Seek and Destroy (TREX, #5)

by Allie K. Adams

  But they weren’t tracking cargo ships. Since he couldn’t fly to Miami to jump on a ship headed for the Bahamas, she took a gamble that he’d take one to Hawaii. Her gamble paid off. And now here she was, try number two to recruit him into her division.

  TREX had an unwritten rule. Sideline divisions, as they’d dubbed intel, surveillance, cyber, and other divisions that did their best work at a desk, took in discarded agents from the frontline divisions like incident response, search and rescue, and yes, even spec ops. The sideline divisions would take the frontline discards, and in return, they got... What? Exactly what TREX intended—the discards. It was high time they reversed the trade and took in an agent from a sideline division instead of sending the frontline agents to the sidelines to retire.

  She’d just as soon tell them all to go to hell, and in binary. That would take the all-bronze-no-brains board at TREX a while to decipher. If ever. Most were ex-frontline agents, and damn good ones. Thousands of career finds under their collective belt. Still, the sideliners deserved to advance in the agency, even if their names never graced the reports for the credit on the find. It shouldn’t always be the frontliners being recognized and moving ahead without any acknowledgement to the sideliners who made the find possible.

  Instead of dwelling on her bitter diatribe, she needed to make the best of it. Did she want to be back out in the field? Not really, but she had to admit, being on the beaches of Maui definitely beat being stuck at a computer station, staring at a dozen monitors.

  This could be a good thing. A very good thing. She’d pave the way for other sideliners, to give them a chance at something more than sitting behind a desk. God only knew how many others felt the same way. The want for change, to be a part of the frontline. Part of the action.

  And she found that action. He was staring at her.

  She lowered herself onto a nearby lounge chair and dropped her bag on the ground next to her. The sun warmed her skin and she sighed as she lowered her lids and lifted her chin to bask in the rays. She shrugged out of her shirt and leaned back. She imagined herself succeeding in this find, bringing David back to Seattle with her.

  A smile bubbled up. Success meant not only would her brother’s transfer to TREX spec ops be permanent, Charis would also press for that promotion she got an email about right before she left.

  Okay, a couple more minutes and then she’d go talk to him. She’d given herself that little pep talk every night this week while she sat in a corner booth and watched him behind the bar as he laughed and joked with the tourists. It had her second-guessing bringing him back. He looked happy in his new life.

  A shadow the size of a mountain blocked out her sun and took over her thoughts. “Hello, McKoy. You’re looking very good.”

  She opened her eyes and sucked in a breath. David Snyder stood in her sun. Her entire world jumped its axis. She gaped up at him, completely captivated by his presence. He worked his jaw as he glanced down at her. The dusting of whiskers across his jaw made him seem even more dangerous, and more dangerously appealing. He was six-feet-plus of towering muscle, undeniable power, and overwhelming sexiness.

  “Right back at you, Snyder. Now, if you don’t mind, you’re casting a shadow.” Thank God her voice didn’t shake. He had her senses in turmoil. She motioned for him to move to the side.

  He didn’t. “What are you doing here?”

  “Trying to soak up the sun.”

  “You could have done that back in Seattle.”

  “In February?”

  David slowly raked his gaze over her frame. He hesitated at the scars on her leg, the same scars he’d stared at so intently back at the hospital. She fought the urge to throw the shirt over her legs to cover them. Continuing to scrape his heated gaze across her flesh, he paused at her breasts. Her nipples pinched in response. Finally, he rested his gaze on her face. “Just here to catch some rays?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then let me buy you a drink.” He didn’t wait for her answer and walked off. She enjoyed every minute of it. That was one finely toned backside. A bimbo with a bra size larger than her IQ bounced over to him. Charis zeroed in, clenching her teeth until her jaw hurt. He nodded at the woman, said a few words, and then turned from her to accept the drinks. As he left the bar, his attention rested on Charis. He didn’t give that woman more than a glance, a few polite responses. She’d never wanted to show a man more gratitude than she did at that moment. Her skin hummed at the thought.

  He returned and handed her a drink in a coconut shell with a little umbrella imbedded in the side. “This should hit the spot.”

  “Thanks.” She accepted and took in a long, cool sip. Ah, heaven. And coconut-y. The cool liquid travelled down to her belly and she loved every second of it. The alcohol wasn’t strong. Typical for these touristy spots. She leaned back and sipped on it without worrying about the affects. She had enough to think about without alcohol numbing her brain.

  “You know,” he continued and casually took a seat on the lounge chair next to hers. “If it’s sun you’re really here for, I know a much better place to sunbathe. Very remote. A little cove, actually. No one even knows about it. You just say the right word and I’ll take you,” he stated and curled his lip into a coy grin, “there.”

  Her heart skipped. Did he just proposition her? “Mmmm. Sounds very enticing, but no thanks.” She had TREX’s rulebook practically memorized and mentally recited the rule she’d break if she went to this little cove with him. TREX Rule #107: Never get into a situation leaving you alone with your target without an escape route.

  “Why not? Afraid to take the risk?”

  She knew what he was doing. Pushing her out of her comfort zone wouldn’t work. She was already there. “I like the sun from here just fine, thanks.”

  “That’s too bad. We could have had a moment. Or two.”

  Her jaw hit her knees when those dancing eyes captured her. She almost dropped her coconut, but David snagged her drink. “Careful with that. These babies are twelve bucks a pop. I’m on a fixed income now. The pittance TREX paid me to get lost is a joke.” He took a long pull off his after setting hers down next to her. “I spotted you at the beginning of the week and wondered when you’d finally approach. When I saw you in your...” he paused and slowly traced her body with his gaze, leaving a searing trail of humming electricity across her flesh, “uniform, I knew today had to be my lucky day. I’ve got to say, I like this look on you even better than the doctor outfit.” He sat up and swung his legs around to face her. “And I really liked the doctor outfit. Were the glasses part of it?”

  “No. I’m blind without them or my contacts. Today happens to be a contact day.” It had to be two hundred degrees in the sun. A bead of sweat trickled between her breasts, distracting her as she struggled to find something else to say.

  “Let me guess,” he continued. “You aren’t here to check up on me, right? You know, the whole doctor-patient thing?”

  “I’m a PhD, not an MD. That was just a cover.”

  “No shit.”

  Stay uberly-cool. Stick with the plan. TREX Rule #72: Don’t let the target see you get worked up. Uberly-cool. Uberly-cool. Her mind refused to focus. Was uberly even a word? “I have a PhD in computer science. I wrote my dissertation on how computers have revolutionized our ability to gather information.”

  “Fascinating. Computers, eh? Don’t tell me you came all the way to Maui to check out my hard drive.”

  “I may even spend a little time on your RAM.” Heat slapped her cheeks. Did she really just say that? In an attempt to recover, she held up her tanning oil. “Rub some on me?”

  She turned to expose her back, breaking yet another rule. TREX Rule #62: Never turn your back on your target. She listened intently as he popped open the top of the bottle, as he squirted oil into his hand. Barely breathing, she waited for his touch.

  She jumped when he gently brushed her shoulder with his hand, the contact sending goose bumps washing ac
ross her flesh. Her body ached with need. “Sorry, it’s cold.” She tried to laugh to cover up her reaction. Glancing down at the way her nipples poked at the fabric of her suit, she closed her eyes in an attempt to gain some sort of control over her body.

  “Feels pretty hot from my end.”

  She had no restraint when he made comments like that. She tried to relax, to slow her breathing. Not only was she nervous as hell, she had the sexiest man in existence spreading oil on her back, rubbing his callused hands across her skin. “How long have you been here?”

  He explored the hollows of her back, massaging in tiny circles before slowly gliding toward either hip. Moving his hands until he hit the suit, just the tips of his fingers slipped under the fabric.

  Charis shuddered.

  He traced the hem of her suit, drawing his hands up until they stopped just under her arms. She didn’t move, she didn’t even breathe. He continued to rub her as he spoke, his breath tickling her neck. “Do you want me to do your front?”

  “More than anything,” she breathed, her voice thick with lust. Her eyes flew open when she realized what she’d said. “I mean—I—” She gave up and hung her head in mortification. His touch, firm and persuasive, yet gentle and in perfect control, invited more. Having those hands on her, touching her, caressing her, turned her brain into mush. Her thoughts were now preoccupied with her taking him back to her room to, indeed, do her front. She turned to him. Did he feel the same electricity, the same sexual charge she did?

  His dark gaze glimmered wickedly. The smile in his eyes held a sensuous flame and caused the slick heat of her inner core to burn with want. The beginning of a smile tipped the corners of his mouth. “So, tell me something.”

  “Anything.”

  “How’d they find me?”

  They didn’t. I did. “I followed a hunch.” She pulled her gaze away and touched her blazing cheeks with the back of her hand. Embarrassed didn’t even begin to describe the feeling rushing her senses. Desire. Hunger. Anticipation.

  He eased back on the lounge chair. She mirrored his moves. Another trick in the TREX rulebook, though she couldn’t recall the number. He picked up his drink and again she did the same. As he drank, she played with her straw, trying to bring her senses under control. They danced in a stimulated frenzy after he had her almost near orgasm just from rubbing her back. “Interesting. And after what I told you at that hospital, you still think you have a chance at me?”

  God, she hoped so. Her clit perked in obvious approval of her train of thought. “I have a request. A favor, of sorts.”

  “Hah,” he mocked, his expression hardening. His eyes no longer danced. “Why should I do you any favors?”

  Ignoring the slap across the face at his comment, she swallowed down what she really wanted to say. Who sat by his bed day in and day out until he regained consciousness? Who warded off the demons threatening to take his last breath? Who diligently changed his dressings to keep her cover as his personal physician, and to give her an excuse to touch him? Who, for the brief moments she did leave his bedside, spent every waking moment reading everything she could find on Ricin and how to counteract its effects?

  “Let me ask you a simple yes or no question. Are you here in an attempt to convince me to return to TREX?”

  She saw no need to lie. “Yes.”

  “You wasted your time.” He emptied the contents of the coconut shell and set it down beside him. Charis continued to play with her straw. “And now you’re wasting mine.”

  He didn’t plan on making this easy on her, and she didn’t blame him in the least. “David, just hear me out.”

  “No thanks, Angel. I’ve got my own life now. No more finds. No more smoking out the tangos.” As he spoke, she sensed the remorse in his voice. Without another word, David jumped up, spun around, and headed toward the surf.

  FIVE

  David leaned a shoulder against the wall and kept watch. Charis ate dinner alone and, after ordering her second glass of wine, finally gave up on her fish by throwing her napkin on the table and muttering a very unladylike curse. He liked her even better now.

  She wore her hair up, revealing a delicate and deliciously creamy-looking neck. The little ringlets too stubborn to stay up dangled at her temples, her neck. Her hair reminded him of the color of a really strong cup of French roast coffee. Hot, wet and desirable, and he’d bet his ass she smelled great, too. Ah, a damn fine sight. And her dress—the perfect blue to match her eyes. Snug, but not too tight, with little spaghetti straps. Not obscenely short like all of the other dresses the women wore around the resort. It was nice, the hem actually lower than the knee. It was modest. Different.

  She was different. Good different. Make you stand up and take notice different. The sun from earlier tanned her flesh to a shimmering bronze. His stomach knotted. It had been years since the sight of a woman stopped him in his tracks. Why this one? She was a woman, flesh and blood, and nothing more. He pushed away from the wall and walked out the back, down to the same bar on the beach by the pool he’d spotted her at earlier. He needed to get his head out of his pants and his libido in check.

  “Hey, David! What are you doing here? You don’t work tonight.”

  He took a seat and smiled at Tony, the bald, brawny bartender on the weekends. At barely seven o’clock, the night crowd wouldn’t shuffle in until after dinner, which gave him a good two hours before he’d have to give up the stool to a paying customer. Dusk had come and gone and darkness set in. The tiki torches flickered in the slight breeze. Piss poor light sources, but they displayed the perfect ambiance for the tourists. The surrounding palm trees danced in the wind, their whispering song adding to the soft guitar music wafting through the air. The breeze knocked the temperature down to the low seventies, as it did every night.

  Other than an older couple at a table in the back, Tony and David sat alone at the outside bar. “Looking for a little peace.”

  “Ain’t we all, buddy?” Tony laughed. “The twins bounced in here looking for you. I think they headed down to the beach.”

  Gabrielle. The twins, as Tony affectionately referred to them, were her ten thousand dollars’ worth of boobs. She’d made the resort her home for the past few months. Ever since David spent a few nights in her bed, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’d been avoiding her ever since. One of those spoiled little rich girls living off daddy’s nice fat trust fund, Gabrielle had nowhere to be and all the time in the world to pester the shit out of him.

  He grunted. “Looks like I just lucked out.”

  “That woman is F-I-N-E, fine. I’d give my left nut to have her chasing me around like she does you.”

  “By all means, take her.” Maybe then she’d leave him the hell alone.

  “No way, man. Those twins only have eyes for you. Can I get you something? It’s on me.”

  “OJ.” He propped his elbows up on the bar and rested his head on his hands.

  “You sure? We got a new coconut rum in this morning. Folks tell me it’s pretty good with pineapple juice.”

  David needed to keep his head clear. “Orange juice is fine.”

  “All right,” he conceded. “But it looks like you have a lot on your mind. I got your back if you need to let loose.”

  His problems were his problems. It’d always been his job to listen to other people’s problems, not share his. Besides, he had too much plaguing his thoughts. Why send McKoy? Why wouldn’t Weber ask him personally? And why now? After a year, he’d finally accepted his fate. He’d stay here, waste away in the surf during the day, and help the tourists waste away at night. Why would spec ops call him back? He’d been labeled a liability now. A risk. Weber made that abundantly clear when David left.

  Unless it wasn’t Weber calling him back.

  Well, shit. Why hadn’t he thought of that? This McKoy wasn’t spec ops. She was intel, all the way down to that sweet ass of hers. So why did intel want him after a year? He could barely work a smart phone, let alone use
a computer to track someone down.

  Time to find out.

  He jumped off the stool and headed inside the restaurant, ignoring Tony’s protests about him leaving a fresh pour. Fuck the drink. He’d square up with Tony later.

  He spotted the sexy little mystery still nursing her wine. The tiny table built for two sat in a row of similar tables, hers the only one with a single occupant. Small candles flickered in the center of each table, the only source of light in the resort restaurant now that the sun had set. Couples, all touchy and lovey, surrounded her, cooing at each other. She lifted her gaze to the ceiling and muttered something as she shook her head. Then, with a long sigh, she took a sip of wine.

  She kept her focus on the wine, giving him the opportunity to walk right up to her table without her noticing him. “Which division sent you, anyway? Intel? Spec ops? Who?”

  She gave him a once over. “Didn’t your mother teach you to dress for dinner?”

  His gaze held hers as he sank down in the chair across from her. “I did. I put on a shirt.”

  Pushing the plate toward him, she nodded at it. “Hungry? I gave it my best shot, but just the smell of it raw fish reminds me too much of the nasty smell of my parent’s kitchen during the annual McKoy fish fry.”

  “You don’t like fish, yet order sushi. Makes perfect sense.” That was a lie. Nothing about this woman made any sense.

  Her slight laugh lifted into the air and landed in his ears. “My little sister Kaylee told me to try something new. You know, do something out of my comfort zone.” She grabbed her wine and swirled it in the glass.

  “Do I count?”

  She had the most incredible smile as she stared at the wine. When she glanced at him from beneath her lashes, that flirtatious glimmer in her eye had him stifling a groan. “As in out of my comfort zone? Or doing something new?”

  Holy shit. He loved her boldness. “Both.”