Savage Scheme (3 page)

“Let me walk you home,” he murmured, his voice low, husky. How badly she wanted to say yes. And then to drag him up to her apartment and peel his clothes off before they even shut the door. But no matter how badly she wanted to be free, wanted to have steamy night of hot sex - because it would indeed be hot - with a stranger she had just met at a bar, years of regimented training barrelled back into her mind. She didn’t know him, for all she knew he could know her father, hell, work for her father. That thought was like a bucket of ice water on her libido. Stepping away she ignored the brief look of confusion on his face.

“I’m not that type of girl,” she started with more confidence than she felt. “If you’re looking for someone to take home, there were a number of greedy eyes stalking you back inside.”

His brow furrowed and all she wanted to do was smooth it away. “I wasn’t implying--“

“Thanks for a great night, Nate,” she said, interrupting him. With a brief, genuine smile, she turned on her heel and walked away from the sexiest man she had ever laid eyes on.

“Libby!” Nate called. Damn, but the woman was already under his skin. He had never been more turned on and more confused in his entire life. When she turned around, he could see that she had her walls back in place, nice and secure. Her face was a mask of indifference, none of the blazing fire he saw in her big gray eyes before she walked away. “Have breakfast with me tomorrow.” He watched her narrow her eyes in consideration. “I’ll be at the diner around the corner, ten o’clock.” He could see she was a woman who thought everything through. As her silence continued, he pressed on. “Will I see you there?”

“Maybe... if you’re lucky.” Her little smirk, as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, made him uncomfortably hard behind his zipper.

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed then.” With a small nod, she turned and continued her way home. He would follow her to make sure she got to her apartment safely, but she didn’t need to know that. “Sweet dreams, sweet Libby.” She raised her hand and gave a small wave before hurrying off.

Nate stood under the cold shower, his fist wrapped around himself desperately trying to find some sense of comfort in the hard on that refused to temper. Hearing his phone ring from the other room, he shut off the water with a frustrated grunt and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. Picking up the discarded cell from the bed, he saw the familiar number light up the screen.

“What?” he answered, wincing at the growl in his voice.

“Well hello to you too, Princess.”
Nate could hear a chair scrape against the floor and the typing of a keyboard. He could picture his brothers and sister Cameron gathered around the table waiting in anticipation. He couldn't blame them, this was the biggest mission they had ever accepted and if it went as smoothly as they planned, it would put Savage Security at the top of the list for any government agency. He wondered then, why he felt a surge of protectiveness against the mousy woman who he had in his arms a short while ago. He had to admit he was surprised at the prowess he glimpsed in her eyes, the spark of something he didn't think the quiet girl who worked in a corner cubicle and read romance novels in the bath every night had in her. He was surprised when she decided to go out tonight, an unusual occurrence in what seemed like a monotonous routine. But he could see in her eyes the need to break out of the box she kept herself in. And when he walked into what was technically a hole in the wall he’d found her at the bar, her hair flowing around her in a pair of leather pants that were practically painted on a set of the most gorgeous, toned legs he’d ever seen. It was like he was gut-punched, his whole body tightening in response to just the sight of the seductress she had been hiding. It was long moments before he could move from his spot, too caught up in her magnetism. His entire plan of sitting beside her, possibly buying her a drink and becoming a friend, a confidant, someone she could talk to was shot to hell. She wanted to play the seductress? She would find herself seduced. It was a need that immediately surged through him, to have her in his arms. And the way her body fit perfectly against his, he soon had an idea what she had been hiding beneath layers of drab clothes that did nothing for her figure day in and day out. He didn’t want the band to stop playing or the drinks to stop flowing. Hell, he didn’t want the night to end. And when she stood her ground, even based on misplaced assumptions, he couldn’t help but want to shut her up with a kiss. If he was wrong about one thing, it was that Libby West was anything but boring.

“We’re all here,” Max told him, pulling him back from his distracting thoughts. He heard his nephew’s happy squeal, causing a smile to tug at the corner of his mouth.

“Even Jacob,” he noted.

“Yeah, Brie needs a break. But he’s cool. We had a serious talk about the severity of this mission and he’s given his word not to spill any confidential information.” Nate rolled his eyes at the same time Jacob shrieked in what could only be described as pure baby joy as if in confirmation of his dad’s statement. “We need to hear the debrief for the night.”

“I made contact with the target.” He could almost hear the raised eyebrows that surrounded the table on the other side of the country. “She went to the bar around the corner from her apartment where she had one drink. Spoke to the drunk sitting next to her before I walked in. I established a connection with the target and we have plans to meet for breakfast in the morning.” He hoped.

“How?” Logan’s deep, authoritative voice came over the line.

“What?”

“How did you establish the connection? I’m surprised you managed to so quickly, from what I hear she is very introverted.” Nate wanted to growl at his brother’s statement, no matter how factual it was.

“I danced with her.” He listened to the silent pregnant pause and waited for the comments that were bound to follow.

“Good. Be in contact tomorrow after your meet.”

Hanging up he moved to the window and watched through a pair of binoculars the lights in Libby’s apartments go out. His phone vibrated in his hand and when he saw the number he groaned out loud. He didn’t need to see caller ID, hell he’d deleted her from his contact list months ago, he’d thought he’d deleted her from his life too. But this was now the fourth time in the past week that Angela had tried to call him. He’d ignored everyone and he wasn’t planning on breaking the pattern any time soon. Sending her to voicemail he threw the towel around his hips onto the back of the chair and climbed into bed. He closed his eyes at the sound of the voicemail alert and without needing to hear her whiny voice telling him he needed to call her because they needed to talk, he erased the message. He didn’t want to hear what she had to say and he sure as hell didn’t want to get together to talk. He had no idea why she was calling him, they weren’t friends and they definitely didn’t have any kind of amicable breakup. Not after he had found out he was in a relationship with only her and she was in two others, besides him. They had been together for three years, two years too long Nate realized later. She had been a client of his, hired him to do some private investigative work on her soon to be ex-husband.

Mistake number one.

He was immediately attracted to her with her long blonde hair and curious eyes. There was an instant spark between them that led them directly to the bedroom. It was after a couple of months when he came home to find all of her things in his house and didn’t bother to argue.

Mistake number two.

If he was honest with himself, he liked the idea of waking up to someone every morning. The fact was, as their relationship progressed, he found himself waking up alone. Or on the couch. He ended up secluding her from his family knowing she rubbed them the wrong way as she did with most people. She was selfish and entitled and he chose to ignore those qualities, and his family’s silent urging to leave the relationship, in search of the good she rarely showed.

Mistake number three.

Until one day, he decided to do some private investigative work of his own. Sitting in his car, basked in the shadows out front of her office, he watched as she walked out into the afternoon sun arm in arm with a man who leaned in to steal a kiss before they disappeared down the street. The same man had been introduced to him as a colleague, someone who had been to his house for dinner a number of times. A man who was quite obviously sleeping with his girlfriend. It was that night when she came strolling through the door with no guilt or remorse that she found all of her belongings packed and ready for her to take with her.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Are we going on a vacation?”

He wanted to laugh. “No. You, however, are moving out. And I am now single.”

“What?” she shrieked.

“I’m done Angela. And I’m tired.”

“Of what?” she yelled. He hadn’t realized until that moment just how annoying her temper tantrums were.

“Of you, sleeping around with other men.” He watched her eyes bulge out of her head as her face turned red, he assumed with both anger and embarrassment at being caught.

“I don’t know...”

“Yes, you do. I’m a PI remember, it’s my job to find information sweetheart.” He didn’t want to hear her voice or her excuses anymore. Picking up her luggage he moved past her and out the door where he proceeded to put everything into her car. “I’ll have what doesn’t fit delivered to your Mom’s.”

“Nate, wait!”

“Goodbye, Angela.”

He had thought that when he finally saw her after finding out she had been sleeping with someone that he would yell and scream, maybe throw something in a violent rage. But he felt none of it. In its place, what he felt was almost a relief. He had looked around his place and revelled in the peaceful silence as he heard her tires squeal against his gravel driveway. Within his calm, he felt his heart harden further, impenetrable against any hurt any woman could bring him.

He closed his eyes summoning sleep knowing it would be mediocre at best. He could still feel the press of Libby’s body against his, the feel of her arms around his neck, the way her soft curves fit perfectly against his. He tossed and turned until blissfully, a tortured, fantasy filled sleep took over.

The next morning Nate sat in the booth with his steaming cup of coffee in front of him as he checked his watch for the fifth time. She was late. Or she wasn't coming. He didn't want to entertain the latter. An hour he'd been sitting there. He’d wanted to get there before she did, ensure everything was secure. He'd run a quick background check on the diner as well as the staff last night before he went to sleep. Everything checked out, but he was always cautious and wanted to survey the restaurant before she arrived. From what he knew of her father, anything was possible and he wasn't willing to take any chances. 

Checking his watch again, he felt a small part of his anticipation deflate when she still hadn't walked through the door. He would finish his cup of coffee then he would leave. 

Libby watched Nate through her scope as he sat at the booth checking his watch. For her no doubt. He’d been sitting there for almost an hour. She however was only fifteen minutes late. He looked just as good as he did last night with a rough stubble covering a strong, stubborn jawline. She was hoping her attraction to him was based on the adrenaline she was running off of from the idea of freedom last night. Apparently it wasn’t as she felt her lower belly tighten at just the sight of him. And she was procrastinating. With one last look, she forced herself to move and grabbing her purse she went through the motions of securing her apartment.

Seeing the neon diner sign only a few feet away Libby felt her breath catch, a sudden wave of nerves assaulting her at seeing Nate again in the daylight, unable to hide in the shadows of a dingy bar behind a glass of bourbon. 

Gathering her courage, Libby straightened her back and pulled open the door to the diner. She pretended to look around as if in search of Nate and when their eyes finally locked she wanted to smile at the relief she saw flash through the most intense blue eyes she had ever seen. Her memories from last night nor through her scope, as she had watched him this morning, didn’t do him the justice he deserved. Damn, but he was one good looking man. She approached the table with a mixture of hesitation and curiosity. 

"Good morning," he greeted as he stood with a smile. 

"Morning," she replied. 

"I was starting to think you were going to stand me up." 

"I was considering it," she admitted. 

"We'll I'm glad you didn't. Please, have a seat." She did as she was told and slid into the opposite side of the red vinyl leather booth. 

"Coffee?" She turned to find a perky waitress smiling at her, holding a steaming pot in one hand and a mug in the other. She nodded, knowing she didn’t need another cup of caffeine but wanting a distraction for her hands.

Libby's mind worked through so many different questions, but she found herself unable to string together a sentence. God, she was pathetic. She wanted to roll her eyes at herself, she was stronger than to let a man turn her into mush but that's exactly the effect Nate had on her. Luckily he didn't seem to be as affected and managed to maintain a conversation throughout breakfast. She'd learned a lot about the mysterious and very charming man sitting across from her. He’d told her about his warm and caring parents, something she couldn't even begin to fathom. It had always just been her, and whatever bodyguard her father assigned to her, but none of them ever actually paid any attention to her. She tried to have a friend once. Until she'd accidentally walked into her father’s office in search of the bathroom. Her father of course was furious and yelled at the poor girl who had then called her mother crying and left with suspiciously wet pants. She never spoke to Libby again. Lesson learned. 

She listened as Nate answered her questions, but she liked the fact that he didn't push her on his. Nate was starting to weave himself around her, something she knew he was doing on purpose and for once in her life she felt comfortable, safe. Nate made her distracted, something she knew she couldn't afford, not now, not ever. She wasn't thinking about the people sitting in the booth behind her or the man who had been sitting at the counter, continuously turning his head as he watched their interaction with curiosity. All she could think at that moment was sinking her teeth into his pouty bottom lip as she ran her fingers over the perfectly defined muscles concealed under a grey long sleeved cotton shirt. Damn, she didn't know cotton could look so sexy. And when he threaded his fingers through hers across the table and met her eyes, the uncertainty she saw made her want things she'd never allowed herself to want before. 

"This okay?" he asked slowly. She nodded her head with a small smile and squeezed his fingers in reassurance. 

***

Nate was in trouble, he knew that from the minute she had been in his arms last night but now after learning what little she shared with him about herself, he was determined to know more. And keep her safe. He wanted to know everything she wasn't telling him. He wanted to erase the shadows that crept into her eyes when he asked her about her family. He didn’t know what it was about this girl. He'd been with plenty of girls, hell, even in his last relationship he never felt the punch gut reaction he had toward Libby West. Damn, the spark in her grey eyes, hell even her smile made him hard. And as he sat across from her, her slender fingers threaded between his, he wasn't so sure this was just about the mission anymore. But he also knew he needed to put his dick away and start thinking more clearly. Libby had information they needed, information that would lead them directly to her father and that was exactly what he was sent down here to do. Gather information. And if that led her to his bed, all the better. But he was determined to keep her out of his heart, no matter that even as he woke up this morning he could almost smell her feminine floral scent still wrapped around him. 

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" he blurted out, cutting her off. Smooth. She smiled at him and he ignored the constricting of his heart. 

"No definite plans... Yet. You?" He could tell she was becoming more comfortable around him the more they spent time together. He could see the confidence behind the wariness. He noticed how she took inventory of everyone in the restaurant, her eyes constantly moving, searching, looking. For what he wasn't sure, but he knew training when he saw it and Libby had definitely been trained to keep on her toes. He didn't blame her, especially knowing who her father was. What he wasn't sure about was whose side she was on. He felt a sense of pride as he subtly watched her, he was glad she was prepared, she needed to be. He had a feeling he was looking at two different people. He couldn't figure out how the quiet, doe-eyed office admin fit together with the woman sitting across from him or even the woman in tight leather pants he couldn't get out of his head. What he would have given to be the one to peel them off of her legs. He spent hours last night thinking about what he would do to her. He blamed her for his need for three cups of coffee this morning. 

"Good, feel like going for a ride?" She cocked a slender brow and he felt all the blood rush from his head and into his dick. Maybe getting Libby West into bed would be moving higher up on the list of priorities. 

"Where to?" 

"My buddy has some property in Niagara - a winery. I was gonna go check it out today if you wanted to join me."

"A winery?" she asked almost incredulously. 

"Yeah." He chuckled at her surprise. He wasn't going to tell her that the winery belonged to his former PI partner. He also wasn't going to tell her that, Nick now worked with Savage Security on the odd job. "So, feel like tasting some wine?" He waited for a long moment as she pursed her lips in thought. He felt like a savage as he watched her, wanting to spread her across the damned Formica table and fuck breakfast, he'd feast on her instead. He felt a grin of victory tug at his mouth when he saw the moment she made up her mind. 

"Okay," she started, hesitantly. He didn't give her a chance to question it, hell, he was surprised she said yes. He dropped a few bills on the table as he pulled her up and out the door. He heard her laughing behind him, no doubt in his haste to get her out of that damn restaurant. He pulled her up to the wickedly black motorcycle that sat against the curb. She raised her eyebrows in question and he pulled her close to him, wrapping his arm around her slender waist. She stared up at him in surprise, but he could see the fire that warmed them. He may want her, but the need he saw in her eyes told him she wanted him just as bad. He allowed an arrogant smirk to touch his lips instead of leaning down to kiss her like he wanted to. Bending his head he allowed his mouth to graze the shell of her. Damn, he wanted to bury his nose in her hair. "I thought the bike would be fun. But we can take my truck if you can't handle it." He knew it was a dare and from what little he knew about her, he was starting to get the idea there was a lot more to her than she was allowing him to see. Including the little wildcat he knew she kept leashed. He just needed to pull it out of her. He watched as she pulled back, her cheeks holding a healthy flush as she narrowed her eyes at him. 

"Where's my helmet?" she demanded. And there she was. God damn, she was going to take him down. How he was going to handle her soft, lean curves pressed up against him for a two-hour ride he had no idea. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. After pulling on his own helmet, he climbed on and smiled, as he always did, at the rumbling purr beneath him. Even though the bike wasn't his own, it was pretty damn close to his baby back home. Sleek, black and menacing, there was nothing he enjoyed more than hitting the open road on his custom Harley. Except maybe a sexy woman wrapped around him. She managed to pull on her leather jacket and slid in behind him without his help. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Just how many bikes had she been on? He pushed away the darkness that came with that thought and squeezed her hands that held tightly against his stomach. This was hell. Pure torture. And they hadn't even taken off yet. "You ready?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. 

"Ready." 

"Hold tight." He felt her tighten her arms around him as she moved impossibly closer. The feel of her heat seeping into his back almost made him say 'damn it all to hell' and take her back to his hotel. He would tie her to his bed until he'd fucked both of them to exhaustion. Instead, he pulled away from the curb and started their little road trip. 

He was wrong, it was worse than torture. He had no idea why he decided the bike was a good idea, it sure as shit wasn't. For two hours, his cock was so hard it was painful and he had no idea now that they had finally arrived, how he was going to hide it from her. God, he was pathetic. He allowed her to climb off before him and watched as she pulled off her helmet allowing the waves of her hair to fall down her back. She stared out onto the winery in awe. He could see the wistfulness in her eyes and he wondered what she was thinking. Fuck. He didn't want to want to know what she was thinking. That wasn't his job, his job was to get information and nothing better than some good wine and a beautiful setting to get exactly what he needed. Sliding off the bike he adjusted himself in his jeans and went to go stand beside her, taking in the beautiful landscape. 

"I was wondering when your ugly ass would show up." 

Nate turned around with a wide grin to see his friend sauntering toward them with an arrogance only Nick could pull off. "How was the drive?" 

"It was great," he told him, pulling him in for a tight hug complete with the manly backslaps. Nate pulled away and reached his hand out behind him. He wanted to smile when Libby immediately grabbed his fingers before he pulled her into his side, wrapping what he knew was a possessive arm around her. The gesture hadn't gone unnoticed by his too observant friend. He knew he would grudgingly be hearing about it later. "Nick, this is Libby, Libby, this is my buddy Nick." 

"It's nice to meet you Nick. Thank you so much for allowing us to come up here. It's beautiful!" 

"Nate, you need to bring this girl around more often," Nick flirted. "And the pleasure is all mine sweetheart, you're welcome here anytime. Even if it isn't with this guy. I'll make sure you're taken care of." 

***

Libby laughed at Nick's exaggerated wink and knew he was obviously flirting with her to rile up Nate. Which was working she noticed as Nate's arm tightened around her. "I'll keep that in mind." 

"Like hell," Nate muttered beside her and she had to smile when Nick burst out laughing. Teasing Nate was fun. Hell, he deserved it for making her ride with him on his bike. She had been pressed up against a body she had only ever seen in magazines. Even with his clothes on. She had never been so hot or horny in her life. And now she had an afternoon with two of them. Nick was almost as good looking as Nate. Almost. Both were tall, dark and dangerous, but only one of them stirred the butterflies deep in her belly. She looked up and him and grinned, pulling a smirk from him in return. She had never felt the urge to go up on her tiptoes and kiss a man, but this man, he made her want things, need things unlike any man before him. Instead of giving in to her urges she turned away and allowed him to pull her toward the vast ranch that sat looking out onto the fields. She could see a large barn off to the side along with an equally stunning guest house. Upon walking in, they were immediately handed a glass of wine while Nick led them to the impressive cellar. The entire time he talked about the history of the vineyard, what types of wine they made and everything in between. Libby was caught up in the romance of it all. She found herself in awe while she let the numerous glasses of wine warm through her system. By the time they had walked the rows upon rows of endless grape trees, Nick was called away to take a phone call, leaving her and Nate grinning at each other.

Feeling brave because of the wine, she bit her bottom lip mulling over the question rolling around in her head. She couldn’t remember the last time she had ever had so much... fun. “Want to play hide and seek?” The dark, hungry look in response to her question made her stomach clench in needy anticipation. As he took a predatory step closer, it took all she had in her not to step back. The man was a dangerous force, powerful and voracious. And she wanted him. Desperately.

“What do I get if I find you? And I will find you sweetheart.” Biting her tongue against her breathy reply, she steadied herself before answering, cocking what she knew to be an arrogant eyebrow in disbelieving response. Her father hated when she did that. But Nate seemed to love it. So did the bulge in his pants apparently. Flying high on feminine power, she looked him over slowly, deliberately.