Free SLEEPER (Crossfire Series) by Gennita Low Page A

“You go, babe. I’ll make sure you get your tip tonight.” He turned back to Llallana. “Of course, if she goes, you’ll have to take her place.”
    When he’d seen her from afar that first time, he’d sensed something different about her. She’d impressed him with her alertness and, especially, the bold way she’d warned off danger.
    “I don’t take the place of anyone,” she said, leaning closer.
    Although he hadn’t recognized her in the photos in the GEM file, he’d gotten an impression of a woman who knew what she wanted. Now meeting Llallana Noretski up close, her vibrancy hit him like a wave. The careless way she tossed her head back as if nothing in the world bothered her. The challenging attitude, the boldness in her eyes, the small smile that was both mocking and amused.
    He was intrigued by the package she presented. Maybe he was intrigued because he knew more about her than she thought, or maybe she presented it because she needed his cooperation. Either way, he wanted to know whether it was just a façade. What was the real woman like inside?
    “I want to talk to you, not shout out every sentence. Can we go to a table?” Lily asked as she motioned toward the tables.
    Reed shook his head no. He had to wait for T’s go-ahead signal that everything was A-OK before he could start talking. It was easy to find distractions in a place like this, so everyone had agreed to let him play it by ear.
    He liked the way she felt in his arms. The music was a little slower than the song before, with a heady, melodic beat that was sensually inviting. She didn’t know the steps to the tango, but the way she subtly swayed against him was sexy, like a woman who had secrets to tell. He deliberately pulled her closer, then, inserting one leg between hers, he dipped her. He suspected in real life the woman didn’t like being kept off-balance, literally or figuratively, yet she allowed him to hold her that way for a few beats, her dark eyes flashing challengingly as she looked up at him. As he slowly straightened back up, he slid his hand from her neck down to her upper back, taking away her support and thus not allowing her to get out of position.
    It was a move most professional dancers used to show the mastery of one partner over the other, as the male controlled the female’s upper body. In a choreographed dance, the woman could use her arms and legs to express her emotions. She could curl one limb around her man’s leg to show a rebellious streak. She could hold onto the partner’s shoulders or lapels to signify a need for him. Or she could totally relax her entire body, flinging her arms out trustingly, and allow her master to do what he would.
    Because it was a dancer’s move, he expected Llallana to grab him out of instinct, like most people who didn’t expect the falling sensation would. Instead, she did all three—she took the leg that he’d trapped between his and curled it around one of them, her knee sliding up dangerously close to his balls, while at the same time she grabbed the opening of his light jacket with one hand and pulled hard enough that he had to bend lower or cause the both of them to fall down. Through it all she relaxed her entire body so that her back arched up to meet him, demonstrating amazing upper body strength on her part.
    Totally intriguing.
    He found himself staring down at the smooth silky expanse of skin that sloped into gentle mounds. He could see her nipples through the dark, tight material. They were hard and erect, barely covered, and he had the sudden urge to bite on the top and pull it down to reveal them for his eyes.
    “Drop me and my knee won’t miss your family jewels,” Llallana said sweetly.
    Suddenly Amber’s laughter pierced through his focus on her. “That’s Lily all right,” she said, her voice coming so clear through the hidden listening device that he was sure her friend could hear her. “Oh, by the way, R.C., don’t forget she’s skilled in