Predatory Game

CHAPTER 8

All this agonizing over Saber was inspiring. Jess was beginning to believe songwriters needed to suffer to produce good material-because this song was good. Every single note hauntingly beautiful, just like Saber.

He had started out working to unravel the mystery of that small digital recorder Louise Charter had brought to him. The recorder had been sealed in a plastic bag and locked in the office safe when she found it, and she hadn’t been the one to put it there. The admiral had nothing whatsoever to do with her office safe. According to Louise, he didn’t know the combination. If it was a plant to incriminate the admiral, whoever had placed the recorder there hadn’t known that only the secretary had access to the safe.

The recording was in bad shape. He could hear voices, but was unable to catch the words, even with his advanced equipment. In the end, he thought it best to turn the recorder over to the soundman of the team, Neil. The man could do almost anything when it came to sound. And once that was taken care of…

The need for Saber consumed him, so he poured his frustrations into composing and everything else just went to hell. For the first time in his adult life, he wanted to quit his job with the military, so that if Saber was in his home for any reason other than because she wanted to be, the secrets would no longer matter and they could be together.

“Jesse?” Her soft siren voice cut through his thoughts, a note of hesitation so endearing he was already smiling as he turned to open his office door. For a moment his heart seemed to stop beating.

Saber was dressed in a figure-hugging, royal blue, off-the-shoulder dress. The skirt flared from the hips down to a hem of ragged tails. She had touched her long thick lashes with mascara, colored her full lips a pearly pink. The wild riot of curls spilling around her face gleamed with highlights. She was so incredibly beautiful his stomach clenched and his heart did a crazy roll.

“Did you still want to go with me?”

“You’re not going without me, not looking like that,” he said, black gaze moving hot and hungry over her.

She performed a little pirouette for him. “What do you think?”

“I think you can break hearts in that dress.” Not to mention raise a man’s temperature a few hundred degrees. Jess wiped at the little beads of perspiration forming on his skin. To hell with the dancing. He had other, far better ideas in mind.

“You like it then? I bought it on a whim a couple of months ago. You know me, I never wear dresses.” She looked pleased at his response.

“I’d better get cleaned up to at least be presentable if I’m going to be seen with you. You look absolutely beautiful, Saber.”

A faint blush stole into her cheeks. “Did you get quite a bit of work done?”

He nodded as he followed her into the hall, unable to take his eyes from her slender form. Just the way she walked suggested music to him. She was beautiful, and while he dressed, all he did was fantasize over her. He took care with his clothes, wanting to impress her, wanting her to feel the way about him that he felt about her.

Saber waited while Jess changed into his dark Italian suit, the charcoal gray one. The one that always made Saber melt inside when he put it on. She loved the tangy, masculine scent of him, the way his hair was so neat except for that one persistent, very sexy lock of hair that always fell across the middle of his forehead.

In the van he sat for a minute, simply looking at her. His gaze was possessive, admiring, everything Saber could ever have wanted to see. It caused a rush of moist heat, the swirl of butterfly wings, and made her mouth go suddenly dry. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, and then swallowed hard when his hungry gaze followed the movement.

“Jesse,” she protested breathlessly.

“Kiss me.” His voice went husky with raw need. He needed her kiss, the feel of her lips, her mouth, his body burning with desire, craving the honeyed taste of her.

Even as her brain protested, her body was already leaning toward his, wanting the heat that flared between them, wanting just one more taste of the forbidden.

The moment his mouth claimed hers, the trembling started. His teeth teased at her full lower lip, insisting she open to him. Hesitantly she obeyed, liquid fire rushing through her veins, arousing something fierce and primitive in her that matched the savage in him.

His tongue claimed her mouth the way his body meant to claim hers, hard, thrusting, sweeping her up with him, a wild mating tango that went on forever. Her heart, soul, and body belonged to him in that moment, melting, merging, straining to be part of him.

Lack of adequate air tore them apart. Rather than let her go, Jess’s hands framed her head, his lips wandering over every inch of her face and throat. Saber moaned softly, clinging to the hard muscles of his shoulders.

“Do you want to stay home, baby?” He whispered the enticement, a sorcerer bent on tempting her.

Her breath left her in a rush and she stared at him, shocked and pleased and closer to agreeing than she wanted to admit. “We don’t dare, Jess.”

She didn’t dare. He, however, was altogether a different story. With Saber, he’d dare just about anything-give up anything-even his career if necessary. Very gently Jess put distance between them. It took a minute to control his breathing, to get his raging body under some semblance of control.

“Glory, Jesse, you have got to stop doing this.” Saber fanned herself with her hand, blue eyes so dark they were violet.

“Personally, angel face, I’m becoming quite partial to ‘doing this.’” He set the van in motion, a small, crooked smile softening the hard curve of his mouth.

An answering smile hovered on her lips. “Well, don’t think it’s going to be a habit. We’re liable to set the neighborhood on fire, we’re that combustible.”

His eyebrow shot up. “I don’t think you’re being the least bit open-minded about this, Saber.”

“It’s a matter of survival,” she informed him. Her long lashes concealed the expression in her eyes.

He flashed his predator’s smile. “Exactly. Now you’re getting the idea. It is a matter of survival.” There was no laughter in his voice.

She frowned, bit back a response, deeming it more prudent to remain silent. She was definitely not getting the better of him. In fact, she had a sinking suspicion she was losing ground fast. She wanted him so bad. More than she’d ever wanted anything in her life, yet he would always be out of reach. Even if a miracle happened and he really fell in love with her, she’d never be able to stay.

“Amazing,” he teased. “Saber Wynter without a word to say.”

She stared out the window, refusing to be provoked.

Jess’s laughter faded at her discomfort, and he reached a hand across the intervening space to brush her cheek with caressing fingertips. Saber jumped and turned her violet-blue gaze on him. Haunted eyes. It was Jess who swallowed hard and looked away.

The club was relatively small, suggesting intimacy. Most of the patrons knew each other and greeted Jess and Saber immediately. Saber stood at Jess’s side, her hand in his as they moved through the crowd to their table. Jess ordered her usual 7UP and orange juice without a murmur, one of the many things she appreciated about him. Saber never touched alcoholic beverages and normally her dates acted almost offended by it, or treated her as if she were a child who needed coaxing. Jess simply took her preference in stride.

The band was good, playing a mixture of rock and roll and slow romantic tunes.

“Jess. How good to see you.” The voice came from behind them, startling her. Saber hadn’t been aware of anyone approaching, and that was disconcerting. Normally, she was aware of everything. Her heart jumped and then began a quick hammer in her chest. She turned to see a couple right behind her, so close she could have touched them. Too close to have slipped her notice. She hadn’t scented them, felt their energy or rhythm, and her radar hadn’t gone off. Her heart sank. Jess had to be shielding them.

“Ken. Mari.” Jess held out his hand to the man.

Ken was covered completely in scars. It looked as though someone had sliced him into little pieces. He seemed as tough as steel, and his eyes were ice cold and watchful. Mari looked small beside him, but the way she moved was a dead giveaway.

These were GhostWalkers, not just friends of Jess. He had called in his team. She should have known he’d realize someone was watching them. She should have anticipated that he’d call on his friends. She was slipping, and now she was virtually surrounded by the enemy.

Jess caught her hand and tugged until she was beside him, so close she could feel his warmth. “Saber, these are good friends of mine. Ken and Mari Norton. They’re newlyweds, so expect them to suddenly gaze into each other’s eyes and forget we’re here. Ken, Mari, this is my Saber.”

Deliberately Saber forced a smile, studying the other woman, trying to place her, trying to figure out if they’d ever been in the same compound. Whitney had several training facilities and he liked to keep the girls in groups, but he separated the groups and introduced different training techniques in an effort to find what worked best. She’d never seen Mari before, but there was no doubt she was a soldier, a GhostWalker.

Saber stuck her hand out, her breath catching in her lungs-waiting. Would they take her hand? Did they know? If Whitney had sent them to retrieve her, they’d hesitate or find some excuse not to touch her. They’d fear even her touch.

Mari took her hand immediately, a welcoming smile on her face. “It’s so good to meet you.”

Ken not only took her hand, but covered it with his other one. If they knew about her, they were too good to show fear. “So you’re the woman who has finally put Jess in his place.”

For a moment she thought she hadn’t heard right. “It’s not like that…,” she began to protest, but Jess reached up and took her hand right out of Ken’s and kissed the center of her palm, his gaze locked with hers. She lost her train of thought.

“She’s the one,” Jess admitted. “She’ll deny it, but that’s because she’s an outrageous little liar. We were just about to dance.”

Ken leaned close to him. His voice was a pseudo-whisper. “It was Mari who dragged me here too. I sympathize greatly.”

Mari smiled and shook her head. “I can’t dance at all. Ken loves it.”

Ken wrapped his arm around her waist and took her out onto the dance floor. She slipped easily into his arms. They didn’t dance so much as hold one another and sway.

Jess’s black gaze burned possessively over Saber. He glided easily onto the floor and held out his hand to her. Saber’s smile was slow, unconsciously sexy, blue eyes clinging to his. She slid onto his lap, circling his neck with her slender arms, slowly relaxing against the wall of his chest, head on his shoulder. Jess’s hand slid up her back, his other swaying the racing chair to the slow, sensuous rhythm of the music.

She was unbearably soft, her skin hot through the thin separation of their clothing. Their hearts beat together, his body stirring to a fierce arousal all too noticeable against the back of her bare thigh. She smelled fresh and sweet and Jess couldn’t resist sliding his tongue along her neck, tasting soft, scented skin. His teeth nipped experimentally, the hand at her back drawing her even closer so that he could experience the reaction of her body. She laid her head on his shoulder, her hand tapping out a rhythm on the nape of his neck.

Saber was lost in the music, in the hard strength of his body. It was a melting heat, a merging of souls, a slow, erotic pulsing of blood and instruments, body and mind. It lasted an eternity, forever, it lasted a heartbeat, a moment.

As the soft strains of music faded away, the real world forced entrance to their private sanctuary. Bereft, Saber lifted her head, eyes starry, breath impossible to control. She looked as if he’d made love to her and for a moment Jess tightened his hold, almost forgetting where they were.

A swift upbeat number had couples breaking apart. Ken clapped Jess on the back. “Enough of that, you two,” he reprimanded. “Let’s see some moves.”

Reluctantly, Jess allowed Saber to slide from his lap, closing his eyes against the savage ache as her firm, rounded buttocks slid enticingly over his lap.

“Is that some kind of challenge?” He winked at Saber, his voice a little bit husky, his breathing not quite under control.

Ken nodded. “You got it, Calhoun. You and Saber are supposed to be so hot, at least that’s the word from Max.” He winked at Mari. “Well, maybe you already are.”

“Very funny.” Saber moved back, hips swaying to the beat of the music, feet picking up the rhythm. She didn’t know who Max was, but they’d all obviously discussed her in the context of her belonging with Jess, and she was absurdly pleased about that.

Jess smiled, a slow sensuous response to the rhythm of her body, easily tilted his chair, balancing on two wheels, moving with her, around her, Saber around him, close, apart, eyes locked on one another. Her body flowed with all the grace of a ballerina and the strength of a gymnast. She was a wild little thing of pure beauty, music mysteriously coming to life.

It was obvious they were in a world of their own, the only two people on the dance floor. It looked as though every moment had been choreographed to perfection, a swirl of man, woman, and machine. Jess’s ability to spin, jump, and glide in his wheelchair was phenomenal. Their soft, muted laughter and wild, skillful dancing continued for several songs.

Ken and Mari, laughing together, joined Saber and Jess at their table.

“So are we the champions?” Jess asked, grinning at his friend.

“I give up,” Ken conceded. “You two can keep your crowns.”

“I can’t dance at all,” Mari admitted. “Ken makes me look good, but I don’t think I’ll ever get the hang of it. Where’d you learn to dance like that, Jess?”

Jess sipped his drink, eyes on the perfection of Saber’s face. “This lady right here. She loves to dance, and has music going all the time. She’d nag me all the time, until I had no choice.”

He smiled at Saber tenderly.

You have it bad, Jess. Ken sent the thought telepathically. She’s definitely a GhostWalker, but Mari has never seen her before. Have you checked her out?

Jess tried not to react to the faint hint of suspicion in Ken’s voice. If the positions had been reversed, he would have been suspicious as well.

“Well, she taught you well,” Mari said, shyness in her voice. “You’re very good.”

Saber had the impression Mari wasn’t used to crowds. Ken slipped his arm around her waist, bending to brush her temple with a quick, tender kiss. They were obviously not pretending to be married for her benefit and that made her feel safer. Maybe Jess hadn’t called in his team. His friends would want to check up on him, visit him and make certain he was doing all right. She wanted to believe Ken and Mari were just at the club to have fun with Jess.

“He is good, isn’t he?” Saber said with pride.

Mari nodded. “I’ve never seen anything quite like that.”

It was kind of funny that they were all sitting at the same table pretending they were all just friends-normal people-instead of their reality. Saber had learned to handle the crush of energy others gave off, but it was difficult over long periods of time. She usually avoided crowds. Mari wasn’t an anchor either and she would have the same problems being out in public. It gave Saber a kindred feeling toward Mari.

“I love to dance, and Jess was so good about dancing at home with me.”

Home. Jess liked the way she said it. He’d never thought much about having a home. He’d taken it for granted, growing up in a loving family the way he had. He wondered what Saber’s childhood had been like. He knew Mari’s had been extremely difficult. Jess reached for Saber’s hand, thumb feathering over her knuckles. “It was fun,” he said decisively. “Although I think she’s always afraid I might fall over backward.”

“That’s because you deliberately scare me.” She laughed because she couldn’t help it as he caught at the wheels to do a pop-up. “Stop, you know I hate that.”

“Stop showing off for your woman,” Ken ordered. She’s laughing but she’s really worried about it.

Jess shot his friend a shut-up look, but he stopped teasing her. “I do it all the time, honey, and I never fall.”

“I know,” Saber sipped at her drink and flashed him a reassuring smile.

That was the problem right there, Jess decided. That smile. Like she was taking care of him, watching over him. Afraid he’d hurt himself. He knew where all the exits and windows were. He knew who would be the most dangerous men in the room in a fight. He knew the make and model of every car in the parking lot and exactly how they were parked. He knew which of the customers were armed and which ones he could take-most likely all of them-without breaking a sweat and still sitting in his wheelchair. But she didn’t see him as someone who could take care of her.

He wanted to shake things up. He was tired of pretending to be less capable than he truly was. But he couldn’t tell her the truth because he was a top secret national security weapon. And most likely, she couldn’t say anything to him for the same reason.

As if reading his mind, Ken gave a small shake of his head. Mari thinks she’s on the run.

Was he really that transparent? He wanted to lean across the table and kiss her. She melted when he kissed her, forgetting all about the chair. Jess sighed and sought a safe topic of conversation. “How’s Briony? Her baby must be due soon.” He found Saber’s hand again, tangling their fingers because he needed to touch her. “Briony, Mari’s sister, is married to Ken’s brother, Jack.”

“Jack and I are twins,” Ken explained. “And so are Mari and Briony. Briony is expecting twins.”

“How did that happen?” Saber asked. “Because that’s plain scary.”

Ken laughed. “It’s a curse in my family. We always have twins. The men in our family find women who produce identical twins. It’s either a blessing or a curse, we’re not certain which.”

Mari shot him a look. “Not me. My poor sister is terrified of having children and with two of them coming, I can’t blame her.”

Saber was horrified. “Two? I’ve never even held a baby.”

“Neither have I,” Mari confessed. “Briony hasn’t either, but I told her I’d help her. Jack is really good with her.”

“Jack has these books he’s always reading,” Ken said with a little grin. “On pregnancy, having twins, labor, and now parenting.”

“He makes us all read them,” Mari added.

Saber felt tears burning behind her eyes. It was so unexpected she wasn’t prepared for the emotion overwhelming her. Their voices, she decided, held so much love, so much warmth. They were a family. Jack and Briony. Ken and Mari. And now children. Somehow they’d made it out of the insanity that was the life of a GhostWalker.

She wanted to ask them so many questions, but at the same time she wanted to beat back hope. Because if you hoped and then it was taken from you, life was far worse than ever before. She had escaped, but Whitney kept coming after her. Sooner or later he would catch up with her, and she would be dead, because there was no way she’d ever go back to that hellish captivity. She’d die first. How had Mari gotten out? And was Briony a GhostWalker as well? Why had Whitney let them leave? Why was he leaving them alone and not her?

Jess tugged at her until she came out of her chair and settled on his lap. “Dance with me again, baby,” he said, keeping his voice soft and low. The look on her face was heartbreaking. If there was ever a moment in his life when he really considered breaking security clearance, it was right then.

Her arms circled his neck and she relaxed into him as he powered the chair onto the dance floor. He found a quiet corner where the shadows felt intimate. The music was soft and soothing. Saber relaxed into his arms, burying her face against his throat.

He spotted Logan Maxwell in the crowd, and Martin Howard at the bar. He felt better knowing they were close. Whoever was watching them would get more than they bargained for if they made a move against Saber or him. Logan wielded power with infinite skill. Ken was one of the toughest GhostWalkers in the business. Martin was lethal in any situation. Mari was an unknown to Jesse having recently married Ken, but if she was strong enough to stand with Ken, then she was welcome.

Jess wasn’t losing Saber. Her running days were over, and if she was still working for Whitney, then he would see to it she knew exactly who and what Whitney really was.

“What’s wrong?” Saber’s whisper was in his ear, in his mind, sliding over his skin like a caress.

He made himself breathe. “Nothing, baby. I’m just enjoying holding you.”

The chair swayed to the music. He knew the others could read him. They would know how deep his feelings for Saber really went, but at that moment the only thing that mattered to him was keeping her safe.

Outside, Neil Campbell would be lying up on a rooftop or in a tree somewhere with a night scope. Ordinarily Ken and Jack Norton took up sniper duty, but with Jack’s wife so close to having her babies, and Ken having the only female partner available to their team, Neil pulled the task of providing cover.

The last notes of the music faded away and Jess maneuvered the chair through the crowd back toward the table. Saber stayed on his lap because she wanted a few more stolen minutes with him. The path opened up along the wall, and her legs brushed against a very good-looking man with ice-cold blue eyes, wide shoulders, and muscles in his arms to rival Jess’s.

The moment she brushed against him, an electric current sizzled through her body and she had to force herself to keep from looking up. GhostWalker. Damn it. Damn it, she’d waited too long. The man was an enhanced soldier, an anchor if she wasn’t mistaken, and no one was safe now. She had to get Jess out of the bar as quickly as possible and maybe-oh God, she couldn’t believe she was considering it-she had to find a way for Ken and Mari to escort them to the van. Unless…

For a moment she couldn’t breathe, her breath hitching, but she was a professional, and if Jess was betraying her, delivering her back into Whitney’s hands, then she’d better be prepared for anything. She was surrounded, and they couldn’t know that she knew. But would Jess allow her to snuggle onto his lap if he’d been told about her? She had to think. Maybe excuse herself and go to the restroom. She could be gone in seconds. Saber was an expert at disappearing. They’d have a man, maybe two outside, but she could make it out. Eventually they’d find her gear. She sighed. If Jess was really in danger, then she was leaving him vulnerable.

Jess knew immediately that Saber had identified Logan as a GhostWalker. She didn’t change expression or even stiffen, but for one split second her breathing had caught.

You’re made, Logan. Even with me shielding, she knew.

I felt it when she touched me. Logan did a mental shrug. It doesn’t surprise me in the least. I was shocked that the two of you had been in the same house for so long and neither knew about the other.

Saber had her arms around Jess, her palm curled along the nape of his neck, skin to skin, and she felt the current of energy arc in the air, from Jess to the stranger. She automatically tuned her biorhythm to Jess’s to get the feeling for the current. The brain activity gave telepathic communication away every time. She knew exactly what part of the brain did what and where the pulses came from. He was talking to the man with the ice-cold blue eyes.

She kept the rhythm of her heart exactly the same. Her pulse didn’t leap, not even when it entered her mind that she could be in a trap, with Jess as the bait-all-too-aware bait. He knew them all. And he was talking to them. If she slipped into his rhythm, she might even pick up the exact pathway and eavesdrop.

She didn’t dare think that Jess had betrayed her-not for real-because if he had, she didn’t know what she might do. Would she-could she-kill him?

“Saber, talk to me,” Jess said. She was moving away from him. Not physically. If he didn’t know her so well he wouldn’t have sensed any difference in her, but he felt a jarring note, as if his energy had fit with hers and now it bounced back as if she had turned away. “What’s wrong?”

She wanted to shake him. She detested playing games, but she had no choice. “Nothing.” Now she sounded sulky and felt inadequate. The moment they returned to the table, she jumped off his lap. “Nothing at all.” She even managed a quick, bright smile. Who smiled before they killed? She’d undergone tests most of her life, mental, psychological, physical, and emotional. She’d always been too emotional to please Whitney. He’d come close to terminating her several times, close to using her in one of the programs few survived, but by that time, she’d caught on. She knew she had to play his game and be better at it, because in her world, being the best at dealing death meant surviving.

Mari indicated the drinks on the table. “The owner sent us another round.”

There was no more sipping at drinks or trusting her companions, not even to pretend. She watched Jess take his drink and lift it with a nod toward the bartender. Ken tipped Mari’s glass and then Saber’s. She was careful about actually putting her lips to the rim. A dusting of poison could kill in an instant. Appearing distracted by a dancer, she set the drink aside, still standing, tapping her foot to the beat.

“This is great music,” she said to no one in particular, allowing her gaze to drift over the crowd. Men and women who could handle themselves had a distinct look. She touched a few potentials, men who looked good in a fight, men who carried themselves with confidence, who moved with easy, sure steps and flowing muscles. She couldn’t discount the women as a threat either.

Mari was a soldier. There was no doubt in Saber’s mind. She’d gone through the same extensive training Saber had, and it had been thorough. She probably knew more ways to kill a man than most individuals in the room. She’d gone through psychological and emotional testing. She was trained extensively in weapons and hand-to-hand, but more importantly, she had been put through test after test on her ability to think in a crisis. On how to remain cool and calm, how to be as cold as ice in any given situation.

For the first time in her life, Saber was grateful for the years of training, for all the times she’d been punished for showing emotion. Jess had betrayed her, sold her out to the other GhostWalkers. By all rights she should terminate him.

“Have you met Jess’s sister, Patsy?” she inquired, hanging on to her smile.

Ken nodded. “I have. I had met her before this happened.” He ran his hand over the scars on his face. “She cried when she saw me. Patsy is a very caring woman.”

“I haven’t met her,” Mari said. “I’d like to though. Both Jack and Ken talk about Jess and his family quite a bit.”

“Jess always invited us for holidays,” Ken said. “He has a nice family.”

Saber continued to search the room without seeming to do so. There would be others in the crowd. They would want a full team if they planned to reacquire her. She pushed all sentiment away, all regret. Escape wouldn’t be easy. She was small and her strength wasn’t in hand-to-hand. She was good with weapons, but again, it wasn’t her specialty. She could do it-would do it-because she had to. When failure wasn’t an option, you found a way to get it done.

“I’ve only met Patsy, and I really like her.”

“She thinks Saber is too young for me,” Jess said. She was pulling away from him. He could feel her withdrawal as surely as if she were already gone. Something close to panic pressed on his chest until he could barely breathe. He had never panicked in his life. Not once. Not in training, not in combat, not when he’d been captured and tortured. But panic filled him until he could barely think straight.

“Saber.” He said her name in a low voice. “Look at me.”

She didn’t even turn her head his way. She kept that soft, dreamy look on her face, the small half smile, and she looked as if she was very interested in the dancers.

“I’m listening.”

Even her voice was perky, damn her, but he knew. He knew with every fiber of his being. Look at me now! It was a command, sharp and firm and demanding.

Startled, her eyes met his in shock.

Do you honestly believe that I would betray you? Don’t look at anyone else. Look at me. Do you think I brought you here so that bastard Whitney could take you away from me?

He was furious with her-that she could believe such a betrayal. And hurt. God, it hurt like a son of a bitch. He wanted to shake her, so much so that he didn’t dare put his hands on her. The table vibrated beneath his palms. Ken shot him a quick inquiry, but Jess ignored him, holding Saber’s gaze. Answer me, damn it, is that what you think of me? That I would hand you over to him after living with you for nearly a year?

She moistened her lips, her only nervous gesture. She didn’t even blink, but stared him right in the eye. Her gaze shifted back to the crowd. His heart slammed hard in his chest, one jolt and his stomach felt as if he’d been sucker punched.

Ken shifted slightly, better to protect Jess if need be. The gesture irritated him. The damn wheelchair again. I don’t need protection and certainly not from Saber.

The table’s shaking. Ken’s voice was mild.

She thinks I betrayed her.

That would be a natural reaction. She’s spotted the team. She knows Mari and I are part of it. She’s not stupid, Jess. If she’s running from Whitney, she has to think this is a setup. What would be the chances it’s a coincidence?

Get rid of the ego and focus. Jess winced. He heard the echo of that thought and ducked his head, even as he still held Saber’s gaze. He let out his breath and tried to see things from her point of view.

“All right, baby. Let’s see if I can clear a few things up for you. Ken and Mari are part of a Special Forces team known as the GhostWalkers. Mari escaped from a research facility run by Dr. Whitney. Ken, Mari, and a few of the others came to help because you and I have been under surveillance. I don’t know if you’re on the run and Whitney’s found you, or whether he’s watching me, but either way, I figured we needed help.”

There was a dead silence as she stared at him, shocked that he’d disclosed as much as he had. Did she dare believe him? She glanced at Mari, but her gaze jumped back to Jess. In spite of herself, her pulse quickened and hope leapt. Was there a chance he was telling the truth? If you’re lying to me, Jesse, I swear I’ll kill you before they take me. She deliberately spoke in his mind to let him know she had power too.

“Fair enough, Saber. But you tell me the truth. I laid my cards out on the table. I expect you to do the same.”

“How many of your men are here?”

“Five. And a sleeper hanging back.”

She inhaled sharply. He had called in a full team. Each GhostWalker would have a different skill and they would be lethal. “You have a lot of friends.” She couldn’t hope to take them all. She wasn’t that kind of warrior. Sending up a little prayer that he was telling the truth, she caught at his watch. “Let’s go home.” Because if we’re going to discuss this, I want it to be between you and me. I don’t trust anyone else. And I don’t feel safe surrounded by that many enhanced soldiers.

He flashed a small, encouraging smile. At least she wasn’t making a break for it. They’re supposed to make you feel safe.

“Well, it’s not working.” She slid out of the chair, avoiding getting too close to Ken. He was a big man and obviously strong.

“We’ll escort you home,” Ken said. “And leave you alone once you’re settled in and your security is on.”

Jess nodded and wordlessly followed Saber out of the club.

Glee filled him. He was ecstatic as he turned on her CD player and stripped off his clothes. He wanted to hear her voice, that sexy, husky whisper that crawled over his skin and into his body, but the music would do and at least he could smell her. He lay in her sheets and rolled around before hopping up to drag open the dresser drawers. In the top one he found treasure.

Silky thongs and lacy bras in all colors. He selected several and pulled them out along with two pairs of boy short underwear cut high along the butt. Holding them to his nose, he inhaled and then rubbed them over his body. Every time he saw her now he’d picture her wearing silk and know he had touched them, held them to him, rubbed his shaft until he came again and again with them. He lay back and began, using an almost transparent blue pair wrapped around the length of him, while the music played and his body hummed. He pictured her tied down and helpless, waiting for his attention after the others had beaten Calhoun into a bloody mess. Maybe he’d take her right there by the body. He’d take his time, making her pay for that kiss in the park. Tonight was going to be perfect. His body arched, his hips jerked, and he watched with satisfaction as he sprayed his cum all over her sheets and underwear.