Silk Stalkings: Episode 1 (2 page)

She tossed her shoes in the box and limped into the building to discover the elevator was out of order. With a battle weary sigh, Lyssa had climbed the five stories, stepping in a cold puddle of something in her nylon clad feet in the stairwell, and stumbled down the hallway. Still, she carried on, right to her doorway where she paused as the sounds of loud music reverberated down the hallway. She tried the door and it swung open, unlocked. Soft voices and a high-pitched giggle reached her ears as she took the few steps inside and stood in the living room watching as her boyfriend, Ryan, with his shirt undone and his chest bare, danced closely with a raven haired beauty.

Lyssa dropped her box with a loud thud and the pair jumped apart. The girl peered around Ryan’s shoulder, a confused look on her face.

“Hey, babe,” Ryan said tossing her a grin. His eyes flicked between Lyssa and the girl next to him. “You’re home early. This is Jessica.”

“Jasmine,” the girl said softly.

“Right, Jasmine,” Ryan offered his tip-tilted smile that Lyssa usually found charming. Today, however, she wanted to punch that smile right off of him.

“I lost my job,” she said dully.

Ryan tossed his arm around the girl next to him, “Wow. That’s harsh. How are you going to pay rent?”

Lyssa stared at him silently for a moment. “I thought you might help, since you’re my boyfriend and you live here.”

“Whoa,” Ryan held up his hands. “Let’s not make more of our relationship than there is.”

“What?”

“We may live together, but we’re not exclusive,” Ryan flicked his eyes between Lyssa and Jasmine again, now turning the charm to the slight woman next to him. “We just live together, really.”

“You bastard,” Lyssa said, a stunned realization sweeping through her body. “How many girls have you fucked while I’ve been at work? Is that why you couldn’t get a job?”

“Stop being such a bitch, Lyss.” His voice took on a defensive tone. “I have a job, and you know it. I manage Paul’s band.”

“I mean a job that actually brings in money.”

Ryan held his hands up again, but his eyes showed the slow burn of anger. “Look, it’s not my fault you had a bad day. Jasmine and I are going to go out for dinner and give you a chance to calm down.”

He guided the other woman past Lyssa with his hand in the small of her back, murmuring softly to her. Once Jasmine had left, Ryan paused, buttoning up his shirt. Then, he rounded on Lyssa, his voice low and heated. “Listen to me you fat cow, I only stuck my dick in you out of pity. Who else would want to sleep with a frumpy little toad like you? You aren’t even that good, and you dress like an elementary school teacher. Jesus, no wonder they fired you.” He delivered a sound kick to her box from work, sending it tumbling into the apartment and then stormed out slamming the door behind him.

Lyssa stood there her face frozen in horror before she scrambled to the door and flung it open, screaming after him, “Don’t ever come back here, asshole!”

She had collapsed on the sofa in tears after that before digging a half-box of mint-chocolate chip ice cream out of the freezer. There was a rime of frost covering the top, but neither that nor the gummy texture of the old dessert could dissuade her that evening. Instead, she picked up her phone and called the one person she knew she could count on, her best friend since first grade, Shannon Martin.

The next day, Shannon had called her back, telling Lyssa they were going shopping for a new work outfit since her start date at the security complex was next week.

"What are you talking about?" Lyssa shoved a hank of hair out of her eyes and scowled at the phone in her hand. She had only just woken up and this conversation was making no sense.

"I got you a job at Delun." The tinny voice reached through the phone and breached the sleepy haze that surrounded young woman. "You start next Monday. I'm coming over tonight, and we're going to get you something svelte and sweet - something that will make Robbie regret leaving. I know just the place."

“Ryan,” Lyssa said absently.

“Whatever,” the dismissive note in Shannon’s voice brooked no arguments. “He’s a douchebag, and he’s gone. We’ll find you someone better.”

Which is how Lyssa ended up in this parking garage wearing a skirt that was slightly too tight across her hips and a silk blouse that was slightly more sheer than she liked. She met her own startled cornflower blue eyes in her car’s rear-view mirror and checked her hair for what she was sure was the twentieth time before drawing a shaky breath and preparing for her first day as a secretary at Delun Security Industries.

"Not secretary," she muttered to herself, reapplying her lip gloss, "administrative assistant. And if I don't get my ass out of this car, I'll be an EX administrative assistant even before the end of my first day, and probably drag Shannon down with me." She smacked her full lips, stained a darker pink, together and dabbed away the excess.

Shannon worked as a top computer securities agent in DSI, both protecting their network and designing information hacks on DSI's top targets. The thought of her friend getting fired because of Lyssa’s cowardice was the push the young woman needed to get out of the car and climb into the elevator headed for the top floor of the office building. She patted her golden-brown hair, searching for any escapees from her bun, smoothed down her skirt, and steeled herself as the floors ticked by.

The young woman attempted to smooth the black, knee length skirt down and double checked to make sure there was no gap in the buttons down her chest as the floors dinged past. She made a face at her distorted reflection in the elevator doors, certain she could see the outline of her bra through the white fabric.

“I should never have let Shannon talk me into this,” she grumbled, and not for the first time. Although, Lyssa hated to admit, this outfit made her look like a sexy librarian, especially with her hair up in a bun. The new, daring excitement that floated through her veins was addictive, almost like a drug. But, this was no time to lose focus, she straightened her shoulders. She needed to be on her toes, ready to go.

Lyssa reviewed what she knew about her new place of employment in her head. Delun Security held numerous private and government contracts, including some desirable protection details for diplomats. They were an elite force of well trained guards and mercenaries founded at the turn of the century and handed from father to son, for generations, until now. The previous owner, Anselm Delun, had broken with tradition and had not one, but three sons. The three Delun brothers, triplets, ran the company with equal shares, though business operations remained in the hands of Rafe Delun, now Lyssa’s direct superior.

Lyssa recalled the picture she had seen online last night of the CEO leaving the grand opening of some club. Rafe Delun, the charming face of DSI, was tall, blond, and devastatingly handsome. Pushing through the paparazzi, his grin showed even, white teeth in tanned skin. He appeared to be laughing at something as he dragged his date through the crowd behind him. Delun had a reputation for his heart of stone in the boardroom and his playboy attitude with the ladies, Lyssa’s lip curled, a real love ‘em and leave ‘em type. He was currently dating that one actress or model, she waved her hand in dismissal. It wasn’t really important. It was some matching blond bimbo with a waist the size of Lyssa’s thigh, and that told the curvy woman all she needed to know about her boss. It didn’t matter how good he was in the boardroom, his tastes didn’t differ that much from any other man she had known, including Ryan. That meant he posed little danger to the buxom, brown-haired woman. The elevator dinged, and the doors opened onto Lyssa’s new life.

Most of her day was spent filling out paperwork and arranging for security clearance. It was explained to her by no fewer than three people that there were certain items she wasn’t going to be allowed to see or even know about until that was complete. At the mid-point, she caught a quick bite with Shannon, who arranged to meet her after work in the bar that was on the premises. Lyssa had to give it to Delun, that was a clever move. It was harder for someone to drink too much and tell something that they shouldn’t know when everyone around you had the same power.

Now, she was back on the top floor, spending time with the woman whose retirement left Lyssa her opening. Abigail Spencer was about sixty years old, and appeared fragile and birdlike, but Lyssa already knew that the woman was the embodiment of a Southern lady. She might appear all fluff and smiles, but Abigail could give you every bit of information on any of the contracts Delun held. And, it turned out the older woman was quite the fighter as well, judging from the certificates on the wall. Even as the woman clucked over her, Lyssa’s stomach turned a bit with the familiar feeling of inadequacy.

“Are these all yours,” Lyssa said breathlessly, moving from one frame to the next.

“Oh, yes,” the older woman looked up from her desk. “Admittedly, some of those are older than I care to admit, but working here gives you a chance to learn.” She chuckled and stood from her desk, moving next to Lyssa. “For example, I earned the one you’re looking at about 14 years ago. I’d be a little rusty now.”

Lyssa chuckled appreciatively, “I’ve just never heard of some of these. And I know I am way too uncoordinated…”

Abigail gave her a motherly pat on the shoulder, “No one expects you to be able to fight, Lyssa. You’ll do fine. Now, I need you to do me a favor and go water those plants by the window.”

Lyssa found the watering can and added water to the massive ferns against the far wall, taking the opportunity to look out the window at the city sprawled before her underneath the hazy heat of the sun. It looked so small from above, and Lyssa shook her head. As she crossed the open office area, heading back to her desk, her feet stilled as the elevator doors dinged open and an entourage of men in suits poured out. A familiar tall blond in sunglasses led the way, listening half-heartedly to an animated, florid bald man.

“I don’t care, John. Contact Seth if you have problems,” the blonde’s voice was butter smooth.

Lyssa paused, waiting for the crowd to cross her path taking advantage of the opportunity to study her new boss. He was over six feet, she noted. His blond hair was smooth and sleek. His broad shoulders trimmed down into a narrow waist and every movement betrayed an athletic lethality. He was, Lyssa had to admit

“But Rafe,” John was apparently trying to convince his boss of something, but he had stopped listening. The man’s steps had faltered, his head scanning from side to side, and Lyssa saw his nostrils flare.

Rafe Delun, she thought, watching him absently. He was definitely handsome in a cold, commanding sort of way.

“Enough, John,” Rafe whipped off his sunglasses, his golden brown eyes searching the room. His scrutiny landed on Lyssa, and she could feel his intent stare slowly moving over her body. Lyssa felt the prickly heat rise up her body and flood her face as his gaze lingered on her chest and hips. She shifted from one foot to the other, and his nostrils flared again and his gaze flicked away, dismissing her. “We’re not going to discuss this here.”

Lyssa watched as the group continued silently through the large entryway of the Delun brothers’ offices. When the doors clicked shut behind them, Lyssa continued to her desk. Her heart was pounding in her chest as though she had just finished running a marathon and she found it hard to catch her breath. The way he had looked at her, he seemed so angry. But why? It was only her first day. What had she done? The only conclusion she could come to was that it tied into the fact that she wasn’t model thin. Her face flushed a dull red as she situated herself back behind her desk. Instead of the pull of desire, now her heart beat angrily, but still Lyssa fixed a smile on her face as Abigail approached.

“So that was Rafe Delun,” she said cheerfully to the older woman.

“Yes, dear.” The older woman nodded absently, stacking file after file on Lyssa’s desk. Lyssa soon found herself awash in intricate details of the security forces around the world, nodding as Abigail explained the notations.

Rafe Delun stood next to his office window studying the city below and barely listening to his legal counsel. He stroked his lower lip absently, his mind on the curvy girl standing in his lobby, the one who had nearly freed his inner beast in the daytime. When he had walked out of the elevator there had been a scent of something, something intoxicating, something alluring, in the air. It was enough to distract him from John’s yammering about the son of a Saudi prince who wanted a new guard. His inner wolf had immediately started stirring, the smell rousing him, but Rafe had collared it, searching for the source of trouble. That was when he saw her, his new secretary.

She wasn’t his normal type, a bit heavier than usual, his lips curled in a sardonic smile. Her light brown hair was piled messily on her head, her plump pink lips pursed thoughtfully as she waited politely, submissively, for them to cross. Her blue eyes had wandered over his body, and he had seen the slight flutter of her pulse jump and speed up. Her white blouse was just sheer enough that he could differentiate between flesh and cloth, and as his eyes traveled lower, he had to admit he liked the fit of that skirt on her hips.

You’d like that skirt better on the floor
, his wolf whispered, trying to surge free. The taste of brand new pennies filled his mouth as he fought the change.