Agent Undone

by Cassidy Reyne

  Hours later, he woke with a shout erupting from his throat. The sheets were twisted around his legs and he felt wound tight like a guitar string. He must have been dreaming, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember what it had been all about. It made him feel unsettled and anxious. Freeing his legs from the bedsheets, he got up and walked out onto the porch. The air felt fresh and inviting and a cool breeze calmed his body down. For a few minutes, Carter stood and just inhaled the sea air, trying to quiet his whirling mind and after a few deep breaths, he returned to the bedroom. Dawn wouldn’t be for while yet, so he flopped onto the bed on his back and closed his eyes. He focused on the sound of the surf to distract himself and was soon asleep.

  As the horizon started to brighten across the water, he woke from another dream. This time, it was the usual nightmare from when Mira was killed that made him sit up with his heart hammering loudly in his chest. Fuck this shit! He thought angrily to himself. It’s been four years and I’m still dreaming the same fucked up stuff every night. Why can’t I get it out of my head? Carter pulled on a t-shirt and walked outside. He sank down on one of the chairs and tried to make some sense of his feelings. He was attracted to Madison, that much was painfully obvious, but she didn’t seem the slightest bit interested. He couldn’t help wonder if she just didn’t find him attractive, or if there was something else. Something to do with whatever she was hiding, which he’d only caught glimpses of when she’d let her guard down.

  What would happen when he went back to Virginia Beach? Would she want to keep in touch, or would she prefer to just cut ties altogether? Come on, Carter, love and leave, remember? Or even just fuck and leave. No relationship, no commitment, no emotions, and definitely no clinginess. Don't forget how you felt when Mira died in your fucking arms! Don’t risk going through that again. It’s too fucking painful, and it’ll only drag you back down that hell hole. And this time you might not be able to crawl your way back up. He kept up his monologue, like so many times before, until he started to believe it — almost.

  As the skies brightened, he realized he’d be late for his run with Madison if he didn’t get a move on, so he quickly changed into a sleeveless T-shirt and running shorts before lacing up his sneakers and making his way towards her beach house at a brisk jog. She was already waiting for him and his heart squeezed when her face lit up with a big smile.

  “There you are. I was beginning to think you were going to stand me up.” Her tone was teasing, and the green of her eyes sparkled like emeralds in the dim light.

  “No way, I wouldn't do that to you. I just lost track of time for a bit. Cape?”

  “Sure, I love going that way. There’s never anyone around. Even at this hour there are people on the beach in the village and I prefer to be alone.”

  “Really? Maybe I should go the other way then and leave you be?” A wry smile eased across Carter’s mouth and Madison burst out laughing. She playfully smacked him on the arm, and he rubbed it as if it hurt.

  “Ow, you shouldn't be hitting a guy, you know?” A deep laugh rumbled out of his chest at the amused look on her face.

  “I didn’t mean you, of course, and don’t be such a sensitive little doll.”

  “Sensitive doll? How could anyone even begin to think in those terms when they see me? I’m 6’3” and built of solid muscle, I’ll have you know.”

  “Oh, I’m sure. I was talking about your ego.” Madison laughed so hard tears were streaming down her face and she held her stomach as she struggled for breath.

  “Right, as payback you have to race me to the peninsula. And I won’t be holding back. One, two, GO!” Carter raced off, leaving Madison behind, but he hadn’t gotten far when suddenly, she overtook him and surged ahead. He was fast, but had a lot of bulk to carry around and an injured leg, while she was like a gazelle across the sand. He doubled his efforts to keep up, ignoring the burning pain that flared up in his leg.

  They both reached the narrow tip of the cape at the same time and collapsed in the sand, panting hard from the exertion. Side by side, they lay quietly for a few minutes while the sun was painting the sky a golden yellow.

  “Would you like to come to mine for dinner tonight? I can cook us a nice meal and we can have a bottle of wine and just talk.” Carter blurted out. He turned his head and studied her profile while she considered his suggestion. When she turned her eyes towards him, the depth of emotion he found there took his breath away. Her lips were only inches away and he could feel her sweet breath against his mouth. At that very moment, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her deeply and make her feel things no other man had ever done before. He had to wrestle with his emotions to get them under control and not take her right there on the sand.

  “I’d love that, thank you. I’ll bring the wine, so red or white? And what time do you want me there?”

  Carter told her white as he wanted to cook some fish or seafood. He might even try to get some oysters. Maybe their aphrodisiac qualities could give him a helping hand.

  By the time they got back to Madison’s place, the sun had risen above the horizon and another day had started in earnest in the Sunshine State. After they’d settled on a time for dinner, Carter returned to his borrowed house and got showered and changed. He jumped in his Jeep and drove the short distance to the local store where he picked up the fish and seafood he’d ordered the day before. He’d been optimistic things would go to plan. As he walked down the little cobbled stone street back towards his car, he noticed a man hanging around outside the bar which hadn’t yet opened for the evening. The only reason he reacted to him was that he seemed completely out of place for the area. He was dressed in suit pants with his jacket slung over his shoulder. His white dress shirt stood out against the bright sunshine. It was open at the neck with the tie hanging loose. He seemed to be studying the people walking by and held a cell phone in his hand which he kept glancing at. The agent in Carter had his hackles raised and he sauntered past the man while studying all there was to know about him from just a few glances. The fact that Suit Man wasn’t from around there was glaringly obvious, and something told Carter he wasn’t waiting for the surf to rise. He carried on down the street until he came to some benches under a tree where he could settle down and pretend to type on his phone while keeping the man under observation. Carter was unsure why he felt the need to keep an eye on him, but he’d learned long ago to trust his instincts. As Suit Man started to move in the direction of the parking lot, Carter followed at a discreet distance while carrying on a fake conversation on his cell. From behind dark sunglasses he spotted him get in a dark sedan with tinted windows, the absence of license plates adding to his suspicions, and watched while it drove off in the direction of Port St. George. Carter jumped into his own truck and followed, only just keeping the sedan in sight, and felt relieved when it took the on-ramp for the interstate while he carried on down the small road that led into town. He felt a bit stupid for being so paranoid, but in his line of work you learned to rely on your gut feelings and his gut had been churning with suspicion. He’d make sure he kept an eye out for the guy in case there was something going on in the area.

  Once he’d finished with his purchases, he drove back to the beach house and started to get set up for his dinner with Madison. Whilst getting everything prepared, he whistled an old pop tune and enjoyed being in a really good mood for once. He was looking forward to spending the evening with Madison and being able to cook for her. There would be no attempts at seduction. When she was ready, if she ever was, he could reconsider his decisions.

  With everything arranged, he grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and was just about to sit down on the porch when his cell rang. Grabbing the device from his shorts pocket he smiled when he saw the caller ID.

  “Hi buddy. How are you doing? Gaines still giving you grief?”

  “Shit, man, like you wouldn’t believe, but at least we haven’t been out in the field since the last disaster. I never thought I’d be happy hanging around
base and not be out on an op. Not sure how long the boss can keep us grounded for, though.”

  “Fuck, he’s a liability, that dickhead. When is the Director going to realize he has a lot more to lose with the guy inside the organization than out?”

  “I hear ya’. Not much the boss can do except for keeping him contained here at HQ. He has him compiling AAR’s at the moment to see if he can find any trail to the drug runners in Louisiana. There won’t be any, but the guy is so stupid he doesn’t have a clue. The rest of us are running training exercises with the new recruits so we’re not just hanging around sucking air. But, fuck, man. We need you back in the saddle, pronto.”

  “Still working on it, and it’s getting close. I haven’t got much left of my leave anyway, so I should be back in VB soon.”

  “Look, I’ve got a few days off, and I was gonna drive down there to check in on my mom for a bit. Let’s have a few beers together in the local bar. We can get shitfaced and pick up a couple of girls to have some fun with, what do you say?”

  “You’re coming down? When?” Carter smiled broadly at the thought of having his best buddy around for a day or two. They always got themselves into trouble when they got together and usually ended up completely wasted and in the arms of a willing woman. Normally at some cheap motel or other. This time, though, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to go down that route. He was getting a bit too old for it, and if the boss found out, they’d be severely reprimanded for embarrassing the agency. Not to mention that he didn’t want Madison to see him like that.

  “I’m leaving in a couple of hours and stopping once or twice on the way, but I should be there sometime around eight tomorrow night. How about we eat at the diner and then hit the bar afterwards?”

  “Sounds good to me, give me a call when you get here. You staying with me or with your mom?”

  “I promised mom I’d stay with her, but if we’re gonna get drunk tomorrow night I’d better crash in the spare room and then go visit her the day after.”

  After Carter had hung up with Nate, he leaned back in the comfortable chair and put his feet up on the wooden railing. It was the perfect height for him to be able to still look out on the beach and across the sea. He sat there until it was time to get the last few things done before Madison arrived, just letting his mind wander in whatever direction it fancied. Most of his thoughts centered on her, of course, and he couldn't help feel a bit annoyed he wouldn't have a chance to see her the following evening. If Nathan had his way, they’d both be too hungover the day after for him to be able to get up at the crack of dawn for his run with her.

  ‘Love and leave’ remember? The mocking voice in the back of his head whispered.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Carter was putting the finishing touches to their dinner in the kitchen when he heard a knock on the door. With a big smile on his face, he flung it open wide to let Madison in.

  “Hi. I’m so glad you could make it. You look really pretty.”

  “Thank you so much, and thanks for inviting me. It gets a bit boring eating on my own night after night.”

  Carter took her wrap and showed her into the open plan living room and kitchen. She handed him a bottle of chilled white wine and he reached for the opener so they could have a glass before they ate.

  “I feel the same, so this makes a nice change. I’ve got a lobster salad for starter and then grilled fish for our main course. Does that sound ok? I forgot to ask if you were allergic to seafood or anything, sorry.”

  “That sounds wonderful. I’m not allergic to anything, as far as I know.”

  Madison accepted the glass of wine from him and took a small sip. He watched her cast a glance around the living room before looking back at him. She seemed nervous, but was trying hard to hide it. If only he knew what was causing it. Carter glanced at Madison out of the corner of his eye as he checked on the food in the oven. She was the complete opposite of Mira. Where Madison was petite and ethereal, Mira had been tall and fierce in her attitude. Her hair had been dark, almost black and Maddie’s was a glossy chestnut color. Even their eyes were very different as Mira’s had been a deep, warm brown against the sparkling emeralds of Maddie’s. The pale pink, knitted dress she was wearing clung to her curves, making her look soft, warm and inviting. Something Mira had never tried to do.

  “I thought we could eat outside on the verandah. I think it’s warm enough.” Carter looked at Madison.

  “That would be lovely. It was still very warm when I walked over here so we should be fine.” She smiled radiantly at him.

  “Let’s sit down and we can have our starter now. If you’re hungry yet, that is?” He could feel his body heat up at her smile and forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down. There was no way he’d be able to hide an erection from her all night, so he had to get a tight grip on himself.

  “Sure, I didn’t have much for lunch so I’m starving.” Madison walked out onto the decking ahead of him. She leaned against the railing and looked out over the darkened ocean. The sun had gone down and only the faintest line of orange still showed on the horizon.

  “I love it here. Living by the ocean is just so… I don’t know… energizing, I guess. I don’t ever want to move inland again.” Her voice floated across to him, wistful and soft.

  “Why would you have to leave if you don’t want to? It’s your choice where you want to live.” Carter waved at one of the chairs, inviting her to sit down.

  “I guess so, but you never know what life is going to throw at you. That’s one lesson I’ve learned the hard way.” Madison turned around and smiled at him. “This looks wonderful, Carter. You’ve really outdone yourself.” Madison quickly switched the subject and Carter didn’t press her on it.

  They kept the conversation to neutral subjects for the rest of the dinner, discussing favorite films, books and music. They had differing tastes, but settled on agreeing to disagree. Once they’d finished their meal, they stayed on the verandah, drinking wine, talking and watching the millions of stars dotting the velvet black sky. When Madison yawned widely, Carter stood up and offered her his hand.

  “Come on, I’ll take you home. We need to be up in a few hours for our daily exercise. Can’t have my running buddy falling asleep on the sand, now can I?”

  Madison smiled and tried to suppress another yawn. She took his hand and together they walked along the water’s edge to her cottage.

  “Night, Carter. Thank you for a wonderful evening and a delicious dinner. I’ll see you in the morning, bright and early?”

  “I’ll be there. Goodnight, Maddie.” Against his better judgment, Carter leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, close to her sweet mouth. He could almost taste her scent and was grateful for the limited light glowing from her house. He stood watching until she’d made it safely inside the small clapboard house. Then he turned on his heel and walked slowly back to his own place. His mind once again churning with conflicting emotions.

  “Carter, please, I need —“

  “Shhh. I’ve got you.” He whispered the words as he slowly kissed his way down her body, finding all her sensitive areas on the way. He loved how she arched her neck to give him better access as he dragged his tongue against the skin behind her ear. He relished the moans that escaped her throat when he nipped at her collarbone, the gasp when he took first one and then the other hardened nipple in his mouth and suckled gently. He placed kiss after feather light kiss down the center of her stomach, blew gently in her belly button and smiled when it made her squirm. Slowly, he neared her mound and allowed his tongue to draw lazy circles down to the top of her slit before darting in and tasting her nectar. Above him, he heard her draw in a sharp breath and her back arched in surprise.

  Carefully, he parted her folds with his thumbs and used his tongue to caress, his teeth to graze and his breath to excite her and push her towards an explosive climax. When at last, he focused on the bundle of nerves at the top of her sex, he had to wrap his hands around her hips to hold he
r in place, so she didn’t lift off the bed. Now, when he was finally allowed to worship this stunningly beautiful body, he wanted to take his time and give it the attention it deserved.

  “Carter!” Madison cried out in release as her body shuddered through her second orgasm.

  “I know, beautiful. Just relax, I will take care of you.” He could feel her hands tugging at his hair and he reluctantly pulled himself up from between her legs and held his body along the length of hers. She was so small he dwarfed her, and he made sure he put his weight on his arms so he wouldn't crush her.

  “I need you — now. Please, Carter, I want you inside me.” She looked up at him with lips swollen from his kisses and eyes wide with desire.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’m pretty big, and you are very small.” A frown crossed his brow even through the lust-filled haze his brain was enveloped in. He knew he’d have to be careful as his cock was both long and thick and it would be easy to hurt a woman as petite as Madison. The last thing he wanted was to cause her pain.

  “Yes, I’m sure. I want to feel all of you.”

  Her honest declaration made him crazy with need and he positioned himself with the tip of his cock right at her entrance.

  “Maddie, look at me.” He ordered her in a low voice. Her eyes flashed open and she locked her gaze with his. Slowly, he pushed his hips forward and entered her soft, wet heat. She was incredibly tight and squeezed him hard as he surged forward. When he gently withdrew, she let out a mewling sound of disappointment that made him smile. His desire filled his balls with a white-hot fire and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself to the hilt in one powerful thrust, but he knew he had to take it gently. Once more, he pushed forward and kept his eyes firmly focused on hers as he thrust all the way in until he hit her depths. He held still. It was as if time had stopped and nothing existed except the two of them. He could barely believe it. She had taken his full length and the feeling was indescribable. For a brief second, he wondered if he’d just entered heaven. Then time sped up again and he had to grit his teeth to not lose control and take her, stroke by powerful stroke. Her eyes widened as she could feel his size and he couldn't help but marvel at this amazing woman. She was so small, but still had taken his whole length in her most desirable place. Cradling her face in his hands, he started to move in and out of her core, both of them gradually increasing the pace until their bodies were thrusting hard against each other. He could feel his release building as the exquisite swell of tingling fire raced down his back and into his tight balls. He never let go of her eyes and angled his cock inside her, so it caressed that small area of tender nerve endings. He knew he was hitting it right when her breath stuttered and the muscles inside her gripped his cock so hard it was almost painful. Her eyes rolled back and she cried out as the orgasm washed over her. Carter kept stroking in and out, riding the wave of her release with her. As he felt her slowly spiral downwards, he kept moving inside her body, the aftershocks still squeezing his cock rhythmically. He pulled one of her legs up around his waist to get better access and was rewarded with a deep groan. His balls were drawing up closer to his body and heat surged up and down his spine.