Read Online Taken by Surprise by Tonya Ramagos - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tonya Ramagos
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missing on the club case last year became the red flag that waved in front of Cooper's highly observant eyes.
"You sound jealous, Mal." He yanked up the suitcase, set it on the floor by the bed. He wouldn't let her see how much that pleased him, how it sparked a glimmer of hope in his chest. Hope he quickly squashed because he knew it to be contrived, impossible. Whatever he'd let slip and shown to Cooper, he'd managed to put back under wraps. He returned to being the same stuffy, pompous ass she often called him by the time they found her alive and unharmed in the hideout of a known lowlife looking to break into human trafficking. The thug thought to take Mallory and close to a dozen others out of three established local nightclubs and auction them off to the highest bidding terrorist.
"Only because she'll probably succeed in doing something I've been attempting to do for years."
By all rights, Jackson should have heard warning bells. He should have caught the way her tone shifted from pouty to wickedly alluring. If he did, he might have avoided the squeeze to his balls that came next. "What's that?"
"Fuck you."
Jackson winced, thankful as all hell that he turned his back on her as he grabbed his toiletry bag off the nightstand. Her bluntness coupled with the urge to do exactly that tightened his muscles even as it thickened his cock.
"Are you going to look her up when you get there?"
Jackson dared to look at her. Mistake. Big mistake . She got to her feet and walked to the corner of the bed, effectively cutting off his escape route out of the bedroom. "I'm sure we'll meet at DEA HQ."
"Not the agent." Mallory licked her lips.
He fought not to watch the slow glide of her tongue, swallowed the need to taste the moisture it left behind. He failed.
"The one you fucked the last time you went to Silver Springs."
Jackson met her gaze, made his own hard and blank. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do." She took a step toward him. He barely caught himself before he took two steps back in retreat. "I was right, you know. It helped. The fling you had with her. It loosened your tie a little, let you be almost human for a while."
"I am human, Mallory."
She shook her head. "You're a robot. At least, that's what you seem to want people to believe, want me to believe, in any case."
"Because I take my job seriously? Because I would rather be working than off gallivanting or flinging with every short skirt in Waterston or Silver Springs?"
"Because you keep your emotions hidden," she countered and touched him, a light trail of her fingernail down the buttons of his shirt that scalded his chest like a branding iron. "You want me, Jack. The gallivanting, the flings, they don't work for you because it's me you want."
Jackson fisted his hands at his sides. He wouldn't touch her. To do so would be sealing his fate. One touch and he would lose it all: his career, his control, his sanity. He couldn't risk that when he knew she would walk away come morning.
When he didn't say anything, she dropped her hand but didn't back away. "I want to go with you."
"Didn't we go through this already?"
"I may not be able to go into the club with you, but I can work it from the outside. The club scene is what I do best. You know it. Cooper knows it."
Yeah, Jackson knew it. He'd watched her come straight out of the academy and hit the club scene on assignments that sent other rookies running. She collected the intel, solved the cases, and moved on to the next assignment without blinking a beautiful sea blue eye. She proved herself a mover and a shaker in the bureau. She could handle herself in the line of duty better than some of the male agents he knew. And, truth be told, if it were his choice, he would've taken her with him on this one. No matter how badly he fought his awareness of her, she also proved herself one of the best partners an agent could ask for.
"Then talk to Cooper." Jackson tried to step around her, but the
"You sound jealous, Mal." He yanked up the suitcase, set it on the floor by the bed. He wouldn't let her see how much that pleased him, how it sparked a glimmer of hope in his chest. Hope he quickly squashed because he knew it to be contrived, impossible. Whatever he'd let slip and shown to Cooper, he'd managed to put back under wraps. He returned to being the same stuffy, pompous ass she often called him by the time they found her alive and unharmed in the hideout of a known lowlife looking to break into human trafficking. The thug thought to take Mallory and close to a dozen others out of three established local nightclubs and auction them off to the highest bidding terrorist.
"Only because she'll probably succeed in doing something I've been attempting to do for years."
By all rights, Jackson should have heard warning bells. He should have caught the way her tone shifted from pouty to wickedly alluring. If he did, he might have avoided the squeeze to his balls that came next. "What's that?"
"Fuck you."
Jackson winced, thankful as all hell that he turned his back on her as he grabbed his toiletry bag off the nightstand. Her bluntness coupled with the urge to do exactly that tightened his muscles even as it thickened his cock.
"Are you going to look her up when you get there?"
Jackson dared to look at her. Mistake. Big mistake . She got to her feet and walked to the corner of the bed, effectively cutting off his escape route out of the bedroom. "I'm sure we'll meet at DEA HQ."
"Not the agent." Mallory licked her lips.
He fought not to watch the slow glide of her tongue, swallowed the need to taste the moisture it left behind. He failed.
"The one you fucked the last time you went to Silver Springs."
Jackson met her gaze, made his own hard and blank. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do." She took a step toward him. He barely caught himself before he took two steps back in retreat. "I was right, you know. It helped. The fling you had with her. It loosened your tie a little, let you be almost human for a while."
"I am human, Mallory."
She shook her head. "You're a robot. At least, that's what you seem to want people to believe, want me to believe, in any case."
"Because I take my job seriously? Because I would rather be working than off gallivanting or flinging with every short skirt in Waterston or Silver Springs?"
"Because you keep your emotions hidden," she countered and touched him, a light trail of her fingernail down the buttons of his shirt that scalded his chest like a branding iron. "You want me, Jack. The gallivanting, the flings, they don't work for you because it's me you want."
Jackson fisted his hands at his sides. He wouldn't touch her. To do so would be sealing his fate. One touch and he would lose it all: his career, his control, his sanity. He couldn't risk that when he knew she would walk away come morning.
When he didn't say anything, she dropped her hand but didn't back away. "I want to go with you."
"Didn't we go through this already?"
"I may not be able to go into the club with you, but I can work it from the outside. The club scene is what I do best. You know it. Cooper knows it."
Yeah, Jackson knew it. He'd watched her come straight out of the academy and hit the club scene on assignments that sent other rookies running. She collected the intel, solved the cases, and moved on to the next assignment without blinking a beautiful sea blue eye. She proved herself a mover and a shaker in the bureau. She could handle herself in the line of duty better than some of the male agents he knew. And, truth be told, if it were his choice, he would've taken her with him on this one. No matter how badly he fought his awareness of her, she also proved herself one of the best partners an agent could ask for.
"Then talk to Cooper." Jackson tried to step around her, but the
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