by Maggie Nash
As the bellboy opened the room and placed their bags on the stand, Daniel sighed. He was tired from being on the run and he couldn’t think straight. Add to that the attraction he felt for Beth and he was worried. Worried that he’d never figure out who was following them. Worried that something bad would happen at the Conference unless he found the leak in the department. Worried that Beth was still in danger. And scared stiff that he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her.
Without even trying, Beth managed to awaken feelings he had no right to be having. He couldn’t afford to have them. This time he wasn’t going to get emotionally involved. Emotions got in the way of clear thinking and emotions could get people killed. He couldn’t let that happen to anyone again, especially not to Beth. He had to get the job done and fast, and move on.
At least it was a two-room suite. That should give him the space he needed to get some work done. His eyes skimmed the sitting room in front of him. It contained a desk, a three-seater couch, coffee table, a door to the bathroom and a door leading to the bedroom. Next to the desk was a phone plug for Internet connection. He’d take the couch. It was large and at least appeared comfortable.
“I’ll take the couch,” said Beth, interrupting Daniel’s train of thought. “You must be tired from doing all the driving.”
“No need. You take the bedroom,” Daniel answered. “I insist. I need to do some research on the Net anyway. I can sleep anywhere, and right now, that couch is a pretty damn good option.”
“Ah no, you’re not sleeping yet. You promised me Thai food and I’m not letting you sleep until you deliver.”
“I haven’t for—”
A loud knock curtailed Daniel’s reply. He moved over and checked through the peephole before he asked who was there.
“Room service.”
Beth’s face paled as she squeezed her fists tightly, drumming her legs in a nervous gesture. “I didn’t order anything,” she whispered.
“I did,” said Daniel smugly as he opened the door and stood back for the waiter to wheel in the cart. The pungent aromas of coriander and lemongrass filled the room.
Beth just stood there staring with her mouth open and her eyes wide in surprise. “When did you order this?”
The corners of Daniel’s eyes creased with amusement. “I can’t tell you all my secrets, can I? Where’s the fun in that?”
Beth glanced first at Daniel, then at the food. She inhaled the delicious aromas coming from the plates and shrugged. “What the heck. Let’s just eat,” she said as she limped over, pulled out a chair and sat down.
“Will that be all, sir?” asked the waiter as he shuffled from foot to foot, obviously having somewhere better to be.
“Beth? Would you like anything else?” Daniel asked as he winked at the waiter.
Beth lifted the plate covers and inspected the meal eagerly. “No thanks, this will be fine,” she replied. She shook out her napkin and placed it haphazardly across her lap, clearly anxious to get started.
Daniel tipped the waiter while walking him to the door, locking and bolting it behind him. Already seated at the dining cart, Beth tucked in to the meal, oblivious to Daniel’s approach.
“So you really like Thai food then?”
Beth swallowed quickly and blushed. “I know I’m greedy, but I promise I’ll leave you plenty. It’s just that I can’t function without food, and it’s been a long time since lunch.”
“Go ahead. Don’t worry about me. I can order more. It’s refreshing to find a woman who likes her food. Most women I meet eat like sparrows.” Daniel winked at Beth as he sat down. “And a healthy appetite doesn’t seem to have done you any harm.”
Beth almost choked on her mouthful and grabbed her glass of water quickly to smother the cough. “Thanks,” she said, blushing once again and waving her hand back and forth in front of her face. “I think.”
Oh great. Not only does he think I’m a stupid woman, now he thinks I’m a glutton. It doesn’t matter, does it? Isn’t that what she wanted to happen? That he didn’t find her attractive and backed off? Of course that’s what she wanted…or was it?
“So how did you know my favorite Thai dishes?” asked Beth, trying to steer the conversation onto a safer path.
“Just a lucky guess,” he chuckled as he sat down and started eating. “And they’re my favorites, too, so I guess we have something in common.”
“Really? Something in common?” said Beth, pausing between mouthfuls. “Now that’s a surprise.”
“Why? Is it that much of a stretch to find some common ground?”
She placed her fork down and looked up. “It’s just that our lives are so different. I’m a receptionist, for goodness’ sake. How boring is that? And you? Well, you lead this exciting life running around catching bad guys. There’s no comparison, really.”
Daniel flinched as he sat stiffly back in his chair. “This isn’t what I do. Not for a long time anyway. I’m a strategic analyst. I help plan strategies. I’m not a field agent anymore.”
“Not a field agent? So why are you here now?”
Pausing briefly, Daniel sighed. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had no choice.”
“Oh.” Beth slumped forward, resting her forehead in her hands as she sighed. “I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been on the train with you—”
“It would have happened anyway,” Daniel cut in. “I was already on that train, remember? It’s not your fault.”
“But if I hadn’t gotten you involved… You told me that I asked you to help. If I’d gone for the conductor instead, you would have been left out of it.”
“And we wouldn’t know that the conference was a target. I was on the train and that was enough to make them suspicious of me. There’s nothing you could have done that would have made either of us any safer than we are now, so quit beating yourself up.”
Daniel leaned across the table and took hold of Beth’s hands. A searing heat infused her fingertips, sending tingles through her whole body. Daniel caught her eyes in his gaze and continued, “It’s all wasted energy right now. We need to concentrate on finding out who the double agent is and what this means to the Heads of Government Conference, if anything. We only have a few days.”
It took all the willpower Beth could muster to talk, her voice shaky as she answered. “You’re right, of course. But where do we start? Who knows about me? And how many people know what you’re doing?”
Daniel released her hands and a cool breeze from the air conditioning flowed across her skin making her shiver.
“I’ve thought about that,” he said, staring at his hands as he placed them back on the table’s edge. “There are three people—my boss, Will Johnson—the helicopter pilot—and you. I can’t believe it could be either of them. I’ve known both of them for years and I’d trust them with my life. It has to be someone else.”
“Well, I know it’s not me. Maybe someone planted a bug on one of them…or hacked into their email or something.”
“You watch too many TV shows. Our security system would detect anything like that. No, it had to be something or someone else.” Daniel grunted as he dropped his knife and fork and stood so abruptly Beth jumped in her place. Deep in thought, he crossed the room to the window. The room overlooked Lake Burley Griffin—the city lights reflected off the surface, leaving long, shimmering trails of white across the water. The effect was breathtaking, but Daniel saw nothing at all. His mind was working overtime as he stared into space.
Damn! Where do I start? He shrugged and forced himself out of his reverie, moving toward his knapsack.
“I’d better check in. My boss gets testy if I don’t keep him up to speed.”
“But what if he’s the one who’s giving away our position?” asked Beth.
“That’s exactly why I need to contact him. So there’s no suspicion—not that I do suspect him—but we have to assume everyone is the enemy until we get to the bottom of this.”
Daniel removed the small black box from his knapsack and plugged it into his mobile phone. “I’ll use several scramblers. No one can trace us from here with them in place.” He pressed in a number and moved the phone to his ear. It answered after only two rings.
“Addison?”
“Wyatt! Where the hell have you been? I was expecting your update hours ago.”
“Sorry John, that little distraction I mentioned took longer to resolve than I originally thought.”
“What’s happening there? Is the Hamilton woman still with you?”
“Yes, she’s still safe. We plan on lying low until after the Conference. Then we’ll come in and finish the investigation.”
“Maybe you should come in now.”
Daniel paused for just a heartbeat. “No, I don’t think that’s wise at the moment. You yourself said we should be out of the way so we wouldn’t alert the terrorists that we’re onto them.”
“But they’re already onto us. They found you at the safe house. Come in, Daniel. We can keep you safe.”
Daniel took in some air and stared out of the window once more. “No, I think we can do much better if we stay out of sight. Remember, apart from the people I report to, most of the department thinks I’m still on sick leave. It’ll definitely send up a red flag if I suddenly turn up working on a case.”
The silence at the end of the phone was deafening except for a faint static.
“John? You still there?”
“Yes…I was thinking about what you said. There is some merit in what you say. I’ll give you some leeway for the moment, but if you have any problems, any problems at all, I want you to come in. Is that understood?”
Daniel slumped in relief. “Perfectly. Thanks, boss. I owe you one.”
“Just remember, I always insist on debts being repaid. Check in at the arranged times from now on, will you?”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Beth walked slowly toward where Daniel stood. “So?”
“So what?” Daniel smiled.
“What did he say? Was he acting suspicious?”
“No, I don’t think so. But we still have to be careful. No one is in the clear until we get to the bottom of this.”
Beth carefully sat down in the chair at the desk, rubbing her leg as she descended.
Daniel cursed softly and moved to her side.
“I’m sorry. I forgot about your leg. Can I get you some ibuprofen or an ice pack or something?”
“It’s all right, just throbbing a little. I forgot about it, too. It seems to be moving a little more freely now. I guess running away from bad guys is good for it,” Beth joked as she stood up and hobbled her way to the bathroom.
Her leg must hurt like hell. But she seemed determined to keep him from helping her at every turn. Damn, she was stubborn. And she was gorgeous, a little annoying sometimes, but gorgeous all the same. All that brilliant red hair, those fiery green eyes and legs that went on forever. Don’t go there.
Focus, that’s what he needed. It took only a few minutes to set up the laptop and plug in the modem. Getting into the department site unnoticed took a few more. Luckily, Daniel had designed the security for the site, so he knew how to get in through a back door. By the time the sound of the shower penetrated, he was skimming personnel files and quickly developing a throbbing headache.
She’s in the shower.
The images this revelation provoked ended any hope of Daniel getting anything useful done tonight. Well, so much for research. The steam escaping from under the door and the whistling sound as the water sprayed through the faucet conjured up incredibly erotic images. Images of steamy water trickling over a beautiful upturned face. Of hands working soapy lather over a slender body. Of perfect rounded breasts. Of his hands working soapy lather over her perfect, rounded breasts, and farther south. Oh yeah. How he would’ve liked to explore that luscious body and lick his way down her body and make her shout with pleasure. Did the heat get turned up in this room? Daniel shook his head as his jeans got unbearably tight. Think with your head, not your pants, buddy!
Jesus! He’d known this was going to be difficult, but he’d thought he could handle it. Hah! Fat chance. He needed to control his urge to give in to his first impulse, which was to join her in that shower and make love to her until they both collapsed. He needed to stay focused until they’d found out who was giving their position away. Beth’s life was on the line and he couldn’t afford any distractions. Hadn’t he already learned a hard lesson with Lisa? A deadly lesson? He’d promised himself that would never happen again. The problem was that he didn’t just desire her body—he actually liked Beth…a lot. He shoved a hand through his unruly hair and started pacing. Get focused, Daniel, and fast.
He crossed the room to the bar and poured himself a few fingers of Scotch. He stared through the window at the city lights, but all he could see was a vision of Beth in the shower floating in front of him again. Bloody hell! This was worse than he’d thought.
* * * *
Beth leaned against the closed bathroom door and grimaced. Great. Idiot, glutton and invalid. Can I be any more unattractive? Her leg started aching again but after shedding her clothes, she’d managed to climb over the edge of the bath, even though it had been an exercise in torture.
Shit.
Why didn’t a five-star hotel have a separate shower recess, especially a suite? The black marble and the chrome faucets gave the appearance of opulence, but the shower was still over the bath. Just my luck.
The warmth of the shower helped a little, but Beth regretted not taking more painkillers when she’d had the chance. What she wouldn’t have done for a leg massage like the ones her physical therapist gave her.
Maybe she could ask Daniel? Scratch that. That would be more than she could take. It definitely wouldn’t work if she gritted her teeth and thought of something unpleasant this time. It’d defeat the purpose anyway. She was way past diversionary therapy. She thought about what it would feel like if Daniel was rubbing and kneading her stiff muscles, moving up and down her leg. She closed her eyes and saw Daniel join her in the shower. In her dream vision he stood behind her, pulling their bodies together and blowing his hot breath into her ear. Her body tingled with sensation at the very thought of him touching her. She imagined his hands moving around to her groin and softly rubbing the soapy water into her folds, building up a rhythm as she moved her fingers back and forth over her swollen sex. Swaying slightly, she lost her balance and started sliding. She grabbed blindly for the small rail on the far wall. Oh shit! She slipped completely over and landed heavily on her back, sprawled along the length of the bath.
The door crashed open and in an instant, Daniel was there. “Are you all right?”
Feeling a hot flush spreading all over her, Beth attempted to pull the shower curtain over her very wet and very exposed body.
“I think so. I just slipped,” she choked out.
Daniel strode over to the bath and handed her a towel from the rack.
“Give me your hand. I’ll get you out.”
“No, that’s okay, I’ll be all right in a minute,” said Beth, valiantly attempting to cover herself with the tiny hotel version of a bath towel and trying to look anywhere but at Daniel’s face.
God, I’m such a klutz!
“Don’t be an idiot. You can’t possibly get up without help. Your leg’s injured, remember?”
“How could I forget? It’s what got me into this mess. I lost my balance and slipped.”
Daniel leaned over and, instead of taking Beth’s outstretched hand, reached out and scooped her up in one deft move, leaving her breathless and stunned. She barely had time to cover herself again with the wayward towel. She could feel the imprints of his hands as they seared her skin with heat. In an instant she found herself in the bedroom and gently lowered to the bed.
“Thanks, Daniel, I appreciate you rescuing me, but I probably could have managed,” she said, as she quickly adjusted the towel to cover her
self. Stupid towel! God, if only he hadn’t touched me.
Daniel frowned as he stood back from the bed and shook his head. “Sure you could have.”
“You’re right. Thanks for picking me up.”
Daniel’s eyes glittered with some unspoken emotion. He held out his hand as if to touch her face, but dropped it to his side. He drew in a breath and blew it out slowly. “Look, Beth. I was just trying to help you. Do we need to continue this? I’d better get back to my research.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I do that. I’m such a grump sometimes. I really do appreciate you helping me.”
Daniel’s expression softened slightly. “It’s okay. I understand.”
“I mean, it’s my problem, really. Please don’t take it the wrong way. I’m like this with everyone.” She stopped talking, covering her mouth with her fingers. “Oh God, I’m blabbering now, aren’t I?”
“It’s okay, really,” said Daniel, his face tight. “Do you need anything before I get back to my work?”
“No, I’m fine. I think I’ll go to bed now. Goodnight.”
Daniel hesitated for a few seconds, his gaze flickering over her exposed body before returning to her face. Was that desire she saw in his eyes? Don’t be stupid. Of course it isn’t. She had an ugly purple scar down the side of her knee. How much of a turn-on is that?
“Goodnight then. If you need anything, just call.”
“Okay,” said Beth, but she was speaking to the air, as Daniel had already left, closing the door behind him.
Daniel couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. That went well, he told himself. Yeah, right! How the hell was he supposed to get focused now? Beth’s body was everything he’d dreamed of. Better, even. He imagined himself touching her, tasting her, losing himself in her, no—fucking her brains out! He was going crazy just thinking about her. Oh shit…this is probably a really bad idea, he told himself as he turned around and walked purposefully toward the bedroom door. If he could just have one taste…
Beth let out a breath and sighed. How could she have let that happen? Obviously, she had to work harder at ignoring how Daniel affected her. She couldn’t afford to let the man mean something. Just because he was the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on…and kind and smart and funny. He was a control freak… Well, he was used to getting his own way, at least, and she was used to going it alone.
