Maverick (Elite Ops 2)

She flushed, told herself he certainly didn’t mean it, but she glanced this time. And yes, he was still aroused. His expression was wry as he shrugged on his own leather jacket, covering the proof of arousal that strained at his jeans.

“We could have gone to bed,” she whispered, still a bit embarrassed at the fact that he hadn’t released.

“You’re not ready for bed yet,” he told her. “When you’re ready, sweet, your body will let me know.”

He led her to the door as she shot him a frown over her shoulder. “That’s a very arrogant statement, Micah,” she told him, irritation seeping into her voice.

He had to be the most arrogant, irritating, frustrating man in the world.

“I’m a very arrogant man,” he informed her as they stepped from the apartment. Before the door closed, the apartment door across from them opened and Risa watched as the agent Micah called John sprinted across the hall into her apartment.

“What does he do in there while we’re gone?” she muttered as she heard the locks click behind them.

“Trust me, with John, you really don’t want to know,” Micah growled, his voice low. “Now be a good girl. We don’t discuss the pests in your apartment while outside it.”

She almost laughed at the comment before he nipped at her ear gently and led her to the elevator. The smile lingered on her face. Micah had a way about him that made her want to smile, made her want to join in whatever amusement twinkled in his black eyes.

“Those jeans are killing me,” he sighed as they rode down the elevator.

“I could have worn the slacks,” she tried for a sober look as she glanced over her shoulder at him.

“I could spank you,” he muttered. “Such vile words should never come from such pretty lips.”

She had to turn her back and bite her lip to keep from laughing. But she felt him behind her, and she swore she felt him looking at her butt. The jacket did nothing to cover it.

As she stepped out of the elevator, it felt natural to have his hand riding at the small of her back, leading her through the lobby.

“Mr. Sloane, your vehicle is waiting outside.” The doorman handed him the key. “Have a nice outing, sir.”

“Thank you, Clive.” Micah accepted his key before moving to the car.

Micah opened the door for her, helped her in, then moved quickly around the vehicle to the driver’s side. Sliding in and shutting the door, he started the engine and pulled out into the traffic.

She stared around the car, wondering how safe it was here. Were there “pests” in the car as well?

His chuckle drew her gaze back to him.

“I can almost read your expression.” His smile was quick, warm. “The car is safe, sweet.”

“How do you know?” she asked. “It’s been parked in a public garage.”

“Locked, secured, and under the eagle eye of Nik’s camera,” he told her. “We rigged enough security to ensure we didn’t have any surprises.”

“That’s good then.” The plush interior was comfortable and warm, the car smooth as Micah flicked on the turn s

ignal and headed for the interstate.

“What kind of party has your grandmother arranged?” he asked her then.

“Just a small one,” she told him. “She nearly canceled it once she learned I was in danger. She was afraid the same thing would happen to me that happened to Emily.”

Her friend Emily. She wanted to cringe when she thought of the older girl. Emily had been with her the night of the kidnapping. Jansen had arranged for Emily’s second kidnapping six years before. He’d been determined to acquire her as his own personal pet. It had been during her rescue from that kidnapping that they had learned Jansen was involved. He had died in the cell where Emily had been held.

Such a tangled web of evil, she thought as she watched Micah take the ramp onto the interstate. There had been so many lives that Jansen had affected, so much pain that he had dealt.

He had been the cause of the disappearance and death of Nathan Malone, a friend to the SEALs whose wives had befriended Risa. He had nearly killed Emily and Kell, and only God knew how many other lives he had destroyed. He had been a monster, and the world should have been told what he was, rather than allowing the fictional reputation he had built for himself to stand.

“We’re not going to let anything happen to you,” Micah promised. “You definitely won’t be visiting the ladies’ room without plenty of company though.”