Dark Horse: Bad Boy Cowboy Romance (22 page)

Chapter 1

The creak of the opening door may have sounded quiet to the intruder, but to my ears, sharpened by the silence of the basement, the sound rang out as loud as a bell. I froze, trying not to move or give my presence away.

Around my wrists, I felt the steel of the handcuffs, originally cold but now warmed with my body heat, shift slightly. I devoted renewed focus to holding my hands still, trying to keep the cuffs from moving. The metal links that bound the two bracelets together would surely clink if they made too much contact-

-but even my focus wasn't enough to keep my hands from shaking ever so slightly.

The chain between the cuffs clinked together just once, a single time.

I heard the footsteps pause, however, and felt my stomach drop. That single clink had been enough.

My eyes were well adjusted to the relative dimness in the basement, and I saw the man approaching me. For a second, he was silhouetted in the light still shining down from the open door behind him leading to the upstairs, and I caught a glimpse of his profile.

Even now, I had to admit that he looked strong, powerful, confident. I could see the set of his jawline, how his thick, dark hair swept back over his head. His broad shoulders rippled with muscle, and I knew that every inch of his body held the same level of powerful, determined strength.

He stepped closer to me, and now I could see the glint of light in his eyes. His eyes shone a brilliant blue, even in the darkness. They glittered as they swept over me, and I tried my best to look defiantly back at them.

I wouldn't let him see whether I was scared, no matter how my heart might be beating in my chest right now.

"So, Natalia," he finally spoke aloud, watching me. I noticed that he had stopped just outside of my reach, even if I brought my legs up to try and kick at him. Of course, given the flimsy little slip of an outfit that I wore, I didn't plan on trying to execute any high kicks any time soon. "Are you finally ready to tell me what I need to know?"

For just a moment, I felt my heart leap up in my throat as my mind screamed out that he'd caught me. Did he know my true secret?

After that brief, heart-stopping instant, however, I managed to regain some control of my body, managed to keep breathing.

"I'm not sure that you've convinced me," I decided to try, doing my best to look alluring. On one hand, my clothes definitely helped sell that impression, with the low neckline and high hem! But on the other hand, it's definitely tough to look sexy while chained to a wall.

The man took another step closer, once it was clear that I wasn't about to lash out at him with a foot, and he held his hand up. In between two fingers, I saw a dangling silver key, catching little flashes of the dim light. "Perhaps you'd be willing to bargain for your freedom?"

"Why don't you let me go first," I shot back, keeping my eyes off of the key and on his face with an effort. "Then, we'll see how I feel."

With a twinkle of his fingers, the man made the key vanish, into some pocket of his expensive suit. "Or, I could just enjoy you right now, and then base my decision on letting you go off of how well you perform," he suggested.

And before I could respond, the man reached out for my chained, incapacitated body!

I knew the part to play, of course. I gasped in shock and horror, widening my eyes, as his hands slid over my tight waist, up along my sides to feel the twin curves of my breasts. I tried to squirm away, even though I only succeeded in pushing my ass back against the man, grinding on his crotch as the cuffs held me firmly bound to the wall.

I think my act was quite convincing, if I do say so myself.

Of course, we both knew that this was an act. I'd known that even before I came over to the man's house. His butler (that's right, he has a butler! How crazy is that? Definitely too wealthy to be real!) let me in, led me down to the basement, and even allowed me to use the bathroom before he fastened the cuffs to bind me in place for Richard Carlyle to find when he returned home.

Still, just because it's an act, doesn't mean that I can't help the man play out his deepest, darkest fantasy, does it?

Carlyle leaned in against me, now, his breath splashing hot on the back of my neck as he sucked in a deep breath of my scent. "Natalia, you and I are going to have such fun together," he whispered to me. "You might have broken in to spy on me and my company, but now you're mine - and if you don't want to go to jail, you'll do exactly what I want. Or would you rather go with the police?"

I gasped - and not just because his hand had slid down to push aside the thin gauze that covered my breasts, running one finger over the erect bump of my nipple! "Oh, no!" I cried out. "Please, I don't want to go to jail! I'll do anything you want, please.."

The billionaire stood behind me, but I could feel his face spread into a smile as he now wrapped his entire hand around my breast, cradling it inside the thin fabric and feeling how it squeezed and shook. "Anything?"

As he spoke, his other hand crept down to my ass, still pressed back against his crotch. He slid one hand around that curve, and as he pushed up against me, I could feel a hard bulge pushing back. The man was already rock hard, just at the thought of what he was about to do to this poor, captured spy in his mansion's basement.

"Anything," I promised, even managing to put a tremble into my voice.

Well, okay, I didn't have to try to get that tremble. But it wasn't a tremble of fear, no matter what Carlyle might think.

No, it was a tremble of excitement.

My plan was working exactly as I had intended!

Chapter 2

The plan started to first take shape in my mind nearly a week ago, when I stood in front of a massive desk, my hands clasped behind my back and trying to keep my face from showing any of the actual nervousness that I felt.

In front of me, on the other side of the desk, an older but still imposing appearing man examined the documents I'd placed in front of him. His hair was pure white, thinning and brushed back over his head, but his hands didn't tremble in the slightest as he read the papers laid out in front of him.

Finally, after what felt like an incredibly long time, he lowered the folder and regarded me over the top. "So, this is what you're offering me?" His tone was flat, as unreadable as the rest of the man.

I nodded, knowing that he wasn't waiting for me to speak, not yet. He would ask more, soon enough.

I'd grown somewhat accustomed to working with powerful men such as the one who sat before me, but they were still always intimidating. The man currently regarding me, Geoff Britton, had earned and cemented his reputation as a cutthroat businessman over many years, and I could believe every rumor as I looked at the man. He looked as cold-blooded as a shark, surveying its next kill.

Finally, after he knew that I wasn't about to speak up until he finally asked another question, Geoff spoke again. "Explain it to me." He sat back, waiting.

I nodded, as if this was some prearranged signal. "Richard Carlyle, the new head of Veridian Dynamic, is brilliant and driven - but he also has weaknesses," I began. "Two of those weaknesses, in particular, can be useful.

"First, he tends to not trust most of the other executives, at least not with the complete plans. Those he keeps under lock and key in his own mansion, away from the workplace."

"And second," I concluded, allowing herself a small smile, "he has a weakness for pretty women, especially those willing to play along with his... fantasies."

"Fantasies?" Britton repeated back, raising one white eyebrow.

I shrugged. "He tends to enjoy exercising power in his encounters," I said diffidently. "Like many billionaires and CEOs, he enjoys having that element of total control when in bed with a woman, much like in business."

I carefully made sure to not suggest anything about Geoff Britton, but the man still narrowed his eyes at me, although the expression made him look more cranky than angry. I easily kept my face blank; I had no plans to try and seduce the senior citizen across the desk from me, no matter how effective my approach might be.

Finally, Britton gave in and spoke again. "And you're convinced that you can get these documents from him?" he asked. "I'm not opposed to the idea, but your retainer fees are... quite steep."

"I guarantee delivery, or else you can withhold the rest of my payment," I answered. I leaned forward a little, fixing Britton with my gaze - and letting the front of my top sag slightly to give him just the slightest glimpse of cleavage. "Trust me, Mr. Britton. I'm very good at what I do."

I kept my smile hidden as the man's eyes dipped down to my neckline. They only glanced there for a fraction of a second before he dragged them back up to my face, but it was enough. He knew that I'd seen the eye movement.

Britton huffed as he tossed the folder I'd presented to him back down on the wide desk. "I believe that we can work something out, Mrs. Natalia..."

His voice trailed off. I hadn't provided him with a last name.

Instead of answering his unspoken question, I just smiled back at him. It was a professional smile, one I'd perfected for many hours. It seemed to reflect warmth, but it didn't quite reach up to my eyes. It was a shark's smile, one that I'd found did an amazing job of convincing clients of my effectiveness, if perhaps not my empathy.

"Natalia is fine," I replied. "And as soon as I have your deposit, I'll began moving to obtain Veridian Dynamic's business plan. I'll soon have it in your hands, sir."

"And any idea how long that will take?" This question was delivered in sardonic tones; Britton clearly wasn't thrilled with how he'd come off so far in this exchange.

I just kept my smile steady. Something about my maintained composure always seemed to unnerve these men, who were so used to having others bow and scrape before them. "I suspect that it won't take long, but I don't give definite timelines," I replied, sounding just as calm as always. "But trust me when i assure you that I promise promptness to all my clients."

I made sure to accent those last words ever so slightly. The message behind that accent, if Britton understood it, was that he wasn't the only one who could hire me. For now, I worked for him - but in the future, perhaps I would even be employed to seek out secrets from his own company.

The man got the message; I saw the corners of his mouth tighten in distaste. Perhaps Geoff Britton remembered the old days, when corporate espionage and spies in suits weren't the norm for companies of his size. The 'good ol' days,' I was sure he was thinking.

But those days were gone, left behind. These days, spies like me were very well paid for their services - and companies knew just how helpful, or damaging, the reports of these spies could be.

Britton couldn't afford to pass up on hiring me.

By the time I left his office, I was already plotting out my next move. I had to approach Richard Carlyle, CEO of Veridian Dynamic, and secure an invitation to his house.

I knew that I'd only get one shot.

Chapter 3

"So, what's the plan?" asked the platinum blonde standing in front of me, both her hands palm down on the scarred, stained wooden bar that separated us.

I shrugged, taking a sip of the drink that the blonde woman had placed in front of me. "Seems straightforward enough, I think. Talk to him, seduce him, and then get him to, in a moment of weakness, tell me all his plans. Shouldn't be too hard."

The blonde woman just sighed. "Shouldn't be too hard," she parroted back to me. "You really don't have any idea of what you're going to do, do you Tali?"

"You know that I hate that nickname," I groaned back. "But fine. You caught me, Christy. I'm still working out the plan now. I was kind of hoping that something would come to me after a few drinks."

The bartender standing across the bar from me smiled at that. "Well, as long as you can still admit it," she cheered. "And drinks is something where I can help out, at least, even if I'm no good at the whole scheming thing."

I set down my empty drink, and Christy had it refilled in seconds. "Gin and tonic, heavy on the gin, splash of lemon, just the way you like it," she announced as she returned the full glass to me.

"Thanks," I replied, taking a sip and nodding in approval. Christy had a magic touch with alcohol, I felt. "Now, maybe I can sneak into his office - but how do I get him to talk to me before he has security throw me out?"

"You could approach him at a club?" Christy suggested, leaning on the bar across from me.

Fortunately for my friend, The Neighborhood, the bar where she worked and I currently did most of my drinking, didn't tend to attract many customers just after lunch. This meant that, aside from a few other retired men and hardcore alcoholics, we had the bar largely to ourselves, and I could discuss my plans without worrying about who might be listening in.

I shook my head to this most recent suggestion. "Won't help me in this case. Richard's got a taste for... certain unusual acts, and I don't think I can get myself into those kinds of clubs."

"Unusual acts?" Christy repeated, her eyebrows rising up on her forehead.