“I’m sorry,” she said, over and over again against his chest, her sobs scraping like sandpaper against his soul. Not sure what else to do, Gage held her close and rocked slowly back and forth, murmuring soft words of comfort against her hair.
This had been a long time coming for her and he wanted her to get it all out. Lord knew there were plenty of times since the accident he’d felt like doing the same.
Finally, she sniffled and pushed back slightly away from him. “I’m sorry.”
He cupped her cheeks, brushing his thumbs over her damp cheeks. “First of all, please stop saying that. You have nothing to be sorry for. Secondly, I’m glad you got that out. It’s not good to keep things bottled up inside.”
This time, it was her turn to laugh. “Says the man who represses everything.”
Gage winced. “Touché.”
They chuckled together then watched each other a long moment, the air between them thickening.
Kylie pulled free at last and ran a hand over her damp hair. “I must look a mess.”
“Nah.” Gage couldn’t resist reaching out and trailing the back of his fingers down her flushed cheek. “You always look gorgeous to me.”
“I do?” Her blue eyes darkened, and her pupils dilated. Her gaze flickered to his lips then down to his bare chest. “You aren’t so bad yourself.”
Twining his fingers with hers and bringing them to his lips, he said, “This is probably a very bad idea.”
“Hmm.” She reached out to trace her hand from his collarbone, over his pec, down his abdomen to the top of the white towel around his waist. The feel of her gentle caress shot heat straight to his groin. “The worst idea ever.”
Gage lifted her hand to his face and kissed her palm, ignoring the warning bells clanging inside his head. For this one night, for this one moment, he just wanted to forget. Forget his past, forget the pressures of the future. Forget everything except this night, this woman. He leaned in to nuzzle her neck, loving the way her head fell back to expose more of her velvet skin to him as he licked and nipped and kissed his way down her throat to her shoulder, nudging the strap of her tank top aside. “Does that mean you want to stop?”
Time seemed to slow as he waited for her answer, knowing she should say yes but praying she’d say no.
Kylie slid her fingers through his hair, making him shudder against her as she laid back down on the bed, drawing him atop her. “Never. I want you, Gage.”
“I want you too, Kylie,” he whispered, slowly reaching up to cup her breast through the thin cotton of her top. Her nipple pebbled against his palm as he circled it slowly. “So, so much.”
In response, she wrapped her legs around his waist and ground herself against him, the heat of her nearly making him embarrass himself on the spot. They hadn’t really even done anything yet and already his cock was hard as a rock. He wouldn’t last two seconds once he finally got inside her unless he gained back some control.
He quickly dispensed with her tank top and PJ bottoms, leaving her in just her lace panties. His towel joined the rest of the pile of clothes on the floor, then he stretched out beside her once more. Gage couldn’t seem to stop touching her as he kissed his way down to her nipples, taking one into his mouth while toying with the other between his thumb and forefinger. She writhed beneath him, moaning and clutching his hair and driving him insane with need.
Finally, he licked a path down the centre of her abdomen, stopping to pay homage to her cute belly button, then traced the waistband of her panties with his tongue. The scent of her arousal drove his own passion higher and he glanced up at her from where he laid between her spread thighs.
“Okay?” he asked, his voice rough with wanting.
She nodded and he slowly drew her panties down her legs until they joined the other items on the floor, then he kissed his way back up the inside of her leg until he reached her slick folds. Heaven. This was pure heaven. She was so hot, so wet, so ready for him. She bucked hard, holding him to her, as he circled her most sensitive flesh while inserting first one, then two fingers inside her. All thoughts of the accident, the break-in, anything else vanished, leaving just this moment, this night, this woman.
All too soon, she groaned, her body tightening as she tumbled over the edge into ecstasy. Gage continued to nuzzle her until she finally floated back down to earth. Then he kissed his way back up her body, pausing to kiss her lips before reaching for the condoms he kept stored in his wallet, which he’d left on top of the nightstand. After putting one on, he positioned himself between Kylie’s legs once more then entered her in one long thrust. She pulled him down for an open-mouthed kiss, wrapping her legs around his waist again and urging him onward.
It was too much. It would never be enough. Over and over he withdrew almost to his tip before driving back into her wet heat, bringing them both closer to the brink. Then she arched and came again hard around him and he was lost. His balls tightened and he drove into her one last time before his world shattered into a million shards of iridescent pleasure.
Wave after wave of bliss pulled him under until at last, he slumped atop her, careful not to crush her beneath him, his head in the valley between her breasts and her fingers tracing lazy patterns in his hair. Tomorrow, there’d be plenty of time for questions and recriminations.
Tonight, there was only the two of them, sated and sleepy, and curled in each other arms.
10
The next morning, Kylie woke up and it took her a minute to remember where she was. Then the memories of the night before rushed back and her eyes widened as she stared at the ceiling. The other half of the bed was empty and the bedroom door was closed, meaning Gage must have gotten up with the twins already. Hazy sunshine filtered through the gauzy curtains covering the windows and she covered her eyes with her arm.
She’d done it. The very thing she’d promised herself not to do. She’d slept with Gage. And not just slept with him; she’d fallen hard for him. Ugh. She wasn’t the woman for him. He deserved someone whole and complete and able to give him a family of his own. Not her.
With a sigh she tossed back the covers and hurried naked across to the bathroom. A quick shower did little to remove the guilt she felt. Afterward she brushed her teeth and pulled her wet hair back into a slick ponytail at the nape of her neck, doing her best to figure out where to go from here. With her laptop gone, all she had was the twins to keep her busy.
The twins.
God. What the hell had she been thinking when she’d decided to try and adopt them? She wasn’t a fit mother. Christine had been right to give them to Gage. He was strong and smart and reliable and responsible. The only thing she’d done since coming here was play the victim. Not the kind of person to raise kids. Not at all.
I’m sorry, sis. So, so sorry.
Kylie pulled on clean jeans and a T-shirt, then sat down on the bed to put on her socks and sneakers. Well, today that stopped. Today, she’d take responsibility for herself and her actions. She’d find a place of her own. Contact the police and see if they’d located her missing computer. If they did, great. If not, she’d get a new one and start fresh. Luckily, she saved her contacts in the cloud so she could transfer them over from her phone.
Speaking of her phone…
The thing was vibrating like crazy on the nightstand and her hopes soared. Maybe it was the police. Maybe they’d found her stuff. Maybe things were looking up after all. Except as she unlocked the device and stared down at the missed calls listed on her screen, they were all from the same number. Huh. The police station maybe. She searched through the clothes she’d stuffed into her bag the night before for the card Detective Carlisle had given her, but nope. Didn’t match that number either.
Weird. But maybe it was another officer in the department. The other cops at Gage’s house last night had mentioned they’d have a team of investigators working on the case. Perhaps it was one of them. She hit redial and waited, listening to make sure Gage hadn’t come back in. He had
enough on his hands with the twins and getting the repairs made at his house today. He didn’t need to be worrying about her too. She could take care of herself. She’d been doing it a long time now.
“I wondered when you’d call back,” and unfamiliar male voice said through the phone line and her heart stumbled. No hello. No warmth in the tone at all. “I’ve got your computer.”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Her first instinct was to call Gage in here and let him know what was going on, but she couldn’t do that. This was her mess to clean up and she refused to bring any more danger to his doorstep. The best thing to do was try and get as much information from the thief as possible then relay it to the cops. Let them handle it.
“Give it back,” she said, praying her voice sounded steady even as her knees shook.
“Not yet. I want something from you first.”
Money. Had to be. She’d read the news stories about those Internet hackers who took possession of people’s files and didn’t give them back unless they paid a ransom. This must be a new variation on that. She didn’t have a huge amount in savings, but enough to keep her comfortable for a while. “How much?”
A sinister laugh sounded. “You couldn’t pay me enough, bitch. We need to discuss some things. Meet me at the diner on Park Grenada. Call me when you’re there.”
Discuss things? Okay. Not some file ransom scheme then. Her mind raced and the panic inside her rose to boiling point. What the hell was happening? She’d seen enough true crime shows to know the last thing you should do was allow the criminals to isolate you or move you to another location, but damn. Her whole life was on that laptop. Maybe if she could get the person who had her computer to meet her somewhere public, with lots of people around, she’d be safe. As soon as she got her stuff back, she’d call the cops. “Okay. I’ll be there.”
The line went dead and she blinked at the wall across from her, pulse pounding loud in her ears. Through the bedroom door she could hear the squeaks of the babies and Gage’s silly voice as he played with them and her chest squeezed with fear and tenderness.
Last night had been amazing, even if it had been a mistake.
Now, she’d just agreed to meet whoever had broken into his house the night before alone.
It was insane. It was wrong. But it was necessary just the same because she didn’t want to cause anymore disruption in Gage and the twins’ lives any more than she already had.
Squaring her shoulders, Kylie shoved her phone in her back pocket, grabbed a jacket and headed out into the brightly lit main room of their suite. Gage was sitting on the sofa, a baby in each arm and a bottle in each hand, looking like her every dream come to life. The lies taste bitter on her tongue but she said them anyway because she had no choice.
“Morning. I need to run over to the drug store across the way. Do you need anything?” She forced a smile she didn’t quite feel and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek before going to their kitchenette to pour herself a cup of coffee. “Baby supplies? Snacks?”
“No, we’re good,” he said, standing. “Everything okay?”
“Fine.” The concern in his eyes had her turning around to face the sink so he wouldn’t see the fear in her eyes. She’d taken plenty of self-defence courses in her day. A girl didn’t work internationally without knowing how to take care of herself. She could get herself out of a tight scrape if needed, but the way Gage threatened her heart could be the death of her yet. Then he came up behind her and leaned in to kiss the side of her neck and she damned near melted into a puddle of goo at his feet.
“You sure?” He whispered near her ear, making her shiver. “Last night was incredible.”
Kylie hung her head and squeezed her eyes shut. He was correct. Last night had been mind-blowing, but today harsh reality had returned. A reality she needed to face on her own. “Yes. I’m good. It’s all good.” She turned fast and collided with his bare, warm chest. Looked up into his curious gaze and couldn’t stop herself from kissing him long and deep. By the time she pulled away, they were both breathless and the twins were getting restless in his arms. “I won’t be long, I promise.”
“Sure you don’t want me to give you a ride? If you wait a minute, I’ll get dressed and—”
“No, it’s fine. The fresh air will do me good. See you soon.”
She took off out the door before he could say another word, leaving him staring after her. It was barely nine a.m. according to the clock in the hall and a Saturday, so the lobby was packed with people taking advantage of the hotel’s free continental breakfast bar. She managed to weave her way through the throng and slip through the automated front doors without a problem, being sure to pass right beneath the security camera mounted above the exit in case the police needed to track her time of departure later.
The drug store was across the parking lot and down about a quarter-mile from the hotel. The twenty-four-hour diner was just on the other side of it. The sun was out, but this early the air was still a bit chilled. Kylie hunkered down inside her jacket and walked fast toward her destination, checking her phone a couple of times along the way to make sure her mystery thief hadn’t called back.
Nothing.
When she reached the diner, she was glad to see the parking lot full of cars. More people meant more protection, hopefully. She took out her phone and hit redial.
“I’m here,” she said when the thief picked up. “Where are you?”
“Around back, near the dumpsters,” the man said. “You better be alone, bitch. I’ll know if you’re not and you won’t like my punishment.”
Fuck. She took a couple of deep breaths. Not ideal. She’d hoped to meet the guy inside where there’d be plenty of witnesses, not in some deserted alleyway. An image of Gage flashed in her mind again—so strong, so competent—and she almost called him, but stopped herself in the end. No. She could handle this. If he came, he’d have to bring the babies with them. She wasn’t going to be responsible for putting them in harm’s way.
Kylie exhaled slow and cracked her knuckles then slowly made her way down the side of the brick building, nodding to several patrons who passed her by on their way from their cars to the restaurant entrance. Okay. That made her feel better. She wasn’t alone here. People were close by. All she had to do was yell and they’d…
She rounded the corner and spotted a tall bruiser of a man leaning up against the dumpster. He straightened when he saw her and her stomach nosedived to her toes as her mind whirled. Holy shit. She knew this guy. Or at least, she recognized him. He’d worked as a bodyguard for the husband of her client in Tokyo. But what the hell was he doing here in California? And why would he take her laptop?
The man snapped his fingers and pointed to a spot in front of him. She bristled at being beckoned like a dog, but went anyway, given the thug had a good one-hundred-fifty pounds of solid muscle on her.
“What do you want?” she asked, beyond caring that her voice was shaking at this point. “Who are you?”
“Who I am doesn’t matter. I’m here on behalf of my boss and your former employer, Mr. Hirohito.” With each word, he took a step closer to her, steering her away from her escape route and toward the brick wall of the restaurant. Dammit. This was not going according to her plan at all.
Think, Kylie. Think.
“Why would Mr. Hirohito send you here?” she asked scanning the area as best she could. A large dumpster blocked one side and obscured them from view. On the other side was the thief. No. Not thief. Body guard. Shit. Just shit. “What’s going on here?”
“Where the footage?” he snarled close to her face.
“What footage?” Her mind raced through her time in the Hirohito household. The wife had seemed nice enough, if a little bit ditzy. She’d gone along with all of Kylie’s plans and cost hadn’t been an issue. The one time she’d met the husband, he’d seemed a bit…off. Not in a weird way, in a “he’s hiding something way”. At the time, Kylie had brushed it aside as a difference in culture
, but now… Was Mr. Hirohito involved in criminal activities? They were rich beyond belief and the details had been sketchy as to exactly how he’d made his billions. Not that it was any of her business. Normally, Kylie gave her clients as much privacy as possible—it was a necessity in her line of business, with a clientele that insisted on discretion. But perhaps she needed to dig a bit deeper here, especially if it would keep her alive until she could find away to get help. “What’s Mr. Hirohito involved in?”
“You know damned well what he’s involved in. You caught it all on camera, didn’t you? Said you were taking pictures for your work and shit, but you were there spying on him. You with the feds?”
“Uh.” The rough brick felt cold against her palms and she scrabbled for the right answer. This guy thought she’d captured some kind of illegal footage on her phone in Tokyo. She’d heard rumours about Mr. Hirohito’s shady business dealings but didn’t pay much attention. Until now. With her sister’s death and things with Gage and the twins, she’d not had time to go back through and delete any of the photos or video she’d taken from Japan. That would be good for the real feds, if she got out of this alive.
Shit. Shit, shit. Shit.
Bluff. She needed to bluff until she could come up with an escape plan. “Yes, I am with the feds. And my back-up is on the way. Unless you want to spend the rest of your life in prison, you better let me go. And return that laptop. It’s federal property.”
The thug narrowed his gaze on her, as if considering his options. Then a siren sounded in the distance and he cursed under his breath. “Tell me where that footage is or you’ll regret it.”
“If you turn yourself in now, they might give you a lighter sentence,” she managed to get out before his hand clamped tight around her neck, pinning her to the wall. From the corner of her eye, she saw a metallic flash and her already rapid pulse skyrocketed. Her mind whirled and flashes of scenes from all those stupid cop shows she liked to watch at night filled her head. “You don’t want to do that. Murder of a federal officer means life in prison without parole,” she said, pulling that out of nowhere in her adrenaline-fueled terror. “Let me go.”
Guarding His Unexpected Twins: SEAL Endgame Book Three Page 8
