Page 41 of Jacqueline's Quest

Chapter 6

Murray took longer in the shower than he needed. The idea of seeing Jaqueline after the scene they participated in, the one he'd hoped to share with her at some point, blew his mind. It opened up a part of him he wasn't sure he could close. Or, if he even needed to. It gave him pause just thinking about it.Shit, I should get my head on straight or else she’ll know something’s up.He’d bet his entire savings account she was sitting with Luca, shaking and wondering, maybe out loud, about what happened between them. Perhaps how much she liked it and how much she’d want to try it again.

For her, he’d do it.

He meant it when he said it to her before. For her, he'd do whatever it took to save his sister, but since then, it mutated into a different statement, he'd do anything for her and her alone. Damn the consequences. If that made him a switch, so be it. He didn't give a shit about titles, 'specially when it came to Jaqueline.Fuck, when did I become such a fricken softy?His dick gave a hardy throb and he chuckled to himself.Well, not all of me is soft.He thought about jerking off in the shower to unwind a little more before joining everyone for dinner—a last meal of sorts before the shit hit the fan.

Then, he thought better of it. Tonight, was the night. He was going to have sex with Jaqueline. The tension between them only grew thicker with time and after their little scene, it only seemed natural. Crazy how a few weeks ago, he wouldn’t have thought twice about bedding a woman without knowing her, now, after being with Jaqueline for as long as he had been, every day he was gifted with her little nuances. After ten years without Hannah, Jaqueline held another spot in his heart, because she made it easier to face the day. Sure, he knew it was wrong to put so much pressure on her shoulders and he should be the one making his days easier, however, he’d be remiss if he didn’t give credit where credit was due.

As he stepped out of the bathroom tucked away inside the playroom, he ran into Luca who’d been alone. Murray frowned. He should have been with Jaqueline, tending to her. The man raised his hand, as though reading Murray’s mind and grinned. “She said she wanted to shower as well. In your room. I certainly don’t believe you’d want me in there with her.” A devious grin stretched across his features. “Unless you don’t mind, then we could both join her.”

“Hell no, asshole,” Murray snapped. “Her grabbing a shower is a good thing. She needs to gather her thoughts.”

“I thought the same. Dinner will be served in thirty minutes.” Luca clicked his heels together and pivoted. “You’ll have no issue leaving here the way you came in. I’ll leave the door open.” As he started for the door, he paused and glanced over his shoulder. “She is amazing, isn’t she? Radiant even. The way her body hummed with power and excitement. She is temptation incarnate.”

She was. He’d felt it the minute she touched him. The way her hooded dark-brown eyes caressed every inch of his body. Or when her fingernails dragged across his skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in her wake. Added bonus? She didn’t even know what she did to him. The effect she had on Luca and him. She was so fucking innocent and sweet, it made the whole episode that much better.

Murray adjusted himself and took one last look around the room. What happened in there between Jaqueline and him, was special. It’d be something he’d never forget. He hoped though, in the future, he’d be able to make more memories with Jaqueline, if she’d give him a chance. Murray climbed the stairs out of the playroom and exited inside the library. After closing the door behind him, he made his way to the dining room, in hopes he’d get a moment to talk to Jaqueline alone.

Unfortunately, when he arrived, he’d been alone, but, no matter, she’d be there soon enough and then they’d talk.

Their timing sucked.The moment he got up the gumption to bring up the playroom, Thomas appeared at the mouth of the dining room and a few moments later, AJ followed. AJ joined him on the opposite side of the table, facing her, whatever she called Thomas. She appeared a little bit less stressed and a bit more at peace. The girl deserved it, especially with all the undo turmoil she'd put on herself. The girl took a lot onto her shoulders, hence why she reminded him of Hannah and himself. Hell, she was in the right place, yet, she needed to convince herself of that now, because the man across from her, even if he didn't say it, had the hots for her.

Murray glanced across the table at Jaqueline. Her cheeks were still rosy and lips were swollen. He’d kissed the fuck out of her, next time, he’d find out what those sweet lips of her felt like when they were wrapped around her dick. He muttered a curse to himself as his semi-hard cock thickened. He needed to keep his head on straight. Later he would explain what they were going to do. Now, they were supposed to be eating dinner together and having fun. Again, something he hadn't done in many years. Someone was missing from their festivities—Luca.

“Where’s Luca?” AJ asked, breaking the silence.

“In the kitchen,” Thomas said.

“Ah.” She nodded. She shifted in her chair to face Jaqueline. “How did your time with Luca go?”

“Fine.” Jaqueline gave a forced smile as the pink tinging her cheeks darkened. “We’re working on it.”

She cut her gaze to Murray. “That so?”

Murray nodded. “Sure. You?”

AJ shrugged. “It’s going. We’ll get there before the auction.”

“Yes, we will,” Thomas added, winking at her.

“This conversation is forced,” Jaqueline said in a huff. “It shouldn’t be this damn hard, should it?”

AJ laughed. “Not at all.”

“Dios mio! What the hell is wrong with me?” Jaqueline patted her cheeks. “I can do this.”

Thomas chuckled. "It's not easy fulfilling a role you're not accustomed to. It takes time and practice. Unfortunately, we don't have time to ease either of you into the lifestyle."

"Yeah, we're diving off the highest platform, headfirst, into shark-infested water." Jaqueline sighed. "If we don't accomplish our task for this mission, the outcoming has several possibilities, including all of us being killed."

"Wow." AJ sank into her chair. The reality of the situation snuck up on her. Which meant, things were going better than she let on unless she was holding herself back.Wouldn’t surprise me.

“We won’t fail,” Thomas said. “We’re all agents of some kind. Military, special forces, CIA, FBI, if we can’t finish this mission, we have no business calling ourselves professionals.”

“Fuckin’ eh,” Jaqueline said, sitting up a little straight.

Murray cocked a brow. “Feel better?”

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