Trouble in a Tight Dress (Six Points Security, #1) Read online

  “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest. She tipped her head back to meet his gaze, and her eyes were filled with worry. “This was meant as a warning. Next time, it’ll be worse. Ivan’s not going to stop until I give him what he wants.”

  “He’ll stop if I put a bullet in his brain.” When she gasped, he added, “I’m kidding. I think. I really liked that truck.”

  She was probably right about the bomb being a warning. If the person who’d wired it really wanted him dead, they would have spliced it into the ignition system so it would have gone off when he turned the engine over. The thought failed to make him feel any better. If Ivan’s men were able to do that to his truck without being noticed, then they could do even more damage if they set their minds to it. They could go after him, his brothers, or his sister and her growing family.

  Oh, hell no.

  The more he thought about it, the more it pissed him off. Someone had the balls to invade his turf and bomb his fucking truck. And just like Nina, he was fairly certain that person acted on the orders of Ivan Petrov. It was pretty damn reckless. What if the bomb hadn’t worked as intended and he’d ended up killing his own sister? Just the thought sent a chill down Austin’s spine. It made him more determined to keep Nina safe at all costs, even if that meant putting a toe tag on her brother.

  A police car pulled into the parking lot with its lights flashing, while a team of firefighters sprayed foam all over what was left of his truck.

  Absently, he stroked a hand down Nina’s back. “Go inside; I’ll be in once I finish talking with the cops. Then we’re taking you someplace safe until we get this all figured out.”

  NINA SAT SILENT IN the passenger side of Austin’s SUV as they drove to the Six Points safe house. Even now, she couldn’t get over the fact her brother had bombed Austin’s truck. Yes, she’d known he was a dangerous man, but the reality of the situation hit home with a vengeance at the sight of the charred vehicle.

  They’d been on the road for a little more than an hour, but it was hard to tell just how far they’d gone because Austin had taken a long, convoluted route to ensure they hadn’t picked up a tail. At last, they turned in to an older, upscale neighborhood and pulled up to a property with a high brick wall and a wrought-iron gate. Austin clicked the remote; the gate rolled open, and as they drove up the driveway, Nina spotted two men in full tactical gear patrolling the grounds.

  “We picked up the house at a foreclosure auction and renovated it per our specs,” Austin said as they approached the large, one-story house. He pressed another button on the remote, and the center door of the three-car garage rolled up. “All of the windows are made of bullet-resistant glass, and the doors have reinforced steel. In addition to the guards, we’ve got cameras covering every square inch of the property. If anyone gets past the wall or the gate, we’ll know about it immediately.”

  “I didn’t realize we had enough clients that needed this level of security,” she said as the garage door rolled shut behind them.

  “Well, it’s not like we advertise the fact.” They stepped out of the car, and he got her bag from the back and hefted it over his shoulder. “Most of our clients who stay here are foreign nationals or celebrities.”

  Austin’s handprint was required to gain entry to the house, and once inside, he gave Nina a quick tour.

  Compared to her apartment, the place was huge, with six bedrooms, four full baths, and a kitchen and living area that looked like something out of a magazine. It didn’t look lived in, though, which made perfect sense, considering it was mostly used as a temporary shelter for people under the protection of Six Points.

  “If something happens and the house is breached,” Austin said as they entered the master bedroom, “the walk-in closet has a panic room built along the back wall. Just hit the green button, and the door will slide open. Lock yourself in, and don’t open it again until one of us gives the all-clear.”

  She crossed to the closet and eyed the small electronic panel mounted on the interior wall. Curious, she pressed the green button, and the door slid back to reveal a small room equipped with everything a person would need in a crisis situation: communications equipment, a bank of security camera monitors, a small bed, water, pre-packaged food, flashlights, a gas mask, and a portable toilet.

  She peered over her shoulder at Austin. “If I’m in there, where will you be?”

  “Out here, killing whoever was stupid enough to invade my turf.”

  She tilted her head up and sniffed the air. “Ah yes, there it is—the overpowering scent of testosterone.”

  “Just saying.” The hint of a smile warmed the corners of his mouth. His gaze caught hers, and she had to look away before she did anything stupid.

  Needing a distraction, she walked to the window and peered out at the backyard. There wasn’t much to see, just grass and a few flowers, probably so intruders wouldn’t have anything to hide behind. “How long do I have to stay here?”

  He came up behind her, close but not quite touching, and she could see his reflection in the glass. “You don’t have to do anything. Just say the word, and you can leave at any time. But I’d strongly suggest you stay until we figure out what to do about your brother. Ryan’s reaching out to his law enforcement contacts, while Larissa’s doing her thing on the computer.”

  Guilt gnawed at her insides as she turned back toward him. “I’m sorry for dragging you all into this.”

  He scoffed. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. You’re not the one who went psycho and started blowing shit up.”

  True, but she still felt awful about turning everyone’s life upside-down. She worried about Austin, his siblings, her roommates, and all the people who worked at Six Points. “How long will those guys be on guard duty?”

  Austin glanced at his watch. “About three more hours, then the next shift comes in. Nate and Ty are stopping by later to double-check the security system and tweak the sensors along the outer perimeter. It’s probably overkill, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.” Absently, he touched a hand to his side and flinched.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t lie to me. You’re hurt.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. Let me see it.”

  Clearly annoyed, he gave her a long, wary look before he grudgingly lifted his shirt to reveal a large dark bruise along his right side.

  “It’s no big deal,” he said when she gasped. “I must have hit a car or something when the blast threw me back. It happened so fast, I can’t say for sure.”

  The guilt she’d been feeling intensified. “You should put ice on it.”

  “I’m fine.”

  She sighed. Men—they’d rather die than admit to being less than superhuman. To prove her point, she poked the bruise, and he made an inarticulate noise. “Fine my ass. Come to the kitchen; I’ll make you a pack.”

  Not waiting for his response, she spun on her heel and hightailed it out of the room. His footsteps trailed a few feet behind, and she resisted the urge to glance back.

  Once in the kitchen, she crossed to the freezer. As expected, she found a stash of freeze packs and wrapped one in a dishcloth.

  “Keep it on there for fifteen minutes.” She handed it to him.

  “Ma’am, yes ma’am,” he said with a mock salute, and she rolled her eyes.

  “How did Larissa survive the five of you and keep her sanity intact?”

  Austin sucked in a breath when he placed the pack against the bruise. “She’s the baby of the family and the only girl, so she got off easy. As the oldest, I’m the one who got stuck with the job of breaking in our parents.”

  She couldn’t stop from laughing. “Five boys in one house—your parents must be saints.”

  “They have their moments.” He flashed a genuine smile, and it made her breath catch in her throat.

  Struggling for nonchalant, she cro
ssed her arms and leaned back against the black granite counter. “Do they live around here?”

  “Nah, they’re up in Georgia when they’re not driving around in their RV. They both retired a year or so ago and decided they wanted to see the country while they were still healthy enough to enjoy it.”

  The idea sounded so wonderfully...normal, and unlike anything anyone in her family would ever do. “It’s nice they’re able to do that.”

  He shrugged. “They worked hard all their lives, and like you said, it couldn’t have been easy to raise the six of us. They’re planning to come down when Larissa has her baby. Hang around, and you’ll get to meet them.”

  The idea certainly appealed to her. She wanted to be around when Larissa had her baby, and she’d love to meet the couple who’d raised such a close-knit brood. But then reality reared its ugly head, and her gut twisted up like a pretzel. “I don’t want to go back into hiding.”

  “Then don’t.”

  “I wish it was that easy.”

  “It is, once we take care of your brother.” His expression turned serious. “No matter what happens between us, Nina, I’ll always keep you safe. That’s a promise.”

  In her heart, she knew he meant every word, and it did strange things to her insides. Her pulse raced, heat flooded her body, and a swell of emotion caught in her throat. It was hard to think straight when he was looking at her like that, and before common sense could tell her to stop, she went up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  AUSTIN WENT COMPLETELY still at the feel of her lips on his. When she pulled back a little, his gaze caught hers, and something wild flashed in her eyes, charging the air and chipping away at the last remaining shreds of his self-control.

  Fuck it. It had been a long day, and he was so damn tired. Physically beat, mentally exhausted, but most of all, he was tired of keeping his feelings for Nina on a shelf. Giving in to the hunger, he dipped his head and claimed her mouth in a scorching kiss.

  Nina let out a noise that sounded like surprise, but then the noise turned low, husky, needy, and her hands skimmed up his chest to grip his shoulders. He shouldn’t be doing this; it was all kinds of wrong. He was supposed to be protecting her. But he was lost in the feel of her, her touch, her taste, and with each decadent slide of his lips against hers, his hunger tightened to a craving.

  With a groan, his fingers tangled in her hair, holding her head in place while he continued to plunder her mouth. It was like a dam had broken, releasing a flood of desire that he’d been holding back for what seemed like forever. He wanted her every which way he could imagine—naked, sweaty, on the bed, against the wall—screaming his name at the top of her lungs while he drove them both mindless with pleasure.

  Desperate for more, he slipped one hand under her shirt and nearly groaned at the feel of soft, warm skin. He slid his hand up to cup her breast and she arched against him. This time, the noise she made sounded urgent and demanding. One of her hands moved down to his belt while her tongue stroked his in a way that reminded him of raw fucking.

  If he didn’t get inside her soon he was going to lose his goddamn mind. Then again, maybe he already had. He gripped the hem of her blouse and pushed the fabric up her torso. As though sensing what he wanted, she raised her arms and he whipped the shirt over her head.

  The bra came off next, and then she was topless and the sight knocked the air from his lungs.

  “God, you’re so fucking gorgeous.” Moving closer, he bent his head and took one hardened nipple into his mouth, and he loved the way her eyes drifted shut and the breathy little moan she made. Bliss formed on her face as her head tipped back and her fingers slid into his hair.

  But then one of the alarms chirped, and Nina jerked back as though someone had just zapped her with an electric prod.

  “What’s that?” she asked, her eyes wide and unfocused, her hands moving up to cover her breasts.

  “Somebody tripped one of the sensors outside.” Gripping his gun, he crossed to the panel by the front door and switched on the monitor in time to see one of his brothers driving past the front gate. “Don’t worry, it’s only Ty.”

  It was official: his youngest brother had the worst timing in the world. Or maybe the best. Shit, he didn’t know. Ty might have done him a favor by interrupting them before things went too far. Emotions were running high, and Nina was in a vulnerable position, which made it all kinds of wrong for him to be mauling her like a frat boy at a toga party.

  Austin took a deep breath and let it out slowly, using every last ounce of his willpower to pull his personal shit together. He’d sworn to keep her safe, and that included her reputation. But then he looked back at her, still gloriously topless, and the unwashed lust in her whiskey eyes snapped his good intentions like a twig.

  She flicked a glance at the door. “Can you get rid of him?”

  “I’ll find a way.”

  Her mouth curved into a sensual smile as she popped the fly of her jeans. “I’ll be waiting in the bedroom. Don’t take too long, or I’ll start without you.”

  Great, now he’d have to deal with his brother while that mental image bounced around in his head. After making sure she was safely out of sight, he untucked his shirt so his erection wouldn’t be so damn noticeable and went to the door. When he yanked it open, Ty had just reached the front steps.

  “You’re early,” Austin said to his brother, not bothering to mask his irritation.

  Tonight, Ty wore a dark-blue shirt over black cargo pants and steel-toed combat boots. He hadn’t shaved since this morning, and a shadow of stubble framed his jaw. No gun, but he worked primarily with electronics, so he normally didn’t carry one. If the need arose, though, there were plenty stored in the safe.

  Ty reached into his back pocket for his phone as he bounded up the last step. “Yeah, for once traffic wasn’t too bad. Nate stopped to grab a pizza; he should be here in about twenty. Are you heading out, or were you planning to hang around for a while longer?”

  Austin made a point of blocking the doorway so Ty couldn’t come inside. “I’m staying. If you’re going to do the electronics check, you can set up in the room over the garage.”

  Ty’s forehead crinkled. “What do you want me in there for?”

  “Because...” Shit. He drew a complete blank. The woman was like Kryptonite to his ability to think clearly. Or maybe it was because all of the blood in his brain had traveled south. “Just do it, all right?”

  His brother gave him a long, appraising look, and for the first time in his entire life, Austin felt the urge to squirm.

  Ty grinned. “You and Nina are making the beast with two backs, aren’t you?”

  Austin stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Clearly enjoying himself, Ty’s grin broadened as he leaned against the doorframe. “Sure you do. Call it what you want: aggressive cuddling, hide the cannoli, pounding the piston, releasing the Kraken—”

  “All right, I get it.”

  “So is that why you want me to set up above the garage?”

  Austin glared darts at Ty. He wasn’t used to getting this much shit from his baby brother, and he didn’t like it one fucking bit. “Do you want to find out how hard I can punch?”

  It didn’t seem possible, but Ty’s grin got even wider as he held his hands up in a defensive gesture. “Touchy. I’ll take that as a yes. All you had to do was say so.” His smile slipped a notch. “Seriously, I’m happy for you. And Nina. Just don’t fuck it up, okay?”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  As he backed up a step, Ty tilted his head toward the room above the garage. “If you need me, you know where to find me. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “I didn’t think there was anything you wouldn’t do.”

  “Exactly. But if you come up with something fun, make sure to name it after me.” Ty winked and his grin returned to its original brilliance. “You kids have fun. I’ll call Nate and let him
know to meet me upstairs. And don’t worry; I won’t tell anyone that you’re giving the mattress a test drive.”

  Yeah, right. Whatever. Knowing Ty, he’d tell Nate as soon as he got him on the phone, but at this point, Austin didn’t care. Right now, the only thing he cared about was how fast he could get to the bedroom. And Nina. But when he started to close the door, Ty shoved his foot in the crack.

  “Hey, you got condoms, right?” his brother asked in a lowered voice. “Safe sex and all that.”

  Austin wanted to shove Ty back so he could close the damn door, but he couldn’t because his brother had just brought up something he hadn’t even considered in the heat of the moment. And now that he thought about it, he wanted to beat his head against the wall. “Shit. No.”

  Sometimes, his brothers were incredibly perceptive. From the looks of him, Ty wanted to laugh his ass off, but he knew if he did, Austin would pound the living daylights out of him. So instead, he reached into his back pocket and drew out his wallet. “How many do you need: one or two?”

  “That’s all you got?”

  Ty paused, the wallet still open. “You seriously think you’ll need more?”

  Austin didn’t answer, just shot him a look.

  “Jeez, when’s the last time you got laid?”

  “That’s not the issue.” He snatched the condoms from Ty’s hand. “Thank you. Now go away.”

  His brother chuckled. “No problem, man.”

  The second the front door was closed and locked, Austin strode down the hall and shoved open the door to the bedroom. And there was Nina, completely naked and stretched out on the mattress like a goddess, her breasts bared but her legs strategically crossed, giving him a smile that made his whole body ache with the need to be inside her. For a good ten seconds, he couldn’t do anything but stare, taking in every lush curve, every swell, every valley, and every inch that he hungered to touch and taste.

  “Holy shit,” he said once his brain came back online. It was a wonder he wasn’t drooling. Without a doubt, he was the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet.