Code Redhead - A Serial Novel

by Sharon Kleve

  Ken stood with his arms in the air.

  “Well, you just going to stand here with me? Or are you going after her?”

  Wil wondered if he should. But there were so many questions he had. He’d tried over the years to shake her from his thoughts. He figured the move to Washington would put distance between them and allow his heart to heal. When that didn’t happen, he found Ken. From that point he put all his energy and devotion into the CIA.

  “We’re not supposed to get personal with fellow agents.”

  Ken laughed. “That never stopped me, and I’ve been happily married for twenty years.”

  Wil looked at Ken, “But she pushed me away years ago—”

  “That was her grief speaking. The look in her eyes when she looks at you, Wil, tells me something different.”

  Wil took a deep breath. “What do I have to lose?”

  Ken motioned for him to go. “True love does exist, trust me on that one.”

  Wil nodded. He wasn’t going to let her go again. Wil grabbed his backpack and raced off the plane. He caught up with her just outside the gate entrance.

  “Maya, can I buy you a cup of coffee?”

  She smiled. “I’d like that.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  “So, what made you decide to become an agent?”

  Maya asked as she accepted the coffee Wil handed her.

  He smiled. “Ken.”

  She nodded. He’d joined because of their leader too. Well, not the underlying reason. Ken just seemed to be the answer for her to isolate herself. She wondered if Wil had felt the same. She knew she’d pushed away the only man she’d ever loved. But at that time in her life she couldn’t allow herself to love. It only made losing that much harder.

  “I take it, Ken got to you too?”

  Maya smiled. “He did.” She took a sip of her coffee. Silence took over for a few minutes. Wil seemed as awkward as she felt. So much time had passed. She heard about his move to the east not long after graduation. Not that they spoke their last couple of years at Berkeley. Maya kept her distance. After Marie’s death, she threw herself back into her studies and all the committees Marie had been involved with. She wanted to keep her promise to her sister.

  Wil broke the silence. “So, what did you do after graduation? I know Ken only recruited you last year.”

  Maya took a deep breath. “Partied.”

  Wil laughed.

  “Seriously?”

  Maya nodded. “Yep.” And then further explained, “I was a mess back then, Wil. Marie’s death hit me hard. I made a promise to her that I’d live for the both of us. I know I took that a little too far.” She laughed and snorted the coffee she’d tried to sip.

  He lifted the napkin to her chin and wiped away the coffee that had dribbled on it.

  “Thanks.” She smiled and then continued, “I figured I’d combine my endless studies with Marie’s outgoing nature. But I took it too far and spent the few years after graduation living off my inheritance. I travelled, took martial arts, and partied. Then I met Ken and his wife one night. Three muggers had them cornered in an alley. I took all three down without a blink of an eye.”

  Wil looked impressed. She hoped because of her last statement and not her partying days.

  “Well, that would definitely impress Ken. I can see why he trusted you’d make an excellent agent.”

  Maya smiled. “I think we met at the time I knew I needed something substantial in my life. It only took two days to mull over his offer.”

  Wil agreed it hadn’t taken him long either to accept Ken’s proposal to join him at the agency.

  “It wasn’t long after I moved to Washington that I met Ken. I’d taken an IT job and they sent me to the agency to setup a new computer system for them. At the time, I had no idea I was inside the CIA.”

  Maya laughed. “I can picture you, Wil. Focused on the job, which I assume impressed Ken.”

  “It seems we both impressed him and he took us under his wing. It was exactly what I needed.”

  Wil’s expression grabbed at her heartstrings. She knew she caused him pain when all he’d wanted to do was help her get through Marie’s death. Maya reached over and touched Wil’s hand.

  “I’m sorry, Wil. I never meant to hurt you. I was too wrapped up in my own grief. I thought it was best to shut myself down and grieve alone.”

  He moved his hand beneath hers so he could hold her hand in his.

  “I understood, Maya. It did hurt. Then I joined the agency and shut my emotions down as well.”

  Wil reached for the tear that fell on her cheek. He wiped it away.

  “Maybe we both needed the time, the distance, and the agency.”

  Maya agreed, “Maybe.”

  As they sat in silence and finished their coffees, Maya wondered if they had a chance after all this time. Then she wondered if it was possible with their jobs. She’d hesitated back in Dublin if she’d continue with the agency but the thrill and excitement she’d adjusted to kept her in the game.

  Once again, Wil broke the silence.

  “Ken did mention we have at least a few days before we’re expected back to work.”

  Wil raised an eyebrow. “Would you like to spend it together? No strings attached. And we can’t speak anymore about our jobs than we’ve already mentioned.”

  Maya laughed.

  “Wouldn’t that go against protocol of personally knowing another agent?”

  “Not that it seemed to stop Ken and his wife. I don’t know how they do it but they’ve done it for twenty years.”

  Wil’s comment made Maya consider his offer. She wondered if they spent a few days together if they could go back to their secret lives as agents. Then she remembered the night she met Ken and his wife. Maya had no idea they were CIA agents. Like Wil, she wondered how they did it. But as Wil mentioned, they’d been able to juggle their marriage and the CIA.

  “I’m game. I have no plans. But can we spend time together and then go our separate ways?”

  She wondered if he had any hesitation. Not about her, but of the risk of it spoiling his career.

  “There’s only one way to find out if we can.”

  His simple statement told her he wasn’t worried about his career or his ability to switch back into it. He stood and held out his hand to her. She placed hers in his and stood. She was about to find out.

  ****

  Maya’s lips met his within moments after he locked the door. His memory raced back to that night in college. He’d wanted to kiss her for weeks. Her lips felt the same against his. Warm. Gentle. He broke the kiss.

  “Maya—”

  She placed the tip of her finger on his lips.

  “No more talking.”

  He didn’t remember her being so confident. He wasn’t about to argue. Her lips met his passionately. She deepened the kiss and he decided he liked Maya’s new confidence. Slowly, without releasing from her lips, he led her through his apartment and into his bedroom. One article of clothing hit the floor after the other. She surprised him further when she pushed him onto the bed, and then seductively crawled on top of him. Wil had never expected her to take control. He remembered the shy, awkward girl in college that had blushed when they’d taken off their clothes that first night.

  No woman had ever felt so good as Maya. He could never shake her from his thoughts over the years. His heart had healed but he’d never forgotten. Wil knew the moment he saw her on the plane that he could never let her go again. The feel of her skin against his was about to make him explode. He grabbed her forearms and tossed her beneath him in one sudden movement. He needed her. He wanted her, desperately. But he wanted their lovemaking to last. It was his turn to show her how his lovemaking techniques had improved since college.

  His lips traced alongside her face and down her throat. He felt her swallow hard. Her body quivered beneath him. Inch by inch he made his way with his tongue to the very tip of her nipple. He suckled, nibbled, and teased her as he left one brea
st for the other. Maya cried out his name. His technique appeared to be working. He worked his way over her belly, and then felt her heat. He let out a breath of hot air against her sex and then moved to her inner thighs. Wil took his time. He continued his tease with his tongue, and then a finger. He circled the outline of her sex before he inserted his finger. His action only made her breathing heavier, her hips move in- sync to the motion of his finger. He worked it until he felt her climax.

  “Wil—”

  She could barely get his name out. He pulled himself up and placed the tip of his finger against her lips.

  “No more talking.”

  She laughed, and then nodded in agreement. He entered her slowly and gently. He wanted to remember this night.

  Wil woke to the sound of his phone, and then Maya’s. They both reached for their phones, and then sat up in bed at the same time. Wil turned to face Maya. It was a text from Ken.

  I have an assignment for you.

  Time for work. Wil wondered if they could do this? Secret lives. Aliases. And if they survived, meet for a romantic rendezvous before the next assignment? Ten years ago, he would have turned the assignment down. But then again, if he’d stayed with Maya he would have never joined the agency.

  “It’s become my life, and I believe yours too. I believe we both want this. This will be our test. After the assignment, I’ll be here.” Wil handed Maya a key.

  “When you’re finished with your assignment, come back. Wait for me or I’ll wait for you.”

  She ran a finger across his cheek until she met his lips. Wil’s lips parted for a smile. Maya leaned in closer and kissed him. The hunger he felt from her kiss only made him want her more. She deepened the kiss. Her hands rested strongly against his chest. His moved around to her back and he pulled her closer against his chest.

  Their phones beeped again and interrupted their hunger. Wil brushed the hair away from her face. He held her stare and then kissed her lips. She smiled and then closed the key tightly in her hand.

  “I’ll come back.”

  ABOUT ANGELA FORD

  Cancer touches the lives of those left behind. No matter how much time you had, you’ll always want more. There is no timeline for grieving. We will grieve, in some form, forever. The tears will come; some days in waves. Just remember it is okay to cry, it is okay NOT to cry, and that time does NOT heal all wounds. Grief changes you and you are never the same. Eventually you begin to enjoy life again and seek new experiences. But none of these things will diminish your love for the person you lost. This is so true for my brother. It’s been ten years since he lost his soul mate, and I lost my sister, my friend; Marie Ford. Her memory will forever be etched in our hearts. When I mentioned the amazing event Code Redhead and that I’d like to dedicate my book in Marie’s memory; these were his exact words:

  “Keep her name going! I never want it to fade away!”

  Amazon Author Page Angela Ford - Bestselling and Award Winning Author hit Amazon’s Top 50 Authors with her #1 Bestseller in Christmas Holiday Romance. Her dedication to Cyber Safety gave her an Award of Distinction and sparked the idea for her first book ‘Closure’ that hit Bestselling Action & Adventure, Women’s fiction. In between mysteries, Angela writes short contemporary romance...sometimes sweet...sometimes spicy...sometimes with a dash of suspense! She loves to connect with her readers.

  Visit her site Romantic Escapes to connect. www.angelafordauthor.com

  Romantic Suspense with Angela Ford - Sneak Peak at YouTube

  Angela Ford Books on YouTube - Escape with a Book by Angela Ford

  Reunited by Tammy Tate

  Contemporary Romance

  CHAPTER ONE

  Rain beat against the windshield and Tara grasped the steering wheel until her knuckles were ghostly white. She despised bad weather, which is why she’d left Key West ten years ago to relocate to sunny Corpus Christi, Texas. And here she was, a glutton for punishment, returning for a class reunion and week-long vacation. The gravel road to Mindy and Paul’s beach house was littered with potholes and the only thing she hated more than a summer squall, was a root canal.

  Her cell phone rang from the car’s speakers. Glancing at the touch screen on her dashboard, she pressed Accept.

  “Hello,” she said, shouting over the torrents of rain pelting her red Corvette.

  “Where are you?” her best friend Mindy asked. “I thought you would be here by now.”

  “Me too,” Tara said, wishing her wipers had an extra-high setting.

  She tapped the brakes to avoid a sudden dip in the road filled with muddy water.

  “Is everything okay?” Mindy asked.

  “Yeah. I should be there…” She calculated in her head how long it would take to go five miles at ten miles an hour. “In thirty minutes.”

  “Be careful.” Mindy paused and let out a heavy sigh. “Hey.”

  “What?” Tara asked.

  “Ryder’s here.”

  Tara gritted her teeth and shook her head. Seeing her high school sweetheart after ten long years was not high on her priority list. Actually, it wasn’t on her priority list at all. When Ryder walked out on her right before their wedding, she swore if he ever showed up again, she wouldn’t give him the time of day.

  “I thought he was in Iraq,” Tara said, hovering over the steering wheel.

  “He was,” Mindy replied. “He got back last week.”

  “Why Key West?”

  “For the class reunion. His mom told him you would be here. Tara, he knows you’re staying with Paul and me and asked if he could stay too.”

  “You told him no, right?” Mindy didn’t answer. “Right, Mindy?”

  “Well, not exactly.”

  Tara palmed the steering wheel. “Why not? His parents live off the reef. Why, can’t he stay there?”

  “Ryder hasn’t spoken to his dad in over ten years. Seems he’s still mad he up and left.”

  “He’s not the only one,” Tara mumbled.

  “What?” Mindy asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Look, it’s Ryder’s reunion too. But, if it’s any consolation, he’s not the same football jock we knew in high school.”

  “Mindy, I so want my friend card back when I get there.”

  Her friend gasped like she’d been doused with ice water. “You don’t mean that.”

  “You better hope I have a change of heart in the next five miles.”

  “Tara, wait till you see him. He’s way buffer and even has a sexy black tribal tattoo running down his right arm.”

  Tara pursed her lips, thinking it would take more than a little ink to forgive him for dropping off the face of the earth after asking her to marry him.

  “Hey, I have to go, this rain is really coming down. We’ll talk when I get there.” She hit the brakes to avoid a watery grave stretching across the road. Her car slid sideways. The nose of her low-lying sports car dipped into the outer edge of the ravine. Mumbling, she threw it into reverse and threw a rooster tail out the back.

  “What’s wrong?” her friend asked.

  Tara tried to back up again, but it was no use. The car wouldn’t budge.

  “Great!” she said, resting her forehead against the steering wheel.

  “What?” Mindy asked.

  “I’m stuck.”

  “Where?”

  Tara wiped condensation off the driver’s side window and focused on a familiar landmark towering through the downpour.

  “I’m near the old lighthouse.”

  “Hang tight. I’ll send Paul.” Mindy acted like it was no big deal to send her husband out in the pouring rain.

  “All right

  At least Mindy wasn’t sending Ryder. It would be too awkward, seeing him after all this time. Especially, at one of their favorite hangouts. It made her regret leaving Corpus Christi. But, right now, the storm seemed trivial compared to the knot in her stomach at seeing Ryder.

  The rain finally let up to barely a sprinkle. Apart from a
fresh coat of paint, the old lighthouse looked just as she remembered. The city had built it in the 1800s. They decommissioned it a hundred years later, due to technological advancement. Rather than tear it down, they gave it a facelift and even updated the lens.

  Memories tugged at Tara’s heartstrings, beckoning her to go inside. She hissed when she opened the car door and her shiny black boots buried in the mud.

  Halfway up the walkway, she wanted to turn around, but something compelled her on. Memories hit her from all directions. It felt like yesterday that Ryder kissed her here for the first time.

  Inside, sunlight filtered through the dust-laden windows, showcasing the wrought iron staircase in the center. Closing her eyes, Tara went back ten years. She could almost feel Ryder’s warm breath on her face as he held her in his arms declaring his love. Her heart lurched like she was seventeen again and gullible.

  They were supposed to get married three months after graduation. Two months before the wedding, Ryder disappeared without a trace. A year after that, she heard he enlisted in the Marines, then got deployed to Iraq. And not a word since.

  Goosebumps pricked her skin like a ghostly presence had entered the room. She spun and gasped. Ryder was in the doorway, his broad silhouette framed by the storm.

  She glared at him. “Jesus, you scared the crap out of me.”

  He didn’t say anything. Just stared under the hood of his gray sweatshirt zipped halfway up his chest. She blinked away from his penetrating dark gaze and black fringed lashes. Mindy was right. He wasn’t the same boy from high school. He was a man, bigger, thicker and above all, intimidating.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Silence hung in the air between them until he cleared his throat.

  “Hello, Tara.”

  Her eyes snapped in his direction. Really? After ten years, that was the best he could do?