Kill Shot

by Liliana Hart

  “Good. You and Logan are staggered to leave for Iran within the next twelve hours under your new identities. Grace and I will stagger our leave with yours in the next sixteen hours. We’ll meet you at the rendezvous point at three p.m.” Gabe clicked his earpiece off before Jack or Ethan could comment. “Let’s go.”

  Grace laughed as Gabe grabbed hold of her hand, and they traced their steps back the way they came. “You’re in an odd mood.”

  “We’re about to start the most important mission of our careers, and I’m about to make love to a beautiful woman. That’s pretty much all I’ve ever wanted out of life.”

  “Oh, really? So any beautiful woman would do?”

  Gabe kissed her deeply, and when he broke away, they were both gasping for breath. “Only you, Grace.”

  * * *

  Gabe was acting different. Grace couldn’t put her finger on when it started exactly, but she had to get things back under her control. She wasn’t ready to face what would happen if she ever did lose control, and as good as it felt to be with Gabe again, she wasn’t really ready to face that either.

  The grief boiled inside her, threatening to spill over the edges with every passing day. She’d been able to keep it under control since Maddie’s death because she had a goal to focus on. She could grieve after Tussad was dead.

  But Gabe’s unspoken compassion and his need to share the burden with her made her want to break down before the right time—before her plan was complete. She couldn’t let him get past her defenses like that. As long as she called the shots during whatever was going on between them—she didn’t want to call it a relationship—then things would be okay.

  He’d been right when he’d said she still loved him. She always had, and she knew she’d never be able to stop, no matter how much time or distance was between them. But just because two people loved each other didn’t mean they needed to be together. Sometimes the pain outweighed the love.

  She and Gabe met Jack on the street on their way back to headquarters. He took one look at them and shook his head. “I’m going to get a beer. You two have fun.” He veered off in the opposite direction, and they checked in with the security gate and made their way through the front door.

  They kept a respectable distance between them once they were inside the safety of the building, not knowing if anyone was watching. Tension vibrated between them, and Grace ached to get her hands on him. They waited patiently for the elevator, not making eye contact as the doors opened. By the time they made it to the sixth floor, her heart was pounding so hard she was sure Gabe could hear it.

  “My place. I have something for you.” Grace grabbed his hand and led him to the door of her apartment. She hadn’t stepped foot inside his private rooms since she’d been here. She didn’t want to see how he’d been living since they’d parted ways. She didn’t want to notice if he still left the cap off the toothpaste or if he still kept his bread in the refrigerator.

  “Chicken,” he said. “What happened to our place?”

  “Why can’t our place be my place?”

  He shook his head but followed her into the room. There was nothing personal lying around. It looked exactly the same as it had when she’d first stepped through the door. She never kept pictures or mementos of her former life with her.

  “Let’s talk about Kimball,” Gabe said.

  Grace looked down at her watch. “We only have a limited amount of hours until we have to get back to work, and you want to talk about Kimball now?”

  Gabe’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What’s going on here, Grace?”

  “I always thought you were so smart. Can’t you tell when someone’s trying to seduce you?”

  “Well, it’s been awhile. I’m a little rusty.”

  “Maybe I can jog your memory.” She took him by the hand and pulled him toward the bedroom.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “You might have to try really hard.”

  The smile Gabe gave her sent shivers down her spine. His eyes challenged her to do her best, and she decided then and there that Gabe wouldn’t know what hit him.

  “I’ll make you a deal,” she said.

  “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

  She pushed him so he stood in front of one of the four posts on the bed. She ran her fingers over the rigid muscles of his stomach and chest and felt the power rush through her as he shuddered under her touch. She pulled off his T-shirt and dropped it on the floor at his feet.

  “Have I ever told you how much I love your body?”

  “It’s been awhile.” His voice was husky, and she could see the pulse pounding in his throat.

  “If you promise to stay right here and not move, I’ll do that thing you like.”

  “I’d be crazy to turn down a deal like that.”

  “But you can’t move. No matter what. If you do, I’ll have to stop.”

  “What, you think I can’t keep my end of the bargain? I’ve been tortured by worse than the likes of you, sweetheart.”

  “I guess we’ll find out. Do we have a deal?” She circled her fingernail over his hard nipple, and he sucked in a breath.

  “We have a deal. Do your worst.”

  Grace took his hands and lifted them up over his head, wrapping his fingers around the post at his back. “Leave your hands there. Remember, you promised not to move.”

  She skimmed her fingers back down his chest until they rested over the button of his jeans. He quirked a brow at her in a dare, and she unsnapped the button, keeping her gaze steady on his. She pushed the jeans and his underwear down to his feet.

  “Step out.” Her voice was low and husky, and the sight of his obvious arousal enhanced her own. She wanted to move faster, but she held herself back, determined to make him crazy by the time she was done with him. It was time he got a taste of his own medicine.

  Grace left him there, naked, aroused, and bound only by his word, as she made the preparations she wanted. She gathered candles and placed them throughout the room. When she lit them, a glow filled the area with soft light.

  The first rumble of thunder echoed outside, and she couldn’t help but smile. She’d always done her best work in the rain.

  “I hope you’re planning to come back over here soon,” Gabe said. His hands were exactly where she’d left them, stretched above his head, gripping the post so his muscles strained.

  “Eventually.” Grace took her time unbraiding her hair. She knew how the sight of it had always turned him on. It tumbled around her shoulders and down her back, and she ran her fingers through it. His eyes were hot as they followed her every move.

  She went back toward him but stopped about ten feet away. “You know I’m going to drive you crazy.”

  “You’ve been doing that the better part of ten years. Give it your best shot.”

  She smiled at the challenge and lifted her shirt slowly over her head. Her breasts strained against the confinement of her bra, but she waited to take it off. She unbuttoned her pants and wiggled out of them so she was left standing in the emerald green bra and panties she’d found in her drawer. She’d known without asking that he’d picked them out himself. He loved it when she wore green.

  “Christ, you’re beautiful.”

  “Did you pick out underwear for all your agents or just me?”

  “I had a special interest in your underwear.”

  “I never thanked you.”

  “No, you didn’t. I’m not sure I want you to keep it. Maybe you should take it off.”

  “Maybe I should.”

  Grace skimmed her hands over her thighs and closed her eyes, feeling the change of textures between her skin and the lace. She followed the dip and swell of her curves, her own breath hitching in anticipation at what was to come. Her nipples were sensitive against the fabric of her bra.

  Grace opened her eyes and looked straight at Gabe as she unhooked the front clip and her breasts spilled out of the cups. She let the scrap of lace fall to the ground, and reveled in the wi
ld need that came into Gabe’s eyes. His hands squeezed the post, and his arm muscles bulged and strained until she thought he might snap it off completely.

  She didn’t remove the panties, but cupped the weight of her breasts in each hand, tweaking her nipples between her fingers and feeling the tug and pull of desire deep inside of her.

  “You’re killing me, Grace. Don’t make me beg.”

  She kept her gaze steady on his as she moved one of her hands down her torso and dipped her fingers inside her panties. The curls that covered her desire were moist, and her fingers slipped through the delicate folds. She couldn’t help but moan as her fingers hit the sensitive bud of her clitoris.

  Gabe’s erection looked painful. It stood rigid against his stomach, the head engorged with blood and the tip seeping precum. His sac was tight against his body, and the muscles in his thighs quivered.

  She stopped her teasing and moved closer to him, the sway of her hips answering the call of his desire. She kissed him gently, despite the need consuming her. She wanted to devour her conquest, to take no prisoners. The storm raging outside matched the one taking place in her body. But self-control was key, and she had self-control in spades.

  She ran her finger, still damp with her juices, over his bottom lip, and he immediately took it into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tip and savoring her taste.

  “Don’t get greedy. I told you not to move.” He released her finger and promised retribution with his eyes. She couldn’t wait.

  She kissed her way down his chest, lowering herself to her knees in front of him. She breathed in the scent of his arousal and nuzzled her cheek against his rigid length.

  “It’s been awhile since I’ve done this.”

  “It’s probably like riding a bike. You never really forget how.”

  Grace laughed against him and looked up into his eyes. Sweat dampened his skin with the restraint he used to hold himself still, but his gaze was steady as he stared back at her. She didn’t look away as she took him in her hand and kissed away the moisture at his tip. Her lips were salty as she ran her tongue over them.

  His taste and texture were familiar, as was the growl he made in the back of his throat when her tongue hit the sensitive spot on the underside of his cock. Her throat opened as she took him farther and farther down, and she kept the pump of her hand steady.

  He spread his legs apart for better balance, and she cupped his balls in her other hand, massaging the area just behind with her fingers.

  “Shit, Grace. I’m going to come. Stop.” He lowered his hands and took hold of her head, and she immediately stopped what she was doing.

  “No one said you could move your hands. You made a deal. If you break it now, the whole thing’s off. We can play cards for the next few hours.”

  “When this is over, I’m going to make you beg for mercy.”

  “I’m counting on it. Now get your hands back where they belong.”

  He did what he was told, and Grace took him back in her mouth, redoubling her efforts to get him back where he’d been. He strained against her, trying to hold back his release, but she was relentless. She took him deep, swirling her tongue around him while keeping the steady pump of her hand going.

  “Last chance, Grace. I’m going to come.”

  She purred while her mouth was wrapped around him, and the vibrations sent him over the edge. He shouted out, and she drank every drop of him down like wine. She licked her lips and slithered back up his body, her own need for release even more potent since she’d experienced his.

  His hands were still above him, but his head hung down, and his breath rasped in and out of his lungs. Sweat covered his skin. Grace kissed him deeply, her tongue sliding sinuously against his, and she felt him stir against her. She ran her hands over his shoulders and up his arms, unwrapping them from the post and pulling them around her so he held her close.

  “Mmm, I guess you fulfilled your part of the deal after all.”

  “A deal’s a deal. Now it’s my turn.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Before she knew what was happening, he had her wrists held captive behind her back and her torso bent over the side of the bed. The texture of the bedspread was rough against her sensitive nipples, and she could feel the moisture pooling between her legs and running down her thighs.

  He didn’t give her warning as he plunged into her wet heat. He filled her completely, and the position made him feel even larger. He leaned over her, her arms held prisoner between them, and she screamed as the head of his cock hit the furthest point inside her. Her inner walls clamped around him, and her climax tore through her, wrecking her body and leaving her nothing more than a shattered shell of a woman.

  Too many sensations bombarded her system. The coolness of the sheets beneath her. The heat of Gabe on top of her. The candlelight flickered behind her closed eyelids, and the smell of wax and sex permeated the air. He released her arms and moved her so she lay fully on the bed. He grabbed the bed pillows and wedged them beneath her, spreading her legs wider and changing the angle of penetration again.

  “I can’t, Gabe. No more.”

  “Yes, you can.” He kissed his way up her spine and nipped at the base of her neck. “Do you have any idea how good you feel around me?”

  All she could do was moan in response. He’d stopped moving, and she wiggled against him in anticipation as the heat started to build inside her once again. He moved his hand beneath her and cupped her mound, holding in the pulsing heat that quivered there. His hand skimmed down her back, leaving chills along her skin, and his finger circled the puckered star of her anus.

  “Oh, God, Gabe.” Sensations spiraled through her like lightning. “Please.”

  “Please what?”

  “Move inside me. Just fuck me. I’m begging.”

  He pulled out of her slowly until only the very tip of his cock was still inside her. He dipped his finger lower and gathered her juices before bringing it back up to her rear passage. He sank his finger in slowly just as he pushed his cock back inside of her to the hilt. His fingers kept busy in front and behind, building the pressure and matching his thrusts in intensity, and sensitive nerve endings she never knew existed had her pushing back against him, eager for more. He was relentless in his goal, giving her no choice but to feel the myriad of pleasures he was providing.

  It only took a few thrusts before the heat gathered in her pussy and spiraled outward. She buried her face in the covers and screamed as she flooded his cock with her come. He thrust one last time and moaned into her hair before he collapsed on top of her.

  * * *

  “We’ve got to learn to pace ourselves,” Gabe said a while later. “I can’t feel my feet.”

  Grace smiled and burrowed closer into his side. “Tell me about Kimball while you’re recovering.”

  Gabe stiffened slightly at the sound of Kimball’s name—the hazy, postcoital bliss short-lived. Being with Grace made it easy to forget the other things in his life. He took a minute before he answered her, just enjoying having her pliant in his arms.

  “You saw the dossier on Kimball. He was former CIA, but he’s connected to us. To me at least.” Gabe combed her hair with his fingers. “His handler was a man named Derrick Kyle, and Kyle worked undercover for Tussad.”

  Grace froze in his arms at the mention of Tussad’s name. “You’re kidding me?” She sat up beside him, the sheet covering her lap but leaving her breasts bare to his gaze.

  “Oh, it gets better. Derrick Kyle’s direct boss during the duration of his time in Tussad’s organization was Frank Bennett. But someone leaked Kyle’s identity to Tussad, and he was sent back to the US in a tiny box.”

  “You think Shawn Kimball knew about Kyle’s involvement in Tussad’s organization? You think he was the leak?”

  “It’s all pieces to the puzzle, Grace. I’ll know for sure once I talk to Kimball.”

  She pushed back the covers and got out of bed, pacing aro
und the room in agitation. She was a sight to see, red hair flaming behind her, skin as pale as milk in the candlelight. He shook his head in disbelief as his cock started to show signs of life beneath the sheets.

  “You know what this means, don’t you?” she muttered under her breath. “Of course you do. You’ve already assessed every possible scenario in that brain of yours.” She crawled back into bed. “Kimball could know everything about you.”

  “I know. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

  “I want to see everything that you had Ethan hide from me earlier.” She looked at the clock on the nightstand and winced. “We’ve got to be up soon anyway.”

  “I figured you might. I’ve got it all on my laptop.”

  “I’ll make some coffee. I’m going to need the pick-me-up.”

  “Christ, no. Let me do it.”

  “You know, a less confident woman would take offense to that,” she yelled at his back. He chuckled once and then realized he hadn’t felt this content in a long time. Life was good. He couldn’t help the sense of dread that curled up his spine. Nothing good could last forever.

  * * *

  “I want to know who the hell these people are,” William Sloane yelled at the man who sat across from him. He’d finally found something, or in this case, someone, who could shake his unflappable composure. He didn’t like the feeling at all.

  He’d been in Boston for two days trying to clean up the mess that had been left for him. He needed a new scientist badly. He also needed a new head of his control center since he’d blown the man’s brains out and left them scattered across the wall of surveillance monitors. There should have been no reason for two operatives to be able to break into his lab and get away scot-free. The next person in charge of seeing to the security of his properties had best do a better job.

  It had taken him hours to get through to Kimball and order him to Boston. He wanted a report from him in person. For the amount of money he’d been transferring into Kimball’s account, it was the least the man could do for him.