Arctic Fire Read online

  “I just want to help,” she replied as she looked up at him, her stubborn chin determined, defiance in her eyes.

  Fuck if he didn’t want to kiss the defiance right off her pretty little mouth. “Did nobody ever teach you that little girls should be seen and not heard, Princess?”

  Her eyes lost a little of their fight. He immediately regretted that, but he needed to make her see that he was not the nice guy she thought he was, for both of their sakes.

  “I’m not a child Daniel,” she said haughtily, as she placed her hands on her hips. He let his eyes move over her, slowly as if he was choosing a prime cut of beef.

  “Oh, I know that, Princess,” he said his voice husky as he caressed the side of her neck with his finger, causing her to shiver. “But I don’t fuck virgins,” he whispered as he moved so that his mouth was within a hair's breadth of hers.

  “Who says I want to fuck you?” she asked with bravado.

  God, the word fuck on her lips makes me hard. “Your body does,” he said as he licked a line down her neck causing her to shiver with desire. He felt her sway towards him, so he used every ounce of willpower he had to pull away from her. He gave her a cocky smirk as she narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Don’t worry, I like a woman who knows what she’s doing not a little girl playing dress up.” He moved completely away, towards the house. When he got there, he stopped and turned. “If you want to stay, you work with Mustique and Roz to get up to speed and stay the fuck out of my way.”

  He didn’t wait for a reply before pushing open the door and going inside. Walking straight to the bathroom, he paced the tiny space for a second as he tried to get the scent and the sweet taste of her out of his mind. He had wanted to scare her off, showing her a side to him that not many people saw, but instead he had made it so much worse for himself because now he’d had a taste he wasn’t sure he could stay away.

  He had known she had a crush on him for months, and the asshole that he was he liked that she wanted him. At the same time, he knew she was a no-go zone for him. In any case, it was too soon for anything other than a casual hook-up. He wasn’t sure if he could ever trust another woman after the way Claire had lied to him.

  He punched the wall hard, leaving a crack in the plaster and a cut on his knuckles. He embraced the pain, using it to help him focus on what was important. Getting this job done and getting back to his daughter. Then planning the mission to end the doctor that left his baby girl without her mother.

  Feeling calmer he left the bathroom and went in search of Will. He needed to let Zack know about Megan’s little stunt and find out what was wrong with Lucy. It wasn’t like her to be ill, in fact, he couldn’t remember her ever being ill.

  ~~~

  Roz moved away from the window, giving Daniel and Megan some privacy. Whatever was going on between those two was a fuck of a lot more complicated than she realised. She had enough of her own shit going on with Kanan to be worried about what was going on with anyone else.

  Since she had told him she couldn’t give him anything more than sex, he had been avoiding her like she had a deadly disease. When they met to go over Intel or discuss the recon findings, he only spoke when she spoke to him first or it was mission related.

  It was what she’d wanted. So why did she feel so disappointed? She didn’t realise how much she liked catching him watching her, or the fact that he always stood behind her, both physically and metaphorically. Now she felt more adrift than ever. Deep down she knew it was best for them both, but it wasn’t until she lost it that she realised how much she had come to rely on his presence in her life the last few months.

  He had neatly slotted himself into her life as if he was meant to be there, but he wasn’t—he was not in her plan. The plan only included rescuing those girls and making sure Usov was dead while her team was safe, after that there was no plan. If she made it out, then she was leaving, going back to France so that she could continue her life as the leader of Zenobi.

  She turned as Misty came in. “Hey, did we find out why Lucy didn’t show?”

  “She is sick, some sort of tummy bug. She’s livid with Megan though.”

  Roz nodded, her face neutral. “I’m not surprised. Megan seems nice but an operative she is not. You only have to move fast, and she jumps a mile. She is going to be a complete dud on this mission.”

  “Unfortunately, we have no choice, Daniel needs a date and she’s the best we have.”

  A noise from the doorway had them both turning. Megan was standing there as a blush crept up her face, hurt and humiliation in her eyes.

  “Fuck, sorry,” Misty said.

  Roz watched as Megan inched her way in, wariness clouding her as she looked at them. She and Misty probably scared the crap out of her. Moving close to her Roz looked her over as she slipped a piece of Korovka candy into her mouth. She had thought that she had cracked this particular addiction, but somehow it made her feel closer to the man she had rejected. And wasn’t that as fucked up as it got.

  “Well, you certainly know how to fuck up a mission!” she exclaimed as she looked down at Megan. The girl was pretty, looked a fuck of a lot like Lucy actually, only younger and way more innocent. From what she knew, the girl was freakishly clever though, gaining her Ph.D. in Microbiology by the time she was twenty-three. Hazel eyes looked away from Roz as she stared at her wondering what her end game was.

  Roz reached out to firmly grasp her chin, forcing her to look at her. “Rule number one, never show fear or weakness. Even if you are scared enough to piss your pants, you look that fucker in the eye, no matter the situation. Fear is what they feed on.” She let go and Meg nodded. “Now, get your ass in here and close the door. We need to see what we are working with. We have twenty-four hours to make sure you don’t get anyone killed by acting like a pussy.”

  Megan walked in and dropped her bag on the floor before slipping off her jacket. The girl had the innocent eyes of someone much younger. Roz idly wondered if she had ever been that innocent. Her body, however, was that of a knockout, yes, she could work with this. A curvy ass and fabulous rack. If she kept everyone’s eyes on her tits and ass, maybe they wouldn’t notice the virginal innocence that surrounded her.

  “Turn,” Roz said as she twirled her finger around indicating for Megan to twirl around.

  “You have a great ass,” Misty said as she grinned at Roz. Megan blushed and looked down.

  “Look up,” Roz barked, making Megan jump. “If one of these men gives you a compliment tomorrow night and you blush and act like a fucking nun, then our cover is blown. Look them in the eye, smile, and say thank you.”

  Tears filled Megan’s eyes and Roz tired not to roll her eyes. She wasn’t used to this girly shit, but she realised to get them through this she would need to tone it down and practice a more encouraging tone.

  Slumping on the bed, Megan looked defeated. “What was I thinking, I can’t do this. I will never be Lucy, I don’t know why I was pretending to or even trying.”

  Roz sat beside her with Misty on the other side. “Why are you here?”

  “Because I wanted to help. Do you have any idea how it feels to be an outsider in your own family? Everyone knows each other’s quirks, and the love they have for each other, it makes me feel guilty as if I’m an interloper. Everyone has been so kind, and I love all of them, I just wanted to help show them I’m worthy of them all.”

  Something about the girl’s words got to Roz. She understood that feeling of not being good enough, of needing to justify her existence. She decided then and there that she would make sure this girl got back to her family and give her some much-needed self-worth at the same time.

  “Okay.”

  “Just okay?” Meg asked suspiciously.

  “Yes, those are your reasons and I respect that, so let’s make sure you don’t fuck up.”

  “You’ll help me?” she said with incredulity, her voice thick with tears.

  “Yes, we’ll help you, but cut that em
otional shit out. I can’t be coping with snivelling and snot,” Roz grumbled.

  Megan instantly wiped her eyes, trying to hide the smile on her face.

  “Now we need to figure out what you can do. Misty will take you through some self-defence and I’ll help with some other tricks.”

  “Lucy has been showing me some stuff,” Megan said eagerly as Roz nodded and walked to the door.

  “Good. Now let’s gets started.”

  Megan had no idea how welcome this distraction was right now and as Roz followed Misty and Meg outside, passing Kanan who was coming from the kitchen. She was almost able to ignore the rush of feeling he evoked in her as he brushed past her—almost.

  Chapter Ten

  “Good Megan, well done. Your reactions are getting quicker every time,” Roz said as she watched Megan break the stranglehold Drew had her in. She had started her training off with Mustique, but Roz had quickly realised that Megan could do more than they’d first thought. Lucy had taught her well and the girl was a quick study.

  Moving her on to Drew made her think about her technique rather than the fact that she and Mustique were equally matched size wise. If Megan allowed doubt to creep in when she was handled by a bigger opponent, then she would fail. So far, she had surprised them all.

  “How’s she doing?” Daniel said as he came to stand beside her.

  Roz looked over at him, he was watching Megan with a critical eye, his arms crossed defensively. “She’s doing well. She can break a hold and a strangle and has a couple of blocks and attacks under her belt. Whether she can do any of that under pressure or in the heat of the moment, who knows?” She shrugged her shoulders as she glanced at the sky and the clouds gathering there.

  Daniel hadn’t taken his eyes off Megan, his dark brows drawn together as he watched Drew grab her by the arm. “Let’s hope we don’t have to find out,” he said as they both watched as she broke the hold and put Drew in an arm lock. “The things you asked for just arrived so if you need to check it over then do so,” he said as he strode away.

  Roz continued to watch as Drew put Megan through her paces until the woman was dead on her feet. Sweat covered her brow despite the freezing temperatures.

  “Okay, that’s enough,” Roz called. Moving towards them she smothered a smile as Megan bent double trying to catch her breath. “Lucy taught you well.”

  Megan looked up, holding a finger for her to wait as she caught her breath. “Thanks,” she breathed as Drew laughed. He wasn’t even breathing hard Roz noticed, impressed with how gentle he had been with Megan.

  Drew was young and a little hot-headed sometimes not to mention a total man-whore from what she heard, but he was sincere and had a loyal and honourable heart. She had seen a wildness in him though, one she hadn’t seen before the revelations about Rhea Winslow. Poor fucker, it must be a bitter pill to swallow knowing you were related to that kind of evil. It was something she could relate to. Not that it was her problem, she wasn’t sure when she had started caring about people so much. Honestly, she could do without it now.

  “Thanks, Drew,” Roz said as he walked towards the house.

  “Yeah, thanks, Drew,” Megan called as she straightened up.

  “No problem, always fun to get my hands on a pretty woman,” he grinned.

  Megan laughed, Roz would bet any money that that grin let him get away with a multitude of sins.

  “Come on, let’s get inside out of the cold. You did okay Megan,” she said giving out a rare compliment.

  “I did better than okay,” Megan said as she smiled at Roz.

  Roz tried to maintain the stern look she had with her team but found herself fighting a lip twitch, the girl was gaining some confidence, it suited her. “You did okay,” she repeated, but let the tiny curl of her lips show.

  ~~~

  It was nearly midnight and she couldn’t sleep. Her stitches were itching as the wound began to heal and she couldn’t relax. Her mind kept going over the plan for tomorrow. She had made Megan try on the dress she ordered for her earlier and had no doubt whatsoever that Usov would be unable to keep his filthy eyes off her.

  The long floor length skirt was black satin in a fishtail style and cut to the hip in a daring yet elegant slash, the white beaded bodice was cut out on either side from hip to rib with a deep v neck that showed off her cleavage to perfection. Megan had looked absolutely stunning in it and Roz had no doubt that not a man in the room would be able to keep his eyes off her.

  Thankfully Will had picked an alias for Daniel that had a reputation as an over-protective asshole, so he would be able to keep Megan beside him without raising too many red flags. The last thing they needed was one of those animals getting near Megan.

  Roz had a long conversation with Lucy and Dane over skype earlier about the plan. She was clearly loved by her siblings but they all seemed to be struggling with the new dynamic in their family. They obviously loved her but figuring out the best way for them to gel would take longer.

  Taking out a Korovka candy she unwrapped it, popping it in her mouth. Sitting on the old well she breathed in the cold air, watching as she breathed out and the warm hit the cold. She let it clear her mind of all the froth and dross that was clouding her thoughts. She didn’t know why she cared so much about Megan, but she felt a kindred spirit with her, a sadness that she could relate to.

  Seeing a shadow cross the door to the cottage she watched as Kanan opened it and stepped through. He stopped dead when he saw her, his body going stiff.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know you were out here,” he said as he turned to go back in.

  Her heart thumped, she didn’t want him to go. There was the very real chance that she would not be coming back from this mission. She was fine with that, but she craved him like a drug, wanting to feel his hands on her one more time. She knew that it was unlikely, but at this point, she would settle for being close to him.

  “Stay,” she called, and his back went rigid. He didn’t move a muscle for what felt like a lifetime. A rush of air left her lungs when he turned and walked towards her. He was so beautiful. She knew he would laugh if she said that to him and she never would, but he really was a beautiful specimen of the male beast.

  It was everything about him including his eyes with their ever-changing colours, and long, thick black lashes. His dark hair, with just a few flecks of silver, made him even sexier in her book. His loose-limbed walk was predatory and oh, so sexy. Kanan was muscular and built but not massive like Drew or Nate. He was the perfect mix of muscle and leanness, with a six pack that made her body weak, and a smattering of dark hair that covered his chest and angled down into a happy trail that made her mouth water.

  God, she missed him. Everything about him, the way he made her feel, the fun they had. The sex, Oh, God., The sex! He sat beside her leaving some space between them. She could feel the heat from his body as his scent tickled her nose, spice and musk bringing memories of happier times.

  “Megan’s training went well,” he said. The electricity in the air was almost crackling between them.

  “I don’t want to talk about Megan,” she said quietly.

  He sighed beside her and she regretted that she had done that to him. “What do you want Roz?” he asked.

  She could almost feel the breath he held as he waited for her answer. She wished she could give him the answer he wanted but she couldn’t. All she had to offer was tonight, tomorrow was not promised and for her, it wasn’t even a strong possibility. “You, me, us one more time.”

  Silence met her words, and she felt disappointment weigh on her as he stood up slowly without saying anything. Dropping her head, she looked at her hands in her lap. She should apologise, it wasn’t fair to play with his emotions like this. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t…” she didn’t finish as he interrupted her.

  “Shut up, Roz,” he growled, causing her to look up in surprise. The fire flashing in his eyes was hot with desire as he stepped closer before he grabbed her behind her nec
k and stepped between her legs, his hardness flush with her heat. She went willingly, knowing that no matter how dominant he was he would never hurt her.

  “I’m going to fuck you so hard, you’re going to feel me for days, then I’m going to make love to you until you're screaming my name. I’m going to spoil you for any other man, Kitten.” He crashed his mouth to hers, in a kiss that was dominant and yet sensual. He took as she gave until they were both moaning with need.

  “I need to be inside you,” he rasped as he broke their kiss.

  “Let’s go,” she said as she jumped down and tugged him towards the door. He didn’t realise that he had spoiled her for other men years ago.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kanan practically dragged her through the door to the room he was sharing with Zin. Thank fuck he and Mustique were out on recon tonight because at this point he was so desperate to be inside her that he would have fucked her in front of Old Trafford.

  When he’d stepped outside he’d had no idea that his not being able to sleep would lead to this. He had almost gone back inside when she asked him to stay. Being around Roz was torture and he’d tried to stay away from her for that reason.

  Pushing through the door, his mouth was on her as his hands grabbed her ass, lifting her so that she cradled his dick in her warm heat. He kicked the door shut with his booted foot and walked her backwards to the bed.

  Turning he sat so that she was straddling his thighs. Her hands pushed at his jacket as her mouth found his, kissing him with a passion that he’d only ever felt with her. Her tongue touched his and he growled in his throat as he tasted her. Pulling back, he lifted her shirt over her head as she pulled at his buttons, he heard a couple ping across the floor and didn’t give a fuck if she ripped them all off.

  He took a second to admire her as her beautiful breasts heaved, almost mesmerising him as the simple black bra struggled to contain them. Fuck she was magnificent!