by Aliyah Burke
“Here you go.” Taber spoke softly.
She opened her eyes to see the park. Hand on the door, she hesitated. “Thanks for keeping your word. You know, about our thing.” Quickly, she left and walked back to the hotel before she gave into the urge to crawl into his embrace.
In her room, she showered and dressed in something less revealing then she went through the adjoining door with a precursory knock. It was empty or so she thought. Right up until Taber walked into view. Shirtless.
“Kysenzki,” she said, unsuccessful at tearing her gaze from his ripped torso.
Does any man have the right to look that good?
“LeBenoit,” he replied, perusing her with no modesty whatsoever. Her T-shirt and lounge pants no longer seemed like they covered enough and she fought the urge to cross her arms.
“Where is everyone?”
“Right here.”
He flopped down in a chair, obviously in no rush to finish dressing. The man could wear the hell out of a pair of jeans. This one had a hole in the upper left thigh which totally drew her gaze. They fit like shrink-wrap to those powerful quads and did nothing to stop her overactive—way overactive—imagination.
“What do you mean?”
Her palms were a bit sweaty and she prayed he couldn’t see her nipples tightening. Was it getting hot in here? She could feel the moisture gathering between her breasts.
“I’m it for the night. Just me.” His deep gaze smouldered.
Be professional, LeBenoit.
“Okay, well, I’ll be out of your hair in no time. I just have to check for messages and leave a note.”
He stretched his long legs out and she bit back a whimper.
“Don’t rush on my account. Perhaps you could stay and keep me company a bit. Your messages are on the table here.”
She crossed to his side and reached for them, half expecting him to grab her. “Let me go take care of these messages and I’ll be back.”
His lips curled up slightly. “Great.”
Back in her room, she shuddered and sank to the couch. Could she do it? She wasn’t all that tired and she did like being with Taber. He was funny, intelligent, not to mention extremely easy on the eyes. She hurried through her messages and found one from Rochelle to call about dinner. The final one was from her boss.
Soon, she had double-checked the lock on her door and was pushing back through to the other room. Taber had moved and had put on a shirt. She had mixed emotions about that. It was black and blessedly tight, barely seeming to contain his arms.
“Cards work for you?” he asked, staring at her.
“Sure.” She placed a bottle of water down and sat across from him, the table between them. “What are we playing?”
“Gin? Rummy? Gin rummy?”
She chuckled. “Gin is fine.”
He shuffled and dealt with swift efficiency. Into the first hand, she glanced over the top of his cards at him.
“Tell me your story, Special Agent Kysenzki.” While there were other things to do with him on her mind, including licking him all over, she knew the room had surveillance and all things were recorded. She hoped he knew. Plus, she truly was curious why he was in his job.
“I’m the middle of three. All boys. The youngest, Pete, is a naval pilot. Cort is a US Marshall. Born and raised in the great state of Texas. As to the job, I lost my best friend to a drug deal gone bad when I was a teen and decided the day he was buried I would do everything I could to stop the trafficking of illegal drugs.”
He never looked at her as he answered, just continued to play cards. Still, her heart went out to him. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
He smiled slightly. “What’s your story, LeBenoit?”
Taber lifted his head and pinned her with his gaze. His heat seared her.
“I come from a large family.” She knew he knew that for he’d seen her picture wall. “From Louisiana. A small town on the bayou. They came and recruited me when I…I uncovered a huge gun deal.” She picked up the card he’d just discarded. “Worked my way up through the ranks to finally make Special Agent.”
He nodded. “Tell me why everyone’s so scared of you.”
Her eyes widened. “I have absolutely no idea.”
“Really? How about why you don’t like the DEA?”
He baited her, she knew it. She lifted a brow and stared at him. “Do any of the alphabet groups get along? Really?” With a smirk, she lay down her hand. “Gin.”
Taber counted his points and handed her the cards to shuffle and deal. “Guess not. But I hear you spit out DEA for breakfast.”
This time, she laughed. “Wow, I sound like an ogre.”
His blue eyes twinkled. “Don’t look like one… Don’t yell at me. I’m a red blooded male who’s not blind.” He smiled. “I think I see why you scare people. Your glare could freeze hell.”
“Ahh, sorry. I didn’t know I froze your home. Don’t worry; I’m sure the fires will be burning again soon.”
He clenched a fist to his chest. “Ouch. But, in case you misheard, I’m from Texas, not hell.”
She shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Tell me something, LeBenoit.”
“What?”
“You married? Have a man at home waitin’ for you?”
Sean Forrest flashed before her eyes. She’d had everything planned down to the last detail. And then…
“No,” she forced out. “No man at home waiting.”
“I’m not married either.”
“I didn’t ask. I’ve heard your reputation.”
“Not all reps are true.” He stared directly into her eyes.
She understood he was trying to tell her he wasn’t such a womaniser. “I guess that’s good.”
“Gin.”
Serefina grumbled and counted up her points. They finished the game talking about small, inconsequential things, and yet, she found herself being drawn to him more and more. Once the arrogant attitude got stripped away, Taber was a very interesting and fun man. After the third game, she stifled a yawn and he put the cards down after shuffling them.
“Thank you for spending some time with me, SA LeBenoit. You should get some sleep.”
“Goodnight, Kysenzki.”
Empty bottle in hand, she strode to the door and slipped through to her own room. Not much later, she crawled into bed. As it had the previous night, sleep remained elusive. The very knowledge that Taber lingered on the other side of the door didn’t help.
Geez, Serefina, you’ve got it bad. Didn’t Sean teach you anything?
Apparently, if he had, she’d forgotten it. Because now, Sean had resurfaced and here she lay at three in the morning pining after a man who worked for the agency she swore she’d never get personally involved with.
A knock came to the door, but before she could get up, it swung open. Sebastian stood there. Behind him she could see both Taber and Tucker, who looked exhausted.
“Can I help you?” she asked, rolling to her feet and glaring down her nose at him. How dare he burst in here.
“Where is he?”
She shook her head. “Where’s who?”
“Forrest.”
“Don’t you have recon on him?”
“Yes, but his tracker says he’s here.”
Taber seemed a bit more interested in the conversation now.
“Well, he’s not. In fact, no one was. Which is how I sleep, alone. But if you want to search the room, go ahead.”
She stood by the wall as all the lights came on. Taber’s gaze was upon her, but her thoughts remained focused on Sean. Why would his tracker be in here? It hit here. The hug. Bastard! Keeping her face calm, she waited until Sebastian stopped searching.
He stomped over to her. “Have you been in contact with him recently?”
“No sir,” she vocalised on a growl.
“Are you sure?”
His snide tone pushed her to the edge. And she bristled. Her already strained nerves frayed faster than s
he could repair them.
“Don’t get on your fuckin’ high horse with me, Sebastian Chantor. I’m here as a consultant. Not to be one of your whipping boys. I know who I talked to and when. As I put in my report, which you would have known if you would do your damn job, the last time I spoke with SA Forrest—Roger—was at The Klink. It was in a back room and all we did was arrange breakfast for another info gather. Then I left.”
She could feel the heavy weight of Taber’s assessing gaze. Like he knew she withheld something. But she refused to look at him, instead holding Sebastian’s weasel-like glare.
“Now that you’ve interrupted my sleep and tore up my room, can you leave so I can try and get a few winks before my day starts again?”
Face red with either anger or embarrassment, Sebastian did as she asked. The second she closed the door behind him, she ran for her backpack.
“Conniving little bastard.”
Hidden up under the bag hook sat a small bug. Removing it, she placed it on the bed and dug into the bag’s interior. Half a sandwich from earlier. Tearing the bread, she made small pieces and implanting the bug into one. The seagulls would get a feast.
But she couldn’t do it. Mainly because Sean would expect that. Time for him to see the unpredictable Serefina.
“I’ll give you your bug back,” she muttered irately.
Removing the bug from the bread, she made sure it would adhere when she placed it and with a grin disposed of the bread then climbed back into bed. Still, it wasn’t Sean who plagued the return of her dreams. It was, again, SA Kysenzki, the man in the next room. Her alarm woke her early and, after getting ready, headed downstairs. Outside, in the predawn light, she spotted a familiar car and, without hesitation, went to it and got in.
“Morning, dear. Is it too dangerous for me to walk to breakfast?” she asked with barely concealed sarcasm as Taber pulled away from the hotel.
Manoeuvring so she could see him easier, she marvelled over his good looks yet again. He wore what he had last night, there was a day’s growth on his face and she dug her nails into her palms to keep from touching him. Beyond the handsome, sexy man, she spied exhaustion. How she could be so sure she hadn’t a clue. But she knew.
“I want the truth, Serefina. All of it this time.” Taber drove away from the hotel.
While he couldn’t put his finger on the specifics, he knew there existed something more between Serefina and Sean. He wanted to know. His jealousy hovered close to the edge of no control. Serefina was his. He knew that much. Just like he knew she’d be leaving early and had made sure to be waiting. When she’d walked out of the hotel in a little coral halter dress and heels, he damn near came apart.
Sex. Hot. Hard. And fast. The mental images his thoughts created in his head had him near to bursting. Her shiny black hair had bounced freely with each step she took and the moving wind. In one hand, she carried a small purse.
“Truth about what?”
She shifted and crossed her legs, bringing his attention to them and the memory of what they’d felt like wrapped around him. With a mental curse, he focused on the road.
“Don’t believe me as dumb as Sebastian, Serefina. I can read you and you’re hiding something.”
Serefina stiffened then relaxed. “Everyone has secrets, Kysenzki.”
“Not when it comes to a case. Personal feelings can ruin an op.” He stopped at a stop sign and faced her fully instead of observing her in his peripheral view.
“Really?” she growled. “Can you sit there and tell me each op isn’t just a bit personal? Honestly? Especially when you joined the DEA because of a friend’s death. Don’t you dare presume to tell me I have to share secrets because it may be personal. I know my job and unlike someone else in this car, I’ve not ruined an op.”
Before he could do anything, she jumped out and slammed the door. Horns honked behind him but he didn’t move until she had stepped onto the sidewalk. Then he drove on with reluctance.
Great job, Taber. He couldn’t help it. There was neither rhyme nor reason for his acting like a boor. But he itched to hit something when he thought of Sean and Serefina having a past. Sean would be a good start for a place to hit.
Circling the block, he parked down the street from the restaurant and waited for all parties to arrive. He sat up slightly when Serefina walked into view. Her beauty made him ache. Painfully. He couldn’t explain what it was about her that had him so damn intoxicated. It just was. Being in her presence soothed him.
The other two arrived and they sat down at an outside table. Had he not been paying as close attention as he had to all Serefina’s actions, he would have missed it. She never even looked at Sean when she did it but he saw her put the device onto a square in his tweed newsboy cap which sat between them on the table. He doubted Agent Kline—Rochelle—even noticed. Serefina was good. Damn good. Hell, the only way he knew it was the bug was how she made sure to keep their attention off what that one hand was doing. Not obviously, but very smoothly and with the ease of someone who’d been doing such things for a long while.
Although Sean did a good job of pretending to be in love with his ‘wife’, for Taber, his gaze fell to Serefina a few too many times. When they finished, Taber watched her hug Rochelle then turn to Roger. The smile on her face was bright, friendly, perfect for the part, and again, all wrong for his gut.
A low growl filled the car when he noticed her almost sink into Roger. The action had been slight but he’d seen it before she pulled away. Serefina waved and glided off without looking back. In fact, she didn’t look anywhere. When she turned a corner, her cell was in her hand. He longed to follow her but he had to remain until they were sure Roger and Rochelle got away clean.
He hated spying on his own but one didn’t argue with Tobias. A smile cracked his visage. Well, not unless your name was Serefina LeBenoit. The car door opened and in slid Shania.
“Mornin’, darlin’,” he said affectionately.
“Hey, hot stuff.” She whistled low. “You look like hell. Are you getting enough sleep?”
Not even close. When he closed his eyes, his thoughts went to Serefina; after which, sleep was nigh impossible. Hard to rest when you have a hard-on you could drive railroad spikes with.
“Sleep. What’s that?”
“Woman troubles?” Shania asked, swiftly braiding her red hair into a French braid.
“I think one has to have a woman first.” He ignored the fact it continually bothered him that Serefina seemed content to keep him at a distance.
“Losing your touch, Taber? I don’t believe I’ve ever met a woman who could resist your charms.”
He shifted on the seat. His relationship with another woman was not even remotely what he wanted to discuss with a past lover. “Let it go, Shania.”
She faced him, blue-green eyes shrewd. “She’s the one, isn't she?”
It wasn’t a question, really, but a statement. One he couldn’t even begin to dispute.
“Have you…?”
He nodded.
“And her response?”
He bristled. “She doesn’t do my kind.”
“What does that mean?” Shania rumbled dangerously.
“DEA, she doesn’t do DEA.”
“But she knew you were… How… I’m confused.”
“Welcome to my world, darlin’.” Confused was the least of his worries. How to keep Serefina in his life, how to keep her safe on this op, things like that took precedence over his worry. At least for the moment.
“You know I’m here for you, Taber. For whatever. But I have to tell you, Tobias wants you back at the warehouse. I’ll stay here and watch. Before you ask, no, I don’t know why.”
Damn. He wanted to go after Serefina then get some shuteye.
“Thanks.”
“Welcome.”
She reached over and squeezed his hand before sliding out. He drove away, content in the knowledge Shania had it now. He parked the car and jogged up to the door and let himsel
f in. The mood in the warehouse was sombre. Tobias waved him over.
“I want to know what the hell happened last night,” Tobias snapped.
“With what?”
“Sean Forrest being in LeBenoit’s room.”
“He wasn’t. Sebastian checked. The man wasn’t there.”
“Well, at some point, that tracker went from Sean to LeBenoit and back again.”
He’d suspected that but kept his mouth shut. It could have been something else she put on Sean’s hat. “I wouldn’t know about that.”
“Really? Because after your night with her, I thought maybe you’d have a bit more insight as to her character.”
Without batting an eye, Taber responded, “We spoke a little on family and how we got into our lines of work. Not that you didn’t know that already considering the room was bugged.”
“Hmmm.” Tobias scratched his chin. “Not the night I was talking about. I’m talking when you were in a hotel room in New Mexico with her.”
How the fuck does he know about that? Holding his boss’s gaze, he uttered, “Stay out of my personal life.”
“I have no desire to get in it. Just make sure you keep acting professional if you work with her again.”
His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean ‘if’?”
“The deal goes down tonight. Her expertise was no longer needed so we sent her on her way.”
Gone? He wanted to roar in fury.
“Okay,” he said without inflection, despite the anger raging within him. “Mind if I get some shuteye before it then?”
“There’s a bed in the back.”
“I have a room at the hotel.”
“Whatever.” Tobias walked away.
He hurried back to the hotel and checked in with Tucker.
“Everything okay here?”
“Sure. Well, we lost Serefina. She headed back from wherever she came.”
“Too bad.” He never realised how much that would bother him to know she was gone.
“Yes, she was sure sweet.”
“Sweet?”
Tucker blushed. “She was to me. Reminds me a lot of my wife, Judi. She’ll make someone a great wife someday.”
