by C. J. Miller
He had expressed no anger or sadness over his team dying or about Finn being injured. He was concerned about the warehouse and the chemicals contained within. They were essential to creating Whiteout. From what Finn gathered, the burning of the warehouse presented no threat to the area, but it was a huge impact on Barnett’s bottom line.
Barnett would calm down and ask questions. As yet, he hadn’t asked Finn much except how the warehouse had exploded. After accusing every major crime organization along the East Coast and in the south of being responsible, Barnett was taking stock of the incident. “Tell me what happened from the point that you met my contacts at the pier to my warehouse being destroyed.”
Finn related the story, leaving Hyde out of it. Barnett had many of the same questions Finn did. They didn’t have the identity of the men in the SUV or why they had targeted the warehouse.
Their guns, their vehicles and their techniques spoke of experience and professionalism. “I’ll find out who they were,” Finn said. “They almost killed me. I’ll work my contacts.”
“Good, good,” Barnett said, rubbing his jaw, appearing lost in thought. “Let me know what you find out. Also, I’ll need you to scout a new location for the warehouse. I’ll send you some leads. Stay in touch.” Barnett disconnected the call and Finn closed his laptop.
Finn’s focus was on bringing Barnett’s criminal organization down, not helping prop it up with a new warehouse. If Finn dragged his feet, Barnett could lose faith in him, select another errand boy and cut Finn out of the loop.
“You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders,” Hyde said, standing behind the couch. She rubbed his shoulders and some of his stress dissipated. “Tell me about it. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Finn had taken on this venture because Simon deserved justice. Finn had been closer with Simon than he was with his biological brother. “I’m helping a man I despise build his drug organization. If I refuse, he’ll work around me and I won’t be in a position to impede the business and then take him down.”
Hyde made a sound of understanding. She wrapped her arms around him. Barnett’s request felt distant. Thinking of Hyde brought a swell of emotions. She had been there for him, through this mission and over the last several years. More than not wanting her to quit being a spy, he didn’t want to lose her in his life. He wanted her, he needed her and he would go crazy without her. In the playhouse, he had started to tell her that he wanted a future with her. Those words might be irresponsible given that he didn’t have a plan yet for how to keep her in his life while keeping his career. But he was working on it.
“I want justice for Simon, too, but I’m questioning if this is worth it,” Hyde said.
Finn set his hands on her arms. “It’s worth it. Not just for Simon but to keep another drug off the street. I would have been okay. I’m quick with my gun.”
Hyde circled the couch and sat next to him, laying her head on his shoulder. “I know that you are great with your gun. But that didn’t stop me from being terrified that you could be shot. You couldn’t get off eight shots in the time it would take those men to shoot you.”
He hadn’t liked his odds, either. When his meeting with Barnett’s contact had been interrupted by the intruders, Finn had wondered if it was a test. But they had gunned down Barnett’s men at the warehouse. Though Barnett wanted to know who the men were who had destroyed his warehouse, supplies and killed his men, he likely had a better idea than Finn did about the enemies who were the biggest threats.
Finn kissed the top of her head, the scent of her hair and her skin overwhelming him. How did she smell fresh and clean after running through the Miami heat? As soon as he had decided to fly to Bearcreek, Montana, he had admitted to himself there was something different about Hyde. She was irreplaceable. Until now, he hadn’t realized how far down the rabbit hole he’d traveled. Pursuing her for the good of the mission wasn’t the truth. Pursuing her was what he wanted for himself. He needed to convince her that this could work. It may not be the picture she had painted in her mind, but they were real and their relationship was worth fighting for.
Hyde stroked the side of his face. “It’s been an intense day. Let’s go for a swim.”
“Where?” he asked. Their hotel had a pool, but they were laying low.
“Abby arranged for us to use the Lemon Drop Spa about ten minutes from here. We have the place to ourselves for the evening,” Hyde said.
“Why would she do that?” Finn asked. What was at the spa? Contact with someone in Barnett’s organization?
Hyde blinked up at him. “This has nothing to do with the mission. She arranged it because it’s my birthday.”
Finn jolted. He hadn’t known and she hadn’t said anything before today. “Happy birthday. You should have told me sooner.”
Hyde shifted on her feet. “I’ve been pretending to be so many people for so long, I didn’t remember my real birthday. Abby reminded me. Must be in the file the West Company has on me.”
“Barnett thinks I’m scouting locations for a new warehouse and gathering information about the incident. We’ll go off the grid for a while. I thought spas weren’t your thing?” he asked. He wished he had known. He’d have gotten her a gift or made celebratory plans.
“Having my nails done, when I know they’ll look chipped and broken within hours strikes me as a waste of time. Swimming and a massage sound pretty great.”
“I feel bad that I don’t have a present for you,” Finn said.
Hyde shrugged. “I don’t expect anything.”
“What would you have liked?”
Hyde stared at him. “There’s nothing I want. I planned for this year to be better. I wanted for my life to be different. I thought I would spend birthdays and holidays with my family for the first time in a decade.”
“Then I pulled you into this mess,” Finn said. Guilt assailed him.
“I let myself be pulled.”
She may have wanted him to pull her into his life, as well. He wouldn’t quit being a spy, but they could still have a future.
* * *
Two black swimsuits were waiting for them at the Lemon Drop Spa, a pair of board shorts for Finn and a black bikini for Hyde. Special operatives guarded the nearly empty facility and only a few key employees were in the spa. No other guests were permitted inside.
It was an amazing feat pulled off by the West Company. “I can’t imagine how Abby arranged this,” Hyde said.
“The West Company is well connected,” Finn said. “People all over the world owe them favors.”
The pool was located on the top floor and enclosed under glass. The lights were dim and most of the illumination was from the pool lights beneath the water.
Having a few hours alone was a nice gesture and a break they needed. It had been a tough few days.
For the last decade, celebrating Hyde’s birthday hadn’t been an option. Spending her birthday with Finn was a luxury she hadn’t before considered.
Hyde changed into her swimsuit, a string halter-style top. She padded to the swimming pool and dipped in her toe. The water was warm and inviting. Hyde dove in. The water felt great against her skin. Smooth, long strokes and flutter kicks got her halfway across the pool. She surfaced for air. Finding her stride quickly, moving through the water, stroke after stroke, she came close to the wall and turned.
Bubbles exploded next to her. Finn had joined her. She kicked off the wall, powering through the water.
He caught her at the opposite wall. “Care to race?” he asked. He set his hand over hers.
She was breathing harder from her swim and from having him close. “You want to race after I’m already tired. That’s the only way you can beat me.”
Finn threw back his head and laughed. “Confidence. I like it. I think I can beat you and I’ll
give you a lead.”
If she beat him, she wanted it to be fair and undisputed. “No lead. Let’s race.” She pushed off him. As they swam, the water pulled beside her.
She reached the wall and stopped, grabbing the ledge and meeting Finn’s eyes. “We might have to call it a tie.”
Finn slid his hand around the back of her neck and kissed her. “You’re one of the most competitive women I know.”
“Don’t we have to be?” she asked. She had been competitive all her life. Being recruited as a CIA agent then transitioning into private spy work had made her urge to win and to succeed stronger. On some missions, only the winner survived.
“You’ll always come first with me,” Finn said.
His words made her heart race. The word always lingered between them.
He slipped his arm around her waist and she wrapped her legs around his body. “I can keep you afloat,” he said.
Drops of water dotted his face. His hair was slicked back and she held on to his bare shoulders. His muscles were tense beneath her fingers as he treaded water.
His words held meaning. She leaned close to him and kissed him, open mouth, wet lips and tongues dueling. He smiled and she leaned away.
“Is something funny?” she asked.
“I’m happy,” he said.
He was talking about being in this space with her. What they had together was good.
“What would you say about making this a permanent thing?” Finn asked.
Hyde’s heart hammered so loud, she could barely hear. “Us?”
“Us as partners,” Finn said.
Her racing heartbeat slowed. The work. He was still focused on that. “This is my last mission. That hasn’t changed.”
Finn stabbed his fingers through his hair. “If you’re living in Bearcreek, you’ll have different expectations from your boyfriend. You’ll want a man who can be around all the time. I’m in the States maybe fifty days a year.”
Hyde rolled that thought through her mind. The hours and commitment were familiar to her. “Lots of couples have one half who works too much.”
Finn touched her cheek. “I can’t imagine you being happy with that arrangement.”
This wasn’t a conversation to pass the time; this was the most serious discussion they’d had about their relationship. She was feeling him out and he was keeping her expectations low. Hyde shouldn’t have ventured onto this conversation now. It was her birthday and Finn had been clear about what he wanted. It was her time to be clear and go after the life she dreamed about.
“Race to the stairs?” she asked.
He nodded.
They took off and hurried up the steps of the swimming pool. Finn took a towel and wrapped it around her shoulders and another around her waist. Then he did the same for himself. They lay on a single lounge chair, head to head, legs entwined. Talking wasn’t needed now. Broaching a difficult subject had put enough out in the open. They had no answers, only more to think about.
Hyde pulled at the towel around his waist, lightly, letting the towel part. Finn did the same to her.
“This night has been great. When’s the last time you swam for fun?” Finn asked.
“Swimming for fun isn’t something we do at the farm,” Hyde said. “This is the first time in years.”
“I owe Abby a thank-you. I should have arranged this for you,” Finn said.
Hyde rolled on top of Finn. “The West Company has a reputation for taking care of the people who work for them. This is an amazing perk. If I didn’t know Connor as well, I would think he wanted to lure me back into the spy life.”
“Maybe he does,” Finn said.
“He’ll be a dad soon. He gets it,” Hyde said.
“He’d take you on in a heartbeat.”
Hyde let that settle around her. Proud of what she had accomplished, it was hard to let go and forge a new path in life.
“I need more breaks like this,” Finn said.
“When’s your birthday?” Hyde asked.
Finn laughed. “So relaxing like this is a twice yearly thing? Only on birthdays?”
“This is the first time I’ve had the royal treatment on my birthday.”
“Queen for the day?” Finn asked.
“At least queen for tonight.” Hyde tugged at the strings at the waistband of his swimsuit. Finn lifted his hips and Hyde pulled the wet fabric down his legs. He was gloriously naked and not shy about it.
He had no reason to be. He was a perfect specimen of a man. Strong and ripped, pumped biceps and corded muscles, six-pack abdominals and toned thighs.
She stood to the side of the lounge chair and shimmied her bikini bottoms down her legs.
Desire was a fluid, overheated emotion in her veins. Her encounter with Finn earlier had given her a taste. Unable to think of anything else, she wanted to do it again.
Finn extended his hand and she sat next to him. Her skin prickled in awareness as he tugged the ties holding her top around her neck. It fell away. She unfastened the back and let the suit hit the ground.
She covered Finn’s body with her own. His hard strength and lean muscle pressed against her softness and curves. Parting her legs, his arousal brushed between her thighs, making her mad with lust. His eyes were half-lidded and he lay back on the lounge chair. Deep burning desire scorched her.
She straddled his body and ran her hands down his chest, touching the waterproof bandage at his shoulder. “Does this hurt?” she asked.
“No.”
“Are you lying?”
“Yes,” Finn said. “But the hurt is minor compared to other things I’m feeling.”
Hyde kissed his ear and his neck. She stroked his muscles, liking the sensations of the strength beneath her hands. She scooted lower and kissed his chest, brushing her lips across his taut skin.
Finn groaned. “Condom in my bag.”
His bag was under a table a few feet away. Wishing it were closer, Hyde stood and grabbed it. She checked it and found the item. “Confident? Or do you always carry protection?”
“Both. I’m prepared. That’s supposed to be a good thing,” he said.
Hyde tore open the package, rolled the condom on and then positioned herself over him. They’d had mindless sex dozens of times before, but this felt weighted with meaning. This was the meeting of two minds, two hearts. She rocked her hips against his, letting him slide between her legs, his hardness nudging at her. She rose over him and positioned him. Then she pushed down, relaxing her muscles, letting her body accept him.
He moaned and she rose and then lowered herself again, taking him deep. She thought she would burst from his thickness and the emotions filling her chest. She forced herself to move slowly and not get overly excited. Consuming need tore through her. The tease was a favorite of hers. Finn liked to be in control and in bed was one place where he could let go. She liked the uninhibited side of him, more animal than man. She could get that if she played her cards right.
Bracing her hands on his chest, she rode him. Pleasure streamed through her and she rocked, unable to get enough from him. Each time they came together was better than the last. Sensations sizzled her skin. The air was humid and warm and the more she moved, the hotter she felt.
Making this connection with Finn was trouble. It was easy for her to sink into old habits, to become a spy again, to live a life of lies, to sleep with Finn and give herself over to him.
Her body shaped into his and they moved together, the thrust of his hips sending him deeper, his hands working her body. His eyes were bright with passion and excitement, riveted on her.
He moved her, lifting her off him and setting her on her feet. Grasping her hips, he turned her around. She clutched the edge of the lounge chair, one knee propped on it. His hands slid under her rear and
then he was moving again. She pushed back against him and his hand went around her waist for leverage.
She inhaled a quivering breath, feeling her muscles tightening. It was too soon for this to be over.
“Arch your back,” he said, running his hand along her spine.
When she did, his piston movements touched the spot that made her wild, and a shuddering climax ripped over her. Pleasure rippled through every nerve ending and she reached to touch him, needing the connection. He shoved harder inside her and found his release, too, his fingers digging into her hips. Her legs felt weak and she collapsed onto the lounge chair. Finn joined her, lying on his back and tossing his arm around her.
“Happy birthday, Alex,” he said, kissing her cheek.
“Was that my birthday present?”
He made a sound of disgust. “I have more class than that. Even with no warning, I’ve managed to acquire something you might like.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “I have long admired your resourcefulness.”
“Is that all you like about me?” he asked. He kissed her shoulder.
Hyde shook her head. “You’re sexy. And smart. Handsome. The first time I saw you, your eyes were blue. I didn’t even know they were brown until a few months later.”
“Interesting.”
“What’s interesting?” Hyde asked.
“My eyes are blue. A strange shade, so I wear contacts to cover them,” Finn said.
Hyde rolled to face him. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
Hyde sat, the impact of what they had done relaxing her, but the emotional impact of losing herself in him rattling her. “I never knew.” How could she feel this close to him and not know something as basic as his eye color?
“No one is supposed to know,” Finn said.
Blending and remaining utterly typical was one of the reasons Hyde had never bothered with tattoos, even though she had wanted one for some time. Tattoos were ways to identify operatives. Word could spread in the field about especially unique tattoos and blow her cover. Her cover involved wearing what the locals wore, trying to walk like them, mimic their accents and eat their food.
