Page 20 of Targeted By Desire

The rose petals on the floor were the first thing to catch my eye as I stepped inside. They made a small trail leading to the small round table in the middle of the room. Like the other tables in the restaurant, it was decorated with a white satin cloth and golden centerpiece. Instead of candles, a bouquet of roses sat like a crown on top of it. A bottle of wine and two glasses sat in front of the cushioned chairs. A chandelier filled with golden lights hung above it, dimmed the lowest setting, draped the room in a sensual darkness. In the corner, a small speaker relayed the notes of the orchestra playing in the main area.

My eyes flicked from the vacant table to the figure standing on the opposite side of the room near the window. If not for the sliver of moonlight peeking through the curtains, I might’ve missed his silhouette.

“Hi, Justin,” I greeted, feigning a smile. “Long time, no see.”

He chuckled, but his voice wasn’t the one I was expecting. “Good evening, Agent,” he replied, his voice deep and laced with darkness. Sin dripped off the syllables like honey, and the sound sent a familiar shiver down my spine. I’ve heard this voice before. In my nightmares.

My stomach clenched as a buzzer went off in my head. Run! It yelled.

I turned on my heel, intending to dart out of her as fast as I could in my stilettos. But, instead of an opening towards the empty hallway, I was met with the mouth of a gun in my face.

Behind it, the hostess stood, her once kind smile replaced with an apathetic frown. The newfound daggers in her eyes delivered a silent message. Don’t move.

I gritted my teeth as I reluctantly froze in place.

The man’s chuckle echoed through the room again, closer this time.

Behind me, a novel warmth brushed against my back. Fingers slowly curled over the collar of my trench coat and gripped the fabric.

His breath caressed my ear as he leaned in close. “Stay awhile,” he whispered as he slowly dragged the coat down my arms. “Have dinner with me.”

THE ASSASSIN

Fear looked delicious on her.

The wide eyes. The slight gaping of her lips. The rapid pulsing of the vein in her neck.

It was the most exquisite sight I’ve seen in a while.

But the expression was gone just as quickly as it came. As soon as she realized she was cornered, a gun in one direction and my body in the other, her badge of bravery reappeared on her sleeve.

Ignoring the gun pointed at her, Simone whipped around and tore herself out of my grasp. She held her arm up, her fingers curling into a tight fist, and swung.

I caught her wrist before it could even come close to my face. “Behave,” I told her. “You don’t want to spend your last meal tied up, do you?”

“Fuck you,” she spat.

“Maybe later.”

A grimace spread across her face, and she tried to yank her wrist out of my grasp.

“Relax, relax,” I said. “I won’t do anything you don’t ask me to.”

She scoffed. “I’d rather lay in a bed of spiders than one with you.”

I almost smiled. “I can have that arranged.” I held out my free hand. “Give me your phone and keys.”

Simone’s frown deepened, and her eyes hardened as if she was about to challenge my demand.

Maria stepped closer and pressed the gun into the back of her head.

“Now,” I said. “Or your brains get blown out earlier than scheduled.”

Simone’s chest slowly rose and fell. Reluctantly, she handed over her small purse.

Maria snatched it out of her hands from behind. She threw the strap over her shoulder and used her free hand to pat Simone down, checking for more weapons or devices.

The muscles in Simone’s jaw jumped as her eyes followed Maria’s hands. Despite the discomfort painting her face, she managed to remain still.