Bent (The Gifted Series) (12 page)

              “Yeah, Gracen’s mentioned that.” She sighed, giving herself a quick once over in the mirror as she spoke, “For whatever reason this Samuel character chooses to numb himself, at least it will make my job considerably easier.”  Distracted with her get-up, she cupped her breasts and straightened her top.

              “Stop doin’ that,” Declan grumbled, turning toward the door.  “They’re like beacons.”

              Leah chuckled again as the two left the room and Declan called a cab.

    *     *     *     *

              “It should be illegal to wear such garb,” Bowen hissed, shaking his head.

              Leah’s eyes rolled and she scoffed, “And if this
garb
wasn’t on me, but some other chic, you’d be checking out the goods.”

              Neither argued.

              “Okay,” she continued, now wishing she would have bought an appropriate jacket, “it’s cold out here, so let’s get on with this.  Where’s he at and what’s our plan?”

              Bowen jerked his head toward the door.  “He’s at a table tucked off to the left, near the dance floor.  Women have been flocking him for the last hour, but other than a couple of dances and the usual mindless flirting, he’s shown no interest.”  He looked her up and down before saying, “I can’t believe I’m saying this to you, but you better put on a damn good show.  We need you to get him to exit the club with you.  I’ll follow you in after a bit and Declan can wait in the van.”

              Leah nodded and inhaled deeply, which of course raised her protruding breasts.

              Dec wheeled around and headed toward the van, muttering, “Yer killin’ me. I’m in dire need of a good shag.”

              The heat from the crowded club hit her the moment she entered; it was dark and packed.  A techno beat pulsed throughout Leah’s body as she pushed herself farther into the crowd.  At least her outfit mimicked those around her—skin and boobs flashed from all directions. 

              She squeezed into an empty spot near the bar and began a casual gaze across the space.  Bodies writhed on the dance floor with just enough room to comfortably move, and tables filled the outskirts.  Leah noted a twenty and thirty-year-old crowd.

              A song ended, and it didn’t take long for the testosterone driven moth to come to the flame—a man immediately flocked her side.  He was moderately attractive and definitely under some kind of influence. “Hey, gorgeous, you ready to dance?” This was said to her breasts, followed by his pierced tongue snaking out and dragging across his bottom lip.

              She mentally grated,
Carter, you’re damn lucky I luv ya
.
 
Fighting a snort of amusement and disgust, Leah did a quick tap, mentally scoping this guy out.  Outwardly she grinned and nodded yes, not that he would have seen her nod since his eyes had yet to drift north.  She ducked her head slightly, catching his embarrassed eye and offered a “shall we” then stepped forward, needing to get on the dance floor and work her way toward Samuel. 

              Gagging slightly, she tried to look past the images rolling through this guy’s brain, which were visions of her naked with him.  
Sorry, buddy
, she chortled,
my boobs aren’t nearly that big nor pierced, and I prefer a snatch patch to the Brazilian job you’re envisioning
.  She then winced and did an involuntary kegel when she saw that the piercings he’d envisioned didn’t stop at her breasts. 
Ouchy-mama! That damn sure ain’t gonna happen
. She cut the connection before the man got all mental BDSM on her, and she lead the way onto the dance floor. 

              Her hips began to move to the beat as she snaked her way through the gyrating bodies.  Spotting Samuel, she slowly slid closer, not wanting to appear too obvious.  She turned toward her dance partner and gave a flirty smile as he slid closer and began to move in time with her.  The techno beat had a dirty edge, one Leah would love to dance to with Gracen.  As she smiled again toward her dance partner, she thought about the way her Latino luva moved against her.  God, that man could grind—both vertically and horizontally.  Her eyes closed and she allowed herself to get swept up by the music.  Bowen did say to sell herself, after all.

              As she spun around, she felt her partner’s hands land on her hips.  She allowed this and raised her arms in the air, moving in a sinful sway as strands of hair covered part of her face.  This provided the ideal opportunity to take a peek at her target. 

              He sat alone nursing his drink.  His stance was relaxed yet keenly aware.  He might be intoxicated and high, but Leah knew he still had an eagle eye—just delayed.  She stepped away from her partner and closer to Samuel and then spun around with her ass facing him.  She then proceeded to do pole dancers around the world proud with a slow grind to the floor.  Her partner admired as did one or two others surrounding her, and when she ascended to her full height, she swiveled her head to the beat and innocently gazed behind her as if just noticing a hottie in the corner.

              When Samuel locked onto her, a sensual smile grew.  His eyes perused what she blatantly had to offer, and then his lip twitched as if pleased. 

 
Two points whore garb, but three points killer ass, taught long legs, and perky puppies! The payoffs of brutal workouts.

              Leah did a little perusing, herself, and she had to give the man credit, he was a pant-worthy specimen.  Too bad he was an all caps LANDON LOSER. 

              Regardless, she had a job to do, so she gyrated her hips and slowly spun to face him. 

              At this point, a Nine Inch Nails classic pulsed through the room and Leah thought, “Perfect.”  Suddenly her partner’s hands landed about her hips, but her focus remained on Samuel.  Donning an erotic gaze she began to lightly caress herself.  Samuel was glued to her actions but his stance remained superior and seemingly unaffected.  Leah turned it up a notch when her head swung to the side, causing strands of hair to fall across her face and one hand descended south of her taught abs, moving slowly against her body and slightly into her low slung mini.  She gyrated again, and that was all it took.  He was on his feet, demanding in his approach.  He didn’t hesitate when he grabbed her by her hips and spun her away from the other guy.  Upon hearing the other man’s protest, he gave a cocky glare over his shoulder, one that dared the man to retaliate.  Her jilted partner with his piercing-filled dreams quickly slunk off.

              His focus then landed on Leah.  “You putting on that show for me, doll?”

              Leah could hear the slight slur to his otherwise American accent, and even though Bowen had already explained that Samuel was a reader, she still tapped.  She hit the usual black wall, and oddly, all she got from his emotions was more gloom and doom misery, but there was a flicker of sexual aggression.  Wow, this was one extremely depressed man who needed to get laid.  It was probably the only thing, besides drugs, that took the edge off. 

              Placing her hands on his shoulders, she didn’t halt her hips in their gyrations.  She stepped closer.  “And what if I was?  Would you object.”

              He began a slow grind against her. “Not in the slightest, baby doll, but I’m only interested if you’re serious about playing … a bit
rough
.”  His gaze locked on hers. 

              She gave a quick reply, praying he wasn’t trying to tap her.  “I love rough.” Her eyes perused him. “Especially with one as tantalizing as yourself.”  Her hands smoothed over his taught chest and began to roam. The man did feel damn good, but not Gracen good—no one could compete.  She continued, “But how about we have a little fun before playtime?”  She gave a little bunny twitch and playful tap to her nose, insinuating what kind of fun she liked. 

              At first he didn’t respond, just narrowed his gaze upon her. So she upped the bar by rubbing her braless breasts against his chest as her hands stroked his shoulders and arms.  She added, “Of course, we could stay.”  A new song began to pulse through, and Leah did a slow grind against him.  “I love this song,” she breathed, closing her eyes as if content to stay right where she was.  He gripped her hips, startling her, but met the pace of her hips with his own. 

              His gaze feasted on her as the two got lost in the music and after it ended, he slightly backed away, assessing her.  She started again, “So care to join me in my car before you join me in my bed?”

              Although he still didn’t crack a smile—she was beginning to think him incapable—his eyes flared slightly before he wielded her toward the door.  From behind, he whispered in her ear, “Lead the way.” He then peppered her neck with a light kiss.

             
Okay
, Leah mentally thought. 
This was easier than expected
.
  Declan’s right, this guy is tossed
. Locking hands, she led him through the thick crowd then exited the building.  Once the bitter night’s air hit, she gave a reflexive shiver, and he responded with what Leah believed to be an odd gesture.  He asked if she’d like his jacket.  It may have been a modest act of chivalry, but it still took Leah back. 

             Maybe Samuel’s not completely without morals.  “I’m fine,” she replied and the next thing she knew his arm snaked around her shoulder and pulled her snuggly against him.

              “Then at least let me block the chill,” he muttered into her hair.  She then felt his hot breath against her lobe and he took a quick nip.

             Damn!  Where was Bowen and Declan?  She was okay with the dick-tease show in the club, but she wasn’t at all down with the touchy feely bit, and kissing was a definite not-in-this-lifetime.  Friggin’-A, Gracen was pissed enough already, but knowing she had to be convincing, she reciprocated Samuel’s actions by wrapping her arm around his waist.

              “I’m right around the corner.  I can follow you or you can catch a ride with me,” she said as they walked in unison like a couple completely wrapped into themselves and anxious for a night of sin. 

              “I’ll follow, but I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I didn’t see you to your car safely.”

              Again, there emerged Mr. Chivalrous.  Not what she expected. 

              As they rounded the corner to a more desolate street, Samuel wielded on her, giving her a start.  One hand remained secured around her waist but the other cupped her face. “But I’ve got to have a taste.”  His mouth descended before she could take her next breath.

              Leah froze with shock, but instantly remembered to roll with it.  There was no backing out now.  She let her lips dance about with his, and dang, she had to admit the man had skills.  Suddenly the hand cupping her face slinked lower, and without pretense, slipped into the front of her mini as he muttered, “I’m dying to know what you got on under here.”

             Okay, too far!
Mr. Chivalry’s
a dead man.

              Just as the words left his lips, and she reached to halt his hand, she heard another familiar and seething voice snarl, “So the fuck am I.”

              With that, a lancing blow came down across the back of Samuel’s head, sending him to the pavement—he was out cold.  Leah jerked sharply to find herself face to face with Gracen.  “Oh crap!”

              “You got that right,” he sneered, jerking her by her arm toward an awaiting SUV.
 
"Nice hooker get up," he added. 
 

 
Mattis hopped out of the vehicle and went to work, cuffing Samuel.

              In a state of shock, Leah allowed herself to be dragged by one very pissed off boyfriend as she watched Mattis and Declan hefted Samuel into the back end of the vehicle.  Bowen jogged around the corner just as Mattis slammed the door shut.

              Mattis wheeled on Bowen. “Your ass is grass, buddy.”

              “What?” Bowen shrugged with indifference, then defended, “I called and told you where we’d be.”

              Leah snapped to and jerked free of Tiago’s death grip, spinning toward her cousin.  “You did what?”

              Again, Bowen shrugged as if it were a minor detail. “Leah, I said we’d make contact when it was time.” He pointed to the SUV, insinuating the knocked out Samuel within. “It was time.”

              She stalked forward.  The temperature was frigid against her exposed skin, but her body burned—funny how outrage had that affect. “You should have told me.”

              Bowen defended, “You wouldn’t have gone through with it.” He then pointed at Tiago.  “Not with lover boy in the shadows.  Hell, Tiago wouldn’t have let you go through with it.”

              “You got that right,” Tiago growled. “I didn’t know
my
woman was going to be half naked, luring some dude with her tits.”

              Leah spun on Tiago, “Zip it!  I’ll deal with you and your dom issues later.”

              Tiago stepped up, almost nose to nose. “No, you’ll deal with me now.  And domination has nothing to do with this—stupidity does. Once again, your actions were careless and stupid.  And Dec?”  Tiago pointed toward his long-time partner, and although Declan looked contrite, he defended with, “Joss is kin, T. You’d have done the same.”

              Tiago’s jaw clinched tighter, but he didn’t disagree.  Instead he clenched and unclenched his fist a half dozen times before targeting Leah.  “Let’s go before we have to hypnotize drunks coming out of the bar.” He went to grab her arm, but she spun away and stalked off toward the van.  Without looking over her shoulder, she flipped him the bird, declaring, “That’s what I think of your overprotective Tarzan routine, Gracen.  When you’re ready to speak to me respectfully, agent to agent, then we’ll talk.”

              Mattis jumped in. “Careful, Leah.  Technically Tiago holds authority over you, and do I need to remind you that you haven’t reached agent status yet?”