Danny grinned. Actually grinned at her. His entire face lit up with his smile, until he barked out a laugh. Relief coursed through her. She hadn’t screwed up. But if she wasn’t more careful, it would only be a matter of time.
Why was she having so much difficulty holding her tongue? It was as if she had no filter around him. Danny grabbed her hand again, and they started meandering toward his car. The warmth of his palm radiated up her arm.
“Yeah, I noticed you two clashed a bit. You’re actually a lot alike.”
Amber threw him an incredulous look, causing him to chuckle again. He had an easy laugh, and she found herself smiling along with him even as the sound caused her gut to tighten in desire. She could easily get used to being the cause of his amusement. The sound warmed her from the inside out.
“I’m not kidding.”
When they arrived at his car, Danny reached around her to open the door, but paused with his hand on the knob. He was close enough that she could smell the sweet scent of his aftershave and feel the heat of his body through their clothing.
For a moment, Amber envisioned herself as a simple girl out on a date with an attractive man. Would she let him kiss her?
With a start, she realized she wanted him to. Wanted him to lean down until his lips brushed hers in an intimate caress. But would she give in to that desire, or hold out?
She wasn’t sure. And that uncertainty urged her to reach down and cover his hand on the handle, opening the door herself, and using it as a barrier to put between them.
If they had met under other circumstances, things might have been different. But things weren’t different, and imagining, even for a minute, that they could be, was a slippery slope. One she’d been down before, and one she almost hadn’t come back from.
Chapter 4
The warmth of the room surrounded Amber the moment she stepped inside the quaint bookstore. When she’d passed it a few nights ago on the way to dinner with Danny, she’d made sure to note the location.
The store had looked so inviting from the outside, with its handmade wooden sign and light green awning. Inside, the building lived up to her expectations. Exactly what a small town business should be, especially one with such a cute name. Books and Crannies.
Across the room, a fireplace crackled next to a cafe counter filled with delectable looking treats. Mismatched armchairs sat around the room inviting readers to stay, enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a good book. In a word, perfect. Peace imbued her as she stepped further into the room and let the door swing shut behind her. The bell at the top chimed.
At the sound, a door opened behind the coffee counter, and laughter tapered off from within. A woman exited, the ready smile on her face dying the moment she caught sight of Amber.
Guess their last meeting hadn’t just been her imagination, and the woman hadn’t simply been in a bad mood. She was obviously friendly enough with other people, judging by the laughter still drifting from the door behind her. So what was it about Amber that brought out the bitch? As far as she knew, Amber hadn’t done anything to provoke this type of hostility.
“Keep glaring like that and your face will freeze,” Amber said when she could stand it no longer. “Then again, maybe it would be an improvement. Couldn’t get much worse.” The words escaped before she thought better of it. She couldn’t help it. The woman brought out the worst in her.
Across the room, Laurie narrowed her eyes. What did she expect when she greeted a potential customer with such antagonism?
“Maybe you should try it. Could use some improvement in that department, yourself,” Laurie shot back.
“Your brother doesn’t seem to think so.”
Amber knew she’d hit home when the other woman’s fists clenched. Satisfaction. She didn’t start this war, but damned if she wouldn’t put up one hell of a fight.
“Danny might not see through you, but I do.”
What the hell did that mean? “Through me?” she demanded. Beneath her skin, she felt her temper bubble up, but she tried her best to cool it with logic.
Something wasn’t right about this whole situation. Laurie was acting as if Amber sat home at night plotting her demise.
Granted, Amber did sit home at night plotting. But not anyone’s demise. And not against the business owners or townsfolk. Only against those who were a threat to the country. None of which Laurie knew about.
Unless she did know. Amber narrowed her eyes at the woman fairly vibrating hostility. If Laurie did know anything about why she was really here, it would make her Suspect Number One.
Amber had already ruled Danny out as involved in any potential threats to the country. From everything she’d seen, she doubted he had a duplicitous bone in his body. She hadn’t, however, ruled out his family. The way Laurie acted now, coupled with her and Jason’s cool disdain the night before, bumped both of them into the suspicious zone.
All of it together made keeping close to Danny a priority. A thrill shot through her at the thought. An image of his face as he crowded her against the car a few nights ago, gazing at her with obvious intent to kiss her, flashed in her mind. She almost smiled in response, but stopped herself in time to catch a glare from Laurie. She put the whole thought aside, not wanting to even begin analyzing what that happy bubble inside meant.
Lucky for her, she had bigger problems to deal with at the moment. Starting with Laurie.
“I know your type,” Laurie said, looking her over with derision.
That was it. Amber’s last thread of control snapped at the scorn on Laurie’s face. She’d put up with a lot of crap from other people, but she was done taking it here.
“Listen bitch, all I wanted was a latte. Maybe to look around, pick out a book or two. I haven’t done shit to you. But keep the attitude, and I just might.” She stepped boldly into the room.
Laurie stared at her blatant challenge from behind the counter. By all appearances, she seemed to be considering Amber’s provocation. Amber’s gaze didn’t waver from her target. No way would she back down. If Laurie wanted a fight, she’d give her a fight. Maybe afterward, they could cut the shit and stand on even ground with each other. If they didn’t kill each other first.
As Laurie stepped out from behind the counter, the bell on the door behind Amber jingled again, signaling someone else’s arrival.
“What the hell is going on in here?”
Amber jumped at the sound of Danny’s voice, the warning in it breaking the spell of her rage. Dear God, what was she doing? Hadn’t she just decided to make staying close to Danny a priority? Damn. Not to mention fighting a civilian. Not only was she risking her job, but she could have seriously hurt Laurie. Double Damn.
Almost frightened to discover his reaction, Amber cringed as she turned to face him. His eyes were indeed shooting fire, but his stare was directed over her head to…Laurie? Amber looked between the two siblings. Some silent communication seemed to zip between them, but whatever it might be was over Amber’s head. Both figuratively and literally.
“It’s my fault,” Amber said, interrupting their concentration. Partly because she did blame herself, and partly to diffuse the tension buzzing in the air between them.
Danny’s gaze softened as he looked at her. The butterflies started fluttering in her stomach again, but this time, they were from pleasure as much as nerves. Then his glare turned to his sister, bringing down the temperature of the room.
“Don’t make excuses for her. Not a doubt in my mind who started whatever was about to go down when I came in.”
His words made her pause. Had she jumped to conclusions about Laurie? Maybe she was just an unfriendly person. Maybe she treated everyone as an outsider, not just Amber. Even so, her behavior made her suspicious. Which meant Amber had to keep a close eye on her. Especially since the details on her assignment were unclear. All she’d been told was that something in the area had caused numerous protests, one ending in a riot. No one knew what had happened, but out of the blue, the protests ha
d stopped. So until she learned what had been at the root of the upheaval, she wasn’t ruling out anything that seemed suspicious.
But she couldn’t allow herself to get out of line like she almost had.
“Don’t blame her. I provoked her, too.”
She could feel Laurie’s assessing stare boring into her back, but nothing good would come from glancing back. Did Laurie really think she wouldn’t take responsibility for her part in this? Amber wasn’t one to put on airs. Damned or adored, she’d own her actions.
Danny shifted his gaze to her. After a moment, a grin broke out on his face. “Did you?”
“Yeah, kind of.”
“Brave, aren’t you?” he murmured, running a hand down her cheek. “She’s twice your size.”
Amber’s shoulders straightened. Sure, the other woman was practically an amazon, but Amber wasn’t exactly short, either. Although she had lost some weight in the past eight months, she still packed a lot of muscle.
She wasn’t used to anyone questioning her fighting skills. Her nerves, sure. Her skills, no.
“Maybe you should be saying that to her.” Not the best way to maintain her cover, but Amber had some pride.
“Maybe I should,” he whispered, his fingers catching her chin on the way down. She hadn’t realized she’d raised it.
Amber broke his stare and chewed her lip. All her willpower deserted her whenever he was around. She couldn’t explain it. All she wanted to do was smile like a loon and lose herself in the moment. To be a normal girl, if even for just a little while, and return his flirts.
“Come on. Let’s go somewhere you won’t start any fights.” His smile brought out one of her own. He grabbed her hand and tugged. Not enough to force her, but enough so she stumbled against him.
Her hands landed on his chest. Muscles rippled beneath them, and she couldn’t resist running her hands over them. When was the last time she’d felt this attracted to anyone? Not just pretending to be for a job, but a deep pull luring her toward a man.
She thought she heard a growl from behind her, but before she could turn, Danny removed one of her hands from his chest and laced his fingers with hers. The warmth ricocheted up her arm, making her forget everything but him. She couldn’t think of one reason not to follow him. Not only did everything inside her want to spend the day with him, but her job required it. For once, the agent and the woman wanted the same thing.
“Have you eaten, yet?” he asked when they’d gotten outside. It wasn’t quite lunchtime, but close enough. The sun shone bright overhead, creating an unnatural warmth for this time of fall.
“Nope. What do you suggest?” Amber wasn’t particularly hungry, but at the moment, that didn’t matter. She wanted to spend the day with Danny. So if he wanted to eat, she could eat. She’d just get something small.
“I have an idea.”
When he didn’t elaborate further, Amber waved her hand. “Which is…” she prompted.
He simply smiled, showing off far more teeth than he should have been able to. Not unappealing, but a bit…peculiar.
“Uh-uh. It’s a secret.”
Amber’s stomach plummeted at the word secret as her insides withered. So similar to what Vasquez had said to her all those months ago. Let’s go for a ride… It’s a secret. Only to end up in a personal hell.
“Hey, you okay?” Danny stopped and cupped her cheeks. The warmth of his touch soothed the turmoil within.
She shook off her discomfort. Different time, different place. This was Danny, not Vasquez. “Absolutely.” She smiled at the contemplative look on his face. “Come on, let’s blow this Popsicle stand.”
He groaned. “You had to mention blowing, didn’t you?” he joked. At least she thought it was a joke, until she glanced down and saw the bulge in his pants.
A startled laugh burst out. “Not hard to arouse you, is it?”
“Not when you’re around.”
Amber glanced up. Talk about frank. The truth behind the words shone from his face, causing her to blush and glance at the ground. So much for the badass secret agent.
What did someone say at a moment like this? Even though it would make things easier if she wasn’t attracted to Danny, she couldn’t deny that she felt a pull toward him. An undeniable urge to get closer.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the street. They passed the bookstore parking lot without pausing.
“We’re not driving?” she asked.
“Not yet. First stop is just around the corner.”
Turned out, first stop was the local diner.
“Oooh, romantic,” she teased as she stepped inside. She’d never been a huge fan of diner food, but she had to admit the smells coming from the small kitchen were appetizing. And the place looked immaculate. Not what she normally expected from a diner.
Danny leaned down until his lips brushed her earlobe. Desire tore through her, sharp and swift, causing a shiver she couldn’t suppress. His lips curled against her ear. He had to have caught the tremor.
“Remember,” he whispered. “This is just stop one.”
She closed her eyes as heat unfurled in her belly.
He smiled and led her to the counter, where an older woman waited with a friendly smile. Once they’d placed their orders, to go, as instructed, they sat in a booth nearby to wait. Instead of taking the seat opposite her, Danny sat next to her. The heat of his leg against hers made her want to rub against him. But she had more control than that. At least she hoped she did.
“So where is stop two?” she asked, partly to distract herself, and partly because she was unable to contain her curiosity. One of the reasons she made such a damn fine agent was her need to root out information. Even something as simple as the location for a surprise date.
Danny laughed, the rich sound filling her with warmth. Like a blazing fire or a comfy blanket. What was it about this man that called to her? “Do you know the meaning of the word secret?”
“Sure I do. It means something I have to discover.” She grinned at him.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Never soon enough, when we’re talking secrets.”
He looked worried for a moment, but the panic was gone before she could register it.
To ease the tension, she blew out an exasperated breath. “You’re no fun.”
“Says the woman trying to ruin her surprise.” He laughed again.
This time, she joined in. She’d almost forgotten what it was like to tease and be teased in turn. It was nice. Made her feel normal.
Their food came sooner than expected, and Amber was almost sad to leave the comfort of the diner and the intimacy of the booth where they’d waited, Danny with his arm around her shoulders. But the allure of his secret second locale was too tempting to resist.
When they started heading out of town, her mood turned serious. “I truly am sorry for arguing with Laurie this morning.”
“Don’t be. Not enough people stand up to her. Every now and then, she needs that.” When he saw her skeptical look, he continued, “Laurie’s a big girl. She can take care of herself.” He shrugged as if he really didn’t care that she’d almost gotten into a fistfight with his sister. But even if what he said were true, he had to care, right? She was his sister, after all.
“Well, be that as it may, I’m still sorry. You and your family kill all of my self-control.”
“Me?” He looked over in surprise. “You want to beat me up, too? Or maybe wrestle?” He sounded so hopeful. “Because any time you want to pin me, baby, I’m not going to put up much of a fight.”
She laughed. Then laughed harder when he looked over at her and wiggled his eyebrows. It amazed her that some lucky girl hadn’t snatched him up already.
“You’re too much. How come you’re still single?”
A strange tension filled the car as his whole body tensed beside her, and she regretted the loss of their easy camaraderie.
* * * *
Danny s
tared at the road, thoughts speeding through his head a mile a minute. Couldn’t exactly explain mating habits to her. Worse, it had almost slipped out before he’d thought about it. Being around Amber put him at ease. Too at ease. Normally, his wolf would be more cautious, giving him an extra filter from brain to mouth. But with her, it was as if his wolf curled up and went to sleep.
“Oh my God,” she exclaimed, her tone horrified. “You’re not married, are you?”
He almost choked on a laugh. Married? The little agent had an active imagination. “No, of course not! Haven’t found the right girl, is all,” he finally admitted, giving her the truth but leaving out some pertinent details. “Here we are,” he said, grateful when he saw the turnoff for their destination.
The heat of Amber’s stare left him as she gazed at their surroundings.
“Wait, this is the turnoff to my place.”
“Yep.” He smiled at the confusion in her voice, feeling steadier. More like himself.
“A bit presumptuous, don’t you think? I mean, if you were going to try and buy me, I’d hope I’d rank higher in your esteem than a burger and a deli sandwich.” Her tone sounded serious, but when he glanced over, he saw the sparkle in her eyes.
“Well, you did get bacon on that sandwich,” he teased back.
She laughed. “Damn, got me there.”
Danny loved the sound of her laugh. So easy and free. Somehow he knew she wasn’t this way with everyone, and he felt a keen sense of pride that he was able to bring this Amber out.
He tried to remind himself that she was a government agent and could very well be playing him for a fool. But even as the thought came to him, he dismissed it. Animal instinct didn’t lie, and his was speaking loud and clear.
Whatever Amber might be, she wasn’t mean or cruel. She might be in Alpine Woods for a job, to dig out the secrets of his town, but everything he saw in her seemed genuine. And he prided himself on being a good judge of character. So for the moment, until she proved him wrong, he’d treat her as he would any human. Cautiously, but openly.
Covert Desires Page 4
