Jordan sat in the lair the next day, watching the different cameras that had been set up around town. Yes, he was grounded, which meant no missions, but that didn’t mean he had to sit in that empty apartment and slowly go insane with only the dog to watch it.
It had been days since he’d first seen Penny. She’d visited him every day, but just to take Ralph for walks. Despite her declaration that she just wanted sex, they hadn’t slept together again. Instead, they were dancing around it, dancing around that kiss in front of his apartment.
His little mouse wasn’t mousey at all. Every time he pushed a little, her fangs came out and he loved it. He hadn’t meant to make this a contest, because it was going to be one that he’d never be able to win. He wanted her too much. She was hot as sin.
“What are you looking for?”
Jordan glanced at the door as Bea walked in and sat down next to him. “Nothing.” Actually, he wasn’t sure what he was looking for. Signs of Reilly’s goons showing up? A quick look at Penny in town?
“You’ve been in here for hours.”
Hours? Had it been that long? Surely not. He glanced at the timestamp on the screen. Huh. It had been hours, in fact. “I was just…” What was he doing? “Watching.”
“Jordan, you’re supposed to be healing. Not sitting in here.”
“I’m not good at sitting at home,” he admitted. “Where’s Axel?”
“Working,” she replied. “Will you tell me about Scott?”
Jordan looked at his friend, studied her soft features. Soft wasn’t quite the word for Bea. Feminine, yes. But she was strong and confident. And had sharp edges that could cut the wrong person. “What do you want to know?”
“We all thought…” she trailed off, swallowing hard. The thing that made it so hard with Muldoon was that he’d been one of them. He’d been their teammate. And he’d been weak. Lewis had chosen his weak link well and had exploited it. Scott had played them all, sent them into traps designed to end their lives. The betrayal had cut them all.
“He’s a Reaper, but he’s not part of us,” Jordan heard himself say. Almost like he was having an out-of-body experience. He thought about the conversations he and Scott had had during the mission. Scott hadn’t been talkative, which was new, but he had explained some of his situation. “He renewed his contract with Nathan a few months ago. When he found out Bridget was alive.”
“His sister.”
“Yeah.”
They sat there together, watching the screens as the town lived their lives above. The silence rang around them. He wondered what Bea was looking for in those screens.
“Love can make you do stupid things,” she whispered as she stood up.
Jordan glanced up at her as she headed for the door. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
“Sometimes, we need to be stupid,” he blurted out. He wasn’t sure exactly what he meant by that. Maybe he was giving himself permission to be sitting there searching for Penny. Honestly, it scared the piss out of him that he was doing it at all.
Bea’s lips tightened into an almost smile. Then she left the room without a word.
Jordan stared at the screens as they shifted to different views around the town. This was about the dumbest thing he’d ever done, really. Staring at a screen because he might see a glimpse of the woman plaguing his every waking moment and most of his dreams.
He growled and pushed to his feet, wincing as a shot of pain raced through his bum leg. Fuck. He clenched his teeth shut as he worked through the pain. He’d been sitting there too long. As the pain abated, he grabbed the cane he’d bought and hobbled toward the door.
Before he knew what he was doing, he headed up to the garage entrance to the lair and found himself out in the sunshine on Jubilee’s Main Street.
~*~*~
As Jordan walked down the street toward downtown, Penny fought the urge to run after him. She’d swear she wasn’t sitting on this bench waiting for him to show up. She wasn’t.
Really.
She was just worried about how he was getting around. That’s all.
She swiped a hand over her face as she stood up and walked down the street after Jordan. In all honesty, she’d been sitting on that damn park bench waiting for Jordan because it was easier than being at home with her sister. The salon was closed on Sundays. They hadn’t really talked about anything yet, and Penny wasn’t ready to tackle any kind of heavy conversation.
She frowned as Jordan took a sudden left and dipped between two buildings. There was nothing down that alley except the bookstore. She glanced down the alley as she reached it, but she didn’t see Jordan. Shouldn’t she have been able to see him walking? Where was he? What if he’d fallen and he was having trouble with that leg of his?
She was being ridiculous. Jordan was a grown ass man. If he had a problem like that, then he was old enough to figure it out on his own. And yet, she couldn’t stop her feet from carrying her forward, spurring her down into the alley.
She tiptoed down the alley. “Jordan?”
A flash of wood appeared in her vision. She yelped and dodged it, but the dodge had her stumbling backward, knocking her back against the wall. Something pressed against her throat, then she gasped as a large body held her still.
Surprise registered in Jordan’s eyes as he recognized her. “Fuck, Penny, you scared the shit out of me,” Jordan growled. He sighed and moved his cane away from her throat. She gasped, heaving in a much-needed breath. “I could have killed you.”
“Why the hell are you attacking people in an alley?” she snapped as he moved away from her. She put her hands on her knees and struggled to catch her breath. “Fucking lunatic.”
“I’m the lunatic?” he rolled his eyes. “Why the hell are you following me?”
Why, indeed. Because obviously, she’d lost her fucking mind.
“I wasn’t—” she stopped because there was no defense for that. “Sorry,” she grumbled instead.
“What was that?” he stared at her.
“I’m not saying it again,” she snapped, straightening up.
As she started to go, the cane hit the wall beside her. “Just a sec.”
She started, jumping back a step and then glared at Jordan. “Excuse me?”
“No,” he said. “Why were you following me, Penny?”
“No reason,” she replied. “I saw you dip into the alley and didn’t come out and I thought maybe you fell or something. That’s all.”
He took a step closer to her, his head tilted curiously. His cologne filled her nostrils, all spice and sex. She turned toward him, which proved to be a mistake. He leaned on his forearm against the wall, trapping her. The brick bit into her back. “Why did you walk right into an alley where there is nothing except me?”
“I told you the reason,” she said weakly. Even she didn’t believe what she was saying.
“Liar,” he whispered. He leaned his other forearm against the wall behind her, caging her. Where the hell did his cane go? His face was only a few inches from hers as he murmured, “Maybe you wanted me to see you.”
“That’s ridiculous,” she replied, trying to turn her face away from him, but only succeeded in exposing the side of her neck, which he took full advantage of, nuzzling against her.
His scruffy jaw scratched along her skin. Normally, she wasn’t a fan of facial hair, but his perpetual scruff was starting to really grow on her. Her body shuddered without permission and he chuckled. “Someone feeling a little… lonely?”
“Not at all,” she said.
“What if we reenacted the alley from your birthday right here?” he whispered against her ear. His breath fanned the little wisps of hair around her ear.
All at once, the temperature in her body skyrocketed. Her cheeks flushed hard as her core ached with want. How did he elicit such a reaction from her? He only had to touch her, and her body was all on board with the whole sex thing. Somehow, they’d gotten themselves into this competition to see who would crack first and she so wanted to be the one to cave, and yet, her pride refused to allow her to do so.
“It’s broad daylight,” she said. “Someone will see.” Because that was why this whole thing was wrong. Because it was daylight.
“Hmm,” he rumbled. “Then I guess we need to do something else that isn’t as visible.”
She stared at him. What the hell did that mean?
As Penny’s jaw unhinged with surprise, he took advantage. Her lips were soft and warm, and he thrust his tongue into her mouth without apology, without hesitation. After sitting in that damn surveillance room watching for anything of her, he was strung up tight. He hadn’t actually expected her when he’d taken the dip into the alley. He’d caught on to someone following him, but he really thought it might be one of the older women from the town again.
She broke the kiss, panting as her dark eyes turned to fire right before his gaze. “I thought you were a gentleman?”
He smiled as he slid his hand up her inner thigh. “Fuck that. I need you.” Then his lips were on hers again, his tongue sliding into her mouth as his fingers smoothed over her soft cotton panties. Thank goodness she was wearing a skirt.
He wanted inside her more than he wanted his next breath. Fuck breathing.
As he rubbed her sex over her panties, she moaned his name, breaking the kiss to bite her lower lip. Back and forth, he stroked her. “Someone’s going to see, Jordan.” But her head dropped back against the wall and she made no move to stop him.
“Doesn’t seem like you care too much if they do, love,” he replied. He smiled as he fingered the top of her waistband, the skirt covering his hand as he dipped into her panties. Then his fingers were on her hot flesh and he groaned, his cock straining at his zipper, begging for the chance to be buried in her bare flesh. She dug her fingertips into his shoulders as he rubbed against that bundle of nerves he was dying to lick.
He wanted to see her come apart. Just once, right here. Where anyone in the world could see them. He kissed her again, because if he didn’t, he was going to be on his knees tongue-fucking her.
“Do you like that, darlin’?” he asked against her mouth, sliding his fingers along her wet flesh. They always seemed to end up in this position, where they were engaged in some sort of sexual confrontation. Normally, he had such better self-control, but she brought out this animal inside him. “You know what I want, right?”
She moaned, maybe a little too loudly.
He pressed his wet finger to her lips. “Shh,” he chuckled. “Someone will hear you.”
“Jordan,” she whispered. “I need—Please.”
Her cheeks were flushed. Her fingers dug into his shirt so hard he was almost sure she’d rip it. He ran his tongue along the column of her neck. Then he slid his hand back into her panties, stroking along her slit faster and faster, letting his knuckle brush against her clit. “Give me what I want.”
He slid his finger in circles around her clit, brushing against it, avoiding it, alternating the motions and her fingers dug into his shoulder harder and harder. Slowly, he slid one finger into her pussy, and his knees nearly buckled. She was so wet, so tight against his finger, and he wanted inside her so badly his cock ached for it.
“Oh, fuck!” she breathed, her fingers biting into his shoulders as if it would steady her.
He pumped his finger in and out of her, his knuckle brushing against her clit again and again. Her legs trembled as her pussy got wetter. Those panties were in the way of what he truly wanted. He glanced at the entrance to the alley. It was so open here. Anyone could see them. And somehow, that got him even hotter as he dropped to his knees, ignoring the awkward pain that came with his leg.
She moaned as he pulled his fingers free of her and then slid down her panties. He shoved them in his pocket and hooked one of her legs over his shoulder. The motion opened her up perfectly, like a fucking flower. Or a flower he wanted to fuck. He didn’t couldn’t even think straight seeing the heaven before him.
He lifted her skirt and shoved his face into her pussy, licking the sweet wetness. He thrust his tongue into her entrance and swirled it around, reveling in her sweet taste. She moaned louder, her legs trembling as she struggled to keep the volume down on her moans. He licked and licked until he thought she might be ready to explode. Then he sucked in that sweet little bundle of nerves, flicking his tongue over it, again and again. Her fingers clamped on his hair, her legs closed around his head, leaving him to hold her steady. She bit her lip and arched her back, which only gave him more access to suck on her.
She rode his face for a good thirty seconds before she slumped back against the wall. He felt rather proud of himself as she tried to regain her breath. His cock was in a ridiculous state, aching and painful with the need for her warmth. But they were standing in an alley and he’d just had his head up her skirt, where anyone could have seen them, and she’d been far from quiet.
What kind of power did this woman have over him that he was ready to do it again already?
He pushed himself away, across the alley so he could use the wall to get to his feet. His cane. Where was that thing? He found it on the ground a few feet from her. He picked it up and glanced at Penny.
She hadn’t moved. She was staring at him, actually. He couldn’t tell if she was displeased or not. Honestly, she looked like she was in some sort of trance.
“I’m not going to say I’m sorry,” he said, pointing the cane at her. “You could have stopped me any time you wanted.” Hell, if she’d said no at any point, he’d have stopped on a dime.
“What is with us?” she asked finally, even as her chest heaved up and down like she’d run a marathon.
“What d’you mean?”
“Every time we come in contact with each other, it ends in sex.”
“We haven’t had sex. Not since your birthday.” Semantics, really. But he intended to rectify that mistake shortly.
She pushed off the wall but stopped before she took a step. She blushed. “Can I have my panties back now?”
“Come home with me,” he said suddenly.
“My underwear, please?” She held her hand out expectantly.
“Come back with me. I’ll make you dinner.” She blinked. Oh, lord, they were a pair, weren’t they? He chuckled. “I promise, I won’t molest you before I feed you.”
“Keep them if they’re that important to you,” she snapped, heading for the entrance to the alley.
He grabbed her arm and nearly lost his footing when he tried to put weight on his bad leg. “Please, Penny. This isn’t about the blooming underwear, for fuck’s sake.”
“What is it about, Jordan? Did you enjoy your little power trip?” She groaned, the frustration practically echoing in her voice. “You’re so aggravating.”
“You’re right. We always end up like this. So… have dinner with me. Let’s talk for once.”
“Really? Talk?” She frowned. “What makes you think that I want to?”
“Nothing,” he said. “I’m asking you.” He pulled her panties out of his pocket and placed them in her hand, closing her fingers around the fabric. “No coercion. Just a date. I’m asking you on a date.”
She glanced down at her hand, at the light blue fabric in her hand. His heart thumped wildly with each second she didn’t answer. She was going to refuse. He could see it in her face. They had great sexual chemistry. She couldn’t deny that, but he found himself needing more from her, wanting more. He wasn’t sure how to handle that feeling in his chest, but he couldn’t not explore it.
Truly, this was probably a worse mistake than anything else, considering she’d been a mark in the last mission. But again, he couldn’t help himself. The more time he spent around her, the more she showed her teeth and snarled, the more he wanted to be with her even more. He loved just how much she matched him at every turn, how she challenged him.
She crumpled the panties in her hand then smoothly shoved them back in his jeans pocket. “Give them back to me later, okay?” She started toward the street and then glanced back at him. “I hope you don’t suck at cooking as much as you suck at asking people out on dates.”