Best of Virgins Bundle

by Cathy Williams

  “Hey!” he complained.

  “I’m shy,” she responded, grabbing a washcloth and soap.

  His sexy laughter echoed in the small room. “You’ll get over it,” he promised.

  She smiled to herself, but wondered at his assurances. Would she get the chance to grow accustomed to Kyle’s loving? Would there ever be time and opportunity to make love until they were totally comfortable with each other? She doubted it, and it scared her to want it so badly.

  As soon as he was out of sight, doubts started to assail her. For years, the only future she’d considered was the successful completion of this assignment. She hadn’t allowed herself to think beyond that goal.

  She had never allowed herself to become emotionally involved with a man. Never allowed herself to care so much, so fast. Had she just risked their lives by tempting fate? In her life, caring too much meant inviting pain and heartache.

  One thing was certain. They had to concentrate on getting back to D.C. She couldn’t fail now. She couldn’t worry about relationships or the future or anything other than bringing Gregory Haroldson to justice. Everything else had to be put on hold until she’d accomplished that objective. She needed to stay focused, but it was getting harder and harder to do, with Kyle so near.

  He shaved while she finished bathing, then they switched places. By the time he’d finished showering, she’d dressed in jeans and a yellow T-shirt. She was getting really tired of stiff, itchy new clothes, but didn’t have much choice. Soon she’d be home and could get comfortable again.

  Just a few more hours.

  Then what? What would happen when she no longer needed Kyle’s protection? When his promise to Donald had been fulfilled and their extraordinary partnership dissolved? Would that be the end of it? Would he go home, get on with his life and chalk up their time together as just one final assignment to be forgotten?

  It hurt to even think about the what-ifs.

  And that scared her spitless. The hurting part. She’d had more than her fair share of hurting. She’d been so careful not to care too much about anyone, yet Kyle had sneaked past her guard. He’d crept into her wary heart while she’d been too busy staying alive to notice the risk.

  She couldn’t worry about it now. They had to get back to Virginia. Their best hope was that Donald had all Gregory’s men rounded up by now. Rudy should still be in jail, but they couldn’t relax until Tabone, Damon and the others were accounted for. Not to mention anyone in the agency who remained on Gregory’s payroll.

  Rianna sat down on the bed and started pulling on her shoes, but when the bathroom door opened, her gaze flew to it. She caught her breath at the sight of Kyle, still damp from his shower, wearing nothing but a towel hitched around his waist.

  Gorgeous didn’t even come close to describing him. Extremely sexy. Incredibly virile. Unbearably appealing. His sun-bronzed skin glistened over broad shoulders, a muscled chest and flat stomach. Silvery-blond hair curled between dark nipples and arrowed downward toward the low-slung towel. Her blood began to heat all over again.

  He returned her stare with equal intensity until the emotion flowing between them became almost too painful to bear. Panic clutched at her chest and climbed into her throat.

  Her brave, sexy lover was also one of the most honorable men she’d ever known. That thought crowded out his physical appeal and reminded her that she’d complicated his life, endangered it, and made him an unwilling accomplice to the nightmare she’d been living for months.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head and dropped her gaze, then concentrated on tying her shoes.

  “Rianna?”

  He started toward her, but she rose and put out a hand to halt him.

  He frowned. “You’re not sorry…”

  “No!”

  Her emphatic response seemed to reassure him. He gave her a smile and she returned it with one of her own.

  “You’re sure?” he demanded.

  “Positive.”

  He studied her for another few seconds. “Good,” he said. “I don’t want you to have any regrets.”

  When she gave her head a vigorous shake, he finally turned away and started pulling clothes out of shopping bags.

  She tried to lighten the mood. “I’m just worrying again,” she said, moving toward the window to peek out the curtain. “Everything looks quiet, and there’s only one car in the parking lot. We’re probably the last to leave.”

  “Yeah, I imagine most of their customers are vacation travelers. Everyone else probably got an early start.”

  Rianna kept her gaze on the parking lot, but her attention stayed on Kyle. She heard him pulling on his shorts, then jeans, the zipper sounding especially loud in the quiet of the room. When he tugged a white T-shirt over his head, she turned to watch the flex of muscles as he tucked in his shirt and fastened the snap of his jeans.

  Everything he did, every move he made, fascinated her. She wanted more time to explore, wanted to sate herself with him and then start all over again. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest at the idea of unrestrained, uninhibited loving.

  Until today, she’d never thought of herself as a particularly sensual woman, but he’d changed that image forever. She wanted to smell and taste and feel until she had her fill. Just a pipe dream at this point in her life.

  “Rianna? You sure you’re okay?”

  She realized she was staring at him again, and licked her suddenly dry lips. “To be honest, I’m having a little withdrawal here. I want to go back to bed with you and stay there for a long, long time.”

  She could see the effect her honesty had on him. His eyes darkened, his jaw tightened and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His whole body went tense, then he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

  “Someday soon,” he swore softly.

  She forced herself to breathe deeply, too. “I’m going to hold you to that, Tremont.”

  He grinned, a purely male, purely wicked grin that lightened her spirits. “You won’t have to work too hard at it.”

  “Promise?”

  “On my life.”

  She returned his grin, and then crossed the room to collect the small pistol from the nightstand. She stashed it in a leather fanny pack she’d bought at the store last night, added the plastic bag with the disabled electronic bug they’d smashed and bagged, along with the refrigerator magnet. It was further evidence of Gregory’s treachery.

  Kyle tucked the Glock into the waistband of his jeans and covered it with his shirt. They were ready again.

  “What now? Rent a car and drive to D.C.? Or take a cab to the airport?”

  “I vote for flying, but the airports would be the most likely place to look for us. Especially Dulles,” she said.

  “We could drive into Ohio and catch a flight to Newark, then rent a car. They can’t watch every airport in the region.”

  Rianna nodded. “I want to call Donald again and get his input before deciding.”

  She could tell the idea didn’t set well with Kyle. Why? Just a male thing, or a genuine mistrust of the other man? Surely that couldn’t be the case. He was here as a favor to Donald.

  “The fewer people who know our plans, the safer we’ll be,” he reminded.

  “Donald may have news about Rudy and the others, and I want to make sure Gregory’s still behind bars.”

  Kyle seemed reluctant, but finally nodded. “Okay, we call Sullivan, but not from Rudy’s cellular. We’ll bag it up with anything else we don’t want and toss it in the Dumpster. We can find a pay phone to call Sullivan.” He looked around. “Is that it?”

  She’d already bagged up what few clothes she wanted to take with her and discarded the others. After surveying the room one last time, she nodded. “I don’t think there’s anything else.”

  “No extra underwear?” The frown on his face kicked up in a provocative grin. His blue eyes glittered like sapphires.

  Rianna felt her face heat at the suggestion. “A g
ood old safety pin will suffice in the absence of built-in panty pouches.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  She’d forgotten to give him some money in case they got separated. Turning her back, she unfastened her jeans, unclipped the safety pin and pulled out a couple of big bills. When she’d refastened everything, she turned again, slamming into Kyle’s chest.

  The look on his face was so lascivious that she laughed out loud. “Back off, Tremont. You’re altogether too interested in my secret hiding place.”

  “Damn straight,” he growled, stealing a quick kiss.

  Rianna returned his kiss with fervor, but they refrained from holding each other. When they broke apart, she handed him some money.

  “First time I ever got paid for a kiss.” He tucked the bills into his pocket.

  “Consider it an advance,” she teased.

  “On services to be rendered?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  He made a move to take her into his arms, but quickly backed off. “Damn.”

  “I know.” She felt the same way. She didn’t want to leave their little cocoon and face the world again, but they had no real choice. “A cab or a rental company?”

  “There’s a little restaurant a couple of blocks down the street,” he told her. “I noticed it last night. Why don’t we walk down there, get something to eat, and see if any of Haroldson’s men crawl out of the woodwork. If it looks safe, we can hire a cab to take us to the airport.”

  Rianna thought about it. Flying would certainly be the fastest way to make the trip. Kyle probably didn’t want to waste any more time on the road dodging henchmen. He’d gone above and beyond his duty as a private citizen. He had to be anxious to get rid of her and get back to his normal life.

  The idea shouldn’t hurt, yet it did.

  “Sounds like a plan.” She hoped her tone sounded brisk and professional. It was time to start putting some emotional distance between them.

  Turning from his probing gaze, she added, “I’m starved.”

  “Rianna?” He stopped her as she reached for the doorknob. When she turned, he placed a brief, hard kiss on her lips, and then nudged her aside.

  “I’ll go first, make a sweep of the parking lot and toss our trash in the Dumpster. Then I’ll check the office, and signal from there if it’s all clear.”

  She sighed, but nodded agreement. As he made his way around the motel lot, she watched for any sign of trouble. She’d guarded the backs of other agents in the past, but never one that meant so much to her. She barely breathed until she saw him waving an all-clear from the doorway of the office. Quickly donning a pair of sunglasses, she joined him on the main sidewalk, where he put himself between her and the busy street.

  The midday sun was hot, and their walk brisk. The street was lined with cars parked in front of various small shops. Two lanes of traffic moved steadily along, but no one seemed to pay them any undue attention. None of the passing vehicles held familiar faces or any sort of threat to them.

  By the time they reached the restaurant, they were ready for the air-conditioning. Kyle settled into a corner booth with a clear view of the entrance and parking lot, while she made use of the pay phone just inside the front door.

  She heard a series of clicks as Donald’s home answering system forwarded her call. He picked up within a few seconds and didn’t bother with polite greetings.

  “Where are you?”

  “We’re in Lexington, and we want to fly back, but I wanted to make one last check with you before leaving here. What’s happening?”

  “Haroldson is still behind bars, but his lawyer is pulling out all the stops to get him freed. I convinced the police down there to keep Rudy until we can make a prisoner transfer.”

  “Good. How about Tabone and the others?”

  “I’m trying to verify their whereabouts, but they’re still wild cards. Our best guess is they won’t do anything too stupid or too public.”

  “So you think it’s safe for us to fly?”

  “I don’t advise it,” he said. “I don’t have enough manpower to patrol the airports and there are too many of Haroldson’s men unaccounted for. If you keep driving, you’ll be one step ahead of them and leave a cold trail.”

  Rianna didn’t know how Kyle would take the news of more hours on the road, but she had to agree. She didn’t like the odds of a busy airport. If they flew, they wouldn’t have the authority to carry their weapons, so they’d be especially vulnerable.

  Donald barely paused. “You know the drill. Make sure you aren’t being tailed, and head for the cabin. It’s as secure as any safe house and you know the alarm codes. I should be there ahead of you, or as soon as I can get there.”

  “It’ll take us another eight or ten hours.”

  Something in her tone had alerted him to her mood. “Tremont giving you trouble?”

  “No.”

  “Your neck all right? You’re not hurting?”

  “No, I’m fine, really. I’m just ready to be home.”

  “Soon,” he reassured her. “It’s been the longest six months of my life, but I’ll have you home soon. Then I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

  The fierceness of his tone made Rianna chuckle. “Yes, sir,” she teased. “Suits me just fine.”

  His voice dropped to a low murmur. “You know I love you.”

  “I know,” she whispered. His unfaltering devotion had sustained her through some rough times. “I love you, too.”

  They said goodbye, and she returned to the booth. Kyle stared at her for a minute, his expression unexpectedly grim, and then he turned his attention to a menu.

  She frowned, wondering what had caused his mood to darken, but she didn’t ask. Instead, she studied her own menu. Once the waitress had taken their order and they were alone again, she outlined Donald’s plan.

  “I forgot we’d have to ditch our guns if we flew,” he admitted, his brow furrowing. “Does Sullivan think Tabone and the others are still tailing us?”

  “He can’t be sure. They’re unaccounted for, at this point. Damon’s a wild card, too. I didn’t have any concrete evidence against him, so he’s not in custody. There’s a warrant for Tabone if Donald finds him before he finds us.”

  “Let’s hope he went into hiding when he heard about the other arrests.”

  “He’s more of a lackey than a thinker, so he and the others might have given up the chase. With Gregory and Rudy in jail, there’s no one left to organize the troops. At least, not for a while.”

  “I’m sure Haroldson has someone on payroll who’s doing his bidding and seeing that his orders are obeyed.”

  “That would be Sanderson, his lawyer and flunky. He’ll be the go-between for a while, but Donald is trying to freeze Gregory’s assets. In that case, nobody gets paid.”

  “And a good crook’s loyalty has to be bought.”

  “Right. If we spend another day on the road, all the rats will be abandoning ship.”

  Kyle gave her a strange look but didn’t comment. Their meal arrived, so they were quiet while they ate. Despite being hungry, the food didn’t sit well on Rianna’s stomach.

  Her thoughts churned while she considered the best way to handle the rest of the trip. She knew she needed to give him the opportunity of opting out of the mission, yet she hated to broach the subject. He’d be relieved or offended by her suggestion, and either option made her sick at heart.

  When she’d eaten as much as she could manage, she studied Kyle for a minute, until the intensity of her scrutiny caught his attention.

  “What’s worrying you now?”

  Rianna wasn’t sure she liked having him read her mind or be so aware of her mood swings. She’d never had a truly intimate, sharing sort of relationship with a man who could sense her thoughts and feelings.

  Avoiding the problem wouldn’t solve it, so she explained. “I’m thinking it might be safer to go our separate ways now. If Gregory’s men are still searching for us, they�
��ll be looking for Tony and Samantha, not a lone woman who doesn’t look very glamorous anymore.”

  Kyle’s expression went stone cold. His lips thinned and his eyes glittered. The muscles in his jaw clenched, and she knew she’d really ticked him off. Part of her exalted in the knowledge while part of her cringed.

  “Trying to give me my walking papers, Rianna?”

  His tone rivaled the air-conditioning for chill factor. She fidgeted with her napkin. Then, annoyed with her uncharacteristic restlessness, she tossed it down and looked him directly in the eyes.

  “I don’t want you to feel obligated to drive all the way back to D.C. with me. I know you put your own life on hold to help Donald, but you’ve already done more than you bargained for. I think I’ll be safe from here on out.”

  His expression went blank, his tone bland. “You think?”

  She clenched her jaw, wishing she knew what he really wanted. “I’m a highly trained professional, remember?”

  “Even the best professional needs backup sometimes.” He watched her with unerring intensity. “What about the promise you just made? We have a lot of unfinished business between us.”

  “I’m not denying that,” she said, lowering her lashes to hide how deeply his words touched her. “I’m just suggesting that it might have to wait until this whole case is settled.”

  “You don’t think we make good traveling partners?”

  She forced herself to look up at him again. “I’m more like a liability you haven’t been able to shake. Not to mention you’re risking your own life.”

  “If this is all about me, then why don’t you let me decide if and when I want to be cut free?”

  Relief rushed through her. She desperately wanted him to want to stay with her, but not out of some misguided sense of duty and honor. She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax.

  “You think we can manage to stay one step ahead of the bad guys without risking life or limb?”

  The tension in Kyle’s expression eased at her attempt to dispel the dark mood, but his steady gaze didn’t waver from her face. His tone was terse when he spoke again, his expression accusing.

  “Was that a test, Special Agent Phantom?”

  She blinked, disconcerted again by the way he read her thoughts and intentions. When she locked gazes with him again, hers was clear and steady. “Maybe a little one, but please don’t be offended. I really want to do what’s best for you at this point. You’ve put your own life on hold for a long time now.”