Agent M4: Riordan by Joni Hahn Read Free Book Online

body into complete chaos.
    How the hell he’d managed a hard-on when he wanted to punch something went beyond his comprehension.
    Damn Mitchell.
    “What are you doing here, Meeks? I thought house calls went by the wayside decades ago.” He tossed his jacket and helmet on the desk beside her.
    She jumped, her feet dropping to the floor with a loud thud.
    “Riordan.” She whipped around to face him. “I didn’t hear you come in. I’m working.”
    “On what?” Walking over to her, he knew what he’d find.
    Swallowing hard, she stared at him with round, guilty eyes before she lifted her chin and gave him a determined gaze. “I’m reading your file.”
    With one hand on the desk and the other on the back of her chair, he leaned over her shoulder. She caught her breath. His cheek sat just inches from hers, her sweet, womanly scent turning him the hell on.
    Dammit, she’d read a quarter of the way through already.
    “You two just think you can do whatever you want with my information. I wanted to review that file before anyone else saw it. Mitchell knew that.”
    She set down the ice cream carton on the desk. “I wasn’t privy to that conversation but I do know I requested access and he granted it – for tonight only.”
    He splayed his hand over the screen. “What if I don’t want you to read it?”
    Her laser-sharp gaze seared him. “You don’t have a choice.”
    Wrong.
    Snatching the tablet from her lap, he held it at his side, fury bubbling inside him to Curie point. “I told you, I’ll never be in a position without choices again. No one, I mean no one , will control me, or my life. Do you hear me, Meeks?” Breathing hard, he glared at her.
    Rising from the chair, she clutched his free hand. Instant calm infused him, warmth spreading up his arm and into his chest. The contours of her hand seemed magnified in his new grip, her soft, velvet-like flesh enhanced a hundred-fold.
    “Whoa, wait a minute…” Her wide, hazel eyes searched his. “If you’re that opposed to me reading that file, I won’t do it. But, you and I both want the same thing: for you to be the best damned agent the D.I.R.E. Agency has ever seen. Studying history and arming you with everything we can, will make you stronger.”
    She reached up and tucked a damp strand of hair behind his ear, surprising him. “I know you prefer to work independently. I get it. But, I want to help, if you’ll let me.”
    Natalie Meeks wanted him to be the best damned agent D.I.R.E. had ever seen? Something in that declaration filled him with pride, uplifting him.
    Now, he wanted to do it for her, not for himself or as some payment to Mitchell for his hands. He wanted to show her he could be the best. That her investment had paid off.
    His mind told him to back away slowly. The only person he could depend on in this world was himself. Yet, her mesmerizing hazel eyes drew him in like a magnet, pulling him into her confidence. Could he risk it?
    She blew out a breath and dropped his hand. “Dammit, Riordan. I’m trying to help you here. I’m not the enemy.”
    Thank God she wasn’t his enemy. Outside of her professional wardrobe, Natalie Meeks was downright dangerous. Dressed in jeans that outlined her perfect curves and a lace top that showed a hint of cleavage, Natalie Meeks could defeat him in any battle by simply showing up.
    Falling in love with someone like her would be all-consuming. She’d control him through no force of her own, only his damned need for her. He couldn’t allow his attraction to get out of hand.
    But, he did want to be the best damned agent D.I.R.E. had ever seen.
    A sudden grin split his face. “Did you just… curse ?”
    Her parted lips blossomed into a smile that made his heart pound. “There’s more where that came from. Trust me.”
    Sobering, he held up the tablet. “Meeks, there are things in this file that-”
    She stopped his speech with a squeeze of his hand. “After all we’ve discussed so far, do you