“Really?”
He nods. “Of course. Otherwise there’s no way you would’ve become friends with her. Unless you’re one of those firm believers that opposites attract.”
“So you think she’s a bitch and I’m really… nice?” I’m unsure if I like that word more or less than cute.
“That’s not a bad thing.” He urges me to take his hand. “But right now, you’re supposed to be being bad. So get your cute ass up and show me those sexy dance moves.”
I can tell he still seems amused by the idea that I know how to sexy dance and that he doesn’t fully believe me. While I don’t blame him for doubting me, it makes my frustration tick, like when Benton wouldn’t let me into the party.
“You don’t think I can do it, huh?” I crook my brow.
“Of course I do.” He presses his lips together, stifling a smile.
Squaring my shoulders, I plaster on a sassy grin. “Fine, I’ll prove it.”
I take his hand, but instead of letting him pull me up, I tug him forward while I jump to my feet. Then I wiggle my hand from his, line my palm to his chest, and push him down into the sofa. When he gapes up at me, I put my hands on my hips and flash him another sassy smirk. On the inside, though, I give myself a mental high-five for pulling off the move. Sure, Taylor taught me how to sexy dance, but I never actually used the moves on any guy, so I’m a little shocked I managed to do it so smoothly.
Jett’s shock shifts to interest. Reclining back in the sofa, he places his hands behind his head. “Okay, now I’m really interested in where this is going to go.”
I smirk. “I bet you are and maybe if you’re lucky I’ll show you.” What the heck! Why are words spilling out of my mouth? I’m such an idiot. Think before you speak, Zhara. You’re not Taylor! “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”
Jett shakes his head and motions for me to continue. “No, keep rolling with it. Don’t lose the character.”
Is he kidding me right now?
Apparently, he isn’t, because he stares at me expectantly, waiting for me to continue.
I rack my brain for what Taylor would do next and then frown at the mental image that pops into my mind. Crap, I’m way in over my head.
Still, I have to try. Besides, sexy dancing in front of Jett can’t be worse than getting tranquilized by a drug lord.
I hope, anyway.
Summoning a deep breath, I spin around while dragging my hands up my body. Once I do a full turn, I shimmy my hips, lower to the floor, then push back up. Jett watches my every move, his gaze transfixed on me. The longer I dance and the longer he continues to look at me with heat in his eyes, the braver I become. I start to lose myself in the music, the rhythm, the sultry lyrics, the way I move my body. I get so lost I barely comprehend climbing onto Jett’s lap and straddling him. That is, until he slips his hands underneath the hem of my shirt and grips my waist. The skin to skin contact makes me freeze.
“No, keep going,” he encourages, holding me in place.
“I…” I don’t know how to keep going. Taylor never taught me how to dance while I’m on a guy’s lap.
Sensing my panic, Jett strokes my side with his fingers. “Zhara, you’re doing fine.” He wets his lips with his tongue, his gaze flicking to my lips. “Way better than I expected.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He wets his lips again, drawing all of my attention to his mouth. “In fact, I think you were made for this.”
“Sexy dancing?” I ask, sounding a bit dazed.
“Sexy dancing. This job. Being a bad girl.” The last part comes out more teasing and playful. But then his smile fades as he starts to lean in to kiss me.
I’m not sure what to do. Am I supposed to kiss him? Because I’ve kissed Wilder and Benton already. But I’m not technically working undercover right now, am I?
Despite all of these thoughts, I remain motionless as Jett’s lips near mine. What that says about me, I have no idea, but it kind of feels like I might be being the tiniest bit bad. But then his lips brush mine and all thoughts evacuate my brain.
I think this might be the most intimate position I’ve been in when someone is kissing me and it definitely makes the experience… different. Not in a bad way. At all. In fact, it’s really, really nice. No, scratch that. Nice is not a good word to describe a kiss. Warm and soft and fluttery. This kiss is all of those things and more.
Unlike Wilder and Benton, Jett kisses slowly, yet somehow, my heart is pounding faster. My pulse only quickens when he parts my lips with his tongue, kisses me deeply, then pulls back. I think he’s ending the kiss, but nope, his mouth stays on mine, his teeth grazing my bottom lip as he nips and sucks and gently bites.
I let out a moan.
Oh my Gosh, I actually moaned!
Embarrassment rises inside me, but Jett lets out a soft moan too. Then his hands slip around to my back and he presses me closer as he kisses me deeper. I start to relax, my muscles unwinding, when suddenly the music stops.
Jett pulls away with a smile on his lips. “I think we’ve been busted.”
I don’t know why he seems so happy about the fact when I feel like I want to crawl in a hole and never come out. I mean, sure, Jackson saw me kiss Wilder, but that was different. I was working undercover with them then, not messing around in Benton’s living room.
But all my worries go right out the window when a voice rises over the quietness. A voice that doesn’t belong to any of the guys
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
.
The Not-So-Familiar, Yet Familiar Intruder
“Shit.” Somehow, Jett manages to rise to his feet without pushing me off his lap, and then moves me around so I’m standing behind him. “How the fuck did you get in here without the alarms going off?”
“I have my ways.” The guy pauses. “Who’s that lovely little thing hiding behind you?”
“That’s none of your damn business,” Jett snaps, his fingers sneaking into his back pocket for his phone.
“Don’t you dare touch your phone,” the guy warns, his booming voice making me shudder.
I hear a click, like a gun click, and Jett slowly moves his hands away from his back pocket and raises them to his side.
My heart rate quickens so swiftly I worry I’m going to pass out, so I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. Still, I’m terrified. This is the second time I’ve been held at gunpoint in less the twenty-four hours. Is this going to
become a thing when I’m with them? Will I quit if it is?
“Good, now that I have your attention,” the guy says. “I need you to answer a few questions for me, starting with you giving me the passcode to The Vault.”
Jett lets out a low laugh. “I should’ve known that’s what you’re after. It’s always the same with you Rogues.”
“I’m not the same as the rest of them,” he growls. “I’m different.”
Jett snorts a laugh. “Yeah, okay.”
“I am,” the Rogue screams, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. “And besides, you don’t even know what you’re talking about. You don’t even know what’s really in there. You just believe everything your boss tells you because you think that’s how things are supposed to be. But believe me, if you knew the truth, you wouldn’t be so trusting.”
Jett’s phone vibrates from inside his back pocket, the screen illuminating. I don’t know what overcomes me, but I find myself moving to fish his phone out. He momentarily tenses when I dip my hand inside his pocket, but then continues talking to the Rogue.
“Like I’d trust a Rogue.” Jett laughs and shakes his head. “All you guys ever want is one thing—revenge. And you’ll say just about anything to get what you want.”
“Is that what they tell you?” The Rogue lets out a snide laugh. “That we want revenge?”
When I get the phone all the way out of Jett’s pocket, I hold my breath as I slowly swipe my finger over the screen. Crap, it’s passcode protected.
“Of course that’s what you want,” Jett laughs. “And you want to know how I know this? Because I’ve heard the same story about Rogues nine thousand, four hundred, and fifty-seven times.”
Okay, that was a really random number.
Or maybe it wasn’t.
I type in nine, four, five, seven, and the screen unlocks.
Yes!
I hurry and open his texts and type a message to Benton.
We need help. There’s a Rogue at the apartment that has Jett held up at gunpoint. Please hurry.