When he finally eased from her body, she lay on the bed, exhausted in a way that felt good. For the first time in days, her mind was quiet, her body relaxed. It was blissful.
Riley crawled up to lie next to her.
“Let me catch my breath,” she panted.
“Sh,” he whispered and kissed her cheek. He gathered her close to him, his warmth a comfort in the darkness.
Damn, but it felt good in his arms. She turned toward him and buried her face against his chest. A few more moments. She just wanted to feel this a little longer.
4.
SATURDAY, ERBIL, KURDISTAN.
Mark Forest checked his phone again.
His bad luck was changing. The dark cloud that had shadowed him ever since the day that woman stepped into his life was finally clearing out. His little kidnap scheme might have failed, but he’d entrusted ignorant people with a task far beyond their skills. What did he expect was going to happen?
This time, he’d chosen his team wisely.
Every man stood to lose everything if they let Erin Lopez live. They were committed to shutting her down and salvaging their futures.
It was only a matter of time until she realized what she’d inherited. Mark had assumed they’d nipped the problem in the bud when he’d organized Osman Elahi’s death. He was just another NexGen employee. Mark had found out too late that Osman was a paranoid bastard who made backups of his backups.
Finally a text message came through.
An address.
“Buckle up,” Mark said to the men clustered into the back of the van.
They’d get one shot at this, and there was a good chance that if they were too close to a security checkpoint, he and his whole team could end up dead. It was a risk they had to take. If they did nothing, they were as good as dead anyway.
SATURDAY. AEGIS GROUP Safe House, Erbil, Kurdistan.
Riley was grateful the drive into Kurdistan wasn’t empty stretches of road with nothing to think about. Between keeping an eye on fellow travelers and the numerous security checkpoints he didn’t have more than a handful of moments to think about last eight hours. He tried to admire the scenery, how it changed the further north they went, but his mind kept bringing him back to last night.
Somehow, despite a serious case of blue balls, he’d managed to sleep a little. At some point in the not so distant future he was going to crash for a solid sleep, but he hoped they’d be at the next safe house by then. He and Erin hadn’t spoken since she’d passed out. He’d woken early enough to slip out of Erin’s room to do his morning duties before anyone came looking for him and started asking questions about where he’d spent the night.
There was no company policy about falling into bed with assets. Hell, a few guys had married people they’d met on the job. Riley didn’t have an ethical reason why he’d always kept things platonic with assets, it just wasn’t something that tempted him. He had a job to do. If he was more interested in a person than he was the threat to them, he wasn’t doing his job properly. Which brought him back to last night.
He was attracted to Erin. Had been since he’d seen her picture and that crooked smile of hers. He couldn’t put his finger on why.
Riley eased the SUV to a stop at yet another check-point and glanced in his rearview mirror. The second transport vehicle was sticking close, keeping a direct line of sight open at all times. Riley had known it would be slow going once they got past the Kurdistan boundary. Now he understood why Grant had said it would take them most of the day to reach Erbil. They had about ten miles to go before they reached the city, then they had to get to the safe house to rendezvous with Melody.
A checkpoint officer approached their truck, his gait easy and relaxed.
Today must be a good day, or there’d be more of a show of force. Riley lowered his window and took the stack of documents out from the cup holder. After a few moments chatting with the offer and going over their papers, both of the Aegis vehicles were waved through yet again.
He glanced in the rearview mirror, intending to ensure the other vehicle was following close, but his gaze snagged on Erin’s.
She was looking at him again with that quizzical expression on her face. The same one she’d given him last night at the dinner table. This time it didn’t seem entirely pleased. Because she’d woken up alone?
Fuck—he wasn’t sure if he’d done the right thing. If he asked himself, had he done what was best for her, the answer was yes, but that was just his side of things. He’d have to bide his time and have a word with her later.
By the time they pulled into the gated yard of the safe house it was late afternoon. The sun was dipping toward the horizon, baking the landscape. The vehicles were covered in a thick layer of dust from their cross-country drive. And he had a permanent crick in his neck from avoiding the rearview mirror.
Riley climbed out of the truck slowly, his muscles protesting the hours of hunched sitting. He glanced up and down the street, at the new homes with their distinctly contemporary style. This was not what most pictured when they thought of the Middle East. The lane was pretty, the homes works of art. Hell, it was probably a nice place to live.
“Where does Zain find these houses?” Brenden got out of the back seat and reached for the sky.
“Who knows?” Riley peered at the two story Mcmansion they were in for the night. The house sat on a corner, giving them sight lines on three approaches, with six-foot walls surrounding the modern home.
Riley felt eyes on him. He turned and glanced at Brenden studying him.
“What?” Riley frowned right back at him. The only person who knew he hadn’t slept where he was supposed to was Grant and Erin. Brenden couldn’t know.
“Nothing.” Brenden shrugged. “Unlock the back?”
Riley jabbed at the button. He was ready to get inside, cool off, change, and get ready to wrap this job up. He had a bad feeling a pair of brown eyes were going to haunt him for a long time.
He closed the driver’s side door of the SUV.
A figure he wasn’t expecting stood on the other side, dark eyes boring into his skull. He took a step back at the hostility aimed his way.
Erin closed the distance between them, the fury coming off her in waves.
Oh, shit.
“What happened last night?” she whispered.
“You know.” He glanced over his shoulder at the others.
“The way I woke up, I’m not sure I do.” Her tone was downright chilly.
“Ms. Lopez.” Melody strode out of the house, a pleasant smile on her face and a bottle of water in hand. “It’s good to meet you.”
Erin turned and gaped at Melody. She was a bit out of place in a pantsuit and heels, but if memory served, she’d met with the CEO of NexGen’s Erbil offices today. Melody’s gaze flicked to Riley. He did his best smile, but the sweat pouring off him likely gave him away.
“If you’ll come this way, we can get you situated and go over a few things?” Melody gestured at the house.
“One moment?” Erin turned her back on Melody, aiming those eyes back on him.
Melody glanced from the back of Erin’s head to him, glaring daggers.
Fuck.
He was going to get it from all sides.
“I’ll be inside,” Melody said.
“I’ll ask you one more time...” Erin whispered.
Melody stalked inside the house.
“We slept.” He held up his hands. “When I left, you were passed out, wearing a t-shirt.”
“We had sex.” The furrows across her brow deepened.
“No. Not-I mean, we didn’t.” He glanced over his shoulder. Nolan and Vaughn stared their way, no doubt curious about why he was squaring off with Erin.
“You mean you...” Erin tilted her head and blinked, as if that meant something. “And then we slept?”
“I think so? I’m not really sure what this,” he tilted his head, mimicking her, “means.”
“Oh my God.” She tur
ned away from him.
“Can we go inside, please?” Riley took a step toward her. Whatever she was upset about, they could have it out inside and out of view from the general public. And his team.
Erin had one hand over her mouth, eyes wide.
Shit. This was why he didn’t get involved with assets.
Riley led Erin into the house through a glass sliding door. The interior was cool, the furniture more modern and familiar than their accommodations the night before. Melody stood in the kitchen, glasses of water with slices of fruit waiting on the bar along with some finger foods.
“Hungry? It’s been a long day, I’m sure,” Melody said. Her smile was back in place and she didn’t look at Riley.
“Actually, is there a bathroom?” Erin pasted on a fake smile and aimed it at Melody.
“Sure, it’s just around the corner here.” Melody gestured at a short hall on the other side of the kitchen.
“Oh. Thanks.” Erin ducked around the corner and a moment later a door clicked shut.
Melody whirled, pinning him with an angry stare.
“You slept with a client?” she snarled in a whisper.
“Not...exactly.”
The doors opened again, and the other four members of the team hauled two plastic traveling crates inside while Thomas, Erin’s bodyguard, trailed behind them. NexGen had insisted he’d be of service, but the guy was dead weight.
“Grant?” Melody infused a note of sweetness in her voice.
Grant straightened and eyed Melody like he might a snake.
“Come here, please?” she asked.
Grant crossed to the bar and leaned against it.
“He slept with the asset,” Melody whispered.
“So?” Grant shrugged. “They’re adults.”
“It’s not appropriate.” Melody blinked rapidly.
“Look, you’re still new so you haven’t been around, but this happens.” Grant picked up a cup and drained it.
“We need to discuss this policy, because it isn’t okay. How are you okay with this?”
“I trust my guys.” Grant glanced at Riley. “We hire the best.”
“Erin.” Grant nodded at the woman who’d almost snuck up on them. “Have a nice drive?”
“Yeah. Sure.” Erin’s reply was wooden. Stiff. First she was angry, now she seemed petrified.
“Would you like me to show you your room? Something to eat?” Melody turned, giving Erin her full attention.
“Actually, when can I go home?” Erin glanced over Melody’s shoulder at Riley.
“Oh, did Grant explain...” Melody tossed a frantic look Grant’s way.
“I get that NexGen wants me to go to Texas, but I want to go my condo. Here.” Erin gestured at the windows at the front of the house.
“Well...” Melody glanced from Erin to Grant and back again.
There was some, strange power struggle between those two, and Riley didn’t like getting caught in the middle. He liked it even less with Erin there.
“If you want to go home to get some things we can arrange it, but the company specifically told us to bring you to Texas. For your own safety,” Grant said after a moment of Melody spinning her wheels.
“Why?” Erin asked.
“We weren’t informed of the particulars.” Grant shrugged.
“How about dinner?” Melody smiled and checked her watch. “It should be delivered soon.”
“Can I have one of those?” Thomas stopped a few feet away and pointed at the cups of water.
“Sure.” Melody handed the man a glass.
Riley tried to not study the man out of the corner of his eye. There was something about the guy he didn’t like either. Riley sure as hell wouldn’t want Thomas on his team watching his back. No wonder Erin didn’t like him around.
“I’m going to head up and take a shower.” Riley was ready to stage a retreat however he could. He glanced at Grant. “I’m on first shift, right?”
“Yup.”
Riley turned on his heel and grabbed his duffle out of one of the opened cases before fleeing upstairs.
Man, this situation was fucked. The best thing for him to do was avoid Erin, Melody and Grant until this gig was over. He’d do his shifts, drive the lead car, and keep to himself from here on out. By the time this was over, he was going to wish he’d been baling hay instead.
He found the large, second floor bathroom after a few moments of searching behind doors.
Zain had really outdone himself this time. They got to stay in some pretty nice places because, from a security standpoint, they were typically the best places to hold their clients. It was also a big step up from cramped hotel bathrooms and stiff sheets.
Riley set his bag on the vanity and braced his hands on either side of the sink. A shower wasn’t strictly necessary, but he needed to breathe. Ever since they’d left Cairo for this op, he’d felt some weird tension. Things weren’t right. He had to agree that the way Erin had been captured was suspect. And then there was the matter of his attraction to Erin. That was getting him in enough trouble already.
He’d let his dick do the thinking last night. There was no excuse for how far he’d let things go. What the correct next action on his part was now, he didn’t know. He’d have to beg an apology and see if that fixed it.
The bathroom door swung open and a slim, dark-haired figure darted in.
Riley’s gut plummeted to the floor.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted and turned, hands up.
Erin continued to glare at him. She reached around him to the sink and turned the tap on.
“I’m sorry,” he said again. It wasn’t the best thing, but it was all he had right now.
“You let me pass out?” Erin’s whisper-voice was vicious.
“Uh...” Riley was pretty sure no one had ever let her do much of anything she didn’t already want to do.
“You went down on me and then let me pass out?”
“You...were tired...” Riley leaned against the vanity. Was the world spinning the right way? “I’m sorry, I thought you were pissed because of what happened.”
“I was a little freaked out when I thought we had sex and I didn’t remember it.” Erin planted her hands on her hips.
“Can you throw me a bone, please? Why exactly are you mad at me?”
“I sat in that car for hours not knowing what the hell happened last night. You could have popped back in and let me know before we left.”
He gaped at her. “How was I supposed to know you didn’t know?” Riley had participated in some truly confusing arguments in his life, thanks to some infuriating brothers, but this took the cake, the cake stand and the cake knife.
“You didn’t get off at all?” she asked.
“Well, no. I’m not in the habit of having sex with women who have passed out. I’m pretty sure that’s frowned on in all cultures.”
“You really just...went to sleep?” She squinted up at him.
“It took a little while, but yeah. I was kind of trapped and didn’t want to wake you up.” It’d seemed like the right thing to do at the time.
“Oh, God.” Erin buried her face in her hands. “I cannot believe I did that.”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s okay?” Erin gaped at him. “That’s bad fling etiquette. Both people should get off.”
Fling. Ouch. But appropriate. It wasn’t like he was looking to get hitched or pretend he could do a long-distance relationship. He was an out of sight, out of mind boyfriend with girls who lived in his same city. He’d only disappoint someone that lived halfway around the world.
“It’s fine.” He was relieved she didn’t want to kick his ass.
“It’s embarrassing.” Erin hung her head.
“It’s really okay. You needed to unwind enough to sleep.”
“Well, thanks. I guess. I owe you.” She dropped her hands to her side, the frown gone, and in its place, that crooked little smile.
“I’ll just mark that on
e on my tab and add it to my winning streak.” He mimicked pulling something out of his pocket and swiped a strike on it.
“You better not wait too long to spend that.”
“I don’t think there’s room for an expiration date.” He squinted at the imaginary tally.
Erin laughed, all that tension releasing. Her shoulders dropped from around her ears and her smile reminded him all over again why he’d thrown caution to the wind last night. She grasped his hand, threading their fingers together and tugged. He swayed toward her, caught in the gravitational pull of those beautiful dark eyes of hers. Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and he swallowed.
Shit.
She was pursuing him, not the other way around.
That thought surprised him to the point he just stood there, unable to move.
Her soft lips pressed against his. All his neatly packed away memories from last night came raging back. The blood rushed to his groin and before he was consciously aware of his actions, he had a fistful of Erin’s hair wrapped around his free hand. Her breath caught, and she whimpered, the soft sound nearly drowned out by the tap.
He forced her head back and kissed her throat. He felt her whimper against his mouth more than he heard it. She grasped a handful of his shirt, her teeth nipping his lips.
At one look, he’d known she was a woman that would challenge a man. He liked that, her confidence and how they kissed. She knew what she wanted. This wasn’t the best time though. The rest of the team would come looking for a shower or some downtime soon.
Erin palmed his erection, her fingers stroking his hard-on through the fabric of his pants.
“Fuck,” he groaned.
“I don’t think there’s time for that,” she whispered.
Riley couldn’t form a coherent reply. She was going to get him in trouble and he wasn’t going to give a damn. He tightened his grip on her hair and kissed her mouth.
What he wouldn’t give for a weekend, a hotel and her.
He let go of Erin and sucked down a breath.
“Sh.” She laid her finger across his lips for a moment.
The twinkle in her eye wasn’t to be trusted. That was mischief staring right back at him.
Dangerously Taken (Aegis Group Lepta Team, #1) Page 5
