Grey’s phone vibrated with an incoming call, and he walked away.
“Hey, you two want a ride home?” Cummings pulled his nondescript police car up beside them at the curb.
“Sounds great.” Josh nodded. He’d picked right when he’d trusted the detective enough to confide in him.
She slid into the back and Josh followed, then he reached beneath his shirt and yanked off the tape and microphone he’d worn for the past few hours. Wouldn’t do him any good now that he and Mitch were so far apart.
Crossing town toward the hotel, the three of them kicked a few ideas around about how the barricades and light signals had been tampered with to give a clear path prior to the attack. They all agreed Macki was the focal point of Coercion Ten’s overall plan, but this afternoon, Josh had been the target.
Cummings’s police scanner’s static changed tone to incoming: “D Street, possible kidnapping, female, mid-forties, tall, thin, red hair. Goes by the name Roxy.”
“On my way as soon as I drop off at Hotel MacKenzie.” Cummings sped up for the next couple of blocks.
Josh exchanged a quick glance with the detective then phoned Mitch. “You got anything on the Roxy abduction?”
“Not yet. Happened a couple minutes before I hit the street. Snatched her right there in front of everybody.” Mitch’s voice mingled with sirens arriving on the scene. “Seemed a little too coincidental, if you ask me. Almost like my timeline had been leaked.”
“This whole situation is boiling up on itself.” Josh felt the heat rising, and this time the temperature had nothing to do with it. “You need anything?”
“I’m on it. Don’t worry. I’ll stay in the D Street area tonight. See what I can find out. Hey, wait a second.” Mitch paused for longer than a few seconds.
“What’s going on?” Josh asked.
“Never mind. I thought I saw that white SUV, but it wasn’t the same model. Listen, I gotta go. I’ll contact Drake with intel as soon as I have any.”
“Call me if you get in trouble.” Josh glanced at the detective. “By the way, Cummings is headed down there as soon as he drops us off.”
“Sounds good. See you tomorrow.” The call ended.
Raids and follow-up skirmishes were sometimes all targeted to one day. If they all managed to survive today, then maybe OPAQUE would end up with a couple of leads to narrow in on the leadership of CT. He didn’t like not being out on the street tracking the clues, but his job was to protect Macki. That and nothing else.
Josh shoved the phone in his pocket and compared what had happened today with information he’d gleaned since he’d arrived in town. How many CT people were in the area? Had they gotten wind Roxy might be ready to turn on them? Worse yet, had CT decided her usefulness to them had ended? If so, they might be planning to cut their losses by snatching her and—
“I want to go to D Street,” Macki said. “Maybe I can help.”
“No. Absolutely not.” Keeping her locked up wouldn’t solve anything, but he sure wasn’t letting her anywhere near that area tonight. Top priority was getting her inside the penthouse for the evening.
Cummings pulled up to the front of Hotel MacKenzie then glanced in Josh’s direction. “You all staying in for the rest of the night?”
“Count on it.” Josh nodded in return. “Tomorrow, the only thing on Macki’s agenda is the gala board meeting.”
“Which has been on the calendar for months.” She unbuckled her seat belt.
Josh exited the car and extended his hand through the driver’s side window to Cummings. “Thanks for watching out for Macki this afternoon.”
“Sure thing.” The detective shook hands. “Anytime you need me.”
“Stay safe out there.” Josh tapped the top of the car then walked around the back and onto the sidewalk as the hotel valet opened the rear door for her.
She leaned toward the front seat. “Cummings?”
“Yes, Macki.”
“Thank you for everything.” She reached out and touched his shoulder. “You’re a good cop. And a good man.”
“Yeah, well.” He swiped his hand toward the open door. “You’ve got better things to do than shower me with accolades. Besides, I need to get to D Street.”
As soon as they were clear of the car, the detective popped the police siren on and sped away.
Josh shot Macki a look, then glanced down at himself. Dirty, disheveled, and drained. They looked like the last people who’d be walking through the lobby of Hotel MacKenzie, one of the fanciest places in town. The full-time residents who lived on the upper floors in condos would at least know who she was. But out-of-towners would think they were vagrants.
So be it. They’d both fought a good fight today. And lived to tell about it. Couldn’t get better than that.
Josh did a nod-bow and swept his hand toward the entrance. “After you, my lady.”
“The way we look should make front-page news tomorrow.” She entered the lobby as if she were dressed to the nines.
“Hell, we’re already going to be front-page news.”
Her soft, throaty laugh flashed to his core. All the aches and pains he’d been feeling during the ride over disappeared. His manhood said You may be sore and exhausted, but you ain’t done yet. Security started toward them, but she gave her signal that everything was okay.
Josh motioned the man over anyhow. “Anybody new on your team tonight?” He surveyed the lobby. Nothing looked out of place from what he could tell, but then he didn’t walk this lobby every day.
“No, sir. Everyone on duty for the next forty-eight hours is our usual staff.”
“Good. Make sure it stays that way for the next week.”
Macki chatted with some passing guests while others steered a wide berth.
After motioning to the head of security to stay with her even if they’d finished discussing business, Josh walked over to the MacKenzie Library Bar just off the lobby. She was still within his sight. And she’d stay that way until OPAQUE had brought down Coercion Ten’s target that had been pinned on her.
He braced his hand on the polished bar top and pointed at the wine rack. “Give me the best you’ve got. And a bottle of Jameson 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey.” His Macki deserved the best. “Put them on the penthouse bill.”
The bartender handed the items over without a second thought. Josh grasped the necks of the two bottles between the fingers of his left hand as he moved back across the lobby. Today had been hell. Tonight needed to be better.
Macki looked in his direction, glanced at the liquor, and smiled. Then she winked. He bit the side of his lower lip and winked in return. A whole lot better.
Pausing by the huge vase gracing the center of the main lobby table, he wrapped his hand around a bunch of the flowers and yanked. Before he’d even finished shaking off the water, a bellhop ran to clean up the floor. As if on cue, security backed away as he neared Macki.
“Your bouquet, my lady.” Josh slightly bowed his head.
Brushing his cheek with a kiss, she took the flowers from his hand. “Why, thank you, my knight in shining armor.”
She curtsied and with a secret of their own, they laughed. Laughed and kissed all the way to the fourteenth floor on the elevator. The one flight of stairs took mere seconds, then Macki entered her pass-code to unlock the stairwell doorway. They easily entered the fifteenth floor and her penthouse.
“Why don’t you go clean up?” She pulled a vase from the cabinet and filled it with water. “I’ll make us each an Irish coffee.”
He couldn’t stop watching her. The way she trimmed each stem and placed it in the water. How peaceful she looked as she tickled a flower beneath her nose every so often, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent. She was so beautiful. Inside and out. How had he been able to stay away all those years?
The rest of his life would be spent making up for lost time. That was, if she’d have him. Josh moved closer, then cupped the back of her head and lowered his mouth to hers. She
opened her lips for the sweep of his tongue.
She tasted like sweetness and spice. Like sin and sex.
A week ago, he’d been a lonely man. Now, the woman he loved stood in his arms, offering everything she had. He didn’t deserve her, but he damn well planned to stay.
He trailed his fingers down her neck, her arms, her sides, stopping at her waist. Gently, he slipped his hands beneath her top, wrapping them around her as he made lazy circles. Then he pressed his palms against the heat of her skin. She felt like the warmth of a campfire after a long night on guard.
Pulling her closer, he groaned with need. “I love you, Mackenzie Baudin.”
“Mmmmmm, twice in one day you’ve said that.” As if they’d been together for years, she easily undid the buttons down the front of his shirt. “You know, I could get used to that twice a day thing.”
He yanked his shirt from his pants and tossed it to the side. “Oh, there are lots of things I can do twice a day, honey. Sometimes more than twice.”
“I bet you can.” She eased her top over her head. Slipped out of her shoes. Out of her skirt. And his eyes zeroed in on the edge of the lacy low-cut bra and even lacier thong.
He slipped his finger inside the edge of the thong and tugged. “I bet you paid a pretty penny for this little piece of sweet nothing.”
Turning in front of him, she wiggled her hips. “You’ll notice there’s also a little lace in the back.”
As if his hands had a mind of their own, they cupped her ass, slowing her wiggle into a slow figure-eight motion of his own liking, inching her closer and closer with each circle. His mouth dried and his length throbbed to be free from behind his zipper.
She’d already pushed his hard and ready button. He needed to slow down, but his body didn’t agree. “Macki, Macki, Macki. Give me a chance to clean up.”
“We could always conserve water and clean up together.” She finished her turn then eased the palm of her hand across his chest. “You know, we never made it to the shower last night.”
Shower? There’d barely been time to come up for air once they’d started making love. He couldn’t help but grin. “I didn’t know you were so concerned with saving the environment.”
Again, he moved his hand in the direction of the lace, but she lightly pushed him back. Okay, he’d keep his hands off for the moment.
“Oh, so we’re gonna play that game, are we?” he teased.
She shrugged, trailing her fingers across his body as she eased around to his back. He flinched as her hand grazed across the spot the scaffolding had hit his shoulder. That part hurt like hell and back again.
“You’ve got a nasty bruise. All black and blue.” The playful tone of a moment ago turned to one of concern as she stepped toward the refrigerator. “You should have told me. I’ll get some ice for that.”
Reaching out, he grabbed her arm. How could he tell her that when she was close, his pain disappeared? That it was replaced with a feeling of contentment and peace and something he couldn’t wrap his mind around?
He was always the one in charge. The one who set the pace. But for once, all he could think about was letting her take the lead. “No. Don’t stop what you started.”
The small upturn at the corners of her mouth said she understood.
“Here, I’ll make it all better,” she whispered as her lips touched the bruised spot, and he barely flinched. Her throaty sighs caught his attention as she placed soft, tiny kisses down his spine.
Her lacy bra fell to the floor beside him. A moment later, she moved against his back, skin on skin, heat on heat. Her breaths brushed against his skin, then he heard the loudness of his own breathing as he exhaled. Damn right, she’d made everything better.
She stepped back into his arms and kissed him deeply while her fingers played peek-a-boo with the edge of his jeans, then undid the button. Teasing with their touch, her fingers slid inside while slowly she kissed a path from his collarbone to his belly.
His willpower shattered. Hell, they might not make it out of the living room.
Without making eye contact, he twined his fingers with hers and led her toward the master bathroom without ever looking back. Just outside the shower, he toed off his shoes and shucked the rest of his clothes.
Together, he and Macki stepped face-to-face into the glass and ceramic shower, letting spray from the overhead showerheads wash the grime down the drain. Drawing closer, she caressed his chest as soapy lather spilled from her hands down his front, and he returned the favor. He paused to scrub his palm across his day-old beard. A shave might be needed, but definitely not an option. Not anytime soon.
She eyed the stubble, bit her lip, and shrugged. “What are you waiting for?”
“Damn right.” He figured her cheek would end up rubbed and red, but she’d enjoy every second.
He looped his fingers around the sides of her wet and clinging thong and pulled. A second later, the material ripped. “Looks like I’ll have to buy you a new pair.”
“Maybe three. Or four.” Trailing her fingers down his chest, she started to slide down the marble wall.
Stopping her slide, he lifted her up, cupping her ass in his hands. All he wanted was right in front of him. And she was ready for him. As ready as he was for her. He braced her against the shower wall as she looped her arms around his neck and held on. They’d both survived one hell of a day. They deserved every ounce of sin they’d have tonight. And he planned for there to be a lot.
“I think it’s time I show you just how much I love you.” In one smooth move, he slipped his full length inside, all the time listening to her suck in a breath. Then, he began to move. “Starting now.”
“Oh… Oh… Oh, yeah…” She tensed and tensed again, shivering as she wiggled in his hold, straining to give him every bit of her body. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Another sunrise. Another day. Another morning of Josh loving the feel of Macki tucked against his side. The tickle of her hair against his chest stoked his emotions, and he turned to pull her even closer, sucking in a breath as her lips brushed against his chest. A second later, smiling, she opened her eyes.
The feel of her leg as she eased it across his, along with her kisses against his shoulder, was all a man could ask for to wake up happy every single day for the rest of his life. But even though they’d worked past the past, he still had reservations about asking her to marry him.
Being married to an OPAQUE agent was not only dangerous, there were long stretches of time away from home. He’d seen a few OPAQUE marriages work. Like Kent’s, which was why he was taking a few weeks off to stay at home after the birth of his second child.
Josh had also seen some blow up. He and Macki would need to talk about the parameters of being married to him…and OPAQUE. Need to talk about kids, too. And they’d seriously need to discuss her idea of becoming an agent.
She tickled her finger down the side of his groin, then pulled the covers and rolled away from him. He followed until they ended up rolling off the mattress onto the stack of pillows beside the bed, laughing and kissing.
She glanced at the clock then shimmied out of his hold. “Oh my gosh. The gala meeting is in less than an hour.”
He picked up his gun from the bedside table where he’d placed it when they came to bed then grabbed his jeans from the bathroom floor before bolting toward the bedroom door. He didn’t dare look back for fear they’d never make the meeting. Besides, he could shower in the guest room bath and get dressed there. Plus, he needed to check in with OPAQUE. “Can you be ready in thirty minutes?”
“Sure.”
“We’ll take your SUV.”
Hell, he hadn’t slept this late in decades. Any chance he had at taking side streets to the meeting had flown out the window. This was exactly why he’d steered clear of her for years. In his line of work, last night might have cost them precious seconds. Might have compromised her safety.
For what?
The e
ntire time he showered, shaved, and dressed, he kept asking himself the same question. For what? Everything came back to one answer, and he didn’t much like that answer. Last night wasn’t about sex for either of them. Wasn’t about love, either. It was about something deeper. A word he didn’t want to think, much less ever say.
Marriage.
He shook his head at the reflection in the bathroom mirror. “You’re a fool, Agent Slater. One damn fool.”
Once you’d been an OPAQUE agent, having a life with the one you loved meant putting them in danger every single day. Unless they went into hiding. He braced his hands on each side of the sink, hanging his head in thought. Maybe he could take her with him. Together, they could both disappear…have a life…raise a family and—
No. He knew better. Knew that someday there’d be a tiny slip in their story, something so simple they’d forget it linked them to his past, but someone would hear. Someone would know. And, sometimes, people had a way of giving up even their friends for the price of a high on the street.
A taste of fear and reality jelled inside him—once an agent always an agent. His past—jobs, adversaries, enemies—would forever be just a step away. His insides fought him with need, but was need worth the danger to her? What if they had children and he couldn’t protect them?
The battle raged inside him until he made peace with the ultimate answer—he loved her. Which meant he’d stay forever, if she let him. Somehow, they’d make it work.
“I’m ready.” She called from the hallway, “Are you?”
Like a simmering pot of water being turned to immediate boil, his protector mode kicked into place. He’d never forget last night or the night before. Or hundreds of more nights to come. But when the gun hit his hip, he was a protector. Protector of the most precious commodity in the world to him.
Clenching his jaw, he sucked up his emotions and reset the clip in his gun. “Yes, Macki. I’m ready to go.”
…
In Mackenzie’s elevator on the way to the garage, she couldn’t help but place her palm lightly against Josh’s back. He tensed, nudging her away by the flex of his muscles.
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