Flare of Promise (AMT #4) Read online

  Damn it. So much for being professional about this. She could fight her body, or she could satisfy it and move on.

  Petra was honest enough with herself to know nothing would get done until she’d sated her traitorous body’s yearnings. After all, one quick fuck wouldn’t hurt anyone. Millie should be watching them and would create some sort of distraction if danger approached.

  After nodding to his question, Will released her and gave her thirty seconds. Taking a deep breath, she clicked on the scrambler device in one of her other many hidden pockets to block out both Millie and anyone listening in. Then she turned to keep an eye on Will in case he tried something.

  Yet as she took off her purse, tugged her blue sweater over her head and tossed it to the side, all Will did was drink her in slowly with his eyes. The heat she saw evaporated the last of her reservations; they both wanted this.

  Unzipping her pants, she then kicked her shoes off and wiggled out of her pants, careful not to let anything hidden in the pockets fall to the ground; she might need the tools later.

  Finally standing in her bra and underwear, she motioned toward Will. “Your turn.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “Not until you’re naked.”

  Damn, the steel in his voice was new. Leyna would’ve hated it, but Petra liked it far more than she would admit.

  Taking one bra strap off and then another, she tugged it down to reveal her breasts. Will growled and her nipples turned to points in response.

  She unclasped it. The scrap of material fell to the floor and she placed her thumbs under the waistband of her underwear. Petra could turn back and say no. Hell, she could take out the stun gun from her purse and incapacitate Will before he reacted. But the memory of her finger brushing against his hard cock was the last bit of convincing she needed to tug off her last piece of clothing and raise her hands at her side. “I’m done. Why do you still have your clothes on?”

  Will’s gaze rose from her body and met hers. She shivered at the hunger she saw there.

  He ripped off his shirt and pants. Petra barely had time to drink in the sight of his chiseled abs and long cock jutting from his body before he tore open a condom and rolled it down his dick.

  Before she could think about how he’d come prepared and must have expected this, Will had her in his arms. His hands roamed down her back to her ass and he lifted. Out of instinct, she wrapped her legs around his waist, which put his dick against her clit.

  Will squeezed her ass cheeks before murmuring, “I hope you’re ready because I’m not going to hold back.”

  Since the scrambler blocked out Millie from hearing their conversation, Petra spoke the truth. “Stop talking and show me.”

  Descending on her lips, he thrust his tongue into her mouth and pulled her tighter against his hard body. The light hair on his chest tickled her nipples and she dug her nails into his back. Will growled and laid her back on the bed. The full weight of his body only made her wetter.

  Will broke the kiss to cup her breast. He tugged her nipple a few times before taking it into his mouth and sucking hard. Out of desire, she pressed his head down, signaling she wanted more. He drew her even deeper between his lips. Despite their time apart, Will remembered her sensitive nipples. She opened her legs even wider in invitation.

  She’d missed him.

  As Will continued to suck, lick, and swirl her tight bud, her core pulsed. For once, she didn’t want extended foreplay. She was more than ready for his cock.

  Petra dug her nails deeper into his scalp and he bit her nipple. Pleasure and heat coursed through her body and she moaned. Her other breast was heavy and sensitive, wanting equal attention. Maybe a little more foreplay wouldn’t be so bad.

  Not that she could think long on that. As if reading her mind, Will moved to tease her other nipple at the same time his fingers found her swollen folds. She cried out as he lightly brushed her sensitive skin.

  Will’s eyes met hers just before he plunged a finger into her core.

  “Will.”

  His name sounded like begging to her own ears.

  As his finger found her g-spot, his thumb brushed against her clit. She was so sensitive she nearly jumped. “Again.”

  Will growled. “Say my name again.”

  Lost to her hormones, Petra didn’t fight him. “Will.”

  “Good.”

  He increased the pressure on her clit as he moved his finger inside her. She already felt the pressure building. Just a few more strokes and she’d come.

  But then his hand was gone. Opening her eyes, she cried out, “What the hell? Why did you stop?”

  ~~~

  Will’s intent had been to fuck Leyna quickly, fulfill his lust, and talk.

  However, as soon as he’d covered her short frame with his, her small breasts had pressed against his chest and all but begged for him to suck them.

  Even now, with Leyna frowning up at him, all he wanted to do was lick between her thighs until she screamed.

  What the hell was wrong with him? The woman had lied and broken his heart. So why did he still ache for her?

  Will buried the reason deep inside his mind.

  He finally answered Leyna. “I want to feel you as you come.” He quickly flipped her over, pulled her hips up until she was on her knees, and pinned her wrists over her head. “Tell me exactly what you want.” He lightly brushed the tip of his cock against her clit. “Just this?”

  Leyna turned her head. “No. I want what you promised.” She widened her stance. “No making love.” She arched her hips. “Fuck me.”

  Bloody hell. Gone was the shy and hesitant woman he’d known. And bastard he was, he liked it. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

  In the next second, Will lifted her hips and thrust into her pussy. But instead of moving, he remained still. “Damn, you’re tight.”

  Leyna remained quiet a second before murmuring, “I haven’t been with anyone since you.”

  He frowned and burned to ask her why. But then he noticed a jagged scar running down her shoulder and it reminded him of the two years between them. They had established separate lives. This was his good-bye to Leyna and he needed to remember that.

  Taking a firmer grip on her hips, Will moved. Slowly at first, but he increased his pace with each thrust. He’d been with a few women over the years, hoping to forget Leyna, but none had ever felt so bloody right. The way she gripped his cock as he moved was the perfect amount of pressure. If he wasn’t careful, he’d come before her.

  And despite what she’d done, Leyna deserved an orgasm.

  Lifting her hips a fraction more, he kept her up with one arm and used the other to find her clit. As he rubbed her bundle of nerves, Leyna moved her hips in time with his thrusts. Will tried to hold in a groan, but when she circled, he failed. “Leyna.”

  Since pressure built at the base of his spine, Will pressed harder against her tight bud. Judging by Leyna drawing in a breath, she still liked a rough, firm touch on her clit.

  The sound of flesh slapping against flesh filled the room and Will closed his eyes. Focusing just on the feeling of being inside Leyna, he stroked her tight bud and it almost made him feel as if they were back in their flat two years ago, when they’d been in love and on the cusp of getting married.

  Leyna cried out, “Will. Just a little more.”

  His own orgasm was close, but he gritted his teeth. No matter what Leyna may have done to him, he wouldn't say good-bye as a selfish bastard.

  He gently pinched her clit and Leyna screamed. As she clutched and released his cock, Will gripped her hips with both hands and thrust even harder. Between her tight pussy, the scent of her arousal, and the feel of her warm skin under his hands, Will let go. As his orgasm hit, he stilled and resisted shouting Leyna’s name. Because if he did, it would be a sort of claim on her. And the last thing Will wanted was to trust the woman with his heart again, no matter how much his body yearned to fuck her every day for the rest of his life.


  Chapter Four

  Breathing heavily, Petra clutched the sheets under her hands and simply reveled in her post-orgasmic haze. Between the pleasure and Will’s hard dick still inside her, she could almost forget about her dangerous life avoiding drug lords and completing assignments for money.

  Almost.

  Pushing aside her past, Petra moved away until Will’s cock slipped out and she turned to sit on the bed. The distance helped her to focus. Since the night was still quiet outside, it meant that Millie hadn’t set off the warning signal yet, but it could happen at any time. Without lust clouding her judgment, Petra could do what needed to be done—warn Will and break his heart.

  She finally met his gaze. The hunger and longing there made her heart skip a beat. She might be able to win Will back if she tried.

  No. If she loved him, Petra needed to ensure Will’s safety. And as long as her brother’s asshole boss had claws in either of them, she couldn’t afford to care about anyone long-term.

  Clearing her throat, Petra adjusted her position on the bed. “Now that’s out of the way, we should talk.”

  Will’s eyes turned hard. The change wrenched her heart, but Petra pushed it aside. Will replied, “I suppose we should. Tell me why you’re here, Leyna.”

  “My original intent had been to break you out of the AMT research facility in Hong Kong, give you a new identity, and disappear. But now that you’re working with the AMT system, I need to know why.”

  Will sat on his haunches. “I was doing it before to seek revenge for your death. Now, however, I’m going to continue the work for myself.”

  Petra clenched her fingers. “But is experimenting on other Feiru really the best way to do it?”

  “Don’t tell me you’re one of those DEFEND anti-AMT crusaders.”

  DEFEND was an organization fighting to destroy the AMT system and free all first-born magic users. “No, of course not. My work is a bit more dangerous and requires far fewer morals.”

  Will studied her a second before replying, “All of my test subjects are volunteers. If you know about my glowing hands, then you probably already know that strange abilities have been popping up all over the globe. I need to find a way to stop them. Otherwise, the humans will panic and start hunting us down.”

  Petra had never been on one side or the other of the AMT debate. Staying alive had always taken precedence. However, after hearing Millie describe what had happened to her brother and her other brother’s girlfriend, it was becoming harder to remain silent.

  Drawing on her recently gained knowledge from Millie, Petra replied, “I’ve heard rumors about why those strange powers, sometimes called latent abilities, are showing up now. Have you?”

  “I don’t put much faith in rumors. And in the past, neither did you.”

  She raised her brows. “Let’s just say that rumors can be a useful starting point.”

  Will waved a hand. “Then spit it out, Leyna. We don’t have a lot of time to beat around the bush.”

  She didn’t miss a beat. “But you had enough time to get laid, apparently.”

  Will grunted. “It’s done and over with. Just get on with it.”

  Jerk. His brusque tone only helped strengthen her resolve for later. “Fine. The old legends say the appearance of latent abilities signals an upcoming curse; one that can only be stopped by the Four Talents.”

  “What the bloody hell are you talking about? I’ve never heard of any Talents.”

  Petra continued. “Considering all books referring to them were burned in the 1950s, it doesn’t surprise me.”

  “Then how do you know about it?”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “I have my ways.”

  “Well, then go on and tell me these rumors. We don’t have all bloody evening.”

  Petra clenched the fingers of one hand. She was sorely tempted to reach out, grab Will’s cock, and twist until he yelped in pain.

  She decided that would just waste more time and answered him. “The Four Talents have the ability to manipulate the elements without putting their hands to a certain direction.”

  Will leaned forward. “That sounds like E-1655’s abilities.”

  “Who?”

  Will paused but finally answered, “An elemental earth user who can draw on her abilities without pointing her hands to the north. But no one ever referred to her as a Talent.”

  “I highly doubt they would considering they reduced the woman to a serial number,” she drawled.

  Will waved a hand in dismissal. “That isn’t important right now. What I want to know is how you found out this classified information.”

  “My partner for this assignment has connections.”

  “The would-be attacker from this morning?” Petra nodded. “Do you trust her?”

  Petra paused a second before answering. “I think I’m getting there. She easily could’ve snuck away and left me tied up, or worse. Yet she stuck around to help me.”

  It was true. Despite Petra’s threat of turning in Millie Ward, Millie probably could’ve escaped if she had wanted to.

  Will grunted. “Is there anything else she told you?”

  Petra nodded. “If you eradicate the latent abilities, the Four Talents will have no one to protect them and they’ll be snatched up by power-hungry humans. Then the curse will lay a sickness over the world and most will die.”

  “A curse?” Will echoed.

  “Yes. According to Millie, it’s happened before. The Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918 was actually a curse. It was eventually stopped by the Talents from back in the day.”

  Will put up a hand. “Wait a second. You’re saying somewhere between 20 and 50 million people were killed back then because of a curse?” He gave a bitter laugh. “I somehow doubt that could be kept a secret for this long.”

  Petra narrowed her eyes. “During a time with no TV, very little radio, and when cameras were expensive and time-consuming to use, it’s entirely possible. Even if they really were killed by a flu virus and not a curse, do you want to chance it? Millions of people could lose their lives. Do you want that on your conscience?”

  He frowned. “And why should I trust you? You could be making all of this up just to get me to halt my research. There are more than a few who want Feiru to expose themselves to the world and destroy the AMT prisons system. How do I know they didn’t send you to throw me a red herring?”

  She straightened her shoulders. “Look, I risked my life to come here and warn you. I first found out about you being locked up back in Hong Kong. I had no idea your new research dealt with latent abilities. I just felt I owed you for what I did by faking my death. If you don’t want my help, then I’m starting to think I’ll just leave and you can fend for yourself.”

  Petra moved from the bed and reached for her bra. However, before she could pick it up, Will took hold of her shoulders and maneuvered her upright. Lowering his head, he searched her eyes. She opened her mouth to demand he let her go when his voice filled the room. “Tell me the reason you faked your death and I’ll consider listening to you. And it had better be the truth. Despite whatever life you lead now, I know your tells. I should still be able to judge if you’re lying.”

  Will had no idea the lengths of training Petra had endured, but she knew if she lied in this moment, then Will might go quietly back to his research. If he failed to eradicate latent abilities, he might become a prisoner again. And despite the gulf between them, she couldn’t stand the thought of Will Evans being locked away for life, or worse.

  In a rare move since changing her identity, Petra told the truth. “My brother got into trouble with a low-level drug dealer who only knew my brother by his street name. So, my twin asked for my help. With my chemistry background, my brother knew I would be able to cook meth. If I agreed to do it for two years, the dealer’s boss would allow my brother to live. Not really having a choice in the matter, I created a false identity and agreed.”

  Will’s face softened a fraction. “Why didn�
�t you come to me? My father had the influence to help you.”

  Petra shook her head. “Not this guy. Believe me, the bribes he doled out would’ve prevented any legal channel from arresting him.”

  “Then there would’ve been another way. If you had truly loved me, you would’ve talked with me.”

  Petra’s heart twisted. “I hurt you to save you, Will. End of story. Now, will you listen to what I have to say?”

  Will’s face returned to a neutral expression. A small part of her hated that he could close himself off from her.

  Her former fiancé finally answered, “I’ll listen but it doesn’t mean I have to go along with what you say. For the sake of argument, let’s pretend these legends hold a grain of truth. What am I supposed to do about it?”

  “I have a friend who will take you somewhere safe in exchange for information on what you’ve seen and done inside the AMT research facilities.”

  “And what about you, Leyna?”

  “I go back to my life as a mercenary and you never see me again.”

  ~~~

  Somehow Will managed to keep his emotions under control.

  Bloody Leyna and her wanting to protect everyone but herself. That aspect of her personality hadn’t changed over the years. “Trust is something to be earned. This friend of yours has yet to prove anything. Hell, I’m not sure I fully trust you.”

  “Which is as it should be.”

  Leyna fell silent. It was hard to believe he’d been fucking her only a few minutes ago.

  His eyes flickered to Leyna’s small breasts and hard nipples, and his dick twitched. If life were simple, they could block out the world and spend the night having meaningless sex. Well, nearly meaningless sex. If Will closed his eyes, he could pretend it was the woman he’d nearly married under him. It was the closest he’d ever come to turning back the clock to a happier time in his life.

  Opening his eyes, he met Leyna’s gaze again. It was time to stop pining for the past and to focus on the future. “Do you like this new life of yours?”