Challenging Luke (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Kringle Security Book 1), page 8
MONICA: I’m kidding. Obviously, I can see they aren’t on their phones.
She was showing him more of her personality and damn if he didn’t like it.
MONICA: Oh but they are coming over to introduce themselves. At least I assume that’s the plan.
Fucking Ryker. He was probably going to hit on her. Luke had to stop himself from calling Dom and demanding that he keep their friend in line. It would do no good. Ryker would only be more obnoxious if he knew how much it bothered him.
LUKE: Don’t fall for Ryker’s nonsense.
When Monica didn’t immediately message him back, he knew he had been right about her. She gave her full attention to whoever she was talking to at the time. That was by far the most attractive quality a person could have.
“Why do you look ready to come out of your seat?” Nash’s question startled him.
He hadn’t realized he was showing his obvious discomfort on the outside. Normally he was better about covering those kinds of things up.
“Ryker and Dom are introducing themselves to Monica while she’s out to lunch.”
He just remembered that she never told him where she had stopped. Was it someplace to sit down or one of those places where a person grabbed food and took it back to the office to eat? For his sanity, he hoped it was the second one.
“And you’re worried she’s going to like Ryker more than you.”
“No. Technically she’s already met Ryker.”
But the two had barely spoken during that encounter because she had been more focused on him and how he discovered who she was. Now Ryker would have her full attention because Dom was too quiet and wouldn’t say anything other than hi.
“You have nothing to worry about. Ryker knows how you feel about her. Anything he does is only to bust your balls.”
And their friend was the champ at doing just that.
MONICA: Ryker’s the troublemaker on the team, isn’t he?
His response was immediate.
LUKE: It’s that obvious?
MONICA: Hard to miss when he tried to kiss the back of my hand and called me gorgeous.
Ryker was a dead man. He was going to skin his friend alive when he came back, and that’s if he didn’t call him back early.
LUKE: I’m going to kill him.
MONICA: hahaha. It’s too easy. Ryker was the perfect gentleman. He shook my hand and introduced himself but that was all. But I could see where that smile of his gets him what he wants more often than not.
Oh, so she had jokes. Just wait until he got her in the bedroom. He was going to show her what teasing was really like.
LUKE: Glad to see you’re getting a kick out of torturing me.
She didn’t make him wait for her comeback.
MONICA: It’s the highlight of my day. It might just be my new favorite thing to do. Sadly, my lunch is ready and my day is too packed to eat anywhere other than my office.
LUKE: I’m just glad you got out to grab it.
He already knew she worked too much. As he was leaving, she admitted to not getting home until after eight and being just as busy which was one of the reasons she hadn’t answered him the first time. The calls after that were her rejecting him. Already today he was making progress.
MONICA: I also plan to leave on time today for once. Some big steps happening today.
LUKE: I’m proud of you. Maybe you can stop by the office after work and meet the rest of the team. Then we can grab some dinner.
He watched as the bubbles appeared and then disappeared. And then once more. He was just starting to think that maybe he had pushed things too soon when her message popped up.
MONICA: I would love that. See you a little after 5.
Yes! The breath he had been holding whooshed out. This woman was tying him up in knots, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Monica followed her GPS to Luke’s office while her two bodyguards followed closely behind. After the introduction in the café, she felt much better about having them around. Knowing that someone was watching her every movement wasn’t ideal, but she preferred to make the best of the situation. This meant putting her customer service smile on and being nice every time they interacted.
It took her all of two seconds to understand why Luke had sounded disgruntled when Ryker had attempted to charm her. The man was good looking, but he didn’t give her the same butterflies that just thinking about Luke caused. Dominic, on the other hand, was more reserved and professional.
Her GPS chimed that she had reached her location. The nondescript building wasn’t what she expected. Actually, she wasn’t sure what she had been expecting. More windows maybe. Or something that hinted at the company that was supposedly housed inside. Instead, she found a brick building that looked more like a warehouse in the middle of a shopping district. Luke and his friends probably got a killer deal because of that.
A knock on her window pulled her from her musings.
“You planning to sit here all evening or come inside?”
Ryker’s lopsided smirk likely made women all over the country swoon. If she hadn’t met Luke first, there was a good chance she too would’ve been enamored by that smile, but alas, she did, so his good looks did nothing for her.
Except cause her to roll her eyes.
“Luke’s going to punch that smirk off your face when we walk inside,” she told him after throwing the car door open.
“I’m actually looking forward to it.”
She would never understand men and their need to prove themselves against other men.
“There might be something wrong with you.”
“No might about it,” Dominic said, waving her toward the front door. “There absolutely is something wrong with him. Let’s get inside.”
Ryker’s only response to that was to waggle his eyebrows at her. She mentally shook her head. This was going to be interesting.
The inside of the building was nothing like the outside; at least inside there was furniture and paint on the walls. Although technically those walls were also concrete. It made her wonder how old the building was and why such an industrial-style building was located in this neighborhood.
“Kringle Security?” She read the name on the wall aloud. A unique name for a unique building.
“Yeah, there’s a story behind our company name.”
This time her stomach buzzed; she knew how that voice sounded in the heat of the moment, how it rumbled against her neck and against her apex when his face was buried between her legs.
Monica spun around and found the only man who made her heart speed up.
“You planning on telling me that story or are you going to leave me hanging?”
Today Luke was in jeans and a Henley. It was a sin how well the clothes hugged every part of his body. Was it normal to be jealous of a set of clothing? Because she was. Hands down jealous of a pair of jeans and a shirt.
“It doesn’t exactly paint us in the best light.”
She thought the clothes he wore turned her on, but it was nothing compared to what the hint of color on his cheeks did to her girly parts. Whatever that story was brought out a blush on the apple of his cheeks.
“Now you have to tell me.”
She got comfortable leaning back against the large table. She spent all day in an office chair, so she had no desire to sit again so soon.
“It all started because of one drunken night at a bar.”
Monica dropped her head back and barked out a laugh so loud she was sure everyone in the room stopped what they were doing. She couldn’t rein it in. That one sentence was just too funny.
“Isn’t that always how it goes?”
Tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes, and with the back of her hand, she did her best to wipe them away without destroying her makeup. She had every intention of touching it up before she left the office, but a last-minute phone call threatened to make her late, and she hated to be late.
“Yes, well, I guess you can say we are a cliché, then. We were meeting for our semi-annual get-together. At this point, we had already decided that we were all ready to leave our previous employment and start a security company. We had been jotting down ideas on a bar napkin and Caden mentioned we needed a name. We couldn’t agree on anything, so figured the only way to make it fair was to let everyone put their suggestion in a hat and let the bartender pick. Whatever name was pulled would be the one we used no matter what.”
“So, who put Kringle into the mix?”
“Who do you think?”
Oh God. She hardly knew anything about any of Luke’s friends, but that one question was all the information she needed.
“Ryker,” she laughed.
“The one and the same. He figured it would be funny, and since the chances were one in seven, he figured the odds weren’t in his favor. Unfortunately, they were.”
“And now you fuckers get a kick out of it because people are intrigued, so you’re welcome.”
She looked around the room, but no one seemed to argue with that fact. She had to admit his explanation had some merit, it was a great conversation starter. Not a company name she would’ve ever picked, but a conversation starter for sure.
“So why Kringle?” she asked Ryker.
“Because Christmas is the greatest holiday of all time and it was the first Christmas word my drunken brain came up with.”
Couldn’t fault that logic. She was also a huge Christmas fan, but she could think of a few other words that would’ve been better, but she was also sober. An advantage Ryker didn’t have at the time.
“You mentioned semi-annual get-together. How long have you all known each other?”
“Nearly twenty years.” It was Caden who answered. “We were all in the same unit in the Army. Got out at different times but stayed in touch over the years.”
Impressive. Not many people could say they knew the same people for twenty years let alone stayed in touch enough to go into business together. That spoke volumes about the level of friendship they had and the trust they all shared.
“What did everyone do when they left the Army?”
She was supposed to be meeting the team and then going for dinner, but she was fascinated by the dynamic of these guys. They reminded her so much of the teams Bentley and Falcon were part of. Dinner could wait a few more minutes.
“FBI,” Luke answered first and then the rest just seemed to follow in line.
“CIA.” Somehow, she found that strange for Caden. “I stuck to collecting intel,” he elaborated. Now that made more sense.
“Secret Service.” She wasn’t sure who he was, but based on the stern look, she could see how that would fit.
“Stayed in the Army.” Dominic’s answer was barely audible. Which seemed on course for the man she met earlier in the day. Even his introduction at lunch hadn’t been more than just his name. Like he wasn’t keen on telling her who he was.
“NYPD.” Ryker winked. The man clearly didn’t have much thought in self-preservation.
“DEA.” Another man she had yet to meet spoke up.
“Marshals Service.” Austin was the last one to answer her question as he was the farthest away from the table.
Each one had been polite enough to answer, but most went back to whatever they were doing before she walked in.
“Wow, that’s a lot of former government agencies in one room. I’ve met everyone at one point or another, except Mr. Secret Service and Mr. DEA.”
She managed to get a smile out of one of the men. The other one looked like her presence was merely annoying to him.
“Nash was in the DEA and Jayce was Secret Service,” Luke helpfully provided.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you both.”
Nothing seemed to soften Jayce. She would have to make sure to ask Luke about that later. She couldn’t imagine she had done anything to offend him but she hated to assume.
“You ready to grab some dinner?”
She was ready to find out what she did to Jayce, so she guessed that was the same thing.
“Yup. Am I riding with you, or would you like me to meet you there?”
“Actually, we’re going to walk. I found this great little restaurant a few doors down. An older couple own it and they have the best Mediterranean dishes. Are you okay with that, or we can find somewhere else? There are several restaurants within walking distance.”
“Mediterranean sounds perfect.”
She wasn’t picky and loved to try new places. She never knew where she would find a new hidden gem.
Luke waited until they were outside the building before he spoke again.
“I’m sorry about Jayce.”
“You mean that winning personality wasn’t just for me?” She bumped his shoulder, only half joking.
“Ah no. He pretty much reserves it for every woman he meets. He was married at one point and his ex-wife did a number on him. Fifteen years later and he still allows her to live rent-free in his head.”
That was sad. No one should let one person affect them so much.
“I hope he kicked her to the curb.”
“Unfortunately, she likes to come around every now and then to dig the knife a little deeper. Jayce does his best to act like it’s no big deal, but we can see it takes a little more from him each time.”
That was even sadder. Whoever the bitch was better hope Monica wasn’t around when she showed her face the next time.
“She deserves a bitch slap.”
Luke’s hardy laugh soothed her uncertainty at meeting his entire team.
“That she does. Now let’s grab something to eat so I can get you back to your place and show you how I pay you back for all that teasing.”
Her insides tingled with anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see what he did to her.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Luke …”
His name fell off Monica’s lips as a half growl, half moan and all it did was spur him to continue what he was doing. He rotated between flattening his tongue and sliding up her slit, and sucking on her clit until she was right on the edge. Then he would pull back just enough to bring her off the ledge before starting all over again.
He knew he was driving her to the brink. His scalp was proof of that. Every time he pulled back, she tugged hard at his roots to express her displeasure and tried to push his head back where she wanted it. Tried was the keyword, because no amount of frustration was getting her what she wanted.
This was payback for ignoring him. He was punishing her for almost tossing something amazing away. He was going to toy with her until he was good and ready to feel her come on his tongue.
“Luke, dammit …”
She thrust her hips up as he moved farther from the spot that would allow her to finish and instead, kissed his way along her inner thighs.
“Uh, uh, uh,” he tsked. Slapping his hand down on her stomach to keep her from moving. “I control your pleasure.”
“We’ll see about that,” she huffed.
It was clear what her plan was before her hand moved. Being the jerk that he was, he allowed her to think she would win, but seconds before her fingers could connect with her already overstimulated bud, he batted her hand away.
“You’ll come on my tongue, but not until I allow you.”
“I hate you.”
He chuckled. There was no heat in her words, just endless amounts of sexual frustration.
“No, you don’t because I’m about to set your world on fire.”
He rarely overpromised in the bedroom, but this time was different. She was so close. It wouldn’t take much to push her over. He'd been edging her now for almost thirty minutes, but now, instead of pulling back when her pussy quivered beneath his tongue, he increased his pace.
Licking and sucking, Luke attacked her clit like a starving man and only her juices could sustain him. With his palm splayed across her belly, he held her down and coaxed her orgasm out of her.
“Ah, fuck!”
Her words were punctuated with both hands gripping the roots of his hair, but he didn’t let up. Instead, he lapped up her juices and tongue-fucked her through her release until she was no longer shaking beneath his lips.
When he was sure every ounce was wrung out of her body and coated his tongue, he switched to closemouthed kisses, along her swollen lips, across the apex of her thighs, and then down along her legs. He didn’t stop until he heard her sigh.
Even then he merely changed his trajectory and worked his way up her body, brushing his lips gently along her belly, following the lines of her ribs until he was leaning over her.
“Okay, maybe you were right,” she panted.
He didn’t bother to hide his smirk.
“Just maybe?”
He liked the way the skin around her eyes crinkled as she attempted to stare him down.
“You don’t have to be so cocky about it.”
Luke doubted she realized that with each word she spoke, she was only further stroking his ego. Not that he needed the boost, but it always felt good.
“Sure I do. It means I accomplished the task I set out to conquer.”
“Is that what I am? A conquest?”
She was trying to twist his words, but he wouldn’t let that happen. Pushing up onto his hands, he got himself into a high-plank position and looked down at her.
“No, you are so much more, but did I set out to torture you until I had you so on edge that you were like putty in my hands? Damn right. I want to make sure you know what you would be missing out on.”
“Sex?”
“Pleasure,” he clarified. “There will be no sex tonight. I want to take things slow.”
He gently brought each arm down until he was lying on top of her and boxing her head in on either side with his forearms. A lock of her dark hair twisted between his fingers.
“You consider eating me for dessert slow?”
“I do when the alternative was to drag you to my truck and let you drive me instead.” Luke winced. “That sounded so much better in my head. I meant ride me. Have you ride me instead.”
