Page 46 of Twice the Rivalry

“I thought you two were going to work this shit out,” Savage snapped irritably. “It’s like dealing with two squabbling children.”

“Great practice then,” she replied with a toothy smile.

Savage scowled at her. “I don’t have time for this. As for us talking with Code, the only thing we asked is if there was progress, and then you walked in, so you can calm the hell down.” Fury flashed through her, but she managed to bite her tongue. Technically, Savage was President and she didn’t have that much power here, but she wouldn’t let this slide. He didn’t get to treat her as less because of her biology.

Instead of answering him, she turned her attention to Code and snapped, “Where is my equipment? And think very carefully before you answer, asshole.”

“I already told you that you’ll have to go and have a look,” Code smirked. “You hid my shit, I hid yours. Fair play and all that.”

“Did it ever occur to you that taking that shit apart would be dangerous?” she demanded. “That that was my connection to my alerts if the Ghost team finds me?”

“I set up my own safeguards and triggers in case they did,” he said smugly.

Glitch snorted. “Yeah, right, your version would be wimpy at best. They’d probably stroll right in and you’d never know it.”

His face darkened with anger. “Fu–”

“Jesus Christ, I don’t have the patience for this today,” Savage interrupted with a huff, stalking past her and out of the room. Fury and Rogue followed him, but Glitch didn't miss the grin on Fury’s face. He was finding this all perfectly amusing. Rogue gave her a hard look, which she returned, completely unintimidated. When they were all gone, she looked back at Code.

Instead of saying another word to him, she turned and walked out of the room, heading for the stairs. She had a few places she would check first for her things, and if she didn’t find them after that, then she was going to have to employ some of the torture techniques she had learned with the CIA.

When she got upstairs, she headed for Code’s room. When she tried his door, she found it locked, but she picked it in less than a minute and entered, leaving the door open. She looked around the room quickly, but saw nothing that would indicate her things were there. So she got to work.

She had pulled out all the clothes from his closet and dresser, checked under the bed and mattress, stripped the sheets, and was just about to start on his desk when Code stormed in. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he yelled.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” she yelled back. “I’m looking for my shit. Only makes sense to start with your room.”

“Stay the hell out of my stuff,” he snarled as he charged forward, moving to grab her, but she sidestepped him.

“Then give me back mine,” she snarled back, yanking out the drawer to his desk. Code let out a low growl, and suddenly he was rushing her and tackling her to the bed. Glitch let out a screech, but she used the momentum to keep them rolling so that they fell off the bed and onto the floor. Code grunted as she landed on top of him, but she was quick to put an arm to his throat, her body straddling his before he could move. “You really are stupid,” she hissed into his face.

“And you’re a fucking pain in my ass,” he gritted out, despite the pressure she was putting on his windpipe. Suddenly, he bucked his body, making her fly up, and then he was rolling and she was flat on her back on the floor. Now it was his turn to have a hand around her throat, and his body pressed over hers. She struggled and bucked, but he was too heavy, and she wasn’t at a great angle to get the upper hand. She let out a grunt of frustration. Code’s face was close to hers and the smile on his lips was smug. “What are you going to do now, huh, Eliza?” he taunted her, his voice low as he pressed more of his weight into her, and his hand flexed ever so slightly on her throat.

“Fuck you,” she rasped, still struggling. No way would she give him the satisfaction of giving up and letting him win. Fire burned in her gut, though in any other circumstance, she might find this position hot as hell. She loved a man who took charge in the bedroom, though this wasn’t what she had in mind when it came to Code. First she needed to get him off of her so she could get the hell away from him.

“Aww, can’t get away like this, can you?” he murmured, lowering his head so that it was a hair’s breadth away from hers.

She stopped struggling and glared into his green eyes. “As soon as I get free, I’m going to enjoy taking you down,” she promised, determination ringing in her voice. “Maybe if you beg me loud enough, I won’t rip off your tiny dick and feed it to you. Since it’s so small, maybe you’ll choke.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, shifted his body, and she let out a small gasp when he pressed his semi-hard cock against her center. “We both know that small is not the word to describe me,” he rasped.

It was her turn to give him a smug look. “And you take the bait every damn time I say it. You’re too easy. Mention the size of a man’s dick, and he’s instantly out to prove you wrong.” And because he had put his hips into hers, he had to shift his weight, which meant she was able to bring her knee up and over enough to deliver a blow to his ribs, making him grunt and slacken his hold. She bucked, brought her hand around and down on his neck, and rolled him off her before scrambling back. “It also distracts you enough to get the upper hand,” she added breathlessly, triumph clear in her tone.

She turned and headed for the door, but suddenly a hand shot past her, slamming the door and making her gasp in shock. Then she was whipped around and she found herself pinned to the door, a very pissed off Code standing in front of her. “You are the most infuriating woman I have ever met,” he hissed, holding her in place, then shoving his thigh between hers. It would keep her legs apart and keep her from kneeing him in the ball.

“And you’re the most obnoxious man I’ve ever had to deal with,” she hissed back, glaring up into his angry face. Well, the feeling was mutual, she thought furiously.

“I had a pretty good life before you barged into it,” he continued, leaning his face in closer to hers so that they were almost nose to nose. “Then you come in and act like you’re better than everyone else, throwing your degrees and job in everyone’s faces like we should all bow down at your feet, and all I want to do is take you down a few pegs. You get under my skin like no one else, and your smart mouth comments make me want to shut you up.”

“I’d like to see you try, caveman,” she snarled at him. “You’re not the type to hurt a woman anyway, so just like everything else, you’re all talk and no action. You want to shut me up, then you better grow a set of balls, because we both know you’re not going to do anything about it.”

His eyes flashed at her, and it was the only warning she got before one hand was at her throat, and the other was on her hip holding her in place. “I think it’s time for you to realize that I’ll do more than shut you up,” he gritted out. “I’ll make you beg.” Then, before she could fully process his words, his mouth was on hers, and anything she might have said was instantly gone in the storm that rolled over her.

She knew she should be pushing him away, or kneeing him in the balls, but she would blame it all on her temper and the need to get this aggression and anger out of her system. It had nothing to do with the way he tasted like sin and possession, or the way his hand on her throat tightened as he plundered her mouth. Not that she wasn’t an active participant in this little challenge. She gave as good as she got, the heat between them rising to a fever pitch and making her reach up and grip his shoulders tightly, even as she nipped at his lip, making him groan into her mouth before doing the same thing to her.

It was like pouring gasoline on an already raging fire, because every primal instinct inside her reared its head, and she was hoisting herself up his body, her legs hooking around his waist and her hands moving up into his hair, nails digging into his scalp as he transferred his grip from her hip to her ass, fingers digging into her cheek hard enough to leave bruises.

It was delicious, and she wanted more of it. She loved it a little rough, and surprise surprise, apparently so did Code. Who knew? Still, neither of them was willing to cede to the other, and the fire between them burned and raged. She moaned into his mouth when he pressed her harder against the door, his groin grinding hard against her, the friction and pressure on her clit making pleasure shoot through her. She ground herself against him, the only thought in her mind that she wanted more. More heat, more friction, and more of Code.

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