Page 9 of Vex (Dragon Brides #12)

"What the everloving fuck was that about?" Luisa demanded, wrenching her arm out of his the moment they were safe behind the door to their bedroom.

It didn't feel safe at all. The massive bed dominated the space like a promise, reminding him of the night spent so close to her and yet an entire chasm of a bed apart.

The memory of it crashed over him. Hours of lying perfectly still, listening to her breathing, fighting every instinct that screamed at him to roll over and pull her into his arms.

The scent of her hair on the pillow beside his.

The way she'd curled into a tight ball on the far edge of the mattress, as if she could somehow make herself small enough to disappear entirely.

He'd wanted to reach for her, to smooth the tension from her shoulders and whisper reassurances until she relaxed against him.

Vex didn't cuddle.

He didn't do entanglements or emotional complications that interfered with duty. His life was structured around service to the crown, around maintaining the careful balance of power that kept Vemion stable and prosperous. He didn’t get to want.

"Your datapad alarm went off. It seemed urgent." To his own ears, his voice sounded cold. Forbidding.

Her sneer cut right through it all. "I was on the job and—" She plucked the pad up and pursed her lips. "Did you read the warning?"

"I did."

She sighed. "Fine. You're right. It was warranted. I thought this might happen. I should have said before I left."

A partner who could admit when she was wrong. Not the worst thing ever.

Vex wouldn't gloat. He wasn't a fool.

The possessive display he'd just performed in the spa should have embarrassed him.

It was only partially in character. Lord Vex of Vemion did not make public scenes over women, did not let emotion override careful political calculation.

His reputation was built on control, on the kind of icy restraint that made him valuable to his uncle and dangerous to his enemies.

But there had been something deeply satisfying about staking his claim so thoroughly, about making it clear to everyone watching that Luisa belonged to him.

The way she'd looked up at him, startled and flushed, had sent heat spiraling through him. And Maera Daxkar had watched with sharp interest. That could be useful. But Vex hadn’t given a damn when he saw that necklace hanging around Luisa’s neck. His gift. His mark.

He had to get her out of his head. Or into his bed. That might sate the curiosity that was still growing.

No. She was already in his bed, in a fashion. Any closer and …

Well, best not to think about it.

"No one's in Maera's rooms," Luisa said. "She's in the spa, obviously, and she has treatments scheduled for the next two hours. Now's our chance to get a look at whatever files she doesn't have networked."

"What about her attendant?"

She typed something on her datapad. "He's about to get a message about a dire issue concerning Maera's laundry. It will give us an opening. You up for some breaking and entering?"

She looked eager, but he hesitated. "You should let me do this. It could be dangerous."

She bristled. Her chin lifted stubbornly, her dark eyes flashing with irritation. "I can do my job."

He didn't like this. It was sudden and felt a bit reckless.

And … fun.

This job wasn't supposed to be fun. But Vex felt a smile tugging at the side of his lips. "You're right. Let's go."

Maera's suite was two floors down from theirs. They didn't encounter anyone on the way there.

Luisa held her arm out to stop him before they turned the final corner. "Wait." She held up her datapad and pressed a button.

A minute later, a frazzled looking attendant rushed out the door and down the hall.

Vex hadn't realized the attendants were capable of that much emotion.

"I managed to hack into the laundry system and make the machines malfunction. They'll catch it quickly, and a simple reboot will fix everything. Any more and I might have gotten caught. But I'd guess we have a half hour."

They reached Maera's door, and Luisa pulled out a device as small as her palm. Her fingers moved across its surface, and within seconds, the lock disengaged with a soft click.

The room beyond was luxurious but noticeably smaller than their penthouse suite, all cream silk designed to impress without overwhelming. It fit the socially conscious socialite mask that she wore.

Crystal figurines lined the windowsill, catching the afternoon light. A sitting area dominated one corner, while the bedroom was visible through an archway draped with gossamer curtains.

"She'll keep her info somewhere.” Luisa muttered it mostly to herself.

She had certainly fixated on this woman. "What makes you so certain she's our target?"

For some reason, Luisa stiffened at that.

"I'm not," she said. "But the data doesn't lie. If she's not selling IDA data, then she's selling something. A legitimate philanthropist wouldn't be spending her time in this den of ne'er do wells."

A good point.

Vex moved to the sitting area and began a methodical search of the delicate furnishings.

Most of what he found was exactly what he'd expected from a wealthy socialite: expensive trinkets, formal correspondence, receipts from luxury vendors across the galaxy.

Then, tucked into the drawer of an ornate writing desk, he discovered something more interesting.

Papers detailing a charity Maera ran for orphan girls on Aetis.

The documentation was thorough, professional, and painted a picture of a woman genuinely committed to helping the most vulnerable members of society.

The contradiction bothered him. Either Maera Daxkar was exactly what she appeared to be, or she was very, very good at being bad.

From across the room, Luisa let out a triumphant sound.

She was peeling back a panel that looked like decorative molding, but which apparently concealed a compact computer terminal.

Her hacking equipment emerged from her bag like magic, delicate tools that she connected with the precision of a surgeon.

He didn’t ask her what she was doing. It was clear enough.

Her brows furrowed in concentration, and she bit her lip in a way that made Vex think forbidden thoughts.

She typed on her tiny keyboard and cursed under her breath until she finally let out a soft sound of triumph that went straight to his cock.

He couldn’t think about her soft sounds.

She looked up at him with a smile. "Come on," she said as she unplugged one last cord. "We need to get out of here."

They slipped from the room as quietly as they'd entered, Luisa's equipment concealed again.

In the hallway, Vex's hearing caught the soft whisper of footsteps approaching from around the corner.

He didn't let himself think or hesitate.

Vex backed Luisa against the wall and covered her mouth with his. She tasted like mint and sugar, sweet and intoxicating in a way that obliterated every rational thought. Her lips were soft beneath his, yielding in a way that sent fire racing through his veins.

It was supposed to be tactical necessity, but it became something far more dangerous the moment their mouths met.

She melted against him like she'd been waiting for this, her body fitting perfectly against his chest. Her hands came up to rest on his shoulders, fingers curling into the expensive fabric of his jacket as if she needed the anchor.

Without conscious thought, he hiked her leg up against his hip, pressing her more firmly against the wall.

His cock was hard and insistent, straining against the confines of his perfectly tailored pants.

He wanted to take her right there in the hallway, to slide his hands under that silk dress and discover if she was as warm and wet as he imagined.

This was madness. It was everything he shouldn't want and couldn't resist, a claiming that felt as natural as breathing.

He pulled back and could smell the smoke coming off of his skin. This woman made him lose control in ways he hadn't known were possible.

Whoever had been walking down the hallway was long gone.

Luisa was looking at him wide eyed. "That's one way to maintain our cover."

He didn't respond.

He was too busy telling himself he couldn't kiss her again.