A Pair of Jacks (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  In a lightening quick move, using the butt of the pistol, Jack smacked the office worker on the side of his head, sending him sprawling face down on the carpet. “I said take the stairs,” he growled in his gravely soft voice.

  The elevator opened with a soft whooshing sound, and the man scrambled back to his feet, lunging forward one more time. Jack shoved Marie inside the open doors with enough force, she stumbled against the back wall. He steadied her with one hand while aiming the pistol straight at the bureaucrat’s chest to stop him in mid-step. Jerking back in surprise, the frightened office worker sputtered as the metal doors slid closed blocking his protests.

  “Damn it,” Jack muttered. He frantically dug a cell phone out of his pocket while glancing upward to make sure no one was riding on the top of the elevator car.

  Marie knew the elevators had been designed with Plexiglas ceilings and strategically positioned lights that would show a silhouette of anything attached to the car, human or otherwise. Bombs were considered one of the most dangerous threats to government offices dealing with national or global security. Therefore, a great deal of effort had been put forth in designing the building in a way to make hiding explosives difficult, in not impossible. Obviously, satisfied they were alone, Jack punched a speed dial number and waited.

  Marie looked down at the droplets of red splattered across her ivory suit. She wanted to cry. She began to tremble, and tears welled in her eyes as she stared at Xavier’s blood. He had a wife and kids. He had been a good man, and she would miss him.

  Jack watched her as he waited for an answer to his call. She thought she saw a quicksilver flash of compassion in his eyes. His mouth formed a word, and he started to reach out to her. Then his call was answered, redirecting his attention back to the phone. Marie wondered what he wanted to say before the male voice on the other end distracted him.

  “Reno, I’ve got a situation. I need you to pick me up at the rest stop on Interstate 66. I’ve got luggage.”

  He listened for a second then flipped the phone shut, shoving it into his pocket before he edged into the corner of the elevator, pushing Marie behind him. “You okay?”

  She nodded, realized he couldn’t see her, and choked out a whisper. “I’m okay.”

  “Good.” He slipped another gun out of his jacket handing it to her butt end first. “Don’t use this until you have to. Trust me to take care of you, but if I go down, use it.”

  Marie took the gun out of his hand, flipping off the safety as the elevator doors opened into a long, narrow corridor. The shrieking alarm masked all sound that might give warning of someone nearby. Jack inched his head out the door checking for hostiles.

  It took Marie a second to realize they weren’t in the parking garage. Jack had stopped them one floor up on the maintenance and housekeeping level. He stepped out into the hallway, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure she was following.

  Marie held the gun ready, keeping an eye on their backs as she followed closely behind Jack, mimicking his every move. Her head throbbed from the deafening alarm system as they made their way down the hall, checking doors for one that had been left unlocked. At last, halfway down the corridor, a large supply closet finally opened and they stepped inside.

  Jack locked the door behind them. He immediately began searching the shelves and cabinets in a frenzy. “What are you looking for?” Marie asked. She glanced around, thinking he was searching for chemicals or something that could be used as a diversion. There wasn’t anything in the room but linens and surplus uniforms for the maintenance staff. Short of starting a fire, Marie couldn’t see any way to cause a diversion with what was available to them.

  “Here.” He shoved a bundle of clothes at her. “Put these on and take your hair down.”

  She frowned, thinking of all the pins holding the chignon in place. “It’s not that easy to get loose.”

  “Then put a hat on,” he snapped, impatiently dumping the clothes in her arms and turning away from her.

  Jack set his gun on a nearby shelf, beginning to strip down as she peeled off her ruined clothes. The navy blue uniform he’d handed her was approximately the right size, and the color designated her as one of the senior level housekeeping staff. Marie slipped the shapeless dress over her head in time to see him shrug out of his shoulder holster, placing it beside the gun on the shelf. Like a quick striptease, he loosened his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, and dropped his pants, stepping out of them without hesitation.

  Marie’s mouth went dry and her pussy got wet. His legs were solid muscle—and his ass…well, it took a lot of control not to reach out and slide her hands over the tight muscles that were so invitingly near, covered in nothing more than thin blue cotton boxers.

  Jack tossed the clothes they had been wearing into a hamper full of dirty linens. He placed a stack of uniforms over the gun and holster he’d taken off, but only enough to conceal them. They were still easily attainable. As he reached for the folded maintenance worker’s uniform he’d selected for himself, a loud pounding came on the door. “Open up in there!”

  Marie jerked at the command, looking at Jack for his reaction.

  “Put the hat on,” he whispered urgently, stepping into the pair of brown uniform pants.

  “Just a minute,” he called to the door. Jack hurriedly shook the folds out of the khaki work shirt. Utterly confused by his actions, Marie watched as he tossed it on the shelf, making no effort to pull the trousers up over his bare legs. She silently wondered what the hell his problem was, because he sure couldn’t fight, or run, with his pants down around his ankles.

  Whoever knocked on the door wasn’t waiting a minute. Marie heard the jangle of keys and her heart lurched. Just as the closet door slammed open, Jack shoved Marie back against the shelving. He pulled her leg up around his hips, kissing her with the passion of a man starved for sex.

  Her traitorous body responded to the urgency of Jack’s kiss. Despite the awkward situation, a gush of warm liquid dampened her panties when Jack’s hard cock pushed through the opening of his boxers and thrust against her, grinding her between him and the shelves.

  “What the fuck?” a voice said from somewhere behind Jack and a ripple of male laughter filled the room.

  Jack jerked back guiltily, immediately holding his hands up when he saw the weapons pointed at them. He didn’t try to shove himself back into his boxers. “Don’t shoot us. We were just making out a little. We didn’t do anything wrong.” He made eye contact with the team leader. “I don’t want to lose my job.”

  The security team lowered their weapons, still laughing. They looked a bit uncomfortable standing in the tight area with Jack still semi-erect and making no attempt to hide the situation.

  The leader looked pointedly at Jack’s face to avoid his escaped erection. “Get some clothes on. I’ll give you one minute before I drag your ass out of here, naked if I have to. There’s a security breach. Can’t you hear the fucking alarms?”

  Jack looked contrite. “I thought it was just a drill. We have ’em all the time. I don’t pay much attention anymore.”

  The team leader ground his teeth in frustration. “It’s not a damn drill. Get dressed.”

  Like the team, Marie tried to look everywhere but at Jack’s cock. She didn’t seem to have as much willpower as the men. Despite her best intentions, her gaze strayed to the front of his boxers, fastening on the thick male appendage that stood proudly semi-erect. Impressive. Maybe the reason he hadn’t put it back in his pants was because he had nothing to be ashamed of.

  If he’d been trying to keep the situation awkward and off balance, Marie thought he’d accomplished that. At the command of the leader, they backed out of the tight storage room to give them some privacy.

  While they waited, the guards stood on each side of the doorway with their weapons ready. Their collective attention was focused on the elevator and stairwells at each end of the hallway. Jack took advantage of their distraction to slip into the janitor’s uniform
, hiding his weapons under the baggy clothes. He took Marie’s hand in his giving it a little squeeze.

  “They’ll walk us safely out of here,” he whispered. “Don’t say a word, no matter what smartass remarks they make. If I can stand my dick out there flapping in the breeze, you can handle a few rude comments. And trust me, we’ll hear them.”

  Chapter Two

  Marie wanted to think Jack’s kiss was the last thing on her mind during the occurring events, however it wasn’t. She couldn’t help but wonder how a man could put that much feeling into acting. He should be on stage winning an Oscar for that performance. Her lips still felt swollen from the pressure of his mouth and she wanted to taste more of him, but the security team’s leader marched them down the hall and into the employees’ cafeteria, motioning for them to take a seat in the back.

  “Is everyone accounted for now, Robbins?”

  “We’ve got seventy-five names on the roster. Seventy-five people seated, sir.”

  Jack cast Marie a sidelong look. If their presence made seventy-five, where were the other two people who should have been in the same spot?

  “Listen up,” the leader of the team said. “Each of you signed a security agreement when you took this job. If you want to retain your employment, you will not discuss any details of what has happened here today. Is that clear?”

  Everyone nodded. Marie was aware the support personnel believed they worked for a high security computer firm doing contract work for the government. Only a handful of people knew the building housed the GSA and ran a team of covert operatives in addition to the other government contracts.

  “I want you all to exit the building immediately. You will proceed to your cars and leave the parking garage in an orderly manner. Is that clear?”

  A few people nodded, some said, ‘Yes, sir,’ as if answering a drill sergeant, but most remained quiet. Jack and Marie stayed in the silent group, hoping they wouldn’t be noticed by anyone who asked who they were.

  “Dismissed,” the team commander said.

  The room immediately emptied in a mass exodus toward the parking garage. It would be nearly impossible for a sniper to single any one person out in the clot of uniforms and flurry of activity. Marie admired Jack for his quick thinking to get them safely out of the building.

  He hurried her to a dark colored SUV with tinted windows. It seemed to Marie everyone in Washington wanted anonymity. There must have been a dozen similar vehicles parked in the nearby vicinity. Jack started the powerful engine and eased his way into the string of cars cleared to leave the parking garage. One by one, the employees passed the guard station before pulling onto the street, getting caught by the light on 25th. A traffic jam built as the overflow of cars coming out of the parking garage caused a minor buildup of stationary vehicles.

  Jack glanced in the rearview mirror while waiting for the light to change. “They’re releasing the building one floor at a time,” he explained. “Doesn’t look like they’re too worried about hostiles being inside. The shooter was across the street, probably on the roof of the Colfax Building. Who knew you were back in Washington?”

  Marie shrugged. “Xavier, Tina, the President…I can’t think of anyone else.”

  Jack shot her an impatient look. “Think again.”

  “Well…all the people I came in contact with. The people at the airport that processed my ticket would have known I was on a flight to the States. The cabdriver…”

  “This was an inside job,” he interrupted.

  “I think so, too,” Marie admitted. “And so did Xavier, but he wouldn’t come right out and say that.”

  “I’m sorry about Xavier.” Jack shifted gears while he edged into the heavy traffic, apparently confident the car he was cutting off wouldn’t hit him. “I know he was your friend.”

  Marie nodded, turning her face to look out the window, so he wouldn’t see her tears. His sympathy was unexpected, making her that much more emotional. She could handle her grief, but not his pity. It made her feel vulnerable, though she didn’t understand why.

  “Where are you taking me until we get this sorted out?”

  It seemed like a reasonable question to distract herself with. As long as she didn’t think about Xavier, she’d be okay. She would deal with the grief later, in her own way, but not here, not now, and definitely not in front of Agent Jack Benson. It was a matter of professional pride. She didn’t want him to think her weak. Or think that her job was nothing more than a whim of the president’s niece.

  “We’re going to meet Jack Reno. He’s someone I trust with my life, so I trust him with yours.”

  “But where are you taking me?” she repeated.

  Jack’s face tightened into an unreadable mask. Stubborn, Marie decided. Control freak. So why did she harbor this the attraction to him? The last thing in the world Marie needed, or wanted, in her life was a man trying to control her. She’d made her own decisions since her teenage years, and she wasn’t about to fall into some needy relationship at this point in her life. She slammed the brakes on her wayward thoughts. Whoa! Relationship? What the hell was she thinking? She’d just met Jack Benson. Xavier had been killed. Her life had been threatened. How did the word relationship even enter her mind? Obviously, she wasn’t thinking clearly. She must be suffering from some sort of stress factor.

  “I’ll tell you when we get there.”

  His answer pissed Marie off. She had the right to know. It wasn’t like she’d be calling anyone to tell them where she’d be staying. Not only did he have zero personality, he was a macho bastard. She would show Jack Benson what she was made of before things got totally out of control.

  Two could play this game, she decided. Her hand tightened around the gun he’d given her in the elevator, but before she could level it at him, Jack yanked the SUV to the curb. He grabbed her wrist and squeezed.

  “Give that to me.” The harsh whisper of his voice caused chills to dance down the center of Marie’s back. His face was so close, she could feel his breath against her skin. He applied more pressure and the gun dropped from her hand. “If you try something like that again, I’ll handcuff you and put you in the back.”

  “You’re supposed to be protecting me,” Marie reminded him a little breathlessly. She tugged at the firm hold he had on her wrist.

  Jack yanked her up against him, dropping his mouth over hers for a harsh kiss that demanded she surrender to him. When he drew back, his eyes glittered like cold blue diamonds. “I am protecting you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you alive. I don’t give a damn whether you like my choices or not. Understand?”

  “I’m an agent, too.” Marie jerked her hand out of his grip, trying to pretend her mouth wasn’t burning from the pressure of his kiss. Something in the feral strength of this man robbed her of all logical thought. She should be furious. She should be insulted. Instead, she wanted him to kiss her again. How pathetic. Ignoring whatever errant hormones were eating at her brain, she tried to make a stand. “You don’t need to treat me like a civilian.”

  Jack dropped the gun into the drink compartment of the console, glancing out the side window before steering the SUV back into traffic with a reckless vengeance. “I wouldn’t have kissed a civilian.”

  Marie sat quietly after that, watching him from the corner of her eye. She’d been right about Jack. He was lethal. He moved quicker than she’d ever seen anyone react when she pulled the gun on him.

  “What are you thinking?”

  It surprised her that he cared enough to ask. She gave a shrug. “I’m thinking you’re a dangerous man, Jack Benson. You’re hard, you’re stubborn, and you’re the kind that won’t give up when you’re under fire.”

  He leveled another stare in her direction. “I’m your worst nightmare, Marie. Don’t forget that.”

  Despite the coldness of his words, his voice poured over her like warm honey, all the more powerful for the husky murmur and unemotional delivery. Marie knew at that precise moment she would b
reak Jack’s iron clad will. She considered it a challenge, a personal mission, a desire. She wanted to know who he kept buried deep inside the tightly controlled soldier. And what sort of passion he held under that cold exterior.

  * * * *

  Jack wondered what the hell he’d been thinking when he gave in to his need and kissed her. Damn, but she tasted fine. Looked fine, too. Even in the maid’s uniform, she still looked like Parisian elegance wrapped in an untouchable package that invited a man to unwrap her.

  Geezus. Her mouth tasted so fucking sweet. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to feel the soft points of her breasts flattened against his chest. He wanted to feel her soft skin and hear her unconscious sigh as she responded to his touch.

  The woman smoldered like a fire waiting to be stoked into a flame, and he felt hot enough to ignite her by his thoughts alone. If she only knew what he wanted to do to her, she’d be aiming that gun and pulling the trigger.

  Get yourself in line, Jack. She’s not a fucking gift for you to open. She’s an assignment. Remember you’re dealing with President’s niece. Above all, she’s the kind of woman who requires high maintenance attention. She is definitely not for a simple cowboy from Wyoming. You’re responsible for her safety. Nothing more.

  Jack figured with her mom being the President’s sister, her dad would have to be successful at whatever field he worked in. He didn’t have a prayer of a chance with Marie Maxwell, but that didn’t keep him from wanting her naked under him, moaning his name.

  He shook his head in frustration, trying to clear his thoughts.