Seduction of Steel: The Complete Series Page 14

  “Excuse me, gentlemen. Is my girlfriend making trouble again?”

  The Russian said, “She came in here and said this was her cabana. I think she's drunk.”

  Ryan turned to face Jessica.

  “You know you shouldn't drink so much, honey. This is not our cabana. It belongs to these men.”

  Jessica played along. “Oh, I'm so sorry. It looks just like ours.”

  Ryan turned to face the men.

  “Once again, I'm sorry. We'll get out of your way.”

  Ryan slowly put his hand in his right pants pocket.

  “Please go,” the Russian said.

  “I want my phone back!” Jessica said.

  The Russian had placed her phone on the table. As the Russian turned to get the phone, Ryan saw Kellerman's briefcase on the table. It was open, and he saw the chip inside in a small case. Ryan approached the table and pressed the button on the pulse gun in his pocket.

  The Russian handed the phone to Jessica, who noticed that it wasn't working.

  “Hey! You broke my phone!”

  “I'm sorry, madam. You should not have come in here. Please go.”

  Jessica frowned and turned to Ryan, who said, “Come on, honey. Let's go.”

  He turned to the two men. “Once again, I'm sorry that my girlfriend caused trouble for you.”

  They walked out of the cabana and started to walk back towards the hotel.

  “That was close. I thought that guy was going to hurt me. How did you find me?”

  “I just went to the window after you called and watched you walk towards that cabana. I thought you might need my help.”

  “He broke my phone!” Jessica complained.

  “No, Jess. I broke your phone. I set off the pulse gun while we were in there. It should have destroyed the chip, too, along with any other electronic devices that were in the cabana.”

  They walked about fifty yards and then hid behind some trees.

  “Let's keep an eye on them for a while,” Ryan said.

  They watched for a few minutes, and the Russian came out of the cabana. He turned around and was yelling at someone, presumably the Korean, inside. He was obviously quite angry. He shouted for another few seconds and then stormed off.

  “I'm guessing that the deal is off. The Korean probably tried to test the chip and noticed that it, and all of his electronics, were not working.”

  “Then we're done here?” Jessica asked.

  “I think we are. Let's go before they start looking for us.”

  They walked back to the elevator and went back up to Ryan's room.

  Ryan began to pack his belongings.

  “Are you leaving now?” Jessica asked.

  “My work is done here. I'd like to be gone before those two guys figure out who destroyed the chip and ruined their business deal. The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

  Ryan finished packing his things, and said, “Let's go. Straight to the parking garage.”

  “Aren't you going to check out?”

  “No. I'll call later and tell them I'm not coming back. Right now, I just want to leave.”

  They walked down the hall to the elevator, and found their way to the hotel's parking garage.

  They reached Jessica's car, and Ryan hopped into the passenger seat.

  “What shall we do now?” Jessica asked.

  “At some point, I need to contact the chip company and explain what happened. Since I don't actually have the chip, they'll need a full report. I assume that you need to go home to Denver. I think we're both done with our business here in Las Vegas.”

  “Are you in a big hurry?”

  “Not really. I mean, I need to turn in a report fairly soon, but other than that, no. Why?”

  “I've got a motel room outside of town that's paid for until the end of the week. It's not as nice as the Bellagio, but it's clean, it's got a pool, and it's paid for. Want to relax for a few days?”

  “Relax? That might not be a bad idea. My foot is still pretty sore. Spending a few days by the pool might be fun. Spending a few days with you sounds like fun, too.”

  Jessica pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the Sundown Inn.

  Chapter 12

  Jessica and Ryan spent the next few days simply taking it easy. They weren't exactly living the high life in their motel, twenty miles from the glitz of Las Vegas, but they had peace and quiet and the pleasure of each other's company.

  Ryan's ankle was still swollen, so they spent most of their time lounging by the pool. It gave Ryan a chance to rest his injured leg, and it gave Jessica an opportunity to work on her next book.

  Jessica had gotten a lot of good material and some new ideas from talking to Ryan about his work on this trip. Of course, the entire point of following Ryan to Las Vegas in the first place was to watch him work as a spy. Jessica ended up doing a lot of the spy work herself, and that included finding the stolen chip. She couldn't help but be proud of that, even if Ryan didn't entirely approve.

  They talked about it as they relaxed in their hotel room after having a light dinner at the coffee shop next door.

  “I'm not really sure I learned all that much about how you work this week, seeing as though you spent a lot of the time in bed in a hotel room.”

  Ryan laughed. “You're right. If you came all this week to watch me be a spy, you're probably disappointed. If I were you, I'd ask for my money back.”

  She smiled at him. “Well, I did find a lot to write about. First of all, I had no idea that your work was actually dangerous. Adding an element of danger to my stories will probably help my sales.”

  “I didn't actually know that my work was dangerous, Jess. I guess we both learned something this week. So what are you working on now?”

  “I'm just starting the next story about my fictional spy, Bryan. You know - he's hot, and in great shape, and he goes all over the world solving problems...with the help of his clever blond girlfriend.”

  “Sounds like a familiar story. I almost feel like I know these people.”

  They both laughed.

  Ryan continued: “One thing I've learned this week is that my job is a bit more complicated than I'd previously thought. I've been doing this for a couple of years now, and I've always gotten along fine on my own. But...”

  “...now you realize that you might need occasional help?” Jessica asked.

  “It does seem that way. I don't want to get you in trouble, or put you in danger, but it does occur to me that you might be able to help me from time to time on my little adventures. Would you be interested?”

  “Maybe. I'm a writer, first and foremost. That's what I like to do and that's what I intend to keep doing. On the other hand, a little 'field experience' can go a long way towards helping me write better books.”

  “So you're willing to help me every now and again?”

  “Yes, on one condition.”

  “What's that?”

  “That you establish some sort of home somewhere near where I live. I don't want to spend all of my time wondering where you are or when I'm going to hear from you again.”

  “I suppose you're suggesting that I move to Denver?”

  “Denver would be convenient, seeing as though I already live there,” she said with a smile.

  “I might be able to do that. I'm mostly living out of hotels now, but having some place to call home might not be a bad idea.”

  “...especially if you think you're going to need my help every now and again. If you're going to have a partner, don't you think she should be nearby?”

  “You're probably right.”

  “Come a little closer,” she said.

  Ryan leaned in towards Jessica and she gave him a big kiss. As their lips met, Jessica felt that head-to-toe tingle she always felt when she was kissing Ryan.

  She was looking forward to having the source of that tingle living closer to her from now on.

  The End of Vegas Encounter

  Stolen Secrets
>
  Chapter 1

  ...Bryan took Jennifer's hand as they walked along the beach, enjoying the gentle breeze, the gorgeous sunset and, of course, the pleasure of each other's company.

  As the sun went down, Bryan stopped to put his arms around Jennifer's waist. He pulled her to him and gave her the kiss of a lifetime, claiming her lips as his own. As their tongues tingled, Jennifer did her best to enjoy the moment, fully aware that this bliss, exquisite as it was, would not last.

  Bryan's last assignment in Las Vegas was easy enough, but his next one, in deepest Africa, would be dangerous, and Jennifer wasn't sure she'd see him again anytime soon, if ever.

  “Do you have to leave tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Yes, but we still have tonight, and I'd like to spend the entire evening making love to you.”

  They enjoyed yet another night of all-consuming passion, and as dawn approached, Bryan quietly left Jennifer again.

  She watched the sun rise, and hoped for the best. It was all that she could do.

  End of Vegas Rendezvous, Part One.

  -------------------------------------------

  Jessica Steel took a sip of her latte and smiled with satisfaction, having just finished her latest in a series of erotic stories involving Bryan and Jennifer. She'd long ago gotten over her world-class case of writer's block and now found herself with more material to write about than she had time to type. Part of it had to do with renewed passion for her work, the writing of erotic fiction, and part of it had to do with the amazing amount of inspiration that she found ever since she'd met Ryan Stevens.

  Ryan was an industrial spy, and his work took him all over the world. He spent his time in exotic locations, occasionally encountered dangerous people, and always had something interesting to talk about. Jessica learned first hand about how dangerous the spy game could be when she spent a few days in Las Vegas with Ryan, helping him destroy a stolen cell phone chip that might have cost the developer millions of dollars had it remained in the wrong hands.

  She also discovered that intense, dangerous work often leads to intense, passionate sex, and when it came to sex, Ryan was incredible. It wasn't just that he was tall, or handsome, or exceptionally fit; he also had this confidence about him that Jessica found very sexy. He was also the most attentive lover that she had ever known. He was skillful, patient, and eager to bring her to the heights of ecstasy, and Jessica was more than willing to comply. If Ryan wanted her to come, it rarely took much effort. One look from those gorgeous hazel eyes of his and Jessica usually turned to putty.

  Yes, Ryan was an incredible lover, and a pretty talented spy, too. He'd also discovered that doing his job alone was dangerous, and having Jessica along for help might not be a bad idea. It was sort of a win-win proposition; Ryan had backup help on his spy missions, and Jessica was able to turn those adventures into best-selling erotic ebooks. She changed the details, of course, to protect all parties involved, but the stories she wrote were exciting, fun to read and contained copious amounts of incredible sex, just like her relationship with Ryan.

  Jessica smiled as she thought about her last sexual encounter with Ryan.

  After their last adventure in Las Vegas, when Ryan injured his ankle and nearly let the stolen chip get away, he told Jessica that he'd not only like having her around for his missions, but that he'd be willing to move to Denver in order to be closer to her. He'd rented an apartment a few weeks later, just a few blocks from the one that Jessica shared with her longtime roommate, Amber Mitchell. Jessica wasn't really sure why Ryan needed an apartment; it seemed that he owned very few possessions, aside from some clothing, a cell phone, and a laptop.

  He still traveled frequently, as many of his assignments were simple ones that either didn't require help or didn't involve long, out of town stays. He'd be gone for a few days each week, but for jobs that lasted longer than that, he usually took Jessica along.

  She was more than grateful to have him around on more of a regular basis, and Amber was happy to have a roommate who wasn't so sullen all the time. Without a doubt, Jessica was happier these days, and Amber loved that. If you're going to have a roommate, it's better to have a happy one.

  Having finished her story, Jessica came out of her bedroom/office and found Amber in the kitchen, preparing a salad.

  “Hi, Jess. I'm making a salad. Want one?”

  “Sure. I'm getting a bit hungry. How about if I open a bottle of wine?”

  “That would be great. How's the book coming along?” Amber asked as she cut up an avocado.

  “I think I just finished the latest story. They had a little romance on the beach, and now he's left her to go to Africa. I think the next story is going to be a bit dark.”

  “Sooner or later, you're going to have to marry those two off, aren't you?”

  “Probably. We can't have a love story without having it finish. Readers like those 'happily ever after' endings, you know. I can't disappoint them.”

  “No kidding. I love reading erotic fiction, but I hate it when the ending is ambiguous. I want to see the guy and the girl get married in the end.”

  “I'm working on it, Amber. Give me another story or two, OK?”

  “Fair enough. When can I read it?” Amber was a voracious reader of erotica, and she loved Jessica's work.

  “Anytime you like. It's essentially done, aside from the usual proofreading. By the way, how are things with you and Jason?”

  “Great. He's been hinting that he's going to propose soon. I think he really means it this time.”

  They both laughed, as Amber and Jason had been dating for several years and that proposal had been “just around the corner” for quite some time now. Amber was clearly happy dating Jason, but she was beginning to grow impatient. She was a gorgeous redhead with a figure that any woman would envy, and any man would admire.

  Jason had a steady job at an auto parts store, but Jessica thought that Amber could probably land just about any guy she wanted, including doctors, lawyers, or corporate raiders. Still, Jessica admired Amber's dedication, and hoped that she and Ryan could have a relationship that lasted as long and worked as well as the one her roommate had with Jason.

  “I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, Amber. Maybe this time it will really happen.”

  “I hope so. So, what's new with you and Ryan? I haven't seen him much lately.”

  “He's been back in Pittsburgh for a few days, visiting family and taking care of some family business. He should be back in the next day or two.”

  “Are you two getting serious?”

  “We're as serious as we can be, given our odd situation. I'm here, and he's here some of the time and gone a lot of the time. Sometimes I go with him and sometimes I don't, and...oh, I'm not sure where we stand as a couple right now.”

  “I understand. I hope that works out. He seems like a great guy.”

  “He is a great guy. The sex is certainly amazing, and he's pretty good company, too. We'll just take things as they come and see how it goes.”

  “Good luck with that, Jess. I'm headed over to Jason's, so I guess I'll see you later. Well, probably tomorrow.”

  Amber grabbed her purse and left, and Jessica spent the rest of the evening proofreading her new book.

  While doing so, she received a text message from Ryan.

  “I'll be there tomorrow. Want to get together?”

  “Sure. Call me,” Jessica replied.

  Jessica became as giddy as a schoolgirl. She'd been seeing Ryan off and on for a few months now, but she still got excited at the very thought of him. He was tall and fit, but his piercing hazel eyes that just made Jessica melt.

  She simply couldn't get enough of Ryan and she was ecstatic that she'd see him again tomorrow.

  Chapter 2

  As promised, Ryan called the next day.

  “Hi, Jess. I just got back in town. Want to take a ride?”

  “Sure. Where are we going?”

  “That's a secret. Is it OK if I p
ick you up in an hour?”

  “That will be great. See you then.”

  Jessica thought it was odd that Ryan wouldn't tell her where they were going, but she trusted him. She jumped in the shower, put on some jeans and a knit top, and spent more time than necessary getting her makeup just right.

  Ryan showed up right on time, driving what appeared to be a vintage Corvette convertible. It was a nice sunny day, and he had the top down. He met Jessica at the curb and he gave her a hug and a quick kiss.