emma_hillman_hired (7 page)

“Take five,” he ordered. “You haven’t had a
single break this afternoon. I’ll go get you a coffee.” He stood up and grabbed
his jacket, shrugging it on without once looking at her.

“I don’t want a coffee.” The words were out
before she could stop herself. They weren’t even true. She loved coffee, always
had. She just hated the fact he hadn’t asked her if she wanted one. God, but
she was contrary today. Her thighs cramped but she pushed the sensation into a
corner of her mind. She wouldn’t acknowledge her need, not until she was locked
in her bedroom.

“You don’t?” He turned around. “You’re always
up for coffee.”

“Not today.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Don’t start with me, Jessica. I’m not in the
mood.”

“No kidding? I’d never have guessed,” she
snapped back.

“Jessica,” he growled.

“Oh, I’m so scared!”

He was on her in two seconds flat. His palms
slapped on the table’s surface behind her, his body trapping hers as if his
arms were a cage. “I said, don’t push me.”

She looked into his face and asked, “Why?”

He blinked. “Why what?”

“Why can’t I push you? You do it to me all
the time after all! I’m here because I’m doing you guys a favor.”

“No.” He shook his head. “You’re here because
we’re paying you to translate an ancient text.”

“Is that right? Do you really think I’d have
stayed here after all the things I discovered if I didn’t want to?”

His eyes went flat. “So, why are you still
here?”

She couldn’t tell him the whole truth.
“Because I saw something in Faye’s eyes. She’s counting on me. Even your First
Man is. I didn’t want to disappoint them.”

He snorted. “Is that right?” he mocked her.
“Then why haven’t you already finished your job? Why are you still here,
twiddling your thumbs while they get impatient?”

“You’re distracting me.”

He pulled back. “I’m distracting you?” His
voice rose. “Are you freaking kidding me? I’m the one to blame because you
can’t do what you’re being paid to do?”

“Yes.”

“That’s rich. Are you sure you even know what
you’re doing? Maybe I need to call a few people and check you’re really the
best in the region.”

She rolled her eyes. “Like you didn’t do that
before trying to hire me.”

“I did hire you.”

“No, you knocked me out and kidnapped me!”

“You’re still here, aren’t you? It sure
wasn’t that bad if you accepted it all. The pay’s good too, isn’t it, baby?”

* * * *

He saw the intent in her eyes, spotted her
hand moving toward him, but he didn’t move back. Her palm hit his cheek with a
resounding slap, his head snapping back with the force of it. He looked down at
her an instant later but remained silent.

She was biting her lower lip, hurt and anger
and sadness etched into her face. “Drake...”

“If you’re not going to work anymore, we
should go. Jake and his wife are expecting us tonight.”

“Drake−”

He ignored her plea and grabbed her notepad
from the desk behind her, handing it to her without another word. He slipped
the parchment in his inside pocket and gestured her toward the front doors,
turning the lights off on the way.

They didn’t speak during their walk home.

They didn’t speak when they came out of their
respective rooms, both wearing much nicer clothes than what they were used to.

They didn’t speak on the way to his First
Man’s house.

But they both thought the same thing… It was
going to be a very long evening.

Chapter Ten

“Everyone in agreement, you will start
chanting the words.”

Ambrotos (Translation by Jessica James)

Drake couldn’t help but admire her curves. It
was the first time he’d seen her wearing something other than pants or jeans,
and the way the dress slithered down her body had rendered his mouth dry. All
he could think about was her. Her smooth golden skin. Her proud smile when
she’d managed to make him laugh. Her breasts bouncing as he took her hard.
Her...

“What’s going on?” His First Man popped at
his side. “You can’t keep your eyes off of her and yet you’re barely talking.
Don’t tell me you argued. You know I need her to stay happy.”

He gritted his teeth at the reminder. “I
know.”

“But you still argued.”

“Yes.” He nodded. “It was...unavoidable.”

“Why’s that?”

“You know I don’t do relationships.”

“Guardian,” Jake growled. “If I remember
correctly, the plan we agreed on was you’d have sex with her, not fall in love.
What the fuck has happened, and why didn’t you inform me?”

“Nothing’s happened.” He strengthened his
mental walls so his First Man wouldn’t be able to read his mind.

“Drake, I’m your friend too. Don’t start
pulling this on me. What the fuck happened between you two?”

“I made a tactical error.”

“Which was?”

He shrugged. “I thought I could offer her sex
in exchange of a more productive work. We...connected, and I had to pull back.
I can’t afford distractions in my role, you know that.”

Jake looked at him. “I don’t think it states
in the rules that you can’t have a life either. I need you as my Guardian,
true, but I’m not unreasonable.”

“I never said the contrary.”

“Then, why are you mopping in a corner when
you could be with her?”

“I’m not mopping!” His voice echoed
throughout the room, interrupting the women’s conversation. He turned toward
his First Man and glared at him. “I. Am. Not.”

“Sure.” He slapped him on the back. “Well, if
you’re so certain you can’t go back to your earlier deal with Jessica, I guess
it means I’ll have to find someone else to guard her. What about Simon? Do you
think she’d go for him? If your sex idea worked, I’m sure he’d be willing to
accommodate her wishes. You know him, always the ladies’ man.”

A red ball of fire erupted deep inside him.
He imagined his Lieutenant, so effortlessly charming, and Jessica; imagined
them in bed, her body covered by his, her mouth parting to shout out his name.
He grabbed his First Man by the neck and slammed him into the opposite wall.

* * * *

“Drake!” Jessica ran to him, her fingers
digging into his forearm. “Drake, let him go!” He didn’t appear to have heard
her, his gaze fixed on his First Man’s. “Drake, please. What’s going on? What
are you doing? Please let him go.”

“Drake?” Faye came to stand beside her, her
widened eyes taking it all in. “Jake, what’s going on? I know you’re stronger
than him.”

“He is?”

“Yes.”

“So, why isn’t he pushing him off him?”

“I don’t know!”

“Ladies, if you could adjourn to the kitchen,
I’d be grateful. We’ll be there in just a few minutes,” Jake sounded just a
tiny bit croaky.

“Are you sure?” Faye asked her husband,
clearly uncertain of what she should do next.

“Please, pet.”

That seemed to do the trick. Jessica let
herself be led away. She wanted to listen in at the door, but Faye wouldn’t
hear of it. It was between them, she said. They were men, so who knew what was
going on? She seemed confident they would deal with it however.

It appeared she’d been right when the two men
strolled into the kitchen five minutes later. There was no blood on their faces
or hands; their clothes weren’t torn. All in all, they looked as if nothing had
happened.

“What the hell was that?” Jessica cornered
Drake as soon as she possibly could. “Are you crazy?”

“Yes,” he replied, his hands finding her
hips.

She looked down, blinking when she realized
he was holding her in front of their hosts. She placed her palms on his chest
and pushed. He didn’t move one single inch. “Drake!”

“Yes?” He lowered his head.

“What are you doing?”

He didn’t respond, probably because his lips
were already on hers. It was as if they hadn’t spent the past day ignoring each
other. His tongue traced hers, his fingers moving to cup her ass and pull her
up. He grounded his erection against her soft folds and she bemoaned her not
thick enough dress. She could feel every inch of his glorious cock jerking
against her, knew it was only a matter of seconds before she widened her thighs
and let him do whatever he wanted.

“Want a bed, you two?” Their First Man’s
voice rang above their heads, effectively breaking them apart.

They stared at each other, panting as if
they’d just run a marathon. Lust rose, burning bright in their eyes and bodies.
If Faye hadn’t chosen that moment to tell them dinner was served, they would
have probably pounced on each other. Or, at least, declared they had to go
home,
right now
. Instead, they drew apart and rearranged themselves;
well Drake did. They sat down where their hostess told them to and tried to
behave as normal couples did.

* * * *

“What’s wrong?” Faye came to stand beside her
husband, his arm automatically wrapping around her waist. They watched the
other couple fade into the darkness as they walked down the paved steps leading
to the street below. “Drake is behaving very weirdly, even for him.”

“I know.” Jake circled his thumb over her hip,
his expression thoughtful.

“Jake?”

He sighed. “There’s a link between them,” he
finally said as he pushed her back inside and closed the door behind her.

“A link? What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure. I can clearly see the
connection between the two of them though. It’s like a vibrant red line that
ties them together.”

“And, you’ve never seen that before?”

“No.” And it worried him, it was plain to
see. “I guess you’re going to have to do some more research, pet.”

She nodded. “I’ll get on it tomorrow. I haven’t
read all the books in your library yet.”

“Our library.”

She scrunched her nose and nodded. “Our
library.”

“We’ll discuss it tomorrow. For now...” He
grabbed her left hand and pulled her after him, ignoring the mess they’d left
in the kitchen. He bypassed it all and took her upstairs, opening the door that
led to their secret room. The play room had been his creation, a reminder of
their first night together. It was even more opulent in this house, boasting a
lot more toys and...equipment. “I think you should take that dress off.”

He turned toward her and smiled when she
simply answered, “Yes, Master.”

Chapter Eleven

“But be careful, First Men and Women. If only
one soul does not agree,

the Gods and Goddesses will not respond to
your plea.”

Ambrotos (Translation by Jessica James)

“Yes, but on one condition.”

“Which is?”

“I get to say when we have sex.”

His eyebrows rose at her unexpected
declaration. “Is that right?”

“Yes.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
It would have had a lot more impact if she wasn’t down to her underwear, her
breasts nearly spilling over the tight confines of her bra. “I want to finish
my translation as fast as possible, and you’re not good for my concentration.”

“So now it’s my fault?”

She nodded. “It is. I don’t know what’s going
on, why I’m so attracted to you or why I feel as if I’ve known you forever, but
Drake, I need to focus.”

“And I’m a bad influence?”

“Well.” She licked her lips. “That one orgasm
per sentence idea was inspired. But all I could think about was falling on you
and taking you deep inside me. Which is nice, of course, but not good for the
work I’m being paid to produce.”

“What do you want me to do then?”

“Why are you even with me?” she asked the
question she’d been yearning to ask for days. “We’re on a locked compound! It’s
not like someone’s gonna hurt me or anything, so why do I have you as a
bodyguard?”

“I’m the Guardian, it’s my job,” he said,
then sighed when he noticed her rolling her eyes. “All right, you might as well
know the truth. I’m not guarding you, I’m guarding the text.”

“Oh.” Wow, she could feel her ego deflate,
just like that. “I see.” That made sense even. If the parchment was this
important to them, she could see why he would be with it at all times, and ergo
with her at all times. “Okay, well I guess that’s fine then. You’ll need to
stay with me.”