PART 12

Riley Matthews had a highly commendable reputation. She joined the Air Force as soon as she turned eighteen and entered the FBI Academy at Quantico when she was only twenty-two, and had become one of its youngest graduates. Since then, she'd put in three years for the Bureau. She worked hard, with a passion that superseded anything he'd seen in their line of work. She was still the youngest field agent working for the Bureau, yet she'd gained experience some of her older colleagues hadn't come close to achieving. She was even offered a permanent position with the CIA that she turned down which disappointed Thor, the main reason he had steered clear of her from then on.

She is intelligent, unpredictable, uninhibited-and as gorgeous as the next top model. Versed in martial arts and weapons, she'd be a formidable foe. Thor had no intention of getting tangled with her.

He'd managed to stay out of her sights until their meeting couple of days ago. He was a man who'd been to hell and back and didn't easily let down his guard. But, seeing Riley again, he wanted nothing but to get close to her. He hadn't expected it to happen, found it damned inconvenient.

Even now, he was still surprised with his reaction to seeing her. He didn't believe in love, but something really unfortunate and extraordinary was happening to him. He'd faced weapons buyers and sellers, drug dealers, terrorists who were some of the most heartless bastards on the planet. But something about Riley caused a meltdown somewhere around his heart.

"Sorry we're late." she prompted.

"It's fine," he stammered.

"Thor?" she said, his name sounding lazily silken on her tongue.

Thor caught another glimpse of the man standing beside Riley. He's standing way too close to her. Thor tried to calm his anger. It wouldn't help. "The cover?"

"No, the boyfriend," Lucas corrected Thor, as if he needed the other man to make the distinction. As if he needed her to know he needed to make the distinction.

Yup. Thor heard the steel that threaded through the man's voice. "You sure?" Thor smiled back with the same tight, controlled smile.

Lucas' shoulder stiffened. "And you're supposed to be what exactly?"

"That would be none of your business," Thor told him in a clipped voice.

Riley stepped in. "That's enough." She leaned into Lucas, putting pressure on his arm.

Thor smirked. "Right," addressing Riley, "how's the other story?"

"It's fine. Today's my fourth day," she couldn't hide her annoyance towards Thor. What has gotten into him? She's never seen him like this. He's always so reserved and in control.

Thor shoved a piece of white paper in her direction. Riley grabbed the paper and read it. It was just a name written on it - Fudo Miyagi.

"He'll be here tomorrow. He's staying at the Manila Peninsula. There's a party on Friday that he'll be attending, rumours has it that he likes sexy, gorgeous women," his gaze returned to her face.

Lucas' brow arched in question, "You are not suggesting what I think you're suggesting are you?"

Thor's deep green eyes held Riley's for a long, considering moment. "Why not?"

"I don't think so." Lucas said.

"She needs to do this," Thor said between gritted teeth.

Riley glanced at Lucas anxiously. "And I will do this."

Both men looked at her. One with the look of admiration and the other with irritation. Both unsettling her.

Thor rubbed at his temple. Riley was irresistible, with her determined charm and her beautiful face that could drop-kick a man into the next time zone.

"Riley, I have to take care of some details but I should be back by Friday."

She held his gaze, "Thanks Thor, I got this. Don't hurry back on my account."

He said nothing as he stood up. "Wouldn't think of it" Thor said then left.

…..

Riley was angry with Lucas.

What was wrong with him? He shouldn't be aggravating Thor like that. It was the end of a frustrating evening, and she marched through the front door. She glanced up at him, his expression unreadable.

She stood there in silence, her heart beating faster, her hormones revving too high, and her brain tripping up over itself.

"Would you like something to drink? Beer?" he offered.

Her brow furrowed. "I don't think so."

He gave a vigorous nod.

Riley took a step back. "Seriously Lucas, what were you thinking provoking him like that?"

"I don't like the guy," Lucas admitted.

She stiffened. "Excuse me?"

He took a step closer, then another, and another. His eyes went dark. She stilled, unable to breathe. Her chest went tight. Her heart worked overtime to pump her thickening blood. And she found herself gazing up at him, feeling the pinprick of longing flow over her heating skin.

Lucas' features tightened. "He was looking at you as though he'd devour you any moment."

"That's insane!"

"You can't be that naive. The man is totally into you."

Riley gasped with outrage and shock. Her jaw dropped, her eyes grew wide. And then she snapped her jaw closed and came out swinging. "Sorry Lucas, but I'm afraid I don't see it that way. Thor is a respected colleague."

He didn't bother arguing. Time would prove her right or wrong more readily than anything he could say. Suddenly intensely curious, Lucas said, "You must have had a lover before..."

He watched, fascinated, as a wave of color stormed her cheeks. "What has that got to do with Thor? And that," she choked out, tendrils of hair falling around her face, "is none of your business."

"No," he muttered, "but this is." He closed the distance between them with one aggressive step. He loomed over her, so tall, so big, so much more powerful, and it wasn't even his height that made him strong or his frame but the force inside him, that fire. And then his lips took hers.

She groaned as he parted her mouth with his tongue, groaned again as his tongue flicked the inside of her inner bottom lip, tasting her, teasing her, making her want more of him.

This wasn't a kiss, she realized, dazed. This was his way of saying that he shouldn't be ignored. He was claiming her, marking his territory, letting her know to stay away from Thor because she's already committed to him.

Lucas ended the kiss. Studying her profile, he found it hard to believe she was as inexperienced with men as she claimed. How could she be when she was so ridiculously beautiful?

He looked at her thoughtfully, almost cynically, trying to understand what it was about her that made him want to protect and hide her. Riley was a breathtaking combination of girl and woman, funny, sensitive, proud, smart and tough. Unlike the other women he'd been with before, she didn't project her sexuality. It was hidden, secret, and yet when he kissed her, she became a different woman.

She became his woman. If only it was as simple as that.

Riley moved away from Lucas and kept her eyes firmly fixed on him. "Try not to annoy Thor the next time you see him. I wouldn't want to see you dead."

"I'm going to bed now and suggest that you do the same if you want to be ready for your first day of training." She went to her room before she had to listen to another word.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Trust me when I say it'll only get better from here. Please leave your comment and review. Till next time ✌