Layers Deep by Lacey Silks Read Free Book Online

going to work for me, I need you rested. You may
as well get used to the perks the company can offer.”
    “But...”
    “No buts. The
only thing I ask of you is that you come to my office as soon as
you return from your trip.”
    “Friday
morning?”
    “Yes. We can
get the paperwork out of the way before the weekend.”
    Cross really
wanted me to work for him. Could I tell him about Wright? Not yet.
Not before I spoke with my mom. Perhaps this was a good idea.
Allowing him a bit of control by taking him up on his offer to fly
to South Carolina would show him this job was important to me too.
After all, work was all about trust, and if you couldn’t rely on
your closest ally, then what was the point of doing your best
work?
    Yet, my father
was still dead, killed at the hand of his best friend, a
trustworthy chief of police.
    “Stand up,” he
ordered.
    I sprang up at
his command, acutely aware of how easily he controlled my body with
his deep voice. He strolled to the mats in the corner and beckoned
with his index finger for me to come along. The sexual gesture
uncoiled my hormones. The dimple in his chin sunk in deeper. Cross
flung four mattresses out onto the floor, setting up a squared
area. He stepped up on the surface and spread his legs apart.
    “Hit me.”
    I could have
sworn I’d heard a slight growl in his voice.
    “What?”
    “It’s not a
request. If you want me to consider you for the job, you need to
pin me to the floor.”
    “You just want
me on top of you.” I crossed my arms at my front.
    “Actually, I
want you under me, and I won’t have it any other way.” He
grinned.
    The next few
moves were deliberate, and Cross cheated. He didn’t use any karate,
which forced me to match his onslaught of street fighting with a
mix of kickboxing and jujitsu. My mother had ensured I could
protect myself as soon as we moved. The training came in handy when
I did my physical at the academy. A black belt in three different
fields was nothing to scoff at.
    But Cross
could hold his own just as well, and even if his moves weren’t
professional and clean cut, he was well trained. It took a few
blocks and swift ducks before I realized his training went beyond
what a normal person would expect as well. And if it wasn’t for his
pure strength, I would have had him. After a few kicks, twists, and
flips, I was down on the mat and he was straddling my hips,
smirking from above. His hands spread my arms over my head,
gripping my wrists. His broad shoulders overwhelmed me and the
smell of him was intoxicating. A funny feeling moved in my belly.
How much I wished life could be simpler: one where my agenda to use
Cross would only involve a primitive sexual relationship, and
perhaps a friend whom I could trust enough to disclose my deepest
secrets.
    His lips
pursed and his head turned to the side slightly. I could tell he
was trying to read my expression. I wondered what he saw: the woman
who put up a shield and handled everything on her own, or the one
who for once wanted to be swept off her feet? At that moment, I
wanted to be the second one, who had no worries or problems, whose
only decision for the man sitting on top of her would be whether to
open her lips as a sign of how deeply she wanted him to kiss
her.
    I let my
muscles fall limp as he lowered his body to mine. He let go of my
arms, resting his palms at the sides of my shoulders. His sweat
mixed with the Old Spice filled me. The front of his shirt stuck to
his chest, outlining the taut muscles beneath. He slowly lowered,
saying, “If you can’t get me on my shoulders, I’ll just have to
qualify you on different merits.”
    I could feel
his breath on my face. His lips were so close, so luscious and
inviting. And instead of opening my mouth for him, I used the
moment of distraction to my advantage. I slid my hands up his arms,
squeezing his biceps provocatively, working my fingers into his
flesh. His face lowered, his hips lifted off me, giving me the
space I