Mabel firmed her jaw and nodded. “I can do that.”
“And ramble. That will give me more time.”
She nodded.
“And if you run out of things to say, pretend to faint.”
A mischievous smile crossed Mabel’s face, lightening her features by a century. “This could be fun.”
As Mabel headed off on her mission, Trench-Coat-Guy turned and looked in Sadie’s direction. Nowhere to hide.
She wanted to take his picture, but couldn’t risk it. Memorize his ugly face, Sadie. Memorize his face. Five-ten, medium build, no hair visible beneath the brown fedora, white skin, Coke bottle glasses with tortoise-shell frames, dark eyes. Tilted mustache.
The steady groan of a helicopter’s engine caught her attention. Yay, the cavalry’s coming. She looked up. Maybe not. She recognized the logo of a local TV news station on its side. Cole had friends everywhere and many of them owed him favors, but he hated the media more than he hated losing his queen on the chessboard. She decided to hang on to the possibility the copter was coming to help her.
Trench-coat-guy looked toward the sky for a second. Then Mabel poked his arm and he jumped. Squaring her shoulders in front of him, she started talking and waving her arms in the air like a manic humming bird. Bless her heart. The woman was more effective than a machine gun. The man’s mouth dropped open and he took a step back.
Sadie scanned the area one more time. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she moved closer to them.
“Look lady I haven’t seen your calico cat and I don’t wanna see him. Shove off.”
“If I’ve lost Dausy, I don’t know what I’d do.” Mabel’s voice had a tightly wound, fragility to it, that made her sound as if she herself might break at any moment.
The man put his hands on his hips. No visible weapons. Sadie walked around him and approached from behind. She grabbed one of his arms and twisted it up.
“Ow. Shit. What the hell?”
Sadie pulled harder on his arm, making his body lurch an inch forward.
Mabel stopped talking. So did the man.
Out of nowhere a policeman appeared at her side. “Black bishop takes pond.”
“J’adoube,” she replied, using the chess term for adjustment. Only Cole would send in a man with a chess password. Her shoulders relaxed.
“What would you like me to do with him?” he asked as he pulled cuffs from his belt.
The helicopter hovered above them now. The side door opened and a man leaned out with binoculars. He looked military, dressed in army fatigues. Definitely not the evening news camera man. She gave him a thumbs-up and as he retreated back inside, the helicopter moved away.
The cavalry had come, but the damn, prickly sensation at the nape of her neck held on. She looked around. Three men dressed in black suits came forward. She recognized them as company men and they looked it, hiding behind tinted glasses.
Trench-coat-guy started squirming. “Hey, lady, I don’t know what this is about. I didn’t take this woman’s cat. I swear. I’m innocent.”
As the men moved in, Sadie released his arm.
Rubbing his shoulder, he turned around to face her. Sweat beaded on his brow. It smelled rancid with a tinge of fried, greasy onions and a whole lot of fear.
“What do you want?” he said, looking at her with eyes so jumpy they could hardly hold her gaze. “Listen, I don’t know what you’re all so upset about. A guy paid me to put on a trench coat and a mustache and stand in the park. He gave me a hundred bucks, said it was a joke. No crime in that.”
“Just to stand here?”
He reached for his pocket and all of them reached for their guns. “No, no! I just want to get a note for you. He said to give it to the pretty red-head.”
Sadie winced. Could he have an arsenic capsule like the guy in Venice? He didn’t have cold vibe of an assassin or the confidence, but she wouldn’t take the chance. “Put both your hands in the air and hold still,” she said. Sliding her hand into his pocket, she found an envelope, about the size of a small greeting card and pulled it out. Sealed.
Taking a step back, she wondered if it could be poisoned. But hell Cassy’s life was at stake. Without another thought she opened it:
Dear Ms. Stewart,
I see you have met my messenger. I am watching. I know how many friends you brought. Tsk tsk. So unladylike to lie, my dear.
I was sent to kill you, and I understand I’m not your first. I think it would be mutually beneficial for us to meet.
Perhaps we could come up with a plan to satisfy the people who sent me and keep you alive.
I suspect you would prefer to live. There must be some way to settle this score.
Please join me for a late dinner at Jimmy’s Steak House on the west side. No goons.
If you arrive by ten, the antidote to the poison I used on your dog will be sent to the vet clinic. All you have to do is turn up—alone.
Looking up at the men, she said, “Let him go. I’ve got what I want and he’s harmless.” She turned, waved good-bye to Mabel who she would talk to later and started running home.
Sadie had two hours to figure things out. Her company phone buzzed, but she ignored it. Saving Cassy was her goal.
10
Chapter Ten
Sadie kicked the door closed behind her. Ninety minutes until her meet. What could she find out in that short a time?
“Mijn liefje.” The voice as smooth, sexy and potent as a shot of whisky at midnight came from Sebastian whose long, lean and perfect body lay stretched out on the sofa.
She sighed. “Sebastian?”
“Come here.” He opened her arms.
Damn, she didn’t have time for this. But double damn, she sure wanted time for this. She walked over and stood above him. “What are you doing here?”
As his blue eyes softened, her mouth went dry. Shouldn’t she be able to control her desire for him by now? The twinge in her lower belly answered that thought. Obviously not.
“I told you, I’m alright,” she said, leaving some distance between them. “And I’m sweaty.”
He shrugged. “I like hot women. And, I get you. An assassin is stalking you and you’re feeling… What is the English term for it— Dandy?”
“Yup, just dandy. That’s me.” Seb stood up. He looked even better standing. Like a Norse God, a giant of a man made of lean, hard muscle. As he closed the distance between them, her heart beat loud enough for the UN to hear it. Control Sadie. You need control.
“Any contact with the asshole?” he asked.
Sweat trickled down her neck. Her breathing sped. Oh hell. Why waste time on words. “Is that what’s on your mind?” She stepped closer to him.
He gave her a wicked grin and pulled her into his strong arms. His rugged, manly smell mixed with the scent of spicy after-shave melted the last of her resolve. His mouth took hers and her whole world tilted. Dear God, no man should be able to kiss like that. Tender, loving, passionate… She pushed him away. “Sebastian, I can’t”
He kissed her neck. “Stop thinking. You need this. You need us.”
Desire coiled within her body. “I have things to do…” He kissed her on that sensitive spot in the hollow on her shoulder.” “Things to…” Her mind lost its thought. There had been one there a second ago.
“Not now, baby.” He picked her up in a swoop, carried her in his arms to the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed.
Sadie liked to have control, but being swept up in his arms never lost its charm. Her body ached for him. Her heart ached for him.
But he didn’t jump her, as she expected. Instead, he lay down beside her and propped himself up on one elbow. This was as likely a scenario as being in a lion’s den and not getting eaten. She stared at him.
“I have to talk to you,” he said.
“Now?” She ran her hand along his arm, tracing his well-developed muscles with her fingertips.
“I’ve been thinking about how to say it. For days. On the flight over, I dec
ided to just start and the words would find a way.”
Is he breaking up with me? Has he had enough of my lifestyle…or? She leaned away from him, as a truly awful thought came to mind. “You have another woman?” They always hit on him.
“Hell no. It’s about us—only about us.”
He wants to slow things down? Did he feel trapped? He’d never been with one woman for this long. She waited.
“It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known each another.”
Sadie opened her mouth to speak, but he put a finger on it to hold it closed.
“It doesn’t matter the time of day. It doesn’t matter what country each of us is in, I can’t get you out of my head.” His lips spread into a seductive smile as his fingers slid down her neck to the top button of her blouse.
“That’s it?”
“Godverdomme, no. But it’s a start and the thought of being inside you…” He kissed her lips again—“took over my head. Words can wait.”
The gentle touch of his large fingers on her skin made her tremble. As he reached beneath her blouse, her stomach clenched with anticipation. Sebastian had given up on her buttons again. At least he hadn’t ripped her blouse this time.
“Let me,” she said. In less than a second her blouse flew through the air and fell quietly to the floor like a small, silk parachute. Her pants followed.
The expression of ravenous desire on Sebastian’s face lit every cell in her body on fire. He swallowed. The tenderness in his eyes said more than any of his words ever could. He cherished her—beyond words cherished her. She was his woman and his love knew no bounds. All this he communicated in his eyes.
And then there were his fingers… Slowly he traced the lace edge of the top of her bra making a guttural groan that played on her tightly strung libido like a violin bow. Reaching behind her back she unclasped her bra and in a second it catapulted into the air. “We have to be quick. I’ve got things to do.”
“I can do quick.” His large hands palmed her breasts, pressing against her hard nipples sending shock waves of pleasure edged with pure lust through her body. No one could turn her on the way he did. No one. He sensed what she wanted and delivered. She moaned as he lowered his mouth to her breasts. She ran her hands through his long, thick hair. Screw Cole. Screw her job. She could never lose Sebastian.
Desire flooded her senses. Her heart beat like a jack-hammer. Two weeks without him had been like an eternity. An eternity without his touch, an eternity without his presence his… “Oooooh.”
His hand reached beneath her thong and cupped her wet core. She pushed her hips up to meet him. Stroking her with a firmness that drove her wild she rose beyond thought, ready to explode.
But he released his grip and trailed sensuous kisses from her breasts down to her sex. His tongue found her clit and licked it as his finger entered her. Arching her back, she panted, “Now,. I want you now.”
“Maybe,” he said and licked her again stroking her from the inside and out in a rhythm that thrilled her to her core and tightened every fibre of her being. She beat the mattress with her fist.
His touch …
Moaning, she grabbed his ass. “I want you.”
But he didn’t stop. “I love you,” he said.
Her body and her whole consciousness broke into a million pieces of ecstasy and she screamed his name.
Sebastian crawled up her body and smiled; that killer smile.
Waves of contentment flowed through her, but she still wanted to feel him inside her. Her mind stopped it in a flash. Cassy needed her help.
As if reading her mind, Sebastian said, “It’s going to be okay. We’ll find an antidote. And when I get my hands on the man who poisoned him…” His gentle, lover eyes turned to steel warrior eyes in a flash.
Sadie laughed. “Well look who’s becoming a dog person, after all.”
“Only for you mijn liefje.” His mouth took hers and he kissed her deeply.
With the palm of her hand Sadie pushed him off and rolled on top. “My turn.” She loved roving her hands and tongue over his muscled body, but that wasn’t quite her plan.
Straddling him, she kissed him hard, determined to show him she had taken control. His large hands grabbed her behind and pressed her to his long, hard erection. She moaned despite her resolve not to enjoy this part.
“I want to try something different,” she whispered in his ear.
“Anything you want, baby.” His low, gravelly voice sent tingles through her system. There ought to be a law against this man. Even his voice turns me on.
“You trust me?” she asked.
“Always.”
He’s far too good a man for me. She bit her lip as she pulled a pair of handcuffs from the drawer in her bedside table.
Mischief played in Sebastian’s eyes. “I didn’t think you were into that.”
Stroking his length she said, “Why not?”
He sighed, “Mijn Liefje.” Again, his sexy voice threatened to break her resolve, but she clung to the image of Cassy in her mind.
She clicked a cuff to one of his wrists, then lowered the zipper of his jeans freeing his erection. Impressive. She groaned. The thought of having him inside her tormented her senses. Get a grip Sadie. Get a grip.
Taking a slow approach would be darn near impossible. He had such a perfect body and she wanted it… Oh how she wanted it. Reaching up to the cuffs, she threaded the middle part behind a post in her headboard. “Give me your other arm,” she said.
His brow rose and for a minute she thought he’d make her fight him. “Let me take off my shirt first.”
The shirt. Of course. “Good idea. It dropped to the floor and he lay back on the bed. “What next, Sadie?”
Placing his arms above her head, she gave him as wicked a smile as she could muster considering … Well, considering. With a snap of the lock, his arms were immobilized. Perfect. “All mine to explore. All mine to take. All mine.”
Sebastian groaned, which made her swallow her lust. She hadn’t expected to get so turned on by making him vulnerable. This had to be one of the most difficult deceptions she had ever tried.
Slowly, she pulled his jeans down his long, toned legs. Every inch of his body excited her. Once the jeans and his shorts were out of the way, she lowered herself to his ankles and licked his skin. Slowly she made her way up to the inside of his loins.
Built like a warrior with a heart of gold, Sebastian aroused feelings in her she didn’t think possible. He was her prince, but also her sinful, bad boy. Her man. Her heart thudded in her chest.
How could she keep her mind clear? Think of the dog, Sadie.Think of the dog. She looked at her watch. Only ten minutes left to play. She would make the most of them.
Pulling his legs apart she said, “Let’s see how still you can lie there.” She stroked him as she continued to lick, and taste. Salty, virile man.
He groaned, louder this time, and pulled on the cuffs. They clanked against the metal, but they were standard issue and they would hold.
An unexpected, triumphant feeling of control bubbled inside her. Her nipples hardened. She didn’t think having him like this could be so exciting. She stroked him again, and he tilted his head back. “Sadie,” he said in a raspy voice.
Her tongue reached the apex of his legs and she explored him thoroughly. His panting increased. Slowly she licked the length of his manhood, and then she took him in her mouth and massaged his other parts. She played with him until he came in one swift, powerful moment.
Shuddering, he sank lower into the bed.
Sadie reached up and kissed him gently on his mouth.
“I want you,” he said.
“Later.” She pulled away and stood up. “Later, I promise.”
“Sadie?”
“I have to go.” She jumped off the bed, grabbed her blouse from the floor and threw it on over her head. To hell with the bra. She didn’t have time to look for it.
“Sadie?”
“I won’t
be long.” She blew him a kiss.
“Godverdomme. At least tell me where are you going?”
“Sebastian, I have to do this on my own.”
“I’m here to protect you.”
“Sebastian, I don’t need your protection.” When would he learn?
He grunted.
“Lover, you know the saying: ‘All is fair in love and… doggy-war.’“ He rolled his eyes at her and growled, as she blew him a second kiss. Time for her date with that scum bag.
As the bedroom door closed behind her, she heard him mutter, “You’ll pay for this.”
11
Chapter Eleven
Sadie had heard of Jimmy’s Steak House on the west side. It opened a month ago and her friend Mitch loved it. He said it had great steaks and sexy waiters, two pluses in his book. The décor, he said, was so down-home-American he expected to be face-planted with an apple pie; the kind of place you can eat comfort food and believe the American dream still exists, but done so well it met his standard for kitschy.
Tourists come from all over the world to see New York, all kinds of people, looking for the quintessential American experience. Who doesn’t like a good steak? Maybe it works. Mitch had tried to get Sadie to go there, but as part of her new plan to live a more balanced life she was sticking to a plant-based diet. But tonight she would go there for Cassy.
As Sadie looked at the mock saloon-door entrance, she screwed up her mouth. Maybe Jimmy’s was just what it appeared to be, another popular restaurant, not a front for a group of foreign wing-nuts. It didn’t look like a trap.
But she was alone.
And he was an assassin.
She could swallow her nervousness, but her mind would not quit. What was she doing confronting the man alone? But the thought of losing Cassy refocused her. She had to meet the drone-master.
Sadie scanned the street one last time. The first thing she learned in the spook business was to expect the unexpected. Did the KOTL have real estate in New York? Possibly. There were so many holes in the information Cole sent her, anything was possible.
Cole. If she were a good girl, she would tell him what she was about to do, but Sadie was not a good girl. Never had been. The image of Sebastian tied to her bed, naked, flickered in her mind’s eye. No she wasn’t a good girl.
Lovin' Danger Page 5
