NINE

"I'll be back tomorrow to pick you up.  Nine sharp.  Wear something... appropriate, honey."

Appropriate?  What does one wear to an exclusive, upscale club rumored to cater to a select crowd of people to whom S&M is more of a religion than something played at after one too many drinks?  She hadn't a clue and the set of his mouth and the twinkle in his eye said he wasn't about to help her out on that score. 

"Is this a test?"   

"Yes."

He was totally unapologetic about it.  She still couldn't even believe he'd agreed to take her to a place like that.  Not that they hadn't visited a few sex clubs here and there over the last year... but this was something different.  He'd told her about it, of course.  That it wasn't the kind of place where one advertised one's predilections blatantly.  There would be no leather and flesh on display.  At least not the kind of imagery the average Joe's mind conjures up at the words S&M.

It wasn't just the place that had her uneasy and excited.  It was that it was also the first time he'd ever even let her come close to the part of his job that wasn't white glove parties and schmoozing wealthy clients.  Aside from Terry, she'd never met a single member of any crew he'd ever worked with.  Dino worked more closely with them than Terry did, recruiting them, training them, leaving his partner to handle more of the policy end of things while he handled the more practical details.  Men.  Tactics.  Weapons. 

He liked that part of the job best.  He was a great negotiator, but he'd much rather be in the trenches, dirty with his men, than sipping iced tea in boring policy meetings.  Tomorrow would be the first time she'd meet one of the team.  Or rather, a potential member of the new team he was putting together.  He'd been tightlipped about it as usual only telling her the man he was meeting was the one she'd spoken briefly to on his cell that morning a few weeks ago, but she knew a little more than she let on initially.  She'd peeked at the dossier he'd left on his desk while he was in the shower. 

There was a bio and a picture.  The kid was handsome... dark hair and eyes.  Mid twenties.  He was an ex-Navy SEAL who'd suffered a debilitating knee injury in the line of duty that had left him unable to continue in the teams.  He'd chosen an honorable discharge over working at a desk, and had devoted the last eighteen months of his life to intense rehabilitation.  He was a bit of a wild card.... but also had extensive training in air, sea and land warfare tactics as well as being an expert marksman.  And he was trained to work in a team.  He was no lone-gun Rambo.  In short, he was just the sort of man Dino wanted on his crew.  All that remained was one final interview. 

And one last little test to pass before he'd get the green light.....

TEN

"Why do you always call when I'm in the bathroom?  I swear... you wait 'till you're sure I'm peeing and that's when you call.... You psychic or something, Burrito?"

"Nope.  I've just got the place watched."

"Yeah, right... Mr. Privacy has surveillance in the Fortress of Solitude."

"Very funny."

"I thought so."

"You decided what you're going to wear yet?  Tick-tock, honey.  It will be nine before you know it."

"Now that's just mean!  You refuse to give me any help and now you're just calling to gloat."

"No I'm not... I snuck out for a smoke between meetings.  I'm so bored..... I wish someone would come and kidnap me.  C'mon.... Give me something to think about to make the time pass faster."

"Sure.  You got a letter from the DMV.  Your tags expire next month."

"That's not exactly the distraction I was hoping for."

"I know."

"Aw, come on... take pity on me.  Something.  Anything."

"Okay... I think I've tried everything in my closet on at least once.  I even had a dig through yours as well..."

"Any luck?"

"Nope."

"You know, your phone sex skills need some serious work."

"Yeah, I hear ya.  It's just such a pity you know?  I've tried on everything from my slinkiest dress to my naughtiest shoes-"

"Now we're talking-"

"And after all that, I'm still standing here perfumed and naked...."

"I thought you said you were in the bathroom."

"I am.  The light's better in here and I wanted to see how your fedora and tie went with a whole lot of pale creamy skin...."

"......"

"Heh.  That's what I thought you'd say.  I love the sound of all that blood rushing away from your brain.  See you at nine, Dean."

ELEVEN

The club was.... different.  Unremarkable in some ways.  Had she not known the kind of clientele it catered to before hand, she doubted she'd even be able to tell this place from any number of swanky clubs Dino had taken her to in the last year.  What was different was the vibe.  There was an electricity to the air, as if it was charged with danger or lust or both.  The people and the conversation around her were cultured.  The décor was trendy yet elegant, the music tasteful and sensual.  The glass shelves behind the bar held only bottles of the finest quality libations. There was nothing crass or vulgar about any of it.  Strange, she thought, for what was in essence a sex club. 

No, the people here played a much different game.  It was in the body language.  Dino had been right.  There was no leather or flesh on crude display.  No whips or chains or collars, either.  Here, it was a game played by masters.  Only those able to read the most subtle body language were allowed entrée.  It made her wonder how Dino had gotten in so easily. 

It was the new recruit, Cullen Murphy, who'd chosen this particular place for their meeting.  The kid's choice amused Dino.  It was just the sort of stunt he'd have pulled at that age... see if you can rattle the old fart in charge by getting him out of his element.  Oh, son... if you only knew!  He waited at the bar and ordered another scotch to kill some time, keeping one eye on the door and the other on his woman.   

She caught his eye from across the room where she was cozied up at a small table.  Christ Jesus, she looked good.  Smiling to himself, he fought back a wave of heat, wondering if she had any idea what the others would make of her tonight.  She'd already politely declined two offers for drinks and company, one from a distinguished gray-haired gentlemen and another from a gorgeous blonde in a severe black suit.  That was one little fantasy coupling he'd file away for later....

He could tell she'd have been more comfortable if he'd been with her, but he could also tell from her high color that she was enjoying drinking in the vibe of this place.  She'd always been a people watcher.  It had to be titillating for her as she tried to work out just what was happening around her.  At least he hoped it was.  He still wasn't sure bringing her here... now, tonight... was the smartest thing to do. 

But the uneasiness that had been driving him lately was starting to burn higher than he could safely control.  Still, he reasoned, it was a minimal risk.  He trusted his life to the men in his crews... not to mention the thorough background checks he'd already done on the kid.  It wasn't as if he was dragging her into a shitstorm negotiation in some backwater country.  So why did he feel so damned guilty?  Because some part of him wanted to show her off?  Or because he wanted to show off a bit for her?  Let her see some of what he always kept hidden?  Or maybe it was because this whole situation with her here in this place was turning him on more than it should.  He'd been fighting an erection for the last quarter of an hour.  He shook himself mentally and forced himself back to the task at hand.  Playtime would come later.  He had work to do.  First. 

A few minutes before the appointed time, Cullen arrived and swaggered his way to the bar, though he offered his hand in a respectful greeting.  Good.  He was cocky but not too arrogant.  While he might be young, Cullen was no green boy.  He knew what this meeting was really about.  They wanted to size him up, see how he interacted in a more causal setting before they'd give him the green light.  He was smart enough to be aware some sort of test was coming.  He just hadn't quite worked out what it was yet.

They talked over drinks.  He ordered a glass of hearty red, partly because O'Leary was drinking scotch and partly because it was easier to sip it and maintain his edge than a tumbler of the hard stuff would have been.  Both of them relaxed more when the interview was over and they drifted away from the bar to a table where Cullen was grilled about his personal life so subtly it almost didn't annoy him.  He gave just enough of an answer to satisfy O'Leary but not so much that he really gave anything too personal away.  Which said something in itself.  It also hadn't passed his notice that O'Leary hadn't given a damned thing away about his own personal life.  Typical.

Dino watched Cullen watch the women in the room, noting which ones his eyes went back to.  So he liked brunettes, did he?  He also noted which ones were returning the glances.  They were on their way back to the bar when a very drunk young Latina woman stumbled into them and made a shameless pass at Cullen, rubbing herself against him suggestively and whispering an unmistakable come-on in his ear while showing off her ample charms.  Cullen disengaged himself, gave her a wide lazy smile as he dodged her wandering hands and leaned in, asking the bartender to call her a cab.  He couldn't resist flirting with her and her pretty friend until it got there, however.  You couldn't blame a man for that.  She was hot in an athletic sort of way... and he had been trained to make the most of every opportunity.... 

Presently, both of them watched her weave her way to the door in the company of her girlfriend.  Both men smiled for different reasons.

"Funny.  I didn't read 'Boy Scout' anywhere in your dossier...."

Cullen shrugged but his ears turned a bit red.  "Girl like that in a place like this?  She'd be eaten for lunch.  She's better off being sent home mum and dad."  He took a swallow of wine.  "Bit like fishing, isn't it?  Throw the minnows back.... they'll grow....meanwhile... there's plenty of others, mate."

Dino just nodded.  Well, that was another question answered.  If the kid really was familiar with this place, he'd know nobody worth their salt would have approached someone so sadly lacking in the finer subtleties of this particular game.  He did note, however, that Cullen's eyes had been drawn back to the same brunette sitting alone at a cozy table in the back.  And that she was making eyes back at him.  He almost laughed aloud.  Apparently his little Island Girl had decided to play a few games of her own now that his interview was over.

He watched Cullen watch her.  She couldn't have chosen a more appropriate outfit for tonight.  She was wearing a smart white blouse over a blood red corset that nipped her slender waist in even further.  She'd pared it with a long demure black skirt that he knew from experience had a slit in the side.  When she shifted it opened slightly, revealing the graceful curve of her calf and the sensual arch of her foot.  He sucked in a breath.  Those were definitely not nice shoes.  He'd know.  He'd bought them for her.  They were high enough that she held his hand tighter when she walked at his side, afraid she'd lose her balance and take a tumble.  It was an unexpected touch of vulnerability that he especially liked.  She'd even piled her hair up on her head, baring her slender neck, around which was a gauzy black ribbon on which she'd fixed the vintage cameo he'd given her for her birthday.  It was hard for him to believe the change in her.  Somehow she'd gone from a naïve, wide-eyed college girl to the very picture of sophisticated sexual beauty. 

And she was coming this way.

Cullen nodded at her as she approached.

Dino smiled into his scotch and said under his breath, "Watch out, pal... a woman like that will eat you for lunch.  I'd hate to have to call you a cab...."

Cullen snorted.  "Watch and learn, old man."

The woman insinuated herself between them, giving them both a shy smile, accompanied by downcast eyes for the perfect length of time before they came up, sparkling with mischief as she eyed the bottles behind the bar.

"What's good here?"

"I recommend the scotch."  Dino was unable to resist being drawn into her little game even as a small twinge of jealousy pricked at him sharply.  She couldn't possibly find the kid more attractive than she found him.  He wasn't her type at all.  Was he?

"I've always liked a good red myself, sweetheart."  Cullen's fingers were on his own nearly empty wine glass, but his eyes were on the red satin corset that became the slightest bit more visible each time she breathed in.  Cullen's fingers twitched.  Dino's curled into a fist. 

Thinking of her lover's red hair and fiery temper, Heather bit her tongue to keep from laughing aloud at Cullen's comment.  "Me too."  Ignoring Dino's suggestion for a scotch, she leaned in and ordered a glass of red for herself.  Both men offered to pay and she missed the look of triumph Cullen shot Dino behind her back as she not only chose the drink he recommended but allowed him to pay for it as well.     

She wasn't at all sure of herself or if she was playing this little game the right way... but it sure was fun.  So was seeing Dino a bit off his game, as it so rarely happened, especially in this arena.  And it was the first time he'd ever done anything like this, exposed her to this part of his life - his working life.  With the way things had been between them lately, she wasn't at all sure if that was a good thing... or a bad one. 

She also wondered if maybe she wasn't going too far as they all talked and flirted, but she simply couldn't bring herself to refuse Cullen's charming offer to dance.  He had a slight limp, but even that got lost in his unmistakable virility and in his rugged good looks.  He was clever and funny and too irreverent by half.... but he just had that spark... that latent predatory power that makes women flutter inside.  He might be one of the good guys who spent his days hunting down the bad guys.... but it was clear to her that he probably spent the majority of his off duty time hunting women.   

He was cocky and confident and his lean muscled body practically oozed sex.  He even looked like he'd just rolled out of bed; wild hair stuck up in every direction and there was a couple days worth of stubble on his strong chin.  Thick dark eyebrows gave him an unkempt look in a masculine way that almost announced what his groin would look like; an equally unruly furring of dark hair that framed an impressive cock.  The look in his hooded eyes seemed to say he not only knew exactly what a woman was thinking, but that he'd experienced that particular reaction enough times that it barely registered anymore. 

He was wearing a fine lavender dress shirt open at the throat to reveal a silver cross on a black cord and a hint of dark hair further down on his chest.  His sleeves were messily rolled up to his elbows.  On his wrist was a heavy watch that matched the fat silver ring on his thumb.  He had a tattoo of a frog on his right forearm and through the thin lawn of his shirt, she could see the dark shadow of a much larger tribal tattoo across his left shoulder.  Despite the fact that he was wearing nice slacks and boots, he still dripped both sex and danger. 

Now and again as they moved around the dance floor, she caught Dino's gaze.  He seemed somewhere half way between wry amusement and fiery annoyance.  Good.  She shivered, wondering how he'd burn up that electricity crackling just under the surface when they were alone later on.... She knew he'd press her.  And she couldn't wait to twist him into knots before she let on the truth.  Cullen, impressive as he was, was about twenty years too young to catch anything other than her eye... which was all there was really left to catch.  She'd already given away her heart to the one man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.      

Still, she enjoyed the feel of Cullen in her arms while they danced.  He wasn't as smooth a dancer as her own Red Haired Devil, but he was big and strong and smelled divine.  He was also shamelessly whispering in her ear, making crude propositions in that way that men like him have that somehow seems sexy and exciting instead of rude and disgusting.  Dino would blow a gasket if he knew.  He had a pretty good idea though, considering the cocky looks Cullen kept shooting at him.  He had half a mind to wring that little motherfucker's neck except he didn't want to play straight into his woman's little game just yet.  So he continued to pretend he was aloof.... and let his own eyes wander.  There were some gorgeous women in here, one petite Asian girl in particular, whose hair looked like a river of shiny black water and whose lithe body looked supple enough to bend in half... never mind what that flexibility could do to a man....

He pretended not to notice when the pair of dancers returned to the bar and smiled inwardly when Heather's eyes glowed at the obvious slight.  They glowed even more when she saw where he was looking.  And at whom. 

But eventually he got tired of waiting and watching and listening to his woman use all her skill to carefully work her way around Cullen's lines.  He might be fantastic in the field, but it was clear he played as hard as he worked.  Crushing back his own memories of how he'd been exactly like that in his own youth, Dino glanced at his watch and then back at Heather.  She saw the telltale little gesture and smiled.

"Ready to go, Dean?"  Heather moved to his side and his hand came to stroke the small of her back possessively.

Cullen's head snapped up.  It took only moments for his sharp mind to work it out, though he wasn't at all sure he hadn't known on some level already.  This had been too easy.  He'd known there was going to be a test in here somewhere.  He just didn't image a man like O'Leary would involve his own woman in it.  For all his jaded exploits, it made him a bit uneasy.  At least with O'Leary's behavior.  Thinking back to his conversation with Heather on the dance floor, he became aware she never once encouraged him or led him on.  So it was like that, was it?

Cullen grinned at the pair of them and burst out laughing.  It was hardly as if his heart had been involved here.  It was quite another organ entirely.  He looked at Dino.  "O'Leary, you old bastard!"  His eyes twinkled.  "And ma'am... my apologies to you...." He waited until she began to protest before the wicked smile took over.  "I feel sorry for anyone going home with the likes of him...." 

Dino just chuckled as they said their goodnights and she thanked him for the drink.  Cullen kissed her on the cheek, just to wind O'Leary up a bit more.  The two men shook hands. 

"I knew there was going to be a test tonight....  you going to tell me how I did?"

"Passed with flying colors."  And then he grinned.  "But that wasn't the test, sunshine.  Have a good night...."

They left Cullen sitting at the bar, scratching his head... trying to work out what the fuck had just happened.  He was alone... but not for long.  The night was young and full of promise.  And so was he.....

Outside, Dino couldn't help but smile as he settled his woman into the car.  She was only a fledgling in these sorts of games, but she did have promise.  On day, she might even rival him.  And she'd sure as shit pushed his every button tonight.  God, he was going to enjoy making her pay for that. 

He also couldn't help but feel smug about the interview.  It had gone even better than expected despite Heather's involvement at the end.  And wouldn't young Cullen be surprised when he showed up for training and worked out just who the real test had been.... that pretty young Latina who'd pretended to be the drunken damsel in distress... 

Of course, she hadn't actually been in distress at all.  Or drunk.  She was one of his top people.  He might not care for women serving with men in the Corps, at least in combat situations, but hostage negotiation and rescue was another ball of wax entirely.  And he'd discovered having a woman on his team could be an incredible asset.  She not only had access to places he couldn't go and the command of a set skill set no man could ever wield, she was also one tough broad between the Muay Thai and her knowledge of all things that went 'BOOM!'  He couldn't wait until Cullen walked in and met her face to face... no doubt it would be months before she let him off the hook for calling her 'sweet thing' right before he pinched her pert little ass.  You couldn't really blame him though.... she did have a very fine backside - the few times he'd seen it dressed in something other than camouflage and Kevlar.

Feeling warmed inwardly, both by a hot streak of jealousy and the slow sweet burn that comes of a job well done, their car sped off into the night back to his Fortress of Solitude and a game of a very different sort...

TWELVE

"I've emailed you the details.  Cullen's in all the way, Terry..... Sanchez is going to bust his hump for pinching her ass... but the interview was a lock.... he's a go."

"I know.  He just left my office.  Official interview.  You know, that boring bit you hate?  We had the most enlightening little chat...."

Shit.  "Did you now?" 

"Cut the crap, mate.  I always knew you were a shit but I didn't think you were a fucking stupid shit."

"Yeah, St. Terry?  What's your problem?  Can't stand to think there's a little girl out there who isn't worshipping at your shrine?"

"Well, you got one thing right... old man.  What the hell were you thinking?  I wouldn't let any woman I know on the same continent as Cullen Murphy.  That guy is one nasty fuck."

"No, you just prefer breaking up marriages.  That's so much more noble, hermano."

"All the spin in the world won't change the facts.  You made a bad call.  It happens.  But do it again and I'll really begin to wonder about your judgment.  There's reckless... and then there's reckless and foolish, mate.  The former puts you in danger... the latter puts us all in danger."

"You done?"

"If you are."

"Christ, listen to you.  I'm not a goddamn liability."

"Yet."

Yet.