by Liliana Hart
“That’s it, sugar. Just like that,” he whispered against her clit. “I want it all.”
Evie cried out. She didn’t have anything else left to give. But before she could get the words out she was floating, weightless in the air, as he lifted her and moved her to the mat. It was cool against her back, but it felt good on her heated skin.
“You can’t have some trust and not all, Evie.” He opened her thighs, moving between them until she felt the thick ridge of his cock pressing against her pussy. “Do you see what I’m saying? Do you feel it? Your body and your heart are light years ahead of your mind in this instance.”
“Cal,” she said, closing her eyes. She understood what he was saying now. What that kind of intimacy meant. And why he’d been trying so hard to avoid it for the last couple of days.
Now it was too late.
She could never make things go back to the way they were before. When she’d been so caught up in her own world that she hadn’t realized the answers to all her struggles were right in front of her face.
He pushed against her, the muscles tender and still quivering from her previous orgasm. But just like that he brought her back to the summit. Her body tightened and her nails dug into his back. And the he pulled back and began working inside her again, this time pushing all the way to the hilt.
Their bodies were slicked with sweat and their hips moved together in a dance as old as time. A look of intense concentration was on his face as he focused on her pleasure.
“Come on, sugar. Let go. I’m going to come.”
And then he pushed into her again, hitting a spot that made her see stars, and the orgasm exploded around him. Her pussy rippled and milked him until he couldn’t hold back any longer. And then he joined her, his balls tightened and thick spurts of semen jetted inside her.
When the tremors began to subside, he lowered his weight against her, kissing her softly on the mouth. “Do you see now?” he asked. “Do you see why things can never be the same?”
She tightened her grip on his shoulders and nodded.
“Good.”
He rolled them to the side and then she fell asleep, comforted by his touch.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
* * *
Cal had told her that Jade and Max Devlin would be staying with them for extra security. She’d never met either of them, but she liked them immediately.
Her first thought was that they were too striking of a couple to do the jobs they did. Max was tall and polished, with movie star good looks, and he had the look about him of a man who’d grown up with privilege. His hair was blonde and his eyes blue, and he had an infectious good humor in his smile. As if he knew a secret everyone else didn’t. He wore a gray t-shirt and a pair of khaki cargo pants and loafers with no socks. They were a couple on vacation as far as the outside world was concerned.
“Shitty vacation weather,” he said. Lets go to Italy next time. This time of year is beautiful.” He shook her hand and leaned in for an easy hug—as if they’d known each other forever instead of a couple of minutes.
“I’ll make sure to witness a murder there next time,” she said, answering his smile.
“There you go.” He winked at her and introduced his wife. “This is Jade. Don’t play poker with her. She counts cards.”
Jade rolled her eyes and Evangeline stuck out her hand to greet her. “Don’t worry. So do I. It makes things more interesting.”
“Ha! My kind of girl,” Jade said.
She was a tall woman, close to six feet, and she looked like a complete and utter badass. That’s all Evangeline could think as she looked her over. Her skin was dark and flawless, her hair short as a boy’s and wispy around her face. Her cheekbones were sharp and her chin pointed, and she had the most beautiful green eyes Evie had ever seen. The linen slacks she wore emphasized long legs and the silky tank she wore showed off a set of arms she’d kill for.
It was obvious the couple had a great affection for each other. They looked like a normal couple, but she knew they were highly trained agents and never to be underestimated.
She wondered what it would be like to have a partner like that in every sense of the word—in marriage, as parents, and in work. It obviously suited them both because their thoughts and actions were in sync as they walked around the house, cataloguing entrance and exit points and looking for signs of weakness.
“We’ll try not to invade your privacy too much,” Jade said. “We’re just here to be an extra set of eyes. Which is going to be damned hard with all this rain. It provides an excellent cover for someone wanting to get close to the house. How’s the security system?”
“It’s shit,” Cal said.
“Geez, tell us how you really feel, Cal,” Evie said.
“Just telling the truth, sugar. Your dad didn’t have the kind of security in mind that we need when he bought the place for your mom. It has a standard alarm system and exterior cameras. But they’ve been spotty at best since the rain started. The wind knocks them out of alignment, and it’s a pain in the ass to go out and move them back into place. Basically, we’re working blind except for the lookout agents.
“Ahh, to be a peon again and get all the exciting assignments,” Max said with a grin. “Those were the days.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Cal said, his mouth quirked in good humor. “I was never a peon.”
“Boys,” Jade said. “There will be no dick swinging today. I’ve had my fill already.” She winked at Evie and hitched her bag up over her shoulder.
“Jesus, Jade,” Max said, smacking her lightly on the ass. “I didn’t realize you were going to give the details of our sex life. I thought what we did on the plane here was just between us.”
Jade gasped and punched him on the shoulder. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Good grief. If you want what happened on the plane to ever happen again you’d better shut up.”
“So bossy,” he said. “I like that.”
“Should Evie and I give you guys some privacy,” Cal asked. “Y’all are making me uncomfortable. I feel like a voyeur.”
“Funny you should mention that, Cal,” Evie said, getting in on the spirit of things. “Wish you would of thought of that the other day while you were climbing those rocks.”
Cal arched a brow. “Payback is sweet, Evie. Remember that.”
In all honesty, she was looking forward to as much payback as her body could handle.
Three hours later they got the break they’d been waiting for.
Cal’s cell phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number, but that wasn’t uncommon. Agents used safe cells for the majority of the time.
“Colter,” he said.
“Sir, this is Agent James. My partner and I are at a little restaurant called Rosa’s, and in walks Taber plain as day. He’s got a corner table with his back to the wall. Do you want us to detain him?”
“You and your partner hang tight. We’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t take your eyes off him.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cal disconnected and looked at Max. “Taber is at a restaurant called Rosa’s having lunch. It’s about a ten minute drive from here.”
Jade looked at Max and said, “You and Cal go. I’ll stay here with Evangeline. We’ll be fine.”
“Of course you will. We’ll send extra backup to watch the house.” Max opened his duffle bag and pulled out an extra magazine to stick in his pocket and then he grabbed a sheathed knife and strapped it to his ankle.
Evie didn’t know why the separation made her so anxious. She’d gotten used to having Cal as her primary protector. And it wasn’t that she didn’t think Jade could do a good job. She was just different.
Cal came up to her and pulled her into his arms, not caring that Jade and Max were both eyeing them curiously. He laid a gentle kiss on her forehead and then another on her lips, letting it deepen for only a moment before pulling back.
“Don’t take chances. I know you can protect yourself. But let Ja
de do her job.”
“We’ll be fine. Go get this son of a bitch so we can enjoy a real vacation.”
Cal winked, gave her another hard kiss, and then headed toward the couch. He pulled up the center cushion and grabbed the extra weapon hidden there along with the magazine.
“We’ll call when we’re on our way back. Hit the panic button on your phone if you need us before then.”
And then they were gone and she and Jade were alone.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
* * *
“So she’s the one, huh?” Max asked as they drove to the designated restaurant.
The edges of the streets were full of water, and it spewed up the side of the Jeep as they sped down the road. Visibility wasn’t great, and he had to slam on his brakes at the last second when he realized the stoplight was red.
“She’s the one. Now I just have to convince Declan to give her a job.” That was going to be sticky territory. Because he was going to have to give information without giving too much information.
“Declan’s libel to shut down the whole damned operation if his agents keep getting married. It’s a running joke in the agency that he should renaming it MacKenzie Matchmaking Services. As you can imagine, Dec wasn’t amused.”
The thought made Cal grin and he accelerated through the light. “I’ve been waiting a long time to have her. I don’t give a damn what Declan thinks.”
“Hey, brother. I hear ya. I know what it is to wait and think that she’ll never be yours. Patience pays off. But not too much patience. Sometimes bullheaded women need a strong kick in the ass.”
“I’ll make sure to tell her it was your idea when she decides to kick my ass instead.”
“Life’s a crap shoot, my friend. Might as well have fun where you can.”
Jade and Evie passed the time with a deck of cards. It made things a lot more interesting when both players cheated. And cheated well.
Jade’s phone rang and she answered automatically. “Devlin,” she said.
“This is Agent James again. Your husband and Agent Colter relieved us at the restaurant. We’re to be your backup at the house. Our ETA is about two minutes.”
“Roger that, James. See you then.”
“As long as I can get out of this blasted rain I’m up for anything.”
She laughed and said, “As long as you have a canoe to get to the front door I promise it’s dry inside.”
“Are they finished already?” Evie asked.
“Replacement agents.” She put her cards face down on the table and got up. Her gun had been sitting on the table next to her phone, so she picked it up and held it down at her side. “They’re on their way now. I want you to stand behind the door. We don’t want to give anyone a clear shot at you, just in case.”
“Just in case is fine with me.” Evie followed her to the front door and stood in the corner behind the door so she’d be hidden when it opened.
It wasn’t very long before the doorbell rang and Jade’s phone buzzed at the same time. “That’s them.” She looked through the peephole. “There’s two of them. Whew it’s coming down out there.”
“Let them in. Maybe one of them can cook. I bet Cal and Max eat while they’re at Rosa’s.”
“Good point.” Jade opened the door with her left hand, her gun in her right, and kept Evangeline blocked with her body. “You have identification?” she asked them.
“Sure thing,” one of them answered.
A shot fired and Jade’s body stumbled back. She returned fire and simultaneously kicked at the door to close it as she fell. Quick on her feet, Evangeline added her weight and pushed the door closed on the men, flipping the deadbolt.
“Jesus, Jade,” she said dropping down by the woman, blood soaking her shirt.
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She rolled to her hands and knees and stumbled to her feet. “Get moving. Go!”
Evie grabbed her around the waist, leaving her gun hand free, and they took off for the back of the house and the beach. All she could do was pray for the rain to come harder, so visibility was difficult. Of course, that was a two-edged sword. They wouldn’t be able to see Taber either.
Jade had her phone in her hand and punched the panic button, alerting all the agents in the area they were in danger.
“What the hell?” Evie asked. “I thought Taber worked alone?”
“He does. He either paid someone to knock on the door so we wouldn’t be suspicious, or he’s taken on a partner for this job. I didn’t recognize the man with him and Taber had his raincoat over his head, so I didn’t see his face before it was too late. He got a quick shot off before I even had a chance to process the situation.”
“We’ve got to make it to the cove. Unless he knows specifically where it is he’ll never find it.”
They made it out the sliding glass door in time to hear gunshots and the glass windows in the kitchen shatter.
“Shit. Let’s go.”
“Stay hunched over and low,” Jade commanded. “Make yourself a smaller target.”
The storm slapped at them angrily, soaking them to the skin in an instant. Evie tightened her grip around Jade’s waist when the woman stumbled, and she was worried about the amount of blood she’d lost. The wound was in the upper shoulder, but she needed to get pressure on it soon.
It was impossible to hear anything other than the rumble of the storm and her own heartbeat. And it seemed like an impossibly long way to the outcropping of rocks. But she followed Jade’s instructions and they stayed low, moving into the wind. When she checked to see if they were behind them she could barely see past the length of her own arm. She just had to pray there was no one there. And if they were that they couldn’t see her.
Jade stumbled again and went to her knees this time. “Keep going,” she said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Evie knelt down next to her and stripped off her t-shirt, having nothing else to use on the wound. Wet fabric wasn’t easy to work with, but she was at least able to put pressure on the wound. They stopped long enough to tie it and then Evie was helping her to her feet again.
“We’re almost there. Keep moving,” she told Jade.
“Max is going to be so pissed. He doesn’t like it when I get hurt.”
“Better hurt than dead.”
“Good point.”
Thank God for bad weather.
When the panic alarm sounded they were only half way to the restaurant, despite the fact that well over ten minutes had passed.
The sound was loud and shrill and Cal didn’t hesitate. He spun the wheel and did a U-turn in the middle of an intersection. He pressed the pedal to the floor and prayed everyone got out of the way.
Max was already on his phone, trying to contact Jade. “No answer,” he said. “Shit.” He banged his fist on the dashboard.
“The alarm sounds to all the agents in the area. They’ll be setting up a perimeter to keep him from leaving the area.”
Cal couldn’t remember time stretching the way it did in the moments between when the alarm sounded and when he skidded to a stop outside the gates of the mansion.
“Jesus, look there,” Cal said, pointing.
Parked at the side of the long drive was a silver Audi. “That’s fucking balls right there. He was so sure he’d get in and out while we were out of the house.”
“That’s a good sign.” Cal took a breath of relief and tried to convince himself that everything was going to be all right. “It means Jade and Evie have detained him for one reason or another. Otherwise he’d be gone by now.”
“What’s that?” Max asked.
“What?” Cal asked, confused.
“That dark spot. Turn on your brights and point toward the front door.”
“Son of a bitch.” Relief fill him at the sight of a man dead instead of a woman with reddish blonde hair. “I’ll check the body. You disable the car.”
They both got out of the Jeep, weapons at the ready, and Cal moved toward the prone figure
crumpled on the front steps. He lay on his back, staring straight up, and there was a bullet hole in his throat and another in the chest.
“Jade’s work,” Max said, coming up to stand beside him. “That’s not Taber. Who is it?”
Cal recognized the man’s face from the files he’d been pouring over the last three days. “That’s Jenson Walker. Former CEO of Boulder Corp. I guess we know who was behind the hit in the first place. Let’s go. Taber is still unaccounted for.”
They got back in the Jeep and headed around to the back of the house.”
“Look there,” Cal said, pointing to the broken windows in the kitchen. “That’s how he gained entry.”
His pulse was pounding and fear lodged deep in his belly. Max’s mouth was pinched tight and the weapon lay ready in his lap. The fear of knowing the woman you loved was in danger—might possibly be dead—was a feeling he never wanted to experience again.
The wind rocked the car back and forth, and the wipers were fighting a losing battle.
They made it to the back of the house and pulled up as close as they could to the back of the house before the deck and ramp that led down to the beach got in the way.
“The sliding doors are open. We have to check inside. Just to make sure.”
Max nodded and they approached the house, each taking a spot flanking the French doors. Cal went in low, sweeping the area and clearing before moving to the next room. They did it quickly and efficiently, their training ingrained by countless hours of practice. Even Cal had had to go through field training when he’d been an operative, despite the fact he’d only wanted to work with computers. And Declan had been even more adamant about it once he’d signed on with MacKenzie Security.
“We’re clear,” Max said. “Let’s keep going.”
