Todd got a slight nod from Jason before saying, “This is strictly confidential, but Marlowe has worked with Steele before. Not in person, but behind the scenes. I think he has a soft spot for our military service or something. I don’t really know.”
Maybe being a movie hero wasn’t enough. The man might want to feel like a real-life hero too. “I don’t want to put anyone else in danger.”
“We don’t need him to show up,” Todd said. “We just need his PR machine to promote the story so Megan will see it if she’s monitoring the news or your social media profiles.”
Her head spun. Would someone like Brandon Marlowe—she had trouble thinking of him as just Brandon—actually be willing to do that for her? Well, for Jason. She put up her palms with a nervous laugh. “It’s worth a shot.” It wasn’t like she had a better idea.
By eight o’clock that night, the “leak” of Marlowe’s private calendar from a “close friend of the actor” had raced like wildfire through the entertainment websites and seemed poised to be picked up by the larger networks and papers for their soft news segments overnight.
If anything, their plan was too successful. Lindsey’s parents and Todd’s mother had been bombarded with calls from reporters eager for the scoop on them both.
Normally, an actor having lunch with a couple of fans wouldn’t garner widespread interest, but Lindsey and Todd had already made the local reports in Montana and their hometowns. Combine that with Brandon Marlowe’s mastery at keeping a low profile, and the media was desperate for the story.
That the man was willing to forgo his hard-won privacy to help out made Todd a fan for life. He hadn’t been sure Marlowe would agree to the plan, but as in the past, he’d been enthusiastic. It was too bad they wouldn’t actually meet the actor, because Todd would like to thank him in person for his support over the last few years.
He and Lindsey were back at Todd’s house with a couple of Steele’s guys providing overwatch outside. Megan might be in California, but he wasn’t taking any chances. The police hadn’t found any fingerprints or camera footage that tied the vandalism back to her. She’d already gotten someone to play her decoy once. It wasn’t a stretch to imagine someone else might’ve left the note on Lindsey’s door.
Lindsey sank onto the couch with a mug of hot tea. “It didn’t occur to me that our parents would be flooded with calls from reporters.” She sighed. “This whole thing has been a nightmare roller coaster for them.”
“I know.” He grimaced as he sat in the plush recliner beside the sofa, determined to keep his distance. “I expected a few mentions in the entertainment segments, but nothing this big. Must be a slow news week.”
The articles speculated over why the actor wanted to meet Todd and Lindsey, some theorizing that they could help him with an as-yet-unannounced role. The official line from Brandon’s manager was that the actor was “inspired by the couple’s recent ordeal and Mr. Brennan’s military service.”
“When he heard they were fans of the Sinzian Empire series, he decided to reach out,” the woman was quoted as saying. Never mind how the actor had learned they were fans. “Brandon requests that you give Ms. Garcia and Mr. Brennan privacy.”
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Lindsey took a sip of her drink. “Well,” she raised her eyebrows, “if Megan’s keeping an eye out for anything on you or me, she won’t be able to miss it.”
Fear sank its claws into Todd’s gut. They were playing a dangerous game, and he was terrified that she would get hurt. “Which means we need to be extra careful now. Our supposed lunch with Marlowe makes for an easy target, but the extra security might keep her away.”
The meet-up wouldn’t appear authentic without protective measures in place. Which is why Todd expected Megan to make her move before or after the big event, when the people watching their backs—as Scott and Dan were right now—weren’t visible.
Unless she was trained in counter-surveillance, she’d never spot their security detail, but anger made people unpredictable. Megan might not make rational decisions, which made her moves harder to anticipate and prevent.
Assuming she came for them at all. If she were smart, she’d keep running and never look back. Her recent history made it unlikely.
While part of him hoped she’d disappear, neither he nor Lindsey would ever feel truly safe until Megan was captured. Sure, they’d eventually learn to live with the threat of her on the loose, maybe even convince themselves the danger had passed. But the possibility of her return would niggle at them, a low-level stress that chipped away at their sanity and well-being, and snuck up on them in the dark of night.
No one wanted to live like that.
And a selfish part of him wondered if he’d have a chance with Lindsey if she never got closure with Megan.
Lindsey wrapped long fingers around her mug and held it against her chest. “Thank you for setting all of this up.” Her gaze made his heart skip like a scratched record.
“Jason made it happen.”
“And I already thanked him for that, but you came up with the idea. You’re the one orchestrating the security for us. You’re the one here with me now, keeping me from losing my shit.”
He huffed out a laugh. “It’s okay to lose it,” he said, sitting upright and placing his own mug on the coffee table. “I won’t judge.”
She gave him a wan smile. “I know.”
Was she, like him, remembering their first night together, when she’d let him hold her as she cried?
His arms ached with emptiness. “What can I do?” He’d do anything to ease her pain, whatever it took to help her forget, even for a minute.
“I don’t…” She shook her head. “I can’t ask you—” She stopped abruptly when he stood and looked down at her.
“You can ask me for anything.” His heart pounded. “Anything.”
She bit her lip and rose to face him, placing her mug on the table next to his. “I could really use a hug?” The words came out more question than statement, as if expecting a rejection.
If she only knew. He opened his arms and—thank you, God, finally—she stepped into his embrace. The full-body contact jolted him, but he ignored the buzz triggered by her palms pressed against his back.
Sighing in relief as they molded together, he wrapped her tight and inhaled her heady scent, his breath deepening, his brain calming despite his invigorated libido.
Her touch made him feel lighter, less burdened, smoother around the edges.
Turned out, he’d needed a hug too. Closing his eyes, he nestled her closer and—
A loud crash shattered the quiet.
CHAPTER TWENTY
BEFORE SHE’D EVEN registered the sounds from outside, Lindsey was flat on her back on Todd’s living room rug, his body covering hers, his good arm cradling her head.
“Stay down,” he said, scanning the room, his demeanor remarkably calm.
Shouts came from outside. Her pulse hammered in her ears.
Could Meg have found them already? Had she somehow made it to Virginia? Hard to imagine her being satisfied with long-distance vengeance, though the woman also had a strong sense of self-preservation.
But Lindsey had only been in Virginia since last night. How would Megan know?
“When I say ‘go,’” Todd said, “I want you to—”
His phone dinged and vibrated, tapping on the wooden table. He reached up, wincing at the movement, and read the message.
Relief smoothed his features and his head dropped to her shoulder. “False alarm.”
Adrenaline still pulsed through her as she released the breath she’d been holding. Nudging the table, Todd carefully pushed to his feet and then held out a hand for her.
“What was it?” she asked, letting him help her rise, willing her muscles to relax.
He dropped her hand far too soon. “Someone lost control and crashed into a parked car.”
“Oh, no. We should—”
“Stay inside.” The muscle i
n his jaw jumped. “It wasn’t a direct hit, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a trap for us, or for Scott and Dan.”
A shiver ran down her spine. “To lure us out?”
Todd had an armed team outside, and a top-of-the-line security system protecting the house, but a clever killer might defeat them both. Safety was an illusion. She couldn’t forget that. Tension locked her muscles all over again.
“Maybe. Could be a ruse to get our guys to reveal themselves, or simply to distract them for a few minutes. Could be a preliminary intel mission, or the beginnings of an attack.” Todd appeared maddeningly sanguine.
She wanted him to take her hand again, or pull her into his embrace. He did neither, so she crossed her arms, hugging herself. “What should we do? If someone’s hurt, we can’t leave them out there.”
“Dan already called 911.” Todd’s phone made more noise and he scrolled through the messages. “He and Scott are still in position, several of my neighbors are out there helping. The driver is out of the car and walking around, apparently uninjured. Possibly drunk.” He looked up. “Dan sent a photo. It’s grainy, but I recognize the guy. He lives a few doors down.”
Some of the tightness in her neck eased. “So probably a coincidence.”
“Probably.” He tapped out a response and slid the phone into his back pocket. “Kurt and Valerie will look into it, just to be sure.”
“This is overwhelming.”
“Which part?” he asked, studying her face.
“Your boss offering a whole team of people to help us. All the precautions we have to take. Not knowing where the threat will come from, or if there even is one.” She held his gaze, heat racing to her cheeks as she made a decision. “Being here with you and holding myself back from what I really want.”
Maybe he didn’t truly love her. Maybe it was too soon. But she’d never know if she didn’t give them a chance. If she’d learned anything recently, it was that life was too short to spend it worrying about the future. Even if she and Todd didn’t go the distance, shouldn’t she enjoy her time with him while it lasted?
What did she gain by keeping him at bay?
He’d had her on the floor, covering her with his body before she’d even registered what the crash could mean. He was willing to sacrifice himself to protect her and she couldn’t even risk a little heartbreak for him? What kind of coward, what kind of selfish fool, did that make her?
The kind who didn’t deserve him.
But she wanted to. More than anything.
He stilled, his expression understandably wary. “What is it you really want?”
“You.” She dug her fingers into her ribs, prodding herself to have courage. “Probably from the first minute we met. But I’ve been so worried about having some kind of certainty, some kind of guarantee that your feelings won’t change.” Disgust tinged her words. “So ridiculous. If this past week has taught me anything, it’s that there are no guarantees. No matter what I do, any feeling of control I have over my fate is an illusion. We’ve faced death several times over. We could die at any minute. Why am I worrying about whether you’ll still want me three months from now?”
“Pretty sure I will.” Todd placed a hand on her cheek, his eyes hot with desire, but he didn’t close the space between them, or lean in to kiss her the way she so desperately needed. “I was foolish first.” His thumb gently stroked her skin. “I’m sorry.”
She covered his hand with her own. “Let’s be smart for a change.”
“What about all that data you needed?”
“I’m still going to need proof that you want me.” She looped her arms around his neck and hooked a leg around his hips, locking their bodies together. “Lots and lots of it.”
Todd groaned and kissed Lindsey’s neck, his hands skimming down her sides, over her butt, pulling her closer, trying to fill his palms with as much of her as possible.
He didn’t know if he trusted her sudden change of heart—how was that for irony?—but he sure as hell wasn’t going to question it. He’d been waiting days to have her in his arms again, and their brief hug had only reignited the desire he’d tried in vain to extinguish.
His hands shook with the restraint required not to strip her naked and take her on the couch. Right. The fuck. Now.
Whatever this was, they both deserved—
His breath caught as her fingers slipped inside his waistband, beneath his boxers, and brushed his penis.
“Jesus.” He locked his legs so he wouldn’t bring them crashing to the floor.
Growing harder with every delicious stroke of her hand, Todd settled a knee on the arm of the sofa for support and kissed Lindsey on the mouth. She opened for him immediately, their tongues waging a sensuous battle where everyone triumphed. He kissed her jaw, her collarbone, the soft skin at the edge of the black T-shirt he’d loaned her. “This needs to go,” he said, tugging at the hem of the shirt.
At her nod, he tugged it over her head and let it drop. The white sports bra glowed against her tan skin for a second before she peeled it off and stood before him in jeans and running shoes, her dusky pink nipples making his mouth water.
Holding his gaze, she toed off her shoes and socks, and her hands went to the button on her pants.
“Upstairs,” he said, his voice raw. “I don’t have any condoms down here.”
With a wicked smile, she shimmied out of her jeans and panties.
He nearly swallowed his tongue as he reached for her.
She turned away from his grasp and bolted through the doorway with a laugh. “Upstairs,” she sang.
If he hadn’t been in love with her before, he was now. Racing up the steps, he caught her at the top and scooped her into his arms, provoking a playful squeal before he silenced her with a hot, demanding kiss.
“Shh,” he whispered. “Don’t want to raise the cavalry.”
Her eyes widened as he set her gently on his bedspread and turned on the lamp. “Are they listening?”
“No, but if you start screaming, Dan will definitely come to investigate.”
Lying back, she arched and stretched into a star shape, exposing herself completely, watching him, as if in challenge.
He swallowed hard. Where the hell had this bold, lusty siren come from? Not that he was complaining. “Do you have any idea how sexy you are?”
“Only when I see that look on your face.”
“Hold that thought.” He ducked into the hallway bathroom and searched the cabinet with trembling hands, making a mess of things before he found the small box of condoms. Note to self: go to the drug store tomorrow.
Returning to the bedroom, he almost forgot to breathe all over again at the sight of Lindsey, perched on her elbows, splayed like an offering. Just for him. He tossed the box onto his bedside table and removed his clothing in record time.
“Mmm.” She made an appreciative noise as he walked toward her, naked and weak-kneed.
If he’d fallen asleep in his chair and this wasn’t real, he was going to bawl his eyes out when he woke. Either way, he planned to make the most of the moment.
He dropped to his knees and gripped her legs, planting a kiss on the little mole at the top of her thigh that had been on his mind for days. She jolted and then sighed. As he kissed his way toward her core, she squirmed, rolling her hips.
He inhaled her unique scent and softly blew on her dark curls.
“Todd.” She fisted the bedspread and arched toward him, so eager, so beautiful.
That was all the invitation he needed. He slid his hands beneath her buttocks to get the best angle and moved in for the feast. She was love and joy and desire on his tongue, pure heaven as she writhed against his mouth, jerking and gasping and panting while he explored her in detail. He wanted to know every nuance of her body, learn every sigh, discover the quickest ways to arouse her, and how to keep her strung high on the precipice, simultaneously begging for relief and for him to never stop.
He stroked and delved and caressed with f
ingers, lips, and tongue, feeding off her breathy cries like an addict. When her body went taut and she dug her fingers into his hair, he worked her harder, growling against her sweet flesh, swirling around her clit until she broke with a shudder, his name harsh on the air.
Adrenaline rushed through him as she pulsed against his tongue. He kissed and licked lightly, slowly bringing her down.
She laughed softly and patted his head. “Come up here and fuck me already.”
Damn, she’d turned feisty, and he loved it. “Yes, ma’am.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and rose to crawl above her, grinning like a fool as he reached for a condom. “What’s your pleasure?”
She snagged the wrapper from his hand and tore it open, rolling the condom over his erection with hands far steadier—and inflaming—than his own. “I know missionary is boring,” she said, a deep vulnerability in her eyes, “but I like having you on top, weighing me down.”
God damn. “When you say it like that, it’s hot as hell.” He shook his head, prodding her to lie back so he could settle the weight of his lower body on hers. “There is no way on earth that sex with you, in any position, could ever be boring.” He punctuated his words by licking her nipple and following it up with a soft bite that made her jerk and moan.
Todd didn’t want to think about where she’d earned this particular insecurity. He had a pretty good idea, and Cruz WhatsHisNuts better hope they never crossed paths. “I’m always up for a little experimentation, but I’d be happy doing it this way for the rest of my life, if that’s what you want.”
And, yep, Todd was already talking about forever, but he could no longer imagine a life without her. So, he lowered himself to his elbows and brushed a gentle kiss against her lips as he slid slowly into her welcoming heat. “I love you.”
Lindsey gasped as Todd filled her, his words of reassurance and love triggering a rush of emotion that threatened to overwhelm. Why had she been so damned stubborn? They could have been doing this every night instead of sleeping alone, miserable.
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