Russian Connection

by Lakes, Lynde

  Nikki touched Curt’s arm reassuringly. “It’s a long story. I’ll explain later. Don’t worry. I won’t let him touch anything.”

  Curt’s frown deepened. “He’s your responsibility. Keep your eyes on him.” Then he disappeared around a bank of computers.

  Her boss’s tone had suggested that his anger had nothing to do with security. Because he’d buddied-up with Luke, perhaps he thought she shouldn’t be anywhere at two in the morning with this man…any man…so soon after his death.

  She joined Dayd. He’d slid into a conversation with Smiley about the equipment. At a lull in the exchange, she took him to her cubicle. “This’ll only take a moment,” she said, removing her jacket and deliberately draping it over the chair.

  Dayd’s shot her an unreadable look.

  “If there’s anything here,” she said, “it would be in this file box.” She opened it and quickly scanned the typed adhesives on each disk. Although three disks weren’t hers, she didn’t hesitate. She repeated the process, this time slowly, then closed the box. “All mine. Tough luck.”

  Dayd reached past her, reopened file box, and pulled out the first disk. “Let’s check them on the monitor to be sure.”

  She snatched the disk from his hand, and smiled sweetly. “No can do. This info is classified to non-staff.”

  Dayd stared at her with steady brown eyes.

  She took his arm, urging him out of the cubicle. “I assure you I’d know if any of these disks weren’t mine.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a minute.”

  The accusation in his tone ate at her like acid. She groaned inwardly. He was too sharp and well trained to be fooled by her deviousness. Yet she couldn’t stop now. She crossed her fingers behind her back for luck. With guts, just maybe she could get away with her plan by playing forgetful.

  They said goodnight to Smiley and Tucker, and headed out the door. “Oh,” Nikki said, pausing. “I’ll meet you in the taxi. I forgot my jacket.”

  “I’ll get it for you,” Dayd offered smoothly.

  “Thanks, but you can’t wander around in there alone without a badge. I’ll be just a minute.”

  Nikki slipped back into the building and hurried to her dimly lit cubicle. Without bothering to switch on a work lamp, she flicked on her computer. She took a calming breath, then quickly made copies of the unfamiliar disks. There wasn’t time to view the contents. With trembling hands, she taped the originals to the bottom of her desk drawer.

  Machinery throughout the building hummed smoothly, which should have had a calming effect, but nothing could soothe her wildly thudding heart. Were those muffled footsteps she heard? Her neck prickled. Had Dayd followed her back into the building? Impossible. He didn’t have a security card. Still, she glanced toward the passageway. Seeing it empty, she wrapped the copies in tissues and tucked them into the wide, elastic part of her bra, about three inches under her arm. In the dark and with her jacket on, Dayd shouldn’t notice.

  When she returned to the taxi, Dayd got out and held the door open for her.

  “That was the longest minute in history,” he said gruffly. “I was about to send in a search party.”

  “Sorry,” she said. “Restroom detour.” Breathe normally. It’ll be okay. He’s suspicious but without proof there isn’t a darned thing he can do about it. Nikki smiled into the darkness of the cab. Now she had a bargaining chip to deal with Glenda’s abductors. Too bad she had to put one over on Dayd Radlavich to ensure her friend’s return. But all’s fair in love and war.

  Guilt knotted her stomach. Keeping the disks from Dayd would have been easier if he hadn’t touched her heart with his stories of growing up in Russia. His gentle humor and vulnerability had turned this man of mystery into an intriguing friend with a past she very much wanted to learn more about.

  Nikki studied Dayd’s chiseled silhouette as streetlights highlighted the arresting angles with flashes of silver. He was clearly the most attractive man she’d ever met. She had to force herself to remember that this interesting man was still a stranger, and definitely not the guy next door who would be around when this was over. Determined to follow her brain rather than her heart, she silently huddled on her own side of the taxi with her right arm clamped against her body, giving extra protection to the hidden disks.

  She glanced at his handsome profile—if she weakened even for an instant, all she had to remember to regain her determination was that he had a different agenda from hers. Finding Glenda wasn’t his first priority.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Nikki had never felt more guilty. When they returned to the hotel suite, Dayd mixed a couple of vodka concoctions and handed one to her. “Well,” he said, studying her with a piercing gaze, “that seems to have been a wasted trip. Where do you suppose I should look for the disks next?”

  She shrugged. Was he playing cat and mouse, baiting her? He couldn’t know for sure she was holding out. She had to change the subject. Grasping the first thing that popped in her head, she said, “I haven’t been able to figure out why the police followed me to the ballet.”

  Dayd leaned against the bar. “It isn’t such a mystery. There’s been a kidnapping and two murders, and the cops aren’t convinced you’re not involved.”

  He wouldn’t release her gaze, and try as she might, she couldn’t look away. “I keep glancing over my shoulder, wondering if they’re still there.”

  “It’s possible,” he said. “Sometimes you do things that raise questions.”

  She felt like a canary cornered by a hawk. Her mouth went dry. “Like what?” she asked, and immediately wished she hadn’t.

  He picked up her purse from the octagon table and handed it to her. “Empty it.”

  She stared defiantly into his eyes, then tossed it back onto the table. “Why should I?”

  Dayd’s scrutiny didn’t waver. “Don’t bother,” he said evenly. “They’re not in the purse, are they?”

  Her heart pounded and heat flooded her cheeks. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I’ll give you to the count of three to hand them over.”

  She backed away. In two quick moves he pinned her to the wall, one of his hands holding hers above her head, a hard thigh pressed between hers. Their breathing thrashed the air as he frisked her. His hand was hot, his exploration rough. “Just as I thought,” he growled, deftly removing the disks from under her sweater. “You were holding out on me.”

  Nikki struggled, but he held her so close she couldn’t escape. “I had to,” she said, gasping. “I need those disks and I knew you’d take them from me.”

  Dayd glared down at her. “I thought we were in this together. I offered you a sanctuary, gave you my protection.”

  “But I can’t trust you.” She wished with all her heart she could.

  “You have to.”

  “Why? You’re probably in this just to be the big CIA hero, and you don’t care who gets hurt.”

  His grip on her tightened. “That’s never been true. Godunov has to be stopped, but I’d never risk your life, or Glenda’s to take him down.” His voice softened. “That’s a promise.”

  Dare she trust him? Or her own instincts for that matter?

  Dayd’s lips paused inches from hers. “Don’t even try it,” she muttered. The dangerous pleasure of his warm, searching mouth on hers would only confuse her more. She pressed her lips tight to keep them from parting.

  “Kissing you hadn’t even occurred to me,” he said huskily.

  Yet he hovered there, his breath caressing her lips, seducing her. If he lowered his head just an inch more she would be a goner.

  “Let me go, Dayd.” He had turned her into a trembling mass of contradictions. She tried to twist away.

  “Listen to me,” he rasped. He released her wrists and slid his hands down her back. The heat of his fingers seeped through her sweater. “If these disks contain what I think they do, we’ve got Godunov cold.”

  “That’s all you care abo
ut.”

  Dayd’s eyes were sultry brown pools flecked with gold and fringed with bristly lashes. “I could put business aside for the night if that’s what you want…” he said in a deep, rumbling baritone.

  Her heart pounded. “How soon you forget. You promised no monkey business.”

  “And I’ll honor that promise.” Still he didn’t release her.

  She pushed against his chest.

  He brought her closer, so close she felt the contour of his throbbing arousal. “Unless you release me from it…”

  The pulsing pressure of his penis awakened deep stirrings and brought a rush of moist heat at her core. “Never!” She groaned silently at the tremor in her voice.

  He stared at her for a long, measuring moment, looking like he wanted to shake her.

  She had to get them past this moment…fast. “Are you surprised that there are three disks?” she said, fighting to control the tremors vibrating through her body.

  “Not really. Chances are it took three disks to hold all Luke and Godunov’s dirty dealings.”

  Tears rushed to her eyes. “Dammit, Dayd, you can’t take these from me. Without the disks they won’t release Glenda.”

  His expression softened. “You can have them. Just let me make a copy.”

  “That’s all you want? And you’ll give them back?” She couldn’t believe it could be this easy.

  “Immediately.” He tenderly brushed a curl from her forehead. “We may be arguing about nothing. Until we check the disks, we can’t be sure if these are the right ones.”

  He released her. The sudden loss of closeness and heat jolted her, but he seemed to bounce back immediately. He retrieved his laptop computer from a cabinet, and placed it on the bar. “Let’s take a look,” he said, his tone strictly business.

  Mind and body at odds, she said, “What else could they be?”

  Without answering, he checked one of the disks. He swore in Russian, then tried the other two and swore again.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Access denied,” he muttered.

  “Oh, no. That means we’re dead in the water.”

  “Whoa. Did I just hear negativity come out of your mouth? It’s not like you to give up so easily. It may take a bit longer to access these babies, but we’ll do it.”

  “Are you always so sure about things?”

  He searched her gaze. “Not always.” Dayd made copies on his A drive, then handed back her disks. “See how painless this is?”

  She tucked them into her purse, feeling her victory wasn’t a victory at all. She didn’t even know what she had. Yet it was still a bargaining chip. “So, now that you have what you want, I suppose you’ll forget about Glenda and go back to wherever you came from.”

  He frowned. “I’ll be around. Until I get access, I have nothing.” He punched some keys, waited a moment for the computer to close down, then flicked it off. “Why are you always so quick to think the worst about me?”

  “I don’t want to think about you at all. Just tell me if you’re still going to help me find Glenda.”

  “She’s my top priority.”

  Nikki breathed a sigh of relief and her heart swelled with gratitude. She wanted more than anything to believe him.

  Dayd gave her a stern look. “But no more games. No more holding out. Agreed?”

  He extended his arm toward her for a handshake and, when she put her hand in his, he drew her into his arms.

  Her heart pounded. She wanted to be exactly where he’d taken her, yet good sense told her she couldn’t let this happen. She lifted her chin. “Is it standard procedure for government agents to make passes at the person they’ve promised to protect?”

  He grinned. “Never been one to stick closely to the rules.”

  Until now, she always had.

  Her arms of their own accord encircled his neck. At first he was incredibly gentle, brushing little kisses over her mouth, testing her response. This was crazy. So crazy. She molded her body to his. Against all reason, she wanted to feel the softness of his shirt, the roughness of his jeans and his throbbing hardness.

  What was she doing? Inviting the soul-draining pain of another broken heart, that’s what. Calling on every ounce of her dwindling reserve of strength, she shoved Dayd away. “This isn’t going to happen, Mr. Radlavich.”

  “I was getting signals that told me otherwise,” he growled.

  He was right. She’d led him on, then pushed him away. Her emotions had gone completely haywire. She turned and ran. When she’d put a safe distance between them, she paused in the hall doorway. “Good night, Mr. Radlavich. And I expect you to keep your word and help me find Glenda.”

  She escaped to the guest bedroom, slammed the door, and with a twist of the wrist engaged the lock. She leaned against the smooth wood, her heart thudding against her chest. An unsteady exhilaration made it difficult to breathe. She raced to the window and flung it open. Instantly the drapes billowed out. She inhaled deeply. The brisk night air cooled her face, but not her passion. A few bright stars winked knowingly at her. She stared at them until they were blurred by tears.

  She heard Dayd outside the door slamming things around as though looking for something he couldn’t find.

  Mitzi lay curled up at the end of the bed. The cat’s eyelids blinked open, revealing ruby eyes that stared at her questioningly. Nikki picked up the cat, hugged her to her breast and stroked her smooth, silky coat. “Close one,” she whispered. “A very close one.”

  ****

  Dayd slammed another cabinet door. Where the hell was the folder on Luke Brown? “Calm, down,” he muttered. He backtracked and found it in the first place he’d looked. Why hadn’t he seen it the first time? He poured himself a double shot of Stolichnaya on the rocks, slopping the liquid over the top in the process. He mopped up the mess with the rag he kept behind the bar.

  Nikki had been maddeningly adorable when she’d called a halt to his advances. It was a damned good thing she pulled back. He’d lost control. He’d found small pleasure from knowing she didn’t really want to stop. It was just the smart thing to do. And she was one smart lady.

  What confused Dayd were his own feelings. Something fiery was going on between Nikki and him. The lust he usually felt for an attractive woman paled in comparison to this riveting, all-consuming hunger he felt for her. When he’d promised himself he wouldn’t kiss her again after that first time, he hadn’t known the intensity of his attraction to her would escalate like this.

  He had to keep reminding himself that soon he’d be going back to Russia to his watchdog position, and feeling so strongly for a woman he would be leaving was unprofessional and dangerous. From now on kissing her was nelzya. Yet knowing she was forbidden to him only made him want her more.

  Dayd polished off his vodka, grabbed up the folder on Luke Brown and flicked on the computer. He thrust a disk into the drive and opened Luke’s file. Something in here should provide a clue to the code. One after another he began the process of trying different number combinations. It didn’t matter that it was after 3:30 A.M. He sure as hell wouldn’t get much sleep with his mind full of Nikki.

  ****

  Nikki awoke thinking of Dayd. She’d done the right thing, the absolute right thing. She’d saved herself from making another big, big mistake. So why did she feel so desolate?

  By the time she’d showered, she smelled bacon. She quickly dressed and put down food and fresh water for Mitzi. Then she eagerly followed the aroma to the suite’s dining area. Dayd and a big blond man sat at the table with their heads bent close together. They seemed to be engrossed in whatever flashed on the screen of the monitor. They were speaking Russian, their words harsh, angry.

  Dayd looked up, and motioned for her to join them. “Nikki, this is Boris.” His gruff tone unnerved her.

  Boris stood, bowed and kissed her hand. “Delighted,” he said, his accent thick and intriguing. Her breath caught. The Russian giant was at least six-feet-five inches of hard
body.

  When he held out a chair for her, she nodded her thanks.

  Both men stood over her now, looking down with veiled expressions. It suddenly dawned on her that she was in a hotel suite alone with two very large, strong men. Men who spoke Russian. She expected to be afraid but felt only irritated.

  Dayd and Boris exchanged grim looks. Nikki’s heart pounded. Her worry wasn’t the result of the men’s intimidating size, or the fact that they spoke Russian. “Have you heard something about Glenda?” Dear God, don’t let it be anything bad.

  Dayd’s eyes softened. “Nothing new.”

  She began to breathe normally again.

  “You must be starved,” he said. “We waited breakfast.”

  He moved the computer to the top of the bar, then wheeled the room service cart close to the table. She was surprised by the feast he had lain out. Everything from mixed fruit, including bananas and strawberries, to crisp bacon and golden waffles.

  She doubted she’d be able to swallow even a bite if these men continued to exchange their visual daggers. With rigid movements, Boris poured her a mug of steaming coffee. Nikki sipped it, feeling like an outsider. What did the tense vibes shooting between the men mean?

  When they finally began to speak again, their breakfast conversation in English was pleasant enough, charming even, but she couldn’t relax. They had been in staunch disagreement about something earlier. Why was Boris here?

  She welcomed the buffer between her and Dayd. Still the tension between the two men was tying her stomach in knots. She managed only a few bites and pushed her plate away. “Something’s going on, Dayd, and I’d like to know what it is,” she said, leaning forward. Without thinking she almost touched his hand, but he withdrew it before she even got close. Touching him would have been a mistake. Still it unnerved her that he was the one to pull away.

  “It has nothing to do with you, Nikki. Just CIA business.”