He zipped up a pair of well-worn, loose jeans, slung a black T-shirt over his bare shoulder and adjusted the slide holster around his waist. It was a really bad time to notice that his chest and abs were as equally toned as his butt—and just as interesting.
She was losing it if she could think of his physical attributes at a time like this.
What was wrong with her? She’d never had this kind of reaction to a fellow operative during a mission. Heck, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this way toward any man.
“Did you hear me?” she asked because the silence was really starting to get to her. “There’s no reason for you to keep asking if I’m okay.”
Well, there was, in a way, but Tessa wasn’t about to open up a discussion about her insane attraction to him.
Riley stared at her a moment. Then, two. Before he nodded. Not necessarily a nod of concurrence, but it was apparently enough to get them started toward the door so they could put the subject behind them.
Or so Tessa thought.
Riley slipped on his T-shirt. “I want you to stay back. Not because of your medical issues,” he quickly added before she could object. “And not because I don’t trust you. I do. But if Fletcher is on to us, if he’s learned we’re agents, then this might turn ugly. One of us needs to play backup.”
Yes. In case Fletcher had become more than suspicious and was here to eliminate them. It wouldn’t be a first. The SIU believed that Fletcher had already murdered several times to cover up his illegal activities, and he probably wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
“Okay,” Tessa concurred. “I’ll do backup.”
Riley reached for the door but then stopped and looked at her. “This might be a good time to ask Fletcher again if there’s an alternative to the initial insemination.”
She huffed. Tessa couldn’t help it. “Haven’t we been through this?”
“No. You’ve been through it, and each time you’ve dismissed my concerns. This time, you’ll listen. Either you find a way around the procedure, or I’ll be right there in the room with you when he does it. Because I won’t leave you alone with that man.”
Tessa was about to remind him that she was an agent, capable of taking care of herself. But Riley would no doubt only remind her that Colette had felt the same way.
And it would be true.
“Nod if you agree,” Riley insisted.
“And if I don’t?” she fired back.
“Not an issue, because you’re going to agree.”
Since Tessa was tired and riled with the argument, and since they had to deal with Fletcher, she nodded.
However, this subject wasn’t closed.
Riley studied her eyes, as if trying to determine if she were telling the truth. “All right. Let’s do this.”
They made their way down the stairs with Tessa lagging several steps behind him. Neither drew their weapons, but she eased her hand into her robe and onto her holster in case she had to get to the 9 mm handgun in a hurry.
When they reached the foyer, she spotted Agent Ingram in the formal dining room. He was just out of sight, tucked behind a large plant, but he could respond if necessary.
Tessa prayed it wouldn’t be necessary.
If this turned into a battle for their lives, they might never get the proof of what Fletcher had done.
Riley gave her one last, cautioning glance, and Tessa ducked into the hall that led toward the kitchen. That way, she, too, would be out of sight but still close enough to react.
She hoped.
She held her breath while Riley opened the door.
Tessa heard them exchange friendly greetings, but Riley’s hand stayed firmly planted on the slide holster at the back waist of his jeans.
“I need to see your wife,” she heard Fletcher say. “Is she available?”
Even though Fletcher’s request was somewhat abrupt, it was amicable enough, but there would have been no reason for him not to be. After all, if he’d come here to kill them, he wouldn’t have wanted to do that outside in the open where there’d be potential witnesses. No, he would simply wait until he’d gained access.
“It’s important,” Fletcher added when Riley didn’t respond right away.
“My wife and I were, uh, in the shower.” Riley gave that plenty of carnal undertones. “We weren’t expecting visitors this afternoon.”
“Then, I’m sorry I disturbed you.” Fletcher paused. “But as I said, this is important. We have to talk.”
Okay. So, Fletcher wouldn’t be easily put off, which meant it was decision time for her. Since Tessa didn’t want this important matter to jeopardize the mission, she stepped out from her hiding place and motioned for Ingram to take over as backup.
“Darling, what’s wrong?” she called so that Riley would know she was approaching.
Judging from the brief glower Riley gave her, this was not what he’d had in mind. Tessa ignored his expression, smiled lovingly at him, and walked closer.
The logistics weren’t easy because she didn’t want to block Riley from being able to reach his gun. So she ducked beneath his arm and moved to his left side. She planted a kiss on his cheek, hoping it would make the whole maneuver appear intimate rather than necessary.
“Dr. Fletcher,” she said. Tessa tried to sound surprised to find him standing on the veranda. He was holding a folder and had tucked it beneath his arm, probably so he could shake hands with her. But Tessa didn’t offer her hand for him to shake. She wasn’t about to put herself at risk for the sake of civility. “What are you doing here?”
He flashed her one of those slick smiles. And dodged her question. “I’ve discovered a possible problem with your application. May I come in?”
Oh, mercy. This couldn’t be good.
Riley and she exchanged glances, and both did their best to convey to Fletcher that they weren’t happy with the intrusion on their showering fun. Still, if they didn’t cooperate with Fletcher, he might just cancel the medical procedure.
Obviously, Riley came to the same conclusion. “Sure. Come in,” he offered.
But once Fletcher was inside, Riley put up his hand to stop the two armed thugs from entering.
“Is there a problem?” Fletcher inquired. “The men are my assistants.”
“My wife and I have security issues, as well,” Riley gruffly explained. “We don’t allow strangers on the premises.”
After several snail-crawling moments, Fletcher nodded, as if he understood their concern, but the understanding didn’t quite make it to his eyes. Tessa didn’t think it was her imagination that the doctor was riled and even a little unnerved.
She knew how he felt.
Playing the part of the good hostess, she ushered Fletcher into the sitting room just off the foyer so they’d still be in visual range for Agent Ingram. Riley followed closely behind.
“I’ll make this brief,” Fletcher said. Gone was the thin smile he’d used to greet them. His expression was all-business when he took a seat in a saddle-brown chair next to the massive stone fireplace. “The nurse who examined you a few days ago mentioned that you had a scar just below your navel on your abdomen.”
The laparoscopy scar from her endometriosis surgery. Since the nurse hadn’t brought it up, Tessa had dismissed it as a nonissue. Obviously it was an issue if it had prompted Fletcher to come to the estate. Of course, his question probably wasn’t the only reason for his visit. A simple phone call would have given him the answer.
Tessa explained the procedure she’d had nearly a decade earlier.
That part was true.
The rest was a lie.
She looked Fletcher straight in the eye and told him that the surgery had corrected her medical problem and that as far as she knew there was absolutely no reason she couldn’t conceive a child.
Riley slipped his arm around her shoulder and eased her closer to him. A comforting gesture, but it served another purpose, as well. Especially when he added the kiss to her cheek. That kiss and the long,
lingering gaze he gave her would hopefully convince Fletcher that Riley and she were eager to get back to their “shower.”
“Well, I can see that my concerns weren’t warranted,” Fletcher said.
“Totally unwarranted,” Riley agreed. He didn’t even look at Fletcher but instead kept his hot gaze on her.
The silence that settled around them was uncomfortable. Fletcher finally stood. “Then I suppose I’ll be going.”
Riley and Tessa stood, as well, adjusting their positions so they’d be able to draw their weapons.
“Oh. I almost forgot.” Fletcher stopped and turned around to face them. He took the large manila envelope that he’d tucked beneath his arm and dropped it onto the table in the foyer. “Testimonials from some of my other clients. I thought you’d like to read them.”
“Thanks. But, Doc, I have to tell you, we don’t need testimonials to convince us that you’re the right man for the job. All we want is the perfect baby, and we believe you can make sure we get him.”
If Fletcher was flattered by Riley’s praise, he didn’t show it. “I’ll see you in three days,” he said flatly, and strolled to the door.
Tessa didn’t feel her muscles relax until the man was gone. She waited until his henchmen and he were off the veranda before she took out the detector wand from the table and started the search for monitoring devices. Because Fletcher hadn’t actually touched either of them, a shower wouldn’t be necessary.
Thank goodness.
She still had remaining effects from the last one.
Tessa retraced Fletcher’s steps, moving the wand over the chair where he’d sat and along the floor where he’d walked. She even scanned the doorknob.
Nothing.
Until she got close to the manila envelope that Fletcher had left. The soft beeps said it all. It contained a monitoring device.
And that meant the doctor was indeed suspicious.
Riley motioned toward Ingram and the agent took the envelope and headed toward the back of the house. It wouldn’t be removed from the premises or destroyed, because that would only heighten Fletcher’s reservations. But the documents would be reviewed for possible evidence and the device would be contained in a specific area. A zone where Riley and she would have to maintain deep cover.
“You think Fletcher found something when he was doing all that digging into our records?” Tessa whispered.
Riley moved closer and put his mouth directly against her ear. In doing so, his body brushed against hers. “Could be. Something spooked him, that’s for sure. I’ll have the surveillance team keep a closer eye on him.”
Ironic, since Fletcher would no doubt be doing the same thing to them.
“We’ve got three days to figure out what he really wants to do with us,” Riley added, his breath touching her cheek. Not an entirely unpleasant experience.
Tessa took a step back.
So did Riley. He stared at her a moment, shook his head, mumbled some profanity, and generally looked disgusted with both of them. Tessa didn’t ask why. She didn’t want or need clarification.
Three days.
Not much time.
Yet in some ways, it was an eternity. She’d be spending that time in close quarters pretending that she was insanely attracted to her partner.
And that in itself was enough, more than enough.
But Tessa also had to deal with her ever-increasing awareness that the attraction she felt for Riley McDade wasn’t nearly as much of a pretense as she wanted it to be.
Chapter Five
Riley stood in the doorway that separated the bedroom from the bathroom and took a deep breath.
It didn’t help.
Of course, he’d need a lot more than a deep breath to help him through the night. A shot of whiskey, maybe.
But that seemed a lot to ask of mere alcohol.
Tessa was already in bed. Thankfully covered with the thick, down comforter that was almost the same gunmetal blue as her eyes. Beneath that cover, she was wearing ivory-colored pj’s. Not provocative ones, either. Simple. Plain. Like her sensible underwear.
Well, almost.
When they’d been in the bathroom earlier, Riley had accidentally brushed up against the arm of those pj’s and hadn’t been overly pleased to realize they were silk.
Yes. Silk.
It was one of his weaknesses when it came to women. Not his only one though, not by a long shot. His ultimate weakness was an obvious one. A blatant male fantasy of having an attractive woman waiting for him beneath the covers.
Or even on top of the covers.
The fantasy was less specific when it came to location.
The point was that an attractive woman be waiting for him. And they would do something about that waiting.
Soon, very soon, reality would take over and he’d have to face down that fantasy and join the silk-wearing Tessa in bed.
Riley reconsidered having that shot of whiskey.
“Everything okay?” Tessa sounded concerned.
“Why’d you ask?”
She made a shruglike gesture. “You look…uncomfortable.”
Oh, he was uncomfortable, all right.
Among other things.
Too bad some of those other things included being aroused and wanting her. That was coupled with his rather vivid imagination of how it would feel to unwrap Tessa from that silk and kiss every inch of her body.
Man, he was one sick puppy.
The absolute last thing he should be thinking about was getting her naked and kissing her.
“That look doesn’t have anything to do with Fletcher’s little gift, does it?” she asked.
She was referring to the eavesdropping device that Fletcher had left them in the envelope. It had been neutralized as much as they could risk neutralizing it. Agent Ingram had put it in the kitchen, which was now a “deep-cover zone.” No private conversations there. Just the facade of a happily married couple.
Which explained why Tessa and he hadn’t made any trips to the kitchen.
They’d both obviously had enough of the loving conversations. But with Fletcher’s people running possible thermal infrared scans of the estate, all zones were hot.
Well, from a visual standpoint anyway.
And that was the reason he’d have to share the bed with Tessa. Their paranoia about security might explain away their need to carry weapons to answer the door or their habit of banning certain visitors, but it’d be a bear to explain why a couple who couldn’t keep their hands off each other required separate beds.
Tessa sat up and leaned forward to adjust the comforter that had bunched up around her feet. Not good. He got an unfortunate glimpse down the front of her baggy, silk top. He saw her bra.
Not sensible.
Not this. It was white lace. One of those little why-bother garments that barely skimmed her nipples, which were doing an ample job of escaping.
Yet another of his weaknesses.
Until now, Riley hadn’t realized he had so damn many of them.
He forced himself not to hope for a full-fledged nipple escape, but he had to override some ancient male DNA to do that. And he forced himself to look elsewhere. That also required him to override a few more things, including some truly bad suggestions that certain parts of his body were making.
“Just how good do you think Fletcher’s thermal scanning equipment will be?” Tessa asked. Evidently she had the same concerns he did.
Well, some of his concerns.
She probably didn’t have a clue what that white lace bra was doing to him.
Torture.
Pure torture.
“The equipment’s probably very good.” Riley moved out of the doorway and, while focusing on the lamp beside the bed, walked toward her. He also made a cursory glance out the window and saw nothing out of the ordinary. “Fletcher’s not the type to use anything less than the best.”
She considered that a moment and cursed softly. Riley couldn’t help it, he laughed. Not
from humor. But from the irony of the situation. Both had declared numerous times to each other and to their mission commander that playing the part of a loving couple wouldn’t be a problem.
They’d apparently been a little too hasty with their declarations.
Even though Tessa and he didn’t see eye-to-eye, they were still human and they had human responses. All the training in the world couldn’t negate the fact that he was a man and she was a woman.
And there was that other part about her fulfilling several columns on a hypothetical fantasy checklist.
Riley finally got into bed. Fortunately it was a big bed. Probably a custom size to fit the huge scale of the room. That was an advantage. At least it would have been if Fletcher hadn’t been using those thermal scanning measures.
She turned off the lamp next to the bed. However, it didn’t plunge the bedroom into total darkness. The security lights around the perimeter of the estate were more than ample to supply them with enough illumination so that he could still see her.
“We should talk about this,” she mumbled.
As long as it didn’t involve white lace bras and escaping nipples, he was all up for a good talk.
“About?” he asked, just so he didn’t make a fool of himself by mistaking what she meant by this.
She hesitated and out of the corner of his eye he could see she was actually doing some lip-nibbling. It was no surprise to him that he found that erotic, as well. Of course, at the moment her breathing seemed erotic.
“How much will Fletcher be able to delineate in the scans?” she asked.
A lot.
But Riley pushed that aside and concentrated on what they could do about it.
“The closer we are to each other, the harder it’ll be for him to differentiate exactly what we’re doing. Our combined body heat will blur the lines, so to speak.”
Of course, the closeness would likely blur other lines—personal and professional ones—but Riley kept that to himself, as well. No sense spelling out the obvious.
“Okay,” Tessa said.
A second later she repeated it.
Taking a deep breath of her own, she reached out, latched onto his arm and got him moving in her direction, until they were literally side by side.
Mommy Under Cover Page 5
