Jett, page 13
She cried out as his fingers caressed her clit. He was thick and hard, filling her completely. He strummed her swollen nub expertly, like they’d been lovers for years. He was in absolute control, and she was helpless to the way he made her feel. Jett slowly moved in and out of her body, stroking every nerve ending inside her. Warmth flooded through her, her body already coiling tight.
“Say you’re mine,” he ordered.
Anna gasped as he began moving faster, his fingers teasing her.
“Say you’re mine, sweetness,” Jett said again. “Only mine.”
Her orgasm came out of nowhere. One moment, Jett was urging her on, and the next, she cried out his name, gasping and clutching onto the counter as her inner walls clamped down around him and she exploded.
“Anna,” he groaned, thrusting harder. Jett stiffened and then came as well, grabbing some tissues to clean up as he pulled out. She was still panting and met his gaze in alarm as someone knocked loudly on the hotel room door. Jett tugged her dress down, but her thong was still around her ankles. He tucked himself back in, zipping up his pants. His kiss was bruising, pleading for her to understand. “Take whatever time you need,” he said. “That’s Ford.” He pulled the bathroom door shut behind him as he left, giving her privacy to right herself. She heard voices as the hotel door opened, and she stood there staring at herself in the mirror—cheeks flushed, hair a mess, and eyes wide. Despite everything that had happened, she was completely falling for this man.
ANNA’S CHEEKS HEATED as she finally came out of the bathroom ten minutes later. She’d cleaned up and righted herself, but Jett’s sudden claiming of her and confession was astounding. He’d said Anna didn’t know what she did to him, but Jett was wrong. She felt it, too, whatever magnetic force kept pulling them together. Even when she’d been upset, his touch and words had been what she craved, what she needed. It was Jett that held all the control. He could destroy her if he wanted, she was already so wrapped up in him. How could she fall so quickly, so deeply, for a man she’d just met? He made her feel things she never had before and was so attuned to her it was almost frightening.
The men were talking in hushed tones, and she was absolutely positive the guy on Jett’s team knew what they’d been doing before he’d arrived. Not that Jett would kiss and tell, but the man had knocked on the door moments after—
She bit her lip. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. She was literally staying at Jett’s house. Of course, the men who worked for Shadow Security would assume they were romantically involved. Still, she couldn’t help but feel slightly out of sorts. Where did she fit in Jett’s strange world?
A large man looked up at her as she walked into the hotel room, his gaze assessing.
“Ah, this is Anna,” Jett said, crossing the room toward her. It was oddly sweet. They were busy, but he was coming to make sure she was comfortable. It was a gentlemanly thing to do minutes after he’d pulled her dress up and taken her bent over the bathroom counter. Would it always be this way with him? This irresistible mix of passion and normalcy?
His lips briefly brushed against her temple, and his large hand landed on the small of her back. She’d righted her dress and of course had her thong back on. Anna was certain Jett was also thinking of their heated moment of passion. Secretly, she loved that he couldn’t keep his hands off of her. She just hoped she would eventually be a priority to him if they did have an actual relationship. Was it just chemistry between them now? She hated the uncertainty she’d begun feeling. Anna was a confident woman, but she didn’t like knowing his work had to always come first. This was hardly the conversation to have at the moment.
“I’m Ford,” the large man said as he stood, reaching out a muscled hand. He was bigger than Luke, who she’d met yesterday. Slightly taller than Jett. She shook his hand, wondering if every guy who worked for Jett was this fit.
“Why don’t you sit down,” Jett said, guiding Anna to a chair. “We’re just finishing up.” Jett exchanged a glance with his teammate. “You can speak freely in front of her.”
Ford nodded. “I got confirmation that he didn’t fly out of Seattle. Unless we can locate him, however, we’re fucked.”
“I’m still hoping he shows up for his scheduled flight. Like I said earlier, he’ll recognize you. I’ll have to go to the airport with Sam. The guys arranged for another pilot at the military airstrip. You’ll stay here with Anna at the hotel.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
“What?” she asked. “What do you mean?”
Jett clenched his jaw. “I’ve got to locate someone. Ford will stay here with you today. If all goes well, I’ll be back this evening.” He shot another look at Ford, and Anna wondered what he wasn’t saying. Clearly, they weren’t speaking entirely freely in front of her despite his statement moments ago. Anna watched as both men’s phones buzzed, and then suddenly Jett was jumping to his feet.
“I’ve got to go,” Jett said urgently. “I can be there in thirty minutes. He’s been located.”
“But—”
“Ford will stay here with you.”
She walked over to Jett, trying to stop him. “What’s going on? I don’t need some babysitter or bodyguard here with me. If you have to go find someone, I’ll be fine. I’ll just go sight-seeing myself. I live in Manhattan for God’s sake. I can find my way around Seattle.”
Jett looked at her, frowning. “No. I want you to be safe, Anna. Just stay here so I don’t have to worry about you today. I care about you.”
“But you keep up and leaving me,” she said, growing flustered. “I don’t even understand what’s going on.”
“I’ll explain later. Promise me you’ll stay with Ford.”
She blew out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. I’ll stay with him. Whatever.”
Jett pressed his lips together, eyeing her before he nodded. He turned away to grab some things. Jett spoke in hushed tones to Ford and then was rushing out of the hotel room, his heated gaze landing on her as he glanced back over his shoulder. He didn’t stop though. He didn’t kiss her goodbye or say anything further.
The hotel door clicked shut behind him.
Chapter 18
JETT CURSED UNDER HIS breath as he hustled out of the hotel and onto the busy Seattle street. Anna had looked almost wounded when he’d abruptly changed their plans for the day. He hated that the operation his Shadow Ops Team was running had crashed into his personal life. What were the chances he’d be here in Seattle with a woman when the shit hit the fan? The meeting earlier about their next mission had gone down as smooth as the whiskey he’d ordered.
But the exfiltration of Amir? Damn it all to hell.
Jett lifted his phone to his ear, calling his IT guy West at Shadow Security. “You’re positive his phone pinged off a tower near the airport,” Jett said.
“Yes, boss. Less than ten minutes ago. I hacked into the flight databases to search the records and passenger manifests. He hasn’t changed his flight that’s scheduled at nineteen hundred, but that doesn’t mean shit. He could have booked something sooner under an alias.”
“I hear you,” Jett muttered, hailing a cab.
It fucking killed him to leave Anna in the hotel room with Ford. He trusted his former Army buddy with his life—with Anna’s life—but that didn’t mean he wanted to leave her alone in a strange city. Yes, she was a grown woman and capable of taking care of herself, but he’d flown her out here. He was responsible for her. The chemistry always simmering between them was palpable. Irresistible. They’d flirted this morning in the hotel room. Over breakfast. Walking back to their hotel. When she’d pulled away from him in tears, it was all he could do to soothe and reassure her. Their bodies connected as one was like a goddamn religious experience. And he wasn’t a religious man. It was her. Pure Anna.
Jett wasn’t sure he could forget the look in her eyes as he took her in front of the bathroom mirror. For the briefest of moments, it was like he could see right into her soul—pure, vulnerable, beautiful. She’d let him into her body and heart, and he’d taken a meeting with his teammate and rushed away for business—for a job.
He instructed the cabbie to drive him to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, clenching his fist. If she was still speaking to him after this, he’d have to explain everything—the extent of the missions he ran. Hundreds, if not thousands, of lives were at stake here. Amir’s malicious plans for acts of terrorism at U.S. universities could end the lives of so many. They needed to get him out of the country for questioning. If he made it back to his embassy beforehand? It was over. He had the information the government needed to stop these acts of terrorism.
“Sam is already in place, boss,” West said. “He hasn’t spotted Amir at the airport yet, but I’m trying to see if I can pinpoint his location. I’m going to hack into the cameras and find him to speed things along.”
“Roger that. I’ll be there soon. Sam and I will nail this asshole down.” Jett’s hand absentmindedly slid to his sidearm. Getting through security would be a bitch. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d circumvented airport security though. Sam was already on the inside, monitoring various gates that had flights to D.C. today. They needed specifics though—Amir’s exact location. They needed to end this.
“I’ll call you when I have more information,” West said.
“Got it.” Jett ended the call without saying goodbye, grabbing his burner phone.
Looks like Christmas is coming.
His team back at headquarters had found another pilot for hire. Thank fuck Luke and Nick knew who to contact and which wheels to grease. The pilot would be on standby for the next eight hours. They just needed to get Amir there and on his way to the Feds at the black site.
His personal phone buzzed, and he frowned at Ford’s message.
Ford: Anna is pissed that you left her with me.
Jett blew out a sigh. He already knew she was upset. She deserved a man who could give her his complete attention, but he didn’t think he could let her go. Whatever was happening between them...it had killed him to see her tears. Anna was quickly becoming the most important thing in his life. Her smiles and laughter, their late-night talks in the dark, their lovemaking. Shit. It was all too soon to be thinking this way. Was he falling in love with her? He’d known her mere days. That didn’t make the feelings coursing through him less real.
He thumbed her a text message.
Jett: I’m sorry, baby. Stay with Ford. We’ll talk tonight when I’m back.
Jett: I’ll explain everything.
For the briefest of moments, he began to doubt whether or not he should’ve headed to the airport. Ford was watching her. She was safe. It was unlike him to ever second-guess himself, but a dark feeling of dread washed over him. She’d be safe with Ford. That was all that mattered at the moment.
ANNA BRISTLED AS FORD tried to make small talk with her. She was stuck in a hotel room on her quick trip to Seattle with a man she didn’t even know. “Look Ford,” she said, standing up and pacing. “I can’t sit here all day. I don’t care what Jett said. Seattle is no more dangerous than Manhattan—probably less so. I’m not staying here in this hotel room staring at the walls until he gets back.”
The large man scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “I understand why you’re upset, but Jett asked me to look after you.”
“Well, you know what?” Anna asked, her irritation growing. “He has no right. He’s been busy the entire time we’ve been here. I would’ve stayed in New York if I knew it would be like this. I specifically asked if his work trip would include time for me.”
“He didn’t plan—”
“He didn’t plan anything,” Anna interrupted. “I know. Jett expects everyone to cater to his schedule and adjust their lives accordingly. Well, maybe it doesn’t work that way. Maybe this was a mistake,” she huffed. Anna turned and grabbed her purse, fuming.
“I won’t stop you from leaving, but I’m coming, too,” Ford said.
“You’re following me.”
He lifted a shoulder. “I’ll stay out of your way if you want, but I’ll be there. I promised him I’d look after you.”
“Great. Like my own personal bodyguard. Why can’t you just go help Jett with whatever this problem is?”
Ford eyed her carefully, blowing out a sigh. “Some of the work we do is secret. Classified. Jett told you some of that, although I know he didn’t share any details. If they’ve seen my face, there’s no point in trying to find our guy. He’ll recognize me.”
“Jesus. You guys sound like criminals or something.”
He stiffened. “Not criminals. We’re the ones catching the bad guy.”
“That’s what Jett is doing now,” she said. “He told me he just had a meeting in Seattle, that it was safe for me to come. This is total bullshit.”
“He’s just trying to protect you,” Ford said quietly. “And he did have a meeting. This other stuff didn’t go as planned. I was compromised. The target we’re after doesn’t know what Jett looks like. He was here, so it made sense for him to move in. We can’t wait for another guy to fly out.”
Anna’s face fell, looking at Ford in disbelief. “I can’t live like this,” she said softly. “I mean, if he’s going to rush off all the time and—” She swiped away a stray tear. “Look, I’m going out to lunch. Come with me, don’t come, I don’t really care. I know he runs a security business, but I don’t think he’s been totally honest with me about the extent of what he does. I just have to get out of here.”
Anna turned, leaving the hotel room. She heard Ford quietly walking behind her toward the elevator, but she didn’t care. All of this defied logic. Everything. Jett was out there playing cloak and dagger, just assuming she’d be okay with all of it. What had she gotten herself into in coming to Seattle with this man?
Chapter 19
JETT CAREFULLY LIFTED the HVAC vent in the ceiling of the men’s room. He’d crawled through the air ducts, working his way past security and the TSA agents. He needed his weapon to get Amir, and it’s not like he could stroll through security without a boarding pass anyway. Sam was inside the terminal and had already secured a rental car using an alias. They’d locate Amir at the gate and escort him quietly off airport property. He didn’t like grabbing him here out in the open given the layers of security and cameras everywhere, but it was their last resort. He couldn’t fly back to Washington. The Feds had been monitoring him, and it was go time.
He shifted the vent to the side, the metal-on-metal clanging and echoing around the men’s room. Testing the strength of the duct opening, Jett grabbed hold and dropped to the ground, landing in front of the urinals. He looked up at the giant hole he’d left in the ceiling. Anyone could access the air ducts now, but he needed to move. Hell. This wasn’t where he expected to end up. He’d just flown into the damn airport this morning.
Jett called West, fuming as he strode out of the men’s room. “Did you locate which gate Amir’s at?”
“Negative. Luke is pulling up Amir’s known aliases. I don’t see any of those names on the passenger manifests. His phone hasn’t pinged again off any cell towers either. He might have turned it off.”
“Damn it,” Jett muttered. “Get me a list of all flights to D.C.”
“Already did. Check your email.”
Jett ended the call, swiping the screen on his phone to read his messages. Hell. He and Sam would have to monitor the gates and somehow intercept Amir before he boarded. He just hoped the asshole wouldn’t cause a commotion given that his life was at stake. The entire situation was a clusterfuck. Jett strode down the terminal, stopping to grab a coffee and paper. No sense in looking even more suspicious by wandering around the airport with nothing but the clothes on his back.
Unable to stop himself, he texted Ford.
Jett: How’s Anna?
Ford: She wouldn’t stay in the room. I’m with her.
“Fuck,” he said out loud, causing several people to look over. Jett nodded and moved away, fuming. He’d asked her to do one damn thing for him. She’d be safe with Ford watching her, but he’d felt better knowing she was tucked away safely in their hotel. There were so many things he needed to discuss with her. He’d planned to keep the details of their missions a secret, but in hindsight, he realized that was a mistake. He might not need to tell her everything, but explaining even one of his operations might get her to see the urgency and secrecy they required. He’d fucked up by not revealing everything his team did to her. Shadows and secrets suited a man like him, but if he wanted Anna in his life? He’d have to share some part of himself.
His phone buzzed, and he saw Sam’s name on the screen.
“I don’t see him, boss. I’ve searched a couple of gates. We don’t even know what flight he’s trying to catch.”
“I’m on my way to you,” Jett said, his gaze sweeping the crowded airport as he ended the call. He hadn’t even taken a sip of the coffee he’d purchased. A little girl was jumping and twirling in front of him, and he sidestepped her, hurrying toward Sam. The arrivals and departures board was full. Announcements were coming over the PA system. Two giggling college-aged girls almost bumped into him.
He trashed his coffee, clutching onto the paper instead. He’d be at Sam’s side in less than a minute. They’d formulate a plan to monitor multiple gates. They’d get their man. His phone buzzed again, and he realized West had texted all of them.
West: Amir’s phone pinged near the nightclub. He’s not at the airport anymore.
Sam: Well fuck. Jett and I are thirty minutes away.
Ford: I’m ten minutes from there. I’ll get him.
Jett’s blood ran cold.
ANNA PAID THE WAITRESS, glancing at her barely touched bowl of soup. It was good, but she wasn’t in the mood to eat. Hurt and confusion swirled within her. Did Jett really think he could just brush her off every time work issues arose? And why did he expect her to sit around a hotel room waiting for him all day?
