by Janie Crouch
“Okay.” She nipped at his bottom lip, then was gone, back to gather whatever she needed. Derek turned to watch her go for just a second.
When he turned back around the guys were staring at him again.
Liam turned to Jon and grabbed the front of his shirt. “What just happened, Jon? Can you explain to me what just happened?”
“No, Liam. Some mysteries of the universe cannot be explained. Like how Derek finally figured out what a wonderful woman Molly is.”
Derek considered punching both of them. “Yeah, you two are a regular comedy team. Like the Black Plague and Europe.”
“I don’t like the thought of bringing Molly to Omega,” Derek said. Jon and Liam instantly got serious.
Liam shrugged. “You have to admit, it’s probably the last place they’d expect her to be. I wouldn’t head to Omega if I was on the run.”
A thought occurred to Derek. “Is the old lab being used for cases since the explosion? If so, there will be too many people around to bring Molly in.”
“No,” Liam replied. “All lab work has been officially shifted to other agencies. Especially pending the charges against Molly.”
“Got any ideas about how to get her in?” Derek asked. She wouldn’t have to go past a live guard, but she’d still need to have a swipe card.
“Let me call Andrea Gordon,” Jon said.
“The profiler?” Derek asked. He knew her, but not well. She tended to keep to herself. But then again, so did Derek.
“Yeah.” Jon nodded. “I’ll see if she’ll let me use her swipe card to get Molly in. We’ve worked quite a few cases together over the past couple of years. I trust her. She already knows something suspicious is going on. I’ll explain as much as I can. I think she’ll be game.”
“We’ll have to do something to Molly to make her look a little more like Andrea. A blond wig, cover her bruises,” Liam said. “She’ll still need to look up at the camera when she scans the card.”
“I’ll see if Andrea can help us out with that, too.” Jon nodded and began heading toward the door.
“You’re going to need to feel that out carefully, Jon,” Derek told him. “Don’t tell her anything about Molly if you don’t think Andrea will support this. If she decides to call it in, this will all go downhill fast.”
“I will, don’t worry,” Jon said. “I’ll let you know if she’s in or not.”
“Andrea was still at HQ when I left,” Liam called out after him. Jon waved his arm in acknowledgment on his way out the door. “I’m going there, too, make sure there’re no surprises. Give me a few minutes to get ahead of you.”
“Okay. Be careful. Fill Drackett in if you can,” Derek said.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll text you when it’s clear and Jon has Andrea’s key card. Be thinking of a Plan B in case we need it.”
“See you in a few,” Derek replied. Liam saluted and jogged out the door.
Derek walked over to where Molly was carefully rebagging the evidence. Concentration furrowed her brows and her long braid fell over her shoulder.
Watching her work should not make him this hot, but it most definitely did. He wished she had her white lab coat on.
“Done,” she said, looking up at him. “I’m ready whenever you are. I’ll be so glad to get into a real lab.”
“Promise me one thing,” he said to her, taking a step closer.
“I’ll be careful, I promise,” she told him.
Derek took another step. “I do want you to be careful, yes. But that’s not what I was going to say.”
“Oh, yeah? What were you going to, ohhh—” Her words stopped as he grabbed her by the hips and hoisted her up onto the lab table. It put them eye to eye. He slid his hands to cup her backside and pulled her all the way to the edge of the table, her legs falling on either side of his hips.
“I’ve always wanted to kiss you on a lab table,” he murmured, wrapping her long braid around his hand and tugging so she looked up. Her neck was completely available to him. He trailed kisses all along her throat, delighting at her shivers.
“Actually, there’s quite a lot more I’d like to do to you on a lab table and I plan to do so soon when all this is settled.” He nipped lightly at her neck and she moaned.
“I never knew you had a thing for laboratory furniture,” she said, wrapping her arms around him.
“Not lab furniture. I have a thing for you on lab furniture.” He slid her even closer, still trailing his lips up and down her throat.
She laughed softly, then sighed as he nipped at her throat once more. “And you have to promise me that at least one time you’ll be wearing your lab coat.”
“You’re pretty naughty, Agent Waterman.”
“You have no idea, Dr. Humphries, but when this is all over, I plan to show you.” He let go of her braid so he could frame her face with both hands and kissed her.
What was it about this tiny woman that allowed her to get to him like no one else ever had? Touched him to the point where it was difficult to think of going back to his life without her as a regular part of it?
When he finally brought his lips back from hers they were both breathing deeply. There was nothing Derek wanted to do more than lay her back on this table and show her just how much he wanted her.
But more than that, he wanted to rid them of the guillotine that was hanging over their heads. He wanted to clear her name and make sure she was safe. He wanted to make sure no one ever put another bruise on her again.
“But right now we need to get over to Omega and let you do your work.”
Chapter Twenty
Molly felt like a clown with all the makeup she had on. She knew it was just to cover up any traces of the bruises, but it was so unnatural for her. Especially considering on any given day Molly didn’t remember to even brush her hair—thank goodness it could be easily braided and put out of the way—much less put on eyeliner and all the other things currently being applied to her face by Andrea Gordon.
Molly knew looking like Andrea was important because of the security cameras at all Omega doors, including the older section of the building they’d be entering. She appreciated the other woman’s willingness to let her use her ID card. Of course, Andrea had only done so after making a call to Steve Drackett to be certain everything about this situation was on the up-and-up.
“I look ridiculous,” Molly said for at least the fifth time.
“You don’t look ridiculous,” Derek called out from the other room.
“He’s right, you know. You don’t look ridiculous, you just look a little different from what you’re used to yourself normally looking like.” Andrea continued putting on the makeup. “This is only so you’ll look like me for whatever security guard is watching the monitors.”
How was Molly supposed to ever look like Andrea? There wasn’t enough makeup in the world to give Molly Andrea’s classic cheekbones and full lips, a perky nose that was just a bit crooked, like maybe it had been broken at one time. She always had immaculate makeup and hair: chic, shoulder-length blond bob.
And she always wore heels.
Molly sighed. Next to Andrea, Molly looked like what she was: a scientist who always chose sensible shoes.
But right now Molly had on a gray pencil skirt and dark blouse, both borrowed from Andrea. She’d wanted pants, but she was too short to wear any of Andrea’s. So skirt it was.
Molly looked different.
“You’ve got a pretty pained expression there,” Andrea said. “I’m nearly done. Torture is almost over.”
“And it’s not what you’re doing. It’s just that the makeup is pretty much a representation of everything I’m not.”
“Good,” Andrea told her. “Makeup should never be a representation of what you are.”
Although the statement was true, it struck Molly as a little odd coming from the other woman, especially since she was applying the makeup with such skill. Molly realized that even though they’d both worked at Omega for years, she didn’t really know Andrea. Molly didn’t know if anyone really did. The woman tended to keep to herself.
“Do you have sisters?” she asked.
The question obviously caught the other woman off guard. “Um, no. Why?”
“You’re just really good at doing other people’s makeup. I thought maybe you practiced on sisters growing up.”
“No. I had a...job when I was younger that involved makeup.”
A job when she was younger? Andrea couldn’t be more than twenty-three or twenty-four. It didn’t seem likely that she’d had a career before the one she had at Omega as a profiler. She must be referring to something part-time in high school or college.
“Oh, okay, like at the cosmetics counter at the mall?”
Andrea smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Something like that. But it was a long time ago.” She continued applying the makeup in silence.
Molly hadn’t meant to bring up a painful past. Time to change the subject. “Thank you for your help.”
Andrea shrugged. “I’m willing to do anything I can to bring down those bastards who bombed Chicago. But to be honest, I’m doing this because Steve Drackett asked me to. I owe him, more than one.”
“Well, either way, I appreciate it.”
The other woman smiled and this time the smile did reach her eyes. “Okay, makeup’s done. No more bruises in sight. Let’s get the wig on you.”
Andrea had brought a wig similar to her own blond bob. Actually the woman had a number of different wigs in the trunk she’d opened with the makeup, but Molly didn’t want to ask her why after how the last questions had gone. Maybe she’d been involved with community theater.
Andrea tucked Molly’s braid under a cap, then slipped the blond wig on her. She took Molly to stand in front of the full-length mirror in her room.
Molly couldn’t control the little gasp that escaped her. Not only were all her bruises covered, but Andrea had done something with her eyes that made them smoky...sexy. While standing there in the other woman’s clothes, with the other woman’s hair, and makeup that made her face look exotic and sexy, all Molly could wonder was what would Derek think?
Even after the great night of lovemaking, Molly couldn’t help but consider, if she looked like this, dressed like this, would Derek have been able to keep his distance over the past three years?
Maybe this was more of what he really wanted? It certainly would be a better fit aesthetically. Someone like the person looking at her in the mirror—poised, well-dressed, put-together—someone like Andrea should be with Derek. Not Mousy Molly.
“Whoa. Holy cow.”
It was Jon. He and Derek were standing in the doorway. Jon’s mouth was gaping almost embarrassingly wide.
“You look totally amazing, Molls,” he said.
Molly couldn’t even look over at Derek. What if he was like Jon and really liked what he saw? Molly couldn’t look like this every day. Even without the wig, Molly still wouldn’t look like this.
Could never look like this.
Not to mention how impractical it would be in the lab. Heels?
Plus her hair was brown.
Did Derek wish she looked like this?
Finally Molly glanced over at him. Although he was looking at her, his face was completely shuttered.
“I think it’s enough to get her through a security check,” Andrea said. “It wouldn’t fool someone who knows us, but it will get you through the door.”
Molly nodded. Yeah, she may not look exactly like Andrea, but she definitely didn’t look like herself.
Derek still hadn’t said anything. And Molly couldn’t read anything—pleasure or displeasure—in his expression.
“All right, let’s get this show on the road,” Jon said. “Andrea, you’ve been a lifesaver. Thanks so much.” He walked out of the room with the other woman.
Molly couldn’t take it anymore. “So what do you think?” She gestured at herself with her hand.
He studied her a moment longer, from her sophisticated blond coif down to her heeled shoes. The shoes weren’t as high as Andrea normally wore, but were still unusual for Molly.
“I think you’ll pass without any problem. Anyone looking at a scanned ID picture who didn’t have reason to think otherwise, would probably mistake you for Andrea.”
He turned to walk out of the room, but Molly touched his arm.
“That’s not what I meant, Derek.” She immediately wished she had just let him go. Was she trying to get him to admit he wished she was gorgeous like Andrea?
She heard Derek take a breath through his nose as he turned around.
“What did you mean?” His blue eyes were cold.
“I guess I—I meant what do you think of this new look?” Damn it, now she was stuttering again.
His eyes softened at her slight stammer. He took a step closer. “You really want to know?”
“Yes.” No. Why was she asking him this? She was setting him up to hurt her, and she was a fool.
He looked her over again one more time.
“I wish I could tear these clothes off your body.” His voice was even more deep and gravelly than usual.
Molly looked down at her feet and closed her eyes. She knew that he would be more attracted to her like this, with all her physical flaws hidden by makeup and great clothes and high heels. Why had she forced him to tell her?
She felt his fingers under her chin. “Molly.”
She didn’t open her eyes, because if she did she was afraid the tears she could feel gathering might make their way out. Then she would really be mortified.
“Molly. Look at me.” His tone brooked no refusal, but she still kept her eyes shut.
She felt his lips on hers. He kissed the side of her mouth, running his tongue over her lower lip, then drew back just the slightest bit. “Look at me, Molly. Right now.”
This time she opened her eyes.
“Yes, I want to rip all these clothes off you. The wig and makeup, too. Because all this stuff is not you. Could never be you. And I wouldn’t want it to be.”
“Really?”
He kissed her again on the lips, softy. “Yes, very definitely really.”
“I was afraid—”
He smiled. “I know what you were afraid of. And Andrea’s look is for some men, absolutely. But I find myself drawn to long-haired brunettes wearing little-to-no makeup, generally found with their eye stuck to some microscope. Know any of those?”
“Just so happens I do.” Molly could actually feel the happiness welling up inside her.
“Good. Now let’s get going so we can put all this sneaking-you-into-buildings stuff behind us.”
He grabbed her hand and they started out of the room, but he paused and turned to her. “I have to admit, I do like the heels. Puts you exactly at the right height for kissing.” And he proceeded to demonstrate.
* * *
DEREK WANTED TO KISS every bit of the lipstick off Molly’s face. Then take off all the rest of the makeup she had on, followed by that ridiculous wig and those clothes that she looked not quite comfortable in.
Then he wanted to make love to her. Her. Molly Humphries. Not some blonde, uncomfortable impersonation of someone else.
“Hey, don’t smudge that lipstick,” Derek heard Andrea say a few moments later.
He stepped back from Molly. “Sorry.”
But smiled as Molly walked past him into the kitchen.
“I saw your aversion to how she looks. Good for you,” Andrea told him.
“Nothing personal to either
you or your handiwork. It’s just not who she is.”
Andrea nodded. “You know, her crush on you is pretty legendary at Omega.” She shrugged. “But seeing you now, I realize you’re the one who has fallen.”
Derek wasn’t sure what to say to that. He shrugged. “I just want to keep her alive and safe.”
“And with you,” Andrea murmured.
Derek could see why Andrea had the reputation of being the most gifted profiler at Omega. Especially for being so young. At least everything but her eyes were young. Her eyes were much older than whatever number her birth certificate said she was. The woman turned and followed the path Molly had taken to the kitchen.
They grabbed a bite to eat, some soup Andrea had available, but Derek could tell every moment they delayed was making Molly more jumpy. He squeezed her knee under the table and she smiled at him, but her smile was tight.
Finally the text came from Liam that everything was clear.
“You ready?” Derek asked Molly. She nodded. He looked over at Jon who nodded, too.
“Thanks, Andrea. I’ll get this stuff back to you as soon as possible,” Molly told the other woman before hugging her. Andrea was stiff for just a moment, as if she wasn’t used to being hugged, before she put her arms around Molly and patted her back.
Fifteen minutes later they were pulling up at Omega. Jon drove all the way around to the farthest side of the building, far from the main entrance. Derek knew that even at this late hour there would be dozens of armed operatives inside.
This was a terrible idea.
“I’m not so sure about this, you guys.” Derek had a bad feeling.
But it was Molly who was the voice of reason. “No, we’ve come this far. This will work. Let’s just do it.”
They parked and walked up to the door. Derek scanned his card first, then Jon, then finally Molly using Andrea’s card. They pretended to chat while they waited for whoever was watching the security camera to buzz them in.
Now it was Molly’s turn to be worried. “This isn’t working. It’s taking too long,” she whispered under her breath, too quiet to be picked up by the audio feed.
