the bra fell to the ground.

Cal bit back a groan. Damn she was something else. But they weren’t finished with their negotiations. “What else do you want?”

“I—I don’t understand.”

“Yes, you do. What about oral? Do you want my mouth on that sweet pussy?”

Her nipples tightened into hard little buds and she shivered.

“Is that a yes?” he asked. She nodded. “And will you reciprocate? Do you want my cock in your mouth? Will you swallow me down until I’m shooting come straight down your throat?”

Jesus, he was going to come just by talking about the things they were going to do. Even as he had the thought she gasped and squeezed her legs together, and a little tremor wracked her body.

“Naughty, naughty, Evangeline,” he whispered. “I didn’t say you could come yet. Maybe I’ll let you suck me off first since you already got yours. Though that was just a little one.” She looked more surprised than anything and he would’ve laughed if there was anything remotely funny about their situation. “Now answer me.”

“Yes,” she said.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, I want to suck your cock. I want to taste you.”

“Thank you. Another point out of the way. What about anal?”

She shook her head, her eyes both fearful and curious. “I’ve never—”

“You’ve never touched yourself there while you masturbate?” he asked, arching a brow.

“No. Never.”

“It’s an added layer of pleasure. It’ll heighten everything you feel in your clit and pussy ten-fold. You won’t know your name or where you are. Just unimaginable pleasure.”

She looked down at the bulge of his cock again and shook her head. “I don’t think we’ll fit.”

“We’ll fit, baby. I’ll go nice and slow and easy. Until your begging me to go harder and faster. And you will beg.” He pushed down his lounge pants and stepped out of them so she could see all of him. His cock was long and thick and hard—he wasn’t sure it had ever been that hard before—and he grabbed the base of his shaft to keep from coming at the hungry look in her eyes.

“Jesus, Cal,” she whispered. “Maybe we’ll leave that out of the negotiations. I think our definitions of what fits are very different.”

“As you wish. You’ll tell me if you change your mind.”

“You’ll be the first to know.”

“Good, now hopefully we’re at the conclusion of our negotiations and we can fuck. That’s still what you want, right?”