by Sheila Kell
Still reveling in her climax, she hadn’t noticed him leave her for protection. She didn’t protest as he slid her to the edge of the bed, put a pillow beneath her backside, pulled her legs up his chest, her feet resting on his shoulders. She purred deep in her throat, anticipation pulsing through her. Ah. The Mermaid position.
He guided himself against her throbbing heat and eased inside her. His deep reach set another cresting wave of excitement racing through her body.
Each stroke, each kiss he placed on her ankles and calves, reached all of the way to her soul, breaking into the fence she’d built around her heart.
“You are so fucking beautiful,” he managed to say between his erratic breaths.
She slid her hands over a shimmer of sweat on her flushed skin, stopping to caress her breasts, her thumbs blindly circling the sensitive little buds before she pinched them between her fingers.
His strangled groan told her she’d achieved the desired result. His eyes locked on her hands.
“Ready for Sexy Scissors?” he asked with raised eyebrows.
This man knew more positions than she’d thought possible. She smiled as he promised to buy her a Kama Sutra book. That set up hope they’d continue to try positions after this was over.
He slowly crossed her legs in front of him, and she involuntarily squeezed around him, so tight his groan sounded painful. Closing her thighs send erotic pleasure drifting through her.
He uncrossed her legs and opened them wide, shoving in deeper. He generated delicious pleasure with the changes in each movement. Her hips moved of their own volition to take every inch until she felt his sack resting against her.
He kept the movements steady, teasing her, leaving her ready for climax before he moved again. Something snapped in him, and he tossed her legs back on her shoulders and thrust faster, reaching between her thighs to rub her clit.
She moaned, arched her back as ripples of red-hot bliss cascaded through her body, leaving her relaxed, limp and sated.
He thrust deep and threw his head back, his body jerked with his own release. He pulled out from her and collapsed on the bed beside to her. A few second later he stood and walked into the bathroom.
AJ returned with a cloth and slowly, sensually wiped her. “You are the most incredible woman, Megan Rogers.” He kissed her in a slow, languid kiss.
She closed her eyes against the realization that in the middle of searching for the Magician and running for her life, she was falling in love with a man who was wholly unsuitable for her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Megan woke with a wide smile, a sweet feeling of contentment curling inside, knowing AJ would have the newspaper and coffee waiting for her. She could start every morning like this for the rest of her life. She hadn’t fallen in love with him yet, but with the way her heart fluttered when he was near, it wouldn’t be much longer before those three words came to her. The same three words that had caused her hurt in the past.
Could she risk it and trust him? In the last week, she’d come to know him, his likes and dislikes, his attitude in politics, stories of his childhood. However, learning why he’d become a man who worked for a crime lord had been impossible.
That man had all but vanished. With her, he’d become someone to have fun with, someone to spend hours talking with, someone to build a life with. Her heart warmed at how much he’d relaxed around her.
The man she’d come to know would remain faithful. If his behavior recently was any indicator, he’d be a good husband and father, showering them with his love and attention.
A heavy sigh escaped her. But he wasn’t always that man. The dark side of him returned whenever they discussed Magic Shop, or whenever she asked the wrong question about him, such as why he didn’t join his brothers.
Something had its nasty claws digging into his soul, dragging him deeper into a despair he wouldn’t fight. That man would laugh at monogamy.
She came no closer to her answer on trusting him. Before she could open her heart fully, she had to know the true man, the real AJ. Would he always be two such different people or could she help him remain as he was?
She reached her arms over her head, enjoying the slow stretch of her muscles and then reality crashed in. No matter the explosive attraction between them, they lived in different worlds. Worlds in the same city, but those worlds were too far apart to cross. Even for love.
A vice-grip clutched her heart. Would the police find out AJ was a murderer? Heck, he planned to kill Damian and, as far as she knew, would also kill the Magician. She didn’t want him in prison. She wanted him by her side.
Impossible.
They had more time together. She wouldn’t ruin it with the craziness in her head. She wanted to continue to enjoy it while she had it. She could live off the memories for a long time after they saw the last of each other.
She grinned. AJ liked her in his shirt and nothing else. She’d greet him in one when he exited the bathroom. Maybe she could convince him to spend the day in bed and deal with the rest of the world tomorrow.
Enticement first. She hopped from the bed and unzipped his bag.
Before she reached into it, the secure cell phone at their bedside rang. She hesitated and looked toward the bathroom, doubtful he’d heard it in the shower. He’d told her this phone was their lifeline, and after their last experience when called unexpectedly, she knew it had to be answered and quickly.
Her fingers shook. What could it be? Had they been found again? With deep foreboding, she hesitantly said, “Hello.”
Silence greeted her.
Odd and unnerving. She moved to disconnect the call when a man cleared his throat on the other end of the line. “Ms. Rogers, this is FBI Deputy Director Arthur Hall.”
Her heart stopped. They had found them. At least it wasn’t Magic Shop.
Wait. Why would the FBI call AJ on his secure phone?
If that man thought he could have his fun with me and then drop me off with this Arthur man while he hunted the Magician, he had another thing coming. A shift kick between his legs would be a good start.
“Ms. Rogers, I don’t agree with AJ on this assignment. This isn’t how we keep witnesses safe.”
The only thing she heard was assignment. What did he mean? Her blood pumped fast. What was happening? She swallowed the lump in her throat. Thankfully it pushed the bile rising back down. “Is…” She drew in a slow breath. “Is AJ working for you?” Her voice quivered.
Another long pause. Did this man ever just speak or did he have to take time to put together every single word? She wanted the answer now!
“I think you’d best talk with him about that. I’d like to send someone to pick you up and place you into protective custody. Where are you staying?”
AJ working with the FBI? But he’d left the bureau. Why would he be talking with them now? Why would they have a criminal working for them?
Questions flew through her mind. Was he undercover? Could it be? Who was he really? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but she had to find out. The possible answers cleaved her heart in two. If he was an agent then they had a chance at a relationship, but if he was, he’d lied to her all this time.
The problem was that she was falling in love with AJ Sands, a man who might not exist, who might just be a façade for his cover.
“Ms. Rogers?” Arthur asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“No. I won’t go with you. I’ll let AJ know you called when he gets out of the shower.” What the hell did she just say? Stay with him now? Unless he spoke with this man to turn her over, he’d lied. How could she still trust him?
“Ms. Rogers, please reconsider FBI protective custody.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Hall.” She ended the call, frozen to the spot.
Her blood heated and rushed through her veins at lightning speed. Anger raged within her.
How could he?
* * * * *
AJ strode into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his mid-section
. His gaze landed on Megan, standing beside the bed, absolutely nude. His heart did a little flip and his manhood stirred.
Smiling, he walked toward her. “Good morning, my little dove.” He brushed his lips lightly over hers. “We have another snow storm coming in today, but it’s not expected to be as bad and should pass quickly.”
He knew how he wanted to pass the time and in their current state of undress it wouldn’t be hard to manage.
“FBI Deputy Director Hall called for you.”
The smile melted from his lips. A knot of dread materialized in his stomach.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
“Megan.”
Her angry glare had the knot tightened enough even a sailor couldn’t unravel it.
“You son of a bitch! Look, you’ve set me to cursing. Did you think that pretending to be the bad boy would give you an advantage? Did you want me that badly? I gave you everything, and you’ve been lying to me. Who are you? Is your name even AJ Sands?”
He hadn’t wanted her to find out this way. Find out from someone else. He’d planned to tell her at some point but much later.
He stepped back. In an anguished voice, he responded, “I’m FBI Special Agent AJ Hamilton. I’ve been working undercover in Magic Shop for the past few months.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Who is Devon? Is he another agent?”
“No. He’s my brother.”
“Why did you need your cover with me? Why would you lie to me?” She poked her chest.
The heat had turned to pain, emanating from her eyes, knifing through his heart with precision.
“Megan, I didn’t want to lie to you, but I had to. I couldn’t afford for you to accidentally let it slip. We’re already risking your communicating with your boss. Could you imagine what would happen if she heard that? We finally have a chance to stop this criminal organization once and for all.”
“So you don’t trust me after all. Is that what you mean?”
He hesitated. What could he say? He hadn’t trusted her to keep the truth quiet, not purposefully anyway.
She hurled the phone at him, grabbed her bag and stormed into the bathroom.
Could he fuck up every good thing in his life?
He ran a hand through his damp hair and dropped on the bed. Things had been good between them. He didn’t want to lose her. He’d just found her and wasn’t ready to give her up.
The darkness agonizingly crept back in his soul. The light she’d provided that helped him be a better man had vanished.
He had to tell her everything. It was the only way. He couldn’t afford for her to leave him and rush out on her own. She wouldn’t survive. And he cared too much for her to let her run to her death.
Guilt and regret tugged at his heart as he prepared to face the inevitable.
Great fucking timing, Arthur.
* * * * *
Megan leaned over the sink in the bathroom with her chest aching as she gasped for air. Fiery anger barreled through her. She dropped her head.
This can’t be happening.
Had everything been an act? Was she falling for someone who didn’t exist? Someone who only took advantage of their situation? Someone who adjusted his acting to be the person who kept her in line? Kept her from searching out Magic Shop’s bosses by herself to prevent her from taking away his arrest?
She wiped away the single tear that trickled down her cheek.
This should be pleasant news. He wasn’t a criminal. They could be together after this. They could try a relationship and see where it led.
No. She couldn’t live a life with someone who would deceive her. She’d never trust him. But she cared for the man she was on the run with, the man who had protected her and shown her great pleasure. She wanted that man, hoped it was the true AJ.
What would she do if she’d been spending time with a good actor? How different would he be? Would she continue to share his bed? Share information?
She had to face him. Another man in her life she couldn’t trust. He had a great deal of explaining to do..
Needing to give him a chance, she stiffened her back, willed her body to calm and left the bathroom.
* * * * *
Megan walked straight to the table and sat where AJ had placed a plate with an omelet for her. She didn’t look at him or speak. With the intensity she held her fork and cut through her omelet, he’d say she was still angry. He deserved that and more.
He sat but didn’t touch his fork. “Megan, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” He didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t think anything he said could make this right.
She glared at him, her eyes smoldering with fury. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
The anger in her voice told him he had a lot of groveling to do. He needed her forgiveness and he wanted to be on her good side. They had little time left together, and he wanted to enjoy every moment of it.
Knowing his brother and Kate had been watching the hotel, he hadn’t needed to be on guard. So he’d relaxed and become his old self.
Arthur had already ripped into him about keeping her from the FBI. AJ didn’t want to hear the man once he found out AJ had been sleeping with her. That crossed a major line he’d be disciplined for. But it had been worth it.
Something about her held him captive. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but he’d never wanted to love and protect a woman more than he did Megan. Her love for life was contagious. Even the determination to find her brother’s killer hadn’t taken that light from her eyes.
Now he’d ruined it all. So goes the fucked up life of AJ Hamilton.
“I wanted to stay in my undercover persona, and I couldn’t be two different people. One for the world to see and one for you.”
She closed her eyes. “Are you different from the man I’ve been sleeping with?”
“I’m the same man you’ve been holed up with here. I’m not the man you met the first time. That’s who I was on the street, undercover.”
“Was I part of your cover?”
Pain radiated from her. God, he was such a bastard. “No. I wanted you. Still want you. That had nothing to do with any of this.”
“Then you should have shared,” she yelled.
“And let my real name slip. No way. I have a responsibility to protect this mission. Lives depend on it remaining secret.”
“Have you really killed people as an enforcer?”
This is where he could get into real trouble with Arthur, worse than bedding her, but he had to explain it to her. He wanted her to know the truth. “No.”
“How is that possible? You worked for him for months. He would’ve asked you to get rid of people.”
He sighed. “Megan, I can’t talk to you unless we’re off the record. Everything we talk about, including my identity can’t be shared.” Her jaw tightened so he quickly added, “At least for now. Later I’ll ensure you have an exclusive. I promise.”
“How is it possible you didn’t kill people for that vile man?”
“Are we off the record?”
Her short, tight nod spoke volumes of her reluctance to agree.
“The people I supposedly killed are in Wit Sec and will be testifying against Magic Shop. I made Damian think I was the best hitman he had, so they sent more people to me than anyone else. I was grateful to save lives, even criminal ones.”
Once someone learned a hit had been placed on them, they quickly offered to testify against the organization. The U.S. Marshals Service put them in protective custody and then the Witness Security Program, waiting until the task force could collect enough evidence to bring all of the leaders to trial.
“Why didn’t you stop the rest of the murders?”
She meant Kevin. “I didn’t know about them. The order went from the top to Damian to the enforcer. No one else was privy to the information. Believe me I tried to find out and take over.”
They hadn’t been able to wiretap Damian’s phone. Not being able to listen to his calls was the one thin
g that had disturbed AJ. That’s why his ability to jump into the enforcer role had been the best thing that happened for the task force. They’d needed someone to get close to the chief enforcer so they could keep an eye on him, in case any of them were ousted.
Hesitantly she asked, “Is my brother in witness protection?”
“No. He’s not,” he said in a regretful tone.
Her eyes misted.
“I’m sorry, Megan.” Her sadness broke something in his heart. He wished he could provide her with an answer that would please her. An answer that would take away her heartache.
Her eyes dried and slowly filled with torment. Putting her emotions aside to learn everything from him took strength.
“It’s okay. It had given me a brief flicker of hope.”
He itched to pull her onto his lap, hold her and soothe her. He was smart enough to know that now would not be the right time. His time in the dog house was far from over.
“How is it that you are so close to catching him when I’ve heard the FBI and DEA have been trying to bring him down for years?”
He had to hand it to her. She knew the right questions to ask. “We’re still off the record, right?”
She nodded.
“There is a task force that has been in place for years. When the enforcer role opened, it was too good for the FBI to pass up, but no one already undercover could gain the spot. That’s when I was pulled into the group and into that role. I’d been in that area undercover before as the ruthless AJ Sands so it stood to reason I could slip in the easiest.
“The team is ready to bust all of his advisors except one. The Magician is into more than drugs and prostitution.” He hesitated. “Megan, he also breaks convicts out of prison and gives them new lives where no one can find them. That’s why I’m involved. No one has been able to get close enough to that team or gain the information to locate the escapees.”
She gasped. “I knew there was a relationship between all of the prison breaks.”
Of course she did. The woman was damn good at her job. “It took the FBI years to link the breakouts to Magic Shop. I’m here to help pull the last piece together to help find out who the Magician is.”
