“What was that, Cap?”
She snarled at the closed door which provided visual privacy, but let every fart and moan drift into the hallway. “Go away,” she yelled and was rewarded by the sound of laughter trailing down the hallway.
Once fully dressed, she grabbed her phone and marched back to the common area of the barracks, where her teammates were chowing down on grilled steak and fried peppers and potatoes. It smelled heavenly, and Layla’s stomach growled on cue. But she forced herself to settle for a few grabbed slices of steak and strode for the door.
“No dinner, Cap?”
“Save some for me. I want to brief Xavier before the night gets started.”
“No guarantees.”
“Assholes,” she called over her shoulder. They’d save something. She hoped.
Activity in the vampire wing was in full swing when she approached the first guard point. The vamp either recognized her, or had been told to let her pass, because though his eyes lit with a red glow for a moment or two, he stood aside before she reached him and let her walk by.
Xavier’s office door stood open, which seemed innocent enough. But she still hesitated before walking slowly into the room, every sense on alert.
“Whom did you expect?”
The velvety dark voice came from the open door behind her, making her whirl, knife in hand. Xavier stood there alone, head tilted curiously as he gave the knife a pointed glance and lifted his gaze to her face. “What do you think you could do with that?”
“Nothing. You startled me, that’s all. It’s automatic.”
He closed the door behind him and strolled past her to the small bar. “Drink?” he asked, pouring himself some of the wine.
“No, thanks.”
He spun as gracefully as a dancer and took a sip from his glass. “I assume you wanted to see me.”
She did, but now that she was there, now that he’d reminded her oh-so-subtly of the overwhelming power he possessed, she considered what his reaction might be to her information. Not the information itself, but her method of retrieving it. She gave a mental shrug. She’d known all of that going in, and it hadn’t stopped her. Her team was hers to command. Besides, he hadn’t explicitly forbidden the mission. Mostly because he’d been asleep and unable to consult on it, but still . . .
Oh, get on with it, Layla. When did you become such a wuss?
He said nothing, just stood there looking gorgeous, while regarding her with slightly amused indulgence. Her back and her resolve stiffened. Smug bastard.
“We acquired some useful intel today,” she said, retrieving her phone from a pants pocket. Unlocking it, she pulled up the interior images and held out the phone to him.
His expression once more curious, he set down his drink and took the phone. He didn’t say anything as he scrolled through the images, stopping more than once to study a particular image more closely.
“I’ve worked up a sketch of the layout based on what we saw today, and what we judge from the exterior. It’s on my tablet, but I can send it to you, if you give me the number or email where you want it.”
He handed her phone back, picked up his drink, took another sip, and set it down again. “That’s excellent . . . if I planned to take the compound,” he added, eyes no longer amused.
She stared for a moment, trying to understand what he meant. “Of course, we’re hitting the compound. That’s the only sure location for Sakal.”
“Is it?”
She noticed for the first time that he’d gone still, muscles flexing under a tight, long-sleeved T-shirt, and eyes flat with anger.
“You’re not going to attack him there,” she said slowly. “When was this decided? And don’t you think that’s something I should have known?”
“You wouldn’t have needed to know, if you’d informed me of your plans ahead of time,” he said in a calm, rational voice that was utterly belied by the growing pewter fire in his eyes.
A matching fire began to burn in her gut as her own anger rose to meet his. “My team is not under your command.”
“Aren’t they?” he snarled right back. “Aren’t they, and you, living in my Fortalesa?”
“Yes, of course, but—”
“And am I not in sole command of the entire Fortalesa? Or were the barracks exempted from my rule, and I’ve forgotten?”
She ground her teeth at the snide addition. “You know damn well—”
He took two steps closer so quickly that he was standing a breath away before she saw him move. “Then tell me, Layla, why did you conduct this mission without telling me?”
She stared up at him with narrowed eyes and spoke slowly, enunciating every word. “It was an opportunity to gain intel. We took advantage of it. It happens.”
“Not in my world,” he replied the same way.
“I hate you,” she hissed.
An unexpected grin lit his face. “No, you don’t.”
And before she could stop him, he’d wrapped one powerful arm around her waist, and the other over her shoulder, hand fisted around her braid, as he lowered his head and took her mouth in a hot, demanding kiss.
She wanted to shove him away, to punch that rock-hard gut and curse at him. Instead, she met his mouth with a hungry groan, going up on her toes and opening her lips to deepen the kiss. His arms tightened until there wasn’t a millimeter of space between them, while her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers tugging his hair.
His hold firmed as he walked her backwards, all but carrying her until the edge of the conference table hit her thighs. He kept moving, settling her on the table, spreading her legs, and stepping between them—all without releasing her mouth, his kiss destroying any lingering resistance beneath a wave of desire. Layla had never felt as alive as she did in that moment. Every inch of her body, from her skin down to muscle and bone, and oh God, her heart, was so full of need, so full of . . . love, damn it. Tears burned the backs of her eyes, and she was grateful he couldn’t see. Had she thought she could walk away from this man? That she hated him? What a fool she’d been. She never should have come back here, but it was too late now. Too late.
She must have whispered that last against his lips, because he pulled back to see her face, his gaze searching her eyes. “Layla?” he murmured, even as he gave her mouth a look so blatantly carnal that she felt a rush of hot desire pulse between her thighs. She moaned, her eyes closing against a staggering tide of need for this man. This vampire.