She almost pulled back. Almost retreated. But Riley didn’t give her the chance. He pulled her closer. Not quickly, either. A slow movement with their gazes still locked.
The only light came from the street and filtered through the curtains. It was enough, more than enough, for her to see in his eyes what he’d left unsaid. The questions. The doubts. The fears. And, yes, even the pain that would perhaps always be there.
Maybe then it would have ended. The embrace. The kiss. The long, lingering look. If only Tessa hadn’t decided that she wouldn’t let it end.
Maybe this was it. Maybe this was all they’d ever have, but if so, she wasn’t ready to let go of it just yet.
“Tessa,” he warned.
“Shh.” And she brought that sound directly to his lips. To kiss him the way she wanted to kiss him.
His mouth was warm. Slightly rough. And already so familiar. As if his taste were somehow programmed into her DNA. A sensual trigger to make her body soften, make her blood race.
To make her feel as if he were the man she’d always wanted.
Perhaps he was.
Because Tessa was sure she’d never felt anything quite like this before.
She kissed him. Really kissed him. Letting their tongues meet. Taking his mouth as if it were hers for the taking. She took everything he was offering her. And everything that he wasn’t.
Everything.
She felt herself go moist and damp, her body preparing for what his kiss had promised. And there was a lot of promise in that kiss.
He tried to move again, but Tessa stopped him. Holding him in place with her own body, pinning him to the bed, she pushed up his black T-shirt, exposing his chest and stomach. Finally she pulled the garment over his head and tossed it onto the floor.
Firm, flexing muscles, naturally tanned skin and great abs. Not a perfect body but much more interesting than perfect—from the light sprinkling of dark chest hair, to the faint scar on his left forearm, to the other scar on his stomach. To a small dragon tattoo on his right shoulder blade.
Yes, a tattoo.
She ran her fingers over it and had the thrill of hearing him suck in his breath.
“A relic from a weekend in Singapore,” he murmured with some difficulty. Perhaps because she was still stroking that tattoo and then slid her fingers through his chest hair. Barely touching, with just her fingertips. “A drunken weekend,” he added.
The thought of him drunk and not in control made her smile. It also made her have some very evil thoughts of doing whatever it took to push him over the edge. Of course, she, too, would enjoy that pushing as much as he did.
“Should I be afraid?” Riley asked, grumbling softly when she moved her fingers to trace the outline of his left nipple.
“Definitely.”
Even half-naked, he had that bad-boy image down pat. Desperado stubble on his chin. That I-dare-you look in his smoky-gray eyes. His mouth, still wet from their kisses. And it really didn’t surprise Tessa to realize that she had a sudden yearning to put her hands on Riley and all that badness.
The heat rolled through her.
She leaned in and took his mouth again, and she felt it all the way to her stomach when he made a deep male sound of satisfaction and pleasure. She eased all the way on top of him. Aligning their bodies. Until she felt the solid muscles of his chest against her breasts. Felt the sinewy strength of his arms.
She especially felt his erection.
And in that moment Tessa knew exactly what she would do with Riley McDade.
“Be afraid,” she whispered, teasing. “Be very afraid.”
RILEY DIDN’T EVEN TRY to pull back. Didn’t even try to remember why this wasn’t a good idea.
Something clicked. Something primal. Something deep within him. And he knew any resistance that he could attempt would fail.
Her scent was all around him. Covering him. Drowning him. Yet he wanted more of her. He wanted all of her.
She turned slightly. Her loose top slid off her shoulder, exposing the right cup of her white bra. And exposing the top of her breast. It was a reminder he’d never actually seen her bare breasts. Or kissed them. In her condo, he’d simply touched her and nothing more.
He did something about that.
Yanking off her top, he unclipped the front closure on her bra and had the satisfaction of her breasts spilling out into his hands. She was small. Firm.
Perfect.
The sight of her, of her pale skin in the milky light, was nearly his undoing.
Man, she was beautiful.
He skimmed his hand over her breasts. Just enough to make her nipples tighten. Just enough to make her arch her back and thrust her body closer. Riley took her up on that nonverbal offer. He levered himself up and nipped her right nipple with his teeth. Not hard. But it was enough to make her moan softly. Since he liked the way that sound shaped her mouth, he did it again.
And again.
Tessa evidently liked the sensation because she immediately began to fight with his clothes. She went after his zipper. Her hands, hurrying.
And she failed.
Only because he went after hers first. Basically he played dirty and outmuscled her. She grappled with him, and just when he thought he might lose, he played even dirtier and took her nipple into his mouth.
“Oh,” Tessa said.
Just “oh.” Breathy. Needy. With a few extra syllables added to it. It was everything he wanted to hear. And it was just enough of a distraction that he got her zipper down and peeled the jeans right off her. While he was at it, he took off her bra, as well, leaving her with just a pair of flimsy white panties.
Riley took a moment to savor and appreciate the view.
Until Tessa did some dirty playing of her own. She slid her hand over the front of his jeans. That was certainly the way to get his attention. The fastest way, actually. It was a not-so-subtle move that had Riley going from seriously aroused to rock hard.
She tackled his zipper again, and this time she succeeded. He succeeded, as well, and got her out of those panties, the only barrier left between his hand and her.
He moved his fingers down her stomach and between her legs. He touched. Lightly. Testing her response and learning what she liked in the process. He slid his fingers across the sensitive little bud, slipped his index finger in even deeper and heard her say a very naughty word.
He touched her again, his finger going deeper until he found an even more sensitive spot. Meeting his gaze head-on, she rocked against his hand. A long, lingering caress that brought on another oh, another erotic hitch of her breath. And he was sure he had her close to release.
He was wrong.
“Not this time,” she insisted. Tessa located his mouth again, kissing him as if it were a life-and-death matter. “I’m not going alone.”
And she obviously meant it.
Frantically she caught the waist of his jeans. Tugging and trying to rip them off him.
“Now,” she insisted.
With his help, his boots and jeans came off, and when she had him naked and lying beneath her, she arched her back like a cat and slid her hands slowly over his chest. Her fingers gliding through the sweat that had already beaded on his skin.
She snared his gaze. Gave their bodies a necessary adjustment. No fumbling. She got it right the first time. But she gave him one last dirty playing shot by skimming the sweet heat of her body right over his erection.
Not once.
But multiple times.
Until Riley was sure he’d soon have to beg for mercy.
And only then did she take him inside her. By degrees. An inch at a time. Until she had taken all of him.
Tessa paused a moment. Maybe to catch her breath. Maybe to savor the moment. Riley was certainly doing some savoring and breath-catching of his own.
Bracketing her hands on his chest, she began to move. Slowly at first. Then faster. And faster. No frantic rhythm. But each move calculated. Precise. Each time sliding the mo
ist heat of her body over the entire length of him.
Her unique scent and taste lingered around him and made him crazy.
A long, deliberate sigh left her mouth. A moan. And a gasp of pleasure. Once again she moved in an ancient rhythm. And she moved against him.
Deeper this time.
So deep.
She took him. Claimed him. And sent them both spiraling out of control. But out of control was the only place Riley wanted to go.
And he wanted Tessa to take him there.
With their blood raging. Face-to-face. Body-to-body. Wet skin whispering against wet skin. Him, inside her. Her, moving. Clutching. Gripping. Sliding. To a frantic, feverish pace that built and built and built until it was no longer just pleasure. But a necessity.
“Come with me,” he managed to say.
She drove her body over him one last time. One last thrust. Until neither had a choice.
They slipped into that spiral together and surrendered.
Chapter Thirteen
“A relic from a drunken weekend in Singapore?” Tessa mumbled, running her fingertips over the dragon tattoo on Riley’s shoulder.
The man was certainly interesting in many ways, and the fact that he was lying stark-naked beneath her allowed her complete access to all those interesting things.
Riley confirmed that tattoo question with a grunt. “Disgusting, huh?”
“No. Oddly, I find it…well, the opposite of disgusting.” Tessa chuckled when he did. “It suits you and that whole bad-boy persona.”
“It’s supposed to be sort of a family crest. Supposedly, the ancient McDade warriors would strip off their clothes, paint their bodies blue and charge into battle.” He flexed his eyebrows. “Not my first choice of ways to fight. A little too vulnerable, if you ask me. But I guess it worked for them. After all, their DNA survived and I’m here sporting their tattoo.”
She stiffened at that last comment, because it reminded her of his genetic contribution to the child inside her. It also reminded her of the battle he had ahead of him.
Riley must have sensed her reaction because he skimmed his finger down her cheek. “Don’t worry. There’s not too much of a criminal faction in my DNA.”
Tessa shook her head. “That’s not what I’m worried about. It’s everything else.”
“Yes.” He took a deep breath, glanced at the clock, and what was left of the light moment faded. “I need to call your father.”
Tessa took a deep breath of her own and eased off him. “There’s no reason I can’t be the one to talk to him.”
“Ditto,” Riley countered. “He won’t be pleased that we didn’t tell him the truth up front and he’ll want to voice his displeasure.”
Not that she needed such a reminder. No, her father wouldn’t care for the lie. Nor would he like the fact that she would certainly defend Riley’s decision to withhold the truth from him.
“Ditto right back at you,” Tessa said, forcing herself away from him. “You’re bearing the brunt of the danger on this mission. The least I can do is handle the friendly fire of my father’s wrath.”
She hurriedly dressed, and while Riley was still putting on his jeans, she decided to make the call before he could resume the argument.
“It’s me,” Tessa said when her father picked up on the first ring.
No warm greetings. No more questions about her well-being. “You’re not at the location Riley specified,” he practically snarled.
“No.” And Tessa chose her words carefully. “It’s a security precaution.”
Silence. For several long moments. “I hope that’s not your way of saying you don’t trust me.”
Now it was time for some major damage control. “We trust you. I trust you. But we were afraid that Fletcher had SIU headquarters under surveillance.”
Her father mumbled something she didn’t even want to interpret. “Even if Fletcher had managed to do that, the team I sent out would have been careful.”
“It isn’t just the team,” Tessa countered. “Riley and I thought there might be a leak and that maybe that’s how Fletcher was able to identify me and send those gunmen to my place.”
More silence. Then more mumblings. Somewhere in those mumblings, though, Tessa thought perhaps she heard her father concede a little.
“I’ll do a thorough scan,” her father promised. “If there’s a leak, it’ll show up.”
“Thanks. And in case you didn’t catch that, it was a real thanks, not one of those obligatory things I’d say to my mission commander.”
“You’re welcome.” He paused again. “And in case you didn’t catch that, it wasn’t obligatory, either. I mean it.”
Tessa took a moment to savor that. Coming from her father, it was almost as good as saying I love you. Almost. So Tessa pushed it just a little further. “You did a good job raising me, Dad. I don’t think I’ve ever told you thanks for that. But thanks.”
He didn’t have quite the reaction she’d expected. He cursed. “Is this your way of saying you don’t think you’re going to make it out of this situation?”
“No. I just wanted you to know.”
“Believe me, I know. I also know you’re one of the best on my team, but that doesn’t make you invincible. Remember that. And stay safe.”
“I will,” she promised, and wasn’t surprised to feel the hot tears in her eyes. Since it wasn’t a good time for those, she added, “I think Riley needs to talk to you, as well.” Blinking back those tears, she passed the cell phone to him.
“Yes, sir,” Riley said a few seconds later. “It was a necessary precaution as far as I’m concerned.”
Her father was no doubt revoicing his obligatory disapproval about the lie and about being kept out of the information loop.
“I need some supplies, transportation,” Riley insisted. “And some backup.”
Riley provided the name and the address of the art gallery in Houston, and Tessa listened as he requested the necessary agents and equipment. Not simply for surveillance but for possible apprehension or even tracking and pursuit of a dangerous suspect. It wasn’t foolproof. Things could still go wrong. But at least Riley wasn’t going after Fletcher alone. Tessa would remember that and thank him for it later. When the storm had passed.
When things were safe again.
The next bit of information that Riley provided was the address of the hotel where they were staying, and he did that only seconds before hanging up.
“Your father says he’ll be here in fifteen minutes,” Riley relayed to her. “No team, not for this one. Too risky.”
It was equally risky for Riley to rely on a team in Houston, but Tessa didn’t voice that. He knew what was at stake. So did she. And no matter how this mission progressed, the danger was still there.
The only way for the danger to stop was for them to find Fletcher.
That was her cue to put on her shoes and make sure she was ready to face her father. One glance in the mirror, though, and she realized there wasn’t much she could do to erase the signs that she’d just made love to Riley. Her lips were slightly swollen and her hair was tousled all around her face. She had a I-just-got-lucky glimmer in her eye.
Riley hadn’t fared much better, and she almost cringed when she saw the hickey on his neck.
“Sorry about that.” She touched the mark that she’d left on him.
He glanced at it in the mirror and shrugged. “I like it when you forget the regs and lose control.”
Tessa considered that for a moment. “Is that what happened here?”
“Among other things.” He touched his mouth to hers. “Things we’ll discuss when I get back.”
Yes. When he got back. And Tessa refused to believe that he wouldn’t return.
This mission had to be successful because the alternative was unthinkable.
Mercy, how had things come to this? She was a trained agent. Good at what she did. Twice she’d nearly been killed in the line of duty.
Yet this felt d
ifferent.
Terrifying.
Something that was well beyond anything she’d ever experienced. The stakes were higher than they ever had been, and that sent a painful ache spiraling through her.
She caught the front of his shirt when he started to move away. “Here are the rules, McDade. No heroics. Definitely no diving in front of bullets. Do what you have to, but duck when the time comes.”
Riley eased her hand from his shirt, kissed it and slipped on his shoulder holster. “I don’t dive in front of bullets. Not purposely anyway.”
“No, but they do have a way of finding you.” Her voice lowered. Not by choice. But it was the only way she could force out the words. “Don’t let that happen this time.”
He looked as if he might argue with her. Or remind her that danger was part of the job. But he didn’t. Riley took the nice way out and tried to soothe all the fears. All her doubts. “I’m tough as nails, Tessa. By tonight, this will all be over. I promise.”
There was no way Riley could guarantee that, but Tessa clung to his promise anyway. She came up on her toes, to give him one last, farewell kiss, but the soft thudding sound stopped her.
Riley’s gaze flew to hers, just a split-second glance.
And they both drew their weapons. Riley hurried to the right side of the window, the spot nearest the door. Tessa took the left.
She listened, trying to pinpoint the direction of the sound, but before she could do that, the phone rang. Not Riley’s cell phone.
The phone next to the bed.
Riley shook his head, a signal for her not to answer it. Not that she had any intentions of doing that anyway. For one thing, it would give away their location.
And for another, it could be a trap.
The caller could be trying to lure one of them into a specific containment area so they could be shot. Of course, for that to happen, gunmen would have to be positioned outside the window.
Too bad that was a possibility.
Mommy Under Cover Page 14
