CHAPTER TEN

It was one in the morning when we pulled up outside the lodge. Circe was dead asleep, her cheek smashed against the seat. I pulled up beneath a pine tree and pushed open my door. The soft scent of the woods wafted across my face. I’d been up to the lodge a few times, and it was pleasant, set deep in the woods away from the noise of the city and highway.

I circled the car, getting our bags out. When I returned, she was still asleep, snoring lightly, her hair fluttering.

It was strange, seeing the picture-perfect Circe Johansen snoring.

I shook her shoulder, and she hiccupped, bolting upright.

“What…are we here?”

“We’re here,” I said. “Let’s go, I’m tired.”

She nodded, rubbing her eyes and smearing her mascara in the process. Deep in my pants, my dick jerked. Not a lot, but just enough that I felt it. Grabbing the bags, I let her lock the car and hurry to catch up to me.

We entered the quiet lodge. It was a large building that had been recently renovated. The last time I’d stayed here had been less than ideal. It was a relief that they’d stripped the floor and walls and filled the space with light wood and plush, plaid furniture.

We crossed the floor, and the woman behind the front desk lifted her head from her phone. Her eyes ran over me and lingered on Circe’s smeared makeup as she popped her gum and tapped her keyboard.

“You’re Caden and Circe,” she said. “I was told we had a late check-in.”

I dropped the bags, getting my wallet out. Circe rubbed her face, noticing she had mascara on her palm. She scowled and licked her fingertip, rubbing it away.

My dick did that thing again at the sight of her tongue—not quite a twitch, just a quick check in to let me know it saw something it liked.

“Can I see your ID?” the woman drawled.

I jerked back to reality. “Yeah, here you go.”

She took it between two long nails and studied it for a second. “Okay, let me find you in our system.”

She handed the ID back and tapped loudly. My jaw twitched, annoyed by her attitude—not that I had a leg to stand on when it came to being sarcastic. I’d done my time in that area. She typed for a long time and then sat back, reaching into the key compartments.

“Okay, I got you checked in,” she said, dumping the keys on the desk. “You’re next door to each other on the second floor. You can unlock the door between the suites if you want.”

“I do not want that,” said Circe.

The woman gave her a slow blink and picked up her phone again. I grabbed up our bags and strode across the room towards the hall, leaving Circe to catch up. She ducked into the elevator beside me, tugging her hair out of its messy bun. It tumbled down her shoulders in a dark cascade.

Fuck, why did she have to be pretty?

I didn’t usually do pretty. I liked sexy, liked older and experienced. I didn’t like good girl heiresses who did hot yoga, drank oat milk, and only ate their vegetables steamed.

At least, not until now.

The elevator doors slid back to reveal the dim hall. I could hear her soft footfalls behind me, striding lightly and confidently. She had a lithe footstep that reminded me of a cat when she wasn’t in those clunky heels.

I paused between our doors, turning back. “Right or left?”

She took one of the cards, flipping it. “Left.”

I swiped my keycard, pushing the door in. I wasn’t sure why, but after seeing her freeze up outside the rest stop, it felt like I should make sure she got in safely. Just because we were on a mission together. Not for any other reason.

She slipped inside, sending me a confused glance. “Goodnight,” she said slowly. “See you at breakfast.”

I jerked my head and slipped into my suite. It was spacious and smelled fresh, like the pine trees outside. The window was cracked and thick, warm air wafting through. I dropped my suitcase inside the bedroom, pushing open the door to reveal a king bed outfitted with thick quilt. It was a relief it looked nothing like it had during my last stay.

I stripped to my boxer briefs and turned on the shower. This time, unlike at the training center, I managed to keep my hands off my dick.

It was early morning when I woke. The lodge was just starting to come to life, so I knew I had a few minutes before I ran into an onslaught of people I barely knew. I slipped on my running clothes and moved down the hall to the side door, kicking it open and stepping into the fresh mountain air.

Everything was washed clean. Water dripped from the pines. The ground smelled faintly sweet and dark.

I moved down the road and turned off onto the dirt trail that ran through the forest. It was a ten-mile loop of flat ground, so I could do it pretty easily before breakfast. Usually, I didn’t have any trouble turning my brain off when I ran, but today, I just kept running.

First, it was Circe.

Then, it was Lukas.

Then, it was Merrick.

And of course, it bounced right back to Circe. Realistically, even if we decided to give into the obvious attraction between us, we would never be anything but quick fun. She had everything—money, connections, a pick of anyone she wanted to date.

I had money, but not the way she did.

That didn’t matter. It wasn’t like I wanted her to be my girlfriend. No, I just wanted her to eat the blue end of gummy worms in my bed. I wanted to listen to her talk about koi fish. I wanted to watch her hair tumble down in the shower, to dig my hands into it, lather soap down her shoulders, play with her body until her pulse quickened and her pussy grew slippery.

But I didn’t really like her that much.

I slowed to a brisk walk. Up ahead, the trail turned and headed back to the lodge. I followed it, trying to focus on anything but my thoughts. The breeze swept through the trees, shaking dew off in a soft shower.

My feet slowed and stopped as I leaned back, taking a deep breath and expelling it.

I’d needed this—a chance to get out of the city, to fix my head before training and this mission started in earnest.

By the time I got back to my room, it was almost nine, and I was feeling irritated at my own brain. I managed to control myself in the shower again, washing up without incident. I got dressed—not in my usual fatigues, but a white button up and gray dress pants.

I stepped out into the hall, rolling my sleeves up. Circe’s door was shut; she was probably still sleeping, so I headed to the dining room alone.

Scratch that—she was already seated by the window. I crossed the room and sank down in the empty seat opposite her. She jumped, dropping her phone on the table.

Her eyes widened slightly and ran over me. I returned the favor, taking in her tight yoga set. Why did she always have to wear such skintight clothes? At least this morning, the material was thick, but the coral fabric still hugged her curves. I had a hard time dragging my gaze away.

“Just wake up?” I said, sitting back.

“No, I’ve been at hot yoga,” she said.

“Of course,” I said. “I ran. Can’t take a break.”

“Old habits die hard,” she said. “Once a neurotic high achiever, always one.”

I didn’t reply. I’d assumed she’d still be sleeping, but here she was at nine in the morning, already worked out and showered, a cup of steaming tea and poached eggs before her. She’d even found time to brush out her hair and pull it into a sleek ponytail.

“I’m just used to training daily,” I said.

The waiter appeared, and I ordered steak and eggs. She had a little plate of fruit to go with her eggs and some wheat toast. When they brought coffee, I poured a cup and sat back, watching her cut her egg into fourths, the steam rising in delicate spirals.

“It’s nice up here,” she said. “This is my first time.”

The corner of my mouth jerked. “I come up here a lot. The mountains help clear my head.”

“Well, that’s good, because we have our first meeting with Tennessee Galt for lunch,” she said.

The waiter set my steak down, and I cut into it, revealing the perfect amount of blood. Circe looked faintly disgusted as I started eating.

“I was thinking I’d take this meeting alone, just this time,” she said.

I lifted my brow. “Oh really?”

She squared her shoulders. “Yes. I think I’d be a better candidate for it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I’m less abrasive,” she said.

The corner of my mouth tugged up. “You mean your neck isn’t tattooed, and you’ve got a rich father.”

She rolled her eyes, fluttering her lashes in the process. God, if I wasn’t irritated, I’d enjoy that sight.

“I think I should go in and soften him up,” she said primly. “And you can seal the deal later if you need to.”

“Like I did with you?”

I wasn’t sure why I’d said that. She went still, her fork slipping to the table. There was a long silence, and then she sighed.

“Please don’t bring that up again,” she said firmly.

I cocked my head. “Why? It happened. Almost twice.”

Her dark eyes blazed. “Just because it happened doesn’t mean we need to talk about it.”

“Is it bothering you?”

She shook her head hard. “It will never happen again.”

I put a piece of steak in my mouth, but I didn’t reply, even after I’d swallowed. She wanted me to back her statement up—I could tell—but I kept silent. It was bothering her so badly, I could see her vibrate in her chair.

Finally, she turned her narrowed eyes back on me.

“It won’t,” she said quietly.

I shrugged. “You look like you could use some stress relief.”

“I’ll stick to my vibrator,” she said. “I like to end my night with an orgasm.”

I laughed. She was quick, smart, and it woke my dick up under the table.

“Which would you pick? If you had to choose,” I said, as if we were talking about the weather. “Vibrator or tongue?”

Her lips parted and the tight front of her shirt heaved. “Tongue, but not yours.”

“Ouch.”

Her slender, dark brow arced. “Please. You probably have people lining up outside your apartment to sleep with you.”

“Why’s that?”

She fumbled, squirming. “I mean, look at you.”

“I wish you would.”

It took her a second to recover, but when she did, she was back to her graceful, poised self. “Don’t lie and say you don’t know you’re good looking with…all those tattoos.”

“The tattoos are cover ups,” I admitted, pretending I wasn’t elated by her compliment.

She chewed her lower lip. “For what?”

“Shitty tattoos I got when I was younger,” I said. “I don’t want to be reminded of everything I did as a kid.”

“Why is that?”

I sighed. “Because not everyone has a father who loves them.”

She faltered. “What…what were the tattoos before?”

I unbuttoned the top two buttons of my shirt and pulled it aside, revealing the faded ink on the top of my left pectoral. She leaned in, and for some reason, a flush moved up her neck. Her mouth parted, and I found my gaze lingering on it.

“What is it?”

“A tire iron,” I said. “Technically, two of them.”

She shifted back. “I don’t understand.”

I buttoned my shirt, going back to my steak. “Don’t worry about it. I’m going to get it covered later.”

There was an uncomfortable silence before she cleared her throat.

“Alright, fine,” she said. “You can go to the meeting with me.”

“Thank you,” I shot back. “I’m in your debt.”

She rolled her eyes and took a bite of her toast. There was a little butter on her lower lip, but she didn’t notice, so it sat there, holding all my attention, making me wonder if it would cause a problem if I just…leaned across the table and kissed it away.

I hadn’t kissed her that night. We’d just gotten to my apartment, and I was so eager to taste other parts of her, I was on my knees as soon as the door shut. We hadn’t made it to the bed. I’d just shoved her up against the sink, draped a leg over my shoulder, and got to work.

And for the next hour, let my mind go quiet.

I wasn’t naturally good at anything, all my talent boiled down to bullheadedness and hard work. But there was one thing I did well without trying, and that was eating pussy. I never questioned myself when I was on my knees.

She cleaned her plate and dabbed her mouth. It was disappointing to see that butter go, but it was probably for the best. I checked the front of my pants to make sure I wasn’t hard and rose.

“I’m going downstairs,” I said. “Need to make my rounds.”

“Your what?”

I tapped the table once. “I know you think I’m not equipped for diplomatic work, but I was the one who got the deal with your hardass father. It took two years of working over rich assholes, so maybe give me the benefit of the doubt when I say I know how to do my job.”

I hadn’t meant for it to come out that aggressively—I really was trying to be less of a dick—but it was honestly insulting that she thought, just because I looked a certain way, that I couldn’t do my job.

A flicker of anger moved through her dark gaze. “I’ll see you later then,” she said coolly.

I nodded, not wanting to antagonize her further, and left.