Read Online Fire and Ice (Guardians) by Victoria Paige - Free Book Online Page B

talking to shop owners and I don't think it's extortion. I think they're trying to hook them into something illegal with threats of violence for non-compliance. And Rick Tanner is more than a detective, I think. He mentioned getting transferred from somewhere, something about trouble trickling down from bigger cities. Can you find out for me? What's on my cover right now anyway?"
    "You're thinking this has something to do with Raul Vergara's organization getting shutdown and the remaining products having no where to go?"
    Maia nodded. "It's almost winter. Kids are back in school and it's going to be slow to move that stuff."
    "I'm on Rick Tanner. I've already looked into his creds. Looks good first go, but something doesn't add up. I'm having forensics look at the data. And your cover has been updated, you are still a traveling marketing executive for a pharmaceutical company, your phone records, bank accounts and credit card charges have all been updated and you still have that little Federal house in DC. I'm sending you the file right now. Memorize the changes, Katerina."
    Maia smiled warmly. Viktor had called her by her real name. It slipped out whenever he was feeling affectionate, which was rare.
    A phone was beeping behind her. It was the house phone; whoever wanted Jack at this time of the night or morning could leave a message. She ignored it and continued talking to Viktor. It stopped, and then rang again.
    "You might want to get that," Viktor said.
    "Hold on," Maia muttered.
    The phone's caller id blinked Jack McCord. Maia sighed in irritation, lifted the receiver from the cradle and said, "What do you want?"
    "Hello to you too, sweetheart," Jack drawled in greeting.
    "Do you know what time it is?" Maia asked. "What if I was asleep, did that occur to you?"
    "Ahhh, but you're not asleep, you are right now in a videoconference with Viktor." Jack said.
    "Hold on," Maia told Jack, pressed the hold button, and turned back to Viktor. "I'll get back to you in the morning. This is gonna take a while."
    "You look like you are about to blow," Viktor said in amusement.
    "You are not wrong," Maia voiced irritably.
    Switching back to Jack, Maia said softly, "Are you spying on me, Jack McCord?"
    "Of course not. I have cameras in the control room, but I have the volume turned off."
    "Do you have cameras in my bedroom?"
    Jack chuckled.
    "Well?" Maia demanded her voice rising.
    "Look, the whole house has cameras but I am no voyeur. I prefer ...er... the real thing. I wanted to talk to you so I checked the public areas of the house: the kitchen, the living room and the control room," Jack said, then added suggestively. "Of course, if you walk around the house naked, I could hardly be to blame."
    "What do you want to talk to me about?" Maia asked.
    "Did you like your presents?" Jack asked in a low husky voice.
    "And you couldn't wait until tomorrow to ask me?" Maia was peeved. First, he had been busy all day, letting her stew in her irritation about the clothes and now he thought he could talk to her any time he wanted to? She was not one of his employees.
    "No, because I want you to wear that black bustier and lace panties when I get home," Jack whispered. Maia felt heat shoot straight to her sex. "I picked that out myself, you know."
    "You did not. You were busy all day."
    "The boutique was at the ground floor of our building. Ever since I've met you, I've been imagining you wearing it ..."
    "Jack ...."
    "Fuck, I'm getting hard just thinking about it," Jack muttered.
    "Jack ..."
    "I'm not fucking around, Maia. I want you. I want to be inside you, I want to taste you... everywhere."
    Maia caught her breath. Was she about to spontaneously combust?
    "Babe, did you hear me?"
    "I did like the presents," Maia replied to his first question not ready to acknowledge his blunt proposal. "Laurie did well."
    "Coward ..." Jack said with a hint of teasing.
    It was inevitable, her attraction to Jack was nuclear, so she decided to take the grown-up