Tempt the Night

by Dixie Lee Brown

  She rose to her knees. “I’m up. I just got out of the shower, and I’m not dressed.”

  “Well, hurry up, girl. We’re going shopping, and we’ll need your help.” Darcy this time, followed by more laughter.

  Shopping? How the hell was that a good idea? Brady sat up and paid closer attention.

  Mac glanced at Brady, raising her eyebrows. “I’ll meet you downstairs in a few, then . . . I guess.”

  “We want Jim to tag along with you, but we haven’t seen him. You wouldn’t happen to know where he is, would you?”

  Hell, yeah. If she was going anywhere, you could bet he was going along to make sure nothing happened to her.

  Mac wagged her head as her mouth dropped open, and she rolled her eyes heavenward. “No . . . no . . . haven’t seen him since last night.” She slapped her hand over her mouth, and a stricken expression accompanied her slumped shoulders.

  “We’ll find him. Come down as soon as you’re dressed, and we’ll talk. We’re going to eat something before we go.”

  That had to be Rayna, always the one to interject details into any plan. She was a damn good soldier and a friend he’d trust watching his back. If there was no way to talk them out of this insanity, then he and Rayna would keep Mac safe. As the giddy laughter and voices receded, Mac flopped on the bed, hiding her face in the sheet.

  Brady scrutinized her. Red splotches on her neck clearly said she was mortified. Apparently, almost being caught in a compromising situation with him wasn’t on her bucket list. He could understand, but her obvious shame didn’t bode well for him. He sat up and reached for her, drawing her closer until he could loop his good arm around her waist.

  “You want to tell me why you’re so upset?”

  “They . . . we . . . ” She threw her hand in the air. “I shouldn’t have lied to them. I was just so embarrassed—I said the first thing that came to mind. Arrived yesterday and jumped right in the sack with the first man I saw. Jeez, Brady. What will they think?” She burrowed her face into his chest, and a muffled groan punctuated her humiliation.

  A chuckle escaped as he tightened his hold. “You’re worried about what those ladies will think of you?”

  Mac nodded her head against his chest.

  Brady gripped her arms and pushed her away far enough to study her face. “For a second, I thought you were sorry you’d jumped in the sack with me. And that would be bad because I already made plans to spend tonight with you, and the night after that, and every night until you’re not here anymore.”

  Her eyes widened as she stared.

  “Is that all right with you?” He wasn’t sure what he’d do if she said no.

  She nodded her head again, a sparkle returning to her eyes.

  Brady smiled. “Okay. That’s good.” Who was he kidding? That was great. “One thing though—those smart ladies,” he said, motioning toward the door, “will figure it out in short order. You’ll probably want to come clean. They’re not going to judge either of us. Guaranteed.”

  Mac wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her bare breasts against his side, and stretched to plant a kiss on his mouth. “I have to get ready,” she said as she scrambled for the side of the bed. She rummaged in the closet, selected two or three articles, and rushed to the bathroom.

  Brady debated whether the smile he couldn’t rid himself of was permanent or not. It didn’t feel like it was going away any time soon. He stood, pulling on his jeans and T-shirt, preparing to leave, track down Joe, and get to the bottom of this shopping madness. He was halfway down the stairs before it occurred to him that Mac had never told him what the favor she wanted was.

  Chapter Seventeen

  MAC CAST ONE more glance at the rumpled bed sheets and bit her lip as she stepped from the room, closing the door. Now, if only she could purge herself of the images in her mind so easily. At least half the time, she could feel the phantom touch of Brady’s hands caressing her, his lips moving over hers. Molten heat coursed through her veins, and unquenchable desire raged throughout for no apparent reason.

  None except Jim Brady. The memory of his green eyes going dark with lust made her heart beat like she’d just run a four-minute mile. It had proved hard to breathe as he’d settled her against his rock-hard chest, so sure of what he wanted and not afraid to take, yet equally willing to give. The control he exhibited over himself while he slowly and purposefully brought her to heights she hadn’t known existed was the single most romantic gift she’d ever received. Desire pooled low in her stomach as she remembered him braced over her on one arm while he made love to her until he was the center of her whole world.

  She’d chosen to trust Brady and push aside the possibility of his violence. When his past drew him, she’d been able to call him back to her. Would that always be the case, or would she eventually lose this tug-of-war?

  Mac jogged down the stairs and followed the aroma of bacon and eggs to the dining area. Friendly conversation and the clinking of utensils on plates came from within. The noise stopped abruptly as she stepped to the doorway and scanned the room. Three sets of unfamiliar eyes turned toward her. She raised a hand in a cheerful greeting. “Good morning. Just looking for Cara.”

  A nice-looking forty-something man pointed with his fork while he finished chewing the food he’d just shoved in his mouth. “They’re in Joe’s office.”

  Mac waved again and continued toward the rear of the house. The door to the room where they’d met with Hernandez stood slightly open, and Mac increased her pace. She stopped outside as the first words reached her.

  “Hernandez and his hoodlums are staying in town. Based on activity near his home in Mexico City, he may have sent for reinforcements—and weapons.” It was Ty’s voice, but he spoke as though he were reading from something.

  “Hanford sent that late last night. He’ll let me know if anything changes.” Joe paused, and for a moment, no one spoke. “It’s fair to say we’re the only game in town that the ambassador would be interested in. We’re ready, but I’d like to beef up security. Ty, get the word out. See how many hands we can get on deck for a few days.”

  “Damn, Joe. Under the circumstances, it’s not a good idea to let the women take Mac shopping. Hernandez probably has us under surveillance.” Brady was apparently in the room too, and his concern tugged at Mac’s heart.

  There was another brief silence. “I hope he does. I want him to see that the odds are changing. However, I don’t recall signing off on a shopping trip for Mac. I’m afraid I have to agree with Jim.”

  “Jumping to conclusions doesn’t become you, Joe.” Cara’s voice rose in reproach.

  Suddenly, someone gripped Mac’s shoulders from behind, and Walker’s whiskered face leaned close. “This is getting to be a habit with you.” He grinned and tipped his head toward the door. “Let’s go in and join the conversation, shall we?”

  He didn’t give her a choice as he walked forward. She preceded him, his hands still resting lightly on her shoulders, guiding her steps. Walker rapped on the door with his knuckles and swung it open.

  Brady’s head came up, and he scowled. If Walker noticed, he didn’t give any sign. He walked her to Brady’s side and then veered off to slouch in one of the black leather chairs near Nick.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Walker drawled. “Mac was lost so I had to rescue her. Keep going though. We’ll catch up.”

  Cara walked toward Joe, her hands on her hips. “This isn’t my first rodeo. I understand the danger to Mac.” She glanced at Darcy, whose eyes flashed with indignation as her red hair flounced around her shoulders. “We never intended for Mac to leave the safety of the compound. We’ve got it all worked out with Ty.”

  Rayna’s blonde ponytail swung as she slapped Ty’s arm in jest. “Don’t you people ever communicate?”

  Mac’s gaze darted between the three women and Ty in confusion. It had certainly sounded to her like she was going shopping. From the perplexity on Brady’s face, it was clear he’d believed so as
well.

  “Give me a break. I’ve been a little busy this morning.” The affectionate smile Ty favored Rayna with belied his gruff words. He turned toward Joe. “We came up with a way that Mac can get the things she needs, have a hand in the decisions, and never leave the place.” Ty help up the iPad that had been lying on the desk behind him, moving it in an arc so everyone could see.

  “FaceTime.” Rayna, Darcy, and Cara chimed in at the same time.

  “Irene already provided a few things for Mac, so it’s not like it will take very long. If Mac will give us a list, we can pick some things, and I can try them on. We’re really close to the same height and size. What do you think, Mac?” Cara swung toward her.

  “Um . . . that works, I guess . . . but you’re going to an awful lot of trouble. I won’t need but a couple things.” She hesitated to announce to the group that it was mostly underthings she lacked. “And I don’t have much cash. All I have is a credit card.”

  “Don’t worry about money. I’ll make sure you have enough.” In spite of Brady’s generous words, his tone was gruff.

  Mac started to object, but something in his gaze stilled her tongue.

  Joe looked pointedly at Cara. “I assume you’ve arranged for a couple of men to accompany you? With Hernandez in the area, I don’t want to take any chances.”

  “It’s all arranged. Sanchez and Walker agreed to go,” replied Cara. “Irene offered to show Maria around this morning, so we just need someone to keep an eye on Marco for a few hours . . . and I was hoping you’d have time to watch your daughter.”

  Brady’s arm flexed at Mac’s waist, and his expression softened as she turned toward him. “We can take Marco, right?”

  “Of course.”

  Walker turned toward the man in the cowboy hat. “How about you, Nick? Want to take a drive into town?”

  Nick’s gaze darted to Walker as though he hadn’t been paying attention until he heard his name. “I think I’ll hang around here, if that’s okay with everyone.” He glanced toward Joe, who nodded slightly and turned away.

  “Okay. It’s settled then. Sanchez, Walker, and I will go to town.” Joe raised a hand to forestall Cara’s argument. “I can take care of Lea just as well in town as I can here. Mac and Jim can do whatever the hell they want to while they’re entertaining Marco. That leaves Steve and a half dozen special-ops guys, plus Jim to keep an eye on things here. Nick can look over the operation, and it looks like Ty is the only one who’ll get any work done today.” Joe slapped him on the back.

  “So . . . just like any other day then?” Ty chortled to accompanying groans from Joe and Walker.

  Mac had to admit she’d been looking forward to the female camaraderie, not to mention enough time away from Brady to clear her head, but with that lunatic, Hernandez, running around the countryside, staying here seemed like the smartest plan.

  She huddled for a few minutes with Cara, Rayna, and Darcy, giving them sizes and styles for underwear selections, adding a toothbrush and her favorite shampoo to the list. Learning that Irene had also given them a request for a few groceries lessened Mac’s guilt somewhat.

  Brady suddenly appeared beside her. “Ladies. Do you have everything you need from Mac?”

  “Got it. We’ll be ready to go as soon as we find Maria and see if there’s anything she needs.” Rayna handed the iPad to Mac. “Hang on to this just in case we have any questions. If you’re not familiar, Ty will get you started.”

  “Thanks. I have one just like this—or had one, I guess. Maria decided to stay then?”

  “She told Joe this morning. Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Mac nodded. She felt sure Maria would be safe and happy here, but a moment of sadness gripped her as Paddy’s absence in their lives squeezed the joy from the occasion.

  Brady fished his wallet from his back pocket, opened it, and slid out a plastic card. Mac prayed that his extra condoms weren’t lying on top for everyone to see. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was all neatly organized again.

  “My debit card. PIN’s on the back.”

  Mac snorted.

  “What?” He turned and grinned. “No one’s gotten it away from me yet. No one will guess it either. I bet if I went through your trash or spent ten minutes on your Facebook page, I’d know your PIN and half of your passwords.” He raised a brow, clearly daring her to scoff.

  The way his smoldering eyes pinned her in place sent a tremor through her. Shoot! All he’d have to do is ask, and she’d tell him the damn passwords.

  Cara broke the spell between them. “We’ll ring in if we have something to show you. Don’t be surprised if we pick a few things you didn’t ask for. It would be more fun if you could go, Mac, but this’ll all be over soon.”

  “Don’t worry about me . . . and don’t go crazy, okay?”

  Joe and Walker had headed out a few minutes earlier, and Nick followed not too long after. Rayna, Darcy, and Cara went in search of Maria, leaving only Brady, Ty, and Mac in the study.

  Ty grimaced. “They just want to help, Mac.”

  “Is it that obvious?” She couldn’t help the humiliation that heated her skin. Having taken care of herself for a long time, she wasn’t used to the idea of others shopping for her basic necessities. It rankled her, but the real kicker was the willingness with which these people jumped in to help. Almost like a family.

  “Only because every one of us has been in your position. It’s not easy accepting help the first few times. Ask Jim about that sometime. Point is, if you stay around here very long . . . well, you might as well get used to people always on the edge of your business.” Ty picked up his phone and grinned. “You two go have some fun today. We’ll be inundated with new people by this time tomorrow.”

  Brady pressed his warm hand on her back and nudged her toward the door. “Let’s go find Marco. He always has something he wants to do. Not all of them are things you’ll want to do, unless you’re into catching snakes.”

  A shudder rolled over her. Apparently feeling it through his hand on her back, Brady chuckled. As a young boy, Paddy had taunted her mercilessly with the mere threat of finding a snake. It had taken a couple of years before she’d learned that snakes in Alaska were extremely rare. She’d been so hurt by his teasing that she’d saved her allowance for three months and bought a corn snake. Somehow he’d known it was she who’d put it in his bed, and he’d never mentioned snakes again.

  Mac glanced at Brady and smiled. “Nope. Not really into snakes.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I KNOW! LET’S go to the . . . plat . . . toe! Marco accompanied his suggestion with a series of hops that effectively announced his enthusiasm.

  Mac laughed and shook her head. Brady had been right about Marco. His first choice was going to the lake, but when Brady explained that they couldn’t leave the compound today, Marco wasted no time in picking his second favorite. She glanced toward Brady for an interpretation.

  “The northeastern perimeter encloses a stand of timber, a mountainside, and a flat rock formation we call the Plateau.”

  “Yeah! It’s a long ways. We should take a lunch and lots of water.” Marco was beyond excited.

  Brady fixed Mac with a hopeful grin, and she smiled. “Why do I get the feeling I’m outnumbered here? I haven’t forgotten the last hike you took me on, you know. How far is this plateau?”

  “We’ll take a Gator to the edge of the timber and walk from there. It’s probably a thirty-minute hike.” With a smirk, he tipped his head toward the boy who hadn’t taken his deep brown eyes off of her face. “Go ahead. Tell the little guy we can’t go.”

  “You’re incorrigible,” she murmured so only he could hear. Then she turned to Marco. “I think that’s a great idea. What would you like to take for lunch?”

  “A turkey samwich, some ’tatoe chips, and some of Señora Irene’s yummy cookies.”

  Mac leaned over and swiped the boy’s curly hair off his forehead. “Got to appreciate a man who knows
what he wants.”

  Brady came up behind her and trailed his fingers slowly down her arm. “I hope so.” He moved away before the shiver had died out. “Come on, Marco. Let’s go gas up the Gator and get some water and a backpack from the shed. Sounds like Mac will see to our lunches, and we’ll all meet back here in twenty or so.” His gaze shifted to Mac.

  The heck with the cute five-year-old. It was Brady she couldn’t bring herself to refuse anything. There was heartbreak in her future. She was as sure about that as she was that she’d already fallen in love with this man in spite of the dark past that made him so dangerous. If it was wrong, how come it made her feel alive?

  “Twenty minutes ought to do it, but don’t leave without me, okay?” She ruffled Marco’s hair as he giggled and nodded his agreement.

  The picture he made, walking beside Brady, trying to match his stride and keep up, was nothing short of adorable. He could have been walking with Paddy. He and Maria might have had a life together that included raising that little boy—if not for Hernandez. Tears prickled Mac’s eyes. God, would it never stop hurting?

  She turned away and hurried toward the kitchen. Her footsteps echoed in the nearly empty house. The shoppers had left fifteen minutes ago. Mac had heard the Hummer start up and drive away. Brady had mentioned there were other men and students on the ranch, but so far she hadn’t seen anyone outside of the dining area this morning.

  Irene and Maria were having a cup of coffee when she burst in on them. Irene popped up before Mac could stop her and poured another cup.

  “Thanks, but I’ve got less than twenty minutes to make lunches for Brady, Marco, and me . . . if that’s all right.”

  Maria stood. “I’ll help. Marco is behaving, I hope.”

  “Your son is amazing, Maria. You’re lucky to have him.” Mac didn’t miss the frown on her face, but it was the anger emanating from Irene that proved there was something amiss.