Chase leaned down and kissed her. “Me too.”
“Umm, guys,” Sean interrupted. “We have a problem.” He handed Chase a set of binoculars.
“Shit!” Chase ground out a few minutes later.
“What?” Angela demanded, moving between the two men.
Chase passed her the binoculars. “See the two men near the large white and blue boat? The big one off to the right?” Chase asked, and Angela nodded. “That’s Sean’s other boat and if I were a betting man, I’d stake money on those guys being FBI.”
“But how? And why? I don’t even know Sean.”
“Yeah,” Chase agreed, “but I do. I used my real first name in Manchester, remember? My connection to Sean is immortalized in my military record. Sorry, man. I really thought we had a little more time.”
“So, now what do we do?” Angela twisted a strand of hair around her finger. “I’m sorry I got you mixed up in this mess, Sean.”
“I’m not, Angela. I’d do just about anything for the man next to you and he knows that. Besides, this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.” Sean piloted the speedboat away from the marina.
Angela wrinkled her nose in disbelief. “You think running from the long arm of the law is fun?”
“Yep,” he smirked. “It takes skill and fortitude. Plus, it generates a hell of an adrenaline rush.”
Angela’s eyes crinkled as she turned to him and asked, “Do you feel the same way?”
“Usually,” he admitted, “but this time, I’m more concerned about keeping you safe and out of trouble.”
“Hey!” she objected. “It’s not like I go looking for trouble. Lately, it’s just been landing in my lap.”
“Time for Plan B,” Sean announced as he pulled out a key ring and shook it enthusiastically. “I just love a good plan B. It gives us the opportunity to see how talented our pursuers are at unraveling layers and tracking.”
Chase simply arched a brow and offered, “Monroe’s the agent-in-charge.”
“Fucker.” The words were spoken without any heat behind them. “Hell, he’s no challenge at all. Well, at least he’s giving me an excuse to take out McGuire’s sweet new yacht.”
“What’d he buy?”
Angela hid a smile behind her hand. Chase sounded like an excited little boy with a new toy.
“The new fifty-three footer by Meridian. It’s got three staterooms, but I’m guessing we don’t need them all.” Sean leered at the embracing couple.
Angela blushed, but stayed in Chase’s arms. The truth might be a bit embarrassing, but she had no intention of changing her relationship with Chase. In fact, she hoped their intimacy grew instead of ending.
Chapter 29
Less than two hours later, Sean slowed the boat, and Chase jumped overboard, disappearing under the surface of the deep blue water. “Chase!” Angela squealed. She leaned over the side, her worried eyes searching him.
Chase rose from the water like Poseidon rising from the sea, dimples flashing as he shook his head and sprayed her with water. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” She couldn’t help but laugh at his antics.
“I’m going to help Sean by walking the boat in. He needs to raise the prop so it doesn’t get damaged as the water becomes shallower.” Chase treaded water alongside the boat as he explained.
“And you had to fly off the boat like a fish to accomplish this?” she demanded as Sean threw Chase a thin rope while the boat coasted toward shore.
“Yep.” Chase swam off while Angela watched his muscles ripple as he moved through the churning water.
Angela observed from a distance as the two men docked and secured the boat like a well-oiled machine. She could see that they intuitively knew what the other would do. “Where are we?” she wondered as Chase assisted her off the boat.
“Yeah, Dutch, where are we?” Chase whistled. “Sweet place you found here.”
Sean only grunted in response, and Angela sent Chase a perplexed look. A minute later, Angela caught sight of a petite blonde woman hurrying down the long dock toward them.
“Sean!” the woman called, her excited voice carrying over the sounds of the crashing waves.
“Emily?” Sean stalked down the dock toward the woman.
“Sean! What in the world are you doing here?” Angela and Chase watched from a distance as Emily extended her hands toward Sean who grabbed her arm and steered her back toward the house. As they followed, Angela and Chase heard Sean snap, “I could ask you the same thing! You’re supposed to be in the city.” Sean paused as the group entered the large white structure at the rear of the property. He glanced around the main room before walking off for a few minutes. Angela opened her mouth to ask Chase where he went, but Chase shook his head. A second later, Sean marched back into the room. “Who’s with you?”
“Um, no one,” Emily winced, and Angela felt sorry for her. “Sean, look, I’m sorry if taking tomorrow off is a problem, but Michael said it was okay.”
Sean groaned. “You’re here alone?”
“No,” Emily retorted, crossing her arms across her chest. Angela recognized that tone. Of course, she didn’t blame her. Angela couldn’t understand why Sean would be upset that a grown woman had taken a few days off.
Emily’s voice interrupted Angela’s train of thought. “You’re interrupting the orgy I have planned. Unless you like to join us?”
Angela smiled at the other woman. Somehow she didn’t seem like the orgy type. Emily returned the smile, pointedly ignoring a fuming Sean. “Hello, I’m Emily McGuire. Welcome to my home.”
“Hello,” Angela replied, stopping when Chase squeezed her hand. She held back a sigh. Clearly, he didn’t want Emily to know who she was. Angela thought that was a pity. She had a feeling she would like Emily McGuire. Any woman who could stand up to a man like Sean was her kind of woman.
“Emily, I’m going to borrow the Dochas.” Sean’s voice interrupted any pleasantries Angela might have offered. “If anyone asks, I need you to tell them that I’m out of town on business. You don’t know where. You haven’t seen me since yesterday. Understand?”
Emily’s eyes softened and she stepped forward, placing her hand on Sean’s muscular forearm. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”
Sean inclined his head ever so slightly and Chase nudged Angela out of the room onto the deck to give the other couple the illusion of privacy.
“I’m fine,” Sean assured Emily. “Just don’t tell anyone I’ve borrowed the Dochas, okay?”
“I won’t,” she promised. “How long will you be gone?” She brushed a lock of his wavy hair out of his eye.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Probably no more than a few days.”
“Are your friends in trouble?” she probed.
He shook his head. “This is one of those things you just don’t need to know, kitten.” Tilting her chin up so she met his flat gaze, he ordered, “Promise me you’ll do as I asked.”
“Only if you promise to tell me what’s going on when you can,” she bargained.
“Promise me,” he ordered.
“I promise,” she finally sighed. “Be careful,” she implored.
“I’ll try,” he replied and walked slowly toward the door where Chase and Angela waited. Suddenly, he turned around and stalked toward Emily, pulling her into a tight embrace and kissing her fiercely. As he walked away, Emily touched her swollen lips, her expression one of shock and delight.
Outside, Sean led the way along the dock, stopping near a large yacht. Sean tossed Chase the key before jumping on the powerboat. Angela wandered into the salon and plopped onto the leather sofa. Once she sat down, fatigue washed over her as the long, event filled day caught up with her, and she drifted off to sleep before the engines even started purring.
Chapter 30
Sean waved to Chase as he drove the powerboat out of the inlet. Chase followed until Sean pulled into a small cove several miles away from the McGuire cottage. He let the yacht drift as he grabb
ed a pair of binoculars with night vision and scanned the water. About ten minutes later, he caught sight of Sean plowing through the water, his strokes as smooth and effortless as always. Chase jumped up, made his way to the main deck and lowered the ladder just as Sean arrived.
“Mission accomplished?” he asked, tossing his friend a towel.
“Of course,” Sean replied, leading the way to the upper deck. “But that was a new boat and if anything happens to it, you’ll owe me. Big.”
“Understood.” Chase nodded, well aware that payment could range from replacing the boat to assisting with a hostage rescue mission in Somalia. It would just depend on the damage and Sean’s mood.
Topside, Sean and Chase scanned the water for signs of other vessels as they sped off, enjoying the comforts the yacht offered but never forgetting that they needed to be as aware of their environment as they had been in hostile countries. Angela’s life might depend on their vigilance. As the hour approached midnight, Chase spent some time filling Sean in on the back story, explaining who Angela was in danger from as well as the puzzle Mac had left behind when he died.
Just after midnight, Chase headed below to check on Angela and grab some much needed sleep, recognizing that he was running on fumes. He stopped at the door to the salon. Angela lay curled up on the leather sofa, her knees tucked against her chest with Taz at her feet. A sense of warmth filled him as he watched her sleep. The sleep of the innocent, he thought just as a whimper escaped. Moving quickly, he dropped to his knees next to the couch and gathered her in his arms.
“Easy, babe,” he crooned as he lifted her.
“No, not time to get up,” she whined, her voice husky with sleep.
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Shush,” he soothed as he carried her down the hall. “I’m just going to put you to bed.”
“Don’t leave me,” she whispered.
His heart melted and despite his reservations, he promised, “I won’t, Angel.” To himself, he added, until you want me to go. Inside, he feared that a woman as precious as Angela would never want a man like him for the long haul.
Chase carried her into the master stateroom Sean had insisted they use, knowing that Angela would appreciate the privacy the attached head offered. As he settled his precious cargo under the covers, he brushed kisses across her cheeks, forehead and lips. In a little more than a week, she’s changed my life. Now if only I can figure out how to keep her. When she sighed and slipped deeper into sleep, Chase walked toward the attached bathroom. A few minutes later, he stepped out of the small but well-appointed shower. One of the first lessons he’d learned in the Navy was the importance of conserving water.
As he sauntered into the bedroom, a towel around his waist, he noted that Angela had already kicked off the covers. Too hot, babe? I can solve that problem. A grin crossed his face, and he removed her shirt, bra, and jeans, leaving her clad only in a pair of tiny hot pink panties. Chase eased under the covers and slipped an arm under her, readjusting their position so Angela’s head rested on his chest. She murmured his name in her sleep as she snuggled closer, lifting her leg and sliding it between his. Content for the moment, Chase closed his eyes and enjoyed holding the woman he loved.
Chapter 31
A few hours later, just as the sun rose, Angela opened her eyes and smiled. She lay practically on top of Chase, one of her legs draped across his lower body and her head on his chest. Chase had one hand tangled in her hair and the other cupping her butt. She could really get used to waking up like this.
“Deep thoughts, Angel?” Chase’s voice broke into her reverie. Using the hand entangled in her hair, he tilted her head to claim a morning kiss. Warmth spread through her body.
“Just thinking about you,” she admitted, nipping at his shoulder.
“Really?” he teased. “Anything you’d like to share? I’d be happy to fulfill any fantasy you have.”
“Well, I must admit, you looked awfully good coming out of the water yesterday dripping wet. Now, if only you hadn’t been wearing so many clothes.” Angela batted her eyelashes at him.
Chase pounced, reversing their positions so she lay flat on her back with him on top, his weight braced on his forearms. “Hmm, sounds intriguing, but I’m not going skinny dipping with Sean around, so we’ll have to postpone that for another time. Dripping wet sounds like something I’d enjoy though. So….” He let the suspense build for a moment before grabbing her and flipping her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes as he rose from the bed fluidly. “I’ll get dripping wet in the shower for you. At the same time, I’ll get you dripping wet.” Angela shuddered at the dark promise in his voice. This was going to be a wake-up call to remember.
Twenty minutes later, she wandered out of the shower, satiated but chilled since Chase kept turning the faucet off to conserve water while they played. In the heat of the moment, she hadn’t noticed the cool air, but as she hurried to find clothes for the day, she shivered. Chase stepped up behind her, his hands cupping his breasts, her tight nipples jutting against his palms.
“I’m trying to get dressed,” she laughingly objected as his fingers twisted and pulled. She pushed back against him with her hips and he groaned, rubbing against her.
“You could always stay this way,” he urged, heat suffusing his voice.
“I’m not wandering around naked!” she squealed, a rosy blush spreading across her body at the mere thought.
“Got a swimsuit in that bag?” he wondered, his hands continuing to caress her bare skin.
“No.” She tried to step away but found herself trapped between his hard body and the dresser.
Spinning her around to face him, he kissed her hard. “Wait here. Don’t get dressed.”
He left the room, the door snapping shut behind him while Angela muttered under her breath, “Sure. Stay here naked. Geez, I’m not entirely comfortable being naked in the heat of the moment, and he wants me to wait around without any clothes on?” Still grumbling, she dropped onto the bed, and wrapped the sheet around her body.
A few minutes later, he swaggered into the bedroom and tossed her two bright blue scraps of fabric. “Put that on,” he commanded.
“There’s nothing to it!” Angela held up the tiny bikini.
“You’re in the middle of the lake on an expensive yacht. You’ll stand out wearing jeans, babe,” he informed her.
“I can’t wear someone else’s bikini, Chase. It’s like wearing someone else’s panties. That’s just gross.” She twisted the swimsuit in her hands.
He released a sigh of exasperation before stating in a flat tone, “Babe, the tags are on it. It’s probably Emily’s, but she’s never worn it. We’ll replace it later, okay? Just put the damn thing on, please.”
She frowned at him but released the sheet, allowing it to pool at her waist as she slipped the tiny v-cup top over her breasts before standing and turning away from Chase. “Can you tie it please?” she requested.
Once he finished tying the top, Angela bent over, her butt pointing in the air as she stepped into the tiny bottoms, which tied at the sides. Chase toyed with the ends of the strings, which she’d tied into bows.
“One tug and these would come right off, wouldn’t they?” he breathed, his tongue darting out and licking the shell of her ear.
“Yes.” Her face flushed at the thought. Batting his hand away, she ordered, “So be good.”
“I’d much rather be bad,” he whispered, before getting himself under control and retrieving a spare t-shirt from his duffle. “Put this over top. I’m not sure I want Sean seeing you like that.”
“What about blending in?” she protested, following him from the stateroom.
“Yeah, well, I’m not sure I can handle you blending in looking like that.”
“And how’s that?” she pushed, not sure whether to be insulted or not.
Spinning around, he backed her against the wall and slammed his mouth down on hers, practically devouring her. When he pulled back, she simply s
tared at him, her eyes wide with equal parts shock and passion. Breathing heavily, he replied, “Like sin walking. You make me lose my mind. Coffee’s in the galley.” He pointed to an open door before walking off in the opposite direction.
Angela glowed with joy at the compliment as she sashayed into the galley in search of a hot cup of coffee and something to eat. As she sipped her morning addiction, Sean ambled into the room. “Cereal’s in the cabinet.” He pointed to her right before opening a panel. “Milk’s here in the fridge.”
“That’s cool.” She bounced over to him and explored the contents.
“Looking for something special?” he wondered, leaning against the counter and watching her.
Angel on Fire Page 18
