Her Master's Collar (On the Hunt) (2 page)

Sexual attraction was something they’d never had a shortage of. Most of the time they hadn’t known how to deal with the abundance of sexual chemistry they shared whenever they had been together. They’d quickly learned about their mutual interest in something a little beyond the norm when it came to sex.

Bondage and discipline. Spanking and submission. If there was a name for it, they’d done it. Hell, they’d probably even done things that didn’t have a name. The kinkier the better, she’d once said. They’d spent time exploring anything and everything, searching for their groove. Once they’d found it, their sexual attraction for one another had intensified, causing him to want her even more.

To want someone so utterly you’d do anything for them was something he’d never thought possible before Korene crossed his path. The way she looked right now didn’t help matters.

Fabric shifted again as she moved away to examine the
star chart
still projected above the long, narrow display table. She nodded at the red line Roland had drawn to outline his intended flight path to Mars. “It’s a good plan. Solid. It’s what we need to rescue the crew. Everyone who was in this room knows it despite the pushback they gave you.”

She tapped a finger over the line as she leaned closer to the transparent image. The position allowed him a clear view of her ass. The fact he knew exactly what lay under the expensive fabric caused him to let out a frustrated breath. The last thing he needed right now was to remember how those gorgeous legs of hers felt around his hips, her robe sash tied around her wrists and ankles to hold her in place while he thrust into her.

The vivid memory reminded him how much he missed burying his cock in the soft, inviting flesh of her cunt. Her cough erased the erotic image from his mind. “Glad to hear someone is on my side. Parkin certainly didn’t seem to like what I laid out for him.”

“If you have any more problems with Parkin, inform me immediately and I’ll take care of it. He’s bucking for something, I just haven’t figured out what it is yet. What time do you plan on departing tomorrow?”

At least she hadn’t mentioned his little hormone slip, which he undoubtedly knew she’d been fully aware of. She was too smart not to know the kind of pull she had on him. “Ten hundred.”

She came to stand beside him, tapping a security code into control panel of the
holotable
. The display hanging over the table morphed so the plan he’d laid out vanished. The flight path and mission plans were replaced with horrific images that made his stomach churn. He’d seen the horrors of war firsthand enough times to think he was unshakeable. Turned out he was dead wrong.

“We received these pictures three days ago. His name is—was—Joshua Sheldon. A twenty-two-year-old geologist. He joined the company last month, three days after he graduated top of his class from the University of Arizona. I have to be at his funeral at nine thirty tomorrow to bury those pieces of him you see on the screen. I need—”

“Eleven hundred, then. Will that give you enough time?” He read about the entire incident when he’d been packing for the flight to the eastern side of the country. The gory fragments had been left on the front steps of Braddock Industries, inciting chaos and panic from those who worked here.

Korene probably had enough on her plate without having to worry about soothing the agitated nerves of her employees. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for the company, because the protests for continued occupation of Mars had taken such a violent turn. Those clashes weren’t new, as protestors hadn’t wanted the World Government Organization to colonize the planet. Especially after the discovery of several viable water sources far under the planet’s rust-red surface. But like most political things in this volatile environment, the government had moved forward without waiting for the public’s blessing.

This also meant small factions of rebels were out to see those working to make the planet hospitable didn’t have an easy job. The company was strong, however, he’d bet his last credit, and they’d recover well enough.

A relieved smile spread on her lips. “Yes. Thank you for adjusting the departure.” She walked slowly to the wide spread of glass showcasing The Mall. Her thoughts were so conflicted, her eyes clouded as she stared off into the distance. She saw without seeing because her mind was so focused on the clusterfuck this situation had become.

She didn’t know the half of it.

But he didn’t intend to tell her anytime soon. The risk was too great and there’d been enough risks in his life to last him more than five lifetimes. He straightened his suit jacket before reaching down to erase the bloody images by keying the same code he’d watched her use. He didn’t need a reminder of the dangers they all faced. “If that’s all you need from me, then I have some preparations to make. I’d like to get started on them if you don’t need anything further.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He left in a hurry, ready to be far away from the only woman he’d ever loved.

* * * * *

That man is
still
walking, talking sex.
Korene watched Roland leave, shaking her head at her thoughts. She’d expected him to bolt as soon as he’d realized she’d entered the room. No doubt the fact he’d given his word kept him in his chair as long as it had. A few things obviously hadn’t changed in the time he’d been gone—honor and integrity were still everything to him.

Those traits were why she insisted on hiring him. The hostage situation on Mars had clearly gotten under his skin, visibly unsettling him. She was certain no one else in the room had noticed. Only her. Then again, they didn’t know him as intimately as she did.

And that was the other thing she’d noticed the moment he’d acknowledged her presence. He’d had a hard time keeping his eyes off her, even though he’d tried to downplay it. She didn’t blame him. She hadn’t stopped thinking about him for the past few days. No doubt their thoughts both ran to the illicit side.

Roland Asher.

Once the love of her life. Now the man she despised most in the world. And she needed to work closely with him in order to get her employees back safe and sound. Fuck it all. How did she get herself into these complicated situations?

She sat in one of the overstuffed chairs around the command table, propping her stylish slingbacks against the edge. The voice of her secretary sounded in her ear as she crossed her ankles. The petite woman would have a coronary at the sight of the Chief Operating Officer of Braddock Industries with her feet slung over the table as though she was a beggar on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Lila flustered too easily. Perhaps Korene found just a bit too much enjoyment doing everything she could to upset her assistant’s calm demeanor. Someone had taught her a long time ago that people should be pushed past where they felt comfortable.

The thought of pushing limits reminded her of the man who’d just beat a very hasty exit out her door. It was her fault Roland was here in the first place. She’d been the one to insist the construction team make the run to Mars before the solar winds made the trip impossible.

With her eyes closed and her head back against the chair, she cursed herself for being so adamant the team get there as soon as possible. Her choice caused her to go crawling back to the man she’d spent so much time trying to forget.

What had he done in the time since he’d left her? Since he’d returned to Earth?

She knew about the failure of his operation on Mars. Or at least of the sketchy details he’d explained to her ten years ago when he confessed he was leaving. He’d severed contact with her just days before reporting for duty, forcing her to rely on the media feeds for information about his mission.

The early settlers on Mars had been ambushed in a surprise attack and the military had jumped into action. The feeds had mysteriously gone silent as the battle had intensified, almost as if they were pretending they’d never said a word about the event in the first place. The World Government Organization had more than likely slapped down a gag order to protect lives both on Earth and Mars.

Then the world news broke its silence. The war was over and Gunnery Sergeant Roland Asher was back on planet and resigning from the Marine Corps effective immediately. For Marines, failure wasn’t an option.

News of the event had been splashed everywhere for weeks, a hard thing to ignore despite the fact details were scarce. When he vanished, his disappearance made even bigger news. But with so little to go on, the media had quickly tired of speculating. They’d instead returned to the pieces about the latest celebrity to cheat on their spouse.

She tried to tell herself there was nothing wrong with wondering about the only man she ever trusted enough to feel safe with. The only man she’d ever surrender so completely and wholly to.

Who am I kidding?

“Where is Roland Asher?”

The computer system whirred and beeped twice before answering. “Asher, Roland is in a transport coded to head away from New Washington.”

“Direction?”

“West, according to automatic navigation controls on his transport. The destination is Falls Church, Virginia, Ms. Braddock.”

Her heart hitched, slamming hard against her rib cage. They’d once owned a home in Falls Church. A sprawling house situated on an acre of land not far from Barcroft Knolls Park. A park she still jogged in every Sunday.

She’d never taken him for a sentimental man. Especially when he’d seemed to be in such a rush to get started. She’d expected him to stay at a nearby hotel so he wouldn’t have far to travel in the morning after the memorial service. Possibly even head directly to his chosen location to stock up on supplies in order to sort through his list of things he would need for the trip. Roland had always been thorough to a fault. It was unlike him to deviate from his usual pattern.

Of course, she reminded herself, she had no way of knowing what his usual pattern was anymore. She had no right to the information. No right to spy on his intended destination. “Initiate trace program and give me a visual.”

“It is against the rules and regulations implemented by—”

“Blah, blah.” She cut off the tinny automated voice. In her line of work, she was well aware of all the laws enacted in order to give citizens a feeling of safety. She also knew it was a complete illusion. “How about I have you dismantled and installed in a Mickey Mouse doll so you can navigate a family of four on their annual trip around Disneyworld?”

The map vanished and was replaced with an image of the interior of Roland’s rental conveyance. He sat quietly with his hands folded together behind his neck as the automatic controls maneuvered him through the busy streets of the city. His head tilted down to show he was deep in thought.

Even though it was only an opaque image suspended in midair in front of her, the high level of anxiety read clearly in his body. Muscles appeared to be strung tight beneath the surface of his skin as tension sat heavy in his shoulders, bleeding down to saturate his broad chest. He still kept his black hair cut short in military regulation, though the hair on the sides near his temple had started to go gray. His icy-blue eyes were unfocused as he stared at nothing in particular. The famous thousand-yard stare she’d learned about in those first days of their first meeting.

His black suit wasn’t the uniform she was used to seeing him wear, but it appeared to have been starched to within an inch of its life. His well-put-together appearance stood as a clear indication the military was still infused in the marrow of Roland’s bones despite his retirement.

Once a Marine, always a Marine.

Never had she believed it more than she did staring at the image before her. She wanted to do what she could to give him an outlet for the stress reading so clearly in his body. She also missed him and the couple they made when they were together. The fire and passion they had for one another when their personalities had violently clashed. Then she remembered how he’d walked away from her. The warm fuzzy feeling spreading in her body froze.

She turned away from the image in disgust. “Screen off.”

The people who’d been taken hostage needed Roland and his skill set. He could get in there quickly and quietly, rescue the team and bring the group safely back home to their families. Given his agitation, he clearly knew he was their last hope. That level of stress had to be hard on anyone. The fact he was one of the strongest people she’d ever known and shaken so visibly unsettled her.

Once again, the desire to go to him reared its head.

Cursing, she pushed away from the table. At the door, she passed her hand over the control plate. A group of employees, their faces streaked with sadness, had gathered near an associate’s desk. Normally she would have torn them all new assholes for wasting their time, but they simply earned a perfunctory nod from her as she passed. There were more important things to deal with at the moment.

She slid behind the wheel of her own car, the computer system acknowledging her with a soft beep. “Destination, Ms. Braddock?”

“Falls Church, Virginia. Van Winkle Drive.” As soon as the order slipped off her tongue, she knew she’d made a mistake. “Cancel route.” The car halted, idling quietly on the exit ramp of the parking garage.

She couldn’t see him or talk to him more than she already had. Not after he’d been the one to leave. That night still painted vivid scars on her mind. It was the night she’d asked him to stay and he’d abandoned her. For that alone, he deserved her cold shoulder in any personal matters.