Mine to Crave (Mine #4)(7)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Jasmine grinned. She pulled open the door—and found herself staring right up into a pair of glinting green eyes. Very, very, angry green eyes.

“Going somewhere?” Drake drawled. Ah, there it was. The hint of the south, Mississippi if she wasn’t mistaken, rolled beneath those two words.

Her heartbeat sounded like a drum in her ears. “I was coming to find you.”

He smiled at her. She did not like that smile. Goosebumps rose onto her arms.

He stepped forward.

Jasmine fell back.

“There’s something you should know about me,” Drake said as he took another stalking step toward her.

Jasmine found herself retreating again even as her chin notched up.

Stupid move. She had to learn how to control that chin move.

He shut the door behind him. “I don’t like liars, Jasmine.”

I am so screwed. “Neither do I.”

“I f**king hate betrayal.”

Oh, crap.

His hands lifted. His hold was hard and tight as he grasped her shoulders and pulled her up against him. “Who the hell are you?”

“You’re scaring me.” Total truth there. A lot of Drake’s past had been shrouded in secrecy, and when she started searching online in order to learn more about him, she’d come across some strong government security measures. She could’ve hacked past the red tape, of course, but she hadn’t wanted to raise too many flags with Uncle Sam—or anyone else who might have been watching.

With his hold still tight on her, he pushed her back against the nearby wall. “Your name,” he gritted.

“Jasmine!” She gave it willingly enough, just as she had before. Her first name would mean nothing to him.

“Last name.”

“Bennett.” He had no reaction to her name. Awesome. Fantastic. Now to get out…Jasmine shook her head. “What is happening here?” She huffed out a hard breath and tried to look properly insulted. “Because if this is your idea of seduction, buddy, then we are totally not compatible. I was thinking we’d enjoy a few hot hours…”

His hold loosened and she yanked away from him. Since her back was against the wall, though, there wasn’t exactly any place for her to go.

“But I never thought I’d have to deal with a psychotic episode.” Jasmine drew herself up, straightening her spine but not, not notching up her chin. “I want to leave now.”

One golden brow rose. “The cameras caught you.”

Liar. When she’d set her timers earlier, she’d made sure no cameras were close by. This wasn’t amateur hour. “Caught me doing what? Having a drink at the bar?” She lifted her hands before her, trying to appear innocent and confused. “Good for the cameras.” She tried to sidle around him.

But Drake’s hand flew out and he grabbed her wrist. “The cameras in here, princess.”

Her heart sank. She’d done a quick sweep for cameras in this room. There hadn’t exactly been time for a thorough search. She hadn’t seen any, so she’d hoped… Jasmine cleared her throat. “I don’t know what kind of joke you’re trying to pull here, but it’s not funny.” Maybe he was bluffing about the cameras, just to see her reaction. She’d keep playing the injured party a bit longer and see how that worked for her. If she could just get to the door…

Wait, does he have his security team waiting in that hallway? And if they weren’t in that narrow hallway, would they be waiting for her at the elevator?

It was just not her night.

She tried to break away from him again, but he moved in a flash. He twisted his body, twisted her, and in the next moment, Jasmine found herself pinned to the wall. He was in front of her, solid, unmovable, furious. He’d pushed her wrists back against the wall, and he glared down at her.

“I thought you might like things a little rough,” she tossed that out, hoping to distract him.

His pupils seemed to swallow the green of his eyes. “You have no idea.”

That response got right past her guard. Her mouth dropped open and—and his hands flew over her body.

“Stop!” Jasmine shouted at him. “You have no right to—”

Search her? Yes, dammit, that was exactly what he was doing. She recognized a pat-down when she felt one. She’d had her share of brushes with the law over the years. When you were on your own at fifteen, staying on the right side of the law wasn’t always an option.

She tried to shove his hands away.

It was like shoving away steel.

“So I poked around your desk,” she told him, getting a little desperate now. “I was curious about you, okay? I’m not curious anymore. Not even a little bit. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I am not—”

His hand stilled near her left ankle.

Hell.

He lifted the leg of her pants. She felt the pull of the strap that held her gear set in place.

Then he rose to his feet.

She tried to grab his hand.

Too late. He’d opened his prize. He stared down at the lock picking set.

She never left home without one of those.

There was a flash drive nestled beside the lock set, too. Make that three flash drives. Some wires. A very small screw driver.

Tools of her trade.

“Jasmine…” He sighed out her name as his gaze came back to her. “I think we have a problem.”

A muscle flexed in his jaw.

I f**king hate betrayal.

Her body trembled. He was a businessman, despite those somewhat shady governmental ties. He wasn’t just going to—to—

“You came to steal from me, and now you’re going to have to pay the price.”

“I didn’t steal from you!”

He laughed at that. His laugh was rough and angry and it sure didn’t alleviate any of the tension that she felt.

His face was locked in hard, furious lines. Rage glowed in his eyes. He looked scary as hell and—

Sexy, still.

What was with her and her stupid attraction to bad boys? Would she never learn that bad boys were considered “bad” for a reason?

“I didn’t steal,” Jasmine repeated. “Check the flash drives. Nothing is on them. I came up here to be with you, not to—”

“You’re saying you still want to f**k me?”

Jasmine licked her lips.

His gaze immediately fell to her mouth.

“Tempting…” And his head lowered. Before she could speak again, his mouth was on hers. Hot and hard. Not as controlled as before. Actually, there was no control now. The kiss was wild and rough, and if she’d thought her toes curled before, well—she nearly lost her shoes then.