Beneath the Fallen City, Jamie A. Waters [ebook reader .TXT] 📗

face as he stepped back, his expression now wary.

“Where the hell do you get off meddling in my affairs? You had no right to pay off Leo to keep me above ground.”

Cruncher’s eyes widened at her declaration. His jaw dropped, and he gaped at Carl. “Oh shit, Boss. You didn’t, did you?”

Carl gingerly rubbed his jaw but kept his expression neutral except for a slight tightening around his eyes. “If you’d like to discuss this, Kayla, maybe we could do so privately in my office?”

“Fine,” she snarled and stormed off down the hall toward his office.

“That woman packs a hell of a punch,” Carl muttered behind her.

Still fuming, she leaned against his desk and crossed her arms over her chest. She glared at Carl when he entered and closed the door, calmly engaging the privacy fields behind him. Kayla wasn’t sure if she should be impressed with his cool façade or kick him in the shins to get more of a reaction out of him. She shouldn’t be the only one who was having a shitty day.

“I’m sure I probably deserved the punch back there, but I’m hoping you’ll give me a chance to explain.”

He took her stony silence as consent and began. “I contacted Leo out of concern for your welfare and suggested you take a few days off to fully recover. He said he couldn’t afford to have one of his best scavengers lying around for a few days. I simply offered to cover the costs associated with that.”

“Bullshit,” she accused, pushing away from the desk. “Leo said you were going to cut into future trades if he didn’t agree.”

“Ahhh, well, yes, I might have indicated something to that effect.” He gave her a sheepish look and held out his hands in a placating gesture. “Leo, as well as yourself, can be difficult sometimes. You’re both stubborn, and I had to be a little firm with my request.”

Kayla put her hands on her hips. “You have absolutely no right to make any such requests. Call it off. Now.”

Now it was Carl’s turn to be stubborn. “Forget it. I view you as a potential asset and a pain in my ass. Either way, it benefits me exponentially to have you above ground for the next several days. If you come to work for me, I need you healthy. If you decide not to join me, a few days out of the ruins will only help my bottom line.”

“You’re nothing but a scum-sucking, OmniLab bootlicker who couldn’t hack it in the pits. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you control whether or not I go underground.”

“Watch it, Kayla,” Carl warned, his eyes hardening. “You can only throw insults at me for so long before you cross the line.”

Kayla moved to stand directly in front of him, challenging him with her eyes. “You don’t intimidate me, Carl. You may have your crew and the rest of the ruin rats wrapped around your little finger, but I won’t be one of them.”

Carl held her gaze for a long moment. Suddenly, he grabbed her and yanked her to him. He lowered his head to hers, almost punishing her with his lips. His kiss wasn’t gentle but was entirely consuming.

If this was what it felt like to be plundered, she would gladly surrender. His tongue invaded her mouth, questing and demanding a response. Kayla whimpered, and her body melted against his. Unable to resist him, she returned his kiss with equal fervor.

She vaguely registered his hands moving to unzip her jacket and tug it off. When he began kissing and teasing the sensitive areas of her neck and shoulder, she could barely think beyond the sensations she was feeling.

Kayla purred in his ear and nipped at his neck as he lifted her and put her on the edge of the desk. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him close to her. Her fingers worked their way down his muscular chest and up under his shirt to touch his bare skin.

Carl groaned in response. Pressing his lips against her throat, he inhaled deeply and murmured her name as his lips reclaimed her mouth. “You’re driving me crazy.”

His words brought her back to reality. Kayla broke the kiss and stared up at him. “What the hell am I doing? I’m a complete idiot.” She pushed him away. “Okay, stop. If you keep putting your hands on me and kissing me, I’m going to forget why I came here.”

“From my point of view, that wouldn’t be a bad thing,” he said huskily and pulled her closer to nuzzle her neck.

Kayla shook her head, trying to clear it, and pushed him away firmly this time. “Get back. I can’t think straight when you’re close. You’re too damn pretty.” She slipped off the desk and out of his grasp.

Carl stared at her and then burst into laughter. “Pretty? I don’t think I’ve ever been called that before. I’m not sure men qualify as pretty.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not seeing yourself from where I’m standing.” She shoved her hands in her pockets and took another step away from him. If she stayed any closer, she’d be all over him again.

“And you’re absolutely breathtaking.”

Her stomach fluttered as he gazed at her, desire clearly etched on his face. Her eyes widened. “Oh man, V’s gonna kill me. A freaking OmniLab trader. What the hell am I thinking? I’m beyond stupid. I’ve gotta get out of here.” She grabbed her jacket and headed for the door.

Carl caught her hand and stopped her. “Kayla, wait. What will it take to get you to join my crew?”

She turned to peer up at him. “I’m not joining your crew, Carl. What happened just now has nothing to do with your offer.”

His mouth twisted into a teasing grin. “Should I scan for another listening device?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Oh, like you wouldn’t suspect that. Give me some credit, will you? I was just returning the favor. But no, I’m not joining your crew. It’s not that part of me isn’t tempted. But this life? For me? Not in a million years.”

“Why not?”

Something in his voice made her pause, and she turned to study him. He seemed to be sincere in not understanding why she would reject his offer. “Do you really not get it? You’re an OmniLab trader. From what I’ve seen, all you traders seem to do is try to run our lives. We’re constantly held under your thumb and have to tiptoe around you. If we piss off the great trader, we’re screwed. Our lives mean nothing to you. I mean, look at what you did earlier today. You threatened Leo, took away my freedom, and split up my team. Now you think I should join you? So I can give you and OmniLab more control over me?”

Carl blew out a long breath and released her hand. “I see.” He lowered his gaze for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck. When he looked up, she saw the frustration and disappointment in his eyes. It wasn’t what she expected from a trader, and she wasn’t sure what to think about it.

“It’s obvious you have some pretty strong feelings about the matter. But not all traders are the same, Kayla. I’m not sure what you’ve been told or what you’ve experienced, but each of us has different styles. I try to guide my crew, but I wouldn’t say I control them. I trust them and rely on them.”

It was a nice story, but everything she’d experienced led her to believe otherwise. Kayla knew firsthand how cruel and manipulative traders could be in their dealings with ruin rats. Even though he seemed to be more trustworthy than others, it might be a ploy to manipulate her further. She wasn’t willing to take that leap of faith.

“I find that hard to believe. Your actions earlier were classic trader. Do you handle all your crew members the way you handled me? Do you decide you know best and order them around?”

Carl sighed. “No, I don’t. But then again, most of my team is much more sensible and cautious than you seem to be. From everything I’ve seen over the past several months and from what I’ve heard, you consistently push the limits. You’re talented, Kayla. You’re probably the best scavenger I’ve ever seen, but you’re also the most reckless.” When she didn’t reply, he took a step toward her. “I don’t want to control you. I respect your talent. I just don’t want to see your potential go to waste either from recklessness or an idiot like Leo who doesn’t know how to utilize your skills.”

Kayla glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “Leo may have napped on the wrong side of the ion shield a few too many times, but he doesn’t try to control me. He may yell, scream, and threaten, but up until today, he’s always let me go my own way. You changed that, and it pissed me off.”

She wasn’t sure what Carl saw in her expression, but his eyes softened. He was silent for a long moment as though choosing his next words carefully.

“You’re right. I admit it wasn’t the best approach. I didn’t understand how important your independence is to you.”

His admission surprised her. Just when she was convinced he would react in a certain way, he would do or say something unexpected. She bit her lip, unsure how to handle this situation. The man kept throwing her off balance. The intense chemistry between them didn’t help matters either.

As though sensing her turmoil, he took her hand in his again. “Kayla, I want you on my crew. I’ll try to give you the freedom you seem to want. I can offer you things and opportunities you’d never experience as a ruin rat. If you decide this isn’t the life for you, you can always leave. You have nothing to lose.”

Kayla shook her head and pulled her hand away. It was too much—his touch, him, the whole OmniLab trader thing. “I can’t. Look, I appreciate the offer, but I won’t ever join a trader’s crew.”