Mercury's War

CHAPTER 3

He watched her. That ridiculous bun her hair had been twisted into at the nape of her neck was trying to unravel. When she glanced at him, her brown eyes, almost the color of dark chocolate, were irritated. Her softly rounded, creamy face and stubborn chin were intriguing. But there were other parts of her making him crazy.

If she kept twitching her ass like that, he was going to fuck it. So help him God, he was going to take her to her knees, hike that plain brown skirt to her hips, and show her the folly of teasing a fully grown, hungry male Lion Breed.

Mercury Warrant leaned against the wall of the small office Gloria “please call me Ria” Rodriquez was using, and fought to maintain the same cool facade he’d held over the past month.

It wasn’t easy. Especially when she moved from the desk to the table set up across from it to go through the files stacked there. She would lean over, sometimes studying each file’s contents before choosing one, and the ugly brown skirt would mold to her ass like a loving hand.

Like his hand wanted to mold to it, clench it, separate the full globes as he watched his erection slide into the moist, silky heat below.

He was a walking hard-on, and after four weeks of it, it was starting to piss him off. He jacked off to the thought of her, the image of her face and her naked body straddling him. The days he spent with her only fueled that desire until it was starting to pinch at his balls in hunger.

He wanted the little plain Jane. He wanted to throw her to the bed and rut in her until the need was obliterated and his mind was free of her.

“You were the mechanical specialist before you became part of Mr. Wyatt’s team?” She turned her head, gazing at him through sharp, brown eyes. “You were the one who set the specifications of the dirt bikes we shipped here?”

The “we” in question meaning Vanderale Industries, Sanctuary’s more than generous benefactor.

He nodded shortly.

“Your lab files didn’t hint at mechanical knowledge. Your specialty there was recon and weapons with a significant talent in assassination and torture.”

He lifted a brow. “You make it sound like college.”

She stared back at him silently, her expression unchanging.

“The ability wasn’t listed because there was no chance to develop the talent.” He finally shrugged. “When I came here, there were some old cycles in one of the sheds. I spent my time fixing them.”

Jonas had said to cooperate with her. Fine, he’d cooperate. And he had to admit he liked that little flare of interest in her eyes whenever he gave her what she wanted. He’d like to give her a whole lot more than what she was asking for.

“So you found the talent while you were recuperating?” She straightened and turned toward him, her hands sliding into the pockets of her slim skirt as she leaned a hip against the table.

Recuperating. Now there was a word for it.

He nodded. It was hard to talk to her when all he wanted to do was growl with lust. He could feel the urge rising in his throat and fought it back. Damn, he must have been too long without a woman. Maybe he should find one. Fast. Or he was going to end up in bed with a potential disaster. Vanderale’s emissary was no one to screw around with. Literally.

“You requested six more of the cycles, with advanced electronics, weapons and power. Did you come up with the specifications?” she asked.

He nodded again. Those cycles would be a terror in the mountains the government had ceded to the Breeds.

The cycles were stripped down to only necessary weight to allow for the small, mounted gun barrels and ammunition. GPS and advanced satellite links were contained in bulletproof shields on the bikes, and the engines themselves were modified for a vast increase in power.

“And what would be the consequences if the cycles weren’t approved?”

That question threw him. They needed those cycles.

“More Breeds will die,” he answered her. “Keeping up with the tricks the Supremacists use to get into the protected area is paramount. Those cycles will aid the teams that have to patrol the perimeters, which have grown in the past few years.”

“The advancements you’re asking for raise the price of the machines by several tens of thousands of dollars per cycle,” she pointed out. “Not to mention ammunition and satellite time they’ll be using. At this rate, Vanderale will need to place a satellite in orbit for Sanctuary alone. Do you know the cost of that?”

“Vanderale profits as well,” he reminded her. “How many of our people do you already have working security for the new facilities you’ve placed in the Middle East?”

“People we pay an excellent wage,” she argued. “There’s no exchange of favors, Mercury.”

Bullshit. He stared back at her mockingly. “Tell that to your executive we rescued from Iran last month, Ms. Rodriquez. The Breed community did for free what no other team could have done for any price. How much was his life worth to you?”

Her lips twitched at the point.

“You’re right.” She shrugged. “Mr. Vasquez is very important to Vanderale. He’s doing fine, by the way. Considered it a hell of an adventure.”

She shifted again, crossing one ankle over the other as she leaned against the desk, and he swore he heard the sound of silken flesh rubbing together. And that couldn’t be happening, because unlike other Breeds’, his hearing just wasn’t that advanced.

God, he wanted to lift her to that damned table and bury his head between her thighs. He wondered if she would taste as sweet as he imagined she did. If she would be as wet and hot as he was hard.

Would she scream for him? He wanted her screaming, begging, her head tilted back and that bun at the nape of her neck released.

“Sanctuary needs those cycles,” he said instead. “With one of those per team going out, we’ll have an advantage over the Supremacists attempting to slip in and assassinate or kidnap the members of the Feline Ruling Cabinet and their families.”

In the past months, two more attempts had been made upon the main house.

She turned back to the files spread over the table before choosing one and turning back to her desk.

Mercury watched as she took her seat and opened the file. Her head bent, displaying the soft skin of her neck, the pulse beating heavily just below the flesh. He ground the back of his teeth together at the need to scrape his teeth over it. To feel the delicate skin, to taste it, maybe bite it a little bit.

Fuck. At the thought, his cock jerked, his balls tightened with a shard of pleasure so sharp it was nearly painful. Mercury hastily ran his tongue over his teeth, checking for a swelling of the small glands beneath it, for any unusual taste in his mouth. Anything that would indicate mating heat. Not that he expected it, but he had to be sure.

There was no swelling, no spilling of the mating hormone that would signal she was his.

What would he have done, he wondered, if it had been there? If he had learned that he hadn’t lost the one person in the world meant to be his after all? That the dreams that flitted through his mind as he slept could become reality?

He clenched his jaw at the overpowering thought of mating her. Of having the choice taken away from him, of marking her, this one woman, as his own. The sexuality the mating heat produced was intense, fiery. The sexual need overwhelming.

Unfortunately it was something Mercury knew he would never know. He had lost his mate, years ago, in a life he fought daily to forget.

He hadn’t marked the small Lioness his heart and body had claimed. He had never taken her, never kissed her, but he remembered the overriding hunger to do just that. The sensitivity in his tongue, the primal awareness of her and her scent, her lust every chance he had to see her. His rage and grief when she had been killed on a mission had nearly resulted in his own death.

She had been his mate. And Lion Breeds only mate once, just like their cousin the lion. But he could still fuck. And he was damned determined to fuck his little plain Jane into screaming orgasm.

“Vanderale contributed more than twenty million dollars to Sanctuary last year alone,” she murmured as she went over another file. “Mr. Wyatt has quite an impressive list of wants in the file he sent us for financial aid next year.”

Mercury said nothing. He wasn’t part of the Ruling Cabinet, and at the moment, Jonas’s wants were the last thing on his mind. He was too busy staring at the rise and fall of her breasts beneath her bulky blouse, wondering at the color of her nipples, and if the soft curves beneath the blouse were as generous as he was guessing they were.

The sound of her throat clearing pulled his gaze up. Mercury stared back at her, maintaining an even expression despite the fact he had been caught leering at her breasts.

Besides, he liked that little hint of a blush on her cheeks, the way her eyes chastised him behind the small lenses of her glasses.

“I realize you’re likely bored.” She sighed, her expression resigned. “But that makes me uncomfortable.”

“Why?”

Surprise glittered in her dark chocolate eyes. Mercury wasn’t as fond of chocolate as some of the Breeds were, but he had to admit, this woman could make him like it.

“Why?” she asked with a slight, uncomfortable laugh. “Perhaps because you and I both know it’s not out of interest but merely an attempt to amuse yourself. I know the past weeks haven’t been easy for you, trailing me around. Besides, women don’t like to have their breasts leered at. You should know that by now.”

“Doesn’t mean I understand it,” he said and shrugged. “The fact that I find your breasts interesting shouldn’t be such an issue. You appear to have nice breasts. You should wear blouses that emphasize that rather than attempting to hide it.”

Women were strange creatures. And he wasn’t bored at all. Being with her was anything but boring.

“How would you like it if all I did was ogle your crotch?” she snapped. “It’s insulting.”

“Ogle to your heart’s content.” The very thought of it had his cock twitching in pitiful hunger to be noticed.

When her gaze dropped, her eyes widened and jerked back to his.

“Normal reaction when a man finds a woman attractive.” He frowned at her displeasure. “Would you rather I had no reaction at all?”

“Yes.” She slapped the folder closed. “I don’t have time for affairs here.”

“Did I ask you for an affair?” He frowned; he knew he hadn’t. “I said I find you attractive.”

“And you get hard for every woman you find attractive?”

Now that question made him uncomfortable. There weren’t a lot of women he found attractive in that sense.

“Do you get wet for every man who comes on to you?” he questioned her instead. Because she was wet. He could smell her arousal, her interest. He had been smelling it for days and it was driving him crazy. It was the first time he had smelled a woman’s lust in such a way, from clear across the room. He might look like the lion his genes were taken from, but contrary to popular belief, his senses were nowhere near as strong as other Breeds’. Still, they were stronger than a human’s, but… That scent tempted him again.

The sweet scent of dawn rising. That elusive, subtle scent of awakening, of moist warmth and adventure. That was what she smelled of, and Mercury loved the dawn.

Her skin was flushed a gentle pink now, and with the smell of her arousal, he could also sense her confusion.

“I’m not wet,” she lied, shifting in her seat, most likely pressing her legs tight together.

Mercury let a smile tug at his lips. She knew the Breeds’ sense of smell was stronger than that of a normal human, and she had no idea of his own weakness in it. She would also know that he would see the lie for what it was, an attempt to deny the attraction building between them.

He didn’t call her on it. He kept his stance against the wall, his eyes on her, despite the fact that he wanted his hands on her.

She gave a little sniff of disapproval before turning back to the files and pointedly ignoring him. That was fine with him; growing accustomed to a hunger of this strength took time anyway. Time and patience. He had both

Ria was flustered. She never got flustered, or embarrassed, or as turned on by a man as she had been for the past month. But she was now. She stared down at the file that detailed the dirt bikes Vanderale had originally supplied Sanctuary with, as well as the notes and captions of the modifications Mercury Warrant had made on them.

Modifications he had built into the specs for the new bikes they wanted. But her mind wasn’t on motorcycles, attached weapons and the cost thereof, which was astronomical. Her mind was on the man.

Or the Breed. Mercury showed more of the physical characteristics than all the Lion Breeds she had met thus far combined.

High cheekbones and exotic brown eyes, almost amber but not quite. There was a faint darkness around the eye and lids, as though someone had applied the smallest line of kohl. Thick, sun-kissed lashes framed the eyes and gave him an erotic appearance. His lips were a bit thin, but well sculpted and sexier than they should have been. His nose was long, with a flattened bridge more prominent than most Breeds’.

Long, thick, brown-, black- and russet-streaked hair fell to his shoulders. Unlike Callan Lyons, with his golden brown hair and handsome features, Mercury seemed to epitomize the Breeds. A lion walking within a man’s body. She could clearly see the primal, feral qualities that she knew he fought to keep subverted. As though he could hide what he was, especially to himself.

She let the file she was reading cover her hand as it lay over the memory card slot into which she had inserted a “ghost” chip, one of the new, specially enhanced memory chips that would be undetectable to the Breed systems.

It slid free into her hand and tucked nicely into the sleeve of her blouse. The electronic messages and orders she had been investigating were contained on the chip, with more on several other chips she had slipped out of the office over the weeks.

It appeared that Sanctuary had more to worry about than even Dane had imagined, if what she was learning were true.

“I’m ready to go home.” She slapped the file closed and stood from the chair.

She couldn’t keep her mind on the file or the job she had gone there to do. She was too aware of him, too aware of the sensuality steadily rising between them.

“I’ll let Jonas know we’re leaving.” He nodded as he flipped the mic of the communications unit down from the side of his face.

“We aren’t leaving. I am.” She walked back to the desk that held the files she had pulled to go through. “I don’t need an escort.”

“That’s not what I was told,” he informed her before turning his conversation to the link. “Jonas, we’re ready to head back to the house.” He listened for a moment before replying. “My bag is in the Jeep. I’ll keep in contact from there.”

Ria propped her hands on her hips as she stared back at him. “Exactly what do you mean by that?”

His eyes narrowed on her. “There was another attempt to breach the perimeter of Sanctuary’s boundaries on the east side of the mountain. Your cabin sits there. Since you’re outside the boundaries of Sanctuary, you’re at risk.”

“So?”

He restrained his smile. “So, from now on you have a guard inside the house, namely me, as well as one outside whenever you aren’t at Sanctuary. We can’t risk your kidnapping or death, Ria.”

“Namely you?” Oh no, that was not going to work. No way, no how. “You’ll have to tell Mr. Wyatt I’ve refused your charming company. You can sit outside with your buddy.”

“That scared you can’t resist me?” His brow arched, and there was an arrogant confidence to the curl of his lips.

“Excuse me?” He couldn’t mean what she thought he did.

“You heard me,” he said. “Are you that afraid you can’t handle your own response to me, that you’d put your life in danger?”

Now that was a dare. She hated dares. A dare had landed her there to begin with.

“I would have no problems resisting you, Mr. Warrant,” she snapped, her voice cold despite the heat traveling through her body. “This has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with privacy. I like living alone.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, his broad, powerful chest, and stared down at her with a frown.

“We aren’t willing to risk your life for the sake of your privacy,” he informed her. “You can accept the conditions or we’ll be forced to call Vanderale Industries and inform them of the danger and your lack of cooperation. We were assured you would cooperate with the protective measures we set in place.”

Dammit. She was going to kill her boss. If Sanctuary complained, it wouldn’t just go through her own department, it would also hit the desk of the president and owner of Vanderale. And no one, but no one messed with him over his favorite charity. Except her boss. Dane Vanderale might be the son and potential heir, but he was still answerable to his father, just as she was. And he had no idea she was here. She was trapped and she knew it.

“Don’t you have a female enforcer you can assign to the house?” She fought back her irritation. “Someone who at least has a sense of humor?”

“I have a sense of humor.” He shrugged again. “For example, I find it very amusing that you’re afraid to be alone with me.”

“Afraid?” She smirked. “You have an overrated opinion of your appeal, Mr. Warrant. I just don’t want the aggravation of your hard-on bouncing around my house and invading my privacy. If I wanted that, I would have brought a man with me.”

Yeah, right. She hadn’t had sex in years and wasn’t likely to anytime soon. For some reason, she hadn’t excelled in sexual relationships as easily as she excelled in her job.

She got along with her vibrator much easier than she got along with men.

“Regardless of my opinion or your wants, I’ve been assigned to the house. We don’t have enough enforcers to go around as it is. You’re stuck with me.”

Oh great. She stared at him, pursing her lips in displeasure as she met his gaze. His hot gaze. He watched her like the four-legged lions that patrolled the estate watched dinner being led in. It was nerve-wracking.

“This is not going to work,” she bit out. “This is Friday. I don’t even come in for the next two days.”

He stared back at her silently, as though she hadn’t even spoken. God, she hated it when he did that.

“I need to talk to Jonas,” she insisted. “Now.”

“Not possible. He’s preparing to head back to Washington tonight for meetings this weekend, and he’s currently heading into conference with the Ruling Cabinet. You’ll have to wait until Monday.”

She snapped her teeth together. She wanted to stomp her foot and curse, but hated to give him a reason to be any more amused at her discomfort than he was now. He seemed to delight in throwing her off balance.

“This is not going to work.” She jerked her purse from the corner of the desk. “Not in any way.”

He straightened as she neared the door, all animal grace and sexual confidence. He was dressed in the black enforcer mission outfit, a mini-Uzi strapped to his side, a knife sheathed at one of his thighs and a holstered handgun at the other. He was too tall, too broad, much too sexy and way too dangerous.

“It’s going to work fine. You’ll be perfectly safe,” he assured her as he opened the office door and allowed her to pass.

He made her brush against his body, her shoulder sliding along his chest, the heat of him surrounding her as she moved past him. God, she loved it when he did that. Loved the sense of strength and protective power she could feel surrounding her. That didn’t mean she liked the thought of dealing with it all weekend. She used the time away from him for distance, to push back the attraction and the growing need. How the hell was she supposed to do that with him in her face twenty-four-seven?

“This is so not going to work,” she muttered again as she made her way down the sterile hallways of the underground offices.

“You worry too much.” He followed her too closely.

“You’re not the one stuck with an overgrown male all weekend,” she snorted. “I like my privacy, Mr. Warrant.”

“You’ll survive, Ms. Rodriquez.”

Maybe.

God, she wanted him. Wanted what she knew she couldn’t have, because Ria didn’t do one-night stands. She had learned long ago that they weren’t for her, and she was determined never to be tricked into it again. And Mercury Warrant would never be anything else. Hadn’t his file already stated that he was considered a surviving mate? The woman his heart and soul had chosen for its own had died. Mercury Warrant couldn’t give his heart to another woman, because it was already taken. And Ria knew she couldn’t bear walking away if she gave him the rest of her heart.