Winter Warriors Read online

  Mac gave her a crooked smile that probably sent lesser women into a faint. “Looks like you’re stuck with me for the long haul, Tremayne.”

  He edged closer. She sucked in a slow, deep breath to calm her reaction. “Unfortunately. Don’t think I didn’t try to get out of it.”

  “I’ll bet you did.”

  “Since Quinton thinks we’re the best pairing for this case, we’ll have to accept it and proceed.”

  He nodded. “Then let’s get it on.”

  Destiny wanted to scream at his penchant for double entendre. She could tell him where he could shove it. Maybe if she hacked off Mac enough he would leave, then she could go to Quinton and say Mac made the decision not to work with her. Once Mac transferred out of Colorado, she could breathe easier.

  Sure. Like that would happen.

  “I’m not fighting you today,” she said.

  “Could have fooled me. It looks like you’re dressed to kick some major ass.”

  She wore her usual work-out attire of T-shirt and shorts, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. “I’m here to work out.”

  “So let’s work out.” A teasing grin touched his mouth, and he started to circle her like a lion homing in on prey.

  “What are you doing?”

  He continued to walk around her, and his warm, spicy scent teased her nose. “Maybe you’re afraid to fight me.”

  Every alarm went on a high alert status. “What did you just say?”

  His swagger owned complete assurance. “It’s understandable. I’m stronger and quicker. I’d win easily.”

  Warning, imminent blast likely.

  Common sense told her she couldn’t allow him to goad her into taking up his challenge. “Of course you’re stronger, but that doesn’t mean you’re the better fighter.”

  “So you’re saying you can beat me?” He kept circling her, the space between them getting smaller and smaller. “I think you’d get hurt.”

  “I don’t need to prove anything to you.”

  “Oh, but I think you need to verify something to yourself.”

  She’d fought men before and won, but never another SIA-trained agent, and never a man as powerful as Mac.

  But she couldn’t turn her back on his challenge, or give Quinton a reason to send her to the outer reaches of Mongolia.

  She attacked.

  Mac blocked her arm movements, coming in with a quick feint that sent her sailing over his shoulder. She flipped and landed on her feet.

  “Oh, baby,” he said as he whirled around, his eyes turning hot with danger. “Do that again.”

  With a growl, Destiny came at him with a series of kicks he avoided, his returning moves quick as lightning. As he punched out with his arms, she ducked and came up under his ribs with a chop that made him grunt.

  Triumphant, she came at him before he could recover. This time he wouldn’t be caught off guard, and he blocked her next maneuver with ease. Again and again they fenced, their swiftly moving feet and legs combining several martial arts forms in a dance that would have proved either fatal or injurious to anyone but them.

  Kick, loop, swing, punch. Jab, kick.

  Acceleration and gut-wrenching excitement moved through her like a waterfall, swift and pounding. She loved the motion, the rasp of hard breathing and muscle work. In her element, she refused to back down to his aggressive actions. Destiny saw battle lust in his eyes as he came at her without mercy. None of the female agents she trained with possessed his skill or command. After a time she saw a little frustration sneaking through his determination. Glittering with the supremacy of an authoritative animal, his eyes said he would not be messed with or denied a victory.

  And she would certainly never give it.

  Giddy with triumph, she pressed her suit. He came back at her with additional stratagems.

  They paused, breath coming hard and fast as they circled each other with precision. The blazing temperature in Mac’s gaze did something funny to her heart rate. His smile held a hint of mockery and yet seriousness lurked there as well. Arousal stirred in her belly. She’d never imagine fighting could be so damned electrifying.

  Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Mac Tudor oozed sex.

  She licked her lips and his gaze latched on her mouth like a starving man. “Ready to give up, Tremayne?”

  “No way.” Even though she’d never encountered an opponent as difficult as him, she couldn’t, wouldn’t, let him win. “Bring it on.”

  A cocky grin formed on his mouth. “With pleasure.”

  Before he could say tiddlywinks, she aimed a sidekick at his groin and held back at the last moment. He slid to the left and returned fire with a circling back kick that caught her in the side.

  Her breath rushed out of her diaphragm with a painful whoosh. She grabbed her stomach as she tried to suck in a breath with no luck. Again she tried to breath in and couldn’t. A wave of dizziness swept over her, and she collapsed to her knees.

  “Shit, shit, shit!” Mac dropped to one knee beside her, and she heard the concern in his voice as she tried to suck in another breath and failed. “Damn it!” Her eyes closed and she felt his big hands cup her face. “Sweetheart, breathe for me. Destiny?”

  She shook her head, mortified and humiliated all in one big swoop. She sucked in a breath and coughed. Sweetheart. The jerk had the nerve to call her sweetheart? Despite her anger, she managed to drag in another breath. She opened her eyes.

  To her surprise she saw honest worry and gentleness in his warm gaze. “Is there a lot of pain?” he asked. “Are your ribs cracked or broken?”

  “No.”

  He didn’t look like he believed her. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  His fingers slid to the back of her neck. “Look, I’m sorry. I thought I’d pulled the kick—”

  “Happy now, Mac?” As irritated with herself as with him, she waved a hand and stood up. She started to walk away, but he moved in front of her.

  “No, damn it, I’m not. You scared the shit out of me, Destiny. For a minute there I thought you had a punctured lung. Let Dr. Forrester check you out.”

  Her ribs might ache, but after a good night’s sleep she’d be fine. Everything but her ego, that is. “No.”

  He clasped her shoulders. “You wanted to fight me.”

  He was right. She hated it, but the big hunk was right. Bringing a deep breath into her sore ribs, she smiled. “I’m not done yet.”

  She hooked her foot around his ankle and whipped his feet out from under him. With a grunt of surprise, Mac hit the mat. She landed on top of him, straddling his hips and holding his wrists down.

  “I win.”

  His chest heaved up and down as he glared up at her. “Get off me, Tremayne, or you’ll pay.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  His nostrils flared as he raised his hips. Her mouth popped open. Holy son of a monk. Hard as stone, his cock grew against her softness, pressing against her without remorse. He lifted his hips again, but this time he flipped her over and turned the tables. Mac’s heavy weight came down over her, one thigh coming up between her legs, one big hand holding her wrists together above her head. She strained against him, causing his thigh to rub against her clit.

  She sucked in a strangled breath as pleasure darted into her clit and tightened her nipples into stinging points. His other hand cupped her ribs with a gentle touch.

  Although his eyes blazed with intensity, his voice came soft and husky. “You could have been seriously hurt.” He caressed her ribcage, his fingers searching gently. “I don’t like the thought of any man doing to you what I just did.”

  How could she retort when the man confessed he didn’t want her injured? Maybe she’d been wrong. Just because he didn’t like her didn’t mean he wished her harm.

  For several seconds she worked at catching her breath and absorbed the amazing feeling of his body against hers. They’d danced a year ago, their stance more lovers than fighters. Now as t
hey played enemy at battle, she struggled against fierce sensations.

  Heat.

  Hard muscle.

  Incredible authority sheathed.

  His palm slid upward, coming to rest near her breast. She sucked in a breath of surprise and leashed desire as her nipples ached, and a rush of liquid made her feel hot and wet between her legs.

  I can’t believe this is happening. No, no, no.

  She pleaded with her incredulous libido. How could she dislike a man so much and yet want his body with a staggering need that made her heart beat frantically?

  She shoved at his shoulders so hard he fell over on his back. Without another word or a look back, she ran from the gym.

  Chapter Two

  “Have you and Mac overcome your differences?” Quinton asked about an hour later as he walked by Destiny’s small office.

  He didn’t look pleased. In fact, he looked downright disappointed. What could she say? “We…uh…we didn’t get that far.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “We fought. Hand to hand.”

  Quinton sighed and sagged against the door jam. “My God, I can’t believe he did that. You could have been—”

  She held her hand up and he stopped. “He proved I couldn’t beat him. At least not this round.” She shifted in her chair as she felt the ache in her side and the remembrance of stunning arousal. “There’s always next time.”

  “I’ll have to talk to him about fighting the female agents.” Quinton’s disappointed expression said it all.

  “It’s not his fault.”

  Destiny cringed. Had she really said that?

  Quinton frowned. “He should have known better. Meet him in conference room A. This is your last chance to come to an agreement with him about this assignment.”

  When he left, she put her head down on the desk like a five-year-old in kindergarten. Why had she defended Mac? Sure, she’d challenged him and said she could fight him and had come at him with everything in her arsenal. Still…

  Yeah, she’d been off her gourd to fight him. He had hurt her. More than that, when she’d been pinned under him, her body had responded whether she liked it or not.

  Moments later she headed down the hall toward the conference room. When she reached the double doors, she stopped to take a deep breath. No matter that he’d made her knees go weak. She couldn’t let him win when it came to this game.

  She opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her with a definitive snap. “Mac.”

  He stood at the rear of the room, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed. “Tremayne.”

  “We’ve got to settle this so we can work together.”

  “Agreed.” He walked around the table and came right toward her, his look intent and searching.

  Destiny moved toward him as well, deciding two could play at this strategy of intimidation by proximity. He brushed by her and the mere touch of his hard arm against hers sent a tendril of arousal curling through her stomach. He proceeded to lock the door.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, suspicious.

  He came back to her, again leaving little personal space between them. “We need to clear the air between us, and I don’t want anyone barging in at a critical moment.”

  She let the statement hang and waited. Time rolled and tension stretched between them. Again, his gaze absorbed her, exploring with a gentle caress that took her by surprise. More than something sexual lurked in his expression. Did she see caring?

  No way.

  Finally he spoke. “I don’t like this anymore than you do. I’d rather work with anyone but you.”

  His adamancy singed her ego around the edges. He might as well say he’d rather fuck a duck. “Gee, thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  After another significant pause, she asked, “What did Quinton threaten you with?”

  “A remote office in Montana.”

  Surprise made her smile. “Better than North Dakota.”

  Amusement danced in his eyes, and she realized with a shock that good-humor seemed to erase his conceit. The curve of his mouth held a boyish, approachable look. Blast him, he was so breathtaking. It made her shiver with a longing she’d rather not think about.

  “We need to set ground rules,” he said.

  “The only rules I follow are Agency dictates.”

  He made a scoffing noise. “That’s not what I hear. You work with whatever resources you have, which sometimes include breaking regulations.”

  Exasperated, she waved one hand in dismissal. “All right. Lay it out on the table.”

  He cleared his throat. “You read our cover story, right?”

  She nodded. “I don’t know why we have to pose as a married couple.”

  “It’s the way Quinton wants it, so that’s the way we’ll play it. I pointed out that the cover story didn’t fit us, and he said I’d better pack my snow gear for Montana.”

  Uncomfortable, she sighed. “How do we do this?”

  “Put aside our differences and concentrate on how we feel…” He did another fluid assessment of her attributes, his attention eating her up. “…our lust.”

  Lust.

  Holy rigatoni. I can’t admit to lust. If I do that he’ll try to take advantage.

  Nope. She couldn’t afford to lose control with this man for any reason. As he wandered toward her, she moved backwards around the conference table.

  He chuckled, and the deep rumble sounded soothing and inflaming all at once. “You’re going to make me chase you?”

  She kept moving, backing up until they’d traversed the table one time. “Not if you get it through your head this is a dumb idea.”

  “Come on.” His cocky grin would have said it all even without words. “Are you trying to tell me what we felt last Christmas was a fluke? A momentary freak blast of sexual attraction? And what happened between us in the gym was also an aberration?”

  Triple damn him.

  “It was all in your imagination. I didn’t feel a damned thing. Back off, Mac, or there will be consequences.”

  He winked. “Oh, baby. That sounds like fun.”

  His joking demeanor didn’t hold the cruelty she expected. Instead, Mac seemed more and more stimulated by the game, and his wicked grin said he enjoyed every minute of their banter.

  When he made a sudden movement and closed in, she stepped back and bumped into the edge of a chair. Heat flooded her face. Why couldn’t she stand her ground with him now? She’d always done it in the past.

  Because you’re locked in a room alone with him, you ninny.

  “That’s one thing we have to remedy,” he said. “If you loved me, you wouldn’t flinch away like that.”

  She put a chair between them. “You’ve got to be kidding. You don’t think I’m going to start playacting with you right now, do you?”

  “We have to get this down so that no one knows we’re playing a part. If you keep twitching away from me, they’re going to know something is wrong. That could be fatal.”

  “Give me a break, Mac. You’re doing this because you want to get your paws on me so you can force me into doing something I don’t want to do. You get off on power.”

  He laughed, and the rich mirth warmed her through. A woman could go thermonuclear listening to that fascinating sound. “Force isn’t sexy to me, Tremayne. I require ready, willing, and hot. And I know under that starched exterior you’re all woman.”

  A shaft of unadulterated, pure sexual want speared Destiny. Her nipples tightened into hard nubs and a telltale tingle prickled in her lower stomach and spread downwards between her legs.

  Panic ran a close second for attention. How could she get away from these circumstances without either being sent to the cold depths of a backwoods office or humiliating herself?

  Mac advanced again. Something feral, a strange excitement, ran through her. She stopped retreating when only six inches divided them. He moved the tiniest bit, and she real
ized she’d made a big mistake. Destiny bumped into something and when she reached out, she made contact with the back of a swivel chair. The chair moved and she lost her grip and balance. A startled gasp parted her lips.

  Powerful arms wrapped around her.

  As Quinton would say, Oh, bloody brilliant.

  Incredible heat seeped through her clothes from Mac’s potent body. When her fingers landed on his chest, she almost pulled them back. Instead she kept them there for…balance…yeah that was it. Balance.

  Mac’s amusement turned to pure male appreciation. His eyes smoldered. His warm, mint-scented breath brushed over her lips. “I don’t think we’ll have to try too…hard.”

  Hard all right. His cock grew against her belly.

  “Mac, I don’t think—”

  “Don’t think.” He tucked her closer and her hands slipped up to clutch his shoulders. His lips brushed over her forehead, then he pressed a tender kiss to her left cheek. “Feel.” His palms slid with agonizing slowness up and down her back, smoothing her clothing with a seductive rhythm that took her by complete surprise. “Move with me.”

  How could she help it? As his ripcord body shifted against hers, she fell deeper into the same wild excitement she experienced when she’d danced with him at Christmas last year.

  “Back off,” she whispered her plea again, her voice strangling.

  She imagined Mac lying between her thighs stark naked, his cock buried deep inside her, stretching and filling her the way no man ever did before. It would feel so good sliding and thrusting, picking up speed until he rammed between her legs like a piston.

  She gulped. “I won’t ask you to move away again. I could kick your balls up into your throat before you could say spinal tap.”

  Incredibly, his gaze softened, humor mixing with ever-burning lust in his eyes. “Yeah, I bet you could. You’re one hell of an agent, Tremayne.”

  What? She couldn’t have heard him right. A warm fluttering filled her chest as she absorbed his appreciation.

  “Don’t you forget it,” she said.

  His arms slid from around her. He gripped her shoulders gently but his hot gaze never released her. She defied him and stared back without remorse. Usually this stare-down method made other men look away before long.