No sooner had the thought entered his mind than Nia swung a roundhouse kick landing upside his head, knocking him to the floor. In a blur, she was on top of him with his head locked between her surprisingly strong thighs, his chin resting square in her crotch. She squeezed his neck, cutting off his air supply. If it hadn’t been for the inability to breath, he’d have let her keep the pose. The view was amazing. He tried to imagine the panties underneath her shorts. His arm snaked between her legs brushing against her taut, supple skin and pushed her off of his windpipe. Still surprised at her strength, he held back some to preserve her dignity. Unable to make much of a sound in his position, he croaked, “Truce?”
Her thighs tightened, squeezing his own arm into his neck, her jaw clenched. “I don’t think you’re in much of a position to be asking anything.” Grumbling expletives that ran together into a garbled mess, Nia tightened her thighs in an amazing display of strength then released him and jumped to her feet. “Count your blessings I’m not PMS-ing right now.” Stomping toward the women’s shower room, she tossed a glare back at him as she disappeared into the hallway.
Garrett stood and stared toward the locker rooms, glad to have proof she could stand up for herself. He was content with the knowledge that most other men would also misjudge her strength or become mesmerized and fall prey to her.
He brushed off his pants and turned to head for his desk. Levinson stood in the doorway with a knowing smirk on his face.
Shaking his head, Garrett asked, “I don’t suppose you missed all that?”
“No, I walked up when you put your gun down.” Laughing again, he continued, “Which was probably your first mistake. I do think she likes you though. She was holding back.” Levinson’s smile turned more playful.
Running his fingers through his hair, Garrett replied, “Yeah, I was too.”
His new boss slapped him on the shoulder. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
Chapter Four
Nia pulled her car into the driveway in front of her two-story Victorian home and dropped her head back against the headrest. She stared at the intricate woodwork in the bright moonlight and momentarily relaxed while she reminisced on the renovation work. The entire process took over a year and nearly sent her to bankruptcy court. Looking back, it had all been worth it. The trellises would be full of yellow, pink, and red roses, the flowerbeds bursting with similarly colored daisies in the summer, finally completing the entire look.
Agent Van Deren’s insinuating tone shoved back into her mind, killing the peace her soon-to-be garden had produced.
Doing a poor job of stifling her mood, she blustered through the door and left strewn belongings along her path of destruction leading to her room. She stripped off her dress clothes, tossing them haphazardly onto her heavy, wooden four-poster bed. Standing in her black matching underwear inside her closet, she glanced at her clothes, trying to pick out an outfit for work the following day. All she could think about was Van Deren’s accusation.
She slipped into silk pajama pants and a long sleeved t-shirt before heading back downstairs. Confusion muddled her thoughts as she fought to control them. Images of his dimples intruded eventually leading to more anger, this time at herself.
She entered her kitchen and felt a few seconds of peace. The dark mahogany cabinets and black marble countertops were a nice contrast to the stainless steel appliances. It was the one room she had modernized in the renovation. She went through the motions of emptying the dishwasher in an attempt to busy her mind. The image of his easy smile butted back into her reverie. The plate she grabbed slipped from her fingers, crashing to the floor.
Her roommate Cassie darted into the kitchen, sliding next to her in her socked feet. Her bleached blonde hair flipped across her face until she came to a stop. “What the hell?” Grabbing Nia’s arm and yanking her around, Cassie’s eyes widened. “Who hit you?”
Nia touched her jaw and shuffled through her mental excuse list. Keeping the root of her injuries from friends and family could sometimes be as tricky as the job itself. Thankfully, she was born with great creativity along with a huge imagination. Besides, all of it was an evil necessity to keep them safe.
“Oh, the new guy opened the door and hit me in the face.” At least part of the statement was the truth.
“Is that what has you so ticked off? How many more plates have to die just because you’re pissed at him?” Cassie offered a crooked grin, folding her arms over her flannelled breasts.
“This guy is my new partner.” Rolling her eyes, Nia turned away and finished unloading the dishwasher with more care.
“What happened to Alex?”
This excuse she didn’t have to reach for; Levinson already planned it out. “Uh, car accident… Poor guy busted his shoulder up really badly. They don’t know when or if he’ll be able to come back.”
“Because CPA to the stars is such a taxing job?” Cassie puckered her beautiful, fake tanned face in disbelief.
“Hey, it was his ten-key arm.” Bending over to retrieve another handful of dishes, she quietly grumbled in disgust. It sounded weak even to her. “Doesn’t matter; I have a new partner now, whether I like it or not. And I don’t like it, just so you know.”
“Never would have guessed.” Sarcasm laced Cassie’s words.
“He’s most likely a womanizer since he’s already got a date with Lexie, of all people.”
“Wow. Are you sure they didn’t clone Alex then?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. The new guy has dark hair, blue eyes, and dimples, which are pretty much opposite of Alex. The only things they have in common are their fondness for Lexie and their attitudes.” Her face betrayed her, allowing a slight smile on her lips.
“Sounds like you might actually like this guy.”
Picking up a plate from the cupboard, Nia held it over Cassie’s head. “I’ve killed for less.”
Cassie giggled and shook her head.
Little did she know…
Her roommate pulled the remnants of homemade lasagna from the fridge and set it on the island. “I’m heating you up some supper. I bet your meals for the day have consisted of nothing more than vending machine food.” She turned toward Nia and paused. “Correct me if I’m wrong.”
“I can lie to you if it’ll make you feel better.” Nia shoved the dishwasher closed with her butt, leaning against it.
Cassie cut a generous portion along with a smaller one and shoved them in the microwave. “Honestly, you need a husband to take care of you.”
Nia tossed an arm around her closest friend. “What, and take all this fun away from you? Not in a million.” She squeezed Cassie’s shoulders and kissed her cheek.
The microwave beeped as the kitchen filled with the wonderful aroma of Cassie’s homemade creation. Nia pondered finding a husband for her, but all of the guys she dealt with had way too many secrets and baggage to be paired with such a carefree, happy woman.
Besides, then Nia would have to cook.
Cassie slid the larger portion toward Nia. “So, tell me about this guy who’s got your panties in such a twist.”
“He’s a pain in my ass, that’s what he is.” Nia shoved a huge bite into her mouth in hopes her friend would stop the questions and let her enjoy her meal.
No such luck.
“I’ve known you for four years, even lived with you for the past two. The guys who evoke this kind of emotion in you are the ones you’re drawn to. Remember Greg? He had you furious when you thought he was seeing that other girl on the sly. Turned out she was in his acting classes. You were smitten, all over him like white on rice after that.”
Nia halted the forkful of food in front of her lips. “White on rice, seriously?”
Cassie shook her head, concern crinkling her brow. She took her plate into the living room, leaving Nia alone with something she’d almost forgotten she had.
Feelings.
Even the opening music of her favorite sitcom didn’t deter her from examining how s
he really felt. Nia had trained hard, invested her entire being into the agency. Somewhere along the line she had lost some of who she was while trying to prove herself on a daily basis. She had to be better than any man, because someone somewhere was watching and waiting for her to fail. The actual person plaguing her changed on a daily basis, but there was always someone.
Nia allowed herself to feel what she finally realized was bubbling inside: actual attraction. Unfortunately, this set off a chain reaction she wasn’t prepared to deal with. Fear, panic, and a myriad of other emotions she’d repressed flooded her body. Afraid that Cassie would eventually return to the kitchen and catch her mentally naked, Nia picked up her plate and climbed the back stairs to the safety of her bedroom.
Chapter Five
Nia steeled her spine as she walked through the conference room double doors, scanning the area. Levinson was already at the head of the table, jotting notes in his yellow legal tablet. As always, he ignored the state of the art computer each seat had at their disposal, opting for old school. Lexie sat next to him drumming the bright pink fingernails of one hand on the dark oak table surface while she inspected the nails of her other hand. Brandon Shrock, tech guru, was digging through a box of his latest contraptions, undoubtedly readying his speech for their usage during the mission.
The only person missing was one Agent Garrett Van Deren.
A flutter of conflicting emotions nagged at her. Had she actually scared him away? Did she want to scare him away? Was he really that touchy?
No sooner had the thoughts entered her mind than she felt someone standing behind her.
“Excuse me.” Garrett’s deep voice trickled directly into her ear; she felt his warm breath on her neck.
She allowed the sensual hum to trail into work-forbidden territory then took a deep breath, swallowed the residual feelings from the evening before, and walked to her seat on the other side of her boss. She made sure to accidently bump Lexie’s chair on her way by.
Breaking the silence, Levinson’s booming voice caught her off guard. “Good. You’re all here. Let’s get down to business.” He paused as Nia and Garrett got situated then continued. “Thanks to Brooks and Brennan, we now have the layout and location of the transport device in England we’ve been looking for. Seems our friends in the rogue English Intelligence group Time Warp have actually succeeded in sending a few of their agents back to the thirteenth century from the castle of Ludwig just north of Sussex.”
Chatter broke out among the agents who hadn’t been privy to the mission prior to the meeting. Gaping jaws and flippant remarks showed that most didn’t believe what they’d heard.
Levinson raised a hand along with his voice. “You all work for a CIA division that deals with the impossible, improbable, and down right off the wall on a daily basis.” He paused, scanning the agents’ faces while the talking dwindled away before he continued. “We’ve known of the group for years. Nothing was worth going after until this intel. Now we know where we need to infiltrate the group and gain access to the castle. It is currently being renovated, they just so happen to be throwing a large New Year’s Eve party for anyone considering a hefty donation to their reconstruction costs. Undoubtedly, most of the money will be used for furthering their cause rather than actual renovations, which is where we come in. Brooks and Van Deren, you will be posing as a couple with new oil money from Texas. Your backgrounds have already been set. The agency gave you checking, loan, and savings history with large enough balances to make them slobber at your feet.”
Nia reclined in her chair, obviously making a poor attempt at keeping the thoughts of shopping nirvana from her face.
Levinson leaned toward her. “No, you aren’t going on a spending spree while you’re there.”
Nia snapped her guilty gaze to meet his knowing smirk.
She opened her mouth to offer a flimsy excuse, but Lexie took the opportunity to inject her opinion. “I don’t think having them be a couple is such a good idea. I mean, they could cover more ground if they were two separate investors, don’t you think? I’d happily portray Garrett’s wife. I already know him. We’re a real couple.” Her bottom lip popped in a slight pout. Jealousy wasn’t a good look for her, though it was on her face often. Lexie lived to make life difficult for her and hated when there was a possibility that Nia might get something she wanted. This time the “something” was obviously Garrett.
Levinson paused and squinted in thought, quickly shaking his head. “No, it won’t work. I need them to protect one another; they can only do that as a well-acquainted married couple, so to speak. I don’t think we’ll legally pronounce you man and wife. Stop sweating Van Deren.”
Fidgeting in his seat, Garrett offered a nervous, halfhearted smile. Lexie, of course, stared daggers at Nia before spinning her chair sideways, glaring at an abstract painting on the wall.
Levinson continued, “Okay, we’ve booked one of the rooms in the renovated area of the castle for the weekend of the party. This should give you some extra time to nose around and find the machine, though I’m sure it’ll be under heavy guard. We’ve already made a fairly sizeable donation in your new names, so there should be little suspicion toward you. Try to do what you can to dismantle or destroy this thing. If they get the wrong person either back in time or brought forward to us…” His face grew solemn. “Well, life as we know it may very well be resting on your shoulders.”
Nia glanced across the table at Garrett. He seemed engrossed in their boss’s spiel, but something was distracting him. He fidgeted nervously in his seat. His gaze shifted from the door to Levinson and back several times. Flicking her pen, she purposefully knocked it onto the floor and bent to pick it up. Lexie’s hand was stroking Garrett’s inner thigh under the table. He roughly placed it back on her leg. When she immediately tried again, he smacked her arm.
Stifling a laugh, Nia raised her head too fast, whacking it on the edge of the table. When she returned to her seat, all eyes were on her. “What? I, uh, choked.” Faking a few coughs and clearing her throat got Levinson’s attention back to the matter at hand.
“So, your names will be Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Toni Nichols. You’ve been married for five years and came into money when you hit oil on your Texas property outside of Houston. You kept your newfound wealth hush-hush due to an ugly divorce in Mr. Nichols’ past.” He slid a manila envelope stuffed full of papers to each one of them. “Here’s your study material for the next week. Sorry, you don’t have much time since the party is next weekend. I expect you two to know each other better than you know yourselves so there’ll be no mistaking you for a couple. I realize that this is Christmas week, but this is imperative to our section.” He looked back and forth between them. Slapping his hand on the table, he exclaimed, “Understood?”
Everyone bolted into a proper sitting position and nodded, even though he was addressing Garrett and Nia.
He motioned toward Brandon. “You’re up, Shrek.”
Bounding to his feet, Brandon reaffirmed his nickname as he stumbled sideways. His head was larger than most, oftentimes leading him to stagger off balance. He pulled a huge diamond wedding set, a man’s wedding band and two exquisite watches out of the box and displayed them on a velvet board. “Don’t get too excited. These are on loan from The Jewel Box downtown. I inserted a satellite uplink communication device in each watch casing just in case our normal communicator doesn’t transmit back overseas due to satellite issues. You’ll have your earwig like normal, but with these, just push the little button on the side to turn it on, then again to turn it off. They also have a tiny camera on the side. Push the wind button to take a picture and it’ll be sent to headquarters. The rings are for the marriage part of your cover.” He released a nervous giggle, arranging everything on a crushed velvet display cloth.
Nia reached across the table and lightly dragged a finger over the diamond-encrusted watchband. She’d never been on a field op where such extravagance was necessary. Details mattered for this
operation to stay out from under Time Warp’s scrutiny. A soft moan escaped her before she could stop it.
Lexie swatted her arm. “Don’t smudge the merchandise.” Another scowl creased her face and puckered her vividly pink, glossy lips.
Taking a moment to contemplate her nemesis for a change, Nia saw Lexie’s beauty just beneath the surface of her normally hateful facade. Her blond hair was perfectly styled at all times, her makeup flawless, and her designer outfits always fresh from the dry cleaners. Cocking her head to the side, Nia lost interest quickly realizing it was much more fun to antagonize her.
“I’ll be wearing all of these beautiful diamonds for an entire weekend.” Pausing to conjure up an overly dreamy gaze, Nia continued, “With Agent Van Deren on my arm.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Garrett’s eyes widen. “I don’t think my fingerprints on the watch will be an issue.”
Lexie leaned back in her chair and smiled. “That’s okay because Garrett and I are going out this Saturday. I doubt he’ll want anything to do with fast food once he’s had gourmet.”
Garrett had taken a sip of water and promptly spewed it onto the table. “Wow,” he sputtered between coughs.
Nia shook her head and rolled her eyes, then turned back toward Brandon. “Please, carry on.”
Smiling while turning beat red, he stuttered, “Th…thank you, Agent Brooks.” Looking at his feet, he continued, “Here’s a special lipstick for you.” Removing the cover, he twisted up a beautiful peach shade. “I tried to get it as close to your normal color. This one is marked on the bottom with a C so you’ll know to keep it separate. It’s C-4 in case you need to blow a lock off or anything like that. Just don’t put it on your”—he looked back at her, putting his fingers to his mouth—“lips.”
Secrets of the Sapphires Page 3
