Page 5 of My Special Ops Neighbor (Neighborhood Hotties #4)

T he federal investigators left Vincent's house just after noon, taking with them copies of every file Yvette had compiled on RareCore. Agent Kiri Bates, the lead investigator with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense manner, had been blunt about the timeline.

"We need thirty-six hours minimum to arrange secure federal protection," she'd said. "RareCore's executives are already lawyering up, which means they know we're coming. They'll escalate efforts to silence their key witness."

Standing at the kitchen window, Yvette watched Vincent inspect the perimeter of his property for the third time since the agents left. He moved with the same focused intensity whether he was teaching her self-defense or checking sight lines for potential threats.

Her phone buzzed with a text from her supervisor: This is going to be a long fight. Stay safe.

"Bad news?" Vincent asked, appearing behind her silently enough to make her jump.

"James thinks this could drag on for months." She turned to face him, noting the tension in his shoulders. "We're really stuck here, aren't we?"

"For now." He studied her face. "You holding up okay?"

The concern in his voice made her chest tight. "I keep thinking about what almost happened last night. If you hadn't been there..."

"But I was there." He stepped closer, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. "And I'm not going anywhere."

The simple touch sent tingles racing through her. "Show me how your security system works."

"Yvette—"

"I need to understand how this place keeps us safe. I need to do more than just hide behind you." She caught his hand, lacing their fingers together. "Please."

He studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "Downstairs."

The basement command center took her breath away. Multiple monitors displayed camera feeds from around the property, while sophisticated control panels managed what looked like military-grade security systems.

"Motion sensors, infrared cameras, pressure plates on all the approaches," he explained, moving to stand behind her as she studied the displays. "If anyone gets within a hundred yards of this house, I'll know about it."

His proximity made it hard to concentrate on the technical details. She could feel the heat from his body, catch the scent of his soap mixed with that distinctly masculine smell that made her toes curl.

"This is impressive," she managed, leaning forward to examine the control interface. "The integration is seamless."

"You understand security architecture?"

"I understand systems. Data protection uses the same principles." She traced connections between different subsystems on the main monitor, very aware of how close he was standing. "This perimeter coverage has a gap though."

"What?" He leaned over her shoulder to see what she was pointing at, his chest pressing against her back.

"Here." Her voice came out breathier than intended. "The motion detectors overlap, but there's a timing issue. Someone could slip through during the sensor sweep cycle."

Vincent's hands braced on either side of her against the console, effectively caging her in. "Show me."

Yvette's fingers moved over the keyboard, but half her attention was focused on the way his breath stirred her hair, how his arms bracketed her body. "If we offset the north perimeter sensors by two seconds..."

She executed the change and watched the coverage map update. The gap disappeared.

"Test it," he said.

After running the diagnostic, she turned in the circle of his arms to face him. "Fixed."

"You just made my defensive position stronger in thirty minutes than I managed in two years." His gaze burned into hers. "You're incredible."

"It's just pattern recognition—"

"It's exactly what we need." His hands moved to her waist. "Watching you work, seeing how your mind processes these systems... it's the sexiest thing I've ever seen."

The compliment sent desire racing through her veins. "Is that what I am? Sexy?”

His gaze dropped to her mouth. "You're everything I didn't know I was missing."

When he kissed her, it was with the hungry intensity of a man who'd been holding back too long. His mouth moved against hers, his hands tangling in her hair as she pulled him closer.

"I've wanted this since the moment I saw you," he murmured against her lips. "Wanted you."

"Then have me," she said, surprised by her own boldness.

His answering growl was purely male satisfaction. He lifted her onto the control console, stepping between her thighs as his mouth found the sensitive spot below her ear.

"You're so responsive," he breathed against her throat. "I can feel your heart racing."

Her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, pulling him closer until she could feel the hard length of him pressed against her core. The contact made them both groan, and she rocked against him experimentally, loving the way his breath hitched.

"That's what you do to me," she said. "You make me feel things I didn't know I could feel."

"What do you feel?"

"Like I'm burning from the inside out." Her hands roamed over his body. "Like I need you more than I need air."

When he pushed her shirt up, his movements were reverent. "I want to taste every inch of you," he said, his hands spanning her ribcage. "Learn what makes you come apart."

His mouth replaced his hands, trailing kisses along her ribs while his fingers worked at the clasp of her bra. When the fabric fell away, he groaned deep in his throat.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "So damn beautiful."

When his mouth closed over her nipple, she couldn't suppress the cry that escaped. The sensation shot straight to her core, making her arch against him. His tongue circled and flicked while his hand cupped her other breast, thumb brushing over the peak until she was trembling with need.

"Please," she moaned.

"Please what?" His voice was thick with desire as he switched his attention to her other breast. "Tell me what you need."

"I need you to touch me." The words came out bold in a way she'd never been with anyone else. "I need to feel your hands on me."

His answering growl sent shivers through her. His hands moved to the waistband of her yoga pants. "Lift up for me."

She obeyed without hesitation, and he stripped away her pants and underwear in one smooth motion, leaving her completely bare. The cool air raised goosebumps on her exposed skin, but his hungry gaze made her feel beautiful and wanted.

"Perfect," he breathed, his hands skimming over her thighs. "You're absolutely perfect."

When his fingers traced up her inner thigh, she shivered with anticipation. He was taking his time, exploring every inch of newly revealed area with touches that made her shiver.

"Vincent, please," she said.

"I know, sweetheart. I've got you." His thumb brushed over her center, and they both groaned at the contact. "God, you're so wet for me already."

The first touch of his fingers against her most sensitive flesh made her gasp and arch against the console. He started with light, teasing strokes that had her trembling. When he found her clit and circled it with perfect pressure, she cried out his name.

"That's it," he murmured. "Let me hear you. Let me know how good this feels."

He worked her with skilled fingers, building the tension inside her like a coiled spring. When he slipped one finger inside her, then two, stretching her deliciously, she thought she might come apart.

"You feel incredible," he said against her throat. "So tight, so perfect. I can feel you getting close."

His thumb found her clit while his fingers moved in a rhythm that made her see stars. The dual stimulation pushed her right to the edge.

"Come for me," he commanded. "I want to feel you fall apart in my hands."

The combination of his words and the perfect pressure sent her over the edge with shocking intensity. Her climax crashed over her in waves, pleasure so intense it bordered on painful. She cried out his name, her body arching as he worked her through every aftershock.

"Beautiful," he murmured, pressing soft kisses to her neck as she came down from the high. "Absolutely beautiful."

When she finally caught her breath, she looked up at him with eyes heavy with satisfaction and renewed hunger. "My turn."

"Baby, you don't have to—"

"I want to." She slid off the console, her legs unsteady but determined. "I want to taste you."

Her hands went to his belt, and her gave a low moan as she worked at the buckle. When she freed him from his jeans, he was hard and ready, and the sight made her mouth water.

"Fuck," he groaned when she wrapped her hand around him. "That feels incredible."

She stroked him slowly at first, learning what made him gasp. When she leaned forward and took him into her mouth, the sound he made was pure male pleasure.

"Yvette, Christ..." His voice was strained. "Your mouth is perfect."

She worked him with lips and tongue, taking him deeper while her hand stroked what she couldn't fit. His responses guided her—the way his breathing hitched, the way his hips jerked when she took him deep.

"I'm not going to last," he warned. "If you keep doing that..."

She looked up at him with wicked eyes and redoubled her efforts, wanting to give him the same shattering pleasure he'd given her. When his climax hit, she felt the power of it in every tense muscle, heard it in the broken way he called her name.

Afterward, they held each other close. Vincent's hands stroked her hair as she cuddled next to him.

"That was..." he started, then seemed to lose the words.

"Incredible," she finished, pressing a soft kiss to his chest.

She could feel him stirring against her hip already, could see the renewed hunger in his eyes when she looked up at him. "I want all of you," she said. "I want to feel you inside me."

His eyes blazed with desire as he lifted her back onto the console, positioning himself between her thighs. "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything."

Just as he was about to join with her, the gentle chime of a perimeter alert broke through their intimate cocoon.

"Motion sensor," he said, immediately alert. "Single vehicle."

She scrambled to fix her clothing while he brought up camera feeds. One black sedan was slowly circling the property, its occupants clearly studying the security setup through tinted windows.

"RareCore?" she asked, her heart pounding for entirely different reasons now.

"Probably. It’s a surveillance team, that’s for certain." His voice was grim as the vehicle completed another circuit. "They're mapping our defenses, looking for weaknesses."

"What do we do?"

"We let them look for now. Any aggressive response just gives them information." He turned to her, conflict clear in his expression. "But this changes everything. They know exactly where we are."

"How long do we have?"

"Hours, maybe less." He activated additional security monitoring. "This is reconnaissance before action."

As the sedan completed one final circuit and disappeared, Yvette realized their sanctuary had become a trap. The intimate moment they'd shared suddenly felt like stolen time, precious because it might be their last chance for tenderness.

"We need to call Agent Bates," Vincent said, reaching for the phone.

She watched him report the surveillance, noting the frustration in his voice. When he ended the call, his jaw was tight.

"Let me guess," she said. "Still forty-eight hours for protective custody."

"At least." Vincent turned back to the security monitors. "Which means we prepare for the real assault."

Yvette stared at the empty monitors, adrenaline still coursing through her system. Ten minutes ago she'd been losing herself in Vincent's touch, and now armed killers were circling like sharks.

"How is this my life?" she muttered.

Vincent glanced at her, catching the note of hysteria in her voice. "Hey."

"I work in spreadsheets and databases. I don't do car chases and surveillance teams and..." She gestured vaguely at the security monitors. "This."

"You're doing fine."

"Fine?" She laughed, the sound sharp with stress. "I just had the best sex of my life interrupted by people who want to kill me. That's not fine, Vincent. That's insane."

He moved closer, his hand touching her face gently. "The sex part was pretty incredible though."

Despite everything, she felt her mouth curve upward. "You would focus on that."

"I'm a simple man." His thumb brushed across her lower lip. "And we're not finished."

Pleasure flared through her, even as sirens wailed in the distance—probably unrelated, but every sound now felt like a threat. She was losing her mind, and he was the only thing keeping her grounded.