Jigsaw (Black Raven Book 2) by Stella Barcelona Read Free Book Online

what he looked like, because her mind played the cruel trick of never forgetting anything about him.
    Time hadn’t diminished his smoldering good looks, or the gravity in his jet black eyes, set off by high cheekbones, thick eyelashes, and dark brows. His gaze had an intensity borne of constant, carefully measured thoughts he typically left unspoken.
    There’s no way out of this. Requesting Zeus’s removal from the job will mean Zeus will know why. He probably would’ve figured it out even if the request came from Samuel, but now he’ll have no doubt that the request came from me. He’ll know how much he got to me. Gets to me. Oh hell. He does not get to me. That happened seven years ago, remember?
    A neat evening shadow accented the hard set of his jawline and hollow cheekbones. Some men wore that style facial hair as a fashion statement. He was the kind of guy the others were emulating. Ribbing on the sleeves on his black polo shirt stretched over muscular biceps. Black pants were pulled taut over his muscular thighs. A gun was holstered at his hips, on a low-slung belt that carried extra ammunition clips and a stun gun.
    Flanking him were four men, dressed exactly as Zeus, almost as tall, all muscle bound, and all looking serious. Testosterone came off them in waves. If there hadn’t been variations in hair, eye color, and skin tone, she’d have sworn Black Raven was a clone factory. Each agent carried a black bulletproof vest. The two marshals who had been on duty in the hallway stood to the side, their navy-blue blazers and gray dress slacks seeming ordinary in comparison to the blatant show of brawn and power the Black Raven agents displayed.
    “Are you and your team ready?”
    “No. The plan was Black Raven would arrive at 11:15, even though we’d prefer to do the move in the morning.”
    Without heels, looking Zeus in the eyes required her to tilt her chin up, and that action brought flashes of fragmented, dormant memories—lips parting for a kiss, his powerful arms reaching around her while her body yearned for his, gentleness becoming heated, frenzied desire, his rugged body covering hers, their limbs tangled together, a palette of contrasting skin tones in soft candlelight, his tawny, hers ivory. Samantha gave herself an inward, mental shake, immediately irritated that these visions remained in her memory bank. Outwardly, she did nothing but blink, breathe, and square her shoulders.
    He had a world-series-worthy poker face, and he wore it now. Although she’d once glimpsed that he was a man of deep feelings and great passion, he typically showed the world only what he chose to reveal—that he was tough, powerful, capable, and smart. Decisive.
    Damn him and his decisiveness .
    She wished that Zeus had declined the job. He was a mercenary, though. By definition, he was a man who could be bought, and God knew her grandfather had enough money to buy people. That’s why Zeus was there, darkening the doorway of her hotel room. She wished it were a trait that made her dislike him, yet she understood ambition of any kind, even ambition fueled by economic desire.
    She had enough other reasons to dislike him.
    She only needed one, actually.
    “We left a message. Plan changed.” Zeus glanced at the two agents to his right and almost imperceptibly flicked his head. They walked into the room, and set the vests they were carrying on the couch as Lorenzo pushed the cart out of the room. One agent stood with his back to the far corner, his eyes crawling over every inch. The other went to the windows and shut the drapes.
    Samantha had a business phone and two personal phones. One of her personal phones was used solely for phone conversations with her boyfriend, U.S. Senator Justin McDougall. She hadn’t touched either personal phone in two hours. She’d been too busy focusing on work and in particular the nightly briefing memo. When she focused, she had tunnel vision. Anyone involved in ITT work needing to reach