Agent E2: Aidan (Superhero Romance) (The D.I.R.E. Agency) (10 page)

“You’re asking why, when I’m giving you a free pass to get out of this place?”

A slow smile blossomed on her face. “You’re not going to make me walk, are you?”

#####

Cassandra sat next to Aidan in one of Willie’s red vinyl, padded booths. Her shoulder touched his, his thigh rested against hers, and he wore that light scent of fall that made her want to set her chin on his shoulder and just inhale.

He had a contagious laugh. One impossible to resist. She had even tried it once when he teased her about taking a picture beside the bullet hole in the wall.

Didn’t work.

Cass still couldn’t believe he brought her out in public, anklet and all. From the look on David Saldana’s face, he couldn’t believe it, either.

“Cassandra, has your father always treated you the way he did today?” Rachel’s steady gaze dared her to deny the truth.

She picked at the label on her beer bottle. Her instincts told her to defend him. To defend his actions. However, the truth was, she lived as a slave to his moods and desires.

Rachel had seen her life firsthand, and had walked out of the room in disgust. Yet, it was the only life Cass knew.

“Do you mean the threats?”

“Yes, the threats. And, the domineering orders and the yelling...”

Sitting up straight, she felt Aidan’s arm along the back of the booth. For some reason, sharing her feelings with Aidan felt different from saying them aloud to Rachel and Tristan. With Aidan, she didn’t feel like she betrayed a family confidence. With Rachel, it felt like her sister nosed in where she had no business treading.

“You’re asking me to betray my father, Rachel.”

Aidan spoke softly at her side. “Haven’t you ever wanted to live free of him? To live your own life?”

Had he brought her here so they could gang up on her? “I love my father, Aidan…”

“No one doubts that, Cassandra.” Tristan’s voice held a note of acceptance.

“You can live away from him and still love him,” Rachel said. “I hate the way he controls you.”

Why did Rachel care how her father treated her? The fact of the matter was, he
did
control her life. She’d never be free of his power.

Glancing at Rachel uncertainly, she gave a sarcastic half laugh. “You act like living away from my father is a possibility. If I left to pursue my dreams, he’d just have me dragged back home.” God, that sounded pathetic.

She felt the hair on her head rise behind her as a low hum started inside of Aidan. “If you want to leave, Cass, just say the word.”

“You know as well as I that my father has enemies, Aidan. If he didn’t come after me, they surely would.”

Tristan gave a brief nod. “The agency would protect you.”

Aidan glared at Tristan before turning back to her. “I’ll protect you. I’ve already told you that.”

She took in Aidan’s earnest face. God above, he was beautiful. Strong. Reassuring.

The idea tempted her. Oh, how it tempted her. She’d hate being away from her father, but just the thought of living away from the Naylor black cloud felt liberating. Where would that leave Dar?

Warm air puffed against her calf. Glancing down, an old, yellow Labrador stood by her, wagging his tail. He had brown eyes and a sway back, his chin dotted with black fur. Her heart melted.

Squatting to the floor, Cass hugged the dog as he sat there and took the abuse. The sweet innocence brought a lump to her throat.

“Where did you come from?”

Rachel laughed. “David… Loki is picking up women again.”

Coming around the bar, David Saldana smiled as he called the dog. Standing, Cass patted the dog on the head.

“He’s got good taste.” David eyed her up and down.

Aidan’s hand at the small of her back sent a soothing warmth up her spine. She hadn’t heard him stand. She leaned into him, knowing it was the last thing she should do.

She did it anyway.

“I love dogs but I can’t keep… er, I couldn’t keep one at home.”

Aidan’s hand tightened at her waist. “Cass wants to open a shelter one day.”

Catching her breath, she smiled up at Aidan. He’d actually voiced her dreams in front of his family and friend as though it were a respectable, legitimate desire.

However, the reality was, she would most likely spend the rest of her life in jail. While the notion of a shelter sounded wonderful, she couldn’t afford to go there in her head or her heart.

What if you allowed Aidan and D.I.R.E. to protect you?

Her choices were jail, or go the selfish route and betray her father. How could she do that? Robert Naylor was her
father
.

Stepping away from Aidan, she said, “He’s a beautiful dog.”

Loki whimpered and nudged her hand. She bent to scratch him under the chin.

“I think he’s enamored.” David gave her a friendly grin.

“I found her first, buddy.” Aidan rubbed the dog’s head.

The warmth she felt earlier returned to engulf her chest. What was he doing? He knew as well as she did that they couldn’t do this.

He pulled her against his side without looking at her. “David, can you send another round to the table?”

Aidan’s not-so-subtle attempt to get rid of David worked. With a ‘sure thing,’ he and Loki walked away.

Frowning to herself, she couldn’t allow Aidan to take this suicidal attraction seriously. She had to put distance back in their relationship.

Starting with the ladies room.

“I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

Rachel stood to let Tristan out of the booth.

Cass glanced at each of them. “I’ve heard of women going to the restroom in groups, but this is a little over the top, don’t you think?”

Aidan clutched her elbow. “I’m not going to let you go alone. I know what you’re capable of.”

Her stomach clenched. He’d just proven this attraction was crazy. How could they ever make it work when he didn’t trust her to go to the ladies room – and with good reason?

She had to be stronger than her feelings. She had to be stronger than the hope the three of them had put in her heart.

Her father was Robert Naylor. She couldn’t change that.

It would serve her well to remember.

Cassandra’s steps were hesitant, her gaze steady as she emerged from the ladies room. Aidan didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until he saw her again.

She’d kept her word. For some reason, that made him really happy.

When he stood to let her slide in the booth, she stopped to swipe a crumb from his mouth with her fingertip. Her eyes were deep violet and stared at his mouth with hunger. His body hardened like granite.

“Do you have any change for the jukebox? I think I need to lighten the mood.”

She asked him that now, after she aroused him and his hand wouldn’t fit in his pocket?

With humor in her voice, Rachel said, “Come on, Cass. Tris gave me change.”

He watched her walk across the room.

“Hey, Smooth Dog, you know what you’re doing?”

Turning back to Tristan, Aidan slid back into the booth. “Hell no.”

“I’ll be honest with you, Monroe, I can’t see Mitchell allowing this to happen.”

He ran his hand through his hair. “I know that.”

When Aidan bought into D.I.R.E., he knew they owned him. Yet, it really pissed him off that Mitchell thought he could tell him how to live his life.

A fling between them would cost them way too much. Yet, the knowledge didn’t seem to sway them, either.

And a relationship… well, that was out of the question.

“Mitchell could decide to put her away. Have you thought of that?”

A buzz of electrical rage sizzled in his veins.
Tamp it down, Monroe.

“It’ll be a cold day in hell when that happens.”

Tristan sat back in the booth. “You’d better grab your jacket because under different circumstances, she would already be there.”

“So why isn’t she? Why is Mitchell holding her and Dar?”

Tristan took a drink of his beer. “Good question. My guess is a sense of loyalty to Naylor. They were once friends. Maybe he feels for them.”

“Or, maybe he wants to recruit them for D.I.R.E.”

“It’s possible.” Tristan stared at the girls across the room. “But trust would be an issue. They’d have to prove themselves before Mitchell would ever bring them on.”

“But, to make them choose between Naylor and D.I.R.E.?” Aidan said. “Hell hath no fury like a mentally-deranged father scorned.”

Rachel and Tristan teleported to her house a little after ten o’clock. Tristan said tomorrow would be a hard day for Rachel with Ben’s funeral. She needed her rest.

After the scorching stares the couple had given each other throughout the evening, Cass figured Tristan had a little more in mind than sleep.

Out in the parking lot, Aidan removed his gloves and placed them in the waistband of his jeans. Taking her hand in his, they walked to the D.I.R.E. SUV.

She really shouldn’t allow him to touch her.

“Thank you for the evening out. I… like Rachel and Tristan.”

Stopping beside the vehicle, Aidan backed her against the driver side door. He placed an open mouthed kiss against her throat. Her heart ran wild.

“What about me?” His breath felt hot against her skin.

Goose flesh popped out on her arms as she wrapped them around his neck. Her voice sounded breathy to her ears. “You’re okay, I guess.”

She felt him smile against her neck before nipping at her flesh. He raised his head to look at her. “Real-ly?...”

Cass shrugged. “Yeah, you may be hot –“

“Beautiful,” he chimed in.

God, yes
. “-but, you’re a little slow.”

His grin lit up the night sky. “Slow?”

She softened her voice. “Yes. I wanted you to kiss me hours ago.”

Why did she say that?

Bracing his hands on either side of her head, he looked down at the pavement. “I’m trying to be good, Cass.”

Disappointment weighed on her chest. She dropped her arms. “If you’re trying to be good, what was that inside?”

He lifted his head. “What?”

“The hand at my back, the ‘I found her first’…”

He growled low as he straightened and ran a hand through his hair.

“Never mind.” She ducked under his arm.

Why was she even going there? He was doing the right thing.

He swung her back around. “I hated the way David looked at you.”

“You mean the same way
you
look at women?”

He pulled back his head.

“Men have been looking at me that way for years, Aidan. I’m used to it.” She looked away. “Well, everyone that is, except you.”

Her heart heavy, she pulled her arm from his grasp.

She’d thought their greatest obstacle would be her family and their history. She never would’ve guessed it would be Aidan. She may be good for a little fun, but beyond that, she was just trouble.

“Aidan, we need to get back.”

She opened the backseat door and climbed in. She was a prisoner, after all. The dim light made her squint.

Aidan filled the doorway before he turned off the light. “You think I don’t want you? Is that it?”

She stared straight ahead.

“I asked you a question, dammit.”

Cass swallowed over the lump in her throat. Gritting her teeth, she gave a cocky tilt of her head. “No, I don’t.
Dammit
.”

Grabbing her far hip, Aidan swung her around on the seat to face him. Gasping, her foot planted in the carpet to steady herself. Seizing her around the waist, he pulled her out of the truck and set her on the ground. Taking her hand, he held it to the large erection at the front of his jeans.

“Does that feel like I don’t want you?”

Her heart pounded in her throat. “Many men have wanted me sexually, Aidan.” She rubbed her palm against his hardness.

Tiny zaps sounded in the silence of the night. He held her hand firmly in place and rubbed once more. “And how many have had you?”

Her breath caught when he trailed his fingers up her thigh and over the crotch of her panties, rushing moisture to her core.

“How many have
you
had?” She spread her legs wider.

He found the edge of her panties, his finger dipping into her wetness. Moaning, she shut her eyes and clutched his shoulder with her free hand.

“A lot.”

His unabashed statement threw cold water on her hormones. She’d be damned if her first time would be with a playboy. Especially one that had taken her prisoner.