Edge of Betrayal (17 page)

She laid out everything for turkey sandwiches. “It’s not much. Sorry.”

He didn’t care about the food. None of it would taste like her, so it held no value other than fueling his body. “It’s fine.”

They sat down to eat, and once again he was struck by how close she was to him. The kitchen was small. The table matched. Her choice of seat had nothing to do with her desire to be within reach of him, and yet he was still acutely aware of just how easy it would have been to reach out and take her into his arms again.

Would she melt like she had before? Would she lose herself in the moment again? And if she did, would he be able to stop?

He knew he wouldn’t. He was too weak to resist her again so soon.

Think of something else. Anything else.

“Something bothered me about tonight,” he said.

She swallowed her bite. “Most of tonight bothered me.”

But not all of it. Her blush spoke to just which part she’d enjoyed.

“Why didn’t Payton have his men shoot?”

“He said he needed to know where Dad’s labs were. It’s hard to get a corpse to talk.”

“There were two snipers on the roof. Either one of them could have wounded him nonfatally, but they didn’t. It makes me wonder why.”

She set down her sandwich. “You think Payton let him slip away?”

“So he could follow him, perhaps.”

“Dad would assume he was being followed. He’s smart enough to not go anywhere near where we’d want him to lead us.”

That much was true. Sage was almost as brilliant as his daughter. “Then why not wound him?”

She shrugged. “Maybe they were worried he’d die. He’s not exactly a young man. And he didn’t look to be in the best shape, either. He seemed . . . frail. Old.”

There was still something wrong about it all—something Adam could feel but not see. “Did he give you the phrase you needed?”

“He said there was no phrase. Said I wasn’t programmable. Guess I’m like a VCR that way.”

“Then why did Ruby say there was a phrase?”

“Maybe that’s what he told her.”

“Are you sure he wasn’t lying when he told you there wasn’t one?” he asked.

She paused for a second, picking at the crust of her wheat bread. “I don’t think so. I could be wrong, but I know that he was always pissed that he couldn’t force me to do stuff when I was a kid. At least not without threatening to hurt someone else.”

“Like Clay.”

Her gaze touched his, bounced off. “Yeah. He wasn’t the first kid Dad had tortured to get me to cooperate, but he was the last. I hope it stays that way.”

Adam’s phone rang. “It’s Payton.”

She frowned. “Calling at two in the morning? Maybe they found Dad.”

Adam answered.

Payton said, “Sage escaped. My men lost him. I need to see you and Mira first thing in the morning.”

“Why?”

“Just meet me in my office at six.”

“She hasn’t slept yet.”

“Neither have I. Deal.” He paused; then his voice grew quiet. “You’re with her now, right? She’s not alone?”

“That’s right.”

“Keep it that way, Adam. There’s no way to know if Sage will go after her.”

“I’d already considered that. I’m on it.”

“Good. One less thing for me to worry about, then.”

“Anything else?”

“No. Just keep her safe. That’s all I need.” Payton hung up.

“Well?” Mira asked, her face wide with expectation.

“He got away. Payton wants to see us in four hours.”

She slumped in her chair. “He knows something.”

“Any idea what?”

“No. And every camera and tracker I plant on him, he finds. I know less about Payton than I do anyone else at the Edge. Except, perhaps, you.”

He was not going to touch that comment. It was a toxic time bomb waiting to detonate, and he would not leave her side tonight, no matter how angry she was with him.

“Do you think Payton is on our side?” asked Adam.

“I used to.”

“And now?”

“I think he’s on the side that does the most to make up for his bad history. Even if that means letting a mad scientist roam free.”

Adam filed Payton under suspicious. “What do you want to do?”

“First we meet with Payton to see what he has to say. Then I want to find my father,” she said.

“And then?”

Her gaze met his, blazing with violent intent. “We kill him. This time for real. I’ll never again believe he’s dead unless I do the job myself.”

*   *   *

Every minute felt like a year.

Mira lay in her bed, staring at the same pattern of acoustical texturing she’d stared at every night since she’d moved in. It had been only an hour since she’d lain down, but it had felt like a lifetime.

The house was silent. Adam had insisted on staying, and she hadn’t fought him over it.

She didn’t want to be alone. What if her father came for her?

He was out there somewhere, free to hurt people again. She hadn’t realized until now just how much peace his death had given her. Now that she knew he was alive, she kept expecting him to jump out of the closet and come at her with a big honkin’ needle.

Another few years passed in silence, and she finally gave up trying to sleep. It wasn’t happening tonight. Her brain was running hot, her thoughts whirling at a million miles per hour. Sleep was an act of peace, and no matter how exhausted she was, there wasn’t a speck of peace anywhere in her.

She padded across the floor on bare feet, headed for the kitchen and a cup of hot tea. As soon as she entered the living room, she saw Adam peering out the front window, watching the street.

“Did I wake you?” he asked without turning around. He was wearing a pair of running shorts and a white T-shirt that clung to every delicious inch of his torso. It took her a minute to realize that they were clothes her friend Clay had left here, because they’d never looked half as good on him as they did on Adam.

Mira tried not to give away how appealing she found him. “No. I thought you were asleep.”

“I’ll rest when Sage is dead or behind bars.”

“You sound like you hate him.”

Adam turned and looked at her. “He made you bleed. That’s reason enough to hate anyone.”

Okay. Not exactly what she thought he’d say, but it worked for her.

She found herself standing beside him. That hadn’t been her aim, but he seemed to have some kind of gravitational pull on her she didn’t even notice until it was too late. “Do you ever think about what you’ll do when this is all over—when we’ve shut down all the research, found all the bad guys, and helped everyone we can?”

“No. I think about how to best get through tonight. What tomorrow will bring and how I’ll live through that.”

“No planning for the future?”

He hesitated, and there was a flicker of . . . something in his expression. It was important.

“What?” she asked. “You thought of something.”

“Eli,” he said. “I think about having a life with my brother in it again.”

“Like cookouts and kids’ swim parties?”

That pulled a smile from him, though she had no idea why. “No, more like weapons training and wilderness-survival exercises.”

“Wow. You really know how to live, Adam.”

“I didn’t exactly have a conventional childhood. I’ve never been to a single cookout in my life.”

“How is that even possible? You live in Texas, for heaven’s sake.”

“I never needed to go to one for a job or training, so I didn’t go.”

“That’s so sad. We really need to get you some more friends.”

His thumb swept over her cheek. She wasn’t sure if he
brushed a hair away or if he was just touching her, but either way, she felt it streak like lightning all the way down to her toes.

“I don’t need friends, Mira.”

“Everyone needs friends.”

His hand rested on her shoulder. It was an innocent touch, but one that made her think thoughts that were far from platonic.

“Are you offering to fill the vacancy?” he asked.

She wanted to. Maybe it was a side effect of that tight white T-shirt he wore, but she wanted to be his friend in a really bad way. And then some.

“Is that what you want?” Her voice cracked as she asked the question.

“What I want is irrelevant. Always has been.”

Her heart broke for him in that moment. It broke for the boy who had been created through science instead of love. It broke for the boy who lost his brother and spent decades searching for him. It broke for the man who thought he meant so little to the world that having a friend was too much to ask.

She pressed her hands flat on his chest. His skin was hot, even through his shirt. It reminded her that she was playing with fire, but she simply didn’t care. “It’s not irrelevant to me.”

He covered both of her hands with one of his, as if worried she’d pull away if he didn’t hold her in place. “You only say that because you don’t know what I’m thinking.”

“Then tell me what you’re thinking. Prove me wrong.”

“I’m wondering how much of a disaster it would be to lay you down on your bed and kiss you until you come.”

Her knees buckled at the potent image. His arm moved too fast for her to see but was around her waist, holding her up before she could crumple.

“Just kiss?” she squeaked.

“I’m almost certain that kissing would be enough to get you where I want you to go.”

Just talking was doing a fine job of pushing her right along. Her blood had gone hot, and her insides liquefied. She had to lean against him just to stay upright. “And if it’s not?”

“It’ll have to be. No condoms. I realized that after I had time to . . . cool down from before.” His hand moved to her wrists and pressed inward. The pressure made her inch closer. “But don’t worry,” he said. “We won’t need them. I can be quite creative when I set my mind to a goal.”

The noise that came out of her was an incoherent whimper of need.

His grip around her waist tightened. “But all of that still brings us back to the original question: How much of a disaster would it be?”

“Huge,” she said.

“Gigantic,” he agreed.

Her fingers clenched against his chest. “We’re partners.”

He nodded, and the move brought his mouth closer to hers. “We have to work together even when we’re not partnered.”

Her hands inched up over his shoulders and neck until her fingers were buried in his thick, dark hair. “Bella’s rules say it’s a no-no.”

“So do yours, I imagine,” he said.

“I’m not sure I care.” She pulled on his head to try to get him close enough that she could kiss him.

He didn’t budge. “I care. I won’t ever betray you again, even if it means spending the rest of the night out in the cold where I can’t hear you. Can’t smell you. It’s the only way I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself.”

She didn’t want that. She liked his hands on her too much. It was a stupid, insane way to feel, but far too powerful for her to deny.

The time for thinking and analyzing was over. All she wanted now was his mouth and his tempting promises of creativity.

Mira pulled on his head again. “Kiss me,” she told him.

Adam did.

T
his kiss Adam gave Mira was not like the others. It was fierce, determined. It shimmered with purpose.

His lips moved over hers, hot and soft, with the slightest edge of demand. He kissed like he was on a mission, laying siege, conquering territory.

Mira was cheering for him to be victorious.

Everything he did made her hotter. Each minute change in pressure of his hands on her body made it sing. Every tiny little shift in the angle of his mouth against hers deepened their kiss until there was no more she could give. She reveled in every second, throwing herself into the string of sensations with abandon.

Her fingers curled around silky strands of his hair. She was on her tiptoes, straining to get closer to him. It didn’t matter that she was already plastered against him; she wanted to climb him like a tree, wrap her legs around him, and slide back down.

Wide, hot hands eased beneath the hem of her shirt. She’d put on the bulky sweats in an effort to comfort herself. They were way too big and baggy for her to worry about needing a bra. And now that his hands were splayed across her naked back, she realized just how much of a barrier that little strap of fabric could be.

Adam groaned and lifted his mouth. “If I’d had any idea that you were naked under this shirt, I wouldn’t have resisted as long as I did.”

“I wish I’d told you.”

His response was to lift her up and haul her into the bedroom faster than she would have been able to walk. He set her down near the edge of the bed, and a naughty little whim took her by surprise.

She stripped the baggy sweatshirt over her head, baring herself to him.

Adam went still as he stared. He didn’t make a move to reach for her, and after a couple of seconds, she was starting to worry that she’d moved too fast.

Then his demeanor changed. A slow, dark look of possession spread across his eyes, and he swallowed visibly. His fingers clenched at his sides as if he were fighting the need to touch. Finally, his gaze lifted from her breasts to her face. “I’m going to put my mouth on every inch of you. By the time I’m done, there won’t be a place left on your body that I haven’t tasted.”

His words sent a thrill streaking through her. She eased onto the edge of the bed, hoping it hid the fact that her knees had given out on her.

She patted the mattress next to her.

Instead of sitting beside her, he knelt on the floor at her feet. He picked up one foot and stripped away her sock, then did the same with the other one. His fingers curled just under the edge of her waistband. “You’re not going to need these, either. Give them to me.”

She lifted her hips, and he stripped the bulky fabric away, leaving her wearing only a skimpy pair of panties.

The sudden exposure made her cover herself with her hands as best she could.

“What are you doing?” he asked, sounding genuinely perplexed.

“I’m not a skinny, toned, kick-ass chick like the rest of the ladies who work at the Edge.”

“Maybe that’s why I’m not attracted to any of them,” he said, the remark so casual it was almost offhand. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re trying to hide from me. I thought you wanted this. Did you change your mind?” That last question came out a strangled string of words she could tell were hard for him to utter.

“No,” she said quickly. The mere idea of him stopping now was devastating. “I’m just more comfortable in the dark.”

His eyes were fixed on hers. “If it’s dark, I won’t be able to see you. And I really want to see you, Mira.”

She didn’t know why he would, but if he could look at her with that scorching heat in his eyes, then she could be brave and let him look.

Her body relaxed. Her shoulders inched back down where they belonged. She let her hands fall to her sides. The reward for her bravery was his wicked smile and his deep growl of satisfaction.

A shiver streaked up her body, making her nipples tighten into hard little points. His gaze zeroed in on them, but he didn’t make a move in that direction. Instead, he lifted her foot and planted a kiss on the sensitive arch.

Mira shivered again, sagging where she sat. His mouth moved up her ankle, then along her calf, leaving behind a string of hot kisses. By the time he got to her knee, she felt boneless and languid while still tense with anticipation.

His hand splayed across her chest, so close to the swell of her breasts that she ached for him to shift just an inch in either direction. His skin was slightly darker than hers, and just rough enough that she could feel the shape of his palm grazing against her skin.

He exerted the slightest pressure. “Lie back,” he said. “This may take a while.”

It did. He made a slow, thorough exploration of her body, working his way up as he went. When he’d finally
reached the barrier of her panties, she was almost certain he’d strip them away, but instead, he grabbed her hips and deftly flipped her over onto her stomach.

She had no idea how long he spent kissing her, touching her. By the time he made his way back to her panties, she was floating in a hazy, relaxed fog that shimmered with a growing sexual burn.

His hands skimmed over her butt, then pressed harder as they rose over her bare back. He straddled her thighs and began a long, hot trek up her spine with his tongue.

Each fingertip worked magic across her skin. He seemed to know just where to press to make her muscles uncoil, and just where to skim to make her shiver with the need for more.

He seemed to be in no hurry, but with each passing minute, Mira’s need grew hotter and hungrier, demanding to be fed.

She squirmed onto her back beneath the cage of his legs. He towered over her. The cords in his neck were taut, disappearing down under that sinfully tight T-shirt. His sharp cheekbones stood out, dark with the flush of his arousal. Sweat dotted his hairline. The proof of how turned on he was strained against the front of his pants, almost too good to be real.

She reached for his erection, needing to feel it—wanting to give back a small fraction of the pleasure he’d been giving her.

Her hand made it only halfway home before he grabbed her wrist and held on tight. “If you touch me, I’ll come.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“No, but I’d rather you not have proof of just how much control over me you have.”

“You’re the one on top, holding me down. I’d say you have plenty of control.”

“It’s safer that way.”

“Why? Afraid you’re going to fall in love with me if I
get you off?” she asked, grinning at how ridiculous the idea was.

A trace of fear flickered behind his eyes for a split second, gone so fast she was sure she’d imagined it.

Before she could ask him what she’d seen, his mouth covered hers, in a kiss so blistering hot it burned away all the oxygen in her lungs. Her body struggled to keep up with his demands, igniting faster than she’d thought possible.

Her hips bucked beneath his. She hadn’t told them to, but her body was not her own—it was an alien thing that drove her to give Adam all she had.

He broke the kiss only long enough to cover the tip of her breast with his mouth. He drew her in hard and fast, giving her no time to adjust to the intense sensation.

She felt herself grow wetter, dampening the panties she wished she’d shed. With him pinning her down, she couldn’t spread her legs or rub herself against him like she craved. All she could do was gasp and buck beneath him while she clung to his head so he wouldn’t quit suckling her.

A quivering tension inside her core began a slow, steady climb. He shifted his body lower, freeing one of her legs as she went. One of his hot fingers slipped inside the leg of her panties and glided through her natural lube.

Adam gave off a deep sound of approval as he pressed just the tip of his finger inside her.

That was all it took. Mira’s climax took her by surprise, and there wasn’t a thing she could do to stop it. She’d gone too long without release, and Adam had been too thorough in his efforts to arouse her.

Her body clenched as she let out a breathless cry. The pulsing pleasure hit her in bursts, each one more intense than the last. As the pressure subsided and hard contractions settled into small, quivering ripples, she went limp.

Adam lifted his head. Her nipple was distended and
bright red from his mouth. His breath fanned out across her, cooling the wetness he’d left behind.

His finger was fully inside her now, and she vaguely remembered him thrusting it deeper as she came. She half expected him to pull out, but he didn’t. Instead, he just stared up at her, breathing hard.

“That was what I wanted,” he said.

“Then why do you sound like you’re disappointed?”

“I’m not ready to leave your body. It feels too good being inside you.”

His words made a little aftershock quiver to life around his finger. As she tightened, he groaned. His eyes fluttered shut, and when he opened them again, she knew she was in trouble.

Determination brightened his gray gaze. “I want to make you come again.”

Oh, yeah. She was on board for that ride. “What about you?”

“I don’t have any condoms.”

“I do,” she said, suddenly remembering.

“Where?”

“Under the bathroom sink. Brown paper sack.”

He withdrew from her body slowly, giving her time to experience every millimeter of his progress. By the time she was empty, she was desperate to have him fill her up again. Only this time with his cock.

Adam came back with the bag in one hand and the condoms and receipt in the other. “Have you had them long?”

“I don’t know. There should be an expiration date.”

He glanced at the receipt and stopped in his tracks.

“What? Are they expired?” she asked.

His gaze met hers. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but whatever it was, it was intense. She could see it in his posture and the way he shifted from relaxed to vigilant, as if expecting someone to attack him at any second. “No. You bought them the day we met.”

She looked down, embarrassed. “I remember.”

“You liked me.”

“I wouldn’t have agreed to go out with you if I hadn’t.”

“A lot,” he added.

She sighed. “Yeah. I did. It was a silly thing to do, rushing out to buy condoms as if a guy like you would ever want to sleep with a nerdy girl like me. I’m sorry if my enthusiasm offended you.”

“It’s just the opposite. I’ve heard the men at work talk about you. Not one of them has been able to gain your attention.”

She snorted. “Not one of them is interested.”

“That’s not true at all. You have no idea how sexy you are.”

She snorted again. Louder this time.

“I’m serious. You’re an amazing woman. You deserve an amazing man in your bed.”

“You were holding your own pretty well a minute ago.”

“I had my chance. I made my decision. I hurt you.”

“It’s in the past. I’m done dwelling on it.” Especially if she could dwell on something better, like how much she wanted him to get back in bed with her.

“How do I know? How do I know that you won’t regret sleeping with me?”

“You don’t. But I know one thing for sure.”

“What’s that?”

She gave him the sexiest smile her nerdy self had to offer. “You’ll regret not sleeping with me more.”

*   *   *

Adam was one hundred percent certain that Mira was right. He was already regretting every second he spent out of her bed.

With deliberate care, he shed his clothes. Each piece of fabric that was stripped away made her lips part a bit more, made her green eyes go dark and her lids lower.
The stain in her cheeks flared to life, and he could see her body quiver in anticipation.

He’d never felt so powerful—so wanted—in his entire life.

He rolled a condom in place and settled in the center of the bed with his hands stacked behind his head. His erection thrust out eagerly, but she didn’t seem to mind. Once he was settled, he didn’t move.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Letting you make the next move. That way there will be no question as to what happened between us—not even the slightest chance that I forced myself on you. I won’t push you. I won’t even try to seduce you. You’re wet enough to take me. I made sure of that. Whether or not you do is your choice.”

He could see her mind working. It wasn’t at all what he wanted, but he held his ground and laced his fingers together a little tighter so he wouldn’t reach for her. It would have been too easy for him to toss her down, spread her legs, and drive himself to heaven within her sweet body.

If he did that, he’d never forgive himself. He had to know that this was what she wanted. He couldn’t be the guy who seduced her just to get what he wanted before walking away. Not anymore. She deserved better.

“So—what? You think I’m just going to climb on board and take a ride?” she asked.

His cock bobbed in hope. “If that’s what you want.”

“What if I want you to kiss me?”

“My mouth is yours.”

She leaned over him and gave him an experimental kiss. He let her take the lead but gave back everything she offered. By the time she lifted her mouth, he was shaking with the need for more. His hands ached to feel her skin gliding under his palms.

Mira purred and smiled. “That was nice. But what if I want you to kiss me somewhere else?”

His mouth watered. “Whatever you want. I’m game.”

She pressed the inside of her wrist against his lips. Adam inhaled her intoxicating scent and went to work kissing every inch of flesh he could reach. All too soon, he was deprived of her skin and arching up as she pulled away.

He clenched his muscles to keep his hands to himself. As the contours of his chest and abdomen tightened, Mira let out a feminine sound of approval and splayed her hands right over his heart.

The organ lurched toward her, pounding double time in an effort to keep enough blood flowing to his brain. His cock was a throbbing reminder of just how little blood he had to work with.

Her fingers trailed along his abs, touching with open curiosity, like she was learning a new path to her favorite vacation spot. Each inch lower she went, he got more excited. His breathing kicked up, and his thighs tightened as if the effort could pull her questing hands down to where he wanted them most at the moment.