Sweet Seduction Stripped (6 page)

And not once had Ric given me the impression he was playing me.

Jaxon had said a lot over the years. Words whispered in my ear, against my skin. He'd done a lot too, but that, rightly or wrongly, had been blasted out of the realm of believability when I looked at the photo of him shooting a man in the head.

His softly spoken, sex roughened words, and gentle, tender touch meant nothing, when pitted against an image recalled in my mind.

I needed help. I needed some clarity.

I had nowhere else to turn.

God save me, because this was a risk that could end everything. My life. Dad's. Even Eric's.

How do you ever really know someone?

You don't. Jaxon had proven that fact.

It looked innocuous enough. Quaint even. Moulded glass, framed by dark wood, giving it an old English pub vibe. The doors at the front were manual swinging ones; people pushing through to the warm glow of lights and soft hum of music inside, or coming back out holding black take-away coffee cups with hot pink writing on the side.

I stood on the wide pavement, infuriated to note my heart was beating too quickly again. Glancing up and down High Street, I wondered if Sal was watching me at Jaxon's request. Did I have a shadow? Would he follow me inside?

Ric had said Jaxon wouldn't, so I had to assume Sala wouldn't as well. But, what
would
Sal think when he saw me enter this store?

I walked to the lingerie shop next door instead. My courage failing me at the last second. Maybe if I browsed, bought a couple of items, then went to the café, it wouldn't look as suspicious. A last minute decision, not a premeditated one.

I couldn't concentrate on the colours of the bikini briefs before me, my hand skimming over satin and cotton, fingering lace and elastic, as my eyes darted to the windows and front door. I'd already told the assistant I didn't need help. Which was ironic, because if anyone needed help right now it was me.

Finally I resorted to type, grabbing some outrageous glittery spandex thongs and matching barely-there demi-cups, then thrusting them at the cashier. She didn't even bat an eye, just rang them up on the register, accepted my credit card without fuss, and packaged them up in amongst tissue inside a pale pink and white striped gift bag with fluffy pink bow at the top.

I had held my breath when she ran the credit card through the machine, but it didn't set off any clanging alarm bells, nor was it rejected, so I had to assume Jaxon was allowing me a small buffer to access in case of emergencies.

Any other day and I would have been impressed with the little bag hanging from my hand as I exited the store. Now it was merely a prop, held little value, and was forgotten as soon as I braced myself for Sweet Seduction's door.

My life had irrevocably changed, and in some regards I wondered if that was a bad thing or not. I'd never intended on remaining an exotic dancer, it had only ever been a means to an end to get me through university while having to pay for Dad's care. As soon as I got my degree, I'd planned on finding a reputable job in the IT industry. Of course, that was all shot to hell when Jaxon stepped in and suggested I work IT at C&C Enterprises instead.

At that point, it had appeared a no-brainer. Now I was aware of exactly the extent and type of business C&C were involved in, I knew I'd made an horrendous mistake.

The smell of coffee and chocolate met my nose first, followed by the familiar sound of Lorde singing
Royals
. The place was packed. Hardly a spare table and chair to be seen. Even an area off to the side had people lounging in an oversized pillow pit. It startled me for a minute, then brought a smile to my face. What with the bold, in-your-face pink, black and white retro looking colour scheme and the fact that patrons were invited to sit on the floor, Jaxon would never be seen dead in here - ASI connections or not.

I scanned the customers, then turned my attention to the staff behind the counter. None of them were my Ric. Letting a deep breath out in frustration, knowing the morning was swiftly passing and I needed to be on Queen Street and at C&C by eleven, I headed towards the coffee machine and the blonde standing next to it just finishing up with her customer.

"Hi!" she announced cheerfully. "What's your poison?"

I stared at her. How apt. Next she'd be offering me a gun on a silver platter, blood chaser on the side.

"Um," I managed, pulling my gaze away from the smiling blue of her eyes. "I'm looking for Eric," I blurted, staring at the chocolates in the glass fronted case between us.

There were roses and elephants, hearts and penguins. Some dark brown, some white, some obviously of the milk chocolate variety, and then some coloured in yellows, reds and greens.

"Eric?" she asked, making my eyes spring back up to hers. "Eric who, sweetie?"

I sucked in a short, sharp breath of air and started flicking my gaze around the room. Had I made a mistake? My eyes closed as I reread his handwritten message on the back of that card at the Irish Pub. No, it had clearly said, Sweet Seduction on High Street. My eyes opened and took in the name badge and logo on the blonde's chest.
Gen, Sweet Seduction Café
.

I was in the right place, so where was Eric?

Shaking my head and pushing air out of my mouth to calm me, I stepped back up to the counter.

"I'll just have a Flat White," I said. The blonde nodded her head slowly, clearly thinking I'd lost the plot.

It was debatable. I was looking for a guy I'd only known through on-line chat-rooms in a shop my criminal and unstable boyfriend would not approve of. I'd definitely fit the criteria for losing the plot.

"Take a seat," Gen, the blonde, said. "I'll bring it over when it's done."

I accepted the change from the note I'd given her and turned to look for a place to hide. Spotting one in the corner, down by where I could only assume the music part of the cafe-come-chocolatier-come-music-shop was. I placed the lingerie bag on the table, gave another quick glance around the room to be sure Eric wasn't here, and then moved to take my seat.

The moment I sat, the chair opposite me was filled with the shape of a large man, dressed head to toe in ominous black. Blond hair, deep blue eyes and a mischievous look in his tired eyes. He rubbed a hand over his stubbled chin and grinned. It was shockingly intimate.

"Come here often?" he asked in a teasing voice.

My mouth still hanging open at his cheek, I shook my head.

"Glad you're here now," he added, and I couldn't tell if that meant he was glad, or that I should be.

"Who are you?" I asked, bluntly. I'd never seen the guy before in my life, but that didn't mean he wasn't one of Jaxon's. Just because Eric said Jaxon wouldn't come in here, and so far Sala hadn't followed me in here, didn't mean he didn't have someone unknown to ASI who could.

And now my heart was beating too quickly again. I should have asked for decaf.

"Adam," he said, reaching forward and offering me a hand to shake. "Adam Savill." I just stared at the hand and then crossed my arms over my chest. His eyes followed the movement and rested on my boobs.

Another rub of the stubble on his jaw as he quickly darted his gaze elsewhere.

"I'll keep you company," the guy, Adam, said.

"I'm waiting for someone," I offered, in an attempt to get him to back off.

"And I'll keep you company until he arrives," Adam counted, looking at my face again, having spent the last several seconds looking anywhere but.

He'd moved on from rubbing his square jaw to scratching the back of his head, and followed that up with a wide mouthed yawn.

"Night shifts," he growled, making me lean further back in my chair. My eyes must have been the size of saucers, my heart was definitely beating out of my chest. Why wouldn't he leave? "Hate 'em."

"What?" I said, unintelligently.

"Hate night shifts. Ever done 'em?"

"Yes. Kind of," I found myself saying. Why was I talking to this man? He was a stranger, and a rude one at that. Hadn't even asked if he could join me, just assumed.

I opened my mouth to advise him of this and my coffee arrived, carried by Gen from the front counter.

"Hey, Adam," she said, as she placed the black cup in front of me with a smile. "Want another Long Black?"

"Yeah thanks, Genny. Should be countin' sheep, but the bastard's got me babysitting."

Gen smiled and flicked her eyes to me.

"Well, could be worse," she offered and then swung around and sauntered towards the coffee
machine.

"True," Adam murmured, staring at me.

"
Who
are you?
" I asked with a bemused shake of my head.

"Told ya already, Dancer."

Blood ran from my face. I could literally feel it draining. Dancer. My alias on-line.

I wanted to ask. It was on the tip of my tongue.
Do you know Eric?
But what if this stranger was on Jaxon's payroll. What if giving Eric's name could lead to his death.

God-dammit. First my father and now Ric. I was so worried both of them could get harmed by my murderous boyfriend, that I wasn't doing a thing about getting myself sorted out. That now familiar feeling of entrapment crashed in on me, making the walls in the café seem to warp and bend and push closer on all sides, until I was panting for breath and Adam was saying something and all I could hear was a pounding inside my head.

"Slow down."

His lips moving finally made sense.

"In and out through your nose."

He hadn't moved closer, wasn't touching me, hadn't invaded my personal space. Just intent deep blue bottomless eyes holding mine, keeping me tethered to the earth.

"There," he murmured, leaning over and pushing my coffee cup closer. "Know it'll make your heartbeat rocket, but I think you can use a boost. Gone too pale, dude. Need a pick-me-up."

I made a noise in the back of my throat but swiped up the coffee and took a good swallow. The action alone calming me.

"Tell me," I said, on a sucked in breath of much needed air. "Who the fuck are you?"

He blinked. Leaned further back in his chair while sitting more upright, and then blinked again.

"Adam," he repeated, as though I was mentally impaired. "I..."

But he didn't get to finish, a shadow fell over us and suddenly Ric was there.

I'm not sure whether it was the recent panic attack, or the vague answers Adam was giving that made me suspect he was hiding something and it wasn't good. Or the unconscionable fact that my fucking boyfriend was not at all who I thought he was and I feared for my life and my father's safety. But the moment those vivid green eyes landed on mine I was up out of my chair and hurling myself into Eric's arms.

He stumbled slightly, took a step back with me hanging off his shoulders, and then finally brought his arms up and around my waist, bringing me closer to his body with a tight grip.

"What did you do, you bastard?" he growled over my shoulder. "She looks frightened half to death."

"Not me, dude," Adam drawled. "Kid's got a shit-load of crap piling up on her and simply wigged out. All's good though. Her knight in shining armour has arrived and I can get to fuckin' bed."

They glared at each other for a moment, my relief at the knowledge that Eric knew Adam not managing to override my ever increasing terror at what my life had become. I continued to cling to Ric, allowing a measure of peace to invade my body at the solid feel of his frame against mine.

Eric was big like Jaxon. Maybe slightly smaller across the shoulders, but his arms actually felt larger. As though they could hold me forever and would never let me fall.

I cleared my throat and tried to move out of his now suddenly uncomfortable embrace.

"Stay still," he murmured, eyes still boring into Adam. "Nick wants you back at HQ," he said to the other man, as though he wasn't holding an almost stranger flush up against his chest.

"Aw, fuck it. I'm knackered," Adam complained.

"All hands on deck right now and he says you can catch some z's there."

"He got something?"

I felt Ric's body shift as his head tipped so he could look down at me.

"We're hoping," he said, finally realising he was holding me too intimately and loosening his arms.

"Dude. You are an arsehole," Adam said chuckling, and with that strange comment spun on his
heel, took the coffee Gen held out as he passed, and whistled tunelessly as he banged out the front doors.

"Prick," Ric muttered, leading me to my seat and not letting go of my hand until I'd shakily sat down. "Did he give you a hard time?"

I shook my head and numbly lifted the coffee cup up to take a drink. My watch caught my eye, so I checked the time. Just after ten. I didn't have long before Jaxon sent the cavalry after me.

"Where were you?" I asked at last, moving my cup around on the table's surface in front of me.

"At work."

I blinked.

"Then how did you know I was here? Oh, Adam."

"No. I watched you walk in. Been looking for you all day. Couldn't believe my eyes when I finally saw you. Got here as fast as I could."

I sat back and stared at him. He looked too good. That sexy black leather jacket again, all black underneath. A pair of sunglasses casually slung over the collar of his t-shirt. Ray-bans.

I shook my head to clear the fog his presence seemed to always create, and asked, "What?"

Yeah, I was getting more inarticulate as the day progressed. Not good.

"Sweetheart," he said with a blindingly hot grin. "ASI monitors Gen's shop. Cameras, alarms, the works. Safest place in town outside of our HQ. Wouldn't have sent you here if it wasn't."