“Go to bed and sleep. I’ll wake you at five. We’ll start with exercise and go from there,” he said a mere breath from her lips. That his voice or fingers didn’t tremble proved he remained in control.
“We could do some exercise tonight,” her tongue glided over his lips, “in bed.”
Heat shot to his groin. Damn. The woman’s moves could easily bring him to his knees if he let her. His pulse sped up with the thought of tonguing her clit and tasting honey again.
Placing a finger over her mouth, he held his head away. “Go to bed. Alone.”
He walked toward the door and paused to key in the code. An itchy feeling had him glancing over his shoulder and he caught her staring fixedly at the keypad.
“Don’t even try. The code changes every hour and I’m the only one who knows the sequence.”
As the door slowly closed, he caught sight of her standing in the middle of the room smiling, giving him a one finger salute.
He chuckled as he walked down the hall toward his office. If he’d told her how much she had in common with Rex, she’d say he was crazy.
Considering he planned to risk the future of the OS on one unpredictable woman’s shoulders might prove her right.
O
n, off, on, off, on. The little red light blinked in the far upper corner of her bedroom. Olivia’s vision blurred. Even lying in bed, they watched her. Earlier, while taking a shower, she’d seen the camera concealed in the bathroom. She couldn’t hide anywhere. How was the OS any different than The Circle? The Circle had spied on her the same way for the first few years, not until she’d proven herself.
The hum of an air conditioner filled the dark room. She smoothed the chill bumps from her arms and glanced up again. The cameras probably turned to night mode when the lights were out. That meant they could keep an eye on her even as she slept.
Was Collin standing at the controls and watching her? She slept without clothes. Theo had forbidden his women from wearing pajamas or nightgowns in his bed. Going naked so much made it difficult to sleep in cloth that twisted and restricted her movement. She even slept on top of the sheets. Her hands free to reach for a weapon.
She chuckled. From what she could tell Collin and Rex had cleared out all her weapons. She could only hope he’d missed one.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched the blinking light. Her gut feeling warned he followed her every movement. He waited for her to make a wrong move.
Without giving her intentions away, earlier she’d searched every inch of the apartment. She pretended to examine her precious furniture for more nicks and scratches or to search for a lost earring. After a couple hours, she examined the living room between her eyelashes as she dozed on her couch. The vents weren’t large enough to crawl through and the apartment possessed only one door.
If she wanted to attempt another escape, she needed out of the apartment and access to an elevator. The stairwell would take too long. When she entered the elevator, she would need a disguise or they would shut her down in five seconds flat.
Off, on, off, on.
Yeah, the sexy boss man was watching. What was a girl to do?
A small grin played across her lips as her hand slipped between her thighs. She spread her legs a little, ensuring the camera had a straight shot. Her other hand cupped and squeezed a breast. She arched her back and dipped her head. One of the benefits of being big breasted was that she could reach a nipple with her mouth. It always incited a man into acts of passion they never planned or guessed they would do.
Her tongue swirled a tip as she cut her eyes up at the camera and she grinned.
C
ollin grasped the monitor until his knuckles lost all color. The woman taunted him.
As soon as he’d seen her crawl into bed without a stitch on and look up at the camera, he knew they were about to see a show. He’d wasted no time shutting down the connection to the main monitoring station, but he’d been unable to resist and left it on in his office.
He had no idea a woman could do that and the way his cock throbbed, he wasn’t soon to forget it.
Then her hand drifted across her belly and thrust two fingers into the place he wanted to touch again. He remembered how soft her skin felt and the sweetness he tasted. He ached. How easy it would be to zip open his pants and relieve the tension her little show created.
Shit! He stood up and turned his back to the screen. He needed to regain control of his body. Thinking about this woman all the time was not being productive. His father had lectured him and his brother about the dangers of a seductive woman. For that matter, his father taught them to never trust anyone, even each other.
Heart racing, he took several deep breaths. Relieved he had the sense to lower the sound as soon as he realized what she was doing. Instead he soaked in the music of Nickelback filling his office from a stereo system built into the wall. Then he slapped a key near the monitor, shutting down the camera.
He would give his life to the OS, but he’d be damn if he’d give that woman his soul.
O
livia wanted to laugh, but the thought of how she’d affected the big boss man with her finger play brought her quickly to a climax. One day she would have the pleasure of seeing his face as she gave him an encore in person.
Men were so predictable. He’d done exactly what she’d hoped. Checking the camera one more time, she smiled. Yep, the red light was off. But in case he played with her, she threw a blouse over it.
She probably had around two minutes or less to do what was needed.
Kneeling next to her bed, she felt the edge of her mattress. What a relief; they’d brought everything of hers to the apartment. Most of the weapons they’d confiscated, but she hoped they had missed one area. She pushed the mattress off the box springs, feeling along the side. A little indention gave it away. There! They’d missed the flat metal box inserted in the wooden side. From first glance it appeared to be part of the design, but it actually held the tools needed to unlock doors and a thin deadly knife. Hanging around Theo and his fetish for knives came in handy.
She wasted no time straightening the bed. Then she slipped the kit and knife into the pocket of some pants she planned to wear in the morning. Without a second to spare she pulled the blouse off the camera and dove into the bed. Making sure her hands hovered near her groin as she pretended to be dozing. Opening her eyes to slits, she watched the camera. She’d counted to sixteen Mississippi’s when the light started blinking again.
For the first time since her capture she felt back in control. In the next few days, she would be free. No place was so secure she couldn’t find a way out. She’d proven that to Theo many times. Even the punishments he meted out didn’t deter her from doing what she wanted.
Collin couldn’t be trusted in keeping his promise about the orphanage. What man could? She would find a way to protect the children. She just couldn’t do it from inside the OS.
D
amn! The man knew his way around security.
After two weeks of searching, she’d found a vent large enough to fit into and at a blind spot from the cameras. Five feet into the vent, she came to a metal grill with no visible lock, at least from what she’d seen.
Her shuffling around had only proved that his people were safe. Goodness, on top of that, they couldn’t leave without going through three different security checkpoints. Even if she could unlock a door, there were two other measures she had to get through. One required a handprint and the other was visual recognition by guards.
Now she visited the OS’s cafeteria with two guards standing in the doorway watching her. They weren’t the same fellows from the day she disappeared for about twenty minutes as she scrambled through the vent and came to a dead end. It appeared since they couldn’t account for her time, they were pulled off babysitting duty. She’d heard later they were placed on cleanup. And that had nothing to do with trash. Their punishment had more to do with dead bodies and the waste they left behind. She had a feeling it would be best to avoid coming across them in a dark alleyway. They probably would love to show her how much they resented her disappearing act.
She blinked. Not her problem. Her main concern was finding a way out and protecting the orphanage from any damage the head of OS sent their way.
She’d gone through the cafeteria line and chosen grilled salmon and a salad. The food was surprisingly good, although she couldn’t say much about the atmosphere. Too bright. No place to put her back to a wall.
Carrying a tray to her usual low traffic area away from the vending machines and buffet line, Olivia scanned the crowd. A group of operatives dressed in sweat-stained workout clothes sat slumped over tables sipping on their sports drinks. Another group sprawled on the floor wore jeans and T-shirts and played poker. And then there were the Secret Service wannabes with their white shirts and black suits and ties. They munched on candy bars, watching the group gambling as if they expected a fight to break out in any minute.
Several heads turned, their gazes following her path to her empty table. From some of the looks she received, she might need to keep an eye over her shoulder. She doubted her new guards would protect her, at least not until others got a punch or two in. She ignored the cold stares and pretended to take her time eating as she checked out the open kitchen.
Over a period of several mornings and afternoons, while she worked out on the treadmill in the exercise room, she’d noticed that, of all the freight that came into the OS by the elevator where Collin had brought her in, no food products were included. No fresh fruit or vegetables. No sodas or meats. So that meant the kitchen had its own elevator. And probably one that wasn’t watched as carefully.
“You’re a brave soul.”
Olivia turned to face Doctor Blondie. “Pardon?”
The woman laughed and placed her tray on the table across from her.
“After Jake and Ed were placed on cleanup, Collin had a hard time finding volunteers to guard you.” The doctor sprinkled dressing on her salad as she nodded toward the two men. “Your new guards are hoping you’ll try to escape during their shift.”
No surprise they wanted a good excuse to cause her pain.
“Volunteers?” Olivia wished she knew what the doctor was wanting, sitting here chatting like they were friends. She gave the woman a questioning look. Who wanted to be friends with a killer?
“Yeah. Collin has a second sense on who can or will do a job. He asks and we say yes. We trust him to make the right decisions to bring us back home.” The doctor dug into her salad as if she hadn’t said the craziest thing Olivia had ever heard.
Forehead wrinkled, Olivia picked at the slab of fish in front of her. In The Circle, Theo had ruled like some king from ancient times. And he felt casualties were the price of war against terrorism. He would never worry about such trivial numbers. It dawned on her; no one spoke of Theo with such a tone of respect. Fear, yes. But never admiration.
T
wo more days of training and eating the food in the cafeteria brought pay dirt. She’d found if she ordered the sandwich special, she could wait near the end of the line and look into the back kitchen. That was where she spotted the other elevator.
Using the excuse of wanting a sandwich special to go, she watched two workers exit and return using nothing more than a key card. About the time they handed her a wrapped sandwich, a guy exited the back kitchen pushing a hand-truck filled with sodas.
She strolled over to the sliding glass refrigerators lined along the wall as if she wanted a Coke and crowded the man until he stumbled against her. Presto! She had a card and now needed the right time to escape.
With no time to waste, she strode over to the elevator in the back kitchen and slipped in the key card. Within seconds, the steel door closed seconds behind her and she released a little shout of triumph.
There were two buttons on the panel: one and two. That was simple.
A ding warned her that the doors were about to open. She leaned against the side wall so anyone standing outside the elevator wouldn’t see her at first. No one walked in.
She peeked out. It was a T-shaped corridor. Straight ahead she could see metal double doors with wire mesh glass panes, while the horizontal corridor was pitch black on both ends. She shivered.
Through the glass panes as she was about to push on the handles, she spotted Rex and another man standing in what looked like a parking garage. They were talking and laughing. Then Rex slapped the man on the shoulder and turned in her direction.
She backed up, not wanting to take her eyes off the big man. But when her butt met the closed elevator doors, she darted down the dark corridor.
The clanging of the metal doors opening pushed her further into the darkness than she felt comfortable. Musty and too dark for comfort, the hallway felt endless. She pressed her shoulders to the wall and hoped Rex didn’t turn on a light or look her way. She watched as he slipped his card key into the slot and tapped the button to call for the elevator car. He folded his arms and sighed. A ding announced it had arrived. He started to enter, but quickly stopped and moved to the side.
Her heart jumped. Had she made a sound? Could he see her?
Then she heard a voice and the rattling of glass. The soda man pushed his hand-truck as he shook his head, asking Rex to keep an eye out for a dropped key card. The big man shook his head and disappeared into the elevator.
She was unsure how long the soda man would take to clear out of the way, and she didn’t want to take any chances of being spotted.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. By concentrating on breathing, she felt her heart rate slow down. She turned toward the elevator when a big shadow shoved her against the wall. Heat and unyielding muscle pressed her face to the cement blocks.
“What the—”
She grabbed the knife hidden in the waistband of her jeans. Before she could use it, a large hand gripped her wrist and squeezed. Pain shot up her arm, numbing it momentarily. The clang echoed in the dark, magnifying the danger. She realized once again she’d screwed up.
Hand-to-hand combat was not her forte.
The big body crushing hers against the wall didn’t let up. She struggled to breathe. The pressure on her chest left little room for her lungs to expand until he shifted and pushed his erection to the small of her back.
She gasped. That special scent of male and spice mixed together engulfed her senses, causing her heart to pound so hard she felt faint.
Collin Ryker.
The man had a reputation for being cold and ruthless with his enemies. With her latest escape, she hadn’t endeared herself to him at all. What did he plan to do to her for punishment?
Shaking her head, she said, “I had to try one more time.” No way would she ask for leniency.
He released her arm. Before she had time to react, his hands clasped her waist and with a firm touch slid up her rib cage and until he cupped her breasts and squeezed. She moaned. His hips grinded against her. He was so hard and thick. Her cheek rested on the rough texture of the wall.
The sounds of heavy breathing and cloth rubbing together filled the darkness. A dance as primal and old as time controlled them. Olivia loved how his big body wrapped around her, rocking into the crease of her buttocks.
He unsnapped her jeans and slipped a hand down the front. Another moan escaped her as a broad finger dipped into her moisture. Her head dropped back onto his chest as she pressed herself to his thumb. She whimpered.
Why did this man have such control over her body?
“Olivia,” he whispered. “If you try to escape again, I can promise you’ll not live to regret it.”
A simple flick of his finger and waves of pleasure shook her.
What have I gotten myself into?
C
ollin wanted to sink into her. He never imagined a woman could make him forget where he was and what he should be doing, and it wasn’t to spend time playing patty-fingers in OS’s basement. Even though she was The Circle’s most successful assassin, he found her every move challenged and intrigued him.
“Do you understand?” He pulled his hand out of her pants and twirled her to face him. His grip tightened on her upper arms.
Chin down, she looked at him from beneath her eyelashes.
“Yes,” she bit off.
He didn’t move away. His gaze remained on hers. What was it about her? Thoughts of chaining her to him excited him more than he deemed acceptable.
“I thought you had understood before.” He lifted her until they were nose-to-nose. “Do you really care about what would happen to the children? I’ve investigated several other facilities, and from what I can tell your money has made a big difference. Do you want it on your conscience that you let pride get in the way of a hundred-plus children’s well-being?”
“I said I understood.”
“But you didn’t.”
“What do you want? Me to beg you for forgiveness?”
“That would be a start.”
“Sarcasm. You don’t get it, do you?”
Her eyes sparkled with more life than he’d ever seen in another person. He wanted to bind her to him and immerse himself in what made her so alive, so vital. Most days he felt like he was a zombie, the walking dead, but not around her. He felt more alive.
“I want your loyalty.” By the look on her face, she was as surprised by his demand as he was. He had a gut feeling she considered agreeing if for no other reason than to find out what he expected from her.
“No one’s ever asked for that,” her voice cracked.
“I’m not asking,” he said with his usual bluntness.
“Ha! I have to say, you don’t mince words.” She wiggled out of his clutch and headed toward the elevator.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.
“Upstairs. I guess I need to build some upper body strength. I don’t like how you can throw me around.” She stopped and pressed the button as she threw an anxious look over her shoulder. The only light in the corridor shone on her and highlighted the pink coloring in her cheeks.
He liked flustering her.
When the doors slid open, he stepped in behind her. With her back to the wall, she waited for him to push the next floor button. He pressed his hands on the wall to each side of her and leaned over, caging her with his body. His mouth stopped a mere inch from hers.
“Do not try to escape again,” he threatened.
“I won’t.” Her lips parted on a sigh.
His gaze shifted to her mouth. Damn, he wanted another taste. Just as he was about to give in, the elevator began to move.
He shoved off the wall, placing some distance between them.
“Good,” he said with a measure of satisfaction and doubt.