Page 20 of Command and Control: GHOST Operative

"If you were going to kill me, you would have already." Her words are husky and soft. "So if you're not going to kill me, and you're not going to hire me, why are you still here?"

My hand flexes where it grips her hip, testing the plushness of her perfect body. "I'm here to make you understand that you fucked up. To make sure you don't do it again."

Julieanne’s tongue darts between her lips, wetting the lower one in a quick pass that nearly makes me groan. How many times have I imagined that same tongue against my skin?

Too many to fucking count, but none that I’ll admit to.

Her pupils dilate as they gaze up at me. "How are yougoing to do that? Make me think contacting you was a mistake?"

"I guess I'm going to have to show you just how scary someone like me can be." I keep my words hard. Sharp. It's the only hope I have left. That I can still somehow make Julieanne see me for what I am.

When her hands come to my chest, I think I’ve finally accomplished it, and I’m filled with a combination of relief and misery. But instead of pushing me away, her fingers curl into the heavy weight of my coat, gripping tight. "But you don't scare me, Vincent."

Fuck. What in the hell is wrong with this woman? I can't believe she's survived this long. "You should be."

The hands in my coat grip tighter. "Why?"

"Do you have any idea what I’m capable of? How many men I've killed?" It's a sobering number. One even I'm not comfortable thinking about.

But Julieanne doesn't seem put off. "Yes, I do. I spent six months researching you and your company." She swallows, her throat working under my palm. "That's why I also know how many people you’ve saved. I also know that you continue to anonymously send money to the families of the men you've lost over the years." Her eyes move over my face. "So yes, I know what you're capable of. Good and bad."

"It wasn’t enough for you to know all my secrets? You had to track me too?" I want to be pissed that she's invaded my privacy the way she has. That she's run down every rabbit hole in my life. But then I’d have to admit that my own actions more than toed the line.

Julieanne’s lips press together, thinning into a flat line. "You hacked into my work computer." She continuesto stand tall under my glare. "And you broke into my house."

I snort. "I feel like you're being a little hypocritical, Angel Face. Considering you did the same to me."

Her eyes narrow, and, for the first time, Julieanne looks angry. "You stole my vibrator."

Now she’s not the only one who's angry. All it takes is the reminder of what she did last night in front of God and everybody and my blood starts to boil. "Only to make sure you wouldn't put yourself on display for anybody with eyes to see again."

Her breath catches and I think I might finally be starting to scare her. "Why do you care?"

Is she serious? "Do you know how many fucking lunatics there are in this world? How many men would see something like that and take it as an invitation? Convince themselves that anything that happened after that you brought on yourself?" I push against her harder, lifting the hand on her throat to brace against her jaw so she keeps looking at me. "No one needs to fucking look at you like that."

Julieanne shifts on her feet, the move rubbing her beautiful body against mine. "Does that include you?"

My anger flares hotter. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Well,” she takes a shaky breath before continuing, “if you're not here to hire me and you not here to kill me, then I thought maybe you were here for something else."

I grit my teeth, refusing to fully process what she's saying. "I am here for something else. I'm here to scare you into acting right."

Julieanne swallows again, hands still fisted tight in mycoat, heart still racing. "And we've established that isn't going to happen because I'm not afraid of you."

This is spinning out of control.Iam spinning out of control. That's the only explanation I can think of for what comes out of my mouth next. "So you're saying if I'm not here to hire you or kill you, and I can't scare you, then I should fuck you?"

The air rushes from Julieanne’s lungs, carrying a whispered ‘oh shit’ along with it.

I start to smirk, choosing to focus on the fact that what I'm saying to her is finally sinking in instead of the raging hard on in my pants.

But then she pulls in a breath, her full tits pressing against my chest with the movement. "I think that's exactly what I'm saying."

The ease with which she says it only makes me angrier. "Did you ask that prick from last night to fuck you?” The thought of someone else—someone like the ass who couldn’t even be bothered to show up on time—having this body under his hands brings on a snarl I can't control. "Because I swear to God—"

Her lip curls. “No. I wouldn’t fuck him with someone else’s pussy.” Another swipe of that sinful tongue across her lip. "I’ve only asked you."

It sounds like the truth, but that does nothing to calm the rage skating over my skin. I lean into her ear, using the grip I have just below her jaw to angle her head. "You shouldn't proposition men like me, Angel Face. Because men like me will take you up on it."

---