Iron Willed Warrior (Last Refuge Protectors #5)

10. Cole

CHAPTER TEN

Cole

I got to the bar a couple minutes before eight. The place was packed, even more than the night before. Guns N’ Roses blasted through the speakers. I pushed through the crowd, scanning for Brynn, but she wasn’t here yet. So I pulled up to the bar instead, finding a sliver of space at the end.

I’d spent all afternoon reviewing the files on Garon Westwick and the preparations for the mission. Brynn’s task force, along with River’s hacker network, had been hard at work. I’d been relieved to see how thoroughly they’d outlined the situation. Blueprints of the resort, profiles of other guests who had already booked rooms. Had to hand it to the Feds. They’d done well with this one, and I gave a lot of the credit to Brynn.

If anything, I should’ve been feeling more relaxed tonight now that Brynn and I had reached some kind of understanding and we’d solidified our cover stories. But instead, my fingers tapped impatiently against the bar top. I wasn’t a fan of surprises, yet this mission kept delivering one after the other.

Earlier, when she had challenged me to prove I could be a convincing boyfriend… Let’s just say, I didn’t have to rely on my nonexistent acting skills. I was attracted to her. No denying it. Which was great for pulling off this fake relationship thing. But sure as hell inconvenient when it came to not blurring the lines.

After a few minutes, Dean made his way over to me. “Here again? I thought you got enough whiskey last night.”

“That’s why I’m sticking with beer.” I ordered something on the lighter side. A session ale that wasn’t heavy on the alcohol. “I’m meeting Brynn.”

Dean poured my beer and brought it over. “I can’t figure the two of you out. Are you at each other’s throats? Or did you find your vibe?”

“Hell if I know,” I muttered. “Technically, we’re working tonight. Practicing.”

“Practicing? Do I want to know what it is you’ll be practicing?”

“Just don’t be surprised by how we’re acting tonight.”

Dean laughed, clearly confused. But he would catch on fast. He knew we had to get our cover stories straight.

Truth was, I didn’t know what to expect tonight either. What had happened earlier… Jeez, it had been a challenge not to get hard when I’d been right there in front of her, giving her the thorough eye-fuck that I had been denying myself since we’d met.

But that attraction wasn’t the reason I had suggested tweaking our cover story. By playing her boyfriend, I would be able to stay close to her at all times. Brynn would have to be alone with Westwick at some point, but I could make sure that happened on her terms when she was ready. I didn’t put anything past that asshole. Maybe he preferred to sit back and let his Stillwater lieutenants get their hands dirty. But if he’d held his nineteen-year-old nanny prisoner inside his house, then he was capable of plenty.

The whole idea was that Brynn would make herself irresistible. I had to be in the position to step in if her methods proved a little too effective.

But contrary to my claims, I had zero acting ability. I’d been all confidence and bravado with her earlier. Now, the real test would come. I much preferred a straightforward approach. Both with work and with women. Playing games was not my thing.

I checked my watch and noticed with annoyance that Brynn was ten minutes late. Where was she?

Then the crowd parted as several heads turned. Axl Rose wailed on the sound system. My jaw wanted to drop, but I kept it firmly in place.

Dean said, “Wait, is that Brynn ?”

She had worn thigh-high, stiletto boots. A denim skirt about the size of a postage stamp. And a tight tank top that showed off her assets. Her hair was down, draping in long dark waves around her face and past her shoulders. More makeup than before, which somehow made her appear younger and more vixenish at the same time.

Dean set down the glass he was drying. “Didn’t know all that was hiding behind the government fa?ade. I mean, wow.”

I glared at him. “Watch it.”

He laughed, holding up his hands. “Didn’t mean anything by it. Not like I’m going to make any moves on her. Are you?”

“My concern is purely professional.”

“Sure it is.”

Brynn’s eyes found mine, though her expression didn’t change. She walked up to the other side of the bar, resting her elbows casually on the top, an easy smile on her lips.

Shit .

“By the way,” Dean said, “you have a little drool right here.” He pointed at the corner of his mouth. Immediately I went to wipe my face, finding nothing, and the jerk cracked up.

“Fuck you. I’m supposed to be working.”

“Good luck then, my friend.”

Turning away from Dean, I leaned back against the bar to watch my undercover partner. I was far from the only man who’d noticed her. The guy right next to her turned to face her, leaning in to say something. She shrugged.

Should I go over there? Or sit here and keep drinking my beer? All I knew was that the tug of possessiveness in my belly was very real. The hell was up with me? I’d known the woman for less than two days.

It was this stuff about Garon Westwick. The knowledge that Brynn intended to use herself as bait. And the memory of what had happened to Luciana. That had to explain why I was suddenly so protective of a former FBI agent who didn’t even like me.

I had to sort this out in my head. She was in character. That was the point of tonight. To practice our cover stories. I chugged the rest of my beer as I stood, set it on the bar, and put her in my sights.

She wanted to see if I could hold my own as her fake boyfriend? Brynn was about to see exactly how convincing I could be.

I started pushing my way through the crowd.

Another bartender, a woman, was taking Brynn’s order. The guy next to her pulled out his wallet, clearly intending to pay. Brynn smiled sweetly, her straight white teeth flashing without a trace of her usual attitude. Way too innocent. I wasn’t sure I liked that.

Then she put her hand on the guy’s arm, and I definitely didn’t like that.

There were still a few people between us, and they scowled at me when I tried to push past them, so all I could do was watch. The bartender poured mixers into a shaker, while Brynn spoke to the guy beside her. He wore an expensive ski jacket and had a pair of neon green sunglasses perched on his head.

“What’s your name, beautiful?” Green Sunglasses slurred loudly. Couldn’t have been older than twenty-five, and he swayed like he’d already had one tequila shot too many.

“Brianna.”

“Sexy name for a sexy girl.” The guy was flirting with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, his body language all cocky smugness. He had to be the most obnoxious guy in this place, and Brynn had zeroed in on him in five seconds.

The kid tugged a thick roll of bills from his wallet and tossed it onto the bar top. Even the bartender rolled her eyes as she set a martini glass down and took the money.

The kid leaned in and murmured something in Brynn’s ear. Then his hand landed on her hip and slid toward her butt.

Oh, hell no.

Brynn’s smile widened dangerously. I could tell she wanted to punch him for whatever he’d just said. But she didn’t. Instead, she eyed me on her periphery. A challenge. What are you going to do, Cole?

She was playing her role, so I had better play mine.

“Excuse me,” I said to the other people waiting. I ignored their complaints that I was cutting in line. I reached Brynn and slid my arm around her waist. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“You know this old guy?” Green Sunglasses asked.

Old guy ? Was this kid serious?

I pulled her closer, the lines of her body meeting mine, and was gratified when the smug kid’s hand got knocked aside. I wasn’t a super possessive guy by nature. I rarely got jealous, and that was something that my ex-wife had complained about. Among the many things that hadn’t pleased her about me. But right now, the act felt all too natural.

Brynn shrugged. “This is Cameron. He’s my boyfriend.”

“ Boyfriend ? But I just bought you a drink.”

I spared a glance for the kid she’d been flirting with. He looked annoyed, and I didn’t blame him. The man was an innocent bystander in this dress rehearsal of ours. Even if he did seem like a dipshit.

“I’ll pay you back,” I said. “She doesn’t need anyone to buy her drinks but me.”

The kid lifted his chin. “Fuck you, dude,” he slurred. “If you were satisfying her, she wouldn’t be dressing that way.”

I took a quick, threatening step in his direction. The kid stumbled back, knocking into a woman. Her beer spilled all over him. There were shouts.

Brynn grabbed my arm and pulled me in the opposite direction through the crowd. Along the way, she ditched the martini on an empty table.

When we reached a shadowed corner, she spun around to face me, her hand still on my arm. She was laughing. “I’d say that went well for a first try.”

“But did you have to pick the most asinine idiot in the room to cozy up to?”

“Couldn’t help it. I seem to be a magnet for those.”

“You’re having way too much fun with this.”

“It was pretty funny.”

“Won’t be funny when it’s Garon Westwick you’re flirting with.”

“No, but that guy was no Garon Westwick.”

I glowered over my shoulder in the direction of the bar. The kid’s green sunglasses were still visible on top of his head. Looked like he was wiping himself off and arguing with someone else. Probably the woman he’d bumped into. The kid was irrelevant, but I still wanted to teach him a lesson for his behavior to Brynn. A visceral lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.

This was why I hated undercover work. Playing a character, constantly switching gears. I preferred to keep things simple.

Track down the threat. Neutralize it. The end .

Brynn wrapped her arms around my neck. In those heeled boots, she was as tall as me. Eye to eye. Chest to chest.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

She brought her lips close enough to brush my ear. “I’m practicing, Cameron . The reason we came here tonight. The boyfriend story was your idea, if you recall.”

Trickles of heat flowed through my veins. “Only because you insist on using yourself as a honey trap. I’m still not crazy about that plan.”

“You did well with the jealous boyfriend act, though. I almost believe you’re attracted to me.”

Because you make me want to push you up against the nearest wall and ravage your mouth , I responded silently. How’s that for attraction?

But more than that, I was worried for her. I didn’t like emotions getting in the way of my work, and with this woman? All my wires were getting crossed. I was so far out of my element with this mission.

She rubbed her cheek against my stubbled one. My hands found her hips, and Brynn started swaying seductively to the Led Zeppelin song now playing on the speakers. Never thought you could slow dance to “Black Dog,” but Brynn was making it work.

“You’re being all stiff and awkward.” She laughed softly and pulled back a bit so our eyes met again. Her lashes fluttered. “Where’s that look you gave me earlier? The one at Keira’s house. Like you…you know, like you were crazy for me.”

“You mean, for Brianna.”

“Exactly. There’s a lot we haven’t worked out. Are Brianna and Cameron a new couple? Have we been together a while?” She lifted one hand to run her fingers through my short hair, and the tips of her nails scratched against my scalp. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation and letting myself relax.

“A few months,” I said. “New enough that Cameron is unreasonably territorial.”

She nodded. “But also long enough that Brianna knows how to soothe him.”

“Seems like she does.” Everything else in the bar faded, and my vision tunneled on the woman in front of me. “What about kissing?”

Her eyes widened. “What about it?”

“Is that off limits? Just trying to figure out how far this practice is supposed to go.”

“I mean…no. Not off limits. We’ll probably have to.” Her voice had dipped.

“Probably. At some point. Tell me if you don’t like anything I’m doing,” I murmured. “Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.”

If she wanted to practice, I figured I might as well oblige.

I gathered her against me. Her breasts pushed into my chest. I dropped my head to press my lips to the pulse point at her neck. It thrummed wildly. Brynn tilted her head at the contact of my mouth on her skin, and her fingers tightened on the collar of my shirt. She made a soft sound, barely audible compared to the music playing overhead, but I felt it in her throat.

Fake , I reminded myself. This is all fake.

As we danced, Brynn’s eyes kept lowering to my lips. Was she in character? Had to be. But the heady cocktail of chemicals in my bloodstream, rushing straight to my cock, was the real damn thing.

Each song blended into the next. The bar lights a blur of neon in her eyes, even though I’d had only the one beer.

“You could kiss me now,” she said after a while. Barely a whisper. “Might as well get it over with.”

She made kissing me sound as exciting as getting her teeth cleaned at the dentist.

But if she wanted a kiss? Well, I could deliver.

I brought my lips to hers. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she wiggled even closer to me. Grabbed onto my shirt. I’d meant to start this gently, not going too far too fast. But she was urging me on.

My tongue traced the shape of her lower lip, and when she opened to me, I licked inside. Brynn tasted sweet. Like she’d been eating candy before she’d arrived at the bar. No trace of alcohol, because she’d left the martini the kid had bought for her. That guy didn’t matter.

Nobody mattered right now but the two of us. The way our bodies were in sync. She wanted natural, and I couldn’t imagine anything more natural than this.

I couldn’t remember the last time I just let go, gave in to exactly what I wanted. She was giving me all the signals, and at the moment, I just didn’t care what was pretend and what wasn’t.

All I could think was, More, please .

I changed the angle of the kiss, deepening it. Brynn was right there with me. Then she took over, and I loved that even more. Because this was the real Brynn, a woman who didn’t shy away from being in command. And while I didn’t take orders easily, not from anyone, I was happy to let her drive. If only so she could show me exactly how to make her feel good .

Our tongues tangled and danced, giving and taking, and it made me wonder what being in bed with her would be like. I had the feeling Brynn was no pushover when it came to sex. Like every interaction we’d had, she would make me work to be in charge, and damn, did I want that opportunity.

Then she pulled away from me with a gasp, her eyes glazed. Her lips were parted. Pink and wet from the friction against mine.

My cock was like steel. I still had my arms around her, so I separated our bodies by a few inches. “You okay?”

She breathed a laugh. Her hands went to my shoulders, as if she needed me to steady her. “I’d say we aced the assignment.” She blinked a few times. “Nice job.”

Nice job ?

Her words calmed the situation in my pants, enough that I wouldn’t embarrass myself. Right. Of course this was a job. I’d enjoyed it though, and that wasn’t a crime. In fact, I thought we were on a roll.

“Enough practice for tonight?” I asked. “Or…”

“Oh, no, that was plenty.” Brynn let go of me, breaking all contact between us like she’d flipped a switch. She looked at the ground, straightening her top. “ Definitely enough practice.”

Mentally, I wanted to slap myself. Nice job indeed, Lynx. Nice fucking job . Clearly, I was the only one who’d felt that chemistry.

But I sucked as an actor, so it was a good thing I enjoyed kissing her, wasn’t it? No way I could play the obsessive boyfriend otherwise.

This was fake, and I would just have to keep repeating that, because my body kept trying to forget it.