The Last Detail

Citation preview

Trust isn’t easy when the ones you want most are out to get you.

Ten years after she ran away from Earth, Lou Campbell is one job—just one more collar—away from earning enough credits to go home. All she has to do is lure Sam Dawson within range of her handcuffs with the promise of fast, hard sex. Easy. Once she gets him there, keeping her own hands off him isn’t so easy. Sam’s committed his share of sins, but he’s not guilty of selling secrets. Before he can convince the sexiest bounty hunter he’s ever seen that he’s been betrayed, all hell breaks loose. And he’s on the run with a false accusation on his hands—and a bleeding woman in his arms. Alone in her boss’s safe house, Lou and Dawson’s simmering attraction explodes into full-blown fireworks. When Jared Flores walks in on his best hunter and ex-lover in bed together, the surprise is mutual. Worse, the need he has long felt for both of them overrides his better judgment. After the fists fly, the sparks catch fire into a budding three-way romance. Then Sam disappears, leaving Jared and Lou in a race against time to not only retrieve their lover, but save his life.

Warning: Hot M/F sex, M/F/M sex, and holy moly some really hot MMF sex amongst lots of weapons and fire fights. Deceitful family members, nasty set ups, and an Alpha male whose lovers have naughty punishments in mind—when they catch him.

eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520 Macon GA 31201 The Last Detail Copyright © 2011 by Melissa Schroeder ISBN: 978-1-60928-521-0 Edited by Heidi Moore Cover by Scott Carpenter All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: September 2011 www.samhainpublishing.com

The Last Detail Melissa Schroeder

Dedication

To my Twitter peeps, for the hours of fun and camaraderie that makes up the great romance community. Thanks for the support and the laughs.

Acknowledgements

No book is ever written by the author alone. There is always a huge support system to keep us sane. Or I guess somewhat sane. Being completely sane would probably not make me a very good writer. Ha! First, I must always thank my ever-suffering editor, Heidi Moore. You are a diamond of the first water, woman. To Samhain for always being a top-notch publisher and to the staff for always putting in 150%. To Brandy Walker, for constantly listening to my complaining about the move to Alabama and all things military. Also, thanks to Kris Cook, who understands the entire ADD thing like no one else can. As always, I wouldn’t be the woman I was without the family behind me. Babe, you and the girls mean the world to me. Thank you for always believing in me.

Chapter One

The northern Arcadian wind whipped through Lou Campbell’s hair as she loaded her weapon and prepared for the unexpected. The sweet scent of gypsum blossoms tickled her nose, signifying the arrival of the second spring to the outer planet. She ignored it the best she could and concentrated on her mission, her last retrieval. Thank the Maker it wasn’t a kill. She wanted this bastard so badly she could taste it. One more job and she’d have enough credits to return home to Earth. Closing her eyes, she pushed away the joy that one thought brought. She didn’t need to lose her edge. No thinking about tomorrows, Campbell. Concentrate on today, the mission, the man. Placing her gun in the holster on her hip, Lou surveyed her surroundings, her gaze taking in every dark corner and suspicious character. Her nerves jumped and adrenalin coursed through her. Plaiting her long tresses to keep them from being used as a weapon, she planned for the job. The bar would be crowded, and she didn’t want trouble. She’d already added a few more weapons to her arsenal, all hidden beneath her clothing, including her stunner. Going into a situation like this with only one weapon was a rookie mistake. She knew that most of the patrons wouldn’t think twice about slitting your throat over drinks, but if they were worried one of their own was being arrested, they might turn even nastier. She’d have to come up with a diversion, a way to get Dawson out of there with little fanfare. Stepping off the curb, she approached the bar where her informant said Dawson was likely to be. She paused, allowing for a hover bike to speed past and then continued across the old-fashioned cobblestones. Arcadia reveled living in the past. Buildings resembled Earth one hundred years earlier, their own type of polluting crude was used for energy, and they loved decadence, in any form. From drugs to sex to food, they had it all here. If there was a sin, it was probably bought and sold on the streets. The Alliance of planets was happy to allow the residents of Arcadia to pursue their wicked vices as long as they stayed put on their own planet. She needed to scope out the place, see who was with Dawson, what weapons he carried. From the hologram she’d seen of him, he was a big one. She still felt a little guilty that once she’d found the image that she didn’t contact Jared. But she didn’t even want to chance their communication being hacked. Dawson’s bounty was definitely something that attracted a lot of attention. Since Jared ran one of the top retrieval agencies in the sector, everyone had to know he would send out agents. Lou pushed those thoughts aside and put her mind back on business. Even though she was trained, there were a few men who could overpower her. If she wasn’t careful, Dawson could do it, and she would

Melissa Schroeder

be stuck in this miserable quadrant for another five years once the government took away her credits. It was her damn luck that they had just passed a law to limit the number of years you could horde credits. As she drew closer, a man opened the door for her to enter. The tinny music poured out onto the street along with a fair amount of reefer smoke. Shit. She always ended up with a horrible headache when she was in the vicinity of the drug. Arcadia was ignored by the Universal Drug Agency and was allowed free range. Sort of like their own little red-light district at the edge of hell. Other planets seemed to think if they kept it here, they wouldn’t have to worry about it seeping into their districts. Her heartbeat jumped up a notch as she stepped over the threshold. It was always like this. Fear, anticipation and excitement all rolled into one huge ball. Taking a deep breath, she ordered her body to calm down, to gain control. Even so, her palms dampened and adrenaline flowed through her veins. Since the time she started hunting ten years earlier, she’d always had this reaction. She knew a lot of Jared’s workers got off on it. They loved the thrill, lived for the kick of adrenaline that came with each job. She hated it as much as she hated the work. But it was a means to an end, and this last detail allowed her to have some sort of pride in what she did. That had not always been the case. The usual unsavory characters crowded the bar. Even in the dim light she could make out the life forms at the tables. Every cutthroat on this side of the quadrant was probably present. Her stomach roiled when she smelled the stench of the smoke mixed with the smell of sour alcohol. She eased onto a free barstool that was against the wall. “What’s your poison, doll?” She glanced out of the corner of her eye and then dropped her gaze. Barely visible over the counter, the bartender studied her with some interest, not enough to bother her though. He was a male Eredite, an android. Shorter than the typical human male, he also sported pink eyes. They were used in all sorts of jobs like bartending since they hadn’t been approved for more intricate work. They weren’t overly bright, but they were known as hard workers. “I’ll take a geyser water.” He nodded, filled a glass, and set it on the bar in front of her. “Seven credits.” She held out her credit reader, allowed him scan it, and then tucked it away again. He hobbled off and she returned her full attention to the room. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the smoke and the dim lighting. The band, she noted, was a hodgepodge of creatures, some identifiable, some completely unknown to her. That wasn’t abnormal for Arcadia. One good thing about a dive like this, she knew most customers kept to themselves. Almost everyone had something or someone to hide from, and drawing attention to themselves wasn’t in their best interests. The only interchanges were the waitresses or the occasional whore. Keeping a low profile and getting Dawson out under his own will would make her life easier. No one would note him leaving with a woman for the night. Handcuffing him in front of everyone could lead to interference.

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Her gaze traveled over the crowd. Miscreants. There probably wasn’t a decent creature in attendance—including herself. She continued to study the gathering until her attention snagged on a corner booth. Slouched against the seat, a man sat appearing as not to have a care in the world. But his eyes, stone cold gray, examined the room with the same wariness she felt. His dark hair was cut short and two days worth of stubble littered his jaw. The clothes he wore resembled her own—dark, fitted, nothing pretty. His shirt stretched over muscles, outlining the contours, emphasizing his broad shoulders and muscular chest. Her pulse jumped. “That one’s trouble, doll.” She slid the bartender a look but said nothing as she resumed watching her prey. He sat with two females, human, one white, one Asian, both whores from the looks of them. Inwardly, she cringed. Women were always unpredictable, especially in situations like this. They may only be bought for the night, but it wouldn’t matter. And if they hadn’t been paid, it could be deadly. Whores always liked to get paid. She should know. When she finally looked at his face again, their gazes locked. For just a second, maybe two, she forgot to breathe. Heat tingled down her spine and, dammit, her nipples hardened. Even as far away as she was, she could see the challenge in his gaze, his demeanor. Without breaking eye contact, she grabbed her glass and took a long sip. He broke first to watch her hand place the glass back on the bar. When he looked at her again, his lips curved slightly. Heat flared within her, her hormones bouncing to attention. Even with the surge of arousal pumping through her, she felt the rise of adrenaline, the surge of sickening excitement. She touched her weapon in its holster and then slid from the bar stool to move in for the kill.

Sam Dawson watched the blonde as she approached his table and tried not to show his reaction. Reid and Denton were here for cover, but he didn’t think either contract agent would be happy if they knew he was sporting a boner hard enough to lift the table. He didn’t want it going in a report. And these two would do it just to fuck with him. Not that there would be a report. For some reason, he seemed to have lost his contact at Zenich Industries, the security firm he worked for. No one had picked up his transmissions for the last week. Considering his assignment had been flagged as covert with an immediate suspense, Sam thought it more than a little worrisome he hadn’t heard from them. Shifting his weight from one hip to another, he winced when his pants drew tight over his crotch. His dick throbbed against the fabric.

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Shit. He didn’t need to get itchy over a mean-looking woman. She looked like she was packing enough heat to take down half the bar. With a body like that, and the weapon she was carrying, she had to be trouble. Sam should know better. Women like her could get an agent killed. Damn if that didn’t interest him even more. What the hell was it about her? Usually, he didn’t pay attention to women who looked like trouble. It had to be all that hair. He was a sucker for long hair, especially that shade of honey blonde. The way she had it pulled back, he couldn’t tell exactly how long it was. He was guessing all the way to her ass. Which, he was sure, was full, round and just the right size for him to cup as he lifted her against him to sink his cock into her tight, hot… He groaned. “Something wrong, Dawson?” Glancing at Reid, he smiled, hopefully masking his interest in the other woman. “No, darlin’. Just a little…hot in here.” She smiled knowingly and glanced at the blonde approaching the table. He followed her gaze and his dick twitched when he made eye contact with the woman again. She stepped past a rough-looking mercenary without a second glance. Most women would have detoured five leagues out of his way. She didn’t even pay attention to the appraising look the man had sent her. It wasn’t that she didn’t know, because she looked to be a woman who knew what was happening around her. She just didn’t give a damn. Stopping in front of their table, she smiled. A curve of the lips and blood rushed to his groin. His pants drew tighter over his cock, and moving only aggravated his condition, the material rubbing against the sensitive skin. “Can I help you?” Her smile widened and her light brown eyes twinkled. His cock jerked. “I’m not sure you can. You seem to be a bit occupied at the moment.” Her gaze encompassed the two women. “I don’t like playing second fiddle, or taking someone’s leftovers.” Her voice barely reached him over the sound of the offbeat music and murmurs of conversation of those surrounding them, but he could still hear the seductive purr, the invitation. All remaining good sense drained as his dick hardened further. He was trying to come up with a reasonable answer when she turned to leave. Panic had him almost jumping over the table. Sam beat back the fear and took a deep breath, hoping for a steady voice. “Now, darlin’, there’s no reason to be so hasty.” She looked back over her shoulder. As she did, her braid moved to the side, giving him an unobstructed view of her black-clad ass. Jesus. Full, round…enough for him to grab a hold of just as he had thought. He motioned for the other women to leave, which they did, but not before they both gave him a look of irritation. He knew he’d pay for this one in the morning.

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Once they were gone, the blonde turned around and stood there not saying a word. “Going to join me?” He motioned to the booth. She shook her head. Wisps of hair that had escaped moved with the motion of her head, making Sam want to twist one around his finger to see how soft it was. “The plans I have wouldn’t be fit for public viewing.” Smiling, she cocked an eyebrow. The hum of arousal strengthened in him. Sam always liked a smartass woman. “Unless you’re into that sort of thing?” He licked his lips as every ounce of moisture dried in his mouth. “Uhh…no.” He slid out of the booth, the action causing another painful swipe of the fabric against his erection. She’d started walking toward the door without a backward glance. Within two steps he was by her side. Sliding his arm around her waist, he pulled her against him, staking his claim. She stiffened for a moment and he was sure she was about to object. A second later, she relaxed and he let go of a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. She had approached him, but it didn’t mean she liked to be claimed in this public way. He was surprised at the feel of her against him. Smaller than he thought, her bone structure leaned toward the delicate side. She appeared to be much larger, but that was probably due to the attitude. And in this place, she had a good reason to project that. Without really revealing he was studying her, he took note of her features. Blonde hair, honey-toned skin with a smattering of freckles across her upturned nose. Not to mention full, sensuously naked lips. Looking closer, he realized just how at odds her looks were with her demeanor. As they walked past the junkies and other trash seated at the tables, he kept half his attention on her and the other half on them. It was difficult to maintain his usual alertness with her body pressed against his and her slightly musky scent reaching him through the stench of reefer smoke. Once outside, he turned her toward the hotel where he’d rented the room. Anticipation skated along his nerve endings. It’d been a while since he’d had a woman due to his situation. But the heat pumping through him had less to do with abstinence and more to do with the woman by his side. He hadn’t even been tempted the last few months, other than to grab the occasional fuck. This one though, there was something—a spark—just from making eye contact. He couldn’t wait to get her naked and under him. Arousal skated along his spine as they approached his hotel. He should be concentrating on his problems, trying to figure out just why he was being ignored by Zenich, but he needed this. He truly shouldn’t be fucking a woman he barely knew, that was dangerous in his line of work. But he knew he could handle anything she threw at him, and for once in a very long while, he was going to take a risk. For this one night he was going to have his cake—he looked down at her—and eat it too.

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Several minutes later, they were in his room. After ordering the lights on, low, dim setting, he approached her. As he did, he noticed a few things about the woman. She was younger than he had expected. Maybe in her late twenties at best, but her bearing made her appear older. She wandered around his front room pretending interest in his belongings. He knew for a fact she could feel the connection between them. It was as thick as the reefer smoke in the bar. From the moment he saw her, he knew he wanted her. And that feeling had grown in the last few minutes to the point of pain. Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d make it past two pumps before completely losing control. “I haven’t seen you around before.” He winced at the benign comment. She shot him another cocky smile over her shoulder that he felt all the way to the soles of his feet. Not to mention another body part. He knew then she’d been waiting to see if he would speak first, some kind of power play. Just like when she’d challenged him when he watched her drink. “I just got in yesterday, been spending most of my time in the Dursend Sector.” She turned back around and bent over slightly, looking at his holograms. They weren’t of anything or anyone he knew, just part of the cover, so he let her have her look. And while she did, he enjoyed the view it afforded him. With more light, it was easy to make out the heart-shaped ass encased in the black pseudo-leather pants she wore. She still carried her weapon in the holster at her side, and he was sure she probably had one or two hidden somewhere else. He had to respect that. “Would you think it too forward if I asked your name?” She laughed, and the sound of it shivered through him. Deep and husky, it was just the kind of laugh a man liked to hear in a bedroom. Coy giggles did nothing for Sam, but a laugh like hers brought to mind soft murmurs and moans, silk sheets and spending all day in bed with nothing more than each other to feast upon. “Sure, Slick. Everyone calls me Lou. You gonna tell me yours?” He paused for a second, waiting for her to say more, for her to turn around. When she didn’t, he answered. “Sam.” She nodded but still didn’t face him. He understood to a point. It was a game, to see who would break first. Normally, Sam was all for fun and games. He liked to tease, be teased, all in good time. There was something about showing that type of control, playing on it, that heightened his enjoyment. But he didn’t have the patience for it tonight. Something moved within him, something he didn’t understand, something that normally would have scared the hell out of him. It was so primal he was sure he’d never be able to explain it. He wanted her, and he wanted her now. His body was almost shaking with the need to take her and make her his. Even as he tried to ignore his reaction, it almost overwhelmed every rational thought he had.

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Walking up silently behind her, he stopped within inches. He inhaled, drinking in the scent of her, something that had been ruined by the bar’s odors. Clean, fresh woman, nothing else. It had been a long time since he’d been close to a real woman, especially one without any kind of price. He took her waist between his hands and pulled her back against him. Her weapon slammed against his leg, but he ignored it. His cock pulsed at the feel of her soft curves pressed against it. She moved her hips, causing the fabric to rub against his shaft and he groaned. She purred in response. With no coyness whatsoever, she leaned back against him, sliding her arms up around his neck. Turning her head, she brought his mouth down to hers for a wet, opened-mouth kiss. As his heart beat so hard he was sure she could feel it against her back, he drank in the taste of her. Jesus, she was sweet, with just enough spice. All the while, she continued to move against him. A drop of precome wet the head of his dick and he started to wonder if he would actually make it two pumps at all. He slid his hands up her torso, past her stomach to cup her breasts. Tearing her mouth away from his, she moaned. “Ahh, you like that, do you?” Arousal threaded his voice. Her only response was to press her ass harder against his groin. Lord, he could imagine slipping into her from behind with a nice handful of that round ass of hers. To reward her, he pinched her nipples and smiled when she moaned again. Before he was ready, she was pulling away from him. She turned to face him, her eyes darkened with her own arousal. He could see the outline of her nipples pressing against her shirt. Licking his lips, he reached for her shirt, wanting to see what they looked like, what they tasted like. She stepped back from him, shaking her head. His shaft throbbed, straining, almost begging for relief. Her gaze roved down his body—stopping briefly at his crotch. Her lips curved, her tongue darting out to wet them. Damn if he didn’t feel it like a lick against his skin. Then she slowly returned her attention to his face. “So, Slick.” Arousal deepened her voice and another burst of heated blood shot to his groin. “Are you planning on sharing that weapon or are you going to make me beg?”

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Chapter Two

Lou swallowed the urge to run screaming from Dawson’s room. She had a job to do. She was a professional and had been for ten years. Everyone knew she was cold, methodical. Hell, there were men who called her the Ice Princess, and many hinted at her sexual preference, although neither group would do so to her face. She scared the hell out of most them. She could do this. He was just another detail. But holy Christ in a skirt. The man was driving her batty. “What is it you want me to do?” he asked. She loved his voice. There was a hint of the southern US in it—a twang—she hadn’t heard in years. It’d been driving her half-insane since she heard him first talk. She’d always been a sucker for southern men, with their pretty manners and seductive smiles. That voice…it promised things she had no right to, but it didn’t stop her from wanting them. From yearning for them. Snap out of it, Louella Campbell. She was acting like a rookie retriever. After years on the job, she knew not to let a detail get under your skin. She needed to remember this wasn’t real life. This was her job, and she wasn’t going to allow her last retrieval fuck up her chances of being free. It was a normal ploy she used now and then, especially on human males. They were an easy bunch to entice. Get their dick interested and you could lead them to hell and back—and they would beg for more. This was different. Something simmered between them. She hadn’t felt need for another human’s touch in years. Did he feel the need that burned through her veins? No, it had to be her. Men like him— hell, most men—didn’t have softer feelings. All they cared about was scoring, so it was probably her. Maybe she was going soft. It was a good thing she was getting out when she was. You go soft in the business and you end up dead. She’d had regrets about some of her jobs. She knew just how hard it was to survive, and sometimes you had to step over that line to do it. Even with those regrets, she would make her collar and take them in. It was a job. Emotion had nothing to do with it. Do the job, take the money, go home. There was something that was throwing her off on this one. From the moment she’d seen his hologram, she’d felt some kind of attraction toward him. In the flesh, he was a lonely woman’s wet dream come true. And now, for the first time in all these years, she wanted to screw the brains out of one of her pickups. Because that thought scared the hell out of her, her voice was rougher when she spoke. “I’d like you to take off that shirt.”

The Last Detail

He quirked one eyebrow, his lips curving. She pulled in a deep breath to try and calm her heart. Not to mention the wave of heat spilling through her. “And what will you give me if I do?” His voice rolled over every syllable, his accent becoming more lazy and seductive. Seven hells, he was beautiful. Not pretty-boy handsome. He was too earthy and flawed for that. His nose had been broken once—or maybe twice—and there was a scar on the right side of his upper lip. Damned if that didn’t make him even more attractive. He wore his sexuality right out in front for the entire world to see. Raw, basic, animal. There was a part of her that wanted to strip him down and use his body. He was offering that, not knowing her objectives. That she was sure of. The fact that she hadn’t felt this way in a long time…it caused more than a few problems. It had nothing to do with ethics and everything to do with survival. She wanted him. Wanted to feel his heat, wanted to stroke his cock, feel it slide into her as her muscles clamped down. She shifted her legs, the fabric of her pants brushing against her clit. Damp already, the action caused another gush of liquid to fill her sex. God, just this once she wanted the feel of skin against hers. Dammit to Hades, she was doing it again. This detail was too important. It offered more than money. It promised freedom. Bringing her mind, and her hormones, back under control, she spoke, invoking the cool tone she used for enemy combatants. “If you’re good…” She licked her lips and was pleased to watch his gaze follow the action. “Well, I’ll just have to reward you.” Approval shone from his eyes. As he began to unsnap his shirt, she counted backwards from ten. Then did it again. It was no use. It didn’t help that he was taking a long time to simply take off his shirt. She wanted to tell him to hurry it up, or grab the fabric and tear it from his body. The challenge she saw in his eyes told her he was testing her. When he finally pulled the fabric away, revealing a sculpted chest, liquid heat coiled in her stomach. Curling her fingers into her hands, she resisted the urge to step closer and glide her hands over his flesh. Slowly, he pulled the shirt off his shoulders, down his arms and then allowed it to slip to the floor. When she returned her attention to his face, his smile was now a grin, and she knew she’d been had. “Think you’re funny?” “No.” His smile grew. “Just doing as ordered, Lou.” She tried to ignore the slap of warmth that traveled down her spine and the way her breasts ached to be touched. The man was a walking seduction, and all he had to do was say her name in the southern twang and whole body throbbed. Keeping her hands by her sides, she stepped forward. His smile faded, but amusement still sparkled in the depths of his gray eyes. She’d love to smack that smug smile off his face. He probably expected her to

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touch his chest, so she did something different. Not breaking eye contact, she slipped her hand beneath the waistband of his pants and was rewarded when all the amusement drained from his facial features. Her fingers slid over the head of his cock, already wet, and he closed his eyes, his body shuddering. There wasn’t much room in the pants, being that they were some kind of micro-leather, and like she thought before, he was a big one. But she found enough give in the pants to trail one finger down the side of his shaft and was rewarded with a moan. Knowing there was only so far she could push him before he took back control, she pulled her hand out. When he opened his eyes, she almost melted on the spot. Lust shimmered, darkening his eyes to almost black. With just that one little look he had her almost begging him to strip naked and offer his body for her experimentation. She knew she needed control. If she didn’t direct the show, she would lose the upper hand and possibly lose her fee. Or her life. Lifting her fingers to her mouth, she licked off the drops of precome. The salty taste of him made her wish things could be different. Closing her eyes, she tried to wipe any of those desires out of her mind. She wanted what she couldn’t have. Losing herself in a man wasn’t a luxury she’d experienced in eons, and this one would make it easy. When she realized she was losing her train of thought yet again, she mentally shook herself and brought herself back to the task at hand—so to speak. She needed to stay one step in front of Dawson. He was a crafty man, one that was probably a double agent and wouldn’t think twice about slitting her throat. She raised her gaze to his. “Why don’t you have a seat?” she said with a smile. He hesitated for a moment, but then heeded her command. Once he was seated, she walked around him. The only sounds in his apartment came from the street below and his harsh breathing. She shouldn’t be so turned on by him, by the fact he liked to be touched by her. For the first time in ten years, she wanted a man’s hands on her. And wasn’t that just her luck. “Are you going to do something or just walk around me?” There was an edge to his voice that she hadn’t heard before. A normal person would be worried. His tone had a dangerous tinge to it, promising to get even. But for some reason she had a feeling that this man wouldn’t hurt her, not in the bedroom. Now, in a firefight… She stopped behind him and studied his back. Damn, he was built. Sinewy muscles, golden skin. Nude, he would probably resemble an Adonis. She curled her fingers into her palms to keep from touching. It was hard to control herself, not to give in to the temptation that he presented. He would allow her this, allow her to take charge and be the one who called the shots—at least this time. She was pretty confident that he would have to show his dominant side at some point. She’d read his file. Until recently, he had been a boy-scout space ranger. He had served in the militia, won a ton of medals and always did the right thing. The reason they hadn’t picked up on his trail was that he had been so good until now. Someone who skated on the edge of the law took a while to draw attention. This one though, he had sent red flags up the moment he started stealing the secrets.

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“Whatcha doing back there?” he asked, his voice no longer as dangerous. The hint of lethal sexuality was layered with his good-old-boy charm now. He had himself back under control. “Looking,” she responded. He chuckled and it was filled with the wicked temptation she had felt for him from the first time she had seen his hologram. He was going to be the death of her if she didn’t get him restrained and stunned in the next few minutes. She leaned forward, bending at the waist and set her mouth against his ear. “I like a pretty man.” He shivered as she expected, but she felt it all the way to the soles of her feet. “Yeah? I’ve never been called pretty.” She couldn’t stop the curving of her lips when she heard the way his voice deepened over the words. “I find that hard to believe.” She straightened then stepped closer. She could smell him, almost taste him. Masculine, not a whiff of fragrance that wasn’t from him. It was so basically male she had to close her eyes and pull in a deep breath. Remember the detail. Get him back to base. Get back to Earth. “In fact, I can’t see how any woman wouldn’t find every part of you tempting.” She gave in to the urge to settle her hands on his shoulders. He was warm, burning up. She caressed his flesh. She couldn’t help it. She opened her eyes and she could see him in the mirror. The two of them made a picture. Ruined and broken woman. Dangerous criminal. God, what she wouldn’t give to indulge. She knew the male agents did, but she knew she couldn’t afford that. Many of their jobs thought they could offer sex and get off the charges pending against them. She knew Dawson must not even suspect her, or he would have killed her by now. For her, if she were to do this, there was a good chance he would get that chance to kill her. “What was that?” he asked as he studied her face in the reflection. “What?” “Something about your expression looked…sad.” She shook herself out of her funk and back to the task. She couldn’t think about things that were never going to happen. After years of disappointment, she had learned not to play that game. She smiled at him. “Nothing, just a moment of melancholy.” Dawson cocked his head to the side. “About what?” At first, her heart flip flopped. Just the concern she read on his face and heard in his voice had her melting on the inside. No man asked her about things like that. Not even Jared and he was the closest thing to a husband she had. At least a husband with no sex involved. “Let’s not talk about it.” For a moment, he looked like he wanted to argue, but apparently he thought better of it. “So, what now?”

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The seductive purr was back and it had her quaking inside. Lust flowed through her blood like lava, burning her from the inside out. “I thought maybe we could play a little game.” “What kind of game?” he asked. She pressed against him. “I thought you might let me tie you up.” His face hardened, his eyes burning with a fire that would probably consume them both if she let it. He swallowed. “Tie me up?” “Nothing big,” she said, moving away from him. “Just your hands at your back. I want to play a little.” He swallowed again, then nodded. She pulled out her cuffs, the new ones Jared had just gotten her after months of nagging. She would use them this one and only time. “I promise not to hurt you,” she said teasingly. He sighed. “That’s not a promise I care about.” She wanted to sigh herself. In the years since her attack, she hadn’t met a man who intrigued her like this one. She was ready to toss aside the fact he was a wanted man, that he was selling secrets to the highest bidder, and would probably cost many people their lives. All that didn’t matter, and that scared the hell out of her. But the one thing she never did was fall on the job, especially not the one that would get her home. She slipped her fingers down his arms, enjoying the feel of his hard flesh beneath her digits. God, she would never forget just how wonderful this felt. She would probably lie awake with the thought in her head for months. As she reached his hands, she sighed. Long, tapered fingers, wide palms. She wasn’t a little woman but his hand would swallow hers. Rough calluses marred the tips of his fingers. A lot of agents in his field had smooth hands, manicured fingers. This was a man who didn’t mind getting in the middle of a dirty fight. “Having fun?” he asked. She fought the shiver of need that welled up inside her. She had to arrest him, needed to take him in. He was dirty and without scruples if he was selling secrets. Drawing in a deep breath, she coded the electronic restraints and strapped them over his wrists. She ignored the little thrill that unfurled deep within her belly at the sight of that. She rose and looked at their reflections again. His gaze rose to hers, the fire had flared higher and it had her own arousal rising. She wanted him, and there was no getting around that. But she wanted to get back to Earth more. With more resistance than she thought she had, she turned away and went to retrieve her weapon and put it in her holster. Then she pulled out the stunner she’d brought with her. “What the hell’s going on?” he asked, apparently realizing something else was happening. Finally.

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Without turning around, she said, “Samuel Dawson, you are under arrest for the procurement of secrets and the selling of those secrets for profit.” Silence filled the room. She could feel the seething anger start to rise within him. Even without looking at him, she knew he wanted to kill her. And he would if she didn’t go through with her next threat. She turned to face him and was not ready for the fury that now burned in his eyes. She deserved it and would be ready to do murder if their roles had been reversed. But, she didn’t give a damn. Or she would as soon as she told herself not to at least a million times. “What the fuck are you talking about?” “Zenich Industries said that you stole some technology, along with positions of their undercover agents to sell. Your supervisor turned you in.” She waited, knowing the explosion would come next. She didn’t have to wait long. “You fucking bitch.” The building shook from what sounded like an explosion. “What the hell was that?” Dawson asked. She shrugged. “You know this place. There’s always some kind of hit.” Which was true enough. Organized crime thrived on Arcadia, and on a night like tonight there would be a hit somewhere. “You think you can get me off this planet without problems?” He asked as he looked to raise himself out of the chair. She held the stunner out in front of her. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I don’t have to bring you in alive, and I won’t if you give me trouble.” He sneered at the small weapon. “You think that scares me?” “It should. It isn’t normal. I added five hundred nanovolts to it. You might survive, but the last guy I used it on never recovered.” She saw that her threat was working, thank God. She didn’t want to test it out on Dawson. “They say that he’ll never wake up, but he does relive the pain of the hit over and over in his coma.” His eyes narrowed. She knew he was trying to decide if she was telling the truth. She was, although the collar she had used it on was not even close to Dawson’s size. “Good, you look like you might just be acting smart for one time tonight. I have to take you to base camp. Am I going to have a problem with you?” His jaw flexed as he ground his teeth. “No. Not at the moment.” “Good. Now, let’s get you up and out of here. I have my transport pod waiting for me at the depot station down the street.” She reached out for him, but he stopped her with one word. “Don’t.”

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The cold tone made her want to recoil. Hell, she wanted to leave, just give up on the mission and go back to base camp. Why was she reacting this way? God, it was stupid, beyond asinine. Instead, she shrugged and watched as he lifted himself out of the chair. He stepped closer to her. “Tell me something.” “What?” “Do you whore yourself out all the time, or was I just special?” She felt the gash to her heart and the slice at her pride. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been a whore at one time. And usually, a man calling her that would end up with his balls aching from her knee. But instead she smiled. “Anything to get the job done, slick.” With that, she motioned to the door with her stunner. “Let’s go.”

As his captor pushed him down the street, Sam mentally cursed himself. The one mistake he made, the one woman he knew he shouldn’t have anything to do with, but he had been too intrigued, too needy. Now she had a weapon that could fry him pointed at his back and he was being taken somewhere that would mean certain death. On top of that, she had confiscated his laser dagger. It was his favorite weapon, dammit. Someone had set him up. Probably his supervisor. That retribution would come later. First, he had to get rid of the bitch he was with right now. Denton and Reid needed to be warned. If their names had fallen in the hands of someone out for money, they would be dead by the end of the night. “Hurry it up, Dawson. Big man like you should move faster.” Hearing her voice made him want to snarl. Dammit to Hades, he wanted to use that fucking stunner on her himself. Unfortunately, the sick fuck that he was, he still wanted her. He was still aroused, still couldn’t forget the way it had felt to have her hands on him. Damn woman was going to drive him insane. “What makes you think I’m dirty?” he asked, knowing that if he could distract her, he might be able to overpower her. “Well, the accusations come from someone at Zenich Industries.” “And?” “And nothing. I just got the collar, and they put a lot of credits on your head. I needed them.” There was something in her voice when she said it that struck him. “How many?” She sighed. “Five thousand.” He stopped and turned. She almost ran into him. “Don’t try anything, Dawson.”

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“I’m not. But what could I have stolen that would be worth that much?” She shrugged. “I’m sure you know what you took. Although the agents’ names alone would probably be enough. Don’t think you can distract me. Let’s get moving.” He did as ordered as he pushed the problems with the price on his head away. He had to figure out how to get away from her so he could clear his name. Then he could investigate the set up. The street was deserted. The idea that either Reid or Denton would come to his rescue wasn’t an option. They knew when he went to bed with a woman they wouldn’t see him for at least the night, if not a day or two. So he had to create some kind of diversion to escape. They turned the corner that led to the bar when he heard the first siren. “Fuck,” Lou muttered. The red and blue lights flashed as they neared where the bar was. Or where it had been. The whole front of the thing had been blown away. The multitude of law enforcement officers had both of them stopping in their tracks. Neither of them said a word for a second or two as they watched the activity. Then someone noticed them. A reign of laser fire hit the building beside them. Adrenaline and fear pumped into his system as he felt her fingers wrap around his biceps. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” He glanced at her. “You don’t want to turn me over to the LEOs?” She snorted. “And give up my credit? No fucking way.” “Mercenary?” She nodded. “You bet your cute ass.” They slipped down the street away from the club and they came across a hunter he had seen before. Hendrix was a step above scum, although from his dingy clothes and the sunken expression on his face, he seemed to have slipped down with that scum. “Going somewhere with my collar, Campbell?” Hendrix asked. Sam felt Lou’s hand tighten on his arm. “I think you have that wrong. He’s mine.” “Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought you didn’t go for men.” Even as pissed as he was at Lou, Sam didn’t like the way Hendrix was looking at her. There was a predatory gleam in his eyes that sent a chill through his blood. “I didn’t say I didn’t like men.” “You turned me down.” She snorted. “And what does that have to do with whether or not I like men?” It took a second for her barb to hit home. The leering expression in the man’s eyes dissolved into anger and he pointed his gun in her direction.

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“He’s mine.” She sighed, the sound of it filled with irritation. He knew that she was losing her temper. “Don’t push me, Hendrix.” “You think you’re so smart. Of course you’re one of the best trackers. Why the hell do you think Flores sent you out after this one?” He tossed a sneer in Sam’s direction. “He’s not going ever pay you what he promised.” She said nothing and Sam glanced in her direction. She was a bit taken back by that comment but she rallied. Straightening her arm, she aimed her stunner at her adversary’s groin. “I’d step aside if I were you.” He snickered as he pointed his own weapon at Sam. “Sure you want to—” He broke off in a horrid scream of pain when Lou hit the switch on her weapon. The man fell to the ground, his weapon clattering over the pavement as he twitched and drooled. “Shit. I hate having to do that.” She released Dawson for a second but kept the weapon aimed in his direction. She picked up Hendrix’s gun and put it in her extra holster, then pulled out his communicator. After slipping the communicator in her belt, she turned back to him. With a smile that sent ice shards cutting through his blood, she said, “Now, remember what that looks like, Dawson, and maybe you’ll remember to behave.”

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Chapter Three

Something sick and slimy settled in Lou’s belly and she did not like it. Something was really off about this assignment. She had seen the documents, seen that Dawson really was on the take, or so said his supervisor. But the truth of the matter was, she didn’t like coincidences. “Who is Flores?” Sam asked as they hurried toward her transport. Her nerves were frayed and each step they took shredded them even more. “What?” “Flores? The one Hendrix mentioned.” She sighed, irritated with herself. She knew her momentary lapse about Jared had caught Sam’s attention. “He’s my boss. And no, I don’t think he sold me out.” At least she hoped not. If he did, he was a dead man. But she couldn’t see him doing it. Jared was a lot of things, and he was pretty cut throat. More than once she knew he had crossed way over the line of what was considered acceptable behavior. Still, he usually only did that when there was no other choice, and she was the exception. He had never once sold her out, even though he’d had more than one chance to do it. “Ah, so you’re involved.” She couldn’t stop the little hitch in her heart at the statement. Jared and her had never been sexually intimate. If there had been one man she would have allowed in her bed, it would have been Jared. Too bad he showed little-to-no interest in her in that way. He had too many bed partners at his beck and call. With a mental shake, she pushed those thoughts aside. She said nothing to Dawson as she kept putting one foot in front of the other. The bad feeling she felt was growing with each meter they covered. Something was very wrong. “You can let me out of the restraints.” She didn’t respond. She kept her attention on the area around them as they skulked down the street. Damn, if this wasn’t going south and fast. She needed to get Dawson back to base camp before anyone else decided to pop up on her radar. And then she could deal with Jared. She knew before she saw the guards around the depot that they were screwed. She turned the corner and saw enough armored men to put the fear of God in her. “What the hell?” Dawson said as she shoved him back.

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She leaned against the building and peeked around the corner. The guard’s sensors apparently hadn’t picked them up, but it wouldn’t take them long. Their chances of fighting their way in there to get her vehicle were slim to none. “What the fuck is going on now?” His irritated tone added another layer of agitation wrapping around her spine. She hadn’t ever had a job go this bad this fast. She had a safe house here, one that Jared knew about. Once she didn’t show up with Dawson, Jared would head to the planet and know exactly where to go. She started back in the direction they had just come from. “Come on.” “No.” She turned around, her weapon aimed at him. “Move it, Dawson.” He shook his head. “No. Not until you tell me what’s going on.” She had no fucking idea, but she wasn’t about to admit it to him. That would show a weakness she couldn’t afford. Not with any man. “It looks like there’s more to your backlog of crimes, if you ask me. For some reason, the authorities have a hard-on for catching you.” “Give me a break. Those weren’t LEOs.” “What do you mean? They were in uniform.” “Packing enough firepower to take out most of this side of the planet. You know LEOs don’t have that kind of equipment. Their budgets are shot.” Dammit, he was right. She slinked past her captive and peeked around the corner again. She saw the people standing watch and realized that Dawson was right. The ammo was definitely top of the line. Regular LEOs didn’t get much ammo and definitely not the latest gear. Irritation and embarrassment filled her. She should have noticed that right off. “Pretty nice weaponry,” Dawson said, his breath feathering over the back of her neck. Her body responded immediately. Her breathing hitched, her nipples tightened and the yearning she had felt since she had seen him in the bar grew. She was doomed to be attracted to the wrong kind of man. Needing some space, she elbowed him in the ribs. He stepped back with a curse. “Back off, Dawson.” “You know we will look less inconspicuous if I’m not shackled.” She turned to face him again. Lou knew he was right. They would gain attention from the armor on the street if they saw her leading him along. It could be a coincidence that the bar was blown to Hades, but she didn’t believe in them. There was something definitely off about this retrieval. “I promise to behave.” She snorted. “How many times do idiots buy that? I don’t trust you any further than I can throw you.”

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“I don’t have warm cuddly feelings for you either, but this way we can at least have a fighting chance. Or are you afraid you won’t be able to get me shackled again.” She sighed. If they were made, he would be a sitting duck. Her one and only chance of making it back to home base and getting the credits was taking Dawson in by herself. If they were captured by LEOs or whoever the hell those uniforms were, she would lose her collar. “Okay. On one condition.” He smirked. She wanted to slap that smile off his face. Of course, the horrible thing was that she wanted to jump his very gorgeous bones too. “You try anything and I will stun you. Do not think about fucking with me, or I will fuck you up.” He nodded, a look of mock gravity etching his features. She knew he was planning something, but at this moment beggars couldn’t be choosers. “Turn around.” He did as ordered and she entered the code into the small keypad. He sighed and his shoulders relaxed. As he turned around, he massaged his wrists. She opened her pack and threw his shirt at him. He grabbed it one-handed and hurriedly put it on. “Okay, let’s get going.” “Don’t you want to know what those agents are up to?” She shook her head. “I don’t give a damn as long as they don’t get in my way.” “No sense of loyalty.” The barb hit home, sunk its claws into her heart. “I hate to drag you into the real world but most people in this quadrant don’t have the luxury of loyalty. Being loyal to yourself is the only thing that matters.” “That’s a bit cold hearted.” “It might be. But I wasn’t selling secrets to the highest bidder.” “I wasn’t either. I was set up.” She offered him the coldest smile she could. “Yeah, like I haven’t heard that one before. In fact, I hear the Bathazar Detention Center is filled with innocent men just like you.” “Think, woman. You get here, another bounty hunter shows up, and then the bar that I meet my contacts in is blown to hell. I was set up.” “By who?” “I have no idea, but I will tell you that when I find out the person is dead.” She did not doubt it from the tone of his voice. “You really think you were set up.” He leaned forward and she held her stunner up. “Don’t do anything to make me hurt you, Dawson.” He glanced down at the weapon then back up to her face. “I’m not dirty. You might not understand this, but I have honor. I did not sell secrets, I would never do that. And those two women who probably

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died at the bar were my partners. They were sold out to the highest bidder. You might not have loyalty to anyone, but I do. Now what’s your plan?” She swallowed the lump in her throat and most of the anger he had built. “I have a safe house. Or Flores does. It’s in the mountains. Only agents who work for Jared know about it.” “A rendezvous place for you and Flores?” She rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the curious warmth that filled her chest at his jealous tone. He was the enemy. She shouldn’t be getting a school-girl crush on him, but it was hard to ignore the way he spit out the name. “Not that it is any of your business, but no. He’s my boss, and my friend.” She pulled out her scanner and tuned up the untraceable Universal Positioning Program. She typed the address and then stuck it in her pocket. “We need to grab a transport, then we can head up.” They rounded another corner onto yet another deserted street. It reminded her of the pictures she had seen of Chicago or New York City on Earth during the early part of the twentieth century. Gray, dingy buildings lined the dimly lit sidewalks. A cobblestone pattern made the street look as if a horse-drawn carriage would appear around the corner at any moment. It was a façade for those people who wanted to remember life in simpler times. And of course, it allowed for the less-savory types to take advantage of people lulled by mystical surroundings. She noticed a few transports down the street and headed in that direction. “Hey, I need my weapon back,” Dawson said. “Likely chance.” “I know you don’t believe me, but I know security. Slinking down the street hoping not to be found will not help.” She sighed again. Dammit, she hated that he was right. She stopped and looked at him. “You give me any problems and I will be getting those credits with your dead carcass. Understand.” He nodded and she pulled out the Dagger Laser that he’d had when she’d taken custody of him. Before she could start on her way, shots exploded around them. She ducked around the corner, Dawson hard on her heels. They slammed up against the wall of the building at the same time. “Fuck. Does trouble follow you?” he said as he leaned around the corner. “I haven’t had issues until I ran into you.” He tossed her an angry look and stepped away from the wall. “Hey, you can let me go any time.” “No, I want my credits.” His face lost most expression except for coldness. He opened his mouth, apparently to blast her back to hell, but she saw a LEO behind him. The officer raised his weapon and pointed it at Dawson’s back. Without a thought, Lou used all her strength to push Dawson aside. He wasn’t ready for it, so he stumbled

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back out of the way. She pulled her weapon up and fired, but not before she felt a flash of heat then a sting of pain in her shoulder. The sting of pain grew into an inferno racing over her flesh. Her world blurred, her body feeling heavy all of the sudden. “Campbell?” Dawson asked. His voice sounded odd, as if he were far away and down a tunnel. He caught her with his hands as the world around her exploded in an array of explosions. “Fuck,” Dawson muttered. He pulled her closer and she tried to talk, but couldn’t. Her lips moved but no sound came out. Or maybe there was a sound, but she couldn’t even figure out what it was. He lifted her, and she found herself draped over his shoulder. Nausea rose up as he jostled her. She tried to talk again, but Dawson said, “Just shut up while I try and save your ass.” Lou wanted to blast him, wanted to tell him to go to hell. But in that next second, her world faded to black.

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Chapter Four

Sam bit back a growl as he ran down the street, his companion draped over his shoulder. For such a little woman, she weighed a ton. He blindly ran down streets, allowing the instincts that had kept him alive these past few years to lead him. The explosions and fired rounds faded as he headed out of the Business and Transportation district and into a more residential area. He spotted a transport vehicle in an alley across the street. He hurried over and pulled out the device he kept on him to decode security. With one wave, he silently thanked the geniuses at Zenich as he heard the locks release. He opened the passenger door and settled Lou in the seat. For a brief moment, he studied her. She was pale but her breathing wasn’t labored. It was odd seeing her this way. He had seen her seductive, bitchy and downright dangerous. Now though, she looked younger, as if she couldn’t be more than maybe twenty-five. He brushed a lose tendril of her hair away from her eyes and tried to ignore the little jolt he got by seeing her this way. When she wasn’t wearing that tough-girl façade, he could see a glimpse of the woman beneath. He shook himself out of his stupor. He had to get them out of the area. As he pulled out on the street, a small beep sounded, followed by instructions. He found her GPS and realized she had plugged their destination coordinates in. He glanced at her one more time and smiled. He loved a woman who was always prepared.

Jared Flores slipped through security without a problem. His credentials were excellent and he figured there was a good chance that even the highest security scanners wouldn’t be able to detect his deception. He stepped out of the depot and pulled his wide collar up against his jaw. He hated this fucking planet. The moment he had gotten the notice that Dawson was up for retrieval, Jared had known he was going to end up on some godforsaken out-realm planet. It was the only place the bastard ever worked from the file Jared read. Arcadia was one of his least favorite planets and now he was stuck on it. Of course, it was one of the reasons the safe house here worked so well. Everyone knew how much he despised the place. Panic was still twisting in his gut. He should have never sent Lou. The moment the notice had come in there had been something off. Pictures always accompanied a call. This one had been missing that, along with a few other details. Jared had put a call out for information as soon as Lou had left, and what he’d learned had been enough to freeze his blood. Dawson wasn’t someone anyone in their right mind would

The Last Detail

want to tangle with. There wasn’t a job he wouldn’t do, as long as the money was right. Mercenary and tough. Of course, Dawson had been like that when they had been in school together. Dawson had gone by a different last name at the time, so that is why Jared hadn’t discovered it was him until after he’d dug up a hologram. From the moment he realized who Dawson was, Jared had been riding on a fine edge of terror. With Dawson’s family, there was no doubt this could turn nasty. He couldn’t believe he’d sent Lou in after Dawson. The family Dawson sprung from liked to eat their young and anyone involved with said young. Jared had become up close and personal with it very early in life and he didn’t want Lou to get hurt. Dawson wasn’t the problem, but his family was. They tended to leave people battered and bloodied. Jared grabbed a transport without any problems. It reminded him of the days when he and Lou had been running on the streets of Gemalandia. Popping transports and stealing credits had been a way to get by, along with more unsavory methods. He pushed that thought aside and drove down the roadway that led to the mountains where the safe house was located. The first indication that something was wrong was the amount of surveillance that had gone up on his home base the moment he sent Lou out to retrieve Dawson. Jared had been followed on more than one occasion since then. The attack on the home base…Jared tightened his fingers on the steering wheel. He had lost some good people to these bastards and he would make them pay. First he had to make sure Lou was okay. He turned the corner and saw flashing lights. Shit, that had to have something to do with Dawson and Lou. He worked his way through the traffic of onlookers. A burned-out club, a dozen agents dressed like LEOs. Neither was a good sign. He held on to the fact that he would know if Lou had been killed. Something around the retrieval smelled like the seventh sphincter of hell, but he knew they would notify him of her death. Just thinking the words had his gut tightening. Fuck, he shouldn’t have sent her. But she wouldn’t shut the hell up about the credits it offered. All she cared about was getting back to Earth. Like that would make things okay, that her life would be changed forever. Ten years and he had yet to convince her that the life both of them had before running away no longer existed. Still, he hadn’t been able to tell her no. He could never tell her no. Lou didn’t realize there wasn’t a day that went by that he would give her anything she wanted. She was completely oblivious to the feelings he had for her. He pumped the accelerator and headed toward the safe house as fast as he could, hoping he would find Dawson and Lou there safe.

Sam carried Lou up the stairs to the safe house. It hadn’t been that easy getting out of the city without being detected. He was just lucky that Lou had punched in the coordinates of the house or he wouldn’t have known what to do. He wasn’t sure his captor was going to be awake any time soon.

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He used the same device that let him steal the transport to open the doors without a problem. After pushing a few more buttons, it gave the all clear for alarms. He opened the door and stepped into the house, shutting the door behind him. With a sigh, he leaned down and set her on her feet. She had been out cold for so long, he was starting to worry. “Hey, Lou, you need to wake up.” She mumbled something under her breath he was sure was anatomically impossible for a human. He leaned her against the wall next to the door and gave her cheek a little slap. She frowned, but still didn’t open her eyes. He had to bite back a laugh. She didn’t look like the kick-ass retrieval agent. He needed to wake her up so he could take a look around. The house was out in the middle of nowhere, and from what he could tell no one was around. But another check of the house was in order. “Campbell, wake up.” Her eyes fluttered, then she opened them. Damn, he could drown in them. They didn’t fit the image that she projected to the world. Soft, with full lashes, they reminded him of aged whiskey. It took a moment for them to focus on him. “What happened?” She glanced around. “Are we at the house?” He nodded, looking at her pupils. They weren’t dilated, so whatever drug had been in the shot she took had worn off. “How did you know to come up here?” “I followed your GPS.” She looked down at his hands. “You can let me go now.” “You’ll fall on your ass.” “I won’t. Let me go.” He did as she ordered, and she started to slide down the wall. He caught her before she could fall down. “Easy, darlin’. That shot you took had a bit of a punch.” She closed her eyes and she lost some more color out of her face. “I heard that some of the contractors were experimenting with drugs.” He didn’t like the way she looked, or the way her voice wavered. Sam needed her spitting fire and kicking ass. “Are you telling me you can’t handle it, Campbell?” She opened her eyes and shot him a look that would shrivel most men. Sick fuck that he was, it gave him a little twist of lust straight to the gut. “Think again. And don’t think this means you’re getting off.” He couldn’t stop his mouth from curving or the next words out of his mouth. “Yeah, well, if I need any help getting off, I’m pretty sure you could help, darlin’.” He expected her to shoot back at him, but instead, a rush of color filled her face. Interesting. “I think I need to take a shower,” she said, giving him a look that told him she still didn’t trust him.

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“Hey, if I wanted to lose you, I would have left you in the alley for those agents to find. Or whoever the hell they were.” She nodded then winced. “We’re going to have a long chat about this company you work for. I have a feeling that the retrieval put out on you was false. Or that it was used because you were getting too close to something.” The fact that her thoughts mirrored his own made him just a tad uncomfortable. He knew the inner workings of Zenich enough to know there were dirty people inside, and some of them probably pretty close to the top. Lou was an outsider. He would bet his left nut that Lou didn’t know much about the defense contractor. Without intimate knowledge of the system, it would be impossible for her to set something like this up. “Yeah, I have to agree with you. Do you know if there is any kind of computer here? One that can’t be traced?” She nodded and licked her lips. He had a feeling that every time she moved it hurt. The urge to comfort her was insane, one that shouldn’t be rising up at the occasion, but it was, along with other body parts. The woman had seduced him to the brink, then handcuffed him and arrested him. And he was still kind of insane over her. What the hell was he thinking? “Just go up the stairs there to the left. That’s where the office is. Not sure of the password though. Not my computer.” So it was the boss’s computer. Or maybe there was more to their relationship. She seemed to know a little too much about the safe house. But he pushed that thought aside as he helped her to the lavatory. “Yell if you need anything.” She snorted, but it was weaker than her usual bravado. He knew the effort she was putting forth and knew it was a little too much for her. “Don’t hold your breath, Dawson.” With that, she slipped into the room and then closed the door. As it slid shut, he stared at it. She seemed okay, but he had no idea what kind of drugs they’d put in the bullets. When he heard water running, he turned and went in search of the computer. He had some digging to do.

Lou let the hot water slide over her skin and sighed. Her head was still fuzzy and she could barely think straight. But at least now she didn’t feel like she was losing control of her senses. Well, maybe not. As she leaned her head back to wet her hair, she thought of the way she had blushed when Sam had made the joke. Dammit, this was a job, or it sort of was a job. Shit, she had no idea. She poured the shampoo into her hand and scrubbed at her hair. She didn’t even know if she would get her credits now. This smelled of a setup and a bad one at that.

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She knew she should think about it, but Dawson didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would do the things he was accused of. He wasn’t truly pissed about her arresting him, although he was pretty pissed about her doing it the way she had. No, he seemed genuinely irritated that his honor had been questioned. She rinsed the cleaning agent from her head and started to think over what they knew. Those officers were not LEOs, there was no doubt in her mind. They were sent there to get Dawson, possibly kill him— not to mention her. When she got a hold of Flores she was going to kill him. Of course, there was a good chance he was on his way to the planet. He would sense something was wrong when she didn’t check in. And she was in trouble. Oh, she could get herself out of the trouble that was following Dawson, but she wasn’t sure she could untangle her feelings for Dawson himself. Running away from Earth at such a young age she hadn’t had much choice other than to sell her body. And it hadn’t been that bad. Not until that last one. Even now the pain of the knife slicing through her skin and the way her warm blood felt against her flesh caused her to close her eyes. She held her hand over the scar between her breasts and closed her eyes. “You didn’t get lost in there, did you?” She started at the sound of Dawson’s voice. What the holy Hades was wrong with her? She didn’t even hear him sneak into the room. “I’m fine.” He didn’t leave. She could see him through the beveled glass. “I couldn’t figure out how to get in your boss’s computer system. Lots of security even I couldn’t beat.” “He should be here soon.” “Well, that makes me feel so much better.” It was easy to hear the sarcasm in his voice and she couldn’t fight the smile. “Was there something else you needed?” There was a long beat of silence. “I did have one question.” He didn’t continue. The silence stretched and the only sound in the room was the water. She cleared her throat. “What?” “Was all that in the hotel room role playing?” She couldn’t think, couldn’t form the words. His question catapulted her back to the room, the way her body felt to be near his, the crazy burning need she’d had for him exploded again. “Lou?” he asked, his voice deepening. “It isn’t smart going down that road, Dawson.” “I didn’t ask if it was smart.”

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She sighed, her body yearning, her mind telling her it was stupid. She squeezed her thighs together trying to ease the pressure. “But—” “No. Tell me.” The demand was said in such a guttural voice that she was surprised. He sounded as if her answer was more important to him than his next breath. “No. I wasn’t role playing.” The door slid open and she held the cleaning cloth up between her breasts to hide the worst of her scars. He was dressed, which made sense, but as her gaze slid down his body, she saw that there was no hiding his arousal. “It’s really fucking stupid, I know that, but for the first time in a long time, I’ve got this need for a woman.” She rolled her eyes, trying to keep her breath from backing up in her lungs. The heat in his eyes was so intense she swore she could feel it. “Dawson, don’t use that crap on me. I’m not like one of those bimbos at the bar.” She needed to get out of here, away from him, free of the crazy need he created in her. She shut off the water and moved to step past him, but he blocked her by placing his hand on the wall. She could have pushed through, but she didn’t really want to get in a scuffle. Hell, she was afraid to touch him. She might not be able to stop. She raised her gaze to his. The heat was still there in his eyes. “Move.” “No.” “What was that?” “No. Not unless you answer one more question.” The inferno that was raging in her blood flared hotter. The need to escape before she embarrassed herself was clawing at her throat. She was wet and naked, not to mention her body was yearning to be caressed by those big, capable hands. “Okay.” “What do I need for a second chance?” “A second chance?” “Listen, it’s as stupid as it gets, but I have a burning need to have you, to touch you, to taste you. I don’t know what the hell is going to happen, but there is one thing I do know. I want you more than I care about what happens to my life at the moment.” She knew it was a line, one that he probably used on other women all the time. But in this moment, for the first time in a decade, she wanted a man to touch her, and not just any man. She wanted this man. Lou knew she should say no, but instead she said, “Yes. Take me to bed.”

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Chapter Five

For a moment, Sam couldn’t seem to think. All he could do was stare at the woman before him, trying to figure out if she had actually agreed to let him touch her. In the next instant, he groaned and pulled her against him and gave in to the need that had been simmering since the moment he had seen her walk into the hell hole. He took her mouth in an insane kiss. He wanted her to know how much he wanted her, needed her. He delved into her mouth, tasting her and groaned when her tongue slid against his. Damn, the woman was hotter than any other woman he had ever had, ever even met. The connection he felt for her scared him a little, but not enough to ignore it. He always listened to his gut, and something was urging him on. He pulled her from the stall and continued to kiss her as he lifted her into his arms. His cock was throbbing, eager, needy. He couldn’t wait to slide into her, feel that clasp of her muscles on him. He shuddered as he walked down the hall, blindly looking for a room. She pulled away. “Down the hall and to the right.” It was as if she knew what he was thinking before he was. It was uncanny how well they already seemed to know each other. He didn’t question it, just followed her directions and walked into the room. Without looking at the surroundings, he made it to the bed and practically threw her down on it. She laughed when she hit it, a sound so young and feminine it had him stopping for a moment. It was completely against the image she projected, the one everyone bought into. Her hair was dripping wet and it reached down almost to her waist. She sat there in the middle of the bed, her body glistening from her shower and waited for him. For him. He couldn’t stop the strange sense of inevitability that stole over him. He brushed it aside and pulled off his clothes in record time. He joined her on the bed and immediately covered her body with his own. Damn her skin was soft. He kissed his way down to her breasts and sighed as he took a hardened nipple into his mouth. Then he moved his way down to her pussy. “Sam?” Her voice was uncertain, but he didn’t think a lot of it. Instead, he settled between her legs and pulled her closer to his mouth. She was wet and hot, the scent of her arousal filling his senses. As he slipped his tongue between her pussy lips, she tensed. It was odd that she seemed so innocent in bed. She was a woman with a history, a woman of the streets. He didn’t know a lot of retrieval agents who didn’t have crazy sex drives from the amount of adrenalin they pumped out. He forgot about the contradiction when he felt her relax against him. He slipped his finger into her and moaned when her muscles clamped

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down on his digit. As he added another finger, he pulled her hardened clit between his teeth. She screamed, the sound filled with surprise and pleasure, as she convulsed beneath him. Sam pulled back and then kissed his way back up her body. He gripped her hips in his hands and entered her in one fast, hard thrust. She stiffened and he realized just how tight she was then. She was aroused, wet, like a wet glove gripping his cock, but she definitely wasn’t that experienced. He gripped her hips as he moved to his knees and he rode. With each thrust, her muscles clamped down harder on his cock. He looked down at her, reveled in the way she arched her back up, offering her breasts to him. He bent down and took a nipple into his mouth. She let loose a throaty moan as he grazed his teeth over it. Increasing his thrusts, he pulled back from her luscious breasts to move his hand down to press against her clit. She screamed again, her muscles fastened hard on his cock, pulling him deeper into her warm, wet passage. He couldn’t hold back anymore. He thrust into her one more time and followed her into ecstasy. Long moments later, he pulled out of her and then collapsed on the bed, pulling her into his arms. She shivered against him but said nothing. He felt a little disappointed, but then what had he expected. It was just sex, a way to let off steam. Her body started to relax against him and he could almost sense the moment she drifted off to sleep. He trailed his fingers up and down her arm and stared at the darkened shadows of the ceiling. The spring winds whipped through the trees outside as his mind drifted back to another lover, one that made him do stupid things like he had just done with Lou. She was a risk. She wanted to arrest him for a crime someone was framing him for. For what reasons, he had no idea. He had some enemies, but most of them didn’t have the brains to come up with a frame job like this one. Hell, most of them were probably lost in the nether regions of the universe. This took someone with not only the knowledge, but also the connections to do it. An all-out man hunt, with that many credits attached to it, that cost money just to post in more than one quadrant. Sam continued to stare up into the shadows of the room while he contemplated who hated him enough to plan something this clusterfucked.

Lou woke up and was immediately aware of another body in the bed. It took her a second to remember who was with her. It was odd enough that she was in bed with another person. Then the last day’s events came back to her in a flash. Going for Sam in the club, teasing him, arresting him, stepping in front of that bullet. “Do you always think so much right after you wake up?” he asked, his voice gravelly from sleep, and of course that just made him sexier.

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She opened her eyes and turned her head. He was propped up on his elbow watching her with those gray eyes of his. “Not always. But this is odd enough.” He said nothing for a moment. “So, you really aren’t involved with your boss.” “I told you I wasn’t.” “No, you told me it wasn’t any of my business. That’s different.” “Still not sure it is.” He touched her chin with his finger, then skimmed it down to her breasts. “I have to disagree with you there, Lou. I find that it is my business.” “What the hell does that mean?” “Now that I’ve had you, I’m feeling a bit territorial.” He frowned when he said it, as if he wasn’t happy about the fact. She shook her head as she tried to push away the heat and comfort his behavior brought to her. “Get over it.” He brushed his thumb over her nipple and she felt it to the toes of her feet. Damn, the man was lethal. From the sleepy bedroom eyes, those magnificent hands and that wicked smile, he had her reduced to a puddle of lust. “I don’t know if I want to.” He fingered the scar between her breasts. “This is a nasty wound but it’s nothing compared to the ones on your back.” She shook her head, not wanting to talk about the past, or even the future. Like always, she liked living in the now. “Nothing compared to the nasty scar you have on your shoulder.” He shrugged and she could tell from the look in his eyes that he was disappointed that she wouldn’t share. But she couldn’t—wouldn’t—lay herself on the line for a man who was just using her for pleasure. He moved his hand to her belly. She could feel her body stirring. Liquid heat pooled into her belly then slipped lower, wetting her sex. Even now she was ready, wanted to feel the thrust of his cock, his body over hers, the primal mating that had completely undone her. She hadn’t ever thought she would like sex, but right now, she would do anything to feel him inside of her again. Damned if she would let him know it though. “In fact,” he said as he leaned down and brushed his mouth over hers, “I have a feeling I am about to exert some possession over you right now.” She shouldn’t feel this way, shouldn’t want to be owned, to be possessed by this big hulk of a man. He had no scruples, no country, wasn’t any better a person than she was. But dammit, she did want him, needed him to make her feel again. It scared her to death, more than even her first time out with a john,

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than the night she almost died, or the first time she had to kill a retrieval. In that same instant though, she was thrilled. She wanted to get lost, to forget everything around them. She sighed as he slipped his tongue over her mouth and she opened it willingly. He moved and she thought he would cover her body with his. Instead, he pulled her over and rolled onto his back. She found herself straddled on top of him. She sat up and felt his hard cock twitch beneath her pussy. He looked up at her with his eyes barely open, but she could see that fire there again, the one that burned deep in her soul. She knew she was just another woman, one of many from what she knew about him. At this moment, it didn’t matter. Right now all that mattered was that he wanted her. She leaned down, rubbed her breasts against his chest and smiled when his cock twitched again. She rotated her hips and he moaned. She kissed him then, long, slow, wet and reveled in the feelings it sent reeling through her. Heat, need, lust, but there was something else there, something that had stirred the moment she had touched him in that apartment. By the time she pulled back, they were both panting heavily. She sat, lifting herself up to her knees, and took his cock into her hand. As slowly as she could, she slid down on his penis, enjoying the way he watched her as each inch entered her. She was still sore from their earlier lovemaking, but it didn’t matter. The fullness of having him in her, stretching her to the limit, made her feel complete. Soon he was in her all the way and she started to move. Up and down, enjoying the fact that she was the one in charge, the one who was pacing their lovemaking. He rose to a sitting position and she thought he would take control. Instead, he took her nipple into his mouth, allowing her to stay on top. The brush of his tongue sent a bolt of lightning racing through her blood. She increased her speed but couldn’t find satisfaction. It was there shimmering just out of her reach, but Sam apparently knew what she needed. He slipped his hand down her torso and pressed his finger against her clit. In that next instant, she went hurtling over the edge into her orgasm. It crashed through her with such force that she screamed his name as she came. He fell back, gripped her hips and thrust up into her one last time, shouting as he came. She collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily, her mind now completely oblivious to everything but the fading pleasure. “Wow,” Sam said, as he trailed his fingers up and down her spine. “That about sums it up,” she said, as she let her lips curve into a smile. She could question what she was doing, but right now she just didn’t give a damn. For once, she was going to just enjoy the pleasure he was willing to give her and decide what to do about it tomorrow.

Sam pushed the button on the instant juvenator and waited for the pancakes to cook. The bell dinged a moment later and he pulled the food from the oven. As he walked over to the table, he worked over the

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problems he faced. He had been framed and he had to figure out why and how. There was a long list of bastards who would like to see him locked away…or worse. It was going to take a while to figure it out. That didn’t worry him as much as the woman he’d left sleeping in bed. He didn’t like the feelings he was starting to have for her. It was tangling up the mission of saving his ass and getting the hell out of Dodge once he did. But he couldn’t seem to figure Lou out. She was a contradiction. On one hand, she was a hard-ass retrieval agent who wouldn’t think twice about killing him. But in the next instant, she was vulnerable. It bothered him that he wanted to know more, wanted to know how the hell someone like her ended up in the work she did. When he had asked her about the scars on her chest, she had shied away from it. He didn’t even begin to question her about the marks on her back. They looked like raised welts from a long time ago. Whatever brought her to the place she was, there was one thing it told him. She was a survivor. And he admired her even more for that. His own background wasn’t that bad. He had entered the Space Corps at eighteen, out at thirty, and now working jobs for a security agency. A sound outside brought him out of his thoughts, and he frowned. The alarms should have gone off. He had checked them out earlier and Flores definitely knew how to arm a place. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought he was former military. He grabbed his weapon just in case and aimed it at the door. It opened slowly, revealing a man just about a year or two younger than him and a familiar smile. He remembered the last time he had seen it. It had been in a hotel room they had shared. “Jared?” he asked. Even to his own ears his voice was hoarse. He shook his head, trying to straighten out the picture before him. It was Jared, but not the one he had known about fifteen years earlier. He was heavier, filled out, his hair longer, not the military cut Sam was used to. There were even flecks of gray layered throughout. His eyes were the same though. Dark green with just a touch of blue. Jared came to a stop in the middle of the hall. “Sam. I was afraid I would find you here.” “Don’t tell me you’re her boss? The one who owns the cabin?” He nodded. “Yeah, I am.” A look of regret moved over his face. “I didn’t know it was you when I sent her out. When did you start going by a different last name?” “Probably about the same time you did. Nothing like two rich kids trying to run away from their families.” Jared stepped into the room. His long legs carried him easily through the kitchen. Sam lowered his weapon as Jared set his on the counter. Sam felt the sharp tug of arousal. He couldn’t help it, hadn’t been able to help it since they’d met in school. “Ain’t that the truth? I wouldn’t have sent Lou after you if I had known it was you.” “Really?” “Yeah. She’s my best, and I knew if anyone could have found you it was her. She’s been doing this for years, and I don’t know a better agent.”

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He didn’t like the warmth that filled his old friend’s voice when he talked about Lou. This went beyond friendly admiration and it was an odd twist to the gut. He didn’t know at the moment which bothered him more. The fact that his old lover was interested in his new one, or that Jared wasn’t interested in him. “And now you’re here.” He nodded as he pressed the button for cafecocoa. He took a sip before he said, “I knew when she didn’t check in there was something wrong. Lou is always dependable, always follows the rules.” “You have rules?” Jared chuckled and the sound of it grated on Sam’s nerves at the same time it aroused him. From the moment they had met years ago, there had been an uncontrollable attraction on both their parts. It had been hard to keep their hands off each other. Now he was standing here, fifteen years older, even more attractive than before. And fuck, he still had a growing lust for the woman who worked for Jared. This definitely threw a wrench in his day. Sam reined in his emotions as he tried to project a cool façade. He wasn’t comfortable about his feelings for Lou at the moment. She was like an addiction he couldn’t seem to keep from tasting. Hell, he had known her less than forty-eight hours and he’d spent most of that as her captive. The woman that caused him to break more rules than he should and the man he had never forgotten under the same roof? Sam was sure he’d pissed someone off in Hades to have this happen. “Is she okay? I heard there was a report of gunfire in the twentieth sector.” Yep, Jared was more than just a little involved with Lou. He could hear the edge of possession in Jared’s voice. Again, he didn’t know which part of the equation bothered him more. “Sam?” He shook his head trying to ignore the emotions twisting in his gut. “She’s fine. She got hit.” “Lou was shot? Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” Jared asked. His voice had risen to a pitch that had Sam’s brows arching. Not the cool competitor that he remembered from school. “Where is she?” “I’m fine, Jared.” They both looked over at her at the same time. Jared started to her. She was gorgeous. She was wearing some kind of big shirt, probably one of Jared’s, and nothing else. Her hair was a rumbled mess and she looked just like what she was. A woman who had been ravished. Jared stopped, his whole body going rigid with anger. He whipped around and came rushing at Sam. “You fucking bastard, I’ll kill you.”

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Chapter Six

Lou watched in horror as the man she had come to respect, who always kept his temper under control, tackled Sam. The brutal attack took Sam by surprise and he stumbled back against the cabinets. In the next instant, Sam gained his balance and started fighting back. Jared hit him square on the nose and Sam answered with a punch to the gut. By the time she gained her senses, blood was dripping from Sam’s nose. “Stop it.” They ignored her as the fists continued to fly. Irritated and embarrassed, Lou did the only thing she could do. She grabbed the weapon Jared had apparently set on the counter when he arrived, and cocked it. “Stop or I will shoot you both.” They both looked over at her, breathing heavily, anger pouring off them in waves so strong she was amazed it didn’t knock her over. Sam’s nose was definitely broken and Jared was going to have a black eye. “Step away.” They didn’t follow her directions right away, so she gripped the weapon with both hands and took aim. “I’m not joking around. Do it.” With a disgusted snarl, Jared threw Sam against the cabinets and then stepped away. Sam moved to tackle him again, but Lou said, “I’m not kidding, Sam. I’ll shoot you where you stand.” His glare was her answer, but he did as she ordered. She slowly released the breath she had been holding. “Now what the hell is this about?” Neither of them answered her. “I don’t have time to deal with both of you acting like little boys out of control.” “I need to talk to you alone,” Jared said. She studied Jared, then glanced at Sam. He was still breathing heavily. The silence that filled the small room ratcheted up the tension about fifteen gigabytes. “Fine. Sam, leave us alone.” Sam stared at her and then at Jared. She could tell he wasn’t happy about it. For a second or two she thought he might disagree. The internal conflict was easy to see in his eyes. But he nodded and started to walk toward the doorway. He stopped in front of her and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. The action was so tender it surprised her. “Call if he gives you shit.”

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He brushed his mouth over hers, tossed Jared a nasty look and then left them alone finally. “You want to explain what the fuck that was about, Jared?” “Sam and I go way back,” he said as he turned toward the sink to rinse off the blood from his split lip. She set the weapon on the table and approached him. “Here, let me help you with that.” He ignored her and continued to work on his injury by himself. “Jared?” “Why did you let him touch you, Lou?” Of all the questions she expected, that was one she could have never thought he would ask. “What do you mean?” “I know you slept with him. Why did you let him?” She couldn’t lie to him. In the last ten years, there had only been one man that she had wanted—that is until she met Sam. “I wanted to.” He tossed her a look that could have made any lesser woman shrivel. “Whoring yourself out to get the job done?” She didn’t even think. She raised her hand and slapped him. In truth she was ready to hit him harder. Since they first met, he had never called her one, even when she was one. So hearing it from him struck straight to her heart. She had to blink back the hot press of tears that threatened to embarrass her. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. Before she knew what he had planned, he pulled her into his arms and cradled her against his chest. At first, she said nothing. It had been a decade since he had held her like this, cradled her against his chest as he rushed her to the medics. His heart sped up beneath her hand. “I’m sorry,” he said, and she wouldn’t have believed him if she didn’t hear it in his voice. He had never in all their years together ever brought up her former profession. “I just don’t understand why you would sleep with Sam.” She pulled back and looked up at him. “He’s not dirty.” He cocked his head to one side and studied her. “How do you know that?” “You seem to know him. What do you think?” He sighed and let her go, albeit reluctantly. “I knew him. We grew up in the same neighborhood, so to speak.” She frowned at him. “He’s a rich kid like you?” He nodded. “Both of us went to The Academy.” Well, that explained a lot. To get into the military school took a lot of money and a lot of connections. Jared’s family had both, but he had left disgusted with the entire idea of what they wanted of him. Then she remembered the story of his first love, the one Jared regretted letting get away. “He’s the one,” she said. She wasn’t sure he heard her until he looked at her.

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“Yeah.” She sighed. “Shit. I’m sorry, Jared. I didn’t know. I take it you didn’t know when you sent me after him.” He shook his head. “No. He’s using a different last name. It wasn’t until I dug up a surveillance video and could strip a hologram from it that I realized it was him. It took me a moment or two to realize who he was. He’s changed so much.” She raised her hand to cup his face. “I bet you both have. Do you think he’s dirty?” Jared sighed. “It would be easier to be pissed at him and accuse him, but there is one thing about Sam I know. He’s straight as an arrow. Besides the fact you were apparently followed when I sent you out.” “That was my fault. I should have been more careful.” Now his eyes warmed as he offered her a smile, and she felt her heart do a little flip flop. It was like that whenever he smiled, or gave her one of his laughing looks. She could never stop the way her body reacted to him. Ten years and she still had a crush on him. “There’s no one who is more careful than you, Lou.” The certainty in his voice made her feel a little bit better. “You think I was followed on purpose by Zenich?” she asked. He nodded, his smile fading into regret. “Yeah, I think so. The base camp was hit.” “Casualities?” He nodded, suddenly looking more tired than she had ever seen him. “We lost Michelson and Chambers.” She sighed, thinking of the two men she had worked with and sometimes fought with over the last few years. She rubbed her chest, trying to ease the pain, but it didn’t work. “They’ve been watching us.” “And worse, I think he’s being set up. Sam was a lot of things in school, but dirty wasn’t one of them. At least not in this respect.” “In what respect do you think he was dirty?” The moment she asked it, she realized that she had stepped into a quagmire. “His personal life, well, he was a little, shall we say, easy.” She studied him for a second. “Is this about how he treated you?” He shook his head. “Actually, we were pretty exclusive for a while, but before and after, well, he had a reputation. “And you didn’t? Give me a break, Jared. I’ve known you for over ten years, and I’ve seen the women and men come and go. Not like you’ve settled down.” He laughed. “Yeah, that’s true.” He reached out and took a strand of her hair and wrapped it around his fingers. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you with your hair down.”

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There was something in his voice that shimmered with a yearning she recognized. She had felt it so many times in the last few years for him, had ignored the twinge she felt every time she saw him leave with one of his many lovers. She had never spoken of it, tried to pretend that it didn’t exist. Until Sam, she hadn’t been too sure that she would be able to let a man even kiss her. But now, with her senses in overdrive, she was picking up on the subtle differences in his tone. The atmosphere in the kitchen heated. She didn’t know what to say when he stepped close enough for her to feel his body heat. “Why did you have to sleep with him?” Lou opened her mouth but nothing came out. His gaze was so intense, the hunger darkening the green. She had been in love with him for years, but never acted on it, never could before now. What the hell was wrong with her? She had those same deep hungry feelings for Sam, but now she felt the rising need in her for Jared. The craving rose up inside of her, entwining her heart, pulling at the need she had for Sam. She had been so afraid to even try to have sex again, but now, in the span of twenty-four hours, she was craving two different men. Jared slipped his hand up to her neck and pulled her forward. She could have stopped him right there, told him that she wasn’t interested. He would have obeyed her request. But she couldn’t ask him to stop. The words she should say were tangled in her throat, along with her heart. She could only watch as he lowered his mouth to hers, and without breaking eye contact, he pressed it against hers. He winced a little probably due to the split lip, but when she tried to pull away, he tightened his hand at the base of her neck. Instantly, heat zinged through her, her pulse accelerated, and she felt the overwhelming need to curl up close to Jared and forget the world. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth and she moaned against it, closing her eyes and losing herself in the kiss. He skimmed his hands down her body to her rear end and pulled her hard up against him. She wasn’t surprised to feel his erection against her belly, but it did surprise her that she wanted him at the same level she had wanted Sam. When he drew away, she couldn’t seem to get her mind from spinning or her body from yearning to be taken. What the bloody hell was wrong with her? “What was that about?” He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. “I’ve waited a long time for you to be ready.” She couldn’t hide her surprise. “But…” The smile he gave her was gentle and sweet. “I know. You were completely oblivious.” “You always had lovers. It isn’t like you lived like a monk.” She couldn’t keep the accusation out of her tone. “I didn’t know if you would ever be ready.”

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She sighed. “And now that you have your old competition back from The Academy, you’re ready to jump on board.” “Dammit, it isn’t like that.” Hurt and a bit embarrassed, and more than a little aroused, she asked, “No, then what is it like?” “Yeah, Jared, why don’t you take your hands off her and tell us both what it was like?” Sam asked from the doorway.

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Chapter Seven

Jared wanted to kill someone. Top of his list was Sam, but right after Sam, he wanted to kick his own ass. He had waited for years, waited for the one woman he had always loved to be ready for him. Knowing that he might have waited too long left a sour taste in his mouth and in his belly. It was bad enough dealing with the twist in his gut at seeing Sam. Sam had cleaned up his face and it was easy to see the years had been kind to his old lover. Jared could still remember the last time they had made love, the feel of Sam’s mouth against his, the way his skin felt— Shit, he had to stop that. What contest in Hades had he lost to be forced to deal with the two people he loved most in the world? “I don’t want to discuss my feelings in front of my rival.” “Listen, Jared, I care for you.” The way she said it irritated Jared and made Sam laugh. “I care for you too. And I waited to make sure you were ready.” Now hearing it said out loud sounded stupid, but Lou’s face softened. A lot of people thought she was some kind of hard-assed bitch, but there was a sweet girl beneath, the one that had gone into hiding all those years ago. “Jared, I don’t really know what to say.” “How about, ‘it’s too late’?” Sam remarked, a nasty edge to his voice. When Jared glanced at him, he realized that his old lover was worried. Sam always got like this when he was backed into a corner. Jared was sure Sam could see the way Lou was looking at him, and with their history together Jared knew he had an advantage. “Behave, Dawson,” Lou said. He should have been happy that Lou had resorted to the last name for Sam, but that could also be a sign of affection. “When did you change your name?” he asked Sam. Sam shrugged. “Like I said, I did it when I needed to escape. You know what my family is like. I take it you were trying to avoid your brothers?” He could feel Lou’s interest growing by the minute, but he figured it would be best to put everything out in the open now. “Yeah. They wanted me in the family business.” “Didn’t want to go into organized crime, did ya?” He shook his head and glanced at Lou.

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She shook her head. “I had a feeling, so I am not going to be surprised. I thought it was much worse than hiding out from loser family members.” “That’s all nice, but what I want to know is when he’s going to get his fucking hands off you?” Sam asked, venom dripping from every word. It wasn’t until then that he realized he’d draped his arm over Lou’s shoulders. “I really don’t like that tone, and I don’t like the way you think you can order me around,” Lou said. “Get used to it, sugar,” Sam growled. “Yeah, Sam can get a mite possessive,” Jared said, finally happy he was no longer on the defensive. Sam’s eyebrows rose. “So she knows?” “Hard to hide things from this one. Besides, she knew there was someone in my past.” A look he couldn’t decipher moved Sam’s face, but he said nothing. Typical of him. Still on lockdown mode with emotions. It was one of their multitude of problems when they were together. “Not to mention I am bit on the possessive side myself,” Jared commented. Sam gave a derisive snort. “Ten years waiting around? Get real.” “There wasn’t anyone before this to worry about.” “Yeah, I got that. Should have stepped in while you had a chance.” Irritation and something close to fear slithered down his spine. Dammit to Hades, he didn’t like it. Didn’t like the idea that he knew that in the end, Lou would be hurt. Sam only had one thing he was good at. And that was leaving. “Don’t act like you’re in this for the long haul. You never were because the only staying power you ever had was in bed. She’s been mine for ten years.” “Yeah, well, ownership doesn’t come from being a friend.” “Really?” For an instant, he shared a knowing look with Sam. They had always had tempers around each other, mainly because Sam knew just what buttons to push with Jared. It was how they ended up in bed the first few times, and he could tell that Sam was aroused by their argument by the flush on his cheeks and the way his eyes darkened. “Excuse me, but I really don’t like getting tossed around like some kind of depot whore.” Lou frowned at Sam. “Listen, I don’t belong to either of you. I own myself. No one tells me where to go, what to do, or even who to do. And seriously, if I wanted to fuck one or both of you at the same time I have a right.” Her voice had risen with each word, and when she stopped talking the silence was almost deafening. He glanced at Sam and realized his old friend wasn’t mad. He was studying Lou and him, his gaze thoughtful. One of the few times they had a female with them had been interesting, but she hadn’t been a good fit. This was different.

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“Is that something that interests you?” Sam asked. She stilled beneath Jared’s arm and he could almost feel her entire body go on alert. He could have sworn he heard her breathing hitch. She shook her head. “We don’t have time to be fooling around like that. We have a pack of agents sniffing around after you and now me.” “No. They think you got away on a transport,” Jared said. “What do you mean?” she asked. “I got a decoy away. I also put out some rumors that you were out in the Freanklin sector.” “You were always a smart shit, Jared.” “Fuck off,” Jared said with little heat. He still should be furious with Sam for taking advantage of Lou. She was a woman who didn’t allow people close to her. In all the years he had known Lou, Jared understood he was about the only person she truly trusted. In her own way. He didn’t think she would ever trust anyone completely. But he wasn’t even that pissed anymore. Okay, he was, but another image was forming. Instead, he was trying to get the idea of taking Lou to bed, of sharing her with Sam, out of his head. Dammit to Hades, thinking of being in bed with Sam was bad enough. He knew there wasn’t a chance the two of them would be able to keep their hands off each other. Sam chuckled as he approached them. “So we have some time to play. And since you mentioned taking on both of us…” Even the thought should have annoyed and disgusted Jared, but for some reason it didn’t. He cared about these two people more than he had ever cared about anyone else. Maybe he hadn’t seen Sam in years, but there was still that part of Jared that cared, who knew the man beneath wasn’t the man he showed the world. In fact, the idea of sharing her with Sam sent a shaft of need reeling through his blood stream. He pulled her in front of him and tugged her against his chest. Those whiskey-brown eyes stared up at him with a mixture of confusion and excitement. That alone had his lust rising up. He bent forward to test her out and nuzzled her neck. Sweet Lucifer, she smelled of sin. More nights than he would like to admit he found himself lying awake, wondering what it would feel like to have his skin against hers, and breathe her tantalizing scent in as she slept next to him. It wasn’t just her body he yearned for. From their humble beginnings together to the woman she’d became today, she was an amazing woman. But now he could smell her arousal, feel the way she tried to resist the pull of having two men take her. Sam crowded in behind her and he looked at Jared over her shoulder. It was insane how they had gone from rivals and competitors in less than five minutes. And seeing the need in Sam’s eyes as he looked at Jared brought back so many memories. They crashed into him, his body going from aroused to almost painfully so, in a matter of seconds. There would be time for that later, he thought as he brushed that aside

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and focused on Lou again. If there was one woman who deserved the undivided attention of two men, it was Lou. She’d had precious little affection in her life, before and after he’d met her. He nipped at her ear. “What do you say, Lou?” She shivered in reaction, and for a moment, he was worried she would say no. Intimacy was something she had avoided for years. Even the slightest touch would sometimes cause her to involuntarily cringe. He knew it was a lot to ask of the woman. But in that next instant, she pulled back and captured his gaze. “You’ll stop if it’s too much?” He nodded. “Promise on my tattered honor.” She smiled at the shared memory of his promise to stay with her the night she’d been attacked. Then she nodded and Sam groaned. “Well, thank the Lord in Heaven.” She laughed. “You have no patience.” Jared glanced at his old lover and thought of the way they had tried to resist their feelings for each other. “No. Actually, Sam’s known for his amazing patience. In fact, it was one of the things the instructors tried to beat out of him.” From the look on Sam’s face, he wasn’t interested in talking about it. Jared could understand. The most luscious, tempting woman stood between them, agreeing to take both of them to bed. “Let’s move this into the bedroom.” He leaned forward and picked her up to carry her down the hall. Her face flushed red. “You don’t have to carry me.” “Ah, but if there was a woman who needed it, it’s you. Plus, I can ensure that you don’t change your mind.” She laughed, the sound filling the hallway as he followed Sam to the room. The carefree sound had his heart tripping and his body warming. It wasn’t usual to hear such lightness from her. As he stepped into the room, Sam was already pulling his clothes from his body, his need easy to see. Jared let his gaze travel down Sam’s hard body to his cock. The head was already dark, filled with blood, a drop of precome wetting the head of it. Jared swallowed, his mouth suddenly going dry. Damn, between the two of them, there was a good chance they would make him lose all control, and that wasn’t something he had done since the last time he’d slept with Sam. Jared set Lou on her feet then started to undress himself. He barely kept himself from tearing off the clothes. Lou watched them with undisguised interest. Her arousal fed his own. He looked at Sam and had to bite back a sigh. The man had filled out in their years apart. His chest had been lean when they had been together all those years ago, but now the muscles rippled beneath the surface of tanned flesh. A thin line of hair bisected his chest and ran down, past his abs to his groin. Jared

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licked his lips. He could remember just how Sam tasted. The salty sweet essence had been like a drug to him. Sam’s cock twitched. “You keep looking at me like that and I might lose what little control I have right now, Jared.” Each word was said with precise diction, telling Jared that Sam wasn’t lying. Looking at his face, he could see Sam’s jaw flex, a definite sign he was on the edge. Sam always ground his teeth when he was pushed to the limit. Sam stepped forward and pulled the shirt Lou was wearing off with one quick jerk. Her golden hair fell about her bare shoulders as his gaze moved down her body. He was transfixed by the sight. She wasn’t a feminine woman, but she was definitely a woman. Full hips, breasts tipped with the most beautiful rosy nipples, and just the perfect roundness to her belly. He allowed his gaze to slip to the juncture of her thighs. Jared could already smell the faint scent of her arousal. His heart tripped when he looked up and saw her uncertainty. He was standing in front of her, his cock harder than Titanium steel, and he knew she worried about the scars he hadn’t even paid attention to. In fact, he had forgotten about them the moment she was bare to him. He could tell her, give her all the pretty words he had said to his lovers in the past, but he knew that she would never believe him. Instead he showed her.

Jared stepped so close to Lou, she could feel his heat. It only added to the inferno that burned within her. The clean, fresh scent of him filled her senses as he raised his hands to cup her face. The calluses on his fingers slipped over her jaw and she shivered. The look in his green eyes was so tender it brought on a mix of emotions she could barely contain. Fear lanced through her at the same time the slow roll of arousal burned in her blood. He leaned closer and brushed his mouth over hers. He didn’t close his eyes. He slipped his tongue over her lips and she didn’t hesitate to open her mouth. He groaned, closed his eyes and dove into her mouth. His lip ached but he ignored it. All the nerves and fear melted away under the heat of his passion. As he deepened the kiss, she felt Sam move in behind her. His fingers danced down her spine all the way to her ass. Sam’s huge hand cupped one cheek at the same time she felt his mouth move over her neck. Passion spiked as liquid heat moved through her. Her pussy lips damped with need and her nipples tightened painfully. She arched against Jared, enjoying the way his chest hair felt against her breasts. She slipped her hand down Jared’s chest to take hold of his cock, but her fingers collided with Sam’s. She started at the contact and pulled back from the kiss. Sam removed his hand, then enclosed it over hers. Together, they moved their hands over Jared’s shaft. He tipped his head back and groaned. She continued to move her hand over Jared as Sam removed his and moved to stand beside the two of them. Jared raised

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his head and turned to look at him. Sam hesitated for a moment, then leaned in closer to kiss him. Both men winced a bit and she was pretty sure it had to do with their injuries from the fight. The first thing she felt was a slap of craving that hit her with such a force that she tightened her hand on Jared’s cock. Jared groaned and moved his hips, thrusting his cock into her hand. She continued to pump him as she watched the tangle of tongues between the two men. Lou hadn’t been too sure what she would feel when she witnessed this. She definitely didn’t expect to make her hotter. But it did. Every nerve ending in her body shimmered with need. Her appetite for both men increased. By the time they pulled apart, she could barely keep from pressing her legs together to ease the need building. The smiles they offered her told her she was in trouble. “What do you think, Jared?” Sam asked. His voice deepened over the words, telling her just how aroused he was. “I think she really liked watching us.” Jared stepped away from her as Sam bent his head and took a nipple in his mouth. His teeth scraped over the tender flesh and she moaned. “I think you might be right,” Jared said. He dropped to his knees in front of her and pressed his mouth against her belly. His tongue flicked out over her flesh as he moved down to her pussy. The heat of his breath hit her before his tongue slipped between her wet lips. She felt the tension amp up, her body shimmering close to the edge of her release. Jared pulled her clit into his mouth and sucked. Her knees gave out, but Sam held her up. Jared pulled back. “I think we need the bed,” Jared said. They moved on to the bed, laying her out on the mattress between the two of them. They shared a look that she couldn’t decipher before Jared looked down at her. He leaned down and gave her another slow, bone-melting kiss as he moved his body over hers. She wanted this, needed this as much as she had needed Sam earlier. He rose to his knees between her legs. He wrapped his hand around his cock and started to pump it. Sam moved closer to her head. “Open up, baby.” She readily did as he ordered. The first sweet salty taste of him hit her as she felt Jared pull her hips up. She lifted her hand to cup his sac, caressing, teasing. He moved in and out of her mouth, and she enjoyed his groan as she slipped her tongue over the tip of his shaft. With one hard thrust, Jared entered her to the hilt. She moaned at the fullness, pulling a groan from Sam. As Sam fucked her mouth, Jared thrust into her powerfully, causing the headboard of the bed to slam against the wall. Then Sam thrust into her one last time, almost causing her to gag. He groaned as he came, filling her mouth and throat. He pulled out of her mouth then lay down next to her, stroking her hair as Jared leaned down to take her mouth in a hot, opened-mouth kiss. She panicked at first. Sex was never something for pleasure, not

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until she’d met Sam, and now the pleasure moved through her, almost overpowered her. She tried to pull back from the emotions that were swamping her, the ones she saw in Jared’s eyes. “No, you don’t. Stay with us, Lou,” Jared said, every word coming out from behind clenched teeth. “Trust me.” She watched him and knew in that moment that she had always trusted him. Trusted him for her protection, trusted him with her life, and now, she could trust him with her heart. In that next instant, she came apart, her orgasm rolling through her like a supersonic blast. Jared followed after three more thrusts, groaning her name as he poured his seed into her.

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Chapter Eight

Sam walked up the stairs and found Jared in the office cursing under his breath. “Having a few problems there?” Jared stilled then started typing again. “You brought a whole lot of shit on top of me and Lou, you know that?” That caught his attention immediately. “What the hell happened?” he asked as he made his way to the other office chair next to Jared. “It seems that there has been a price put on all our heads.” That sent a chill through him. “What do you mean? You and Lou too?” “Yes,” Jared ground out as he tossed him a nasty look. “Thanks to you, there are retrieval agents looking for her. And it’s dead or alive.” Sam didn’t want to face that, didn’t want to really admit it was partially his fault. It was in a way because he had known from the start that this undercover assignment was off. The assignment was bad, but he knew that he hadn’t been the one to set this ship in motion. “Not all my fault. You’re the one who sent her after me.” Regret filled his old lover’s face and Jared looked back at the screen. “Don’t you think I know that? Fuck. I’ve spent the last ten years protecting her.” That gave Sam pause. He had known she and Jared had worked together for a long time. “You’ve been together for ten years and never tried to get her in bed?” Jared shook his head. “At the beginning, let’s just say I didn’t sleep with girls who worked for me.” It took Sam a second to realize what he was talking about. “You son of a bitch. You whored her out.” “No. Not like that.” He sighed. “Seriously, I did mostly petty things, drugs and pickpocketing.” “You didn’t get that far from your brothers then.” Jared shot him an angry look. “I never whored her out, or any of the other girls. I sort of looked out for them. We all looked out for each other. Lou, well, she was sort of lost then. So young.” Sam started turning over everything Jared had said in his head and then felt the sick slide of disgust in his belly. “She was only a girl.” Jared nodded. “I couldn’t get her off the streets. She hated it, really hated it. But no matter what, I couldn’t get her to change her mind. Even then she had a big set of balls. She was scared to death, but she was damned determined to stand on her own.”

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“Something happened.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. Jared rose and walked to the window to look out on the night. “Yeah, something. She got a john one night who thought he didn’t have to pay. When she started to raise a fuss, the bastard beat the living hell out of her. Jesus, I’ll never forget going there, finding her in that fucking alley.” He closed his eyes, and for that moment, Sam felt for the guy. Ten years ago, he had been barely twenty when it happened. In this sector, a forty-year-old arriving on Arcadia would feel like a virgin. He could imagine Jared showing up running away from his privileged life and being jolted by what life had to offer here. “What was she, fifteen?” Jared nodded. “Just. And she wasn’t close to the weight she is now. At that point, she probably weighed all of one hundred pounds.” “The scars on her chest?” Jared nodded. “The welts on her back? They’re kind of faint…” “No. Those she has had as long as I’ve known her.” He stared at Jared, realizing the woman he had been falling for over the last couple of days was more than he ever thought. She might come off as some kind of hard ass, but beneath he sensed a sweet woman, one who was afraid to need anyone but herself. “The guy?” “A petrol executive.” “Name?” “Doesn’t matter anymore.” “It might not to you but to me, it does.” “He’s dead.” Of course, he was dead. Jared wouldn’t let him live after doing that to Lou. “Took her three months to recover. She died a couple of times on the table.” The quiet words were filled with anguish. “It took over a year before she could actually be out on her own.” Just thinking about it made everything in his body want to do harm to someone. She didn’t ever let her guard down, except in bed. In that one place she had allowed both he and Jared to see the softness beneath. Jared yawned. “Why don’t you get some sleep? You had a longer trip here than I did.” “I need to get into the corporation to find out who is selling the secrets. I linked it to three people, but I can’t figure out just how the hell they did it.”

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“I can do that.” Jared snorted. “Really?” “Shit, Jared, back off. You had the damned thing locked down tighter than a virgin. I’ll let you know if I need help.” Jared sighed. “I would argue with you more, but the truth is, I really don’t have the energy. I have an alarm that will sound the moment they start tracing you. If they do, make sure you shut it down. I have it scrambling the outgoing signal but they probably have a lot of shit I don’t even know about.” Jared walked toward the door but paused. “I’m sorry for breaking your nose.” Sam waved it off as if it were nothing. “You never said why you left. I mean, I know why you understand why I ran from that insane family of mine. But you, why did you leave?” Sam knew he could go into all the ideas of why he’d done what he did. There was more than he could ever tell anyone, or even understand himself. “My father wanted another leader in the family. I just wanted to serve. It was as simple as that.” Jared nodded and said nothing as he left him alone with the computer. Sam sat down in the chair Jared had been in and got down to work. The sooner he figured what the hell was going on, the sooner they’d deal with what the hell was happening between the three of them.

Jared tried to be quiet when he slipped into the room, but as usual, Lou heard him. “You could never be a stalker, ya know?” she asked, her voice filled with soft amusement. “How did you know it was me?” She rolled over to face him as he pulled off his shirt. “You sound different to Sam. Your walk is different. And he is kind of quiet. You’re not.” He frowned and she laughed. “No, it isn’t bad. Sam and I have been out in the field a little more than you.” Disgust and embarrassment filled him. “I used to be able to sneak up on anyone when I picked pockets.” She sighed. “But you know, that was a really, really long time ago.” Her playful tone took him by surprise. This wasn’t the woman he had known. Hell, it wasn’t even the girl he’d known when they first met on the streets. But she was here beneath, waiting to be turned away. He realized now that all these years he’d held back had been a mistake. Of course, that meant he had time to make up. He shucked off his pants and walked toward the bed. Her eyes widened when she saw his erection. “Are you trying to be bad, Louella?”

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She frowned at him, but the mean look was ruined by the fact she looked so damned sweet. Her honey-blonde hair was dripping over her shoulders in disarray, her face flush with excitement, and her eyes were sparkling with mischief. “What do you mean by that?” He stood by the bed for a moment, watching her, and then he pounced, grabbing her legs and pulling her to the edge. She squealed, the sound filled with horror and delight. Happiness filled him first until he pulled her legs apart and saw her wet need already coating her pussy lips. He groaned as lust rushed through his veins and his cock twitched. All these years he hadn’t known she would be so sensual. It seemed that he and Sam brought it out in her. For a second, the thought distracted him. It wasn’t just him who did this to her, but Sam also. Was there something wrong with him that he didn’t seem to mind having Sam in the bed with them? There was something about seeing her pleasured by Sam that made him harder than a fucking pike. And she seemed to need it. “Jared?” He heard the worry in her voice and focused on her again. He got down on his knees on the floor. He gave her no time to adjust. Slipping his hands beneath that full round ass, he lifted her to feast. Damn, she was sweet and sassy, an aphrodisiac for his senses. She moaned his name as he slipped his tongue into her pussy and fingered her ass. She squirmed and then relaxed against him. Her moans grew as he added another finger. Then, without warning, she came. He raised his head and watched as she allowed the orgasm to take control. She bowed off the bed, her head back, exposing the column of her neck. Before she had completely settled down, he was rising to his feet, pulling her legs up and over his shoulders and taking her hips into his hands. “Open your eyes, Lou.” She did, barely. “Know that it’s me, tell me.” “Jared.” Her voice came out as a sigh, one filled with need and affection. It twisted his heart. He couldn’t hold back anymore. He thrust into her, loving the way she clamped down on him, feeling the way her body clung to his cock as he began to move. She couldn’t move, could only lie there as he moved in and out of her. She arched off the bed, and he could feel her slickness against his cock, the tight clasp of her muscles each time he thrust into her. Then she opened her eyes and looked at him. “Come for me, Jared.” In that moment, she took back control, asked for something from him she hadn’t before. He couldn’t hold back anymore. He didn’t want to. He wanted to give this to her, wanted her to know that he would never deny her anything. He slipped a finger down to where their bodies joined and pressed against her clit.

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She started to convulse against him again, pulling him deeper into her body. In that instant, he let go, allowed himself to pour his seed into her. Moments later, he dragged them both up on the bed. “Please tell me I don’t have to go anywhere.” He laughed at her request. “We are pretty safe here. No one but you knows about the safe house. Plus, I made sure I wasn’t followed. The sensors are fully operational, so if anyone approaches, we’ll know.” She rose to her elbow and looked at him. “What do you mean?” “What?” “You didn’t tell any of the other agents about this place?” He shook his head. “Of course not.” “But…why not?” “Because you aren’t an average agent. I made sure that no one but you knew about it. In this sector, you never know when you need protection.” She frowned. “You didn’t tell anyone, did you?” She shook her head. “You know I don’t talk much to the other agents. I don’t always play well with others.” “They were jealous.” “Of me?” He shook his head. “Of my feelings for you. You are my best agent, but didn’t you wonder why you always got the best assignments?” “But…Jared.” “I guess there’s no reason to try and hide it. I’ve loved you since I met you, Lou. I know that you are about the only person in the sector who doesn’t know, but I do.” “Even when I was…” She swallowed. He knew she didn’t like saying the words, hated to even think about what she had to do to survive. “Even then. I didn’t know what the hell it was, seriously. But when you were hurt, I…well, if you hadn’t made it, I’m not sure if I would have either.” For the first time since that night long ago, he saw tears shimmer in her eyes. He cupped her face with his hand. “Don’t cry, baby.” Just saying those words had fresh tears pouring over onto her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cry all over you.” She tried to turn away from him, but he wouldn’t allow it. “No. Don’t turn away from me, never again.” She stopped and watched him warily.

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“Don’t ever be ashamed to show what you are feeling to me. Never. I don’t expect you not to be human.” He couldn’t stop the anger that welled up inside him. “I don’t love you because you’re a tough agent. I love that despite everything, the way you had to survive on the street, the way you had to fight to live all those years ago, you are a tough agent. It isn’t because of what you are, but how you became that way.” Her eyes softened even more as she leaned forward to brush her mouth over his. “I never knew.” “You didn’t want to know.” She smiled. “But I do now.” “Yeah, I’d worry if you didn’t figure it out after today.” Her smile faded. “Do you have a problem with Sam?” He knew what she was asking and he should have an issue with it, but for some reason he didn’t. When they were together just that one time felt more special than all the women who had come before. “No. Do you have an issue with us?” The tension drained from her features as she shook her head. “No. Truthfully, I find it kind of hot.” “Yeah?” She nodded. “Where’s he at?” “He was doing some research.” “Why don’t we get something to eat? I am starving.”

The moment that she stepped into the hallway, it felt wrong. She didn’t know exactly what it was, but there was something that gnawed at her stomach. Her instinct had kept her alive more than once. She stopped and grabbed a weapon. “What?” “There’s something wrong. It’s really quiet.” Jared nodded. “Yeah.” They both walked down the hallway keeping their backs against the wall. She was sure no one was in the house. They wouldn’t have left the two of them alone. The other possibility had her heart hurting. They crept up the stairs, trying their best not to allow any sound to carry. When they stepped into the office, her worst fears were confirmed. The office was empty, but there was a note on the desk. Jared walked over and held it up. “I’ll fix everything, S.” Then she saw the screen. The picture was a leader in the Zenich Industries. He was standing next to one of the two women who had been at the bar with Sam. “Who is that?” Jared read the name. “Dennis Ventor. His brother.”

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She read the passage. “He’s a vice president at the corporation? And wait, Sam Dawson isn’t a Dawson right?” Jared nodded. “Fuck. We’re going to have to go after the ass. He can’t go in there alone. His brother set this up to get back at him.” “Why?” Jared looked at her. “For being the one who walked away. Dennis never had the balls to do it. Sam did, made his own way. His brothers blew the fortune, and had to go out and work. It would make sense Dennis would start selling secrets. He’s used to a lot of money. And it sounds like him to set Sam up to take the fall. He’s always been like that.” Anger boiled in her gut. “The woman. She was with him in the bar. He said she was an agent.” He slipped into the chair and widened the screen for them both to read. “And here it seems like she works for Dennis. Shit.” She huffed out a breath. “He went to confront them.” “Yeah, of course he did. I shouldn’t have told him there was a hit put out on us.” She stared at Jared. “Why did you do that?” He grimaced. “Because I was pissed at him. He put you in danger.” She rolled her eyes, agitation filling her stomach. She didn’t have time for precious male egos. “Yeah, and you helped by putting me on his trail. You both suck.” He didn’t say anything and she looked over to find him staring at her with a small smile playing about his lips. “What?” He shook his head. “Nothing.” It settled her nerves just a bit. She knew Sam had walked into the den of the lion ready to sacrifice himself. She might have just met him, but it was something he would do. “You know, when we find him, I’m going to kill him.”

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Chapter Nine

Sam crept down the hallway to his brother’s office, ever vigilant for any followers. He should have known that his family would come back to bite him in the ass later in life. Seriously, they had never been much to be happy about. They had money and they felt the world owed them everything. Dennis was even worse than the father who was probably responsible for more deaths than even the most proficient assassin. It was his fault Jared and Lou were all in the situation. His fault by association. Damned family would be the death of him. But if he had his choice, he would take his bastard brother down with him. With surprising ease, he worked out the code to his brother’s office. He knew it was too easy, but it didn’t seem he had a choice but to walk through the door. He stepped into the plush well-appointed room and found his brother looking out on the night. “So nice of you to join us, Samuel.” Years apart didn’t matter. The bastard’s voice still sent a cold ball of anger to Sam’s belly. He noticed Reid sitting on a chaise smiling at him. He said nothing to her, gave her no emotion. “Hey, Denny.” His brother glanced over his shoulder. “I’ve always told you I don’t like that name.” He smiled, allowing his brother to see just what he felt. “I’ve always told you I don’t give a flying fuck what you think.” His brother turned to face him and Sam was struck by just how much older he looked. Dennis was only a couple years older, but he was already soft in the middle. Even with all the laser surgery, he looked at least ten years older than Sam. But what struck him most was the coldness in his eyes. There was not an ounce of emotion in Dennis’s eyes. “So you want to tell me why you decided to set me up? I mean, I know you don’t like me—the feeling is mutual by the way—but setting your own brother up to take the fall, kind of damns you to hell, right?” Dennis gave him a smile that reminded him of all the times he had tortured Sam before Sam got too big for Dennis to hurt. It was pure evil. “Side benefit.” He shrugged as if discussing why he’d picked a certain tie to wear for the day, not the fact that he had set up his brother for sure death. “I had to blame someone for the treason and you seemed to be perfect.” It shouldn’t bother Sam. They had never been what anyone would call close. Every memory he had of Dennis was filled with fear and then derision. His older brother had never worked for anything, expected

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everything, and seemed to blame Sam when things never seemed to work out for him. But there was still a little bit that bothered Sam. This was his flesh and blood. They shared the same parents, had grown up in the same house, but it didn’t seem to matter to Dennis. “Ah, so once again I have to clean up your mess. Just like when we were kids, right, Denny? I mean, it wasn’t like you could ever make the grade without your little brother helping you.” It was an arrow that struck the middle of his cold heart. “Shut the fuck up, Samuel.” “What? You don’t want your whore to know exactly how you gained all those awards?” He tossed Reid a look. “He can barely read and write. If it wasn’t for me, he would have never made it through school.” His brother came flying around the desk at him. This was exactly what Sam wanted, what he needed. Dennis tried to hit him on the nose, but Sam blocked it with his arm. Jared had already broken his nose. He didn’t need any more pain. Sam hit his brother in the gut, then jaw. Dennis fell back against his desk. Sam started to approach him but he felt the smart spark of a zapper. His head exploded, his body went hot and then his world went black.

“This was fucking stupid of him,” Lou said. Jared agreed, but he could understand why Sam had done it. Family could make you do some dumbass stuff, especially when trying to protect a woman. “And if he thinks he isn’t going to hear about this when I get a hold of him, he has another think coming. Damn fool man.” “Lou,” he said. She turned to face him. “We’ll save him.” She hesitated, then nodded. They worked their way a few feet more before they heard the insidious voice of Sam’s brother. “But I don’t understand why we just don’t leave him. We can leave him with all the info around him. They will lock him away.” “Jesus, Dennis, are you that stupid? They might not believe Jared and his agent at first, but even Jared Flores apparently didn’t believe the hit put out on him. The man has too many friends in high places. He will convince them it was you and not him.” “Not for this, not treason. The Alliance doesn’t take kindly to a man who would sell secrets and allow people to die for the almighty buck.” His voice dripped with condemnation and scorn. Jared knew Dennis always thought he was better than most people, than everyone. He thought money and power made him somehow superior. It always disgusted Jared how much his outlaw brothers and Sam’s barely legal family thought they were better than hard-working people.

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Jared had been surprised when they’d found the door open. Of course, he shouldn’t be, because Dennis wasn’t all that bright. Never had been. There was that string of arrogance that Sam had but with Dennis, there was a tinge of evil that dripped from his personality. He saw the female agent pacing back and forth. She had to have been the one who’d come up with the plan of selling secrets. Dennis wasn’t smart enough for something like that. “Let it go. He’ll take the fall, and we’ll have the money.” From her movements to her tone, anyone could tell she was agitated. It flowed off her in waves. She was a small woman, but there was no question she could and would kill without a problem. Dennis apparently did not see the danger in dealing with the woman. He was a means to an end. When Dennis moved, Jared saw Sam. He was lying on his back on the floor, his eyes closed. Ice filled his veins and everything in Jared turned cold with rage. Then he noticed Sam’s chest move. He let loose a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. He slipped back and faced Lou. Her eyes told him how she felt. Anyone would look at her and think nothing was bothering her. But he could see by the way her brows knitted above her eyes that she was worried. He leaned close, pressing his lips against one of her ears. “The woman is with Dennis. Sam is on the floor, out cold but he’s breathing.” He heard the catch in her breath and he felt it in his soul. While he had been pissed about finding her with Sam, and at first didn’t like the idea of sharing her, Jared knew now that it was the three of them together that made them whole. She might not understand it, and maybe Sam wasn’t too sure, but Jared knew. Only one time with all three of them in bed and it had been clear to him. They were meant to all be together. “We need to take her out first. She’s the dangerous one.” Lou nodded, but he could feel the tension coil inside of her. Lou was a first-rate agent, and he trusted her with his life. Still, she was not in a good place. Hell, neither of them were. To save Sam one of them would need to keep their head fastened on straight even if they had to fight back burning rage to do it. “I’ll take the lead.” She stiffened and he could feel defiance rise in her. “I will be the first through the door.” He ground out every word to let her know that he wasn’t kidding. She sighed, then nodded. They both turned when a laser went off in the office. “You fucking bitch.” They rushed to the door, Lou for once letting him take the lead. Dennis and the woman were facing off over the desk. Dennis’s suit was singed from the laser hit and there was a splatter of blood seeping from

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beneath the fabric. His gaze darted around the room as if seeking out help. They might both be armed, but he was at a definite disadvantage. Dennis noticed them. “What the fuck?” Apparently, his partner wasn’t buying it. “I won’t fall for that shit, Dennis.” His attention on them, he wasn’t paying attention to the woman bent on killing him. She shot off her laser gun, slamming him in the chest. He screamed, the force of the blast throwing him back against the wall. Both he and Lou were rushing the woman as she turned around. Right before Jared reached her, Sam rose up in front of her, clipping her against the jaw. She stumbled back, falling onto the floor, and her weapon went off, the shot glancing off Sam’s shoulder. He fell again, and blood started pouring from the wound. “Sam,” Lou yelled, ignoring the danger of the situation. Jared wasn’t though. The female agent rose up a bit, but he took his booted foot and pressed it down on her wrist, causing her to drop her weapon. He kicked it away, then grabbed her by the injured wrist. After securing her in restraints, he hurried over to Sam and Lou. “He’s breathing,” Lou said, her voice trembling. “Just barely.” Sirens started to ring as boots sounded down the hall. The first face Jared saw was the chief of security for Zenich, Martin Smith. When they discovered that Sam had left, Jared had briefed Smith and forwarded all the info about Dennis. Smith rushed through the door and then came to an abrupt stop. He held up his hands. “Hold up. Get those medics here now,” Smith ordered as he walked over to them. “We have it all on the record but were a few kilometers away or we would have been here sooner to stop it.” Lou looked up at Jared, her eyes narrowing. “You will explain.” He sighed. “Of course.” She looked back down at Sam as Jared squatted beside the two of them. He noticed her hand trembling as she pressed a cloth to Sam’s wound. He slipped his hand over hers as she lifted her face to him. The tears in her eyes scared him more than anything. “He’ll be okay.” “You promise?” “Yes.” He said it with more confidence than he had, but when he saw her breathe a sigh of relief, he didn’t feel that guilty about the lie.

The strong scent of antiseptic telling him he was in a hospital was the first thing Sam noticed. Then he lifted his lids. Bright, stabbing pain lanced Sam’s eyes the moment he opened them. He slammed them shut with a groan. “Sam?” Lou nearly shouted so loud he grimaced as the sound bounced off the walls.

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“Lou,” Jared said, his voice calm. “Not so loud.” Her fingers slipped between his. “He’s lucky I don’t have my fingers wrapped around his throat.” Her caressing hand was at odds with her words, but he heard the fear and pain beneath the words. She was pissed at him? “You shouldn’t have come.” His statement filled the room with silence. Her hand paused and then she moved it away from his. “I guess we should have left you there to die?” she asked, her voice deceptively calm. Lou was like him. When she seemed calm, she was her most dangerous. “I had it under control.” “Really? That’s funny,” Jared said. He didn’t sound as upset as Lou, but there was a thread of anger beneath his tone. “I thought you were the one unconscious when we got there. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but if we hadn’t gotten there I am pretty sure Reid would have killed you on the spot.” “I had it under control,” he repeated. “All you did was cause problems. I thought you would at least keep Lou under control.” Retreating footsteps sounded and then the door opened and closed. He opened his eyes to find Jared staring down at him. “What the fuck were you thinking, man? You don’t berate a woman who came to save you. Jesus. Are you that stupid?” “I said I had it under control.” “Yeah, I heard you. Truth is, you don’t have a leg to stand on in that argument. Reid would have killed you. Your brother was going to frame you, but that bitch wanted you dead. She seemed particularly interested in hurting you. Is there a reason for that?” “We did have a thing a while back, but she called it off. It was years ago, but then I also reported her ass for dereliction of duty a year ago. She didn’t show up at a drop. The company docked her credits.” Jared shook his head. “You’re going to lose her.” “Reid? I don’t want her.” Jared rolled his eyes. “No. Lou. Don’t tell me you don’t want her to stick around. I know you too well.” He shrugged, causing Jared to chuckle. “Yeah, I know you. You might fool around with another agent, but you would have never gone to bed with Lou if you hadn’t wanted her so badly. And you sure as hell wouldn’t have allowed me to touch her if you didn’t sense something was there. That isn’t like you, Sam.” Sam looked away. “Just another fun weekend.” Jared scoffed. “Listen, jackass.”

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Sam turned back to face his old friend. “I’m not giving her up. I want her. But I know that what we have works even better with you there now. But after that little show you just did, Lou isn’t going to stick around.” “What do you mean?” “I can guarantee she is looking for a transport right now. She doesn’t like being hurt. The first thing she does is run the other direction when it happens.” Pain seared Sam’s chest, but he ignored it. “Better off if you ask me.” Jared cocked his head and studied him. His speculative gaze made Sam want to shift around. “Why?” Jared asked. “Why what?” “Why is she better off?” Jared asked. “Jesus, do I need to explain it to you?” Jared said nothing, but crossed his arms over his chest. The pain and anger that had been burning in his gut for the last few hours exploded. “Fine. I’m bad luck. Everyone around me ends up hurt in some way.” “Funny, you’re the one in the bed. The one who coded once on the way here.” That brought him to a stop. “What?” “Lou thought we lost you. We both thought you were gone.” “Shit.” Jared nodded. “Exactly.” “Goes to show you, both of you would be better off without me.” “You want to run scared again, be my guest. This time though, I at least have Lou.” With that, Jared slammed out of the room. Sam was irritated with the situation, with both of them, but mostly with himself. It was better off this way. Not having them around, not dealing with any of the emotions that pulled you down. But unlike the times before, the thought of being alone didn’t comfort him. It didn’t matter. He’d said exactly what he believed. Both of them would be better off without him.

Lou blinked back the rush of tears as she readied her gear. Damn man. They were all the same, and Sam was the worst. She didn’t know what she was thinking getting involved with him or Jared. It was useless. She was sick and tired of people walking away from her. Well, fuck them. She would do the walking away. “Lou,” Jared’s calm voice sent a rush of need through her. She pushed that away and grabbed hold of her irritation. “What the fuck do you want?”

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He said nothing. Instead, he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. She stiffened for a second, but then relaxed against him. She couldn’t hold back from him, couldn’t keep herself from accepting the comfort he offered her. “He’s being an ass.” She nodded and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “He’ll come around.” She didn’t say anything because she knew better. Sam had made his decision. That was the way both of them were. Jared was different. He could see the big picture. He could look ahead and see that starlight at the end of the universe and tell her it was all going to be better. When she didn’t respond, he sighed and turned her to face him. He cupped her face in his big capable hands. “Look at me, Lou.” She didn’t respond. “Louella.” She frowned up at him and he chuckled. “Even if he isn’t here, I am.” Her heart expanded at the thought. “Even if he never shows back up?” He shook his head and brushed his mouth over hers. “I don’t just love him, Lou. I love you too. I wasn’t lying. I’ve loved you for years. I want both of you, but I am more than satisfied to have you with me.” She sighed. “I thought that maybe with Sam being an ass, you’d rather not have me around.” He rested his forehead against hers. “No. In fact, I was panicking a bit when I realized you were going to have enough credits to get back to Earth.” She smiled and then all of the sudden it hit her. She felt her smile dissolve. “You said you knew who Sam was. It was more about finding your old lover.” From his expression, she knew he hadn’t missed that one. “Dammit.” She fought free of his hold and stomped away. “I can’t believe I was stupid enough to think that it was partially about me.” He hurried after her. “No, wait.” He grabbed her, spun her around and barely missed getting hit with her fist. “Dammit to Hades, Lou. I didn’t know at first. I didn’t have a hologram. I told you that before. Do we have to keep going over this?” She pulled away from him, took a step back and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “I just had the name. Then when I found out it was him, I came looking for you two. Mostly for you. I knew that if Sam was involved it was going to be bad. I wanted to protect you.” She studied his expression, and the earnest light in his eyes made her realize that he was telling the truth. “Okay.” She sighed. “Back to work, I guess.”

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He pulled her against him. “Yeah. Don’t worry. Sam will pull his head out of his ass.” “And if he doesn’t?” She felt his lips brush against her temple. “We’ll go out and get him.” That absolutely certainty made her feel better.

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Chapter Ten

Three months later. Sam’s head was pounding. It had been for the last week. Most of what he remembered was drinking too much liquor and most of it in his hotel room by himself. He had come to Gardium because the planet was the playground for the rich, a group he now belonged to. Family money had come to him. He had been pretty sure the family didn’t have any, but when the news hit he was still alive, he found out that he was his father’s beneficiary. So instead of being a total ass about it, he quit work and took up the family business. He spent two months trying to get everything straightened away, fixing the mess his brother had left. Then, when done, melancholy had toppled down and almost crushed him. He knew that most people would say he was depressed, but he wasn’t. Not really. He was lonely. The two people he loved the most in the world were no longer a part of his life. It was his own damn fault they were gone, but he couldn’t allow them to deal with the shit that always seemed to follow him around. His problem was that no matter how much he drank, he couldn’t seem to shake the damned melancholy that sat on his shoulders. It was because he hadn’t had sex in three months. He closed his eyes. He shouldn’t think of the act, because whenever he did, he thought of Jared and Lou. Just the thought of them would leave him harder than a damned Titanium steel pike, and more depressed than before. He’d had opportunities for fast, mindless sex, but he hadn’t even been that tempted. When he had left Jared last time, Sam had found it easy to lose himself in bed with other people. But this time, it was different. He drew in a deep breath and started down the street again. He was going to do it tonight. He needed to quit being a pussy and find someone—anyone—for the night. Then it would be easier. There was a scrape of metal against stone behind him. He looked back over his shoulder. In the next instant he was blinded by a bright light and then a sharp shard of pain filled his head and spread through his body. After that, everything went black.

When he woke, Sam tried to move and found he was unable to do so. He didn’t open his eyes, instead listening to see if his captor or captors were close by. When he heard nothing, he tested his arms. He was happy to realize he wasn’t paralyzed, but he was tied down.

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He cracked an eye open and was stunned. A woman stood in front of him, dressed in black, all her honeyed hair down cascading over her shoulders. His heart jerked and his breathing stopping for a second. Lou. “You can’t get out of the bindings.” She wasn’t looking at him. She was fiddling with something on the table nearby. He looked around the room and realized it was some kind of bedroom. Hell, it was his bedroom. The one he had rented. The other thing he noticed was he was naked. “Lou.” “Don’t speak. Not in the mood.” Sam heard chuckling and he turned his head in the direction of the sound. Jared had joined them and was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. Damn, for the second time in as many minutes, his heart jerked. Jared looked good, rested, his eyes dancing with some kind of inner amusement. The same as always. “I would listen to her, Sam. She’s kind of pissed at you.” “Unless you want to be tied up also, I would shut your trap,” their lover warned. Jared winked at Sam as he walked over to join Lou at the table. He slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her back against him. Sam could imagine how she would feel, her soft rounded ass against his hard cock. Jared sent him a knowing look over his shoulder. Sam couldn’t see much from his position, but he knew Jared had slid his hands up to Lou’s breasts. The need to feel them beneath his palms, the hardened nipples, to taste them… His cock twitched painfully. “I think we can take turns with the tying up, don’t you think, love?” Jared asked. “Quit being mad.” He knew the comment was directed toward Lou and not him. With ease, he turned both of them to face Sam. Her whiskey gaze moved over him and he felt it as if she’d touched him. “Now, while I don’t think we should keep being mean to him—” “He deserved it.” Jared chuckled as he glanced over at Sam. “She wanted to hog tie you for a week, but I convinced her to tie you to the bed just for tonight.” “This isn’t funny,” Sam said, pulling on the restraints again. He shifted his feet and discovered they were tied down. Not as tight as his hands, but he could only move so far. “I find it very funny,” Jared said, drawing Sam’s attention. As Jared stared at him as if daring him to look away, he slipped his hands up and over Lou’s breasts. “The idea that a control freak like you has no control is funny to me.” He couldn’t help but let his gaze fall to Jared’s clever hands. The tension in him rose and his balls ached. It had been three fucking long months. Every night he had been dreaming of these two people, waking up unfulfilled and alone. Hunger surged as he licked his lips.

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“Aw, look at that, Lou. Sam really, really wants us.” He glanced at Lou and expected her to be frowning. Instead, she had her head leaning back against Jared’s shoulder, her eyes half-closed as she moaned out loud. The sound shot straight to his dick. Jared moved his hands to her pants and started to pull them off. Lou didn’t protest as they slipped down her legs. She was bare beneath the fabric. Jared tugged her shirt up and over her head. Within a few seconds, she was completely naked. “As good as you remember, Sam?” Jared asked. In this he couldn’t lie. “Better.” Jared moved his mouth over her neck. Sam watched as his friend closed his eyes and lost himself in the taste of her. In the short time they had spent together, Sam had learned the way she tasted and felt. Her flesh was soft and sweet, such a strange combination with the hard-ass bounty hunter. Jared backed away from her as she started to approach the bed. God, she was beautiful. Golden skin, those delicious breasts, her nipples hard and waiting for his mouth. He licked his mouth again and he let his gaze travel down her body again. The curls at the juncture of her thighs were dewy, her arousal clear for him to see. “I’m not really happy with you,” she said. “I would have never been able to tell, Lou.” Jared joined them, this time completely nude. His cock was hard, turned up against his belly. Every bit of moisture dried up in Sam’s mouth. “We waited,” Lou said as she settled on the bed beside him. “I wanted to go after you a month ago.” “Really?” he said, as she skimmed her fingers along his inner thigh. “Yeah, she did,” Jared sat on the other side of the bed. “I convinced her to wait. I actually thought you might come to us.” “I didn’t know where you were.” “Too bad we aren’t into BDSM, because you would definitely deserve a really hard spanking for that lie,” Jared said. His dick twitched again. “Ah, I think that he likes that idea,” Lou said. He didn’t, not really, but the idea of having Jared’s hands on him was driving him mental. Before he could come up with the visualization, Lou slipped her hand up over his cock. He drew in a quick, deep breath. Everything in him tightened. Jared slipped his hands between Sam’s legs, first caressing his sac before sliding to his anus. He closed his eyes as he felt Jared’s finger slip into his ass. Jared eased it in and out a few times as Lou pumped his shaft. Before Sam was ready, they were moving away. Jared stood, moved to the other side of the bed and pulled Lou up to her knees. He continued to stroke her as Jared spread her legs wide. “Take that beautiful cock into your mouth, Lou. I want to see your mouth on him.”

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She said nothing, but obeyed, sliding his shaft between her lips. Her tongue flicked over Sam’s cock head before sucking the entire length in. He groaned and pulled on his restraints, wanting to touch, to slip his fingers through her hair. But he wasn’t going to get that. He knew they wouldn’t let it happen. He glanced at Jared and noticed him watching him. “You know how much she likes a cock up her ass? Almost as much as you do, Sam.” Without saying anything else, Jared positioned his cock at her back entrance. Slowly, Jared eased in, and she groaned, the vibrations moving over his cock. Damn, he felt them to the soles of his feet. Jared started to move, his fingers digging into her generous ass. His thrust were slow and easy, but not for long. Soon Jared was moving faster. “That’s it, Lou, take him. Make him lose control.” Jared’s guttural commands sent Sam over the edge. His orgasm slammed into him as he thrust up into her warm, wet mouth. Jared started moving faster, the sound of flesh smacking against flesh filled the room. Sam opened his eyes to watch Jared throw his head back and shout her name as he came. The sight of it did something to his heart. Seeing Jared lose himself in his orgasm was more than he expected. It wasn’t lust that filled him, but love, for Jared and for Lou. Jared pulled away from her and leaned over to untie Sam’s hands as Lou worked on his feet. He leaned down and set his forehead against Sam’s. “You understand why we did this?” He reached up to slip his hand behind Jared’s head and pull his mouth down to his. Sam dove in, enjoying the feel of Jared’s tongue against his. When they pulled back, he said, “Yes.” He glanced over and saw Lou watching them. He held out his hand. The tremulous smile she offered him had his heart turning over. “Come.” She did, placing her hand in his and slipping into bed with him. He let go of Jared and cupped her face. “I’m sorry. I should have never said those things.” She blinked, those huge whiskey eyes filling up with tears. “Being without you was horrible,” he said before he kissed her, letting her taste his apology. “I won’t ever be such a jackass again.” “If you are, I’ll be kicking your ass.” He chuckled as he rolled over and covered her body, caging her in. “I do believe one of us hasn’t been satisfied yet.” He looked over at Jared who was smiling. “I think someone needs to have a little payback. This was her idea.” “Ah,” Sam said, “and I believe in payback.”

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Lou could not believe how things had changed. She was now manacled to the bed. Anticipation threaded through her blood as Sam’s callused hands moved over her stomach. She tried to shift her weight to ease the pressure between her legs. Before they’d tied her down she had been ready for hard loving. Sam slipped down between her legs and pressed his mouth against her inner thigh. Jared smiled at her as he returned from cleaning up in the bathroom. “Sam is really good at getting even.” Her heart jerked at the warmth she saw in his expression and heard in his voice. The last three months had been hard on both of them, but once they’d found Sam and come up with a plan, everything had felt right. She had realized that while it was a relationship of three, that Jared loved her as equally as he loved Sam. Jared dipped his head and took her nipple into his mouth just as Sam set his mouth on her pussy. She throbbed from her head to her toes, her need for the two men beyond anything she could even imagine. Her life was now complete. But if they didn’t hurry up, she was pretty sure she would kill them both. Lifting his head, Jared gave her a knowing look and then blew on her nipple. She closed her eyes and moaned, she couldn’t help it. One of the things Jared had done in the last three months was figure out just what got to her. He knew just what button to push. Sam sunk his tongue into her pussy and then moved it up to tease her clit. It was as if he set a spark to kindling. Heat roared through her, set her lust aflame, but she couldn’t seem to find satisfaction. With each lick, he pushed her closer, but not close enough to really find her release. As Sam continued to tease her, Jared started on her other breast while pinching her wet nipple. She was moving slowly closer, ready to fly off, when Sam moved away. “Jared,” Sam said. After one little more pinch, Jared moved away. She opened her eyes and watched as Jared moved between her legs. Sam had moved back, allowing him room, but he took Jared’s face in his hands again and kissed him. She watched, mesmerized as she was the first time she had seen them kiss. Her body warmed and her heart bubbled over with joy. She could see their tongues moving, could imagine the feel of each of their mouths. Jared turned to her, that knowing look still there. He knew she was turned on by watching them mainly because she had confessed it to him all those months ago. She looked at her men, allowing her gaze to travel down their bodies to their cocks. Both hard, both for her. Jared moved closer, lifted her hips and slowly entered her. “Damn, that feels good. You’re so wet, baby.” She nodded and enjoyed the feel of his cock sliding in and out of her, the way her muscles clung to him. Sam moved behind Jared. “She tastes even better than she feels.” Jared said something low beneath his breath as he thrust into her hard and then held. Sam moved behind him closer, and then entered Jared from behind.

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“Fuck,” Jared said, his voice filled with erotic tension. “Yeah,” Sam said, his mouth moving over Jared’s neck. He looked down at her. “Are you ready, honey?” She nodded. He pulled back, Jared followed. As they moved in concert, her lust revved to an all-time high. She could feel it spiraling out of control as they increased the speed of their thrusts. “Yes, like that,” Jared muttered. He thrust hard into her, sending her spiraling into her orgasm. But he wasn’t done. Even as she was trying to recover from her first orgasm, she felt herself thrown into another. It slammed into her with more power than the first. She exploded, her body bowing off the bed as she screamed their names. Jared followed her first, thrusting hard once more and then moaning as he poured himself into her. Sam was last, his hands on Jared’s hips as he thrust with such a force that she felt Jared jerk from the motion. He moaned, long, loud and filled with such satisfaction that her love for both men increased.

Jared came out of the bathroom to find Sam and Lou snuggled up on the bed together. They were facing him, Sam behind Lou. He leaned against the doorjamb and watched them. Damn, he was a lucky man. He had never thought he would find Sam again, or convince Lou that she was worth forever. But here he was, with both the people he loved most in the world. “Quit standing there grinning like an idiot. Come join us,” Sam said, although he never opened his eyes. Jared was too happy to take offense at Sam’s name calling. He walked over and then slid beneath the sheets and crowded closer to Lou. “Hey,” Sam said. Jared lifted his head and looked at him. The serious look he had on his face worried Jared. “You know I love both of you, right?” Jared leaned over Lou and brushed his mouth over Sam’s. It was sweet and comforting. When he pulled back, he opened his eyes. “Yeah, I do. Although, it might take a lot to convince this one of it.” He motioned with his head toward Lou. Sam chuckled. “Well, I can think of a hundred ways to let her know just how much I love her.” It was easy to hear the lust in his lover’s voice, and Jared couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, well, I’ve had the last three months to convince her.” Sam frowned. “Yeah, that’s right. What have you been doing all that time?” “Would you like to know?” She snorted. “Oh, good Lord, we were looking for you. Jesus in a skirt, you two never shut the hell up. I will be an old woman dead and living in Hades before I actually get some sleep.” She turned over on her back. “And let’s get something straight. I don’t need to be shown how you love me. Just tell me.”

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The Last Detail

It sounded like she was making a joke, but after so many years together, Jared knew her expression. Even after the last three months, and all the lovemaking tonight, she needed reassurances. “I love you, Lou,” he said, and gave her a slow, wet kiss. She opened her eyes as he moved away, and he was happy to see the heat had returned, but he could also see the love he knew she felt for him. She turned toward Sam. “Yeah, so what?” “I love you.” “Good. Now I need some sleep. Shut up and go to sleep.” Both of them chuckled when she turned back toward Jared and snuggled in closer. Sam smiled and cuddled closer behind her, draping his arm over her waist and reaching for Jared. Contentment filled Jared as he settled down. Sam’s hand rested on his hip and Lou’s warm breath feathered over his chest as he drifted off to sleep.

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About the Author

Born to an Air Force family at an Army hospital, Melissa has always been a little bit screwy. She was further warped by her years of watching Monty Python and her strange family. Her love of romance novels developed after accidentally picking up a Linda Howard book. Since her first release in 2004, Melissa has had close to 30 short stories, novellas and novels released with seven different publishers in a variety of genres and time periods. Those releases included an Eppie nomination and two CAPA nominations, along with a multitude of best sellers. Her contemporary, A Little Harmless Sex became an international best seller in June of 2005 and was named one of the 100 bestselling Nookbooks of 2010. Since she was a military brat, she vowed never to marry military. Alas, Fate always has her way with mortals. Her husband is an Air Force major, and together they have their own military brats, two girls, an adopted dog daughter and they live wherever the military sticks them. Which until recently always involved heat and bugs only seen on the Animal Discovery Channel. In her spare time, she reads, complains about bugs, travels, cooks, reads some more, and tries to convince her family that she truly is a delicate genius. She has yet to achieve her last goal. If you want to know more about Melissa, stop by the following websites: www.melissaschroeder.net, www.twitter.com/melschroeder,

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melissa-Schroeder/17997114885. She

loves to hear from her readers so be sure to drop Melissa a note: [email protected].

Look for these titles by Melissa Schroeder

Now Available: Grace Under Pressure The Seduction of Widow McEwan The Last Detail Harmless A Little Harmless Sex A Little Harmless Pleasure A Little Harmless Obsession A Little Harmless Lie Once Upon an Accident The Accidental Countess Lessons in Seduction The Spy Who Loved Her

Four people. One rope. Desire plunged into dangerous obsession.

Dark Empress © 2011 Anitra Lynn McLeod Onic Empire, Book 5 Errion Ald’Areed senses that his business partner’s passion for designing pleasure upgrades for service robots has cooled, but nothing he’s tried—men, women, exotic adventures—has lifted Lorren D’Buren’s ennui. Until he sees the look in Lorren’s eyes when the intergalactic ambassador from Diola crosses their path at a charity ball. Under the watchful eye of Gabriyel, her faithful bodyguard, Farjika is determined to live down her empress mother’s scandalous reputation for taking multiple lovers. Her instant attraction to Lorren, though, tempts her to cross her self-imposed bounds of propriety. And Gabriyel is shocked that his level-headed mistress has fallen so easily into a torrid affair. At first Errion is pleased that Farjika has roused Lorren out of his funk. When he notices the depth of the mutual fascination, though, he realizes he must act quickly—or lose his sometime lover and best friend. His plan to eliminate the threat is perfect in its beautiful complexity. Until one snag in his delicate web of seduction plunges them all into a potentially deadly tangle with no way out… Warning: Contains humor, masturbatory robots, mystical BDSM, stern punishments and more variations on m/m/m/f than the author can count. Sex toys are not included with purchase but are strongly recommended.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Dark Empress: “Tell me, my lovely one, what do you hope to accomplish here on Avalith?” Errion knew the question was a light one. Any visitor would have a stock answer ready to spew out to satisfy any who asked, yet Farjika actually considered his question. Lifting her gaze to capture his, she softly informed him, “My world is isolated. We have been so for many hundreds of thousands of seasons. I hope by coming here, to Avalith, and donating a large portion of funds, to show the galactic community that we are concerned with our brethren. That we wish to break free from our self-imposed seclusion.” Errion wanted to capture her mouth, cutting off her words long before she could finish speaking them. Not only was she utterly lovely, but she was kind and sweet. Worse, she had a conscience. She wasn’t just repeating words she’d been told to say, she honestly believed in what she said. Red flashes of warning went off behind his eyes. This woman was dangerous. Farjika truly could sway Lorren from any path he might be on, and she could do it without much effort. Farjika was a woman who could steal a man’s soul without

intention. Raylor’s bursting balls, but she’d effortlessly stolen Errion’s attention and yet seemed utterly unaware! As he drew her into the main room, her gaze slid around, appreciating the paintings, sculptures, rugs and the furniture. She finally settled her gaze on Errion. “I am impressed by your estate. You clearly have a unique turn toward art.” He nodded, offering her a drink, which she cupped lightly in her hand. “How long will you stay on Avalith?” She took a sip to give herself time to think of her answer, and he realized she honestly didn’t know. Her hesitation worried him. His gut told him her stay depended on what happened with Lorren. “I find I am intrigued by your planet. I would like to stay and learn more about your culture even after my official visit has come to a close.” As she spoke, he noticed she kept taking surreptitious glances at one sculpture in particular. He had to work hard to suppress a lusty grin. “Where are you staying?” Casually, he maneuvered himself across the room until he was standing near the life-sized rendering of an intricately bound woman. Between her parted legs, a man thrust deeply into her. The woman’s head was bowed in submission; however, her face was still visible as her hair was drawn away. The man’s head was flung back in ecstasy, his lips peeling away from his teeth with an artfully captured snarl of possession. “I am staying in my skip.” When he tilted his head, she offered, “A small planet-safe ship while my larger spacecraft remains in orbit.” She took another sip of her drink that turned into more of a gulp when she drew her eyes away from him and the erotic rendering. “Master D’Buren graciously offered one of his fallow fields to station the craft.” “Lorren’s father is always so generous with visiting dignitaries.” Usually so he could finagle an exclusive marketing contract for his robotic servants. Wouldn’t he be surprised when he realized Diola had no desire for mechanization? “Is something wrong?” Darting her gaze to the entwined figures, then away, she whispered, “Are all of your statues so explicit?” Errion laughed. Her head stayed low as her gazed traveled up. She seemed unsure if he were laughing at her or at what she’d said. “Explicit?” He chuckled as he slapped his hand to the man’s muscular ass. “He’s fucking her as she wishes.” Eyes widening at the vulgarity, Farjika cupped the fragile glass, which trembled in her hand. He could tell she struggled with the idea of whether she should say something or not. In the end, her curiosity got the

better of her. Darting her gaze around to ensure they were alone, she asked, “If she wants him, then why is she bound?” The woman’s arms were artfully tied behind her back, and she used them to leverage herself up. Her legs embraced the man who had his head back in the throes of release. Lowering his gaze, pinning her where she stood, Errion murmured, “She is bound because she finds pleasure in giving control to the man.” Softly, he asked, “Haven’t you ever let a lover tie you up?” Farjika’s gaze met his, her pupils dilating. In that moment, he saw the hunger in her eyes. A dark hunger for something that Lorren would never give her but Errion could. Before she could answer, he deftly removed his jacket, tossing it casually on a nearby chair. “I would think a future empress would be well schooled in the art of lust.” He turned, giving her an excellent view of his bulging trousers. Pleasure rippled across his tense muscles when she looked down then quickly away. Slowly and deliberately, he looked at her chest, making sure she saw him looking. He noticed her nipples pressed tightly against the fabric, twin bits of tightened flesh. “I understand that on Diola, sex is practically your religion.” “That is not true.” She frowned at what he’d said. Her displeasure deepened when she noticed the way he was looking at her. Setting her drink upon the closest table, she said, “Sadly, many seem to think that it is, but I assure you—” “How did it feel when he slid his tongue into you?” Caught off guard by the question, she sputtered in shock, then turned her gaze around the room again. “Where is Lorren?” Running his finger down the rope that bound the woman’s breasts, he murmured, “He’s a little tied up at the moment.” He could tell that Farjika was trying to determine if he were being literal or not. “I think I should go.” Her skirt flared around her legs as she spun toward the door. “Without a word to Lorren? That’s hardly courteous behavior,” he scoffed, continuing to stroke the rope that trailed down the woman’s torso. The metal felt cool below the heat of his hand. “Especially after all the trouble he went to for you.” She stopped in midstride, apparently thinking over what she should do. He’d hit his mark well; she did not wish to appear ungracious or rude, not to the object of her affection. Frankly, he didn’t mind getting another look at the back of her dress and her hair, which was startlingly similar to the rope on the statue. Farjika would look exquisite bound, and binding would only heighten her awareness of her body. Already he could picture how he would drape the silk rope around her frame using various lengths of crimson cord that would highlight the color of her skin. Deliberately, he would place the knots to give her the greatest pleasure. To have her bound and at his mercy was such a

heady prospect, he couldn’t stop thinking of the ways he could pose her. Of course, if he acted on his cravings, Lorren would kill him. “Lorren will join us shortly.” Errion had carefully arranged the evening so that he would have a chance to be alone with Farjika. He tossed off his drink and set the empty aside. Crossing the parlor, his bare feet silent on the thick carpet, he moved until he was standing right behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she drew a short breath. “What are you doing?” Touching her with only his breath when he hungered to do so much more, he said, “I’m admiring your dress.” Goose bumps washed along the backs of her arms. “Did he slide his finger into you?” She closed her eyes, her lips parting with shock, but then she asked, “Why are you doing this?” “Because I’m curious.” Fearing that she might bolt, he placed his hands gently on her shoulders. Not holding her but reminding her that she should stay. “Tell me how good it felt to have him on his knees, worshiping you with his mouth.” She shook her head in denial, but he could see her nipples straining against the fabric of her bodice. Standing this near, he felt her heat rise, giving off more of her delightful fragrance. Slowly, carefully, he maneuvered her around until she faced the erotic statue while he stood behind her. “Look at her face.” Lowering his lips to the edge of her ear, he whispered, “Look at the pleasure she derives from submission.” Pressing his cock against the split of her bottom caused her to gasp, but she didn’t move away. “Even bound, she strains to meet his thrust.” Trailing his hands from her shoulders to the top of her dress, he slid his fingertips along the edge of the fabric that encircled her chest. Involuntarily she arched, pressing her breasts up to meet his touch and forcing her bottom into closer contact with his cock. Her firm softness through the layers of fabric was far more arousing than actual contact could ever be. Errion took a deep breath to steady himself. “Tell me the truth, Farjika, you’ve never thought about being bound before tonight?” “No.” Her answer came out swiftly, forcefully and almost defensively. “But now, it’s all you can think about.” Her lips parted in automatic denial, but she closed them ever so slowly, her head shaking back and forth, her delicately arched brows lowered in confusion. “Imagine yourself as that woman.” Her gaze went instinctively toward the statue. “Silky rope binds your arms behind your back, putting you at the mercy of the man before you.” He hesitated then decided he would have only one chance to plant the seed, so he forged ahead. He grabbed her wrists before she could react and pulled them behind her back. When she dropped her head, exhaling a long whimpering sigh of surrender, she said more than words ever could.

What begins as a quest for submission becomes an unrelenting need for love.

A Little Harmless Obsession © 2010 Melissa Schroeder May Aiona’s crush on sexy Evan Chambers is a bad habit that should be easy to break. It’s not like he’s ever noticed her. Looking for a safe place to release the reins of control and explore her curiosity about BDSM, May takes a friend up on an invitation to visit an exclusive bondage club—all she has to agree to is a public submission. Evan can’t help but notice the exotically beautiful May. But despite his success, the dirty secrets of his past whisper that he’ll never be good enough for her. When Evan sees her standing in his club ready to submit to his best friend, he gives in to the thing he wants most—May as his sub. After their session, he knows one night will never be enough. But loving May isn’t easy for a man always ready to take charge. She might like to submit in the bedroom, but she doesn’t like anyone telling her what to do outside of it. When May insists she’s not in any danger from the person seemingly obsessed with her, she ends up in the sights of a deranged stalker—with Evan possibly too far away to help. Warning: This book contains sexy Hawaiian settings, crazy relatives, and a submission scene that leaves the heroine breathless and the hero frustrated. There are toys, bondage, and love scenes so hot, you’ll need ice water and a towel. Remember, it’s a Harmless story, so you know there’s nothing harmless about it.

Enjoy the following excerpt for A Little Harmless Obsession: May closed her eyes and allowed the techno beat of the club’s music to pulse through her blood. Excitement skittered over her flesh as she tried her best to contain it. It might be her first time here, but she wanted to try her best not to look like a rookie. “You know, you might enjoy the atmosphere a bit more if you open your eyes.” She did and slanted a look at her best friend. Cynthia’s guileless blue eyes and innocent smile hid a very wicked mind and sometimes an even more wicked tongue. Leaning over so she could shout in her ear, May said, “If I didn’t owe you for getting me in here, I’d smack you upside the head, sistah.” Cynthia laughed and took a sip of her lava flow before answering. “You have to be nice to me. I won’t take credit for the offer, since I think Micah came up with that.” She shook her head. “Still, without me, you’d still be trying to figure out a way to come up with the five thousand dollar joining fee.”

That much was true. Rough ’n Ready was Honolulu’s premier BDSM club and it did have a hefty price tag to ensure the patrons were serious about their lifestyle. May wasn’t poor. Chris paid her a good price to manage Dupree’s, but she also didn’t have money like that to throw around. “That much we can agree on.” She looked around and noticed they’d lost Chris somewhere along the way. “What happened to your better half?” “He’s talking to Micah. I still can’t believe you agreed to a public submission.” “You’re the one who talked me into it.” Cynthia laughed. “I know, but I am still surprised.” May glanced toward the area where many of the people where gathered. She hadn’t seen it up close, but she knew there were glass squares that allowed patrons a front-row seat to the D/s play going on in the rooms below. The participants choose whether or not to allow the audience to see the session. She shivered thinking of all those people watching her. She hadn’t completely come to terms with what she needed and she’d agreed to her first true session in front of a flipping audience. Crazy, or as her grandfather would say, pupule. She couldn’t contain the dueling emotions as they flooded her. Fear with a healthy dose of arousal and excitement fought for control and she was amazed she hadn’t gone completely pupule from the battle beneath the surface. The desire to know more about herself, what she needed, was the only thing keeping her in the club. It wasn’t until she started talking to Cynthia a few months earlier that May realized why she might be bored in the bedroom. She hadn’t slept with a lot of men, but she’d had enough lovers to know she was missing something. With a little research, she’d come to understand why she found most of her sexual partners lacking. She shook herself out of her thoughts and studied the customers. There were a few faces she recognized, including one of the former line cooks from Dupree’s. It was crowded as she assumed it was every Saturday night, but she understood it was busy every night of the week. Most clubs like it were little more than meat markets. They played at being BDSM clubs, but they weren’t serious. They didn’t have the strict security guidelines Micah insisted on or the hefty joiner’s fee. Rough ’n Ready required a thorough background check for security. That made the other clubs not only subpar, but also potentially dangerous. She glanced at her friend. “I didn’t have much choice. It was that or pay the five thousand. I just can’t spare that amount of money.” Cynthia nodded. “I know, but…when I was starting out in this world, I wouldn’t have had the nerve to do it, not in a public forum. Of course, I don’t have your fantasy of exhibitionism.” “Really?” May faced Cynthia. “I’d never guess you had any second thoughts.” “I did. And third, fourth… You get the idea.” She shrugged. “Thank God for Chris, because I was really out of my depth. And seriously, I probably would have never made that leap if it hadn’t been for him.”

Something caught Cynthia’s attention over May’s shoulder. A second later, her whole face lit up with a smile and May knew who she’d seen. She couldn’t fight the little twinge of envy that curled in her gut. Twisting around, she watched Chris make his way through the crowd. He kept getting interrupted along the way, and being the ultimate businessman, he stopped, smiled and chatted. It gave her time to study the man with him, who she assumed was Micah. Taller than Chris by an inch or two, he probably outweighed him by fifty pounds—all muscle. Long, silky black hair spilled over his shoulders, a testament to his Native American background, as were the high cheekbones and strong jaw. “He’s pretty, isn’t he?” Cynthia asked. Without taking her attention away from Micah, she nodded. His lips where full, sensuous, and even looking as irritated as he did now, he was gorgeous. The light was dim, but she could see the reddish gold tone to his skin. He stood out from the mostly leather-clad patrons due to his stature and his clothing. A dark blue dress shirt fit snugly over his impressive chest and the casual dress slacks hugged his lean hips. It wasn’t what May expected the owner of a BDSM club to wear, especially at work. “I hate to say it, because it probably sounds bad, but all I can think of when I see him is a conquering warrior,” Cynthia said. Again, May didn’t take her gaze away from the man who was now impatiently looking around the club. She wished she could see the shade of his eyes. They weren’t black, or even brown, but something lighter. When his eagle gaze zeroed in on her, she froze. The frown wrinkling his brow cleared, and one side of his mouth quirked. Touching two fingers to his forehead, he gave her a salute. Heat ping-ponged through her belly and her heart skipped a beat. May licked her lips. “Oh, that is one dangerous man, sistah.” Cynthia laughed. “Yeah and you just agreed to submit to him to get in his club.” “Holy Lord, what was I thinking?” She barely whispered the words, so not even Cynthia could hear her. Before she could come to terms with Micah and just what she’d agreed to, another man, one who used to make her knees go weak and her body vibrate with lust, stepped into view beside the club owner. “What the hell is Evan doing here?” Cynthia stepped up beside her and cocked her head. “He probably comes here most weekends.” Both women watched as Evan and Micah started arguing, Evan doing most of the shouting as the other man said little. “That’s odd. I always thought they were on friendly terms. Evan is considered one of the top Doms, and Micah does like the way he draws a crowd when he performs.” May glanced at Cynthia whose frown deepened. “Oh, crap. Now Chris is getting into the middle of it.” With one last gulp of her drink, she set it down on a nearby table and grabbed May’s hand. “Let’s go smooth some male egos.”

Evan Chambers strode through Rough ’n Ready, searching for Chris Dupree while various scenarios of hurting his best friend flitted through his mind. All of them included an extreme amount of pain and degradation. What the fuck is Chris thinking bringing May to a place like this, let alone setting her up for public display? She didn’t belong in a BDSM club anymore than Evan belonged at a monastery. Even that ridiculous image couldn’t cool his temper. Nothing would until he had it out with Chris. Violence bubbled in his blood as he brushed past the milling patrons. When he spotted Chris chatting to Micah, Evan’s anger surged. Evan changed directions and headed straight for them, ignoring more than one person as he practically plowed his way to where they stood. He ordered himself to calm down, to control his fury as he neared the two men, but as he thought of what he’d been told, a red haze filled his vision and he lost the ability to think straight. “What the fuck are you thinking bringing May here?” Evan shouted. “Well, good evening to you, Evan,” Chris said, then calmly sipped his drink. “I don’t have time for this shit. What the hell are you doing?” “I was talking to Micah.” He gestured toward his partner. Evan felt his grip on his temper slipping. “Why did you bring May here? And what is this crap about her having a public submission to gain her membership?” “She told Cynthia she wanted to see what the club was like,” Chris said. “How did you find out about it?” “Jay told me the moment I walked through the door.” Evan scowled, thinking of the way the bouncer had licked his lips when he told him about it. “It’s probably all over the fucking club by now.” “Hell.” Chris heaved a sigh and shrugged. “There’s nothing that can be done now.” “It isn’t like they wouldn’t figure it out soon enough.” Micah’s calm voice sent another surge of rage coursing through Evan’s veins. He glanced at his friend who stood there in the middle of the most decadent club on the island, looking as if he were discussing the weather. “And just what the hell are you thinking? Taking on a rookie sub? Hell, I can’t remember the last time you performed for a crowd.” “What does it matter to you, Chambers?” Again Micah’s cool, composed tone set his annoyance soaring. “May’s a friend and she just isn’t the kind of girl for something like this.” He ground his teeth together and bit out every word. “Definitely not for public display. And with her recent problems, I would think something like this would be ill advised.” “Hello, boys.” Cynthia’s sultry southern voice lifted above the music and the clashing male egos.

Evan glanced over her and frowned. Petite and curvy, Evan noticed Cynthia had definitely dressed for the club tonight. It wasn’t often Chris’s fiancé wore all black, but when she did, she stood out. She smiled at Evan. “Looks like you’re having a bit of a problem. Is there something we can do to help?” Evan didn’t miss the sparkle in her eyes that told him she knew exactly what the argument had been about. A switch like Chris, Cynthia understood the ramifications of what May had agreed to and should have protected her. He didn’t feel like fighting with her right now. Besides, there was a good chance Chris would kick his ass if he did. “No, there isn’t anything you can do other than get May out of here.” He dismissed her without another word and ignored her amused snort. Instead, he turned his attention to the woman causing the irritation. Maylea Aiona was the kind of woman you took home to Mama, that is if you had one. Since the day he met her, May had been like the little sister he’d never had. Okay, not really. There was a moment or two…or maybe three that he’d thought of how it would feel to have all that black, silky hair tickle his chest as she worked her way down to his cock. He shifted his weight, trying to relieve the sudden pressure in his groin. That one image had been haunting his dreams—not to mention his daytime hours—for the past few months. With the way she was dressed now, he knew they’d be worse tonight. The snug black sleeveless top accentuated her full breasts, showing just enough cleavage to entice. The skirt was long, leather and black and from the attention she got walking toward them, he was sure it hugged that wonderfully rounded ass she had. “Is there a problem?” May asked. Her lyrical voice held a hint of sass that he’d come to love. Evan sometimes would sit near her stand at Dupree’s just to hear her talk. And laugh. God Almighty the woman had a sexy laugh. He cleared his throat and tried to ignore the way his blood rushed to his shaft. “Yeah, something’s wrong.”