Ellora's Cavemen: Tales from the Temple IV (3 page)

“I could say you sexually harassed me,” she said without hesitation as she drew the sock up over her calf and then thigh.

“I could say you attacked an agent of the SIA and hampered his ability to function.”

“What? How did I hamper you?”

She skimmed her fingers over the lace top of her stocking to make sure it lay flat.

Conall’s eyes held pure male interest as his gaze caressed her leg from ankle to thigh.

Evidently he had no intention of answering her question.

When she slipped on her shoe, she winced as dull pain wormed into her foot.

She glanced at the outrageous agent in front of her. “Where is your identification badge?”

“Left it in my desk drawer. I hate wearing the damn thing.”

“That’ll get you into trouble with security sooner or later. I take it you wore it to work tonight?”

His gaze held definite defiance. “I wouldn’t have gotten in the complex without it.

You one of those people who sticks to all the rules no matter what?”

15

Denise A. Agnew

She swallowed. “Rules are made up for a reason.”

He scratched his stubbled jaw. “Made up is right.”

More thunder rattled the complex. Rain pounded at the windows with an enraged beat.

He walked toward the window and looked out. Lightning flashed and more angry rumbles echoed. Water splattered from drains, running down the street and into the storm drains at a flashflood rate.

She sighed in irritation. “I don’t think I’ll be leaving here for a while.”

Conall turned back to her, his eyes warming in a man-totally-interested-in-woman way. Emergency lights made strange shadows over his high cheekbones. He had an aura of strength and complete confidence, a boldness and control she’d only viewed in Mac Tudor. While she’d been attracted to Mac, her sudden, chaotic feelings for this agent far surpassed any momentary hormone reaction she’d experienced around her boss.

Stalking back toward her, Conall moved with the grace of a coiled beast, big and invincible. A thrill of anticipation, of not knowing what he would do, filled her. That and the fact his cock stayed hard and erect under those jeans.

To get her mind off his erection, she decided to think of something to say.

“Did you hear those uncanny noises?” she asked.

“I’ve heard them every night I’ve worked here.”

She shrugged. “It certainly isn’t ghosts, like some people say. It doesn’t seem likely something would start haunting this building out of nowhere, now does it? I mean, it’s been quiet all these years.”

He crossed his arms, and those well-defined muscles bunched in the most interesting way. “Mac and I think someone called up the creature. That’s why I’m here,” he said. “My controller, Quinton Maybrick, assigned me to determine what the hell is going on around here.”

“For your first assignment?”

“This isn’t my first assignment. I worked in Europe for about three years.”

“That sounds fantastic.”

“You sound a little envious.”

Startled by his accuracy gauging her emotions, she looked at him closely. He didn’t appear to be mocking her. “I am. But I plan to be equally as kick-butt when I join the special agent ranks. Give me time.”

His mouth popped open, and his look of startled disbelief challenged her. “You?”

She frowned and walked toward the door, intent on going back to her desk. “Me.

I’m in self-defense training. Then I’ll be ready to apply for the SIA agency academy.”

He followed, and when she slipped behind her desk, he stood in front of it like a sentinel. Authority emanated from the man in waves, potent and disturbing.

16

Night Scream

Conall couldn’t believe this fine-boned, delicate-looking woman could be an agent for SIA. No way. In fact, she appeared nothing short of feminine with her shiny cognac wavy hair tumbling out of the chignon, and her startling blue eyes pinning him to the spot. Her oval face, small nose, well-carved lips and large eyes made her so damned cute. Her skin, pale and smooth, looked flawless. Fixated on her slim, long neck, he wanted to taste the pulse that beat so strong and hot beneath her skin.

Whenever he came near her, he sensed arousal building within Evelyn. In all their encounters, he’d felt undeniable off-the-charts attraction. He’d barely been able to keep his hands off her the day he’d wanted to see Mac and Evelyn had refused. He wanted to feed on that excitement, drown in her subtle, feminine scent and the suppressed passion locked in that trim, fragile-looking frame. Defiance sparkled in her eyes. She attempted to push a stray tendril of hair back into her chignon and failed.

Fragile, hell.

He wouldn’t have used his knockout powers to put her under if she’d been more docile. Damned if she wasn’t the most defiant, fucking cute woman he’d discovered in all his years.

“So you’re planning on being an agent?” he asked, understanding he repeated the obvious.

Her bold look said it all. “It’s my goal.”

She challenged him, yet he sensed her vulnerability, her disbelief at what she’d already experienced tonight. Too bad he couldn’t tell her everything. Damn it, sometimes he hated having to cover up his abilities.

She picked up a pencil on her desk and started to twirl it in her fingers, the action just this short of nervous.

“So you like working for Mac?” he asked.

“I love working for him. He’s a fantastic boss.”

Jealousy, something that Conall couldn’t remember experiencing in a long time, ran through him with a jolt.

“Even though you’re working a fifteen-hour day? That seems a little over-the-top devoted on your part.”

“My work schedule isn’t any of your business, Agent Tierney.”

Unfazed by her tone, he said, “Conall, please.”

She stood abruptly. “
Conall
, I suppose you’ve never worked long hours out in the field?”

“Of course I have.”

She waved a dismissive hand. “There you have it. What’s different about what I’m doing?”

She has a point.
Damn it.
“I think there’s a little more to it than that.”

“What are you talking about?”

17

Denise A. Agnew

“You’ve got a crush on Mac, right?”

She gasped, the sound scandalized. “Mac is a devoted husband and I’d never think of having an affair with a married man.”

He put one hand up. “Whoa, take it easy. I didn’t say you would.”

Intrigued by the fire and spice lurking inside this prim-looking female, he couldn’t help reacting to her. Primitive needs resurfaced. He felt like a jungle man in pursuit of his mate, a woman who could match him fire for fire. He took a deep breath, but the beast refused to be withheld. His attention trailed from the startled doe look in her eyes, to the way her wide, full mouth parted.

Hell, yes. He wanted inside that mouth. What would it feel like to slide his cock into her mouth and experience that pretty mouth sucking and licking? His groin tightened without warning, a sharp feeling he couldn’t control.

He stepped around the desk until he stood close to her. All his senses pinpointed to the moment, to the high temperature that rocketed between them. This woman needed good loving. Long, hard, deep. Slow and fast.

“I know what you desire,” he said.

“Oh?” The pique in her face almost made him smile.

“Yeah. Something to get your mind off your boss. You need a little adventure.”

Elemental fire welled inside Evelyn. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath as he gazed down at her with those sexy, mysterious eyes. He blinked, slow and with a heavy-lidded expression.

“Adventure?” she asked, her voice coming out too high-pitched.

He winked, the smile that accompanied it adding to her difficulty breathing. She thought she saw that fire in his eyes again.

Thunder roared and she jumped, instinctively reaching for him. His arms came about her, warm, strong and comforting. Her hands landed on his chest and touched that solid wall of muscle. Her pulse tripped into overdrive.

Blazing with hunger, his gaze said he wanted her. “This wasn’t supposed to happen tonight.”

Bewildered she asked, “What?”

“You. Me. This damned storm.” His voice deepened, the husky sound delicious music to her ears. “What I want to do with you and to you.”

His touch slipped down until it landed just above her ass. The exquisite feeling made her shiver. “I don’t believe in hiding when I feel something for a woman.”

His heat and presence overwhelmed and did funny things to her heart. Whatever she felt at this moment went beyond common sense and reason.

“Every time we’ve met,” he said, “I’ve noticed something hot between us. I’m so damned attracted to you I can’t see straight.”

“Oh?” she said breathlessly.

18

Night Scream

“Evelyn, I care about you. Now there’s some crazy creature haunting these halls and I don’t want to let you out of my sight.”

Stunned by his declaration that he cared, she hardly managed to say, “If I become an agent I’ll be put in dangerous situations.”

“Exactly.”

Oh, man. He’s so close. So hot. So big and hard.
She allowed her palms to skim over his wide, muscled shoulders in admiration. She smiled a little as she felt him shiver the tiniest bit. “This is pretty hazardous right now.”

“Uh-huh. And if you don’t say stop, something crazy is going to happen.”

She didn’t say anything.

When he moved in slowly, her inhibitions took a backseat to desire. His mouth captured hers, warm and searching, hot and purposeful. He cupped her ass with one hand, testing and squeezing while his other hand plunged into her hair. His tongue swept over her lips in exploration. Slipping her arms around his neck, she leaned into him and felt his cock press against her stomach. Hard chest muscles crushed against her breasts, strong arms pressed her close. One kiss melded into another as he angled his mouth over hers. His tongue tangled with hers, penetrating with deep strokes that commanded attention. As shivers of mind-melting yearning made tracks through her body, she felt the need growing higher. She couldn’t halt her desire, didn’t want to stop it.

Before she knew it, he’d walked her backwards to a wall. His cupped her ass in both hands and lifted. Her legs locked around his hips. He pressed against her clit and labia, nestling right where she needed it the most. Then he rotated his hips with a slow, persistent undulation.

Oh my God.

She wriggled against him, trying to obtain more delicious friction. With relentless fervor he seduced her, and one thought remained in her mind. She wanted him more than she’d wanted any man before.

Plunging her fingers into his hair, she savored the thick strands sliding cool against her skin. She touched his hair-roughened jaw and a hot stirring of excitement melted in her belly. Everything masculine in him called to her, demanded her capitulation on this wild ride. Something animal released inside her, and Evelyn couldn’t deny it anymore.

Oh, yes. Please, please, please.

His deep, husky tone entered her mind.
I want you. I want to fuck you so damned
badly.

His erotic, harsh words startled her straight out of the kiss. She gazed at him in astonishment. “How did you—”

A shriek, this one louder than the last, echoed outside the offices.

“Shit,” he said.

19

Denise A. Agnew

He released his hold on her butt cheeks, lowering her gently to the floor. His gaze held megawatt desire, his breathing was quick and almost harsh. Pupils dilated, his face flushed and lips parted, he looked one hundred percent ready to make love.

Instead he turned and started toward the door. She followed, and when he turned toward her, she ran into him.

He clasped her waist. “Stay here.”

“I said I’d help you.”

“You need to stay safe and if you’re tagging along, I’ll be too worried about you to work effectively.”

Tagging along?
What an insult.

Worried? Now that sounded special, and she realized with a jolt she experienced at least as much concern for him as she did irritation.

Opening her mouth to protest, though, was the wrong move. Conall moved in, covering her mouth with his in another deep, drugging kiss. His hands cupped her face as his tongue moved against hers. The kiss went on and on, launching into thermonuclear status as she responded. When he broke away, she wanted to beg him not to step into danger.

“Conall—”

“Stay here.”

He opened the door and looked out. He stepped into the hallway and closed the door. She heard a strange clicking noise. Suspicious, she tried turning the doorknob and it wouldn’t budge.

She growled in frustration and slapped the door. “Damn you, Conall Tierney, unlock this door!”

How did he lock it from the outside unless he had keys from security?

Security.

She rushed to her phone and found it still didn’t work. “Damn!”

She sank down on the edge of her desk with a sigh. Maybe she should be frightened, but instead she felt more alive than she’d ever been. Her skin felt flushed and tingly, her breathing deep and fast. The hunky agent with the supernatural eyes, gorgeous physique and stunning kiss had done this to her.

Well, she’d wanted adventure and she’d gotten it.

Another horrendous scream echoed, bouncing off the walls and loud enough for Evelyn to put her hands over her ears. Lightning bombarded the area close by, thunder booming like canon fire.

There must be a way out of here.
Then she remembered and slapped her palm against her forehead. How could she have forgotten?

Mac’s office featured an escape route secret door to be used during emergencies.

This qualified as an emergency. She rushed into his office.

20

Night Scream

After Evelyn pushed the little button under Mac’s desk, the heavy mahogany bookcases toward the back of the room groaned slightly then shifted apart. One section went to the left, disappearing part of the way into the wall, the other slid to the right.