Priscilla looked up at Brenden. When had he crossed the gym to stand in front of her?Someone had bandaged the cut on the side of his head. Without the blood he actually looked rougher, maybe scarier to some people. But not to her. No, she'd seen him scary, and this wasn't it."Spot me?" he asked."What?" She frowned. "Why?""Because you need something to do. Because right now you don't want to sit in a room, watch TV or bullshit with the others."Priscilla blinked at him.He wasn't wrong.Was he right?She watched him place an ungodly amount of weight on the bar for the bench press. If he expected her to help lift that he was sorely mistaken. Still, playing the role of spotter was better than the alternatives.Neither of them spoke as he began his reps with her standing at his head.Was he right about her and his reasoning for not telling her?She chewed her lip and studied him. He was too focused on the bar to take notice of her, anyway. Had her assessment of hi
Thursday. Emiliano Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.BRENDEN COULD SENSE THE danger building, but he didn't know what he'd said to set Priscilla off. He was speaking without thinking. The longer he was around her, the less he considered his words. All he wanted to do was look at her.She stood, turned away from him and lifted a hand to push the fine, short hairs off her forehead.He should say something, shouldn't he? But what?Brenden's value to the team had never been dealing with assets. He didn't have the gentle command of people like Melody. He couldn't sweet talk them like Vaughn. Nolan and Riley cajoled and joked people into doing what they wanted. Few people questioned Grant's authority. Brenden was the muscle. He did his job, he kept his head down, and did what needed to be done. Until today, that never included conversing with assets as an integral part of their op."What the fuck?" Priscilla whirled to face him.He winced and remained where he was, hoping like hell
Did Priscilla like what she saw?That made Brenden pause. An answering awareness unfurled inside of him and he tightened his arms, lifting himself up slowly while their eyes remained locked.Tangling with Priscilla was a dangerous idea. She was a woman in full command of herself. He was willing to bet she knew what she wanted and how. There would be no shyness, no need to coax and be tender. No, a woman like her knew what she liked.Brenden shut down those thoughts before they went further. He did not need to sport an erection now.He shouldn't care. It didn't matter if she was attracted to him. Nothing good would come from tangling with her. And yet he wanted to know. It had been a long time since a woman had attracted him both physically and mentally."When does it stop being a workout and become showing off?" She tilted the bottle up and drank.Brenden didn't have an answer or any idea how to reply. What blood wasn't absolutely necessary for vital operations was heading
Thursday. Emiliano Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.PRISCILLA RETREATED TO THE back of the elevator. She braced her hand on the rail and watched Brenden's broad shoulders glistening with sweat. He hadn't put his shirt on and she hoped he didn't.The urge to fidget or do something to use up the nervous energy bubbling inside of her was nearly overpowering. She bit her lip and gripped the railing on her other side.The elevator doors shut and Brenden turned to face her.The moment his eyes locked on her, she stilled. Hell, she could hardly breathe.Who was this woman she'd become?Priscilla was not the initiator when it came to men. Flirting wasn't her strength. More often than not she was surprised to learn a man was putting the moves on her. But with Brenden? It was different. She wanted him regardless of what her norm was.Did he know she had no idea what she was doing?She was in over her head, as evidence by the full-body burn when he'd touched her. His hand on her si
"You-what?" Brenden lifted his head and looked at Priscilla, those dark brown eyes of his burning molten hot."I'm allergic to latex. Makes things really uncomfortable for me." She took his hand and lifted it to her bicep. "Feel that little bump? That's my birth control implant."He slid his palm up and down her arm, staring at the spot."Anything I should know?" she asked. Babies weren't the only thing she didn't want to catch right now."No. I mean, are you sure?" He still held onto her pants, though now the hold seemed more like a lifeline for him."Am I sure I want to know about your sexual health? Or am I sure I want you enough to ask?" She slid her arms up and around his neck."I don't have anything," he said looking back into her eyes. "Are you sure about this?""Oh, yes. I'm sure. Are you?" She licked her lips and briefly considered telling him, but the truth was she didn't want to get sidetracked thinking about lesser men when a prime example of the best the gend
BRENDEN ROLLED THE ROOM service cart toward the bed. Exhaustion had finally hit Priscilla, and she lay sprawled on his bed wearing the white, fluffy robe from the closet, but it didn't cover near enough for his liking to allow a strange man into the room at almost three in the morning. He paused, taking her in.One arm was thrown over her face. Her hair was up in a messy bun thing. The robe gaped open, exposing her sternum and lower ribs, but nothing more. One thigh peaked from between the folds of fabric, her long, lean legs caught in a frozen dance against the bedspread."Is that food I smell?" she mumbled."Think you can sit up to eat?" He picked up her tray. He'd managed to get her a nice, steak dinner with simple sides. Given what she'd gone through, he wouldn't doubt that her stomach was all kinds of knotted up from stress."Yup." She levered up into a sitting position then pushed up to the headboard. "Your phone went off again."Brenden wasn't particularly keen on look
Friday. Arturo Lobo's Home, Ju醨ez, Mexico.ARTURO PRIED HIS EYES open. His phone clamored away, the screen lighting up the room.What now?He pushed up and groped blindly for the device. He tapped the answer button to shut it up then took a moment to inhale and ease back against the headboard.He didn't recognize the number. "What?""The weather is bad. Real bad. Hurricane level bad."Arturo frowned and looked at the number again. "Where are you calling me from?""I bought a burner phone, like we talked about?" The man's voice trembled and shook.He closed his eyes. "Then you should have called my burner. What's going on? What disaster is striking us?""There was a break in at one of your facilities in Rio."Arturo bit his tongue to keep from saying, not mine. No, the South American expansion was after his time leading DDM. But that was a minor detail that didn't matter right now."When?" He threw the covers back."You know why this is bad, don't you?" The ma
Priscilla took her seat, choosing the one nearest the aisle and Brenden."Sleep well?" His voice was the same as before, deep and rough, only now it was the sound of safety. He didn't look at her. In fact, with his eyes shut he appeared to be on the verge of sleep himself."Not really." She turned her head.He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I find I sleep very well on planes."Priscilla chewed her lip. Was she being a conspiracy theorist?"What's wrong?" Brenden asked.She got up, tucked the paper under her arm, and gestured to the window seat on his other side. "May I?"He stood by way of an answer, allowing her to take the seat next to him. She spread the paper out over her knees and gestured at it."Did you know the warehouse burned down? Melody said the cops aren't looking into the kidnapping.""I saw the news." He grimaced and buckled his seatbelt."You don't think it's a coincidence either, do you?" She didn't want to be alone in this."I could see one