Chavez_Jagged Edge Series, Alpha-male, Romance Read online

  “Like I said, not necessary.” My words must have finally soaked in because he pulled his door closed and started the engine.

  Before I could get to the front door of the building, I heard the window go down. “Can’t wait, Gabrielle,” he yelled behind me.

  Rolling my eyes, I turned and opened the door without saying another word. I wasn’t sure what he thought was going to be on the agenda for Friday, but it definitely wasn’t going to be me. Knowing how hot he was, I needed to keep my head clear and focus only on this operation and nothing else. I had no time for a relationship of any kind. Being offered to head this assignment was the best thing that had happened to me, and I wasn’t about to ruin it by getting involved with Chavez. I worked my ass off at Quantico to get my field assignment. There were only a handful of us that passed the intense training and were assigned to an FBI field office. Those that didn’t make it could either reapply for another round of training or, if they were lucky, get hired at another government agency.

  Heading inside the building, I gave a quick wave to Melvin, who was the doorman for the night shift. Of all the doormen, I had to say, he was my favorite. Other than Melvin, the only other staff members working at this hour were a couple of clerks behind the check-in counter, and a few security guards. It was probably why he had chosen this shift. Given the hour and the lack of guests milling around, catching an elevator was fast.

  As I watched the numbers increase on the LED screen, hearing the soft beat of ‘MacArthur Park’ coming over the speakers, I couldn’t get my mind off of Chavez, Mr. Mike Chavez, to be precise. I needed to wrap my head around what it was about him that consumed my mind. Ever since he dropped me off, he was all I was thinking about. No man had ever gotten to me that way. There was something about him that was like a magnetic pull. I wasn’t even interested in a man before him. My handy bedside friend took care of all my needs. Shaking my head, thinking I was going to go crazy, I decided the best thing to rest my mind was doing a little investigating on Mike Chavez.

  Heading down the hall towards my apartment, I remembered something that I needed to do before I got too deep into all that was Chavez. It was too late to do anything at this hour, but it wasn’t too late to set a reminder on my phone to order flowers for my mother and father’s grave. Tomorrow was going to be their twenty-seventh wedding anniversary. It was something I kept going for my mom’s sake. Every year on this date, she had placed flowers on my father’s grave and wished him a happy anniversary. Before she died, I promised her I would do this until I was no longer able.

  Not only was my head beginning to hurt, my feet ached too. Even though it was one o’clock in the morning, my body felt like it needed to be embraced with white fluffy bubbles. Kicking my heels off and letting my little piggies breathe, I headed to the bedroom that my mom and dad once occupied. Looking around the room, I began stripping off my clothes, remembering back to when this room was an ugly shade of orange and brown. As much as I wanted to keep the place the same, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. So, when the owner of the hotel offered to have the apartment renovated to my liking, I couldn’t pass it up. The renovation made it a happy place with light colors throughout. The bedroom was no longer burnt orange and brown, but a nice yellow and beige color that had brightened the room in so many ways. It was actually a joy to sleep in, and with the electric blinds that were installed, I could sleep during the middle of the day and still think it was nighttime. With the crazy hours that I had been working, I gave the renovators a thumb up to install them when they offered, compliments of the owner, of course.

  Stepping into the massive walk-in closet, I hung up my suit and then proceeded to remove the rest of my clothes. Opening the door to the bathroom, I stared down at the jetted tub and knew it was calling my name. As the tub filled with water, I poured my favorite lavender scented bubbles under the hot stream of water. Grabbing a hair tie from one of the drawers, I pulled my hair up into a messy bun while taking a good look at myself in the mirror. Rubbing my face, I could see that this day had taken a toll on me. My eyes looked tired and I could see dark circles beginning to form beneath the makeup I had applied earlier.

  Not even a good facial would be able to revive this face. What I needed was sleep and plenty of it, which I knew wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Dipping my foot in the large tub, heaven was already entering my body. Completely engulfed in the bubbles that I knew would take me away, I leaned my head against the side of the tub and let the scent of lavender clear my mind. Taking a bubble bath had to have been the greatest thing created. I could kiss the woman who thought it up, although I’m pretty sure it was Charles something or another. Leave it to a man to invent something that every living woman would love.

  As I almost coasted to Neverland, it was time I left this heaven and got to bed, before I ended up drowning myself. I could only imagine what the headlines would read: “Top FBI agent found dead in a pool of bubbles.” Having a little laugh, I pushed from the tub and pushed down the lever to let the water drain.

  Wearing my favorite PJ’s, I rolled down the comforter on my king-sized bed and crawled under the cover. I thought for sure the minute my head hit the pillow, I would be out, but just like every other night, I ended up staring at the ceiling, going over the events of the day. Needing a little assistance in relaxing, I pulled open my nightstand drawer and invited Mr. Sensational to entice me into a deep sleep. Turning the base of the vibrator to make sure I still had full power, I felt the vibration with my hand as I glided it up and down the shaft. Satisfied that it would meet my expectations, I slipped Mr. Sensational between my lips and lubricated it from top to bottom with my saliva until it was thoroughly coated. It would have been a lot better to use my sensual lubricant to assist Mr. Sensational, but unfortunately, I ran out if it last week and hadn’t had the time to get more.

  Gliding the lubricated vibrator between my folds, I increased the stimulation by turning the power to high. This was my favorite setting, especially if I wanted to get off quickly. Rubbing it slowly back and forth across my clit before dipping it inside, my body was already on its way to relaxing as the stimulation of the vibration inside me began to take hold. I wasn’t sure why, but as I closed my eyes and concentrated on the movement, the only person I saw was Chavez. The more I thought about feeling him inside me, the closer I came to my explosion. It was like he was giving me the satisfaction I needed. Thinking about how it would feel to have his month on my nipple, I brought my free hand to my lips and coated my index finger before moving to my breasts. Making circular movements around my taut bud, the feel of the vibrator and the sensitivity of my nipple sent me over the edge as my orgasm came full force.

  When I was finally able to settle, I removed the vibrator from inside me and dropped it to the floor. “How could the imaginary presence of a man have such an effect on me?” I said to myself, reeling in complete bliss.

  ~****~

  It was amazing how a little bedtime snack could lull a woman right to sleep. If it hadn’t been for the knocking on my door, I might have been able to sleep for another hour. Uncovering my body, I cursed when I stepped on Mr. Sensational as I tried to get to the front door. I knew I should have washed him right away instead of leaving him on the floor. Picking up my trusty sex partner, I threw it on the bed and grabbed my robe that was hanging just inside the walk-in closet. As I cinched the belt, I yelled towards the door, “Hold on, I’m coming.”

  All I could think about was who would be pounding on my door this early in the morning. Getting to the door, unable to contain my anger, I swung it open without looking through the peephole to see who was on the other side. I must have been a sight, based on the way Chavez was looking at me from the hallway. I could have wiped that grin right off his face with one healthy punch, but he was standing at the front door holding a brown bag and a crate holding two medium-sized coffees.

  Taking the items from him, I used my hip and pushed the door closed in front of him and his gorgeou
s body. I thought it was a pretty genius move on my part until the door came open a short time after. I guess I should have taken the time to lock the door. Looking over my shoulder, I asked, “What the hell are you doing here, anyway? Don’t you have somewhere else you need to be at this hour?”

  “No. Not really. I thought you might like a nice pick-me-up after last night. Besides, you left your car at Riley’s, so I thought I would give you a ride before you went to work.”

  “You know there is such a thing as taxis in New York,” I countered.

  “Yeah, I know. I just thought this would be more convenient for you, instead of waiting for one.”

  He did have a point, but what he didn’t know was that the hotel offered free shuttle service as well, not that I would ever use it. Placing the items on the counter, I turned to the fridge to grab my favorite creamer. Just as I closed the fridge door and turned, Chavez was standing right in front of me. His body was so close to mine, I could feel my pert nipples press against his hard chest. There was something about the way he felt against me that made me feel like I couldn’t move. Nor did I want to. Humbled by the awkwardness, the only word that escaped my mouth was, “Coffee.”

  Chavez moved to the side to allow me to pass so that I could get to the counter, which seemed miles away even though it was only a matter of feet. Keeping my head low to hide my embarrassment, I reached for my coffee, popped the lid, and poured a generous amount of creamer in the cup. Making sure it was mixed well with the stir stick, I brought it to my lips, keeping my eye on Chavez as he salivated at the mouth, and took a healthy sip. I might have gone a little overboard with the ‘Mmm’s and Ahh’s,’ but I couldn’t help but give him a little taste of what he did to me just a few moments ago.

  “If you keep going like that, you may find yourself late for work,” he grinned, grabbing his coffee and taking a sip.

  “Not today, Tiger, nor any other day.” As much as my body was screaming, “Take me,” my mind had a whole different agenda. I needed to stay focused, especially today. Pushing from the counter, I walked to my room. “I trust you can find your way out,” I said loudly.

  “What about the ride to your car?” he shouted back.

  “Covered,” I replied, shutting the door before he could respond. Thank heavens that I wouldn’t be dealing with him today.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Chavez

  Man, oh man, was that sexy woman a little spitfire. When she wanted something, there was no way of telling her anything different. Gabrielle Jackson was going to be a handful, but man, was it going to be fun to tame her. Heading to the elevator, I pulled my cell from my back pocket and dialed the shop. I needed to let Peter know that I was going to make a quick stop before heading in.

  When Gabrielle began explaining to me the how’s and why’s of how she came to live at the Excelsior, it just didn’t sit well with me. Normally, the liability insurance that these hotels carry more than covers the expense of any unforeseen accidents like the one she stated had happened to her father. I can’t believe that the hotel would give the family a luxury apartment on the 15th floor for something that seemed to be clearly an accident.

  Heading back to my place, I decided to use the software that Jagged Edge used to find out information on anyone of interest, even those who didn’t particularly want to be found. Since I was a computer/mechanical whiz, Peter thought that it was necessary to provide me with state-of-the-art intelligence software, which was available to me 24/7. I knew if I accessed the software it wouldn’t take long to find the information I needed on Gabrielle’s father, and find out what actually happened to him.

  As much as I loved the city, I preferred to keep my sanity by staying away from the hustle and bustle that the city life carried. A man has to have some sort of solitude once and awhile, and mine was my little casa on the outskirts of New York City. It wasn’t much, but I took pride in what I built with my own hands, and it suited me fine. My three-bedroom, two-bath mansion, as I called it, was more than anything I had growing up. My folks arrived in the United States from Puerto Rico not long before I was born. They had a very hard life and worked hard. Working in the fields from early morning until dark wasn’t the way I would ever want to live. Everything they had was saved and later used for my education. I worked my ass off in school, taking accelerated classes and ultimately ending up with two years of college under my belt, before enlisting and finishing out the remainder of my education.

  My parents never got to see me graduate, but I knew they were proud of me. Shortly after finishing my tour in Iraq, I received a call stating that both my parents had been killed. I never knew the whole story about what really happened to them, but from what I understood, Homeland Security got wind that they were in the States illegally, and they tried to flee the States back to Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it. I will never forget the day my commanding officer told me that I was needed back in the States and that they had died. For so long I hated the States and what it stood for, until I went through their things and found that they filled out the necessary documents to become citizens of the United States, but never submitted them.

  Getting to my house in record time, I turned off the engine and headed inside. Living out in the country had its perks, but coming home to an empty house was not one of them. Disarming the alarm, I headed to my office and booted up my computer. Making myself comfortable, I began searching the archives on any accidents that were reported at the Excelsior Hotel. Coming up short, I plugged in the last name of Jackson and cross referenced it with the hotel. There was nothing except information about her mom being a resident there and dying in the apartment that she owned. Gabrielle’s mom’s name was Rosalee and it seems she had jumped from the balcony of the apartment she owned. There was no information on her dad or even that he ever existed, which I found rather strange since he worked there for many years. Shutting down my computer, I finished my search. Coming up short, I knew I needed to get to the shop.

  As I pulled away from my house, I tried to redirect my thoughts on the operation. We were supposed to go over the plans and somehow figure out a way to get into the Gateway facility. I knew the guys had concerns, just as I did. If the FBI couldn’t figure out how to get inside, I wasn’t sure how they thought Jagged Edge Security could do any better. Sure, we all had some sort of expertise that could be beneficial to the operation, but to actually hack into the system was going to take some doing.

  Pulling up to the shop, I could see that most of the guys were already there. As I walked up to the shop door, I thought about letting Peter and the guys know about what I had found out, but decided that this was personal and I would need to find out more before I brought them into it.

  Grabbing a cup of coffee before heading into the conference room, I met up with Ash, who was topping off his cup.

  “Hey, Bro,” he said, while adding four sugar packets to his coffee.

  “Hey, Ash,” I addressed him as I began doctoring my own coffee, “looks like everyone is here.”

  “Yeah. So, what happened to you last night? Cop was going to introduce you to a really nice girl he knew. He even admitted that if it hadn’t been for Sabrina, he may have dated her himself.”

  “My loss,” I chuckled. “Do you remember the agent from the meeting yesterday, Gabrielle Jackson?” I waited for a reply before I continued. “She showed up last night at Riley’s.”

  “No shit. How the hell did I not see her?” Ash replied.

  “I don’t know. Anyway, some guy was trying to pick her up and she looked like she could use some help, and being the gentleman that I am, I stepped in.”

  “Chavez, you may be many things, but a gentleman is not one of them,” Ash chuckled.

  “Hey, I take offense to that. I can be a gentleman if need be,” I replied before giving him a friendly slap on the back.

  With Ash in front of me, we headed to the conference room where all of the guys were already seated. Taking my place next to Sly, I set my
cup on the table, leaned back in my chair, and rested my left ankle on my right knee, making myself comfortable. Peter was at the head of the room scribbling something on the whiteboard. It looked to be an outline, breaking down the steps that were going to take place in the plan that Gabrielle had come up with.

  Peter cleared his throat to get our attention. “All right, guys, let’s get started. We have a lot to go over and I want to make sure we are all prepared for Agent Jackson tomorrow.”

  Speaking up before any of the other guys, I asked, “What do you think about all of this, Peter? I just don’t see how it will be possible to get inside Gateway, even if I am able to hack their system.”

  “I was up late last night after leaving Riley’s, trying to figure out that same thing. So, here is what I came up with. We are going to need to create a fake profile to get inside, which means that one of you, for the time being, will need to be a wanted criminal. If what Gabrielle said is true and Gateway is more than a rehabilitation center, then it shouldn’t be too hard to get in,” Peter responded.

  “And who do you have in mind to go inside?” Ash questioned.

  “The only way we are going to be able to get a closer look at the security system is to have someone who knows what he is doing. The only person I could think of is Chavez.”