Programmed To Please (The Tau Cetus Chronicles) by Jenna Ives Read Free Book Online Page A

Marque Callex come?
    So now Jai sat in the hard wooden chair in her Beautiful Dolls boudoir room, dressed in her sheer sarong and starbust contact lenses, and stared at the readout on the wall.
    12:27. Three minutes until the appointed time.
    If Marque Callex failed to show, she would be rid of this onerous assignment. The fate of the world would no longer rest on her shoulders. That would be a relief, right? She should be praying he wouldn’t come.
    After all, there was only the merest chance this plan could succeed. Why on earth would one of the planet’s most powerful men confide his secrets to a machine, anyway?
    This may be our best chance of getting to Callex, Rainey had insisted. Build a relationship with him, gain his trust.
    Damn. Jai had purposely held back during sex with Marque yesterday, wanting to keep her moans of pleasure to use as a trump card once they’d gotten to know each other a bit. To convince Callex he was so skilled a lover he could make even a machine feel pleasure. Now that would certainly create a powerful bond between them!
    But maybe it had been a mistake to remain silent. Maybe she’d blown her only opportunity to ensure his continuing interest in her. Maybe this mission would fail because of her gamble.
    She bit her lip, and her eyes strayed again to the wall. 12:35.
    Marque Callex obviously wasn’t coming.
    Jai blew out a breath, but she wasn’t sure if it was relief or regret. She would never see Marque Callex again. An image of him, naked, appeared unbidden before her eyes. His cool grey eyes blazing with hot passion as he looked at her. The dramatic contrast of black hair against his white skin. The long, lithe body that spoke of hours spent working out in a gym.
    The amazing sex they’d shared.
    It had been amazing, hadn’t it? He’d said so himself. So then why had he run out without a word?
    Jai swallowed. How long should she remain in this chair? Probably until Wyatt came to tell her they were sure Marque Callex wouldn’t show. Maybe the arms dealer had finally called?
    She drummed her fingers on the armrest. Odd. She was more nervous today than even yesterday. Where was Wyatt? What the hell was the holdup? Hadn’t all their research shown that Callex ran his life by the clock?
    It was over now. He definitely wasn’t coming. The time read 12:40.
    Screw this. She was halfway out of her chair when she heard the noise. Or, rather, a commotion in the outer reception area.
    She sat back down with a thump, her knees suddenly weak. Was she wrong? Had Callex come after all? Her heart rate sped up; her breath came in short pants. She mentally grasped for her yoga mantra. I am relaxed. I am…relaxed. I…am…relaxed.
    Positioning herself as motionless as possible on the chair, she closed her eyes. And waited.
    Not for long. The door opened and shut. Rushed footsteps crossed the floor.
    “Hello, J.”
    She slowly opened her eyes and looked up, then wished she hadn’t. Marque Callex stood before her, but he was obviously in a foul mood. His mouth was set in a hard line, and his grey eyes were stormy. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his shoulders seemed even broader than yesterday. Menacing, somehow.
    “Hello, Marque,” she answered, with as much calm as she could muster. 
    “Stand up.”
    She stood slowly.
    “Now strip.”
    Her brain scrambled for something to deflate his obvious temper. “Would you like to talk for a minute first?”
    “I want you to take off that thing you’re wearing. Strip.”
    Completely gone was the gentle, curious tone of yesterday. Dread settled in Jai’s stomach, but she obediently reached up to undo the knot at the back of her neck. She let the garment slip to the floor, and stood naked before him. Marque quickly divested himself of his jacket, tie and shirt.
    Naked to the waist, he took the briefest moment to look her over, and Jai was relieved to see his eyes lose some of their hard edge. He reached out with his right hand and began to