Watkins had made a show of force simply to see how Granger’s men would respond. The swift and nearly complete lockdown meant Watkins would have to be creative in how he approached the building. Granger’s security, electronic and physical, wouldn’t be easy to slip past. This evening guaranteed that security would be even more observant for the foreseeable future.
That wouldn’t mean much in the long run. Paul Watkins was a persistent man who would either find or create the opening he needed. Vanessa needed to know what they were dealing with, so Chaz would have Roy get that message to her home office.
Chaz sighed. It seemed that Stephanie was right again—this case might be over sooner than anyone had anticipated. The undercover team would need to collect the last parts of their data quickly. The only way to keep the team safe is to shut down the operation before Watkins can make his move. Thankfully, the brothel part of the business was ready to start.
Chaz made sure all access to the suite was secure before settling down at his laptop to submit a report to Roy. There would be two reports. The first would be to his supervisor that detailed his personal perceptions and conclusions. The second would be a thorough examination of the facts of the operation that would be shared with the State Police and would complement whatever Austin and Chris would be submitting to their handler. Chaz was neither naïve enough nor inexperienced enough to believe that the police officers reported only to him and excluded their superiors. It didn’t bother him as long as they respected his position and continued to feed him comprehensive intelligence.
An hour later, Chaz turned off everything on the lower level, locked himself in the loft bedroom, and made notations in the journal he was keeping of his wife’s observations. Although everything seemed obvious, a nagging voice in the back of his mind said that there was a secondary and hidden importance that she was helping him to figure out.
He returned the journal to its hiding place and got settled beneath the covers. As he did every night, Chaz hoped that Stephanie and the baby were doing well without him.
Pure exhaustion dragged him under and he was sleep within minutes.
Yet, he was wide awake three hours later. Something crossed his mind while he’d been sleeping.
How had those specific video cameras been disabled? From the way Chris had explained the set-up that allowed them to hijack the electronics at the club, he was good at his job. When Roy had checked into his employment file, there were multiple letters of appreciation and even an award that boosted his pay. But if he was this good, who was better? Was it one of Watkins’ men? Or was it Brian Pleasant? Chaz still didn’t have good feelings about the man.
Could Stephanie provide an answer? Steve McDaniels had intended to feed her information to see whether doing so could trigger useful dreams. Maybe this would be a good situation on which to test that approach. After all, no classified information was involved.
A glance at his cell phone showed that it was barely past 4:00. His wife wouldn’t be awake for another couple of hours. He turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling.
It occurred to him that he wasn’t really enjoying this assignment. Of course, he would do his best because he never wanted to be less than that. But, as had happened when he and Stephanie first met, he realized that the FBI was no longer the most important part of his life. She had been the one to make him want more. Now, all he wanted was to build a life with her that was safe, happy, and stable. Before her, Chaz wouldn’t have believed that such a powerful love existed or that it was his destiny to find it. Stephanie had changed all of that.
He was the luckiest man alive.
Flashes of memories from their time together kept his mind occupied until it was late enough for him to call her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Good morning.” He could hear the smile in her voice.
“Hey, sweetheart. How did you sleep?”
“Fine. I miss your arms around me, but I’m getting used to it.”
“Don’t. I’ll never like being away from you. This job is temporary, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember.” She sighed. “Did things work out all right last night?”
“They did. You put my mind at ease about one of my team members.”
“The stocky guy with the scruffy beard?”
“Yeah. Unfortunately, I’m still not sure about one of my technicians. There was a problem with the security system at the club that knocked out some of the cameras. I’ve been having bad vibes about this guy and I’m hoping he had nothing to do with it.”
“Hmm. I hope not, too.”
“I’d like to try an experiment; I’d like to see whether we can get your dreams to focus on a specific target.”
“How would we do that?”
“I’m going to send you an email with his photo. That’s all. Then, we’ll wait to see what happens.”
“And if nothing happens?”
“You’re already helping me in ways that no one else can. I won’t be greedy.” He shifted in the bed. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Such as?” The smile was back in her voice.
“What are you wearing?”
“Seriously?” They both laughed. “Chaz, you can’t come up with a better line?”
“Should I? I want to know whether you’re wearing one of those flowing nighties that drive me crazy, or one of my t-shirts that always rises up and shows off that beautiful behind, or nothing at all—which I obviously like best.”
“Actually, I’m wearing your Cincinnati Bearcats football jersey. No panties. ” She laughed when her husband groaned.
“Take it off. This is probably the only morning I’ll have where no one else is in this suite with me. I want to have phone sex with my wife. Hold on while I get undressed.” He set the phone down and turned on the speaker. Stephanie could hear the sheets rustling and the bed creak as her husband moved to take off his clothes. She pulled the jersey over her head and also turned on her phone’s speaker.
“Baby, you can’t possibly imagine how much I miss touching you. Have I ever told you that I absolutely love how soft and silky your skin is?”
“Nope. I don’t think you have.”
“Well, I do. That’s why I’m always caressing you. It’s why I always hold you when I’m asleep. I can’t get enough of how your skin feels against mine.”
“Wow,” came out as a whisper.
“Close your eyes, baby, and think about my hands on you, sliding up your thighs, across that firm ass, up the sides of your stomach, and finally stopping at those magnificent breasts.” He paused. “Hold them the way I do. Run your thumbs back and forth over the nipples. Are they hard?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“They always turn me on. I love sucking on them, too. Do you like the way it feels when my lips close around them?” He chuckled at her sigh. “Yeah, squeeze them like my mouth does. I always know when you get lost in that feeling because you start squirming. And right about then is when you start running your fingernails across my back. Damn, that makes me so hard.” His voice was softer and raspy when he said, “Tell me what you like, sweetheart.”
“Hmm. I like when you’re kissing my neck and squeezing my breasts at the same time. I like feeling how hard you are when you rub up against me.”
“Are your eyes closed? Can you imagine me doing that right now?”
“Yeah, Chaz.”
“That drives me crazy, too—the way you sigh when you say my name.”
“That’s because you take my breath away.” There was a long moment of silence where they each enjoyed the soft panting on both ends of the phone. “You know I’m really wet for you, right now, don’t you?”
“I bet you are.” He chuckled again at her soft moan. “Are you touching yourself? When I get home, I’m gonna watch you slide your hand across your belly and push your fingers inside that hot, tight, wet softness that I can never get enough of. I’ve never watched you do that before. I’m rock hard just thinking about how delic
ious it will look.”
“And will you stroke yourself while you’re watching?”
“I won’t be able to stop myself.” Another pause while Chaz savored the images in his mind. “I want to be inside you so bad.”
“I want you here. I guarantee you that I’ll make you feel good enough to make up for this time apart. You always feel so amazing inside me that I can’t help but squeeze around you and match every way you move. And, it’s heaven when your tongue is moving in my mouth the same rhythm your cock is. Mmm. You know, you have amazing rhythm.”
“Do I?”
“Mmm hmm.” Her breathing got heavier.
“Yeah, baby. Stick another finger inside and rub it like I would. Make that hot little nub get tight and swollen—just like my cock is right now.” He let out a ragged moan. “Ooooh, Stephanie.” His fisted hand pumped steadily around his shaft.
“Can you feel me? I’m wrapping my legs around you and grabbing your thighs to pull you closer and deeper. Oh, god, Chaz! I’m gonna come.”
“Wait for me, sweetheart.” Her shaky breathing was driving him over the edge. Moments later, her high pitched moan matched his deep one. Only the sound of harsh breathing eventually slowing filled their bedrooms.
“I love you,” Stephanie whispered.
“I love you too, baby.” The words sounded sad.
“Soon, Chaz. You’ll be home soon.” She laughed. “After this, plan on me jumping you the second you walk through the door. We might not make it out of the mud room. You can take me right on top of the washing machine.”
“Promise?” Stephanie could tell he was smiling.
“I promise. Now, I need to take a shower and get dressed for work. Thank you for this little talk; I needed it.”
“Me, too.”
“Talk to you later.”
Chaz thought back to the first time he’d been alone with Stephanie. They’d had dinner at her apartment. He’d realized then that she was a beautiful and totally unexpected distraction, and he laughed now because nothing had changed. His wife still could take his mind completely away from whatever he needed to be thinking about. He grabbed his clothes and tossed them onto a chair. A cold shower was in order.
Next, he had a couple of things to check on before Brian arrived at 9:00.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Stephanie loved her job at Renito Investments Solutions. The task of deconstructing a financial portfolio was more challenging than anything she had ever dreamed of in her previous job. That, coupled with researching and presenting revised investment options, brought to life the ambition that had been lacking whenever she’d felt stuck in a career working with numbers. The scope of her new responsibilities provided such a sense of fulfillment that she could see herself with this company for many years.
After the stimulating morning conversation with the man of her dreams, Stephanie hummed along with the music playing softly in her office while she determined public utility stocks for the low-risk element of a plan she would recommend later in the week. Not smiling was difficult when she knew how much her husband missed her. Chaz was normally a very patient man, but he was restless about this case and ready to come home. To her.
For many reasons, moving to Cincinnati was the best decision of her life. She wondered whether she was blushing as she thought of that morning’s conversation and all of the ways Chaz had brought fullness to her world.
“I’ve never had numbers make me smile like that.” Cherise laughed as she poked her head through the partially open doorway.
“Hey, boss. I wish I could give the project that much credit.” She watched as the neatly dressed, middle-age woman settled into a chair in front of the desk. “I happen to be married to an awesome man.” Stephanie was always careful not to say that too loudly since very few people knew that she and Chaz were married instead of just being engaged.
“It shows, so I almost feel guilty about what I’m going to ask. I know you’re in love and probably spend all of your time together, and I remember what that’s like.” Her smile dropped slightly as a trace of pleading entered her eyes. “You’re also very new here, and this is an unusual request. Is there any way you’ll go on a trip? James was supposed to accompany me, but he’s home nursing a kid with bronchitis.” She misunderstood Stephanie’s silence as reluctance. “Listen, Stephanie, you’re a natural at reading clients and very conscientious about the portfolios you create. I wouldn’t ask if I thought you weren’t ready.”
“I’m so surprised that I don’t know what to say.”
“‘Yes’ would be good.”
Both women laughed and broke the tension coming from Cherise.
“When is the trip and what would I need to do?”
“Monday. It’s just an overnighter—we’ll be back late the next night. And all I need you to do is be pleasant to the client, listen carefully to his concerns about the companies he’s taking us to visit, professionally but firmly reject his flirtations, and be prepared to decline when he requests that you handle his account.” She held up her hand when Stephanie opened her mouth to ask a question. “I’m going to handle his account, even though he’ll say he doesn’t want me to. Your presence means you’ll assist me with it, and that should be enough to keep him happy. This is a big client, Stephanie. Otherwise, we wouldn’t make the trip.”
“May I ask who the client is?”
“Does that mean you’ll travel with me?”
“Sure. There’s no reason not to.”
“Being a newlywed could be a problem.” Stephanie got the impression that her marital status was crucial in an unexpected way.
“It’ll be fine, but thank you for taking that into consideration.”
Cherise rose and took a deep breath. “The client is my ex-husband.”
“Oh.” Everything clicked. Stephanie gave her boss a reassuring smile. “Should I meet you at the airport or come into the office first?”
“We’ll meet here.” The woman relaxed and flashed the genuine smile Stephanie was used to seeing. In that instant, her relief and intentions were clear.
Cherise had asked James to help with the account because a man wasn’t competition. Neither was a woman newly and happily married. Cherise was protecting a relationship that possibly wasn’t completely over. That’s why her strong blue hue was ringed by a wave of pink and brown. Unconditional love and loyalty at war with insecurity in a strong business woman who was usually calm and confident. Interesting.
Stephanie sat up and threw both hands over her mouth to keep from laughing aloud.
She had seen them! Her boss’ auras! She didn’t just sense them; she saw the layers and waves as the woman walked out the door. She wanted to jump up and dance. Instead, she sank back against her chair. This was a huge transition for her abilities. She didn’t know the significance of the timing, but she was beyond thrilled at finally being able to see.
She grabbed her cell phone and sent a text to Karen and Phailin. They’d understand her joy and be excited for her. Chaz didn’t need her to distract him twice in one day—and she needed to stop thinking about him for a while. There were numbers to work on if she was going to be away from her projects for two days.
If nothing happened to make her call him about his case tonight, they’d probably talk in the morning.
CHAPTER 8
Despite how beautifully the morning started, the day was not going the way Chaz wanted. Chris had not reset the video feed, so there was nothing for Brian to watch when he arrived. He checked the monitors and cables twice to make sure the problem wasn’t on their end.
Austin sent a text saying: NO GO, which meant he wouldn’t be able to make the scheduled check-in. None of Chaz’s questions about the night before were going to get answered. It wasn’t surprising that Damien Granger would keep everyone close immediately following a power play against him, especially with the girls scheduled to start working tomorrow night. But the vigilance meant that Chaz was operating blind.
On top of that
, Brian wanted to be chatty.
“Look,” the frustrated team leader said, “My personal life is off limits. If you want to talk about the case, fine. If you want to explain about the equipment, fine. But, I’m not in the mood for anything else.” He plopped onto the chair beside the faux fireplace and opened his laptop. He’d deliberately chosen that seat because there was no way Brian could come up behind him and look over his shoulder.
Chaz needed to check in with Roy. Maybe Vanessa’s handler or the State Police knew something worth sharing. After all, everyone was expecting the FBI to keep the undercover team on track. They’d be willing to share if they had anything useful.
An hour after Chaz received an email from Roy that put him in an even worse mood, a new technician from Cincinnati’s Bureau office arrived at the safe house. Chaz stepped outside briefly while Jesse, a tech he knew and trusted, explained to Brian that they needed to figure out why the reset procedure didn’t work.
“What do you mean? I followed every step exactly—twice.” He was insulted by the other man’s presence. Chaz crossed his arms, leaned back against the counter, and didn’t take his eyes off of Brian. Nervousness was unmistakable underneath the indignation. His eyes met Chaz’s once and flitted away at the same time that his jaw tensed.
Jesse made a few adjustments to cables, turned on all of the monitors, and rebooted the system. Nothing. Then, he pulled out a roll-up keyboard, plugged it into one of the units, and typed for several minutes while watching a miniature screen attached to his equipment. All of the monitors sprang to life. Without even a glance at Brian, Jesse jerked his bald head to motion for Chaz to step outside. When they returned, two additional agents accompanied them.
Loving Night: Dream Catcher Series ~ Book 2 Page 8
