by Michele Hauf
“Oh, God.” She laughed, then quickly cut him off by kissing him hard on the mouth, fearing the crazy word would end the fairy tale.
Apparently he’d interpreted her initiative as round two. He moved his lips down the side of her neck and cupped her breast with his large rough hand. And when he slid his other hand up her thigh, that was fine with her, too.
Chapter Eight
Besides Rachel and the housekeeper, Haley was the first one in the kitchen early the next morning. Her enthusiasm to jump into the day had nothing to do with breakfast. Strong black coffee was a big draw, but she wasn’t at all hungry. She hoped to see Josh before he rode out to take his turn monitoring the mama cows and their babies. Just in case he asked her to go with him, she was dressed and ready.
Without being completely obvious, she glanced out the large window over the sink. The bunkhouse and east barn were visible, but she had to stretch a little to see the stables. Cole and Trace were out there loading ATVs along with two other hands. No sign of Josh. Dammit, she hoped she hadn’t missed him.
“Black, right?” Rachel held out a steaming yellow mug.
“Perfect. Thank you.” Haley stole another glance and tried to hide her disappointment. It was only six-thirty. He could be eating.
Rachel took the spot Haley vacated and peered through the window. “Josh might be saddling his horse.”
“Oh, I wasn’t looking for anyone in particular...” Her voice trailed off in concert with a blush filling her cheeks.
Rachel had the grace to hide her smile behind a large blue mug with the scripted words I’m in Charge.
“Go ahead, laugh.” Haley chuckled at herself. Nothing could ruin her cheerful mood. “I deserve it.”
“What you deserved was to have a good time last night. So did you?” Her sparkling eyes said she already knew the answer.
“It was the best— Wait. You said he might be saddling up?”
“Oh. Yes. I could be wrong, but go check.” Rachel took the coffee from her and urged her toward the back door. “Go. Hurry.”
Haley rushed through the mudroom to the outside, keeping her head down, avoiding eye contact so she wouldn’t be waylaid. She didn’t actually run, but she was slightly out of breath by the time she reached the stables.
Josh had just swung a saddle from the railing onto the gelding’s back. When he spotted her, his smile was instant and dazzling. “Hey, I didn’t think you’d be up this early.”
“I didn’t, either. I’m not used to drinking wine.” She hung back while he cinched the straps under the horse’s belly.
But when Josh opened his arms to her, she rushed into them. He hugged her close, and his lips found hers, even as she looped her arms around his neck and knocked off his hat. They grinned against each other’s mouths, but then their tongues got involved and breathing became panting.
With their bodies pressed together, she felt his arousal nudging her belly, and wondered if she could get away with making him play hooky. After a few minutes, they had to come up for air. Josh was still hard, and his arms tightened around her waist so she couldn’t go anywhere. She wouldn’t have anyway.
She leaned back to look at him, her heart catching on his expression... The lazy, satisfied look of a man who’d just woken after a night of hot sex. Giving in to impulse, she twirled a finger through his curly hair and pressed her breasts against his chest. “It’s going to be a heck of a long day.”
“I hope so,” he said, and she jerked back. He smiled at the indignant lift of her brows. “After this two-hour shift, I’m taking off work and kidnapping you until tomorrow.”
“Oh.” She sounded ridiculously giddy, and she might’ve tugged too hard on his hair. “Let’s see, I don’t think I have plans...”
“If you do...” His voice trailed off to a kiss he aimed at her lips, but landed on her chin. “Tough.”
Haley laughed. “Are you sure about today? Did you already ask for time off?”
“Not yet. But I’m sure. Cole won’t say no.”
She sighed, happy that he seemed confident. Her next two hours would be spent daydreaming...so much for them to do with each other. Only two full days left of her stay. Why hadn’t they hooked up earlier? It would’ve eased poor Rachel’s mind. Haley knew Rachel had been worried about her and her disastrous vacation. But it wasn’t the Sundance’s fault. And now...
An awful thought struck with rocket speed and produced a lump in Haley’s throat.
No. No. Absolutely not. It was too horrible to even consider. Completely stupid. Why would her mind even go there? She was happy, really happy, and she’d never been one to sabotage a good thing. So why would she possibly imagine that Josh was part of a scheme to salvage her week’s stay?
Maybe because it made some sense.
She loosened her arms around his neck, slowly lowered them to her sides as she drew back. Rachel, Trace, even Cole, and certainly Josh... Was all this about making a hopeless guest happy?
“What’s wrong, Haley?” Josh tried to keep her from breaking away, but had no choice when she pulled his hand from her waist.
“Rachel knew about last night,” she said calmly, and watched dread cloud his eyes. “She put the basket together, didn’t she?”
“I would’ve done it myself,” he said, “if I’d known how. I never tasted wine before, or that fancy-name cheese.”
“And Trace? Yesterday when he went after you in the bunkhouse, he told you to ask me to go for a ride.”
Looking miserable, Josh nodded. “I wanted to, but without him giving me a push, I might not have.”
“And you know Cole won’t refuse to give you time off because— No, that’s right.” She hated that her voice broke, but she wouldn’t cry. “Actually you’d still be on the clock.”
Josh frowned, shook his head, then stared at her as if she’d been smoking something funny. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s okay. You did a great job.” She forced a smile. “I’ll still remember last night as though—” Her voice just stopped. She tried to finish, tried to focus...if she’d ever needed the right words, the right blasé tone, the perfect attitude of eloquent disdain, it was right now. And then she could pack and leave. Work on forgetting how gullible she’d been to believe that for one magical night... Oh, God.
Josh caught her arm as she turned to run. “I don’t know for sure what’s going on in your head, but I have a suspicion, and I deserve to have my say.”
She wasn’t sure he deserved anything, but she stayed because her knees were awfully weak and the house wasn’t that close.
“Yes, I let Rachel make up the basket because I wanted last night to be special. I’ve never met a woman like you, Haley, and I figured Rachel would keep me from screwing things up. As far as Trace goes...” The pulse at the side of Josh’s neck was beating as if he was running from a fire. He stood up straighter as his gaze narrowed. “I’ve lived on this ranch for eleven years and have worked my ass off to be a good hand. To take pride in my job as if I owned the Sundance myself.
“It wasn’t that I wanted to be a McAllister. You asked me why I didn’t stay in the house with the family while I was in school. Even when I was a kid I knew my place. I didn’t want to make the mistake of thinking I belonged with them. It would’ve been easy to get confused, because I was too young to fit in with the other hands in the bunkhouse. I made up my mind to be real clear on who I was and what I wanted. Or I’d never be happy.”
His grim expression squeezed Haley’s heart. Screw gullible. She knew without a doubt that he was telling her the truth and it was costing him. She moved closer but kept her hands to herself.
“I like my job,” he said. “I love the Sundance and every one of those damn McAllisters, and not for a lousy second did I ever resent not being one of them. Until I met you.” He paused, searching her face with stark eyes. “I wanted to be good enough for you, Haley. Trace got the picture. That’s why he gave me a push. That’s all.” Josh put a hand out to
her. “I’ve wanted you all week. I still want you.”
She sniffled, felt tears pooling, and blinked. “Oh, God. You don’t want me. I’m crazy,” she whispered, going to him. “I thought this was all—”
“Hush,” he whispered, holding her close and rubbing her back. “It doesn’t matter what you thought. As long as you understand how I feel about you. We have something, Haley. I feel it. Don’t you?”
“Yes.” She nodded, though she couldn’t name the weird blend of excitement and contentment simmering inside her. “I do. But it’s nothing I’ve ever felt before.”
“Me neither.” He kissed her. “I say we hang on to it.”
“I’m in,” she whispered, the steady feel of his heartbeat inspiring a hope she hadn’t known was missing. No matter what happened, she’d remember this moment forever. This tiny scrap of time when the world stopped and life seemed perfect. “Ever been on a plane?”
“Can’t say that I have.” He brushed the bangs out of her eyes. “But I reckon I’ll have the pleasure real soon.”
“You’re really going to hate my apartment,” she said, smiling. “It’s no bigger than a closet.”
“I’m assuming you’ll be there,” he said, and she nodded, already knowing what came next. “Then I’ll love it.”
“We don’t have stars in the city.”
“Good thing Montana has a few to spare.”
“I’ll miss them.”
Josh leaned back, looking insulted.
Laughing, Haley grabbed his shirt and pulled him close again. “Yes, there’s a certain cowboy who’ll be making me quite blue, as well. Happy?”
He studied her for a long quiet moment, his brows puckered in a thoughtful frown as if she’d asked him a serious question. “As a matter of fact, I am,” he said. His gaze went to her lips as he lowered his head. “Very happy,” he murmured. The kiss that followed said it even better.
* * * * *
Discover more page-burning romance from Debbi Rawlins! Don’t miss YOU’RE STILL THE ONE, book 4 in her Made in Montana miniseries, on sale February 2013!
Secret Agent Seduction
Jennifer Morey
Dedication
For Mom
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter One
There was such a thing as having too much time for online dating. Six coffees, four drinks and two dinners that hadn’t led to more were proof of that. Finding a woman, just one woman, who could tolerate his long absences was exhausting. So much for the bright idea of settling down.
Leaving the quiet street, Jude Curran approached the bulletproof door of Tactical Executive Security’s headquarters. It had been a long flight from upstate New York to the slowly waking mountain town of Roaring Creek, Colorado, but he was ready to get back to catching killers. His parents would have to wait for a daughter-in-law. And he’d have to wait with them.
The antiquated sign that hung above the door cloaked the building’s true purpose. To the casual observer, RC Mountaineering was an outdoor sporting goods shop. But deep within its soundproof walls was the most covert counterterror organization in the world. Tucked in the shadows of towering fourteeners, its headquarters were perfectly disguised in this small western town.
Entering the shop, Jude stepped onto a shiny hardwood floor. The first thing he noticed was the smell of fresh paint. Wide wood trim and soft lighting, dust-free shelves and soft tan walls screamed success. It was nice in here. He lifted a tag on one of the ski jackets. Expensive labels. But some budget friendly racks as well. This store catered to locals and rich tourists alike. Great cover. And a recent remodel.
“Can I help you?”
Jude looked toward the marble-topped checkout counter in front of a doorway that must lead to the basement. He’d been told about his boss but he’d never met him in person.
Only Cullen would put offices in a place like this. Odelia and Jagger Benney had hired him, but it was the legend who was Cullen McQueen that had made him accept.
“I’m here to see Henrietta,” he told the beauty behind the shiny new counter.
It was the code name Cullen had instructed him to use. In case there were any real customers in the store.
“I’ll let him know you’re here,” the woman said, smiling.
Wow. She had a wide, toothy smile that said, Let’s get naked. Her dark eyes and thick, dark hair only added to the vision. She looked like Odie, only...softer.
He strode forward, her mystery drawing him as much as the door behind the counter she guarded. How had she come to work for Cullen?
Just as she lifted a phone to call her boss, the door behind the counter opened and a towering, broad-shouldered man appeared. “Jude.”
Jude moved around the counter, taking Cullen’s outstretched hand for a shake.
“I was just about to get everything ready for you.”
“Odie showed me the file.”
“Let’s talk some more.” He turned to head down the narrow stairs.
Jude followed, noticing a card reader on the wall and a blinking red light as the door remained open. He emerged in the basement, beneath low ceilings and recessed lighting. His eyes quickly scanned the room. White wood trim. Dark wood floors. Expensive rugs in a small seating area with electronics everywhere. Projector screen, speakers. Movies or surveillance videos could be played here. And it was soundproof. He could tell by the way his footsteps were muffled on the floor. This place had been converted into a secure facility. Nothing surprising there. This was Cullen McQueen, after all, the strong arm of the blackest organization in the United States. Anyone with the clearance or the balls to carry out its missions would deny its existence. Lawless and above politics. But all for the sake of good. That’s what had drawn Jude. Working for Tactical Executive Security, or TES, nothing could stop him from doing what he did best.
Cullen led him to a conference room, going to the gleaming, oval mahogany table.
Jude shut the door behind them while Cullen worked on starting up a huge digital monitor hanging from the wall. A file folder lay open on the table, and he caught sight of some gory photos. Three men. Murdered. Strangled from what he could tell. Early September. Just a few days ago.
His boss gathered the photos and papers and closed the file. “A friend of mine at the FBI sent this over. We’re monitoring a triple homicide in Vengeance, Texas.”
He’d heard about the disappearance of some professor there. Melissa Grayson was her name, he recalled. The Grayson name always caught his attention. “A little offtrack for TES, isn’t it?”
Without missing a beat, Cullen replied, “Any trouble getting here?”
In other words, that subject was off limits. And no case was offtrack for TES.
“None.”
“Good.” Let’s discuss your assignment. He leaned over a wireless mouse and clicked to open a file. The face of a man appeared with all the vitals. Last known address, aliases, social security number, pertinent financials. It was all there.
“As you’re aware, his name is Chad Nichols,” Cullen said. “Born and raised in a run-down area of downtown Kansas City. Works as an account manager at Nextline Corporation, a communications company. No police record. Average grades in college. Seems like an ordinary guy.”
“Why are we so interested in him?” Jude asked.
“He’s been showing up on some extreme left websites and has one of his own.” Cullen clicked to open a browser and show him the site.
Pictures of Occupy Wall Street protests appeared, along with captions and summaries full of deranged, hate-driven ideology. There were also references to a group called the Stand Together Organization, or The Stand, as they preferred to be called, who must support that ideology.
“Why send me?” So Nichols had an offe
nsive website and worshipped a leftist group. That was nothing new. No crime had been committed.
Cullen closed the browser and the file. “The FBI contacted us. Police have had complaints about Nichols. One of his neighbors said he described killing CEOs of the country’s biggest financial corporations. Shooting them while they slept, at the grocery store. Public places. The guy must fantasize about making a statement.”
“Why did the FBI contact us?” And how had they known about TES?
“The police turned the information over to Homeland Security after they discovered Nichols was buying ammunition and guns. They were worried about his ties to this Stand group. We want to find out who they are and how far they’ll go.” Cullen lifted a folder and handed it to him. “Try not to kill Nichols. He may be our only lead.”
Cullen had always been mindful of Jude’s background. He’d come from the FBI, which was different than many of his operatives. But Jude had left the FBI for TES’s lawless liberties. He didn’t have to pay attention to police or the feds. He didn’t get tangled in bureaucracy and the rights of criminals. If an American citizen was going to kill someone, Jude was going to stop him. And he’d kill if that’s what it took. Cullen knew that.
“Why aren’t the feds going in to have a closer look?” Why send an organization like TES to investigate a potential domestic terrorist plot?
The poly-com on the center of the table buzzed.
“They want it stopped before anything happens.” Cullen leaned over and pressed the on button.
In other words, if any of these leftist freaks had to die without judge or jury, the FBI wouldn’t have to explain anything. TES didn’t exist. They could make the problem disappear and no one outside its impenetrable walls would ever know what really happened.
“Your wife is here,” the mysterious woman from upstairs said.
“Send her down. We’re finished except for the travel arrangements.”
“As if that would keep me from coming down there,” another woman’s voice said. Cullen’s wife.
