Adjournment (The Fate Series) (45 page)

“I can see them, Leader, stay still,” Lexi answers.

“Wait, they’re running past you, don’t move,” she frantically whispers.

“This is Salamander, I’ve been hit. Give him hell, girls,” Uncle Sal says.

“Chameleon, stay where you are. Lexi and I will do a perimeter check,” I whisper to Morgan.

“No need, Pet,” Simon says from behind me.

My blood goes cold.

“You can hand me your gun and surrender or I can shoot you.” He’s smiling as I turn around.

“You can’t shoot someone at point blank range. Also, why would I surrender? We still have people in play.” I glare back at him.

It doesn’t matter though since he can’t see me through the mask… thank God, since he also can’t see the smile on my face.

“Hand over your gun.” He snaps his fingers at me.

“I have a clear shot,” Lexi whispers in my ear.

“Me too,” Morgan says.

Shaking my head at them, he smiles and steps forward.

“Are you refusing to give up?” he laughs.

“Where is the rest of your team?” I look around.

“Looking for the rest of your team. I imagine they’re close since you’re the only three left.”

“I’m not surrendering… and if I were you I would take off running before you get shot,” I give him fair warning.

Gunfire starts and soon Lexi and Chase are walking past us.

“What did you throw at me?” He looks down at himself.

“It’s a grenade… pretty awesome right?” She laughs at him.

“I didn’t take those into consideration… well-played, rookie.” He rubs the paint between his fingers.

“Chameleon to Leader, I have a shot lined up,” Morgan says.

The brush rustles slightly catching Simon’s attention. He turns, spotting her within seconds, and takes her out.

“I should shoot you just for fun,” she mumbles, stomping past him.

“So, surrendering… where were we?” Simon smirks, with a quick tug, he pulls the gun from my hands.

“Let’s go, this requires an audience. The Great Sidney has been defeated… by me.” He spins me around to walk in front of him out of the woods.

When we finally make it back to the group they’re all laughing about their welts.

Grabbing the back of my mask, he pulls it off. I appreciate the smug look on his face. Even now in all his bragging glory he’s gorgeous.

I think that might be what I hate about him most.

“Okay Pet, the stage is yours.” He taps my nose with his finger before turning me away from him.

I jump forward when he gives me a quick tap on my ass. Looking back over my shoulder to scowl at him I take in where he is as he sets the guns down and crosses his arms over his broad chest.

Stupid man…

I turn back to the group, watching my team with their faces filled with disappointment.

“He wants me to surrender,” I frown, holding my hands in the air. “He also wants me to tell you that he’s better at paintball than me.” I shrug. “And… what else did you want me to say?” I turn around to check how far back he is.

“Just that I’m the best and you’re not. You can also tell them that you’re completely in love with me, just go with it. Whatever feels natural, Pet.” He gives a deep laugh.

“Right.” I give him a thumbs up. Turning back around I face my team. My father’s eyes looking down at the ground as he waits for it to be over.

“So, basically he wants me to tell you that he’s just better than me at everything,” I hesitate. “However… I just don’t feel like it.” I grin.

Grabbing my pistol from its hiding place under my arm, I turn emptying the clip into his chest. The paint splatters against his vest then his stunned face looks up at me.

Everyone jaws hit the ground as they watch me turn to face them.

“Now he wants me to tell you Team Chandler is the winner.” I let go of the laugh I’ve been holding in.

“You didn’t check her?” Chase screams falling to the ground. “You always check them!” he moans.

“That, Pet, was malicious.” Simon glares at me when I walk toward him.

“That. Pet. Is. Paintball.” I poke his chest with each word, taking my rifle from him.

Everyone walks around the side of the house toward the cars when I grab my stuff to leave.

“Where did you learn to shoot like that?” Mea asks, walking over to me.

“Well, I taught Lexi a long time ago, then we used to use it as stress relief. You know, find a shooting range, take a long weekend. Why?” I ask her.

“You never really did change, did you? Not to the snob they said you were.” She looks at me with hope filled eyes.

“Oh. I wasn’t a snob, I was just…” I turn to look at Simon. “Disconnected,” I offer.

Mea turns sending Josh an evil glare as she turns her nose up to walk past him.

“It was an accident!” he yells to her as she flips him off.

Yup… that’s paintball.

“Is it weird that I’m insanely turned on by you in that outfit?” Simon yells to me.

A flutter blossoms in my chest, a crimson burn covering my cheeks.

I hope no one else heard that.

“I am too,” I yell back to him.

Wait, that didn’t come out right.

“You’re turned on by me or you?” He races up next to me.

My mind starts to unravel as I try to think of something to say.

“Both.”

Both? What is wrong with you? Just stop talking.

“So, the thought of both of us dressed like this does it for you.” He steps in front of me.

A surge of electricity continues to spark through me, and I just want to tackle him to the ground.

“Umm—”

Don’t say that out loud… please don’t say that out loud.

“Are you two coming or are you going to shoot him again?” Uncle Sal yells, breaking our stare and freeing me from him.

“He just can’t accept defeat.” I give an uneasy laugh.

“You might have won the battle, but the war seems to be shifting in my favor,” he boasts, giving me a firm smack on the ass as he passes me to get in their Jeep.

The Houdini of Pants…

“Hello, gorgeous,” Dad smiles at the trophy as we walk into the house. “Honey, it’s home!” he yells through the house.

All the luggage is at the front door waiting to be put into the cars and Mom, Jacob, and Tyler are in the kitchen.

“Finally! Now I don’t have to listen to that pain in the ass rub it in my face that her maids have to clean it so much.” She takes it from him. “No offense, boys.” She looks at the triplets.

Dropping their stuff by the front door, they wave her off.

“Hello, gorgeous.” She smiles at it.

“Any injuries? No arrests, I see, that’s always a positive,” she beams at us. Walking over to the fireplace, she sets it on the mantel.

“She shot me in the ass!” Uncle Matt points at Morgan.

“Oh, would you stop your whining,” she snaps. “What a woman.” She rolls her eyes.

“Hey!” all the girls shout.

Pulling the sides of her mouth down, she shrugs. “Oh, right, sorry.”

“That’s why she’s our sniper… she never misses.” Our dad grabs her shoulders to shake her.

“Josh shot me in the boob!” Rubbing her chest, Mea frowns at him.

“I didn’t mean to! And you shot me in the back of the knee,” he pouts at her.

“That’s because you shot me in the boob! Never turn your back on a woman you just shot,” she warns him.

Tyler looks amused listening to all of it, and Jacob looks uneasy while Mom just continues to laugh.

“Lunch is over there, take off those clothes and get cleaned up.” She claps. Turning around, I see the McAllisters have left, and we walk back to the front steps. I place my guns on the luggage and walk up the stairs.

“So, he really thought he had you?” Morgan smiles, her head held high.

“It’s not my fault he didn’t check for anything else.” I watch them laugh as I open the door to my room.

“Ah, there you are. I was wondering how long you were going to take.” Simon looks up from putting on his shoes.

I race into the room, the door slamming behind me from my body crashing into it.

“What are you doing in my room? Don’t you have a home? Wait, where did your clothes come from?” I look around.

“You string a conversation together like a five-year-old trying to make a necklace out of cereal,” he replies.

“Irrelevant. Why are you here?” I wave my hand at him.

Unclipping my vest I toss it on the bed; that’s when we hear Morgan and Chase screaming.

“Dammit woman, you are going to pay for this, and I mean that in the most literal sense. I want a new one by next week,” he yells at her.

“Who sneaks up on someone they know has a loaded paintball gun?” she argues.

“So then, this was a mutual decision?” I ask, listening to them fight over what I’m guessing to be Chase’s beloved suit jacket.

“I followed Dean. Judging but the lack of argument coming out of her room, I’m guessing it was a happy surprise.” He wiggles his brows.

“Gross.” I frown at him.

Letting out a hearty laugh, he stands up to put his jacket on.

“What is with you boys and your suits? I almost died yesterday when I saw you in a bathing suit.” I laugh.

“I felt the same way,” he deadpans, catching me off-guard.

My breath stills as I try to think of something witty to say.

Dammit I have nothing.

He stalks toward me making my legs unsteady.

“This is a nice shirt… stretchy… spandex?” He smiles, pinching it away from my arm.

His scent fills my lungs making it difficult to breathe.

“Umm, Lycra maybe? I’m not sure,” I croak.

Why are we talking about this?

I place my hands against his chest to keep him where he is and to steady myself, but the movement ends up being more intimate. He slides his hands down to the bottom edge of the shirt and pulls at it.

“So it just slips up? No buttons, no zippers?” His deep raspy voice whispers against my cheek.

That wonderfully familiar charge begins to build as I wait for that delicious feeling of his skin against mine. His other hand cups my chin, pulling it up until our lips are a hairsbreadth apart.

I said I wouldn’t do it again but what’s one last time before we go back to the real world?

With a hard swallow I look into his eyes and just as I’m about to give in someone knocks at the door. I jump against him.

“Where’s your pistol?” he breathes out.

Pushing against his hard frame, I walk around him. “I’m… naked?” is the only thing I can think of saying.

Simon’s body spins, he raises his eyebrows at me as he strolls over to me.

My body pulses with each step he takes. His fingers glide around my neck, his thumbs resting gently against my jaw as he holds me. I tip my head back and close my eyes. My hands grasp onto the arms of his suit jacket for support. My chest rises and falls rapidly as his lips touch under my chin.

“Okay, your mom wants to know if you and Simon are coming down to eat… I’ll let her know you’re not hungry, yet.” Lexi laughs through the door.

“I am. I’ll be there in just…” My sentence drifts off when his tongue trails down my throat.

“Would you like me to stop?” he breathes the question against my collar bone.

My nipples harden under my shirt, and I shake my head since I can’t form words.

“No, please take your time,” Lexi says before leaving.

I will.

He releases me, grabbing the bottom of the shirt.

“Arms up.” He jerks his chin at me.

Without a second thought I raise them and the shirt slides up and off me.

“Let’s see just how well you listen.” His eyes dance with delight. “Lay down.” He points to the bed. “But leave your legs over the edge.” I back up bumping into the bed and sit before laying down.

He strides over dropping to his knees in front of my legs. “Do you like these pants?” he asks, unbuttoning them.

I lift my head to watch him. “I do.” I try to swallow but my throat is dry.

Slowly unzipping them he flashes that evil smirk.

“I do, too.” His fingers dip under the material to grab it. “Don’t move, Pet,” is his final warning before the room fills with the sound of him tearing my pants off me, causing a slow burn of desire to ignite through my system.

“I—did you just rip those off me?” I’m so turned on I can’t even think straight. I should be mad but I—he— he just ripped my pants off my body!

“I did.” He lets out an excited laugh. I stare at him in bafflement. “Pet, think of your body as a present. A very wanted, very delicious present.” He traces a finger over the lace material of my panties. “I unwrapped it slowly yesterday and that was nice. But well, you know how I am with presents. I just need to dive in.” His eyes flicker from my eyes to where his finger is beginning to rub circles against my wet panties.

“You’re so wet, and all I did was rip the pants.” He slips a finger under the material running it up and down my awaiting nub. My entire body becomes one tingling ball of nerves as he slowly tortures me.

“Tell me what you want.” He slides one finger in and then back out.

“I—” My words fail me.

“I’m not sure what that means, Pet.” His lips forming a teasing smile, he slides two fingers back in, then out. “You will have to speak up.”