Chapter Eight
Kate stared at Chase, wishing she hadn’t heard a word of what he said. She couldn’t love him. She had to hate him. How could she do that? Especially when parts of her had thought of no one else in the past year, had masturbated to the memory of his touch, his scent. She had turned away Jake just in case he was out there, somewhere, wishing he, too, could go back in time to be with her? Only he was here, commanding her not to feel a damned thing for him.
Too late, buddy.
Chase sat on the sofa across from her seat on the coffee table, his feet next to her, so close she could touch him, that cold mask of his in place. But she sat, frozen, not knowing what to feel, what to do. He said he’d destroy her. He wanted her to hate him. They’d never have love.
Love. Kate wasn’t worried about love at the moment, since people didn’t fall for each other over night. Or in a weekend. That was stupid. But she had to admit, the attraction she felt for him was something deep, sinful. And if she listened to the Emma part of her, she already loved him. Just a little.
His words still hurt. She wanted to love him, but she was Kate now—hard-assed, tough, fucking hot Kate. Emma had no place in her life anymore. Not if she couldn’t love him. “I think we should end this after the weekend.”
He looked relieved. “I think you’re very right.”
“I think, though, we’ll have to find somewhere for me to live because I can’t stay in your house and not want to fuck you every day.”
Saying fuck made it much easier to distance herself from the chemistry she—no, Emma—felt with him. It was a job. Kate was his job for the weekend—a part time one. Get her laid and trained for seduction on the government’s dime.
“We’ll look as soon as possible.”
“I can stay with Jake, instead of the hotel.” She didn’t want to be alone anymore. Jake was her best friend. He’d take her in.
“No.” Chase looked stricken, which was funny, because he was usually so good at masking his emotions. “As long as we are up front about the rules, we’ll be fine. After Monday, you won’t see me much. You can use the spare bedroom across from mine. Just stay, as long as you need, and we’ll start looking. Okay?”
“Okay.” Kate nodded, not understanding why it meant so much for her to stay to him. She stood, her pussy tightening, clenching as she stared at his naked body, so perfect. If she only had the rest of the evening to fuck him, she was getting her money’s worth. She took off her shirt and ran her fingers along her sides, up her ribs, under her breasts.
“What are you doing?”
“Kate is horny,” she whispered. “And since you’re going to be such a bastard in my life, Kate is who I have to be. I want to get what I can out of you, now.”
He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Instead, his eyes darkened with lust. “Use me, please.”
She stepped out of her shorts and ran her hands over her stomach. “The scars from the crash, and the surgery, don’t turn you off?” In her mind, she could picture her inner Emma in the background, scared, unable to break free to seduce this gorgeous man. The Kate part of her wanted to get on with it, to tempt him in ways that Emma wouldn’t dream of.
“I have my own scars, remember? Spies see things like that as battle wounds. The more you have, the better you must be.”
She slid her hand inside her panties and found her clit with her finger. Emotionally, seducing him was now painful. Seducing him meant a part of Emma would die because, to Kate, this now wasn’t about the job. This was about becoming harder, becoming less soft. Less like Emma. So she didn’t fall in love with him.
“Can I touch myself?” Chase asked, his hand inching to his cock.
“No.” Kate slid a finger into her pussy and sucked in a breath, surprised at how soaked she was, how ready. “How many fingers do you want me to use on myself?”
“Do you know what you’re doing to me?”
“Yes,” she whispered, rubbing her clit harder. “How many fingers?”
“Two.” His Adam’s apple bobbed once, twice. His cock hardened, the pre-cum on the tip a slick dribble. “Can you stick one in your ass?”
And then Kate knew what she had to do to send Emma away fully. Emma was so pure, but she wouldn’t be for long, not after Kate went to the dark side. Why not? Jake said that’s where the two of them played. She should play there, too. “I want you to teach me how to have my ass fucked.”
“Jesus.” Chase grabbed the edges of the couch, his knuckles white, every muscle in his body tight. “If this is because of what I said—”
“Why would it be? You made yourself clear. I understand that. This is work. If work wants me to learn the ropes, then show them all to me.”
Through the lust, a glimmer of pain flickered in his eyes. “You need to learn to lie better.”
“Like you?”
His jaw tightened, and he stilled, staring at her for a long moment. She held her breath, wondering what went on behind those gorgeous brown eyes. She’d give her fortune to learn the truth.
Then he breathed, and whispered, “Yes. Like me.”
Battle lines drawn, Kate crossed her arms over her chest. She stabbed her knife in his ego’s back, and turned the blade ever so slightly. “You going to teach me, or do I have to ask Jake?”
His lips tightened, and Kate felt a small victory. Good. She was glad it hurt. “If you want that, you had better let me come. I can’t take anymore, and you will not enjoy the ride I’ll give you unless you allow me release.”
“Would you fuck me hard?” she asked, stripping from her panties.
He nodded, swallowing again, looking like something the cat had dragged to the edge and back. But she knew she had done that. And she wasn’t done.
“Condom?” He tossed her a foil packet from the pocket in his jeans. She ripped it open, the latex cold in her shaking fingers. She placed it over the head of his cock and rolled it downward. Sucking in a deep breath, she straddled his hips and positioned her eager pussy over his cock.
The pain on his face echoed deep inside her, only Emma’s pain wasn’t because she couldn’t come, like his.
He growled. “Please let me come inside you.”
She slid down, and he grabbed her hips and thrust as hard as he could. The shock that ran though her as her clit slammed against his pubic bone was amazing. She leaned forward a little and held the back of the couch for support as she rocked her hips as hard as she could.
He thrust harder, faster and then she watched his face contort in the most fascinating way as he came, hot spurts filling the condom, his fingers clenching her hips, the pain of his grasp welcome.
“Come for me, Kate.”
She then closed her eyes and allowed herself the same release, though it wasn’t as large of an orgasm as the ones she had experienced before.
She rolled off of him and lay on the couch, not wanting to cuddle him. Cuddling was for lovers. He took her hand in his and she allowed it, refusing to look at him.
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” he whispered. “You can have me, this, and not be in love. You don’t love me now, so I don’t understand why this is an issue. You already hate me just a little, for being ordered to take your virginity. Just keep that feeling first, okay? That’s all I’m asking. Just hate me a little.”
“I do hate you.”
“Good girl. Keep hating me.”
“Are you going to fuck my ass?”
The grip on her hand tightened. “No. Training is done. I refuse to take you to the dark side, Kate. If you want to go there, then go ask Jake. I’m sure he’ll gladly oblige. But I can’t.”
“Does that mean there’s no more sex for us?” She should want to cry, shouldn’t she? But she didn’t, and it wasn’t so hard to sit with him, dry-eyed, as he kissed her fingers, the back of her hand.
“As long as you hate me, you can have all the sex you want.” He rose and scooped her up in his arms, cradling her against his chest, kissing her neck. She hated him for the gesture, for carrying her toward the stairs, his obvious intent to take her to his bed. It was something a lover would do, not someone she was supposed to hate.
But when he had trouble carrying her up the full flight of stairs, vengeance rose and spat fire. “You’re getting weak, Sanders. I’m going to tattle. They’ll have you in a hundred pounds of special ops gear by tomorrow morning.”
He sighed and hefted her weight in a better position. “I know. Jake could carry you, no problem.”
“Yep.”
He entered the bedroom and dumped her unceremoniously on the bed. “That’s my cross to bear, then.”
Then he went to the bathroom, and she rolled onto her side, listening. “What are we going to do now if training is over?”
“We’re going to bed,” he called from the bathroom. “You’re going to hate me, I’m going to hold you, and therefore, you’ll hate me even more.”
“I’ll do my best.” She sighed and laid back, her arm over her eyes. “And tomorrow?”
He stood next to the bed—she felt his thigh bump the mattress—and ran a finger over her stomach. “We’ll wake up, and I’ll be your boss again. And you can hate me full force.”
“That’s fine.” It shouldn’t have been fine. It should have been hard, horrible, but as Kate listened to him get ready for bed, she realized why the intense, stabbing pain she’d felt earlier was gone.
It was because Emma had finally left her. If Emma couldn’t have her knight in shining armor, she was out of there. Or maybe, she died and was rotting somewhere in her mind. There was nothing but Kate now.
A cold-hearted, fucking hot, killing machine.
****
The next morning Kate woke to the sound of an alarm for the first time while in Chase’s arms. As his words from the night before came back to haunt her, she realized she wanted to be anywhere else. She didn’t want to go to work, and if she couldn’t love him, she didn’t want his arms anywhere near her.
She knew he was awake, but he didn’t stir. Well, his cock did, hardening and lengthening against her ass. Desire swirled upward and outward from her stomach, wetness readying her for sex she wasn’t supposed to have, as if her traitorous body forgot it was Monday and technically they were done. But it was human nature to want what you couldn’t have. Need lubed her pussy, made her breasts ache for his touch. He hadn’t done a thing and she’d never wanted him more.
“Fuck, I hate Monday.” He groaned, kissed her neck, then slid from the bed. “What is on your schedule today?”
“Spy games with Jake on base in the morning. The lab in the afternoon. That’s been my schedule for the last few weeks.”
God, would she ever get used to seeing him naked? The man had no modesty, not caring he was hard as he walked to the closet and contemplated his outfit for the day.
She didn’t have much for options, and since Jake was going to administer her daily ass kicking, it would be a tank top and camo pants for her, because that what she moved best in. She usually just tossed a lab coat over whatever for the afternoon. No one cared what she wore as long as she had a lab coat and credentials. But Chase would be devastatingly handsome in a suit, no doubt.
“What are you working on in the lab?”
“Classified information, Sanders.” She was working on exploding bullets right now, which would fascinate the hell out of him. But she wasn’t sharing. Two could play his game.
His lips twitched as he glanced over at her. “I’m your boss.”
“Not in the lab, you’re not. So you bring me the paperwork, I’ll tell you what I’m working on.”
“I think you’ll find that I outrank your boss in the lab.” He hung a dark navy suit on the door and turned. “It will probably change come Wednesday so don’t get too comfortable.”
She hugged her knees to her chest, hoping to quell the growing ache as she watched him be so domestic, rifling through his drawers, probably for socks and underwear. “Why?”
He hesitated, his hand in a drawer still. “Because I said so. I’m the boss.”
Damn him, that wasn’t why. Something would happen Tuesday, she guessed, and he knew this. Perhaps she was coming up on assignment faster than he thought because he went from emotionless mask mode to all boss when he said that. All boss was the hardcore version.
She realized that Chase the boss would always be at war with Chase, her lover. If she wanted to stay here, in his bed, in his arms, the two would battle and ultimately the boss would win, hands down. Could she do that, day in, day out?
Then he leaned in, kissed her quickly, and gave her a rare, breathtaking smile, one that could fuel the entire electric grid for D.C. She would kill the most heinous bad guy for him if he promised to smile like that at her in reward. “Good morning, love. If you want to shower down the hall, you can.” He went into his bathroom and turned on the shower.
Damn him again. She wanted to shower with him. He was the one who woke her with a hard-on. The fact that she was wet, needy, and aching was his fault. She could masturbate quickly and take care of her problem. Or she could suck it up and make him fuck her, because the orgasm he gave her would be ten times better.
She pursed her lips and shoved her hand in her panties, finding her clit and rubbing. After a moment, she gave up. She rose, shed her panties and T-shirt, and slunk into the bathroom to demand sex.
He was finishing up brushing his teeth when she went in. He rinsed and wiped his mouth, his dark brows arched over surprised eyes in the mirror. She almost laughed, because it was mighty hard to surprise him.
She blurted out, “You have to fuck me. Now.”
His eyes widened more. “Now?”
“You woke me with a hard-on against my ass. I know we’re supposed to be more…professional, but if you don’t want me to demand sex from you, you can’t wake me with a hard-on in my ass. It’s a deal breaker.”
Now those eyes turned wary. He spun to face her, his hands gripping the sink edge, his cock impossibly harder, longer as he absorbed her words. “I told you that you could have sex as long as you remembered the rules.”
Yeah, yeah, fuck the rules. “I don’t want you to make love to me. I want you to fuck me, hard.” She looked around. “On the bathmat. I don’t even want foreplay. I’m good to go. Just…fuck me.”
He drew in a long, ragged breath. “Jesus, Kate.”
But he didn’t move to take her, the bastard. So she crossed her arms over her aching breasts and tapped her foot. “Are you going to fuck me, or what? I’ve never been this horny, and I don’t want to go to work and have Jake grope me and be this horny. That’s not a good idea. God only knows what I might do.”
If she wanted a reaction from him, Jake’s name was the way to get it. His nostrils flared slightly, his eyes narrowing. “On your knees,” he commanded, all business, so bossy in a way that increased her need. Dampness turned to a small flood, her juices dribbling on her inner thigh.
She held out her hand, and the glint in his eyes faded when he saw the foil packet in her fingers. He rolled the condom on as she dropped to the bathmat, feeling vulnerable yet sexy as he lowered himself behind her. “I’ll fuck you from behind, if you want it fast and hard. Hands on the floor.”
Was she really doing this? She put her palms on the fuzzy white mat, arms shaking under her weight. He grabbed her hip with one hand, the other guiding the head of his cock along her folds, gathering her wetness.
“My God you’re wet,” he whispered with awe. He had to find the view of her ass and pussy incredible.
“Shut up and fuck me, Sanders,” she whispered back, wanting him inside of her, now.
He nudged in and then slammed the entire length of his shaft deep inside, to the hilt. She gasped, never expecting in a million years that the slight burn of him stretching her would be arousing, that it would feel that good, and that she’d be that ready.
That one stroke was like a hard shove on the swings, launching her sky-high. He slammed again, and she moaned, rocking with the delicious impact. She lowered herself to her elbows so she could use one hand to stimulate her clit.
“Yes,” he hissed. “Finger yourself, love. Don’t come until I tell you.”
He thrust again and again, his balls slapping her pussy lips, and fuck if she wasn’t there already, the energy building, begging to be released around his shaft. She arched and shoved back, wanting him deeper. Her skin tingled, the nerve endings dancing with electricity, probably generated from that earlier smile of his. “Fuck me harder.”
“Love, I’m pounding here. I don’t want to hurt you,” he said through gritted teeth, his pace fast and furious against her ass, deep in her pussy.
She clenched the edge of the bathmat in her fist, panting, sweat beading on her forehead. There, so there, like standing in front of a raging fire, knowing it was dangerous to jump in but wanting nothing more. “Come for me, Chase,” she urged.
He faltered, thrusting out of rhythm, his body tensing at her words. She found it hard to believe a woman had never asked him to come for her. The man was sin in sneakers. Women probably came for him at the drop of his hat and begged him to come, too. “Come for me, baby,” she coaxed again.
“You know what I need,” he ground out, slamming harder than before.
“No.” Did she? Her inner walls spasmed from being primed, ready to detonate.
“Talk smart to me.”
She blinked. He was so…odd. And it was hard to think of something he’d consider smart when she was ready to blow apart at the seams. All she wanted was to come, because her toes hurt from clenching already. “Copernicium-285 has a half-life of twenty-nine seconds.”
“Shit, yes.” His groan echoed off the damp, tiled walls. He pumped once, twice, and came.
“Me,” she wailed, afraid he would forget. “You need to command me!”
He gave a low laugh and kissed her back. “Come for me, love.”
“Thank you,” she breathed and came harder than she had yet, her toes ready to break off from curling and clenching so hard. She leaned against both her elbows and rode the wave of pleasure, his cock still pumping her, milking every last contraction from her pussy.
She collapsed, her knees buckling, taking him down with her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, kissing her shoulder, then her neck. They lay that way for a moment, the only sounds their ragged breathing echoing off the walls.
“Copernicium-258?”
“It’s an isotope of copernicium, element one-twelve on the periodic table.”
“I don’t know that one.”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t added until just recently.”
“Better?” he asked. “I don’t need to worry about you going to work and raping my best friend? That would scar him for life. I’d have to get him therapy.”
She smiled, loving his warped sense of humor. The devil was amusing when he wished to be. He was also alternately charming and an ass, and she needed to remember that, especially now. “I think you’ve seen to Jake’s safety.”
“I should get up. I’m going to be late.”
“Serves you right for making me horny.”
He kissed her shoulder again, and she sensed that he hesitated. “I could get us up a little earlier, you know. So if my hard-on wakes you in an inappropriate manner, I would have time to satisfy you as needed. So Jake wouldn’t have to worry about sexual harassment.”
“How kind of you to ensure Jake’s safety on a daily basis,” she said with a laugh.
“It’s my job, as the boss, to ensure that all of you are safe. If possible.” He withdrew and rose.
She rolled to see him wince as he stood. “You okay?”
“My knee doesn’t like the floor.”
“Then next time, find a better place. Geesh, you could have fucked me in a bunch of places, Sanders. Some man whore you are, waiting for the near virgin to tell you these things.”
“Really. Like?” He arched a brow and deposited the condom in the toilet.
“The counter, that chair, against the shower wall…endless possibilities. You’re not very adventurous.”
He snorted. “If you only knew, love. And I think you passed near virgin on Saturday morning.”
“Technically you took my virginity Saturday morning, so I’m still only forty-eight hours open.”
He glanced at the little clock on one of the bathroom shelves and groaned. “Fifty-two hours, and I am so late.” He slid into the shower, and she jumped up and joined him. Why not? It would conserve water.
He cringed, hands up protectively in front of his chest, and retreated into the corner of the shower. “What? No. I’m late enough. Please, no more sex.”
Seeing him, cowering against the wall with mock fear on his gorgeous face made her giggle. God she loved…no. She liked him whole bunches, especially when he was playful like this.
She growled at him. “Shut up and wash me, Sanders. If you’re lucky, I won’t need your services again.”
He grinned and kissed her. “I’ll service you any time.”
“That’s a good boss. Now wash my back.”
****
Later that morning Chase leaned against the SUV, feeling voyeuristic watching Kate work out with Jake. A girl in combat boots, camo pants, and a tank top, holstered with a handgun on her thigh was fucking hot. He knew she probably had more weapons on her—a knife, probably another gun at her ankle. He only wanted her more.
Then Jake grabbed her ass in a more-than-work move and she laid him flat out, straddled him, holding his hands over his head. She growled, “Hands, Anderson.”
He knew Jake too well. In the real world, he would have flipped her and showed her exactly who was boss, in more ways than one. But Jake only smiled and said something in that drawl of his, and she laughed. Jealousy boiled in Chase’s stomach. God damn that Jake, Chase would give anything to have her straddle him. Being the boss sucked.
But then she looked in his direction—not Jake’s—and her smile changed, as if she was remembering the pleasure he’d given her earlier, despite their vow to be more professional. Jealousy was quickly replaced with smugness and the burn of lust. Chase nodded to her. She looked down at Jake, said something, rose, and trotted his way with a water bottle in hand.
“Took you long enough to notice I was here,” Chase grumbled. “And you do realize, Jake could have flipped you and killed you without thinking twice?”
She stopped in front of him, close enough for him to touch her if he wanted, but far enough away that people wouldn’t guess how well she knew him. “Yes, but Jake sometimes needs reminding about his roaming hands, and since the women he fucks don’t seem to be that physical, it seems to hit home with him nicely.”
“Fucks?” He raised his brows.
“If you fuck women, then Jake must, too. He’s less of the girlfriend type than you are.” Kate gave him the once over. “Someone’s grumpy today. After what I did to you outside the shower, you should be a very, very happy man.” She took a swig of her water and stared up at him, a smudge of dirt on her nose. “Are you here as my boss or my friend with benefits?”
“Both?” He sighed and tried to wipe the soil from her face, but failed. “I got roped into a dinner engagement, and our hostess wants me to bring you.”
“Me? I thought we were cooling things off. Being more professional.”
There was nothing professional with how she had attacked him that morning, but he had wanted her so badly it was worth it. They’d start being professional Tuesday.
“It’s a work thing. You’re new, people want to meet you.”
“Oh.” She glanced over her shoulder at Jake, then back at him, suspicious. “Does Jake know about us?”
Chase looked out at Jake over her head. Jake cocked a brow and grinned. Chase looked back at her. “Jake knows.”
“You can’t keep your mouth shut?”
Chase sighed as Jake grinned wider. Jesus, Jake knew everything, even when he was being discussed. “You didn’t tell him? I’m sure he’d want to know all about your weekend.”
“We don’t talk about you, and we definitely don’t talk about sex.”
Chase shook his head and glanced back down at her. “Well, I didn’t have to say a word. You jogged over here on your own, all hot to trot to be near me. The other day, you hid behind a tree.”
She glared, the smudge of dirt making her look like a pissed kitten in need of a wash. “That doesn’t mean I’m sleeping with you.”
Chase sighed. “Will you go to dinner with me or not?” The prospect of dinner made him almost physically ill, since their hostess was his aunt and there was no way out without being rude.
He had Kate to blame for this dinner arrangement. That hot, fast fuck this morning had made him fifteen minutes late to work with no time to shave and no contacts. He was never, ever late for work, never disheveled, blind when it came to reading documents, never unprepared.
His secretary, Helen, had known immediately that he’d been up to something with a girl, had jumped to conclusions that this was the one to replace his ex, Diane, and had called his aunt, who was her best friend. By nine, his aunt had demanded he bring Kate for dinner; his uncle wanted to meet with him anyway.
The loss of control made him break out in a cold sweat. He should be introducing Kate to his aunt and uncle at his discretion, when he was ready, not being called on the carpet. His uncle was extremely judgmental and was the only person in the world who terrified him. His uncle was also his boss, and he’d want a report about the weekend, which made Chase even more nervous.
Chase groaned internally. He shouldn’t have allowed Kate to lure him into morning sex when it wasn’t in the schedule. He loved his secretary, but now she thought him ready to settle and hoped Kate would help him relax from his stressful schedule. He definitely didn’t need Jake leering at him over his water bottle, his friend taking in every nuance of their body language, knowing if Chase had the time, he’d drag her into the woods or the back seat of his vehicle and fuck her senseless.
“I don’t have anything to wear,” Kate said, bringing him back to reality.
“Call my secretary, Helen, and she can tell you where to go to find a dress. We’ll have to leave from the office, so it will be a suit for me.” And God help him, because Helen would just love this motherly task. He was doomed.
“Where are we dining?”
“The home of a general and his wife. Very nice people. The general is one of my bosses, so to speak.” And also his uncle, but Chase didn’t want to scare her witless. Better she thought this was a simple, business dinner, not an inspection by the equivalent of his parents. “I hate to ask you for a favor, but would you bring me my contacts from the house?”
“When do you need those?”
“ASAP. Please. I can’t read without them, and I can’t see a damned thing out of these sunglasses. The whole office thinks I was ripping drunk last night and I’m hiding bloodshot eyes. It’s hard to be a hard-ass when they’re all snickering.” Chase thought for a moment. That request sounded too…relationship like. He waved to Jake, who jogged over with a grin.
“Jake, take Kate to the house and show her how to get around the security system. Just make sure it works when you’re done.”
Kate looked from Jake to Chase. “He can get around the security system?”
“Of course. It will only keep out the riff-raff.”
Jake grinned. “Can we take the ponies out for a joyride?”
“Ponies?” Kate asked, confused.
Jake gave her a wicked grin. “Three hundred sixty of them, darlin’, wanting Uncle Jake to take them for a spin with a pretty blonde sitting shotgun.”
“Oh.” Kate nodded, giving Jake a conspiratorial smile. “He won’t take me out in it. I’d love to go for a ride.”
“Don’t touch,” Chase said with a glare. Jake coveted the car, a ‘66 in deep red with white stripes, all original, with a supercharger. His one gift to himself to take away the sting of divorce papers. “I have the keys.”
Chase closed his eyes on his stupidity. As if that would stop his buddy.
Jake laughed. “She needs to hotwire something.”
“Mile away, Jacob,” Chase warned, hoping he wouldn’t hotwire it. Please. He’d beg, but it wasn’t boss-like. “Don’t mess with my shit. And bring me a coffee.” He slid into the SUV, pleased as he slammed the door. He was the boss. She meant nothing.
“Bossy, aren’t you?” Kate asked as she leaned into his unrolled window.
“It’s my job.”
“I won’t let him hotwire the sports car.” She smiled, reached in, and grabbed his tie. She yanked him to the window and kissed him full on the lips. “I’ll see you later, boss.”
Over her shoulder Jake grinned in a you-are-fucked manner and then wrapped his arm around his girl—asshole—and turned to his truck.
Yeah, he was fucked. Chase swallowed as she sauntered away on Jake’s arm. Screwed. In so many different ways.