“So?” Thom prompted. “Can I get your number?”
I wavered, seriously considering it. But I wanted a quick one-night flirtation, maybe some hot sex. Not a relationship. So instead of denying him, I looped my arms around his neck and pulled him down to meet my lips.
He didn’t hesitate in kissing me back, his lips hot and hungry as his arms banded around my waist. Goddamn , it felt good to be all pressed up against a good-looking man. I curved my body against him, moaning as his tongue delved deeper into my mouth.
Okay, so he wasn’t the best kisser in the world. Little too much saliva and the stale taste of beer on his breath. But you know what? It wasn’t the be-all and end-all. So long as he could take directions and make me come… that’s all that mattered, right? It wasn’t like I wanted to marry him.
“Come to think of it,” Jude called out from half a block away, “you two take your time. I’ll leave the door unlocked, Danny!” Her laughter echoed in the crisp night air, but fucking whatever . This was her intention all along.
“Fucking hell, you’re so sexy, Danny,” Thom groaned as he ground his medium-sized erection against me. “My buddy probably won’t even be home for ages. We could go there… I’m on his couch, though.”
Oh… sex on a stranger’s couch. Tempting. But part of me probably preferred a quickie around the corner in the alleyway beside the trash. At least then I didn’t need to do an awkward dance to leave again later.
Thom seemed to read my mind, glancing in the direction I’d just looked. Then he gave a low, husky laugh. “Danny, dirty girl. You like fucking in public?” He didn’t wait for my answer, just grabbed my hand and headed for the alley.
Damn. Why was I suddenly finding him ten times less attractive than before he’d kissed me? There was a lot to be said for the sexual tension without the sex… and Thom was no longer doing it for me.
Before I needed to bullshit my way out of ever seeing Thom again, a loud gunshot cracked through the night. I acted on instinct, knocking Thom to the ground and grabbing my concealed Glock 42 and scanning for our attacker.
“Whoa, what the hell?” Thom exclaimed, sounding irritated. “It was just a car backfiring. Chill out, Danny.”
When no further shots came, I reluctantly let him up but didn’t put my gun away. Not until I was sure no one was shooting at us.
“Is that a gun ?” Thom stared at my weapon like I was brandishing a hissing viper. “Okay, you know what? I think it’s probably time I called it a night.” Not waiting for me to object—not that I planned to—he hurried away down the street but not before I caught the words crazy bitch muttered under his breath.
Great. So much for a fun one-night stand.
I scanned the area again, searching for the shooter, but came up blank. Maybe it had been a car backfiring? Yeah, not likely. I didn’t make mistakes like that. To confirm my suspicions, I spotted a bullet lodged into the brick wall just outside the alleyway I’d planned to fuck Thom in.
Someone definitely took a shot at us. So I remained cautious and kept my gun in hand as I headed toward Jude’s apartment and was distinctly disappointed when I made it inside without any more incident.
7
I t was a damn good thing my Guild mentor had her throat slit five years earlier, because she’d be having a field day with my recent choices. Still, her being long dead didn’t stop that little voice in my head sneering at my uncharacteristic lack of control or mocking my obsessive tendencies that she’d worked so hard to stamp out.
Fuck that bitch, though. If I wanted her continued opinions, I wouldn’t have killed her.
Admittedly, taking a shot at that guy mauling Danny last night hadn’t been my most rational moment. It had the desired effect, though, making the handsy fuck back off. Had he seriously been thinking of dragging her into that dirty, trash-filled alleyway to fuck?
Disgusting.
I’d left it at scaring him off, choosing to keep an eye on Danny instead of following the creep. I almost thought she’d spotted me at one point, too. Holy hell, it’d gotten my blood pumping.
And now here I was, checking into a Palazzo New York hotel suite.
“There you go, Mr. Smith,” the woman behind the check-in desk said, sliding a magnetic keycard over the counter to me. “Room twelve-oh-eight. Your wife already checked in about an hour ago.”
She was early.
“I have a reservation in our restaurant for you tonight at eight, is that correct?”
I dipped my head in a nod. “Yes, that sounds right. Thank you”—I checked her nametag and offered a dazzling smile—“Rebecca. You’ve been great.”
She flushed pink at the praise, but I didn’t give it another thought as I took my keycard and picked up my suitcase. She was already checked in. I wondered what she was doing. Going over the assignment objectives? Cleaning her guns? Or showering…?
Why that thought even crossed my mind, I had no idea. Yes, I liked women, but I had very strict rules over who I screwed around with. She wasn’t an option.
I carried my own luggage—not trusting the delicate electronics inside to the bellboy who offered—and made my way up to the twelfth floor. I didn’t bother to knock, swiping my keycard and pushing the door open as soon as the green light blinked.
“Honey, I’m home,” I announced, stepping into the opulent room. It was only one of the mid-level hotel rooms, but there was no such thing as a bad room at the Palazzo.
Danny stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in just a towel, her silvery white hair damp from the shower. “Leon? What the fuck are you doing here?” Her glare hardened with suspicion. “Are you stalking me? Because I’d hate to have to put a bullet between those pretty eyes of yours.”
Oof. Yes, I was stalking her a little bit. But she thought I had pretty eyes. I liked that observation way more than I should have.
Clearing my throat, I set my luggage down and adjusted my glasses. “Last minute changes. You didn’t get the notification?” She should have, I pushed it through to her alerts myself.
Wrinkling her nose, she crossed the room to pick up her phone. “I must have just missed it when I got in the shower.”
I said nothing in return, trying really fucking hard not to stare at the long, bare expanse of her legs from beneath that towel. Or think about her lack of clothing beneath it.
“So you were planning on greeting Petr in just a towel? Lucky him.”
She tossed her phone back onto the bed as I lifted my case onto the table. “That’s weird. I thought you data boys went through the same basic training as the rest of us.” She arched a brow. “Nudity hasn’t caused me any unnecessary modesty in a long time. Was it different for you?”
I bit my tongue to keep from saying what I wanted to say. To stop myself from telling her what I really thought about her specialist department of the Guild. Instead, I just shrugged and focused on setting up my equipment.
“No, it was the same,” I murmured. In fact, mine was worse than most. But maybe not Danny DeLuna’s. A mercenary didn’t gain a reputation like hers for skating through on passing marks.
She paused a moment before responding, like she was considering my answer. Then she shrugged. “Cool. Just checking.” Then she dropped her towel.