Dangerous (21 page)

The man was a sexual genius.

That was all Devon could conclude as her body lit up like fireworks and flares all at once, the explosion starting at the spot deep inside herself that Liam's cock had just stroked so intensely. She shouted out, reaching to grip the dresser as the room began to spin with every ferocious thrust Liam worked into her primed body.

“Yes,” she heard him hiss, his voice tight with his own mounting need, the position clearly taxing his control as well. “Scream it, baby,” he commanded roughly. “Scream my . . . uhn!”

Liam cut himself off as she clenched like a vise around him on his down stroke. He had not planned to finish until he'd brought her to pleasure at least twice, but he had teased her a little too long and been caught by his own snare. She was even tighter in this position, and the constriction as she rose to orgasm was unbearable.

Devon ignited with incendiary force, her entire body shuddering and shaking on the approach, and releasing in Liam's longed-for screams of his name. Her body shook as though she was seizing, and he might have worried about it if he hadn't been roaring out a violent release of his own. He dragged her hips back tight against him so he was as deep within her as he could humanly manage as he spilled in powerful spasms that seared his heart and lungs into paralysis.

“Oh God,” he gasped. “Oh God.” Liam bent forward, his damp forehead resting on her spine at the base of her neck. “Devon?” He reached to scoop a hand beneath her torso and lifted her back against himself as he straightened up. Her head fell back against her shoulder, her body hanging completely limp, and her eyes closed. Liam kissed her cheek gently and scooped her up into his arms. “Hey, babe,” he whispered as he walked over to the bed. He laid her in the center and, after a quick clothing adjustment, Liam sat facing her on the bed and rubbed at her hands and wrists, chafing them gently as her lashes fluttered. “Devon. Hey, c'mon . . . full day of work ahead of you and everything,” he teased her softly, watching as her lids opened and her eyes began to clear. Her gaze swung to him and her face exploded in uncharacteristic color. She sat up swiftly.

“Oh, God, please don't tell me I fainted from a climax! Oh, lord, I did, didn't I?”

“It was your position, honey,” he soothed her, though he was unable to prevent the cocky tilt to his lips. “A head rush, spike in blood pressure, and the immediate crash after. It happens, sweetheart.”

“Not to you!” she snorted in disgust.

“Yes, it does. We just disguise it with snoring.”

That made a bright laugh bubble out of her. The more she saw of Liam's sense of humor, the more she liked it.

Devon sighed, nuzzling her cheek against his fresh-shaven face until they were both purring soft sounds of contentment and reaching to draw one another closer.

“I have to go,” Liam whispered helplessly, as if she held him in chains.

“Me, too.”

They stayed cuddled chest-to-chest and cheek-to-cheek. Her fingers painted absent patterns on his biceps; his tugged and tangled into the ends of her hair. Pressing engagements became less pressing and everything around them turned soft and quiet. Truly serene. Liam closed his eyes and sighed, kissing her skin wherever he could reach along her nearby hairline. It was the most peaceful moment he'd had in years, and he didn't want it to end. However, someone else would end it for him if he didn't get on with the business of his job.

But he decided to give himself just a few more moments.

Liam sat in a squat at the top of the mighty brick wall surrounding the property, his attention split between watching the rhythmic pan of the newest camera and the exercising dogs and their trainers. There was plenty of property to work the animals on, and he had told the handlers to keep them down near the walls of the south lawn. The dogs were familiar with all the team members, but they weren't familiar with Devon and he wanted them kept as far apart as possible.

Liam rose to his full height and walked the wall carefully. Installers were in the process of adding razor spikes to the smooth, flat top he now walked on too easily. Unlike razor wire, spikes were not visible from the ground. The perpetrator wouldn't know they were there until he began to get hung up on the three-inch triangles of honed blades. It was particularly vicious, but Liam was not about holding back the tricks of his trade.

“Hey, Liam.”

Liam keyed his radio in response. “Yeah?”

“Our principal would like a word with you when you get a chance.”

Liam automatically looked up toward her office. The drapes were drawn as usual. “Tell her it'll be a while. I'm in the middle of something.”

“Uh . . . I think maybe you should see her sooner than that, boss. I have a feeling she's thinking of going out.”

“What gives you that feeling?” Liam asked sharply.

“She's wearing one of those dresses that ought to have a lot more fabric considering what they probably cost her.”

“Shit.” Liam didn't even bother to respond. His temper was on instant simmer. She had to be out of her mind. First of all, she hadn't had anything planned, so this was too little notice for him to properly prepare for an outing, especially considering what had happened last time. What could possibly be so important? Another business ‘meeting' with an uptown jackass?

Liam's temper spiked from simmer to boil at the very idea of her sitting with and dancing with another man who would stare at her with lust in his eyes. What manner of business was she conducting anyway in dresses that left her half naked and required a meal and wine? Lunches maybe, but dinners where these bastards were manhandling her?

Liam crouched down and leapt off the wall.

 

Devon was sitting at her vanity with her maid styling the finishing touches of her hair in an elegant upsweep. She looked up in her mirror to apply lipstick and saw him behind her, a heavy presence in black standing like a steadfast sentinel. She pulled the earbuds from her ears, the dissertation from the latest name in biophysics continuing on without her attention as she smiled at him.

“Hello,” she greeted. “I'm sorry to give you such short notice, but I need to go out tonight.”

“I don't like this, Devon. I don't like having only a couple hours to prepare,” he said darkly, his frown creasing his features deeply.

“Nonsense. You've been preparing to protect me for the better part of a week. Unfortunately, I can't put this meeting off. I needed to make it last minute and I need it to happen without delay.”

“Fine. Have your meeting here then.”

“Impossible,” she said with a shrug, as if it explained everything.

“Why?”

Devon couldn't answer that, of course. Nor should she have to, according to her way of thinking. “Because I say it is,” she said with an even chill in her tone. She turned, dismissing her maid with a wave of an impatient hand. “Are we going to have an argument every time I want to go out now?”

Liam's eyes narrowed on her as she crossed her legs. She was definitely wearing one of those dresses again. This time, it was midnight blue silk that made the jade of her eyes stand out. The material wasn't transparent anywhere except across her middle. However, the plunge in the front reached to just below her breasts and was held in place by a single bar pin of gold right between them. Unlike the other dresses, this one had only a swath of sparkling midnight blue for a skirt, the short, snug material showing off every single inch of her legs. This included the sheen of black thigh high stockings. She wore elbow-length evening gloves in black and strappy heels that accented the shape of her calves. A diamond cuff bracelet wrapped one wrist and he saw matching earrings and a necklace waiting on the vanity table.

“I just don't understand what would be so important that you would risk your life on it,” he snapped.

“No. You wouldn't understand because you have made no effort to acknowledge the political shit storm I'm trying to negotiate among my own people, have you?” she sniped back at him, irritated he would treat her so unreasonably. “Look, I refuse to argue about something that an argument will not change,” she said tightly as she rose. She walked past him to one of her closets and decided on a wrap. With the weather turning cooler, it didn't surprise him that she chose an exquisite double lined, reversible fur cloak to counterbalance the brevity of her outfit.

“Devon, I'm only asking you to think about this,” he tried again, attempting to erase the anger from his tone. Provoking her would not help him win his argument for her safety.

“And I'm asking you to stop harassing me about it and just do your job, Liam. Please.”

The stiffness that whipped so suddenly between them was hard and harsh. Just as harsh as her cold treatment.

“Right. Got it. One mindless grunt, coming right up,” he barked furiously. He turned hard on his heel and stalked out of her room like a thundercloud on the move.

Devon sighed in frustration, wishing she could explain the unexplainable to him. She would just have to find a way to fix this problem later. There was no time or opportunity to do it now. Perhaps there never would be. Unfortunately, she had to make that sacrifice.

Just as she had made so many others.

 

Liam and Inez, and Kellen and Victoria, were dining on opposite sides of their principal. Colin was positioned in the limousine and Malcolm was strolling the restaurant perimeter. It was a smaller place than before, more intimate, and easier to take everyone's measure. However, as far as Inez could see, Liam wasn't at all pleased. He wasn't even making a pretense of eating, and he was being far too obvious in his glaring attention toward Devon. It wasn't like him to make those kinds of mistakes. Still, all he did was stare coldly at Devon and her handsome date. Ms. Candler looked utterly stunning in the dimmed lighting as her dress shone and jewels flashed brilliant fire. In Inez's opinion, Ms. Candler's date of the evening seemed a little better behaved and somewhat more sophisticated than the last one, albeit in a strangely rugged way. There was a familiarity in his body language that picked at Inez's attention, though she couldn't immediately figure out why. The conversation between the two never waned and Devon barely once looked away from her companion, her focus and attention completely riveted.

And the more intense Devon's conversation and body language toward her date became, the darker and more thunderous Liam's presence became across the table from Inez.

And that was how Inez Flores figured out her boss had the hots for their client. In a huge way. She took it pretty well, considering how potentially disastrous the situation was.

Devon's date reached to cover her hand and Inez felt the table tremble when Liam tensed with poorly contained fury. The female soldier was once again faced with the boundaries of friendship versus professionalism, but quickly opted for instinct. Her hand reached out to take hold of her boss's, her fingers squeezing his clenched fist as his amber eyes flew from his obsession and locked with her meaningfully focused gaze.

“Liam, I'd be much more comfortable if you tried to neutralize your emotions. Considering what happened last time, I want you to be aware of the danger we're all in.” Inez's gentle redirection took a moment to sink in, and in that moment his eyes were back on Devon. “I don't know if this helps,” Inez continued casually as she rubbed her fingers in a relaxing rhythm against his tight fist, “but as a woman, I can assure you that she has no interest in that man.”

Liam's gaze slammed back to her and he frowned. “How do you know that?”

“The same way you would if you weren't letting emotion cloud your reasoning,” she scolded gently. “Look at her body language,
mi amigo
. Even though she is leaning forward toward him and holding his hands, she is not in any way being flirtatious. She's a very naturally sensual woman, I've noted. Almost like a spicy
Latina
I know.” She smiled at him when he chuckled softly. “So I think for her it's almost second nature to try to attract everything male in the room. However, none of her energy is being devoted to that man. The eagerness you see is almost . . . familial. As if he were an old friend . . . or even a brother.”

“Then why dress like that? Why be here at all?” he demanded with a frown.

“She dresses consistently. She always wears provocative clothing. I believe she does it for herself and no other. I doubt she has any concept of the effect she has on men. Either that or she's so used to it, it has become passé for her. She has no insecurities about her body. That is rare in this day and age.”

“No. She isn't shy or self-conscious. I like that about her,” he said offhandedly. Inez wondered if he even realized he was confirming his feelings to her. “It's a quality that many men would find irresistible in her.”

“Yes, but what's important is what
she
finds irresistible in a man. She never notices any of the team and barely acknowledges her dates except in these intense conversations she seems to have with them. The only male I've ever seen her pay special attention to is you.”

Liam snapped out of his preoccupation like a lightning strike. He shook his head and had the grace to look chagrined.

“I'm sorry, Inez. This has been totally inappropriate. I'm all right now.” He frowned. “Remember never to get personally involved with your clients, Flores. I know I've been saying it for years, but it's the best advice I ever gave.”

“Shame you didn't follow it yourself,” Inez chided gently. “Mind if I ask what—?”

“Yes, I mind. I also mind gossip, okay?”

Inez laughed. “Please, tell me you know me better than that.”

“Well, yes, but it needed saying. Bad enough I broke the number one rule already. I don't need it becoming a running goddamn joke in the ranks for the next ten years.”

“Wouldn't think of it, Liam.” Inez hid a grin behind a piece of bread before popping it into her mouth. She also wouldn't tell him that she thought there was far more trouble ahead of him than a few jokes among his men, not if he was already this tied up in knots. It was funny, but Inez had always thought Liam would go for the tough, athletic type. Devon clearly had the brains he would require, and more than enough beauty and sex drive. She had a certain bravery, that was for certain, but she seemed a little too pampered. Liam needed a feisty woman, a sparring partner as well as a companion. He thrived too much in his work for it not to come home with him. If Liam would even consider settling down at all. There were advantages to remaining single in this line of work.

Liam didn't strike her as the type to answer to anyone but himself. Then again, men like her commander never did go looking for love on purpose. It usually came up behind them and bit them on the ass.

 

“Devona, I think it's time you came home,” Nick said softly to her, reaching across the table with his palm facing upward . . . warm and welcoming and oh so very tempting. Nick Gregory was a beautiful man. When he had been human, he had been very much like Liam. A Federated cop, he'd been all about doing the right thing, no matter what it cost him. In the end it had come close to costing him his life. It had most certainly cost him his humanity. He had stumbled on Dr. Eric Paulson and his unethical ways long before others had, and he'd been caught, captured, and thrown into the lab with the rest of the rats for his trouble. Now he was Alpha of Dark Manhattan and the leader of the Alpha Council. He had been and still was Devona's Alpha. She had been devoted to him and his Alpha mate, Amara, since the very start of things. She had believed Nick and Amara would lead the Morphates to a better standing in the human world. They had most certainly led them to carve out a piece of it.

“You've finally finished what you and my brother set out to do five decades ago,” Nick said with a soft modulation of his voice. He had learned and grown so much in the five decades since becoming Morphate. Proof positive of what a person could become if only they had enough time to learn the lessons life could teach. He'd once been bullish and hotheaded. Now he was the quintessential leader, and the quintessential friend. “You've learned how to kill our own kind. You've developed the weapons to curb what would otherwise be uncontrollable creatures.”

“Much to Ambrose's displeasure. And I don't doubt that Paulson is still out there somewhere, steaming that I got to it first.”

Nick flicked sharp, assessing eyes over her. “I know you went undercover all those years ago to avoid detection from the fractious Morphates, but making this a contest of wills between you and the man that made us was never my intention. I would never have had you give up a normal Morphate life for that. Paulson is a ghost. You can't find him. No one can unless he wants to be found. Surely you've learned that by now?”

Devona reached up with her free hand to massage the growing tension in her temple. “Of course I realize that,” she lied to her Alpha. She believed with all of her heart that Paulson would be the first to hear of her successes. Especially once she was through leaking the information to the right people. Secrecy had served its purpose; now breaking that secrecy would serve an entirely different purpose. Unfortunately, it would also put innocent people in the line of fire, she thought as she slid a tense glance over to the bodyguard at the next table who was trying with all his might not to glare at her. She could sense he didn't care for her physical contact with another handsome male. He might be human, but he had powerful Alpha tendencies. Had he been Morphate, he most certainly would have ruled a clan. As it was, he was ruling the clan of humans intent on protecting her life; they followed his every command and trusted his every executive decision. Just as all the Morphates in Dark Manhattan trusted Nick's proven leadership abilities.