Chapter 12

TWELVE

W ithout thinking, Reid pulled Brianne into an alcove, pressing her against the wall and shielding her with his body. Their faces were inches apart, and Reid could hear Brianne's heart racing.

"What-" Brianne started to ask, but Reid placed a finger to her lips, silencing her. A moment later, two men in security uniforms walked past their hiding spot, deep in conversation.

"...still can't crack the encryption," one was saying. "Boss is getting impatient."

"Give it time," the other replied. "That game's got some serious protection. But once we break it, it'll be worth millions on the black market."

As their voices faded, Reid felt Brianne relax against him. He became acutely aware of how close they were, of the warmth of her body pressed against his.

"That was close," Brianne whispered, her breath ghosting across his lips.

Reid nodded, finding it difficult to form words with Brianne so near. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming, but he forced himself to focus on the mission.

"They're talking about your game," he said, his voice low. "We must be close."

Brianne's eyes lit up with determination. "Then let's go get it."

As they continued down the corridor, the sexual tension between them was palpable. Reid couldn't help but steal glances at Brianne, admiring the way her costume hugged her curves. For her part, Brianne seemed equally affected, her cheeks flushed and her breathing slightly uneven.

As Reid and Brianne made their way through the labyrinthine corridors of the high-tech gamer lair, the air between them crackled with unspoken tension. Reid found himself hyper-aware of Brianne's presence, his bear shifter senses picking up on the quickening of her pulse, the subtle changes in her scent that hinted at her growing attraction.

"You know," Brianne whispered, a playful glint in her eye, "for a big, tough security expert, you make a surprisingly convincing sea nymph."

Reid raised an eyebrow, fighting back a smile. "Are you implying I look good in scales?"

Brianne's gaze raked over him appreciatively. "Let's just say the costume leaves little to the imagination."

Heat flooded Reid's body at her words. He leaned in close, his lips brushing her ear. "Careful, Brianne. Two can play that game."

She shivered at his proximity, and Reid had to resist the urge to pull her even closer. Instead, he let his hand rest lightly on the small of her back as they continued down the corridor, relishing the warmth of her skin through the thin material of her costume.

"So," Brianne said, her voice slightly breathless, "do you often find yourself sneaking around secret lairs with geeky women, or am I special?"

Reid chuckled low in his throat. "Trust me, you're one of a kind."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the playfulness faded, replaced by something deeper, more intense. Reid felt an overwhelming urge to confess everything - about his bear-shifter nature, about her being his mate. But before he could speak, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the moment.

"Someone's coming," Reid hissed, looking around frantically for a place to hide.

Brianne's eyes widened in panic. "What do we do?"

In that split second, Reid made a decision. He backed Brianne against the wall, caging her in with his arms. "Trust me," he whispered, and then his lips were on hers.

The kiss was electric, sending shockwaves through Reid's entire body. Brianne melted into him instantly, her arms winding around his neck. Reid lost himself in the softness of her lips, the sweet taste of her mouth, the warmth of her body pressed against his.

He was vaguely aware of voices nearby, of someone chuckling and muttering, "Get a room, lovebirds." But it all faded into background noise as Brianne's fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily. Reid rested his forehead against Brianne's, struggling to regain his composure. Her blue eyes were dark with desire, her lips slightly swollen from their kiss.

"I think they're gone," Brianne whispered, her voice husky.

Reid nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet. He knew he should step back, should focus on their mission. But having Brianne in his arms felt so right, so perfect. It took every ounce of his considerable willpower to put some distance between them.

"We should... we should keep moving," he managed, his voice rough with restrained emotion.

Brianne nodded, a becoming blush coloring her cheeks. "Right."

As they continued down the corridor, Reid couldn't shake the kiss. It had been meant as a cover, a way to avoid detection. But he'd also been dying to have her in his arms again. There was no denying the passion between them, the way they had both gotten lost in the moment. It seemed like neither one of them could control themselves around the other.

He glanced at Brianne, noting the way she kept touching her lips absently as if still feeling the imprint of their kiss. A primal part of him growled in satisfaction. His mate. His.

But the rational part of his mind reminded him of the dangers they still faced. He needed to stay focused, to keep Brianne safe and complete their mission. There would be time for exploring these feelings later. Later when they were alone. In bed. Naked. Images of her naked filled his mind from the previous night. Fuck.

They came to a junction in the corridor with no clear indication of which way to go.

"Any ideas?" Brianne asked.

Reid closed his eyes, focusing his heightened senses. After a moment, he pointed to the right. "This way. I hear the hum of bigger equipment."

They proceeded cautiously down the aisle, pausing at each door to listen for any signs of activity. Finally, they came to a heavily reinforced door with a complex electronic lock.

"This has to be it," Brianne whispered, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

Reid nodded, examining the lock. "It's more advanced than the others. Give me a minute."

As Reid worked on bypassing the security system, Brianne kept watch. The corridor remained eerily quiet, but the tension in the air was palpable.

"Got it," Reid murmured triumphantly as the lock disengaged with a soft click.

As they slipped through the door, the noise of the main floor faded away, replaced by an eerie silence. They found themselves in a dimly lit hall lined with doors.

They slipped inside, finding themselves in a state-of-the-art computer lab. Banks of servers lined the walls, their lights blinking in a mesmerizing pattern. In the center of the room stood a single workstation, its multiple screens displaying lines of complex code and what appeared to be financial records.

Brianne gasped. "Look at this. It's not just my game they're after. They've got plans for dozens of unreleased titles from major developers."

She rushed to the workstation, her fingers on the keyboard as she assessed the situation. Reid kept watch by the door, his senses alert for any approaching danger.

"They've got a whole network," Brianne said, her voice a mix of awe and disgust. "Shell companies, offshore accounts... This is bigger than we thought, Reid."

Reid nodded grimly. "Can you download any of this information?"

Brianne bit her lip, considering. "It's risky, but... yes. I think I can create a backdoor into their system. We won't be able to access everything, but it should give us a way to monitor their activities and gather evidence."

"Do it," Reid said. "But be careful. We don't want to tip them off that we've been here."

As Brianne worked her magic on the computer, Reid's mind raced with plans for their next move. They'd uncovered more than they'd bargained for, and he knew the stakes had just gotten much higher.

Suddenly, an alarm blared through the facility. Reid tensed, his bear instincts roaring to life.

"Brianne, we need to go. Now."

She nodded, typing furiously for a few more seconds before stepping back from the workstation. "Done. I've created the backdoor and masked our intrusion. With any luck, they'll think it was just a system glitch."

Reid couldn't help but feel a surge of pride at her quick thinking. "Impressive. Now let's get out of here."

They slipped out of the room, only to find the corridor filled with security personnel. Reid's protective instincts kicked into overdrive. Without hesitation, he stepped in front of Brianne, shielding her with his body.

"Stay behind me," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The security team advanced, their weapons drawn. Reid's muscles tensed, ready for a fight. But before he could make a move, Brianne tugged on his arm.

"Reid, wait," she whispered urgently. "I have an idea."

Before he could respond, Brianne stepped out from behind him, adopting a haughty, indignant pose.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice dripping with disdain, "but do you have any idea who we are? We're the special effects consultants for Cyberstorm 3000, and we were promised a tour of your facility. Instead, we've been wandering around lost for ages, and now you're pointing guns at us? Wait until the convention organizers hear about this!"

Reid stared at her in amazement, impressed by her quick thinking and acting skills. The security team hesitated, clearly thrown off by her confident demeanor.

"I... uh... we didn't..." one of them stammered.

Brianne pressed her advantage. "Well? Are you going to escort us out, or should we find our own way? I assure you, our social media followers would love to hear about how we were treated here."

The security team exchanged uncertain glances before lowering their weapons. "Our apologies, ma'am," the leader said. "There's been a security breach, and we're on high alert. We'll escort you out immediately."

As they were led back to the main floor, Reid couldn't help but marvel at Brianne's ingenuity. She'd turned a potentially disastrous situation into a clean getaway with nothing but her wit and confidence.

Once back in the main room, they quickly made their way through the crowd, away from the security guards. As soon as they were tucked into a corner, Brianne burst into laughter, the tension of the past hour finally releasing.

"I can't believe that worked!" she exclaimed.

Reid chuckled, feeling a mix of relief and admiration. "You were incredible in there. Quick thinking, keeping your cool under pressure... I'm impressed."

Brianne beamed at him, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "We make a pretty good team, don't we?"

"That we do, beautiful."