The Mercenary Next Door (Rogues and Rescuers #2) - Lucy Leroux Page 0,23
up her body, lips lingering on her breasts. But what set her off again was his shaft, hard and hot against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh…
Laila tried to work a hand between them to guide him inside her when the phone rang. The ringtone sounded distinctive, classical, and ominous.
“Fuck.” Mason jerked into a sitting position. “I’m sorry,” he apologized as he leaned over to reach for his pants. “Sorry, this is work.”
Hitting redial, he climbed off the bed.
“Lang here,” he said into the receiver, not bothering to grab his pants or shirt.
Mason Lang is in my apartment, buck naked. Laila pinched herself, but the unlikely apparition stayed right where it was.
And he’s not even a little bit shy, is he? Well, why would he be? The man was a golden god. Modesty was for lesser beings.
A little wrinkle appeared between Mason’s brows.
“Oh, really?” He glanced at his watch again. “I guess. Yeah, sure. I can be there in thirty minutes.”
Hanging up, he turned back to her, his mouth tight. “I have to go.”
Laila pulled the sheet up, covering her breasts, although she wasn’t sure why. He’d already seen, stroked, and licked every inch of her. “Do you have to leave town?” she asked tentatively.
“I’m not sure. They didn’t say so, and they would have, I think. I’m being called into headquarters.”
She blinked, concerned because he was. “Is that not normal?”
“No,” he said, the furrow deepening. “We usually get a message to gear up and head for the airport, or we meet at our training facility first for a run-down if the powers that be think one is necessary. We don’t get called into the downtown office very often. That’s for schmoozing the clients.”
He broke off, staring at her. Laila bit her lip, willing for him to say something…anything.
“I guess I should go find out what they want.”
“Uh, yeah,” she said awkwardly. “I hope everything is okay.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing. If I were getting fired, I would have some clue. My team lead, Dominic, isn’t the kind to mince words if you’re fucking up on his watch.”
Laila nodded her head like a stupid bobblehead doll. “That’s comforting.”
Mason picked up his pants, getting dressed in a blink. He grabbed his keys.
“Do you want something for the road?” she asked, her head spinning at how fast he could pull on his clothes. Was it a job hazard?
Mason jerked. “What?” A slow grin spread across his face.
Blushing, Laila realized how those words must have sounded. She jerked her thumb at the kitchen counter. “I brought some day-old muffins and a cinnamon roll from work. They’re in that bag.”
Laughing, Mason nodded. “I am starving,” he said, reaching in and taking out the banana nut muffin. “I, uh, I guess we’ll talk later.”
Laila nodded again, still hiding under the sheet. She waited until the door closed behind him before throwing herself face-down on the bed.
“Oh my God.” Burying her face in the pillow, she let out a short, muffled scream.
“Laila?”
Whipping around, she saw Mason at the threshold. He’d come back. Shit.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she squeaked, mortified.
“Good, good.”
“Did you forget something?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Crossing the room, he strode up to her, gathering in her arms. He pressed her close, kissing her within an inch of her life.
“Damn,” she gasped, collapsing on the mattress when he let go. Every part of her tingled.
“We will talk later, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed, dazed.
Chapter Ten
Mason stepped into the elevator before pressing the button for the twentieth floor. Auric headquarters was at the top of an L.A. Highrise. The sleek offices were where the company founders—Ian Quinn and Elias Gardner—met with private companies and government contractors.
The two men were cousins. Gardner came from a much wealthier background than Quinn, but that didn’t matter to them. They had been tight since childhood. After doing stints in different branches of the military—Quinn had been a ranger, Gardner a Navy Seal—the ambitious duo joined forces. They founded Auric while still in their twenties, recruiting their closest friends as team leaders.
The interior of the office was designed to impress. Minimalist without being bare, the rooms were professionally staged to convey affluence and stability—the way a bank tried to make its customers believe it had been there for decades, if not longer.
Aside from their work for Uncle Sam, most of Auric’s clients were big companies—including one or two multinationals. Some were in the oil business, but not always. The world grew more interconnected by the day. The need to secure people and places would only increase.