The Naughty Nine: Where Danger and Passion Collide

by Nina Bruhns

  She shook her head lightly. “Not regretting, just questioning.”

  “Questioning what?” He moved closer and put his hands on her hips, pulling her up and closer to him. When he touched her, it was like her brain refused to think again.

  “You. Me.” She looked at his mouth. Somehow, now, it was worse knowing what he could do to her with his mouth. Why did he have to be so good at kissing?

  “I thought you said we think too much?” He leaned towards her, stopping just before their lips met, giving her time to pull away or say no. She didn't want to say no. She wanted to go on kissing him, feeling his hands on her. When his mouth touched hers, she moaned and relaxed into the feeling of him kissing her thoroughly. Somehow, her back ended up against the wall again as his hands roamed over and under her coat. Silently cursing all the layers between them again, she plunged her hands into his wet hair, enjoying the softness.

  He pulled back and smiled at her as the elevator doors opened. Then he took her hand and they walked towards their rooms. When they got to her door, he leaned down and kissed her again. She fumbled for the door, trying to open it. He pulled back and laughed, and taking her key card from her hand, he smoothly opened her door. But when she moved to pull him inside her room, he frowned and shook his head.

  “Better not. We've got time to think about things. Besides, we have an early meeting and it's late. Get some sleep.” He leaned down and kissed her frowning lips. “I'll see you in the morning.” He walked to the door next to hers and looked back at her after he opened it. “Go inside.” He smiled at her.

  She had been standing there watching him and realized he wouldn't go into his room until she was safely in her own for the night. Still frowning, she shut her door and leaned against it, closing her eyes. She was in trouble. She knew it. She also knew that there was no way she was going to not kiss Carter again.

  * * *

  The next morning Carter knocked on Eve's hotel door at precisely seven o'clock. He made sure to knock loudly enough, just in case she had overslept. But when she opened the door, fully dressed, with a cup of coffee in her hands, his mood sank a little.

  She smiled. “Remember, I never have hangovers.” She motioned for him to enter. “I got an extra plate of toast and there's some coffee left if you want.”

  He walked into her room, his head hanging in disappointment. He was at least hoping that she'd had a hard time sleeping last night, like he had. It had taken him almost two hours to fall asleep; he just couldn’t stop thinking about her. Even in his dreams, she had been there.

  He sat his briefcase down and walked over to the small table and sat. Watching her pour him a cup of coffee, he smiled as she added the right amount of cream to his cup. He liked knowing that she remembered how he took his coffee. He admired her slender form and the way her black dress pants fit her. Her sexy high heels gave her a few inches so they almost stood eye to eye. The cream-colored blouse looked almost see-through, but he knew she'd ruin the sexy look by covering up with the blazer that was hanging on the back of her chair. Her long, dark hair was tied in a fancy-looking knot at the base of her neck, with little curly wisps of hair around her face, accenting her exotic features. With her dark skin, she always looked like she'd just walked off the beach. Her large hazel eyes, in Carter's opinion, were her best feature. They seemed to tell her whole story, even when she didn't want them to. He could tell when she was playing him or when she was sad, angry, or hurt. It was one of the main reasons he had grown to feel the way he did about her. Most women he'd trusted had ended up hurting him. With Eve he knew where he stood and he knew that she'd never do anything intentional to damage their relationship.

  “So…what is your strategy for today’s meeting?” He asked, then leaned back and listened to her talk about her plans to gain another client. He knew without a doubt that she was the best at winning people over.

  An hour later, he watched Eve work her magic with Tom Russell. She was smooth in getting him to sign on as K&E's next biggest talent. The two-hundred-pound football player was no match for Eve's charm. Carter had never seen such a huge man smile and laugh as hard as Tom had in their hour-long meeting. When Eve pulled out her paperwork, Tom signed without even reading through the stack of documents.

  As they walked out of the building, Carter took Eve's hand casually. “Well done, partner. What do you say to some lunch?” He felt Eve's hand tense a little, but then she sighed and her hand relaxed in his.

  “Sure, but only if you're buying. And no pizza.” She smiled.

  Secret Identity: Chapter Three

  Eve sat across from Carter feeling a little tired. Negotiations always seemed to suck all the energy out of her. After the waitress poured her coffee, she took a large sip and closed her eyes. She hadn't realized she was rubbing her forehead until Carter said something to her.

  “Headache? You look tired all of a sudden.” Carter took a sip of his coffee and watched her from across the table.

  “No and yes. No headache, just a little twinge. Yes, to the other part. You would think that after a successful meeting, I'd be pumped, but instead I'm always a little drained. I usually find a corner to collect myself after negotiations, and then when I feel better, I find some way of celebrating.” She tried to paste on her best smile. She hated that Carter could see her weaknesses. He and Mitchell had always seen all her weaknesses. Maybe that's why they were such good friends, because neither of them ever exploited them. After knowing the two of them most of her life, she knew their weaknesses, as well. It was nice having people around you that made you feel like home. Carter and Mitchell were just that to her—home.

  But after last night, her feelings and thoughts about Carter had started to change. Well, if she was honest with herself, her feelings and thoughts about him had started to change a while back. She always enjoyed the little tiffs they had. But lately, there were other emotions brewing underneath. She tried to hide them from not only him, but also herself.

  She'd had some pretty detailed dreams last night after he'd walked away from her. She'd tried falling straight asleep, but instead, she'd listened, hoping for some sound from the next room, where he was staying.

  “Well,” Carter said, interrupting her thoughts, “maybe we can head back to the hotel and you can gather yourself. Then, later, we can head to this great pub I know. They have really great food and live music.”

  She thought about it and realized it sounded great. She'd always loved coming to Chicago, but had never really had anyone to show her around before. She'd stuck close to her hotel and never really ventured out by herself. Having Carter along was perfect.

  At seven thirty that evening, Carter knocked on her door. Before opening it, she took one last look at her reflection. The tight burgundy dress was sure to knock his socks off. She imagined his chin hitting the floor and his eyes bulging out like they did in the cartoons. His heart would beat out of his chest and he'd fall at her feet. She'd brought the dress along hoping to wear it during her meeting with Simon Thomas. After all, she wanted to leave an impression, just in case. It never hurt to have another option for business lined up. Now, however, she wasn't thinking of business but pleasure. She smiled, thinking of kissing Carter again, as she slid on some lipstick and walked over to open the door. The look on Carter's face was priceless. Smiling even more, she looked at him from head to toe. He was wearing dark dress pants and a light gray shirt. He carried his leather jacket in one hand and had a single white long-stemmed rose in the other. The rose hung by his side, forgotten.

  “You look…wow.” He smiled at her. “Wonderful.”

  She reached down and took the rose from his fingertips. “Thank you. You're not bad yourself.”

  Turning slowly, she walked back into the room, grabbed a glass and filled it with water for the rose. When she turned towards Carter, he was standing just inside the doorway, watching her. She could see the heat in his eyes, which caused a strange flutter in her chest.

  For a split second,
she thought about celebrating here in her hotel room instead of in some noisy, crowded pub. She could just imagine them ripping off each others clothes, tearing up the sheets. Then she shook her head clear and grabbed her coat as Carter walked over and helped her. She'd left her hair down, and when she started to pull her hair out from under the coat, he reached up and helped. He stood behind her, his hands in her hair and she could hear him breathing. His hands remained in her hair a little longer and she enjoyed the feeling of him touching her. When she turned around, he was looking at her as if he was trying to decide something.

  “Are you sure we can't find some way to celebrate here?” He reached out and gently ran his fingers over her cheek. She tried to level her breathing, but found it harder and harder to steady herself. She slowly shook her head no, not really meaning it, not sure if she could control herself for much longer.

  “No, I'm ready for some loud music, and you promised me food.” Her voice hitched.

  The taxi ride seemed to take forever. The Friday night traffic was not only slowing them down, but also making things steam up in the back seat. Every turn the cab made caused Carter's knee to rub up against hers. She felt the heat from him radiating up her legs, heading straight to her core. She'd always thought she was in control of her sex drive, but by the time they stopped in front of Brian’s Pub, she wanted nothing more than to rush back to the hotel and jump him.

  Then the taxi door opened and the cold air hit her, helping clear her head and hormones. They walked into the pub, which was wonderfully noisy and crowded. There was a band playing on a small stage in the back corner. She'd always loved the sound of electric violins like the ones that the two women in the band were playing now. She enjoyed the sound as they walked across the room looking for a place to sit. Finally, Carter found a small booth across from the stage and when they sat, she tried to avoid looking at him by glancing down at the menu instead.

  “Do they really serve green beer?” She looked up from her menu at Carter.

  He nodded and smiled, then nodded across the room. Looking across the room, she saw a man taking a drink of green liquid from a large glass mug.

  “Yes, you'll have to try some. They have wonderful shepherd's pie here as well.” He waved the waitress down and they both ordered green beer and shepherd's pie, chicken for him, vegan for her.

  The music slowed down and the whole room seemed to get quiet. When the violins started playing this time, she was completely consumed with the sadness of the sound.

  By the time the song ended, their food was being delivered. While they ate, they talked about the meeting and about several of Eve’s thoughts and plans for K&E's future.

  They were interrupted when the song turned fast and the two female violinists climbed up on tables across the room from each other. A violin duel began between the tall blonde, who was across the room and the short dark-haired woman who happened to be standing on their table. The two women played back and forth, each taking their turn giving everything they had to the fast-paced music. Eve could see a bead of sweat rolling down the dark-haired woman's brow when the song finally finished. Carter helped her climbed off their table and was rewarded with a kiss on his cheek, which caused the crowd to cheer. When he sat down, Eve laughed and smiled at him as the violinist walked back towards the small stage area.

  By the time Eve ordered her second green beer for the evening, she was feeling light hearted and was dead set on getting Carter on the dance floor.

  She loved dancing, but hadn't been to a nightclub in years, not since her friend Dana's bachelorette party last year. She knew both Carter and Mitchell hated dancing, which was one of the main reasons she'd never gone clubbing with either of them. By the time she dragged Carter to the dance floor, an hour later, they were both laughing and enjoying themselves so much.

  It was much later, when they left the bar, that she leaned heavily on him, again. Déjà vu played in her head, but this time, she knew how she wanted the evening to end. He didn't have any excuses tonight. No early morning meetings that they had to go to. Their flight didn't leave until later tomorrow afternoon, so that wasn't an issue either.

  “Damn!” Carter exclaimed when they were a few feet from the door. Searching his pockets and frowning. “I left my cell phone in the booth.” He pulled away. “I'll be right back.” He kissed her quickly and disappeared back into the pub while she leaned against a light pole, smiling at him.

  * * *

  Carter was relieved that his phone was still there, stuck between the booth's cushions. He rushed through the growing crowd and back out the front door, expecting to see Eve leaning against the light pole or a wall, but she was nowhere to be found. Fear hit him full force, causing adrenaline to rush to every pore of his body.

  Had she gone back inside? He looked around. There were a few other people coming and going outside the pub, and he asked a few of them as they walked by if they'd seen her, but they all said no. He knew she wouldn't have taken a cab without him. He looked everywhere. Just as he was about to walk back into the building, he heard a scream.

  Rushing to the end of the street, he turned down an alley. It looked like one of those alleys you see on all the movies: darker than the streets, lined with huge trash bins that consumed the narrow way. The scream had been like a shot in the night. He wasn't even sure which direction it had come from.

  “Hey man? What are you looking for?” There were two young men, dressed in fatigues. Each had a pretty girl on their arm.

  “Eve.” He said just her name. “She's about this tall, dark hair, wearing a dark jacket, a dark dress.”

  “We haven't seen her. But we both heard a scream.” While the two girls hung back, the three men walked cautiously into the alley. One of the marines pulled out a small flashlight as they all looked around.

  “Carrie said the scream came from down here,” the one with the light said, while he searched around the dumpsters.

  “Eve?” Carter called out over and over. “I just left her for a second. I forgot my cell phone inside.”

  “Here, over here,” the young marine without the light screamed. “Oh man.” Carter watched him step back and cover his mouth with his hand in horror.

  Carter rushed over to where the man stood over Eve. Her coat was ripped, her dark hair fanned out over her face, so he couldn't see if she was alive. When he knelt beside her, he slowly moved her wet hair away from her face with shaky fingers. Just let her be alive, he prayed.

  “I'm calling 911,” someone said behind him. Carter felt for a pulse with shaky fingers and found a weak one. He let out a sigh and pulled Eve up into his lap gently. His hand came away from her head wet, and when he looked, it was covered with blood. The red fluid shined in the light of the flashlight.

  “She's bleeding.” This time it was one of the girls that stood behind him. “I'm a nurse. You shouldn't move her.” She bent down on Eve's other side.

  “I…I'm sorry.” He looked up into the young woman's face. “I left her for just a second.” He repeated not knowing that tears had fogged his vision.

  “It's okay. Here,” The woman took off her jacket and laid it on the ground. “Rest her back on this. We need to keep her still until the ambulance gets here. My name's Beth. I'm going to need you to hold this over her wound.” She held out a white handkerchief.

  “I didn't think anyone carried handkerchiefs anymore.” It was a stupid thing to say, and he realized then that he was probably in shock.

  Beth laughed and put the cloth in his hand and held his hand over a large gash on the side of Eve's head.

  “Don't be afraid to put a little pressure on it. We have to stop the bleeding. I'm going to make sure she isn't hurt anywhere else.” Beth started running her hands over Eve's unconscious body. Carter looked at Eve's face and felt a tear slide down his check. How could he have been so stupid as to leave her alone?

  “It's Bobbie's,” Beth looked at him and smiled. “The handkerchief.” She nodded towards the marine with the
flashlight, who was shining the light over Eve so Beth could examine her. In the distance, Carter heard the sirens. What was taking them so long? “The handkerchief is Bobbie's.” Beth repeated and smiled up at her date. “He always tells me to be prepared for everything. Your wife doesn't have any more injuries that I can see. Just the nasty bump and cut on her head. She might have a sprained wrist.” Beth held Eve's arm up and Carter could see the bruises forming on her pale skin where her coat sleeve had ripped.

  Carter flashed from fear to anger so quickly. Someone had done this to her. Someone had attacked her, and he hadn't been there to protect her. It was all his fault.

  An hour later, at the hospital, he sat next to Eve, who was still unconscious. The doctors and nurses had come and gone. One stood over her, prepping her for a CAT scan. The police had come and were now outside the small room talking to Bobbie, Beth, Carrie, and Frank, the two marines and their dates, who had followed behind the ambulance to make sure everything was all right. So far, Carter had yet to regain his wits. Every time the police asked him a question, he would just repeat his story, and when he got to the point of leaving Eve on the curb to go back and retrieve his cell, he would choke up.

  His head hurt, his eyes were dry and scratchy, and he knew he needed rest like everyone had been telling him. At this point, he didn't give a damn. He refused to leave her side when they rolled her in to examine her. Finally, the nurses just pulled the curtain and let him stand behind it in the same room. When they started to roll Eve out to take her upstairs to get a CAT scan, he held onto her bed and followed.

  “I'm sorry, Mr. Edwards. You can't come in this room,” a short, plump nurse said. She had a friendly face, but upon hearing this news, he thought of her as evil. Then she smiled and pointed to a small glass area. “You can stay in there with the technician, though. We normally don't allow it, but for you, we'll make an exception. Just go through that door.” She pointed and he slowly let go of the bed. Then he pulled the bed to a stop as the nurse looked at him. He leaned over Eve and whispered into her ear, then kissed her gently on the lips. When he stood, the nurse was smiling at him. He turned and walked into the small glass room, watching as the nurse and technician transferred Eve's unconscious body onto the bed for the scan.