by Dee Davis
“Like breaking into my home. Stealing my mother’s scarf.”
“Leaving it at the scene.” He frowned. “They obviously knew enough about you to predict the way you’d react upon finding the scarf. And more than that, they were counting on how A-Tac would respond when one of its own came under threat.”
“And we played right into their hands.” She shook her head.
“Yes, but we’re gaining ground. And you’re right about the two-pronged attack. We’ve got to go on the offensive—as well as ferreting out the traitor. It’s the only way we’ll ever be able to stop them.”
“So what about the emails Smitty said he got?” she asked, pulling them back to the disk drive. “Any sign that he backed them up on the disk?”
“Not in this directory. But I wouldn’t have expected them to be here. They’d be stored separately.” He hit a button and the screen changed, this time broadening to show them a listing of the contents for the entire disk. He scrolled through the list, opening an occasional file they couldn’t recognize from its extension.
“They’re not here.”
“Wait,” Owen said, “there’s another file here. And the extensions are .pst. That’s the extension Microsoft uses for Outlook, I think.”
“For emails?”
He nodded, attempting to open the file, but nothing happened.
“I don’t use Outlook.” She sighed. “I switched to a Mac ages ago. Jason swears by them. But there’s got to be a way to convert the files, right?”
“Definitely. We could probably Google it, but I don’t want to take the chance. I’d be too afraid we’d lose something important in the process.”
“So you were right in the first place. We need the people at Sunderland—Harrison or Jason or someone who understands the intricacies of retrieving and tracing emails.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “But the good news is that we’ve got something. And I’m betting they’ll be able to turn it into something tangible. Something to help us stop these people before something even more hideous happens.”
“Like the detonation of a suitcase nuke,” she said. “If the prototype in these schematics is actually produced, they’d be able to transport the bomb almost anywhere. With these specifics the damn thing could fit into something as small as a backpack.”
“With catastrophic results.”
“I bet you wish you hadn’t walked into all of this,” she said, rubbing her temples as she leaned back in her chair.
“It’s what we do.” He shrugged.
“But don’t you ever wish for something normal?” she asked. “You know, two and a half kids and a picket fence?”
“This is normal—at least for people like you and me. We made a choice, Tyler. And the one thing I’ve learned in this life is that there are costs for every decision we make. And most of the time, once the choice has been made, there’s no going back.”
“You make it sound so fatalistic.”
“Hey, you’re the one who said people like us weren’t cut out for relationships.”
“So maybe I was wrong.” She leaned forward, her gaze locked with his. “Maybe I do want something more.”
“With me?” He frowned, studying her face.
“No, with the guy who delivered our room service.”
“He was a little old,” Owen said, “but I guess I could see him behind that white picket fence.”
“You’re being purposely dense.” She stood up, walking over to the window.
“I suppose I am,” he said, moving to stand behind her. “It’s just that things are complicated. You said it yourself.”
“Life is complicated. And like I said, maybe I was wrong.” She turned to face him, their bodies separated by inches.
“I thought you were opposed to playing where you worked?” he taunted.
“It was a stupid choice of words,” she countered, her eyes on his mouth.
“But you told me you didn’t want entanglements. No relationships, remember?”
“God, what are you, a fucking tape recorder?” She lifted a hand to touch his face.
“At the risk of ruining this charming interlude, I need to know what you meant when you said you’d been down this road before.”
She stilled, her heart pounding. But there could be nothing gained without honesty. “I was in love once. When I first joined the Army. I did a tour in Iraq and I met Justin there. He was special ops. It was one of those instant connections. I don’t know, in hindsight, maybe it was the situation. Danger magnifies emotion and all that. All I know is that I thought it was the real thing. He even asked me to marry him.”
“I see.”
“No, actually, you don’t.” Her fingers were still pressed against his skin, and she looked up at him, her heart twisting. “I said yes. And then he informed me that he couldn’t wait for me to get the hell out of Iraq. He’d arranged for a discharge. He didn’t want his wife in the line of fire. He thought I’d be overjoyed.”
“But you weren’t.”
“No, I wasn’t. This was the man I thought I was going to spend my life with and he didn’t even know who I was. If he had he’d never have asked me to give up my career. Hell, Owen, it’s who I am. And when I refused to go home, he just stood there completely silent, staring at me as if I’d grown two heads. I don’t know, maybe as far as he was concerned I had. Anyway, that was the last time I ever saw him. Just as simple as that: He turned his back and walked away.”
“And you?”
“I signed up for two more tours and then joined A-Tac. I’m nothing if not predictable. And I swore I’d never risk my heart again.”
“Not all men are afraid of strong women, Tyler.”
“I want to believe that. I do. It’s just that I’m afraid. I wouldn’t be standing here at all except that finally after all this time I think I know what it is that I need.”
“And that would be?” His eyebrow quirked upward, his hands closing over hers.
“You,” she whispered, shivering in anticipation. “I need you.”
“If we do this, if we open those doors, there are bound to be repercussions.”
There was a warning there, but she ignored it, her desire for him overpowering common sense. “I don’t care,” she said, her breathing coming in little gasps, the fire inside her building to a fever pitch.
“Well, I do.” He sighed, releasing her hands, a shadow crossing his face. “And there are things we should talk about, things I need to—”
“Later.” She grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to look at her. “We’ll talk later. Right now, I just want to feel you inside me.” She paused, searching his eyes, relieved to see that she wasn’t alone in her desire. “Please.”
She reached for his hands again, capturing his fingers. With a soft, slow movement, she kissed his palm. Desire, hot and insistent, spread through her belly, reaching lower, quivering, waiting. She raised her hand and ran it along the curve of his jaw, feeling the rough beginnings of his beard, then trailed her fingers across his lips, pleased when she felt his body tremble at her touch.
With a moan of pleasure, he pulled her into his arms, crushing her to him, nuzzling the soft skin of her neck, and her heart threatened to break through her chest. With soft, dry kisses, he traced the line of her neck and shoulder, stopping along the way to explore with his tongue. She closed her eyes, allowing sensation to wash over her, his hands massaging the small of her back, her skin prickling with need.
She arched against him, his lips at her ear now, his tongue licking, exploring. Shivers of ecstasy ran up her spine and something deep inside her began to pulse in response to his ministrations. His hands found her breasts, his strong fingers cupping them, thumbs circling and squeezing, heat pooling deep inside her until she was rubbing against him like a crazed cat, her body begging for more.
He bent his head, circling her nipple with his tongue, and she gasped, pushing against him. God, she wanted this man, wanted him on a level far beyond the physical.
The thought should have frightened her, but it didn’t. It was almost as if he were a part of her. As if without him, she would never be whole again.
Clearly, she’d lost her mind—but what a wonderful way to go.
With a playful smile, she stepped back, pulling the shirt over her head. Then, closing her eyes, moving to the rhythm of unheard music, she let her hands slide across the curves of her breasts and stomach. And then she slipped her hand into the waistband of her jeans, inching the zipper down, still moving, caressing, dancing—only for him.
She stepped free of her jeans and panties, licking her lips as she undulated slowly, offering herself to him. His eyes devoured her, and she danced closer, still touching herself, each stroke slow and sensuous.
“Ah, Tyler,” he breathed, closing the distance between them, his hands hot against her skin, his lips crushed against hers. Their tongues intertwined—a duel of senses—both of them taking and giving, their need a living, breathing thing.
Swinging her up into his arms, he carried her to the bed, laying her against the cool cotton of the sheets, leaving her only long enough to remove his clothes. And then his hard, muscled body covered hers.
Her mouth found his and her tongue playfully traced the line of his teeth. He gently slid a finger between the soft folds of her skin, and she writhed against him, biting down on his lip, as he lightly flicked the tiny nub. Fire licked through her, threatening to send her over the edge. Here and now. But it was too soon. Too soon.
She shifted, the motion taking his finger deeper, her body tensing and then releasing as she pulled free. And then together, gazes still locked, they rolled over, her legs straddling the hard length of his body. She looked down into his eyes and smiled as she settled against him, then leaned down, her hair dropping around them like a curtain. With a half-moan, she pressed against him, rubbing her nipples against the scarred skin of his chest.
Owen shuddered as Tyler wrapped a hand around him. It had been so long since he’d felt like this. As if anything were possible as long as she was here, as long as she was part of him. Her fingers were moving now, stroking, squeezing. Up, down, up, down. Oh, God, she was amazing.
He found her lips and kissed her deeply, sucking and stroking with his tongue, mimicking the actions of her hand, longing to bury himself in her throbbing warmth. Finally, he pulled free, his breathing coming in rasps, and she raised her arms to twine them in his hair, her breasts pressed against his chest.
They gyrated together, following the moves of a spontaneous dance, the feeling of their bodies rubbing together almost more than he could bear. He tried to maintain rational thought, but his heart was beating in tandem with hers and he knew that, at least for this moment, she belonged to him.
And he would give her all that he had to give.
With a groan, he bent and took a nipple into his mouth, circling it with his tongue, feeling it tighten with his touch. Then he trailed his fingers down her belly in slow, sensuous circles, moving lower and lower, until he slid a finger inside her again, her muscles tightening around him in welcome, her heat surrounding him. She cried out as he found her soft center, and he smiled, nipping at one taut nipple with his teeth.
Pleasure combined with pain as his fingers moved deeper, stroking and pulling, ecstasy coiling inside, waiting, wanting. Tyler’s body sang with each stroke, each tug of his mouth at her breast, the heat building inside her, until she literally throbbed with desire, wanting him so badly it hurt. She moaned his name, throwing her head back, as he drove her higher.
Then he lifted her, shifting so that his lips replaced his fingers, his tongue and mouth making her writhe, her breathing coming in shallow gasps, his tongue darting in and out, in and out, the glorious tension ratcheting within her. Sensation surrounded her, driving her higher and higher, until there was nothing but the feel of his mouth and her deep, desperate need.
He changed the rhythm, moving higher and circling her clitoris with featherlike strokes, pressing, releasing, pressing again, her body tightening like a spring until suddenly she split apart, shaking as spasms of pleasure racked through her. Breathing his name, she fell against him, boneless, his warmth enveloping her as his arms closed around her.
For a moment he held her, and then his mouth found hers again. His tongue ravaged her, sliding into her mouth and thrusting with a rhythm that matched her own. She felt the fire building again and marveled at the power of her need.
“I want you.”
She hadn’t realized she’d spoken the words until she saw the answering desire flash in his eyes. Circling her waist with his hands, he lifted her up, and with a moan, she twined her legs around him, as he lowered her, impaling her with his heat. They sat for a moment, coupled together, one soul, one heart.
And then they began to move.
She closed her eyes and allowed the sensations to surround her as he thrust, pleasure building as they moved—in and out, up and down. Passion surging, she urged him on, begging for more. She wrapped her arms around him, holding tightly as he held her pinned above the world, her entire being concentrated on the exquisite feel of him pounding deeper and harder.
She bent and kissed him then, her breasts dancing against his chest, and together they found a rhythm that carried them beyond passion, beyond anything Tyler could possibly have imagined. And she called his name as fragments of light and color twirled around them like a kaleidoscope gone wild. She locked her arms around him, feeling his body spasming inside hers as she, too, found her release.
And suddenly she knew that, in this moment, with this man, everything was perfect. Absolutely perfect.
But if she’d listened to her head instead of her heart, she’d have remembered a lesson hard learned—some things were simply too good to be true.
CHAPTER 16
The sun was shining through the overhanging trees, the dappled light painting the campus in a sheen of gold. Everything was still a mess. Tyler knew that. Her father was dead. Somebody out there was quite probably planning to detonate a nuclear bomb. Those same people were trying to kill her. And she had a stack of papers on her desk that weren’t going to grade themselves.
But somehow, none of it had the power to affect her mood. She’d been up since early morning, flown halfway across the country, been inundated by texts from Emmett and Avery. And yet all she could think about was last night.
She hadn’t any idea how it would all turn out. She wasn’t even certain that she and Owen had a real future. But there was a chance. And that alone seemed a small miracle. She’d even told him about Justin. Admitted her worst fears.
God, she had it bad.
And, she hoped, so did he.
The thought sobered her and she slowed her pace, the sun slipping behind a cloud. They hadn’t actually discussed anything. Owen had said he wanted to talk. And Tyler knew that they should. But the morning had been hectic. Their flight had literally left before sunup and then there’d been the hassles of travel combined with the urgency to get the flash drive to Harrison.
The only reason she wasn’t with them now was that she had a class. And Avery was a stickler about maintaining balance between their so-called normal lives and operations. It wasn’t always easy, but Tyler prided herself on being able to simultaneously deal with both worlds. After all, without the Aaron Thomas Center and the cover it provided, there’d be no A-Tac.
She shook her head, pulling her thoughts away from Owen. There’d be time for talking later. Right now, she had work to do.
“Tyler,” Emmett called from across the paved courtyard fronting the library. “There you are. I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, immediately feeling guilty. “I got your texts, I just didn’t have a chance to answer. It’s been really hectic. A lot going on. I just figured I’d find you once I got back.”
“I’m sorry about your dad,” he said, falling in step beside her. “I know it must be hard.”
“You know, the funny thing is,” she
shook her head, “I feel more numb than anything. I guess it’s going to take time to sink in. And in the meantime, I’m just concentrating on finding the people who killed them.”
“I heard you guys managed to secure a flash disk.”
“Yeah, we’re hoping there’s something there that will lead to Smithwick’s contact. Although it’s a long shot. Owen and Harrison are working on it now. Jason’s supposed to be helping. So what was so urgent?” she asked.
“I’d rather wait for Avery. He’s in your office, actually.” Emmett shot her a sheepish look.
“Well, that sounds ominous. Am I in trouble?”
“No. Of course not. I just stumbled on something a little disconcerting and Avery and I thought you should know.”
“Something about the detonators?”
“Indirectly.” He waved his hand, dismissively. “Just hang on. We’ll be there in a minute.”
“Did Avery send you to find me?” This was becoming a regular occurrence. First Nash and now Emmett. “I don’t need babysitting, you know.”
“Of course not.” Emmett smiled. “We’re just all worried about you. It’s been a rough couple of days.”
“And then some,” she sighed, suddenly grateful for her friends, even if they were a bit on the pushy side.
They walked up the steps of the humanities building and down the hall to her office. She stepped through the door, followed by Emmett. Avery stood in front of the bookshelf leafing through a treatise on Shakespeare’s use of comedy in drama. The book had been written by a friend considered an expert on the topic.
“I see Emmett found you,” Avery said, closing the book and returning it to the shelf.
“Yes, and he’s been very cloak and dagger about why you felt it necessary to send a search party.”
“You haven’t been answering your phone.”
Tyler sighed. “So what’s this all about?”
“Sit down,” Avery said, as Emmett perched himself on the windowsill. Behind him the scarlet leaves of a sugar maple undulated in the wind, a group of students spread out on the ground beneath it, the perfect picture of academia.
