by Carolyn Lee
She turned in her bed as she listened to the sound of his breathing in the dimness of the hotel room. A street lamp outside their window offered enough light around the edges of the window coverings that she could see the rise and fall of his chest. He had fallen asleep. Something she seriously needed to do as well.
11
Kaiden
Kaiden woke four hours later to the sound of his cell phone buzzing on the night stand. A throbbing head and rumbling stomach reminded him it had been a really long time since his last meal.
The display on the phone read his mother's number. Jumping out of bed he took the phone into the bathroom. He didn't want to wake Katie but if he didn't take his mother's call she would just call again. And again. Dealing with his mom would be challenging enough without having to explain Katie's presence.
Quietly closing the door behind him, he perched on the edge of the tub and answered his mother's call. "Hey, Ma. What's up? It's kind of early."
"Good golly, Kaiden, it's half past eight. The best part of the day is already gone." Clara James rose at four thirty every single morning. The early bird gets the worm, she liked to say. Kaiden rarely saw the early hours of sunrise unless it meant he hadn't yet gone to bed.
"I worked last night, remember? I probably went to bed about the time you were getting up."
"It's not good for you not to sleep, Kaiden, dear."
"I know, Ma." His stomach let out a loud rumble and his mother laughed. "You heard that?"
"Let me guess, you didn't eat last night either?"
He thought about the eggs that were supposed to become an omelet and a wave of heat washed over him. "Nope. Missed dinner." Missed dessert too, thanks to an overzealous police officer.
"What do you mean, dear?"
"Nothing, Ma. What's happening out on the mountain?"
"You know, the usual. Pretty much nothing. We missed you at the reception."
"I'm sorry. I had to go to work. I tried to get out of it but well—"
"Did you manage to preserve national security?"
"So far so good."
"Did you let the terrorist know you missed a prime rib dinner on his account?"
"It wasn't a terrorist after all. And yes, I may have made mention of missing dinner a time or two."
"It pains my heart."
Kaiden sighed. "What does, Ma?"
"Somewhere along the line I really messed up with you and Keegan."
"Now, why would you say something like that?"
"I thought I raised you to have priorities—God, Family, Country."
"You did."
"Then where are my grandchildren? Why are you leaving your cousin's wedding for work? Work always comes first with you two. I'm not gonna live forever, you know. I want grand babies before the good Lord calls me home."
"I don't know what to tell you, Ma. I tried marriage and Cara left me, remember?"
"I remember," Clara replied, but her tone showed no sympathy.
"I'm not going to discuss this anymore. I have a job to do and I believe in my work. Besides, it's not all bad."
"You're hiding something," Clara stated.
"What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I am talking about. Something happened last night and you aren't telling me."
"You know I can't talk about my cases. It's a matter of—"
"National security, I know. But there's something else. I might be getting old but I got good senses and I'm telling you there is something you are keeping from me."
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. "Kaiden?"
"Is that a woman?" Clara demanded.
"Yes, but it's not what you think. It's work." He reached up and opened the door, motioning to Katie to stay quiet.
"Work? It's eight thirty in the morning!"
"And according to you half the day is over and I should have been to work for hours already. I have to go, Ma."
Katie was watching him with an amused expression.
"Kaiden Michael James, are you giving your mother the brush off?"
"Absolutely." He smiled at Katie. She didn't smile back, instead signaled that she needed to use the facilities. Nodding, he stepped out of the bathroom and let her use it.
"Tell me who that woman is first and then I will let you go."
"You know I can't talk about work."
"I'm old, young man, but I'm not deaf. That young lady called you by your first name. She knows you, I could hear it in her voice. Are you seeing someone?"
How he wished he had seen some of Katie. Last night's bulge in his shorts returned.
"No, I am not seeing someone but yes, she does know me. She is also part of the case I had to leave Logan's wedding for so I really can't talk about it."
"But she knows you outside of the case?"
"Yes. Now stop being so nosy."
"Nosy? Having interest in my son's life makes me nosy? I hear a lady's voice in the background early in the morning and the first thing I think of is ‘woo hoo, maybe I'll actually get some grandchildren before the good Lord calls me home’ and you want to deny me the simple pleasure of knowing if there is any hope at all?"
"Her name is Katie and there will be no grandchildren."
"Katie? Hmmm… seems to me I know a Katie. Is it Eleanor's daughter? No, that's Kathy. Oh! I got it! Your nurse in the hospital, her name was Katie."
How the hell did his mother do it?
"Yes, it was."
"So, is it her? Is the nurse part of your case?"
He heard the bathroom door open behind him. "I have to go, Ma. I'll call you later."
"You better!" she called into the phone as he turned it off and placed it back on the nightstand.
"Was that your mother?" Katie asked.
"How did you know?"
"She made you crazy, just like she did when you were in the hospital."
Kaiden chuckled. "Yeah, it was my mother. She likes to know what's going on in my life."
"And you told her about me?"
"She's smart. She figured it out. Heard your voice in the background when you knocked on the bathroom door. My mother keeps hoping one of us will give her grandchildren before she dies."
"You and your wife don't want children?"
"Why would you think I was married?"
She flushed a deep crimson. "I don't know. I mean, why wouldn't you be?"
He stepped forward, positioning himself so close to Katie, he could feel the beat of her heart. Or maybe he heard his own heart, pounding against his chest wall. He thought she would step back but she remained in place. "Trust me when I say I am not married and haven't been for a long time."
She surprised him with her response. "I guess that makes sense. No one but your mom and brothers visited you in the hospital. I made sure to keep track."
"You were interested in my visitors?"
"Well, yeah. I mean—"
"So, I didn’t imagine it."
"Imagine what?" He could tell she knew exactly what he was talking about but he answered anyway.
"The—chemistry—between us."
"No. You didn't imagine it. But, I was your nurse. There are rules about that stuff."
"I'm not your patient now."
"No, but I'm your case."
"That's a tough new development but it won’t be forever." Kaiden frowned as something else occurred to him. "But Nathan… you were engaged?"
"I was. And you left the hospital. I never thought I would see you again, anyway."
"I had no idea. I would have driven across the state every day if I had known you wanted me to do so." He reached for her then, without thinking about his job, and crushed his lips to hers. He was a starving man. Katie was his first meal in ages. She resisted his kiss at first, as though she were unsure of what they were doing. Soon enough she gave in though, wrapping her arms around his neck bringing him in closer. When she opened her lips to the gentle probe of his tongue, he thought he might lose himself right then and ther
e. As he began to explore some of the treasures she held, a loud knock sounded on the hotel room door.
"James! You in there? Come on, James, open the door!"
12
Kaiden
Katie stiffened in his arms. "Did they find us?"
Kaiden groaned. "No. It's my boss."
"If you don't answer will he think you left?" she whispered.
Kaiden wrapped his arms around her and pressed one last kiss to her lips before reluctantly letting her go. "I'm afraid not."
The knocking became more insistent. "Wake up, James! Let me in! I know you're in there!"
Katie sighed and looked at him with a longing that mirrored his own. "Well, then you better let him in. I'm going in the bathroom to get dressed."
"Hang on, Hunter! I'll be right there!" he called to his boss as he watched Katie disappear back into the bathroom.
In two long strides he reached the door and pulled it open. "What the hell is so important you couldn't pick up the phone and call?"
Hunter walked past him and into the room. "Check your messages. I called three times and texted at least five."
"Oh. Well, we didn't get to bed until four."
His boss spun around. "We?"
"Yes, the witness, Katie McCoy? The whole reason I'm here."
Hunter eyed the unmade beds. "You slept alone?"
"Of course! I am a professional!"
"So… I'm the reason you're all hot and bothered then?" Hunter's eyes dropped to the obvious projection of his athletic shorts. "I had no idea you felt that way about me, James."
"Of course, boss. You didn't know?" Kaiden turned away and grabbed a pair of jeans that he pulled on right over the shorts and all. "Why are you here?"
"You didn't answer your phone. A cop got knocked out at the girl's apartment and she seems to bring bad luck everywhere she goes. I got worried. Seems I had nothing more to worry about than your overactive libido. Don't do anything stupid, James. This is a big case and I can't have you jeopardizing it because you have been stuck in a dry spell since Cara left."
"Gee, boss, want me to get you some salt to pour on my wounded heart while you're at it?"
"All I'm saying is keep your head and your pants on straight until this is over. She could be the key to getting past the Marks family and shutting Nathan Marks down."
"I don't think so. As soon as he found out she wouldn't help him, he started banging some other woman to get what he wanted."
"Was that woman named Amanda Howe by any chance?" Hunter asked.
"Katie, I mean Ms. McCoy, mentioned a Mandy. Why?"
His boss shot him an odd look but didn't comment on the name slip. Instead he said, "Because Ms. Howe's body just washed up on the shore of the James River."
"Oh damn."
"Did Nathan kill her?" Kaiden turned to find Katie standing behind him.
Hunter tipped an imaginary hat to Katie and offered her a wink. "Morning, Miss. I trust Agent James has been treating you well?"
"Yes, yes. Everything's been fine." Katie's cheeks flamed making her absolutely adorable. "Did Nathan kill Mandy?"
"We don't know what happened to her officially but I am fairly certain the fish aren't responsible for the .38 caliber hole behind her ear."
"I could be next. The family doesn't like loose ends and I am a loose end. After what happened last night…" Katie paled instantly and dropped to a nearby chair. Kaiden resisted the urge to go to her.
"Last night?" Hunter looked confused.
"Someone tried to run her down in a parking lot and when that didn't work, they tried to run us off the road."
"You didn't tell me that, James."
"Slipped my mind."
"Don't worry, Miss. The government is very good at protecting its assets." Katie didn't seem comforted by the promise.
Wanting to take Katie in his arms but still attempting to maintain that professional persona he promised his boss, he turned to Hunter and asked, "When will the M.E. have the report?"
"Sometime late this afternoon or first thing tomorrow morning. We got a big meeting of the minds at the Navy base in Norfolk in two days. Word is that could be the target."
"What's the plan?"
"No one knows for sure yet. The base is on high alert. No one in or out without a government pass and a damned good reason."
"Are they thinking bomb?"
"With Marks' interest in biologics, it's possible. Maybe some sort of dirty bomb carrying ebola or anthrax. We really aren't sure yet. That's where you come in, Miss McCoy. What was your boyfriend looking for?"
She threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "I already told your people I have no idea! I thought he wanted a wife, a home in the suburbs, a couple of kids and a dog! Why else would I have quit a job I loved and left my family and friends to move all the way across the state of Virginia?"
This time Kaiden didn't care what Hunter thought. He went to Katie and crouched down in front of the chair she now sat in. "Hey, it's okay. From what you told me, he probably did want all that stuff in the beginning. He had no way of knowing you would move here and land a job in the infectious disease ward."
Katie shrugged and sighed in resignation. "Maybe. Maybe not."
"Katie?" He picked up her hand in his and rubbed the back of it with his thumb in hopes of calming her a little. "This is very important. How exactly did you meet Nathan?"
She looked at him, sorrow in her hazel eyes. "I told you, I met him online. I was in a dry spell and feeling a little lonely. One of the girls at work dared me to make a profile on one of those dating sites. So, I did."
"Did you tell him what you did for a living right away?"
"It was on my profile."
Kaiden looked up at Hunter who now stood beside Katie, arms folded across his chest and his expression serious. "He made her a mark the instant he knew what she did for a living."
His boss nodded agreement.
"I'm sorry to put you through this, Katie. I just have a few more questions."
"How long were you seeing each other before he suggested you move to the beach?"
"Only a couple of months. It was all so exciting. Moving, planning a wedding—oh, what was I thinking?"
Kaiden rose to a standing position and placed a hand on her shoulder. He felt the overwhelming need to maintain physical contact despite the disapproving look his boss shot at him.
"Katie and I were going to head over to the hospital today. Someone lifted her ID and access card from her apartment last night. She needs to let them know so they can be on the lookout. Will you let me know what the medical examiner says about Ms. Howe?"
Hunter studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable, before he replied. "You want me to put someone else on this case?"
Kaiden narrowed his eyes at his boss. "No, why?"
"I'm not sure you can remain, what was the word you used? A professional."
"I am always a professional. I know the rules, boss. I would do anything for the sake of my job, remember?" Kaiden snapped, anger boiling in his gut. He had sacrificed his marriage for the sake of the United States Government. How could Hunter doubt his integrity now?
Because when he got here that integrity had disappeared. Because if he hadn't interrupted, that professionalism would be tangled up in hotel sheets right about now.
"All right, James. Do your job. I'll be in touch." Without another word, he strode to the hotel room door and disappeared into the hall. The door closed with a hard slam that made Kaiden flinch.
He got the feeling Hunter had just laid down the gauntlet. Do his job right—and without any interference from his hormones—or find another job.
13
Katie
Katie watched Kaiden's boss leave the room without so much as a glance in her direction which was odd since a moment ago he'd looked at her like he knew exactly what she and Kaiden had been doing when he pounded on the door. He worked as an investigator for one of the country's most secretive agencies. Heck,
the man probably had x-ray vision and had seen right through the steel door.
"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Katie asked.
"What? Oh, no. Hunter likes to throw his weight around a little. Makes him feel good about himself." Kaiden laughed but it didn't make Katie feel any better about the situation.
"I'm sorry."
Kaiden stopped rummaging in his bag and turned to look at her. "Sorry? For what?"
"For—I don't know—everything, I guess."
He went over to where she sat and took her hand. Katie let him pull her to her feet and wrap his arms around her. "My job is demanding and there are rules, yes, but I didn't do anything I didn't want to—still want to do—and as soon as this case is over, you and I are going to go about things the proper way. I never should have left that hospital without taking your number and I hate that we found each other again under such awful circumstances."
"I don't."
"Don't what?" Kaiden leaned back and looked down at her.
"I don't hate that we found each other again, despite the circumstances."
Kaiden's blue eyes smoldered as he studied her. Her body warmed as she felt the pure strength radiating from the arms that held her. She wanted nothing more than to explore the fantasies she herself had created, not to mention find out what exactly Kaiden had been dreaming about, but she knew she had to wait now. The run in with Hunter had been like a neon sign reminding her that they needed to focus on clearing her name and stopping Nathan from whatever he had planned.
He leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead and then stepped back, letting her go. "What do you say we get out of here and go see the powers that be over at the hospital?"
"Okay. As long as we can grab something to eat on the way. My stomach is trying to digest itself, I'm so hungry."
Kaiden laughed. "I know what you mean."
As he turned away to grab a long-sleeved tee from the back of a chair, Katie admired the lean, hard muscle of his back and shoulders. A few minutes ago, all of that would have been hers if Kaiden's boss hadn't shown up.
"Damn it," she muttered, the frustration radiating to parts of her body that had been left alone for far too long.
