"Come in for a minute, Mercer. I need to talk to you."
Daniel looked like he might argue, but after a second’s hesitation followed Tyson into the condo and closed the door. He stood stiffly, waiting for King's instructions.
Tyson took his time pouring Claudia a glass of her favourite chilled white wine while she settled herself on one of the stools at the island. She was watching Daniel from beneath long mascaraed eyelashes, her flashing green eyes calculating. Daniel looked as though he would murder her without hesitation if he wasn’t being paid to do the exact opposite. Tyson stepped around the island, making sure he was a little closer to the object of Daniel’s ire. Not that he thought for a second he could stop the other man if Daniel decided to get physical.
“You have a meeting with DeLuca?” King asked.
Daniel jerked his head in confirmation, his eyes never leaving Claudia’s back. She crossed her legs and settled onto the stool more comfortably as though enjoying his seething attention.
Finally, as though the words were dragged from him, Daniel growled, “Where’s she going?”
Claudia turned slowly on her stool to give Daniel her disdainful attention. “Why do you care? It’s not like you’ve said boo to her in almost two months.”
“Why’d you call her brave?” he demanded, ignoring her attitude. “What’s so brave about a damn date?”
Claudia frowned a little, remembering back to her conversation with Addison. Then she giggled. “Oh yeah,” she took a healthy gulp of wine and fanned herself a little, “it’s not the date itself that’s so brave, it’s the after party.”
“So, what,” he snapped, “plans on fucking him?”
“Oh yeah,” she grinned, “both of them.”
Daniel looked like he was going to murder someone; Claudia in particular. Tyson took a step closer to Claudia, put a broad hand on her knee and squeezed, encouraging her to stop talking. After a few tense seconds, Daniel turned on his heel and headed for the door.
“Make the meeting with DeLuca, then worry about the girl,” King rumbled after him.
Daniel said nothing, closing the door forcefully as he left.
Tyson squeezed Claudia’s knee again and slid his hand up her thigh, flirting with the edge of her cream coloured pencil skirt. “You enjoy causing havoc in our tower, don’t you my queen?”
Claudia pouted. “I’m only watching out for my friend.”
“By trying to push a very dangerous man over the edge,” Tyson leaned in to growl against her ear. “Do you have any idea what I would do to you if I found out you were about to engage in a threesome?”
He took her skirt in his large hands and yanked it up her thighs, pulling her forward at the same time and forcing her legs to uncross. He tipped her backwards and pulled her legs wide, enjoying the view of white lace panties. She gasped and clutched at his shoulders.
“I think you might need a spanking. A reminder not to play dangerous games,” he said, leaning in to nip at her cleavage. He slid his hands down her thighs and ran his thumbs along the inside of her panties lightly caressing her shaved pussy lips and drawing a delicious moan. “And teach you not to mess with my security chief.”
Claudia tilted her hips against his seeking fingers and said huskily, “I think you should try it and see if I learn any lessons.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Daniel. It has been too long, my friend," Niccolo DeLuca greeted Daniel warmly, grasping his hand firmly.
Daniel nodded and returned the handshake with equal pressure. He accepted the chair Nic waved him to and both men sat together. The Italian offered him a cigar, but Daniel politely declined and sat back in his chair while the other man lit his Cohiba. Nic relaxed into the plush hotel chair and eyed his long-time acquaintance.
"Five years in security, Daniel. How do you like this cozy American job?" Nic asked, the pleasant aroma of cigar surrounding them. "You ready to come back to good money, where you no get soft, eh? I have a few arms shipments going out that could use overseeing."
Daniel grunted. "I'm sure you'll find someone."
Nic smiled regretfully, crossing his leg over his knee, carelessly creasing his expensive suit trousers. "No one is as good as you, but you are loyal only to King. So I will have to let this idea go for now. Maybe one day you will grow bored with civilian life and contract out again. If this happens you must come back to me first."
"Undoubtedly," Daniel replied.
The two men sat in companionable silence while Nic finished his cigar. Nic considered Daniel a friend, though he knew Daniel didn't return the compliment. Daniel wasn't an easy man, but he had his own sense of honour. He didn't double cross his employers, he always completed his jobs and he was worth every penny of his high fees. He'd always been a man of few words, but Nic suspected there was integrity there.
"King is well?" Nic asked, ashing his cigar in a crystal tray on the marble stand next to his chair.
Daniel nodded. “Sends his regrets. He’d be here himself, but a new merger’s keeping him occupied."
