Bad Attitude (B.A.D. Agency #1)(26)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

She considered contacting Andre, until she glanced over at the assassin behind her. Given the weirdness of Steele’s job interview, it might be better to go this alone. The last thing she wanted was to put Andre in any danger. Granted, he could handle himself, but then so could she.

Her heart stopped as she realized something. “The assassin’s phone…” They could trace him right to their door.

She didn’t realize that she’d spoken aloud until she heard Jack in her ear. “Relax, cookie. Jack already took care of it.”

“How?”

“There’s a steel box at your feet. You see it?”

She looked down. “Yes.”

“It’s plated so that nothing inside it can carry a signal. I stuck both their phones in there while you were tending J.D. Not to mention, you’re far enough underground that it’s unlikely even without the box that a signal would carry out to a tower. I just don’t believe in taking chances.”

“You ever think about working for the government again, Jack?”

“Time to time it crosses my mind. Then I go have lunch with friends at Langley, and that instantly kills all thoughts of it. I like my life, such as it is. What about you?”

“I liked it better when I didn’t look like Angelina Jolie.”

He laughed at that. “Don’t feel so bad, Syd. I personally think you’re a lot prettier.”

In spite of herself, his words warmed her. “You’re an old charmer, Jack. You keep talking like that, and you might get into trouble.”

“Nah, I’ve seen the way J.D. looks at you. I’ve never been the kind of man to trespass on another one’s territory.”

She scoffed. “The only thing Steele wants is to toss my butt out of his life.”

Jack became so silent that for a minute she thought she’d lost their connection.

“Jack?”

“You’re an agent, Syd. Don’t tell me you’re not more observant of people than that.”

Now it was her turn to be quiet. “I, uh…I’ve got work to do.”

“And I’ve got steaks to burn.”

She heard a click, as if he’d cut communication with her. Taking the earpiece off, she flipped the monitor off and went to check on Steele. She wasn’t sure why she felt the sudden urge to look in on him, but she did.

She found him sound asleep, lying on his side. There was something about him that was sexier than hell, even while he was unconscious. Or maybe it was because when he was unconscious, he wasn’t giving her that probing stare or making a smart-ass comment. But she had to admit that she actually liked his bizarre, often irreverent humor.

Then again, she really liked him. Period.

The bad thing was, she didn’t even know why. He was so not the type who should attract her, and yet he did.

Shaking her head, she brushed his hair back from his face. Then she trailed her finger over the stubble on his cheek. There was something about a man’s face late in the day…the ruggedness of his shadow coming in…

She bit her lip as she remembered the way he’d felt holding her while they stroked each other.

You are dangerous to me, Steele.To her sanity and her convictions.

And still she wanted another taste of him.

“You keep doing that, Westbrook, and I’m going to pull you into this bed with me.”

Syd jumped back at the deep, rugged sound of Steele’s voice. “I thought you were asleep and drugged.”

“I was, but I’d have to be dead not to wake up with a woman groping me.” He opened one teasing eye to stare up at her. “Interested in someundercover work?”

She tsked at him. “And to think, I was actually having a tender thought about you. Do yourself a favor, Steele…Become mute.”

He laughed, then ended with a hiss of pain.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, but you know it’s bad when you’re on painkillers and you can still feel the bite when you move.”

He was right. “Thank you, Steele.”

Scowling, he stopped moving. “For what?”

“Seeing this through.”

“It’s what I was hired to do, right?”

“Yeah, but still…thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He reached out and captured her hand. His eyes burning into hers, he lifted it so that he could lay a tender kiss on her knuckles.

The woman inside her melted under that tender assault.

Steele gently pulled her closer to him and the bed. Syd wasn’t sure why she went, but she did. And when she was just above him, he lifted up to capture her lips with his.

Syd closed her eyes and savored the taste of him. There for a moment, she allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to be on the inside with this man. What would a relationship with him be like?

Never dull.

She laughed at the thought.

Steele pulled back with a scowl. “What was that?”

She bit her lip as she continued to smile. “I was just thinking that life with you is never boring.”

His scowl melted beneath a dazzling smile. “I’d say the same of you, Syd Vicious.”

Even though she knew she should step away from him, she traced his bottom lip with her thumb. “Jack is cooking. Are you hungry?”

“I’m sure what I want isn’t on the menu.” His gaze dropped down to her br**sts.

She knew she should be offended by that, but for once she wasn’t. “You are so stereotypical.”

“And you’re not?”

“No.”

He shook his head as he pulled her close again. “Sleep with me tonight, Syd. I want to hold you.”

“Why?”

“Because you set me on fire.” He pulled her hand down to cup the bulge in his jeans so that she could feel how hard he was for her. “Have mercy on me, Syd.”

“And how many people will you tell about it?”

“Not a soul. No one will ever know about it from my lips. I swear it.”

He was so tempting….

Syd licked her lips as she debated. “Shouldn’t you rest?”

“I’ll rest a lot better with your scent on my skin.” He kissed her gently. “C’mon, Syd. I promise you, you won’t regret it.”

She wished she was so confident, but as he gently licked and teased her lips, her resistance fell. Honestly, it would be great to be held again in the late hours.

“One night, Steele.”

He pulled back with a stunned look. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Joy spread across his face.

“But you need to get some rest now.” She gently pushed him back. “I’ll be back with food in a little while.”

His joy turned to a look of deep, dark suspicion. “You’re not just stringing me along, are you?”

“No. Trust me, this isn’t something I would ever tease about. You have one night, Steele. One.”

Steele couldn’t breathe as tried not to show just how thrilled he was. Syd bent down and gave him a quick kiss before she pulled away and headed for the door.

He wanted to follow after her, but he was too dizzy from the medicine. She was right, he needed to rest for a little while and let his body recoup. Because he fully intended to give her a night she wouldn’t forget. One that, when it was over, would have her coming back for more and more.

Thirteen

Syd finished up her steak, which was as burnt as Jack had promised. But she ate it without complaint as she watched their “friend,” who was still unconscious, on the couch. She didn’t know what was in store for them tomorrow. Most likely more of the same—mischief, mayhem, bloodshed. Heck, Steele would probably get shot again, the way his luck was working.

Sighing at the thought, she scooted off the stool. “Where should I—”

“Just leave it on the table there, and I’ll take care of it,” Jack said as he handed a piece of steak to Cletus, who greedily snatched it from him and chewed it.

Syd took Steele’s plate and grabbed a can of soda before she headed back to his room. She veered off to the bathroom to grab a few supplies before she went across the hallway.

She pushed the door open to find Steele asleep. She smiled at the sight of him stretched across the bed—at least, until she saw the blood on the sheets from where he’d started bleeding again. She cringed at the sight. Poor guy. It amazed her that he was able to sustain such injuries and not complain about them. Most of the guys in BAD tended to whine like babies whenever they were hurt.

Moving to the nightstand, she placed the plate and soda there before she sat on the edge of the mattress. “Steele?” she said, shaking him gently.

“Syd?” His voice was deep and ragged, and he whispered her name as if in a dream.

“It’s me.”

“You got your gun?”

She frowned at his odd question. “Yes.”

“Then put me out of my misery.”

“Ahhh,” she said as she cuddled up behind him. So much for him not complaining, but then she supposed he had every right to. “Poor baby. You’ve had a really crappy day.”

He rolled over to look at her. “Yes, I have. And I hope you’re here to make it better.”

She smiled as he pouted. Good grief, the man was delectable. It was all she could do not to lean forward and suck that lip between hers for a long, hot kiss.

She brushed her hand against his taut arm as her heart started pounding. “How’s the knife wound?”

“I’m relatively sure I’ll live, barring infection or a new knife wound to my heart.”

She cocked her head as she watched him watch her. “I brought you steak and mashed potatoes.” She reached over to it and pulled it across the nightstand until she could pick it up and hand it to him.

Steele pushed himself up with a grimace.

“Here,” she said, taking the knife and fork away from him. “You rest your arm, and I’ll cut it for you.”

She saw the relief on his face. “Thanks.”

She cut the steak up, then offered him the fork. He captured her hand with his before he placed a sweet kiss over her knuckles.

“Why do you do that?” she asked.

“Do what?”

“Kiss my hand so much.”

His eyes scorched her with heat. “I like the way your skin smells. You use some kind of scented lotion.”

“Rose milk.”

He nodded. “It makes me want to take a bite out of you.”

But instead, he took a bite of the steak and then found out what she had…Jack couldn’t cook.

Making a face at the charred taste, he chewed for several minutes before he swallowed.

Syd passed the soda over to him.

“I think I lost a tooth,” he said before he took a drink.

She laughed. “He means well.”

Steele looked skeptically at the plate before he tasted the potatoes.

“Betty Crocker,” she told him with a smile.

“Oh, thank God.”

Syd bit back her laughter this time. “Yeah, it’s hard to mess those up.” She watched him eat for a few minutes as she thought about their crusty host. “So why do you call Jack ‘Gator’ sometimes?”

Steele took a second to clear his throat before he answered. “When he was in the Army, he once got dropped into a pool of them by mistake. The Army was sure he was completely eaten, but they did a reconnaissance, and when they found him, he was surrounded by the body of ten gators he’d shot while waiting for them to remember where they’d put him. As a lark they started calling him Gator King, which later got shortened to just Gator.”

“Ew!” she said, cringing at the thought of finding herself in a pond of gators. Even Jack had to have been terrified of such a thing. But it made her wonder about Steele. “What about you? Did they ever nickname you?”

“Steele pretty much says it all.”

Yes, it did. It was extremely apropos.

“But,” he said as he continued, “my code name was Azrael.”

“Azrael?”

“The angel of death.”

And that was probably even more fitting.

“So what about you?” Steele asked before he took another bite of potatoes. “Do you have a spook name?”

“Cobra.”

He gave her an arched look. “Any special significance to that?”

“Quick and deadly, and I like to lie low until I have the perfect moment to strike.”

He toyed with her hand, stroking her fingers with his. “We have a lot in common.”

Funny, now that she thought about it, he was right. They did have a lot in common. Sarcasm, professionalism, and the innate need to protect those around them. Not to mention a few other less desirable traits, such as the tendency to keep everyone else at a distance.

“Did you ever think about doing something other than the military?” she asked.

He braved another bite of the steak. “When I was a kid, I used to think about being a race car driver.”

She could see him doing something like that. It was yet another profession that would take a lot of guts, and nerves of…steel. “Why didn’t you pursue it?”

He snorted. “Are you kidding? My father was one bad-ass sniper. You didn’t argue with a man who was trained to kill. When I told him I wanted to go to college, I thought he was going to snap an aneurism. We compromised only if I agreed to take ROTC and do my service afterward.” He shook his head. “Then when my sister tried to sign up, he went wild on her.”

“Why?”

“In his mind, women shouldn’t be in the military. Her job was to look pretty, get married, and have kids. Not exactly Tina’s goals in life.”

What a throwback his dad must be. “I’ll bet Tina didn’t take that well.”

“Not at all. Her and my father were really close until she hit puberty and he pretty much stopped talking to her except to correct her behavior. When we were little, I think he forgot the fact that she wasn’t a boy. He used to take her hunting and fishing with us, but the minute it became obvious she was female, he started leaving her home for our trips.”