The Mercenary's Bond

Office Hours

I led him out into the thick of the crowd, stopping right in the middle of the pulsating dance floor. Throwing my arms over his shoulders, I started swaying to the heavy beat, letting my hips press flush against his. It didn't take long before we were making out—heated, hungry kisses that had him pressing closer and closer.

Every time I ground my hips back against him, I could feel just how rock-hard he was through his jeans. Rolling my shoulders back, I leaned up and gently nipped his earlobe with my teeth.

Jasper's hands suddenly tightened around my hips, and he pulled me sharply back against the hard length of his body.

I sucked in a breath, glancing down between us before slowly looking back up at him. "Is that your—"

I deliberately let the sentence die unfinished.

Jasper's eyes widened slightly as if he'd just realized how aggressively he'd grabbed me. "Sorry. I was getting a little carried away."

I leaned closer, letting my lips brush the shell of his ear. "That's hot," I whispered.

That single line threw him right over the edge. His hands dropped lower, squeezing my ass tight and yanking me hard against his front again.

"How about I show you my office?" he rasped, his voice rough and thick.

"Depends on how big your desk is," I teased with a playful pout.

Jasper reached down, took my hand, and pressed my palm flat over the solid, throbbing bulge in his pants. "It's big."

I let out a soft, genuine moan at the heat radiating through his denim. He captured my mouth in one more hard kiss before grabbing my wrist and pulling me through the dancing crowd.

I let him lead me toward the back exit, my mercenary brain instantly shifting gears. I'd memorized the blueprints of this clubhouse days ago—I knew there was only one main executive office down this corridor. Now, I just had to pray the intel about the cabinet location was accurate.

As we rounded the corner into the quiet, dimly lit hallway, Jasper looked back over his shoulder at me. "So... why offices?"

I giggled softly, biting my lower lip as I kept pace. "I like when I'm thrown on the desk and punished like a naughty secretary."

We reached a heavy mahogany door with a sharp metal sign reading DO NOT ENTER. As Jasper unlocked it and pushed it open, he shook his head with a rough laugh. "That is so fcking hot."

"That is a big desk," I said, putting enough breathy awe in my voice to keep his attention squarely on me as I subtly reached down between my breasts, slipping the cap off the tiny vial of Kayo powder concealed in my top.

Before I could take another step, Jasper grabbed my waist, lifted me up against the wall, and captured my lips in a deep, hungry kiss. His mouth was scorching, slick, and possessive, carrying a rough, aggressive heat that sent a jolt straight down to my core. Honestly? Under any other circumstances, I would have been totally into this—he was drop-dead gorgeous, smelled like cedar and dark rain, and pressed me into the wood with a mouth that knew exactly what it was doing. If I weren't on the clock, I would've happily let him tear my clothes off right here on the desk. But business always came first.

I leaned back to give him full access as he trailed hot kisses down my neck and lifted me a little higher, burying his face right between my breasts.

I held his head there for a second like I was totally into it, letting him inhale deep.

The invisible, odorless powder instantly went to work. Within seconds, his body went completely limp, his grip slacking entirely.

"Whoa—!"

His sudden, dead weight almost took me straight down to the floor with him. I slid down the wall, catching my footing just in time as his heavy body slumped onto the plush carpet with a dull thud.

I blew out a long, quiet breath and adjusted my top, smoothing down my jeans and straightening my hair. "Sleep tight, sweet cheeks."

I paused for a second, glancing down at his broad chest rising and falling in deep, drugged breaths. The Kayo powder was strong enough to keep a normal man unconscious for hours, but Jasper was a massive, physically powerful bastard who was clearly in excellent shape. I couldn't count on the drug keeping him down for long. That meant my clock was officially ticking.

Stepping over his unconscious legs, I strode straight past the desk and knelt down in front of the locked metal cabinet, pulling my lockpicks from my pocket. It was time to find that black folder and see what Mayor Isaac was so eager to hide.

The adrenaline kicked in, sharpening my focus as I reached up to feel the mechanism. I slid my tension wrench and picks into the small brass lock, working the tumbler with practiced, quiet speed.

Click. Click. Clack.

The heavy lock gave way, and the cabinet door swung open with a faint creak.

I pulled open the top drawer, my eyes scanning the thick stack of files inside.

"Sht," I muttered out loud.