Challenging Love

by KaLyn Cooper

  Aleta said Alex had called her office and left that message.

  “Alex,” Katlin interrupted their conversation. “Do you have Aleta’s cell number?”

  “Yes.” He looked apologetic.

  This was going to kill her to ask, but she was rearranging puzzle pieces to fit the scenario. “When you two were…uhm, dating…did you call Aleta on her office or cell phone?”

  “Cell,” they said in unison, staring at her.

  “Have you ever called her on her office phone, other than for professional reasons?” Katlin knew the answer before she asked but needed validation.

  “No, never,” Aleta answered.

  “I always kept our relationship private.” Contrition covered Alex’s demeanor.

  “That’s what I thought.” Katlin examined the fragments and they suddenly fell into place.

  She looked at Alex and said one word.

  “Jack.”

  Alex’s jaw dropped a fraction. “You really think he’d go that far?”

  “Absolutely. He knows you two have a past, but Jack screwed up.” Katlin looked at Aleta. “Alex would have called your cell phone, not the office.”

  “Who’s this Jack? And how could he call me and sound just like Alex?” Aleta demanded answers.

  “A man who wants to drive a wedge between me and Alex. Leaving that message on your voice mail would be as easy as typing the words into the computer for him.” Katlin refused to let Aleta know anything about her job or Jack.

  “I’m sorry, Aleta, that you’ve been pulled into this,” Katlin apologized. She turned to Alex. “It’s exactly the kind of thing Jack would do. My profile says infidelity is my emotional trigger. He’d pull that trigger without consideration for collateral damage as long as it hurt our relationship and it almost worked.”

  “He’s been listening to our conversations?” Alex was livid.

  “Probably recording them.” Katlin considered. “Our sat phones are encrypted, but they have the code. But I’ll bet your cell phone is tapped.”

  “He can’t do that without a court order,” Aleta pointed out.

  Katlin and Alex gave her a sad smile. If she only knew how her beloved justice system didn’t work, but neither said a word. Alex gave Katlin’s hand a gentle squeeze.

  “Aleta, I’m sorry,” Alex said. “We were set up. From listening to that message, I understand why you’d come here tonight. When I broke off our relationship, I meant it to be final. I know you left the door open and Jack tried to shove me through it tonight.” Alex looked at Katlin with love overflowing. “I love Kat. I think I always have.”

  His pronouncement, in front of Aleta, meant more to Katlin than he could imagine. When he leaned in and kissed her, all the shattered pieces of her heart melded together and swelled. Everyone in the room disappeared to her and the world was gone. Only she and Alex remained. He cupped her face in one large hand.

  “I love you, Kat. And I always will.” He came back for a quick kiss.

  Aleta gasped.

  Their surroundings materialized as they both turned toward Aleta.

  “So this is Kat?” She looked enlightened and smiled weakly. “When you introduced yourself, I didn’t put your name together with Alex’s nickname for you. I was so wrapped up in what I thought would be my reunion with Alex that it didn’t register.” Aleta twiddled the diamond on her left hand.

  “Yes.” Alex bounced their joined hands atop the table. “We’ve been good friends since high school. She’s my partner in Guardian and—”

  “Silent partner,” Kat broke in.

  “—she came back into my life several months ago.” He stared at Katlin. “Yes, she is my Kat.”

  Katlin loved the way he was possessive of her. She almost laughed at herself over the way jealousy had turned her world green, then red with anger, over Jack’s little stunt. Damn him. It had almost worked.

  “Well,” Aleta said as she removed the diamond from her left hand and slid it onto her right ring finger. “Since we’re apologizing, I’m sorry I claimed to be your fiancée, Alex. I thought Katlin was a client and decided that it’d look better if I told her I was your fiancée rather than your…aah…date for the night.”

  “That answers that question.” Katlin just moved Aleta from stalker designation to considerate woman. They’d never be friends, though. She hadn’t missed the hope in Aleta’s eyes whenever she looked at Alex.

  Aleta stood. “I’ll leave you two to your evening. I wish you both the best.”

  Like the gentleman he was, Alex stood, releasing Katlin’s hand. “Aleta, I’m very sorry this happened. Please know that Kat and I are equally as innocent in this as you.” He lowered his voice and stepped toward Aleta, lightly touching her arm. “We had a special friendship. I always enjoyed our time together. I hope you find someone that brings you the happiness Kat has given me.” He then leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

  Aleta fought tears as she said to Katlin, “Take good care of him. He deserves a good woman. Good-bye, Alex.” Shoulders squared, Aleta strode through the restaurant with dignity still intact.

  Before he could sit down, Katlin stood and said, “I need some air. Do you mind if we leave?”

  “Not at all. Let’s get the hell out of here.” Alex took her hand and they strolled toward the door. “This wasn’t the way I’d planned tonight.” He clasped his suit coat pocket and shook his head.

  By the time Alex settled the bill, their limo pulled up to the glass doors.

  “He’s gone too far. We need to do something about this whole situation with Jack.” Alex settled himself on the soft leather seat beside Katlin and pulled her to him.

  She seethed with anger at Jack. He’d interfered once too often. She had to put a stop to it. Now. “How soon can you leave Chicago?”

  “I’m scheduled to testify again tomorrow. Why?”

  “I need to resolve this once and for all with Jack.”

  “We can leave as soon as I’m done with court,” Alex suggested. “Are you going to quit?” She didn’t miss the hope in his question.

  “No. This is my job, but Jack has to be dealt with. Running away isn’t the answer. It won’t solve the problem. Fact is, he’ll see it as easier because I don’t have the whole sexual harassment threat to hold over him. Besides, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. This way I know what he’s up to.”

  “The attorneys should be done with me by four, and I can leave straight from there,” he suggested.

  “No. I need to do this immediately. This is between Jack and me. I love you but this is my battle, not yours.” She kissed him. It was a sweet kiss and when he tried to deepen it, she pulled back. “I love that you want to protect me, but I can do this. I need to do this myself.” She looked at her watch.

  “No,” Alex begged. “Don’t go yet, you just got here a few hours ago. Stay with me tonight. I need you.” She laid her head on his shoulder.

  After the emotional turmoil they’d just been through, Katlin didn’t want to leave either. If she left now, she’d deny both herself and Alex a night together and Jack would win again, although it’d be a short-lived victory for the son of a bitch. She refused to give him even that. Tomorrow would be soon enough to face down her nemesis.

  She needed Alex’s love tonight, all night.

  “What are you thinking?” His words were followed by a one armed hug.

  “The things you said in the restaurant.”

  “I meant every word. I love you. It physically hurts every time I have to say good-bye to you. I understand it’s your job and when they call you have to go. But I can’t let you leave my life. Promise me, you won’t jump to conclusions when it comes to us. Especially now, with Jack out there trying to fuck up our relationship every chance he gets.” He cupped her face in one hand, running his thumb over her cheekbone. “Please, promise me that no matter how a situation looks, you’ll talk to me about it. I can’t lose you ever again.”

  “I promise
.” She knew that was going to be one of the hardest promises she’d ever made but vowed to keep it.

  His kiss was tender and grew hotter as the passion overtook them. By the time they reached Guardian, they practically ran to the elevator.

  The trail of quickly discarded clothes between the door and the bed told a different story from the way Alex slowly stretched out naked beside Kat. Everything had changed for them and as he ran fingertips over her face, she was aware of how gentle he was being. She turned her face into his palm and kissed it before she licked it. The gold in his eyes melted into rich dark chocolate.

  Alex made love to her, worshiping her body with his hands, his kisses and his tongue. When he slid into her wet heat, and brought them both over the peak together, she knew it’d be like this forever.

  Still joined in the most intimate way possible, he said, “I’ll never stop loving you.”

  Regaining her senses inch by inch, she simply told him the truth. “I love you, too.” She pressed her lips against his one last time before they fell asleep.

  Chapter 11

  “I’m sorry, babe, but I got called back into court this morning.” Alex’s gentle kisses were so sweet. “It shouldn’t take all day, though. I’m yours after that, so why don’t you decide what we’re going to do. Chicago has some wonderful museums, or so I’m told. We could grab a Grey Line and play tourist.” He kissed Katlin, again. “Whatever you want to do.”

  “Sleep,” she mumbled after checking the time. Pulling him down to her, she suggested, “Maybe spend the whole day in bed.”

  His kiss was deep and long, their tongues twining as he reached beneath the covers to massage her bare breast. When he broke away, he reprimanded, “You know I’m going to think about you all day now and walk around with a hard on.”

  She smiled. “I like that you’re going to think about me all day.”

  He leaned in for one last quick kiss. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way back.”

  “Okay.” Katlin rolled over and fell back asleep before the door even closed behind Alex.

  Two hours later, she’d finished her second cup of coffee and took the last bite of her Eggs Benedict. She was human once again.

  During missions she’d only allow herself to sleep lightly so she was ready for action in a second. Once home, secure in her surroundings, she gave herself permission to dive deep into sleep and truly rest not only her body, but her brain. Last night had been a much-needed respite. The sex certainly helped, as did the security of Alex’s arms and the penthouse apartment with a dozen armed men between the door and Katlin.

  Memories of the previous night flooded her brain. She had been unreasonable and regretted her actions.

  Alex was not Ty. The man who’d left her bed that morning had never betrayed her. She needed to do something to make it up to him.

  Then, anger swelled within Katlin as she thought about Jack’s conniving. How dare he tap Alex’s phone? He legally had every right to do so if he thought Katlin was giving away State’s secrets and Alex was a terrorist. No way in hell would that ever happen. Once again, Jack was using his power for personal reasons.

  She had to do something about it, right now.

  Grabbing her computer, she logged into Homeland Security and checked the logs. When she didn’t find what she was looking for, she used a back door into a set of little-known archives that Lei Lu had shown her. The entire Homeland system uploaded to a secret server every hour to preserve all information. Tracing Jack’s request for the tap, then his attempted deletion, wasn’t difficult.

  Sure enough, Jack had ordered Alex’s cell tapped the night they’d discovered the bomb onboard Black Swan. His call to Aleta was there, to Katlin’s relief. Alex had let her down as gently as he could over the phone. The next day, Jack had ordered Aleta’s phone tapped. It took a little finessing, but she found where Jack had used his computer to create the supposed call from Alex to Aleta inviting his former lover to the restaurant last night. The next order shocked the shit out of her.

  It took Katlin several minutes to get her anger under control before she asked the Ops Center for a secure, and private, video call with Jack. It took a few minutes, but she was finally put through to her boss.

  Jack glanced up from his desk into the camera. The second he saw her, his eyes flashed with satisfaction before he schooled his face. He stared at her makeup-free face and loose, casual blouse.

  “Good morning, Katlin.” His seductive voice raked raw nerves. “I’ve missed this early-morning look of yours. I’d guess you’ve had two cups of coffee and breakfast, but you’re not quite ready to face the world, yet.”

  “Oh, but I’m ready to face you, Jack.” She hoped he read the warning in her tone.

  She clicked open a new box and the transcript of Alex’s supposed call to Aleta popped open. Jack barely glanced at it then returned his gaze to hers, a muscle working in the side of his square jaw.

  “Your little ruse almost worked, but I trust Alex.” Through clenched teeth she growled as she glared at him, “But I’ll never trust you.”

  One side of his lips curved up a fraction. “Quite a spectacle you two made in the restaurant last night.”

  That kicked her in the gut. She couldn’t hide her reaction fast enough because he gave her a gotcha grin. He’d watched her embarrass herself…live. Damn him! He’d placed agents throughout the restaurant and had the whole scene on video from several different angles.

  She had to punch back. “You know, make-up sex is always the best.” That one hit him hard. She gave him her best eat-shit-and-die smile.

  His face fell.

  She had to stop this jabbing and focus on her goal.

  “Enough!” She spit out the word. She took a steadying breath. “Do you like your job, Jack?”

  “Of course I do.” He stiffened and turned totally defensive.

  He lived his job, at least that’s what his psych profile she’d read indicated. He spent his life inside that dark wood paneled office and looked out the large windows at a world he thought he protected. He had a hero complex and had never had what the psychoanalysts termed a successful female relationship. He’d enjoyed plenty of sex, but never kept women around. The shrink had considered it unusual behavior when Jack had championed the addition of women into Section 7 and had pushed for Katlin’s all-female team. There hadn’t been time to tap into the actual psychologist’s files on him, but she would.

  “From this moment on, we have a work-only relationship. It all ends here and now…or a copy of page twenty-three of our botched mission together goes to the White House Homeland Security Counsel and another to the Secretary of Homeland Security with a warning that if something isn’t done about you within twenty-four hours, the same information will be sent out on the Internet. Can you imagine all those conspiracy theorists asking questions about Section 7?”

  Jack’s hands fisted on his nearly-bare desk. She heard each and every forced breath he took through his nose. She wasn’t afraid of him, physically, but knew there was a devious mind that calculated his every move. “You wouldn’t do that. You’d ruin your own career.”

  She pressed on, “I won’t lie to save your sorry ass if I’m questioned. If I have to, I’ll tear Section 7 apart.”

  Katlin took a deep breath and slowed her pace. “That’s not what I want, Jack. I like my job and believe in what I do for Section 7 and our country.”

  That seemed to appease him slightly. “What do you want, Katlin?”

  “I want you—Jack Ashworth the man—to stop pursuing me. I’m in love with Alex Wolf.”

  Jack’s face winced as if in pain.

  “And he loves me. We have an exclusive relationship that’s the most important thing in the world to both of us.”

  Jack’s lips tightened. “And how long do you think that’s going to last? You’re gone six out of every eight weeks on average. Can he go that long without a woman? He’ll get damn tired of his own hand, and go hunting for something soft
and female to slip into. Exactly how much do you trust him?”

  “Completely,” She snapped back. When he said nothing, she started listing her demands. “No more phone taps on us, or anyone close to us on a personal basis unless they threaten the security of the United States. And if you think someone meets those criteria, you’d better let me know before you put in a request because I’ll be watching every move you make. Two can play that game, Jack.”

  He nodded. She hoped that meant he consented.

  “No more bugging any of the properties I own, Guardian owns, or those of my team members.”

  “What else?” He looked at her from under scowling brows.

  “I want my tracker turned off when I’m not on a mission.”

  “Can’t do that one.” He jumped on that request. “We have to know the location of every agent at all times. That’s Operating Policy.”

  She huffed out a breath, not sure if she believed him. “Fine. Will you promise me that you personally will not follow my every movement? That’s verging on stalker, Jack, and isn’t good for you. You have to let go of this obsession you have with me. It’s not healthy.”

  There was the single nod again.

  “Please, no more interference in my personal life.” She was all but begging him to leave her alone.

  He stared down at his leather desk pad for a full minute before he said, “I don’t want you to quit Section 7. You’re an excellent operator, one of the best I’ve ever had the privilege to work with.”

  She hadn’t mentioned quitting and was glad he considered her a good employee.

  “So you agree to my demands?” She pressed.

  He waited so long to answer she worried that he wouldn’t. Finally, he looked up at her and spoke. “When we played house during that mission, it felt so right, so normal. I’d never had normal. Never. And now I crave it like an addict. You’re the central part of that uncontrollable desire.”

  “I can’t give you that home and hearth you long for, Jack. I’ve been in love with Alex for fifteen years and every day our love grows deeper and stronger. No matter what you do, you can’t change that.” How could she make the man understand that Alex filled her heart and touched her soul?