Uncut Bundle

by Susan Stephens

  When they got to the house, Matthew stepped from the Escalade, went to the passenger side and helped Mia down. His hands lingered at her hips; he bent his head and they shared a long, tender kiss.

  The moon hung over the forest; it lay an ivory path through the trees, to the clearing, the sapphire pool, the waterfall. To the place that belonged only to them.

  The night was hushed. Expectant. Even the creatures that hunted in these dark hours were still.

  When they reached the clearing, Matthew turned Mia toward him.

  “Mia,” he said softly.

  No, she thought suddenly, not yet, and she put her hand lightly against his lips.

  “You said you wanted to see me in this dress,” she whispered. “Now it’s time to see me out of it.”

  His eyes darkened. He said her name, drew her to him and kissed her, gently at first, then more and more urgently. She kissed him back that same way, as if both of them feared what might lie ahead.

  Slowly, one by one, he undid the buttons of the apricot dress. When it fell at her feet, he felt his heart swell.

  Mia smiled.

  “It was a secret,” she murmured, “between the señora and me.”

  Her bra was made of sheer lace, the same color as the dress. So was her thong. Against her golden skin, under the tender light of the moon, she might have been a gift to him from the ancient gods.

  Matthew kissed her mouth. The long column of her throat. He kissed the swell of her breasts as he undid the clasp of the bra. Then he cupped her breasts, kissed her nipples, teased them into aching buds with his tongue and teeth.

  Mia reached for him. Pushed his pale gray jacket from his shoulders. Undid the buttons of his shirt.

  He was beautiful, all hard muscle and tanned skin. She kissed his lips, his shoulder, his chest. Skimmed her hands across his taut biceps and down his flat belly. He caught her wrist.

  “Mia,” he said roughly, “you’re everything to me. I want you to know that. No matter what happens next.”

  She rose on her toes and kissed him. Then she slid her hand down under his waistband, wrapped it around all that hardness and heat, and he crushed her mouth beneath his.

  The time for talking was past. Matthew stripped off the rest of his clothing, peeled the silk thong down her legs.

  His name was on her lips as he took her down with him into the soft grass, then changed to a cry of wonder as he penetrated her.

  “Matthew,” she whispered, rising to him. Moving with him. Meeting him, thrust for thrust, until she cried out again, until his face contorted and his head fell back and he came in a hot, endless rush, filling her womb…

  Filling her heart.

  Long minutes later, lying in Matthew’s arms, Mia sighed.

  “You were right about this place,” she said softly. “I feel safe here. I wish we never had to leave it.”

  It was the first admission either of them had made that they’d stolen these days from the fabric of time.

  Matthew dropped a kiss on her forehead.

  “This clearing will always belong to us, baby. Wherever we are, whatever happens, just close your eyes and you’ll be here again.”

  Was that true? All at once, Mia had the feeling she’d never see this forest clearing again. She shivered, despite the warmth of the night, and Matthew’s arms tightened around her.

  “What is it, baby?”

  “Nothing,” she said quickly. “I’m just—I’m feeling chilly, that’s all.”

  “Come on. I’ll build a fire in the fireplace, we’ll have some brandy—”

  “And we’ll talk.”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  “Because—because I have to tell you the truth, Matthew. About—about Douglas and me.”

  “As soon as we get home.”

  They put their clothes on. Then Matthew put his arm around Mia’s shoulders and drew her to his side as they walked along the moonlit path to the house.

  But his smile was forced.

  She had to tell him the truth, she’d said. About herself and Hamilton.

  Why did that sound so ominous?

  CHAPTER TEN

  MIA STUMBLED as they climbed the steps to the deck. Matthew’s encircling arm kept her from falling.

  “You okay?”

  “Fine. My heel caught, that’s all.” She smiled up at him. “I guess I’m not used to such high heels.”

  Matthew grinned. “Yeah,” he said, “aren’t they great?”

  She laughed softly as he kissed her and she thought, for no reason whatsoever, This is the last time you’ll ever stand here, laughing over something silly with the man you love…

  “Here. Let me undo those straps and—”

  “I’ll do it. You go ahead and start the fire.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive.” She touched her hand to his face, feeling the roughness of the end-of-day stubble on his jaw, remembering how she loved the feel of it against her breasts. “Matthew…”

  “Yes?”

  I love you. Suddenly she was afraid to say the words.

  “What is it, sweetheart?”

  “Nothing,” she said brightly. “Just light the fire and pour us some brandy. I’ll only be a minute.”

  He kissed her, a long, sweet kiss that tasted of the night and of him. Then he unlocked the sliding doors and went inside.

  She knew what he was doing now. Punching in the code that would deactivate the security system, shrugging off his jacket, walking to the fireplace…

  “Hello, Mia.”

  A hand clapped over her mouth, catching the scream in her throat. Douglas. It was Douglas. He was here, he was here, he was here.

  “No noise,” he said, his lips against her ear. His hand clamped down harder; her head tilted back under the pressure of it. “Not a sound, do you understand?”

  She nodded. Douglas lifted his hand. Slowly Mia turned to face him.

  “How are you, dear girl?” His lips curved in a cold smile. “No need to answer. I can see how you’ve been. You have the look of the happy whore all over you.”

  “Douglas—”

  She gasped as he caught her chin in his hand and dug his fingers into her flesh.

  “What did I tell you?” he whispered. “I’ll do the talking. You’ll just nod your head.” His hand dropped to his side. “Now, dear girl, here’s what we’re going to do.”

  “Mia?”

  “Answer him,” Douglas hissed. Something hard and metallic jammed beneath the swell of her breasts. “Sound as if everything’s fine or so help me…”

  “In a minute, Matthew.”

  “The fire’s lit, sweetheart. I’m pouring the brandy.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  “Sweetheart,” Douglas purred. “How charming.” The barrel of the gun dug in harder. “Looks as if the fearless Mr. Knight will do anything for you, dear girl. The question is, will you do anything for him?”

  “Douglas. Please, I beg you—”

  “You’re coming back to Cartagena with me.”

  “No!”

  “You’re going to tell him that it’s your idea. That you and I had a lovers’ quarrel but it’s over now and you’re thrilled I came for you.” The barrel of the gun moved to her breast. “Do it,” Hamilton growled, “and make it believable, or I’ll kill him. I’ll shoot him first, while you watch, dear girl, and there won’t be a thing you can do to help him. Understand?”

  Mia bit back a sob.

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Excellent. Oh, and just in case you think he might have a chance against me… I’m not alone. Two of Rosario’s men are out there, in the darkness. Anything goes wrong in this little drama, they’ll handle things. Got that?”

  She got it, and fully believed it. The cartel’s men were stone-cold killers, and so was Hamilton. The disk still secreted in her compact held all the proof of that.

  The deck lights blazed on. Hamilton slid his arm
around her. His hand, slipped casually into his jacket pocket, gripped his gun.

  The doors slid open. Matthew stepped onto the deck…and went rigid with shock.

  Hamilton? Here? He couldn’t believe it. Nobody but his brothers knew about this place.

  “Good evening, Mr. Knight. How nice to see you again.”

  And why was Mia standing so close to the man she’d run from? Why was his arm around her?

  Matthew tore his eyes from her and glared at the colonel.

  “What are you doing here?”

  The colonel smiled. “I don’t suppose you’d buy the story that I happened to be in the neighborhood… No. I didn’t think so.”

  “Get the hell off my property.”

  “Come now, Mr. Knight. Here we are, fellow Americans on foreign soil. I should think you’d be more hospitable, especially to the man who hired you.”

  “You didn’t hire me. There’s no money involved here.”

  “Correct, Mr. Knight. However, you did agree to find Mia—and here she is.”

  “Mia?” Matthew looked at the woman he loved. She was pale. What a shock for her, to find Hamilton here. “Mia,” he said softly, holding out his hand, “come to me, baby.”

  “She’s quite happy where she is, Mr. Knight. Aren’t you, darling? Ah. Well, she won’t answer. She’s asked me to handle this. Understandable, when you think of how cozy she’s made you feel.”

  “Mia,” Matthew said sharply. “Step away from him. Now.”

  “I don’t like hearing you give orders to my fiancée, Mr. Knight.”

  “She isn’t your fiancée.”

  “Is that what she told you?” The colonel shook his head. “Mia, Mia, why must you play these games?”

  “Douglas.” Mia’s voice shook. “Douglas, please—”

  “Hamilton,” Matthew said sharply. “Let go of her. Now.”

  The colonel raised his eyebrows. “Really, Mr. Knight—”

  “Now,” Matthew barked.

  Hamilton shrugged. One last nudge of the gun and he stepped away from Mia.

  “Certainly, if that’s what you prefer. But I’m afraid it won’t change anything. Mia understands the situation. Don’t you, dear girl?”

  Mia nodded. Yes. She understood. Hamilton’s hand was in his pocket, clamped around the grip of his gun. Somewhere in the blackness beyond the deck, two men who killed as much for pleasure as for purpose had their weapons trained on the man she loved.

  The man whose life she could only save by breaking her heart, and his.

  “Mia,” Matthew said, his eyes locked to hers. “Come to me. I’ll protect you.”

  “There’s nothing to protect me from,” she said carefully. “I’m fine, Matthew. I know that’s hard for you to believe but really, I’m all right.”

  His eyes narrowed. She knew he was telling himself she was lying, maybe even coming up with the actual reason for it. She couldn’t let him do that. Maybe he had a chance against Douglas, but the men beyond the deck would shoot him in an instant.

  Mia took a deep breath, stepped closer to the colonel and forced herself to slide her arm through his.

  “Mia.” Matthew’s voice was rough. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “I—I—” The look on his face was tearing her apart. “Matthew, I—”

  “It’s all right, dear girl,” the colonel said. “I’ll handle this for you. You see, Knight, I’d hoped we could meet alone. Two men of the world, discussing a problem, without Mia’s presence to complicate things.”

  “Fine. Let’s do that,” Matthew said, his eyes never leaving Mia. “Get off my property and phone for an appointment.”

  “I have. Several times.” Hamilton smiled again, this time with a feral show of teeth. “You don’t seem to have been monitoring your messages. But I understand. Miss Palmieri can be a great diversion. I suppose that’s the reason you’re showing me such hostility. That’s no way for a government operative to act.”

  Mia gasped. “What?”

  “He’s lying. I used to work for them but I don’t, not anymore. Goddammit, Hamilton, what’s going on here?”

  “He’s right. He doesn’t work for them anymore.” Hamilton chuckled. “He does freelance work now, for the highest bidder. You know. Checks out difficult situations. Finds ways to get the goods on those the people who hire him don’t trust.” A short pause, and then his voice turned hard. “People like you, Mia.”

  “He’s lying, damn it! He asked me to find you! I don’t have a damned thing to do with the government. Mia? Damn it, talk to me!”

  “Let me explain for you, dear girl. You see, Mr. Knight, Mia came to Cartagena as my P.A. but she was much more than that. We’d fallen in love, in Washington, and wanted to be together.”

  “Mia?” Matthew said, and she knew she’d remember the despair in his voice as long as she lived.

  “But our girl decided to take a walk on the wild side. The drug smuggling via the embassy pouch? All true, I’m afraid. As my P.A., she had the access and cover. Unfortunately for her, I discovered what she’d done. I felt sorry for her and, well, I said I wouldn’t turn her in if she’d go back to the States immediately.”

  Matthew, Mia thought, oh Matthew, my love…

  “I’m ashamed to say, my trust was misplaced. She fled from my house with a list of every undercover federal agent in Cartagena. I had to get her back, but I couldn’t tell anyone.”

  “Not without implicating yourself in the cover-up you engineered for her.”

  Hamilton nodded. “Exactly.”

  Matthew turned to Mia. “Tell me he’s lying.”

  “Yes, dear girl,” Hamilton said smoothly. “Tell him what he wants to hear—and the consequences be damned.”

  The warning was clear. Hamilton had woven a monstrous lie, based on an underpinning of truth. Mia drew a deep breath.

  “I can’t—I can’t tell you that, Matthew.”

  “You tried to smuggle cocaine?”

  All she could manage was a whispered “yes.”

  “You stole a list of undercover agents. You were ready to turn them over to people who’d kill them?” He rushed toward her and caught her by the elbows. Eyes black with rage, he hoisted her to her toes. “And you were this—this pig’s woman?”

  She didn’t answer, but she knew Matthew would take her silence as a yes.

  His hands tightened on her until she thought her bones might shatter.

  “And you slept with me because?” His mouth thinned. “Hell, don’t bother trying to come up with an answer. I know what it is. Sleeping with me kept me in line. It kept me from contacting Hamilton. From seeing to it that you went back to face the music.”

  “Sad but true, I’m afraid,” Hamilton said in stentorian tones. “She’s very good at getting men to do her bidding.”

  Matthew ignored him. “One last chance,” he said to Mia, softly, as if they were alone. “It’s not too late. Tell me it wasn’t a lie. Everything you did in my bed, everything we shared…” Anguish mixed with the fury blazing in his eyes. “Tell me he’s the one who’s lying. Say it, and I’ll believe you.”

  Mia wanted to put her arms around him. To lift her mouth to his, kiss him and tell him she loved him, she adored him, she would love him until the end of time…

  “Say it, damn you,” he roared.

  She didn’t answer. His eyes went flat and cold; he took his hands from her with exaggerated care and stepped back. The man she’d fallen in love with was gone, replaced by the dangerous stranger who’d abducted her from her hotel room days before.

  “What now?”

  The question was directed at Hamilton. The colonel sighed.

  “I’ll take her to Cartagena. She’ll return what she stole and she’ll behave herself from now on or, this time, I will tell my superiors, even though it means I’ll probably be court-martialed for covering for her.” He paused. “I’m sorry about this, Knight. I should have realized Mia would… She’s the type of woman who just can’t s
eem to keep from… Well. Never mind. Mia? I assume you have that list of agents with you?” At her nod, the colonel wrapped a hand around her wrist and held out the other to Matthew. “Goodbye, Mr. Knight. Thank you for your help.”