Deadly Intentions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 1) Read online

  Mandy’s face was flushed with desire as she lifted her hips again, letting James pull her underwear from her body. Once she was completely naked, she couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious as his eyes washed over her.

  James sucked in a breath when he saw what he’d been waiting for. The blonde hair, shaved into a small landing strip, was almost too much for him to take. He slipped a finger into her cleft, spreading the moisture that had been pooling there around as he rubbed her.

  Mandy moaned as his finger dipped inside of her. She couldn’t take much more. Her whole body was practically shaking, her loins on fire, and he wasn’t even inside of her yet.

  James continued to move his finger, enjoying every gasp and the slight shaking he was starting to detect in her thighs. He wanted to make her come. That’s all he cared about right now. He added another finger and started pumping her, rubbing her with his thumb as he did. It was enough to send her over the edge. Mandy’s body tightened as an orgasm coursed through her, and she couldn’t stop the ecstatic cry that tore from her throat.

  Once the shaking subsided, James was on the move. He climbed on top of her, using his knee to move her thighs to the side. He rubbed his hard length against her moist slit and lowered his body so he could feel her nakedness beneath him. They were skin-to-skin. Finally. Nothing had ever felt so right – for either of them. His mouth found hers in the waning light and he was just about to slide home when realization hit him. He pulled back slightly, meeting her feverish stare with a longing one of his own. “Please tell me you have condoms.”

  Mandy pointed to the nightstand. “There.”

  Relief washed over James as he reached over. It took him longer than he would’ve liked to get the package open, but once he did, and the condom was tightly in place, he slammed his mouth back over Mandy’s and positioned his head at her opening. He slid in a few inches, fighting the urge to spill his seed right there. He wasn’t even completely inside of her yet and he could barely contain himself.

  James pulled out slightly and then pummeled into her, her warmth slipping over him like a glove. “Oh, God.”

  Mandy clutched James’ back, her fingernails digging into his bronzed skin. She spread her thighs, moving her legs over his calves as she relished the warmth of his body.

  James moved his arms underneath her, cupping her rear as he pistoned in and out of her. She matched him moan for moan as he increased his pace, grinding down to make sure he was stimulating her as he moved. As much as he wanted his own orgasm, he wanted her to have another even more.

  Their bodies were now moving as one, Mandy lifting her hips up to meet James with each thrust. Another orgasm was rushing over her before she even realized what was happening, and she was crying out his name as it did. James followed her over the abyss, gasping her name in turn when he finally exploded with the release he’d been seeking for days.

  He collapsed on top of her when he was done, pulling her into his arms as he caught his breath. He could feel her heart hammering – matching his beat for beat. Neither one of them said a word for a long time. And then, at some point, they found each other in the descending darkness and did it all over again.

  JAMES woke with a start. It took him a second to get his bearings, but the feeling of Mandy’s warm body next to him was a stark reminder of what he’d just done. Twice.

  James ran a hand through his messy hair, glancing over at the clock next to the bed. It was only a little after 11 p.m., and yet it felt like he’d been in this bed for days. He glanced down at Mandy’s sleeping form. She was tucked in next to him – like she’d always belonged there – and part of him wanted nothing more than to settle back down and lose himself in her for the rest of his life.

  He knew that was a mistake. This had all been a mistake. She was a client, for crying out loud. He could not get involved with a client.

  You already have. You had sex with a client. The truth was, it wasn’t having sex with a client that was really bothering him. No, what was bothering him was how right it felt.

  James made a decision quickly, carefully sliding his arm from beneath Mandy. He was careful when he climbed out of the bed, finding his clothes on the floor and dressing in absolute silence. He moved to the door of the apartment, casting one last glance over his shoulder before opening the door. She looked like an angel in the moonlight, her blonde hair spilling out over the pillow and a contented smile on lips.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

  Mandy didn’t stir as James let himself out and fled into the night. Instead, she slumbered on, blissfully unaware that he wouldn’t be waiting for her in the morning.

  When he got back to his own apartment, which was located on the floor above Hardy Brothers Security, James was having trouble reining in his guilt. How could he just have left her there? She was going to wake up and think … hell, he knew exactly what she would think. He shouldn’t have left. He should have been a man. He should have sat her down and explained exactly why this was a mistake. She was an adult. She would understand.

  Oh, who was he kidding? He would’ve taken one look at her, with those big blue eyes and that perfectly pouty mouth, and he would’ve just taken her again. He couldn’t let that happen. He was so close to losing himself now that he could barely think straight. She was not in his plans. She couldn’t be in his plans.

  He was surprised to find the light on in his apartment when he opened the door. He could hear voices and he followed them to find Grady and Finn playing pool and drinking beer in his living room. They both looked up when they saw him.

  James brushed back his hair nervously. He was hoping he would be able to hide the terrible truth of what an ass he was from them.

  “What did you do?” Finn practically exploded.

  “Looks like I won the bet,” Grady said, his grin smug. “Pay up.”

  Finn reached into his wallet and pulled out a bill, never taking his eyes off James. He slapped the fifty into Grady’s hand and moved toward James with a purpose. “What are you doing here?”

  “I live here,” James replied dryly.

  “That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Finn pressed. “You’ve obviously been … busy.”

  James sighed, dropping his keys on the counter. He ignored Finn, instead opening the refrigerator door and rummaging around until he found a beer. He twisted the top off and downed the entire thing before looking up again. Both of his brothers were standing there and looking at him like he’d grown another head.

  “What are you two doing here?” James finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

  “We thought you were gone for the night,” Grady replied. “I thought you were staying at Mandy’s to … protect her again.”

  “She’s locked in nice and tight,” James shot back. “I doubt someone will try to break into her apartment.”

  “That’s not what you said last night,” Finn pointed out.

  “Last night she was almost run over.”

  “And tonight she definitely was,” Finn said, fighting hard to keep his anger in check.

  “What do you mean?” James asked blankly.

  “Dude, don’t even,” Finn warned. “It’s obvious what you’ve been doing.”

  “How is it obvious?”

  “You look like you’ve had a roll in the hay – or two,” Grady supplied. “Since you’re slinking in here, though, something tells me you panicked after the fact and ran like a little girl.”

  “You told her you were leaving, right?” Finn asked.

  James swallowed hard, avoiding the accusatory stares Grady and Finn were shooting his way. “She was asleep. I didn’t want to wake her.”

  “So, instead you thought you’d have sex with her and then sneak out in the middle of the night?” Grady prodded.

  “She was asleep,” James mumbled.

  “You’re an ass,” Finn announced.

  James frowned. “Why do you care?”

  “Because we know her,
” Finn replied. “We’ve known her forever. She’s not the type of girl you just pump and dump. Why would you want to hurt her like that?”

  “I don’t want to hurt her,” James said, cringing at Finn’s take on the situation. “I just don’t want her getting the wrong idea.”

  “Oh, I’m fairly sure she knows you’re an ass now,” Finn said. “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking that she was going to get all mushy in the morning and I didn’t want to deal with it,” James admitted. “I don’t know why you’re suddenly the morality police. You snuck out of that woman’s house just last month, and you didn’t hear me ragging on you about it.”

  “I didn’t know her,” Finn shot back. “I had no intention of knowing her ever again. This is different.”

  “How?”

  “Because you want to know Mandy,” Grady supplied. “That has been pretty obvious since the day she walked into our office.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” James sputtered.

  “You keep telling yourself that,” Finn argued. “Because I don’t think you were worried about Mandy getting mushy in the morning. I think you were worried you would get mushy in the morning – and the great James Hardy can’t have that, can he?”

  Finn was legitimately angry – and James didn’t blame him. No matter what he said, nothing was going to make him feel worse than he already did.

  Grady blew out a sigh, running a hand through his long hair as he considered their predicament. “Maybe it won’t be a big deal. Mandy isn’t prone to dramatic fits. Tomorrow is Saturday. Just go to her apartment in the morning and apologize. Maybe she’ll take one look at that hangdog expression on your face and kiss your tears away.”

  Grady was joking, but James had already considered doing just that. Instead of admitting it, he said something else. “I have other stuff to do tomorrow,” he said. “I’m going to need you to watch her tomorrow.”

  Grady’s eyes darkened. “Are you kidding?”

  “No.”

  James ignored his brothers and walked into his bedroom without a backwards glance, shutting the door and locking out their indignant comments. He glanced at his empty bed and felt a strange, new emotion: Loneliness.

  In the other room, Grady was still dumbfounded. “Did he just stick me with his morning-after jilting?”

  Finn shook his head angrily. “It looks like.”

  “Well, great.”

  Twelve

  Grady paused outside Mandy’s apartment door, his hand raised to deliver his ready knock, and then thought better of it.

  “I did not create this situation,” he muttered to himself. “James is going to fix this problem. Not me. This is not my problem.”

  Grady turned, ready to run, but he stilled when he heard the door open behind him.

  “Grady?”

  Grady’s shoulders slumped as he turned. He looked Mandy over. Her eyes were a little puffy – like she’d been crying – but she didn’t look like she had a knife hidden in her purse to cut his throat if he said the wrong thing. That was something at least.

  “Hey, Mandy, how’s it going?”

  Mandy rolled her eyes. She had no doubt James had filled in his brother, both of them probably, boasting about his great conquest, and even greater jilting, before having a good laugh about her stupidity this morning. “Fine.”

  “Oh, good.” Grady shuffled uncomfortably. “So, um, what are you doing today?”

  “Why do you care?”

  “James wanted me to make sure you were safe,” he replied. “He had a previous engagement he had to take care of,” he added hurriedly.

  “I bet,” Mandy replied dryly. “You can tell James that I’m perfectly fine and I won’t be needing his … services again.”

  Grady frowned. “I don’t think … .”

  “You can go.”

  Grady blew out a sigh. “I’m not going to make excuses for him.”

  “Good. Don’t.” Mandy’s heart clenched. She did not want to be having this conversation. She’d spent two hours this morning crying and cursing James Hardy’s very existence. If Grady persisted, she was going to lose herself in another crying fit and she’d already decided she wasn’t going to waste one more tear on James Hardy.

  “He’s confused,” Grady pressed. “He didn’t exactly see you coming.”

  “Then he should have said no when I asked him for help,” Mandy said, moving around Grady and pulling her keys out of her purse as she headed toward her car.

  “I don’t think he could say no,” Grady replied, keeping a few feet away from her as she trudged down the sidewalk. “You just have to give him time.”

  “I have no time to give him,” Mandy argued. “I’ve given him enough … time.”

  Grady rubbed his forehead worriedly. He’d known Mandy for a long time. Granted, he didn’t know her as well as either of his brothers – especially now – but he’d never known her to be cold and vacant. The woman stubbornly getting into her car right now was a stranger.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m having lunch with my stepmother,” Mandy replied. “We’ll be in broad daylight with a bunch of other people. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  Grady remained rooted to his spot for a second, and then climbed into his own truck. He watched as she backed out and pulled away. He couldn’t remember ever being this angry with James – not since they were kids and he wrecked his bicycle, that is. He wasn’t just going to let her run around without someone watching over her. She was still in danger.

  Mandy pushed Grady out of her mind as she drove to Don Pablo’s. When she’d agreed to lunch with Sheryl earlier in the week, she had no idea that her stomach would be such a jumbled mess. Spicy food was not going to be her friend today.

  Once she got to the restaurant, she parked and checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. If Sheryl asked, she would just say she wasn’t feeling well. There was no way she was going to admit her ill-advised dalliance with James. It just made her look like an idiot – and she already felt like enough of an idiot to cover everyone involved in this horrible situation. When she’d woken up this morning and found that James had slipped out of the apartment during the night, it was like someone had hit her in the gut with a baseball bat. Actually, that would’ve hurt less than the inevitable shattering of her heart that accompanied the realization that he was gone.

  Mandy plastered a fake smile on her face when she got inside the restaurant and found Sheryl already seated. She didn’t know her stepmother all that well, but she’d agreed to a lunch because Sheryl had sounded so lost on the phone. Once she got situated in her seat and placed her order, Mandy turned to Sheryl expectantly. “How are you?”

  Sheryl looked Mandy over, concern etched on her face. “I should ask you that, dear,” she said. “You don’t look well. Are you sleeping all right?”

  Mandy fought the sigh on her lips. “My stomach is a little upset.”

  “Oh, we can go somewhere else if you think that will be easier on your stomach.”

  “This is fine.” Mandy didn’t tell her that she would feel like throwing up no matter where they went. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  Sheryl took Mandy’s word as truth and then started chattering. With her mind as confused as it was, Sheryl’s inane chatter was hard to follow but, luckily for her, Sheryl managed to keep up both ends of the conversation herself.

  After pushing her salad around on her plate for a half hour, Mandy finally let the waiter take it away, promising him that there was nothing wrong with it and that she just didn’t feel well.

  Grady watched the scene from his spot at the bar, nursing a margarita as he ignored the two women eyeing him from a few seats away. Mandy hadn’t noticed him following her, which wasn’t a surprise, since her thoughts were clearly on something – or rather someone – else.

  He’d never seen the woman sitting across from Mandy, so Grady used the opportunity to gauge her from afar. He couldn�
�t hear what they were saying, but given Sheryl’s big gestures and constant cackles, he had trouble believing the conversation was orbiting planet Serious.

  Grady wracked his brain, trying to remember what the background check on Sheryl Avery had revealed. Knitting. This woman liked knitting – and ceramic cats. Even though Grady was suspicious by nature, he couldn’t help but feel that Sheryl was not a threat. Just because she didn’t look like she was about to jump over the table and stab her stepdaughter with a knitting needle. That didn’t mean that she hadn’t hired someone to terrorize her and she was just a really good actress.

  The other thing Grady noticed from his lofty perch on the bar stool was sadness. Mandy looked sad. She was usually quick with a smile – and even a laugh – but both of those expressions seemed forced. Sometimes he really hated his brother.

  For her part, Mandy listened to Sheryl’s mindless chatter and tried to push memories of James out of her head. She still didn’t understand how he could take something so beautiful and turn it into absolute crap in such a short time. He must have a rare gift.

  When the waiter returned with the check, Mandy dug into her purse for money.

  “This is on me,” Sheryl chided.

  Mandy smiled. “Thank you. This has been nice. We should do it again some time.”

  “I’m not down here very often, but I’d like that,” Sheryl replied.

  Mandy nodded.

  “Now, why don’t you tell me what’s really wrong with you,” Sheryl pressed.

  Mandy frowned. She knew she hadn’t exactly been a sparkling lunch conversationalist, but she had no idea how Sheryl could’ve picked up on her conflicted emotions. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “You’re obviously upset, dear,” Sheryl said, patting her hand encouragingly. “It looks like you’ve been crying, too. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on.”

  Mandy forced a fake smile onto her face. “Nothing is wrong.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  Mandy blew out a sigh. “It’s just work stuff.”

  Sheryl narrowed her eyes. “Work stuff makes you cry on a Saturday?”

  “It’s been a long week.”