by Desiree Holt
Adam barked a laugh. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I think.”
“Doesn’t it seem strange to you, though,” she asked again, “that this conversation pops up right after our little get-together?”
“If I knew, I’d tell you,” he assured her. “But you can be damn sure I’ll be doing my own digging.”
“So, what are your thoughts?” Grey interrupted. “Any idea who else might be putting a bug in his ear?”
“Not at the moment, but I’m going to do some serious digging, and right now.” Another pause. “Just so you know, I still trust the ATF and my boss, but I’m going to check everything.”
“When can you get back to us?” Grey’s voice was sharp and controlled.
“I’m hoping in a couple of hours. We had a small meeting when we got back to the office, just Ezra, me, and the key people on the team. It will take some time to check out each one of them and see where else to look.”
“This isn’t an operation for a crowd, Wahlberg.” His words were as sharp as steel, cutting across the connection. “There are already more people involved than I’m comfortable with. Maybe we should put an ad in the paper.”
After a moment of silence, Wahlberg said, “We need a team, Grey. And backup. These people know what they’re doing, believe me. I’ve worked with them for a long time.”
“Yeah, but can they keep their mouths shut?”
“It’s in their DNA,” Wahlberg assured him. “So, are we good to go?”
“We’ll be waiting.” Grey punched a button, ending the call. “I’m not happy about this,” he told Athena. “Not happy at all. Every additional person adds that much more risk of exposure and failure. Besides, we don’t know which one of them could be the leak.”
Athena shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “If it isn’t someone at the ATF, who do you think it is?”
Grey shrugged. “Hard to say. I think I need to run all this stuff through a filter and see where there is redundancy. Then I can narrow the circle of suspects and go from there.”
She waved at his setup of complex equipment. “And you can do that with all this stuff?”
He laughed. “This stuff, as you call it, can do just about anything you want it to, so the answer is yes.”
“Can it take me to Walmart?” she asked.
Grey stared at her. “I beg your pardon?”
She grinned. “A little low humor. Grey, I have no clothes or anything with me. When I left my house, what, forty-eight hours ago? I expected to be home the same night. I can hardly stand myself anymore.”
The muscles in his face relaxed, and he gave her a slow grin. “Okay, I think we can handle a trip to Walmart. But to tell you the truth, I actually like you much better out of your clothes than in them.”
Athena hadn’t thought it possible she could still blush, but indeed, a warm flush suffused her entire body.
“I, um, I’ll get my purse.”
Chapter Ten
Athena stood in the living room, holding the Walmart bag and trying to figure out where to put her stuff. She could take it into the bathroom with her and keep what she wasn’t using in the bag. Just find a place to stash it. Somewhere. Wherever that might be. She didn’t want to presume on one hot night between the sheets with Grey and take her stuff into his room. Bathroom it was for the moment.
She looked at Grey fiddling with his electronics setup
“Anything new come in?”
He shook his head. “And we haven’t heard back yet from Adam.” He checked his phone automatically. I’ll give him another hour or so before I try him.”
“It may take him a while to find out where the leak is. And it could be outside the ATF,” she added, “which widens the search parameters.”
He nodded. “Still, he sounded as angry about it as we are, so I have the feeling he’ll be all over it.”
“Well, before I put anything new on my body,” she said, “I need a long, hot shower.” She paused. “Any problem with me using the bathroom?”
“No. Help yourself.” He was busy at his huge workstation. “You’ll find clean towels in the closet in the hallway.”
Just like that, then. Okay, good. She found the towels and carried two into the bathroom. She turned on the water, letting it get hot while she stripped off the grubbies she’d been in since what felt like forever. From the Walmart bag, she took body wash and shampoo and stepped into the hot stream of water.
Oh god! That felt so damn good. She picked up the body wash but then just stood there with her head tilted back, enjoying the feel of the spray beating down on her, washing away the grime and filth she’d accumulated. She was so engrossed, she heard nothing until the shower curtain was tugged back slightly and Grey stepped under the shower spray with her.
She froze in place, mesmerized by the sight of his gorgeous naked male body. Droplets of water clung to his solid chest and glistened on the scattered dark curls of hair. The steel color of the hair on his head darkened to pewter as the water soaked it, tempting her to curl her fingers into it. The slickness of the water defined the sharp cut of muscles everywhere on his body. A Greek god would take a backseat to this man.
But then thinking disappeared, replaced by ravaging need and desire and shutting down her brain.
“Here. Let me.”
He plucked the body wash from her hand, squirted some into his large palm, and worked it into a rich lather. She didn’t even think to object when he leaned her against the tiled wall and began methodically and meticulously to apply it to every inch of her body. His fingers were magic, kneading and rubbing the taut muscles of her neck and shoulders, brushing along her collarbone then tracing circles around the swell of her breasts. He skimmed the bubbles across her nipples before pausing to tweak them, gently at first then harder, hard enough to draw a gasp from her. Instantly, heat streaked through her body directly to her sex, the walls pulsing with unexpected need.
Grey’s fingers tightened another fraction of an inch, as if he knew her reaction, before he coasted them down her rib cage and slid them across to meet on the plane of her belly. He paid careful attention to her belly button, swirling suds into it with the tip of a finger before moving to shape the curve of her hips. When he knelt and lowered himself to his knees, she sucked in a breath with anticipation, moaning in disappointment when he spent what she thought was an inordinate amount of time lathering her thighs, her shins, and her ankles.
“All in good time,” he crooned. “We don’t want to rush things. Do we?”
Yes, yes, we do. She wanted to shout it at him, but the feathery feel of his fingers on the insides of her thighs weakened her brain cells. When he slid the back of his hand slowly up the length of her labia, she was sure any minute he would thrust his fingers inside her but, again, tease that he was turning out to be, he simply slid them away.
Dizziness swept over her, and she pressed her fingers into the hard muscles of his shoulders to steady herself. Had she ever known a man who was so thoroughly, totally—masculine? Not that she could remember. She was sure they invented the word just for him. She tried to slide her feet apart, silently urging him to move to her hungry sex with its now throbbing clit, but he simply gave a soft chuckle.
“We leave the best for last,” he said in a soft voice and turned her to face the wall.
He rose, placed her hands against the tile, and nudged her feet apart.
“Gotta do the back first,” he said in a voice that was almost a whisper.
His touch was both gentle and arousing as he massaged the lather into her shoulders, down her arms, across her back to the base of her spine. Then he attended to her legs again, stroking up from the ankles, his thumbs teasing the inside of her thighs. Her legs trembled with need and anticipation. She sensed rather than saw him pick up the body wash, pour some more into a palm, and work it up into that rich lather she loved.
Those big warm palms followed the curve of her ass, cupping each cheek and squeezing after he’d la
thered the skin thoroughly. His gentle strokes lulled her, soothed her, and then—her eyes flew open. His fingers, slick with soap, slid easily into and down the hot crevice separating those cheeks. Once, and again, and then again. The third time he pressed the tip of one finger against the tight opening there, almost but not quite forcing it inside.
“One of these days, Athena,” he whispered in her ear, “I’m going to fuck you there. Write that down in your diary or wherever you keep your notes, because you can count on it.”
She shivered all over with hunger, every part of her body craving him.
He nudged her to turn around, rising to his feet at the same time.
Now. Please now.
As if he’d heard her silent pleas, he slid two soapy fingers between her pouty labia and stroked in a slow glide up and down the slick flesh. She thrust her pelvis against him, sending him silent signals she wanted more, much more.
“Please,” she begged.
He captured her plea with his mouth, sealing his lips to hers and thrusting his tongue deep inside her. When she answered with her own, gliding it against his, he bit down on it gently and tugged. Instantly, she felt as if jungle drums had been set up deep inside her pussy, pounding away and reverberating throughout her body.
She slid one hand down the flat hard planes of his chest and his abdomen and tangled her fingers in the thick curls of his groin. Her knuckles bumped his cock, making it flex against her touch, and her own cream surged from her body to mingle with the slippery wetness from the shower. Unable to resist a moment longer, she wrapped her fingers around that thick, hard, swollen spike and stroked him the way he was touching her. He groaned and sucked harder on her tongue. His large fingers rubbed the slick flesh of her inner lips, pausing now and then to pinch and tug on her clit.
Her arousal spiked higher when she felt his cock swell more in her grasp. When she squeezed it, he suddenly thrust two fingers deep inside her, in and out, fucking her with them in a steady motion. She gripped his shaft so hard, he groaned into her mouth, and she wondered if it was from pain or passion. She started to loosen her grip, but he dropped one hand down and wrapped his fingers around her wrist.
“Don’t you dare let go.” His voice was raw, rough-edged, laced with sexual need, and vibrated as he spoke the words into her open mouth.
She knew exactly how he felt. She didn’t want him to take away his long, lean fingers that plunged into her with a steady rhythm. When he added a third finger inside her hot, pulsing channel, she hitched her hips forward, urging him to thrust more and harder. She rode his hand as she’d ridden his cock the night before. At the same time, she worked him with her hand and her fingers, rubbing the velvety tip of his cock with her thumb.
“I really want to fuck you,” he murmured, “but I don’t want to take the time to get a condom.”
“It’s okay.” She barely got the words out.
“Later,” he promised.
Lust surged through her.
She had been with a lot of men in her life, maybe more than she wanted to consider, but none of them had been a pure male animal like Grey Holden. He was hard everywhere, especially in the place that counted the most. His body was like granite, the skin covering it taut without an inch of give. She couldn’t begin to imagine what he’d done in the military to get him into this shape, but whatever it was, she hoped he kept it up.
Yes, hard was a good word to describe him. Hard and dangerous, with a sharp edge to him. She wondered for a brief moment what living with him would be like. Then her brain shut off completely as her orgasm broke free of its restraints and exploded through her body. She squeezed his cock as she bore down on his fingers, riding them and pumping his shaft at the same time. As her release crested, so did his, the thick cream of his semen spilling over her fingers. Her entire body shook with the force of it all.
When the shudders subsided, she had to lean against the tile wall of the shower to keep from collapsing on the floor. She still gripped Grey’s cock, and his fingers still filled her sex, even as he braced himself against the tile with his free hand.
She had no idea how long they stood that way, the water still beating down on them. Finally, Grey withdrew his fingers.
“Watch me,” he commanded, and slowly licked her juices from his skin.
Not to be outdone, she lifted her hand and ran her tongue over her knuckles where most of his liquid had spilled. The shower had left enough for her to taste, a salty flavor that made her lick her lips. What was happening to her? She wasn’t exactly a sexual novice, but she’d never had this incredibly electric connection with another man ever. Never. They still knew so little about each other. She didn’t even know what they had in common except this mission and a sexual attraction that was the most intense thing she’d ever experienced.
Grey pushed himself fully upright and placed an unexpectedly tender kiss on her mouth.
“To be continued,” he said in a soft voice.
He lathered himself quickly and washed with an economy of movement. Athena would have liked to do it for him, as he’d done for her, but the water was turning cool. She did a quick wash and rinse of her hair then waited while Grey turned off the shower. He pulled aside the curtain and helped her out then handed her one of the towels on the vanity. They dried off quickly, and Athena wrapped hers around her head to blot the water from her hair. She’d forgotten about a hair dryer. Oh, well, a ponytail would have to work. Been there, done that.
“Take your stuff into the bedroom,” Grey said as he wrapped his towel around his waist.
“The bedroom?” She repeated the words stupidly.
“I’m not using all the drawers in the chest. You can put your stuff there. And your body in the bed tonight.” He paused. “Unless you have some objection.”
She wanted to laugh at his version of seduction, but she swallowed her smile. “Okay.”
When they were dressed again, her things stashed in the dresser, she fixed them each a mug of coffee in the kitchen. Grey was already back at his massive electronic workstation, fiddling with dials and switches.
“I want to see if we picked up anything else,” he told her. “Then we need to wait for your friends to call us.”
“Hopefully, it will be soon.”
“Better be,” he growled, “or I’ll go with Option B.”
“Option B?” She lifted an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“Whatever else we can cobble together. I’m not letting this get away from us.”
No, she didn’t think he would.
Chapter Eleven
The meeting was set to take place at the supplier’s warehouse. Adam had called them with the details as well as the information that he, Ezra Burns, and Lige Riddick would all be present. The takedown would happen with a support team from the Tampa office. Grey was already on the alert. Because of the listening devices he had placed in both the man’s house and office, he and Athena knew exactly when he got the call, what his reaction was, and what he planned to do. Grey and Athena met the ATF team at the site a good two hours before the time specified, so they could all be in position. The core group had hidden around the warehouse and parking lot itself, the rest stood ready at another industrial site about a block away, prepared to move in on Riddick’s signal.
Grey had taken a private moment to do two things before they left the house, hoping he was wrong on all counts but he’d be prepared nevertheless. And he hoped Athena wouldn’t be too pissed at him for not telling her. He hoped he’d never need to. The two of them huddled behind a large industrial dumpster—the spot Riddick had directed them to while he deployed his men at other strategic locations.
He was good at waiting. He’d spent a lot of time on missions just waiting—for prep time to be over, for the target to come into sight, for the signal to begin. He could wait as long as he had to. He’d wondered how Athena would handle it. Even though she was a cop, had she been through stakeouts like this before? But he needn’t have worried. She’d h
unkered down beside him, immobile as a statue, her eyes fixed on the place where Bostic would arrive and the door to the office he’d go through for his meeting.
Riddick had cautioned them the man might insist on meeting in the open. He had a thing about being in other people’s enclosed spaces. That was okay. If he went inside, the bugs Adam had planted the night before would pick up the conversation. If he stayed outside, there were enough sets of ears to hear what he said. Riddick had parabolic listening devices that could pick up the squeak of a mouse at three hundred feet.
He’d be glad when this was over and they had the man in custody. He’d told Riddick and Burns he just wanted one minute face to face with Bostic to tell him what a piece of garbage he thought he was. To tell him he hoped the faces of all the men who’d been killed by his guns would haunt him wherever they locked him up. Then he’d feel like he’d completed his mission.
About fifteen minutes ago the middleman had shown up, driving a Humvee. Riddick had quietly announced who he was to the people deployed around the area and cautioned them all to hold their positions. The man and what Grey assumed was his bodyguard knocked on the office door. But when it opened and the man beckoned them inside, he shook his head and pointed to his vehicle. In seconds, he was back inside the Humvee and the driver turned so they could see anyone approach.
Grey had just checked his watch to see how much time had passed when he heard the sound of a car’s engine and spotted the big black SUV that Bostic sometimes had himself driven around in. Right behind it came a second matching vehicle. The doors of the latter vehicle opened and four men got out, all of them armed. In an orchestrated fashion, they did a sweep of the entire area. Grey knew there was no way they could see any of the people hidden around the building and parking lot, but still he hunched himself a little lower.
Finally, one of the men lifted something to his mouth—either a radio or walkie-talkie, Grey figured—and the doors to the other vehicle opened. One of the bodyguards walked to the office door and knocked, and, in a moment, the door opened. The man Grey assumed was the supplier nodded at the men and motioned them inside. Grey saw the other man shake his head and point to the lead SUV.
