Seduction of Steel: The Complete Series Read online

  Ryan finished out his day and drove back to the hotel. He met Jessica and he offered to take her to dinner at Brennan's. The restaurant is famous for its food as well as its décor, and Jessica was overwhelmed when she entered the establishment.

  The building was built in the late eighteenth century and was simply gorgeous. Unlike most restaurants, which had but one dining room, Brennan's had multiple, smaller rooms, giving the place a cozy, romantic feel. She was familiar with the famous restaurant, which was once frequented by some of Hollywood's biggest stars, but she'd never been there before.

  She felt special going to dinner there as Ryan's date, and wore her new dress and a pair of four inch pumps that she'd bought earlier that day. Ryan wore a pair of slacks and a Ralph Lauren shirt, which fit his muscled frame well.

  “You look quite handsome, Ryan”, she said as they waited to be seated. She ran her hand over the outside of his shirt. She loved the feel of his tight pecs.

  “You look gorgeous yourself. I love that dress, and the shoes match quite well. Did you buy those today?”

  “I did. I'm glad you like them.”

  They were escorted to their table and they ordered a bottle of wine as well as the prix fixe four course dinner. They discussed how they'd spent their day.

  “How did it go at Peavy today?” Jessica asked as she started in on her salad.

  “It went great. I had to pretend to do some work, of course, but I met several people in product development, found out where the files were stored, and obtained access to them. I haven't had a chance to do anything else yet. I still need to download the files.”

  “Is anyone suspicious?”

  “I don't think so. I made a couple of phone calls and met a couple of people during lunch, presenting myself as a corporate security officer. I spent most of the afternoon at my desk, doing marketing work.”

  “Are you going to download the files tomorrow?”

  “I'm going to try. Like any large company, Peavy has lots of people on vacation at any given time. I can pop into a vacant office at lunch and get the files from someone else's computer. That way I won't get caught doing it at my own desk and they won't track the activity to my computer.”

  “Be careful, Ryan. I'm worried about you.”

  “I told you. Trust me – this shouldn't be that difficult. Anyway, tell me about your day.”

  She related her story about her coffee and beignets, her shopping expedition and her relaxing afternoon. She neglected to mention that she'd be taking a riverboat cruise the following day.

  “I just love our hotel, Ryan. Could we move in there permanently?” she asked with a smile.

  “It would be nice, but there aren't any mountains here. Wouldn't you miss them?”

  “I would. Maybe we could live here part of the time. I just love sitting out on that balcony. It's so peaceful. It's also fun watching all the tourists on the street.”

  They finished their amazing seafood meal and enjoyed a dessert of Bananas Foster. Jessica marveled at the presentation, which included actually setting the dessert aflame right at the table.

  She and Ryan held hands as they walked back to the hotel.

  “That was an incredible meal, Ryan. Thanks.”

  “My pleasure. Care to work off some of those calories back in the room?”

  She smiled and started to walk a bit more briskly. They spent the remainder of the evening making love, and Jessica marveled at how every sexual encounter with Ryan seemed to be better than the last.

  She hoped that would continue as she fell asleep in his arms.

  Chapter 7

  They awoke the following morning and ordered breakfast from room service. Jessica thought she could definitely get used to that sort of life, as having Eggs Benedict and freshly-squeezed orange juice delivered to the room is a pretty nice way to start the day.

  After breakfast, Ryan jumped into the shower. Jessica wasn't really in a hurry; she had nowhere to go for a few hours. She snuck into the shower and joined him.

  “Jess, I'm in a bit of a hurry,” he said, as he worked the soap over his tight abs. Jessica helped smooth the lather over his taut physique and gave him a kiss.

  “You can't spare just a few minutes to shower with me?” she cooed.

  “Well....maybe just a few minutes,” he said. Jessica noticed that Ryan was becoming physically aroused. She took her soapy hand and ran it up and down his growing erection.

  “I don't think this will take too long. Not if you cooperate.” His cock became rock hard as she stroked its length.

  Ryan pulled her to him, and kissed her as the hot water streamed over them both. His mouth claimed hers, and his tongue entered her mouth with eagerness and desire. He ran his soapy hands over her breasts, and took a little extra time to play with her slick, hardening nipples.

  He continued to kiss her with abandon while slowly running his finger up her thigh towards her wet, tingling, sensitive spot. Their kisses took on a life of their own, as their tongues continued to dance, dart, and touch. Jessica felt so close to Ryan right now; she wished this shower could last forever. Their bodies rubbed against one another in the hot, soapy shower and the heat of the water only added to the heat of the passion.

  Jessica was wet with water from head to toe, but her pussy was dripping with the juices of anticipation. She shivered as Ryan inserted a finger into her moist entrance, gently stroking her lips and then her hard clit. She felt tingles of delight all over and noticed that she was covered in goosebumps, despite the cascade of hot water.

  She reached for his hardness; she desperately wanted to feel it inside of her. She arched her back and put one foot up on the soap shelf in order to give Ryan easier access. Jessica eagerly awaited the entrance of Ryan's beautiful, hard cock.

  A moment later, she was rewarded. Ryan slowly pushed the head of his erection into the soft, wet folds of her pussy. The feelings of fullness from his penetration, combined with the torrent of water, left her awash in a tsunami of bliss.

  Ryan began slowly, but soon was entering her in full, increasing the speed of his thrusts as Jessica began to breath harder and faster. She still couldn't get over how easily his large cock slipped in, but she was grateful. She felt electric shocks all over with every stroke.

  He continued to thrust while playing with her wet, soapy nipples, which were so hard they could cut glass. Jessica moaned loudly as Ryan continued with abandon, driving into her like a man possessed. She wasn't sure how much longer she could take it as he plunged deeper and deeper into her wet folds. The sensation was truly amazing, and the combination of a pending orgasm and the water streaming over their heated bodies was bringing her to the edge of ecstasy.

  Ryan continued to deliver, thrusting in such a way as to give Jessica the maximum amount of pleasure. She was so wet, and so slick, and every thrust made her shiver.

  She pulled Ryan to her lips in order to kiss him again. He continued pumping while using one of his hands to massage her throbbing clit.

  The touch of her clit, combined with Ryan's deep, passionate kisses was all it took to push Jessica over the edge. She started to shake as she gasped, “I'm coming now.”

  Ryan finished at almost exactly the same time, the two of them convulsing in pleasure under the waterfall of hot, steamy water. Even though he has already finished, Ryan continued to stimulate her clitoris, and Jessica quickly came again, so intensely that she thought she was having an out of body experience.

  Ryan held her tightly as she gasped one final time.

  Jessica gave him a gentle kiss. “Try to stay out of trouble today, OK?”

  “I'll do my best. Like I said yesterday, I'll send a text message if there's a problem.”

  They finished their shower, and Ryan drove to the Peavy plant. Jessica spent the morning reading her Kindle and drinking coffee on the balcony.

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

  Ryan showed up for work and spent the morning at his cubicle. He'd had to atte
nd a meeting about marketing issues, and then was given some routine tasks to work on in his cubicle. He decided that lunch hour was probably the best time to pursue downloading files, as there weren't many people in the building after hours. It's easier to get lost in a crowd than it is to get lost in an empty building. It just takes one suspicious person to get you in trouble, and Ryan thought his chances were better in broad daylight. He be more likely to be seen, but less likely to be seen as suspicious.

  Lunchtime came, and most of the people in the office either went to local eateries or spent the hour in their cubicles, answering email and surfing the Web. Ryan used the time to step out of his office and walk down the hall in search of an empty office. He'd seen several vacant offices there the day before and thought one of them might give him a good place to access and look over the production files.

  He found an office that looked as if its occupant might be on vacation. The desk was tidy, and the computer and monitor were cold. He turned on the computer and logged in using the credentials he'd been given the day before.

  Ryan couldn't believe the files he saw – files containing blueprints, unfiled patent applications, and engineering designs for both prototype and soon-to-be-manufactured products. He'd hit the jackpot.

  He had a USB flash drive in his pocket, but that one was just for show in case he got caught. Instead, he another flash drive that he had with him that was unlikely to be discovered. He filled the drive with enough data to set the company back a decade if a competitor got their hands on it. Then he logged out and turned the computer off.

  He had what he needed, so he decided to simply leave, rather than return to his office. Ryan walked down the hall towards the elevator, and pressed the down button. The elevator showed up a moment later, and he stepped in.

  Just as the door began to close, someone shouted, “Wait!” and stuck their arm in the door. The door opened to reveal a security guard.

  “Who are you? What were you doing in that office? Never mind. Come with me.”

  Ryan had been caught.

  Chapter 8

  Jessica enjoyed the short walk from the hotel to the pier where the riverboat was waiting. She'd enjoyed reading Mark Twain when she was younger and thought the idea of taking a riverboat ride on the Mississippi was romantic. She was sorry that Ryan couldn't join her, but at least there was plenty to do in the city while he tended to his spy business.

  The day was a typical summer day in the South; warm, humid and partly cloudy. Jessica put on a sun dress and sandals and put her hair in a ponytail to help her keep cool. She hoped that she'd get her money's worth on her two hour ride with lunch.

  The boat was beautiful; while it undoubtedly had a lot of modern equipment, it certainly looked like a vintage riverboat, with two large stacks near the front and a large paddlewheel in the rear.

  Jessica could only imagine what it must have been like traveling up and down the Mississippi during the heyday of these large ships, when women wore frilly dresses with petticoats and parasols and men wore coats with tails and top hats.

  Perhaps I've been reading too many historical romance novels, she thought.

  The ride was a pleasant one, though it felt like a bit of an anachronism sailing on the river in this old-looking boat while surrounded by modern skyscrapers, bridges and freight ships. Still, Jessica found herself enjoying the trip, walking from one end of the boat to the other, exploring all of the decks, and taking pictures at every opportunity.

  Lunch was welcome, and while it wasn't as impressive as dinner the night before, it was both tasty and filling, representing a nice spread of southern favorites, such as corn bread, fried chicken and mustard greens. Jessica was having fun, and she was glad she'd decided to take this trip. She hoped that Ryan wouldn't be too late today.

  As she was finishing her meal, with about a half an hour to go on her ride, Jessica received a text message.

  J- I need your help. R.

  Jessica wasn't sure what to do. This was the message that Ryan had warned her about, but she wasn't even on land, let alone near the hotel. The envelope that Ryan had given her was back at the room, and she didn't even know what it contained. He had asked her to look it over, but somehow, she never quite got around to it.

  She began to worry, and there was nothing she could do until the boat docked again.

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

  The guard escorted Ryan to a small room and asked him to empty his pockets. The guard took Ryan's cell phone, his badge, a few dollars in cash, and a flash drive from him.

  “You don't have a wallet?” the guard asked gruffly.

  “Not on me. You've taken all I have.” Ryan reached into his pockets and turned them inside out to indicate that he was hiding nothing else. The guard put the contents into a plastic bag and took them with him.

  “Wait here.” The guard left Ryan in the room and locked the door as he left. There was a window that faced the hallway, and a table and a couple of metal chairs. Otherwise, the room was empty.

  He sat there for about fifteen minutes, wondering what was going to happen next. Finally, the guard returned with another company employee, a fortyish brunette in a gray skirt with a matching jacket and a dour expression. She stepped forward and spoke.

  “My name is Elaine Joseph. I'm the head of security here. What were you doing in that office?”

  Ryan said nothing.

  She turned to the security guard who had caught Ryan. “What did you find on him?”

  “Just what you see in the bag. His cell phone, his badge, some cash and the flash drive.”

  “We'd better take a look at the flash drive.” She turned to Ryan. “You're a temporary employee here, and it's pretty apparent that you've used that as a ruse to spy on us. We don't know what you're up to, but we're going to find out. Do you have anything to say?”

  Ryan said nothing.

  She took the flash drive out of the bag. “We're going to have a look at this drive and see what you've put on here. If there's any proprietary information on here, you're likely looking at a long prison sentence. I'll be back.”

  She turned and left, with the security guard following her. They locked the door behind them.

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

  After what seemed like an eternity, the steamboat returned to the pier. Ordinarily, Jessica would have enjoyed the ride and the lunch tremendously, but that was all forgotten as she panicked over not being able to respond to Ryan's message quickly. As soon as the boat docked, she ran from the pier and immediately hailed a cab.

  When they arrived at the hotel, she asked the driver to wait for a few minutes. She ran up to her room and found the envelope. Inside were a number of documents, a badge, and a note:

  Jessica-

  If you've received a text message from me, do the following:

  Dress in business attire.

  Take a taxi to the Peavy Manufacturing plant at 134 W. Mechanical Road.

  Follow the instructions on the next page.

  Trust me.

  -Ryan

  Jessica quickly threw on her business suit and some sensible, low-heeled pumps, ran a comb through her hair and put it in a bun, touched up her makeup, grabbed the envelope and headed down to the street to get into the taxi.

  “Take me to 134 West Mechanical Road, please. The Peavy Manufacturing plant. I'm in a hurry.”

  “Yes, Ma'am. I'll get there as fast as I can. It's about fifteen minutes away.”

  Jessica looked at her watch. It had been more than an hour since she'd received Ryan's message, and she had no idea what kind of trouble he might be having. She had even less of an idea as to what she was supposed to do about it.

  She opened the envelope the look at the contents. On the first page, Ryan had outlined a specific scenario that he thought might happen. He also outlined a solution, and provided Jessica with a specific set of instructions, telling her what to do and what to say when she arrived at the plant:r />
  When you arrive at the plant, tell the receptionist that you want to speak to the head of security, Elaine Joseph. Tell them that your name is Robyn Holbrook and explain that...

  She read it several times and decided that, while she was a bit uncomfortable with the whole situation, she could probably go through with it. Jessica was nervous; she had no idea what kind of legal trouble she or Ryan might encounter. He had promised her no legal problems, but was that wishful thinking?

  Jessica had loved the idea of traveling with Ryan and even helping him out on some of his spy missions, but once again, reality differed from fantasy. It's one thing to think about globe trotting, staying in nice hotels, eating fine meals and engaging in espionage in the abstract. It's another thing altogether to realize that this sort of work could also cause you to wind up in prison, perhaps for years.