Hidden Agenda

by Rochelle Alers

  The gesture shocked Matt as much as Eve. They both froze. Her breath was coming quickly as her breast filled his large hand.

  His hand fell away, the red shirt floating back into place around her thighs. “I’m sorry.”

  All she could do was nod as he turned on his heel and walked out of the kitchen. She clenched her teeth tightly, her fingers shredding the pungent herbs as they floated to the floor. He was sorry, and she was a mass of screaming nerve endings.

  “Damn you, Mateo,” she mumbled. Damn him for being so attractive. And damn him for teasing her.

  Matt watched Eve take a sip of wine. “How do you like it?”

  Eve rolled the wine around on her tongue, then swallowed it. “Excellent.”

  “Châtenauneuf-du-Pape, 1978,” Matt stated. He took another swallow of the vintage red wine. “I must remember to leave a note for Horst, thanking him for replenishing his wine stock.” He raised his glass. “And I thank you for a delicious meal.”

  Eve flashed him a slow smile. “I thank you for not leaving leftovers. I don’t like to eat the same thing the next day.” Matt bowed to her from across the table.

  He drained his glass of wine. “I’ll keep that in mind. But if you continue to prepare meals like you just did you’ll never have any leftovers.”

  Preparing tasteful and eye-appealing meals was an art she had perfected once she had moved to Washington. And as a diplomat’s wife she had earned a reputation by hosting some of the most elegant and extravagant dinner parties in the capital city.

  “Are you ready for dessert?”

  Matt didn’t answer, preferring instead to stare at Eve. She was the most feminine woman he’d ever met. Being feminine was as inherent to her as taking her next breath, and he found her delicate beauty startling.

  The curve of her eyebrows, the slant of the large black eyes, the straight nose and wide generous mouth that he had discovered was made to be tasted all held him spellbound. She was like an oasis in the desert where he’d become a wanderer seeking her life-giving fruit.

  “You’d better think about putting some protection on your face before you decide to sunbathe again,” he suggested. The end of her nose and her cheekbones were darker than the rest of face. “And on any other area you’ve manage to expose,” he added in a teasing tone.

  “You’ve got a dirty mind, Matt,” she retorted softly.

  “Didn’t you go skinny-dipping?”

  Eve shrugged a shoulder. “I thought about it, but changed my mind,” she confessed. She couldn’t believe he was that perceptive. Maybe she was that easy to read.

  Lines deepened around the golden eyes which had spent too many years squinting in the hot sun. “Why is it that men have to have dirty minds? Just once I’d like to know what you innocent women talk about when you get together for a bridal shower. It can’t be too chaste if men aren’t allowed to participate.”

  Eve stood up and began clearing the table. “What about your bachelor parties?” she threw over her shoulder as she made her way from the dining room up the three steps to the kitchen.

  Matt followed, his hands filled with stacked dishes and cutlery. “Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, Señora Arroyo. We have women at our bachelor parties.”

  “Sure you do. Topless bimbettes and strippers.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “They’re still women, Preciosa.” He glanced at Eve and she stuck her tongue at him.

  Eve watched as Matt rinsed dishes and stacked them in the dishwasher. He seemed quite comfortable in the kitchen. Alex had never entered their kitchen, saying it wasn’t the place for a man.

  “You guys don’t take it too well when women go to clubs to see male dancers, do you?” she challenged.

  Matt sobered quickly. “Male strip joints,” he snarled in disgust.

  “Exotic dance clubs,” she insisted.

  “We won’t argue about semantics, Eve,” he stated firmly, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. “Those places are set up to cater to frustrated women who fantasize about something they’re not getting at home.” His machismo wouldn’t allow him to admit to her that there were frustrated men at home as well.

  Eve went rigid. She thought about Alex and his affairs. What hadn’t she given him, to make him stray? “And just what is that?” she asked. The atmosphere had become tense and strained.

  Matt reached out, drawing her close to his body. His eyes lingered on her frowning face. “Sex.”

  She met his unwavering stare. “I don’t think they need sex as much as they need love.”

  “Wrong, Eve.” The amber and green lights in his eyes sparkled like precious gems. “Love and sex are not inseparable. When a man loves a woman he’s able to express that love through the very intimate act of sexual intercourse. He discovers what pleases her, and each time she offers her body he makes certain that she’s satisfied before he takes his own pleasure. However, some men are selfish. They’re only concerned with their fulfillment, leaving women to search elsewhere for gratification. Whether it’s exotic male dancers, books, porno flicks, or another man, they usually aren’t to blame. That is, if they are normal women.”

  Eve stared up at him in astonishment. She was unable to believe he was that sensitive. “You seem to know a great deal about women and their needs.”

  His hands dropped and she took a step backward. “I’ve known a lot of women,” he stated in a solemn tone, “and I’m also a good listener.”

  She lowered her chin, peering up at him through her lashes. “With other mens’ wives?”

  He snorted softly. “I only listen to their wives, Preciosa. I wouldn’t like to be a cuckold, therefore I wouldn’t put some other man on the receiving end of my philandering.”

  How unlike Alex, she thought, her smooth forehead wrinkling. Alex thought all women were his for the taking—married or single. Somehow no woman was immune to his charm.

  “Eve?”

  Matt’s voice brought her back to the present. “Yes.”

  His forefinger touched her lower lip. Leaning down, he replaced it with his firm mouth. “Don’t look so worried, Darling. For as long as we’re married I’ll remain faithful to you.”

  “It wouldn’t bother me if you weren’t,” Eve replied, turning away. “After all, we both know this so-called marriage isn’t a real one.” She didn’t want to believe what she was saying. How she wished she had married Matt first.

  Matt’s fingers circled her waist, drawing her back against his length. “That’s where you’re wrong. We are married, and we’ll remain married until I let you know it’s over.” He loosened his grip, turning her around until she faced him. “When are you going to get it into your brain that this is not a game we’re playing? Alex Delgado isn’t your common peon from a coffee plantation. He’s a member of a privileged family, a very wealthy and influential family. He was an official representative from this country, and still has all of the connections. You don’t need me to remind you of that.”

  “What makes you think you can penetrate this wall of protection Alex has set up around him?”

  Matt wanted to tell her of his plan, but couldn’t. To tell her would make her too aware of the danger he would be drawn into. He would have to protect her—with his own life if necessary.

  “I’ll get to Delgado because I don’t play by the rules, Eve. I’ll meet with him, get the information I want regarding your child, and make the appropriate arrangements to get both of you out of Mexico.” He exhaled heavily, trying to relieve the tightness in his chest. “You’ve got to trust me, Darling. If you don’t trust me, then we might as well call it quits right now. What’s it going to be?”

  Eve melted against his body. She needed him. Who else did she have? “You win, Matt. No more questions. No more doubts.”

  “How about our marriage?”

  She smiled. Her left hand grazed his chest before her fingers caught the fabric of his black T-shirt. The overhead light caught the fiery sparkle of the diamonds nestled between blood-red
rubies. “What about it, Mateo? I’m Eve Arroyo. Who did you think I was?” she crooned.

  Matt lowered his chin to the top of her head, trying not to laugh. Eve was like an addiction. She was bad for him, but he wasn’t ready to give her up. Not yet.

  A bright, rising sun in a still clear sky was all Eve needed to convince her to seek out the waterfall she’d discovered the day before. The house was quiet and the door to Matt’s bedroom was closed as she made her way down the staircase and out of the house.

  She had surprised herself when she slept soundly through the night in the strange bed. She hadn’t heard Matt climb the stairs hours after she had bid him good-night.

  He’d sat smoking, giving her a nod when she told him she felt fatigued. The golden eyes said what he refused to say—stay here with me. She was going to change her mind, but decided against it. She didn’t want to become too used to him. Sleeping under the same roof and sharing meals and chores was enough. She didn’t want to compound their temporary liaison by establishing a routine of talking about their pasts and what they wanted for their futures.

  The tropical sun had begun to harden the dirt-packed road, and she found it easier to navigate the path to the pool. The day was alive with shrill noises and rustling movements from the tall trees reaching upward above the jungle floor.

  Trailing vines with tiny flowers wound themselves around massive branches. Eve stopped to watch a minute green lizard become a part of a large leaf before its darting tongue flicked out, catching a fat, unsuspecting, hairy insect. The lizard had its breakfast.

  She wanted to get in a swim before she returned to the house to prepare her own breakfast. A canopy of leaves graced her tropical boudoir as she sat down on the grass. Moisture had already formed on her skin by the time she pulled her T-shirt up over her head, kicked off her muddied jogging shoes, and slipped out of her jeans.

  She judged the pool to be about eight feet wide and at least six feet in depth. A gentle rush of water over smooth rocks drowned out the cries of monkeys and large-billed birds. Adjusting the straps of her black maillot, she eased her feet and legs into the icy-cold water.

  Eve had put on the one-piece swimsuit when she remembered Matt’s comment about her skinny-dipping. The sun filtering through the trees warmed her quickly as she slipped into the pool and floated on her back, then on her face. She lost track of time as she frolicked like a child.

  The sun had shifted position by the time she swam over to the edge of the pool; holding on to the smooth rocks, she hoisted herself up and out of the water. She slipped back, sputtering and gulping a mouthful of water as strong fingers gripped her wrist.

  “What’s the matter, Señora?”

  Eve blinked furiously and glared up at a smiling Matt. Treading water, she floated back into the middle of the pool. “What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack by sneaking up on me?”

  He stood up, hands folded at his waist. The heat in her face had nothing to do with surprise, but with the shock of observing Matt wearing nothing more than a brief pair of black swim trunks that could hardly be called decent. They rode low on his trim hips, leaving nothing to her imagination as to his obvious maleness. The sparse triangle of fabric teased more than concealed. The thick, black hair covering his chest, arms and long muscled legs made his golden-brown skin appear darker.

  Matt watched Eve retreat as he slid down into the pool, seeing her eyes widen as he came closer. His toes touched the silt-covered bottom. “I waited as long as I could, Darling.” Her hands adjusted the top of her swimsuit and he smiled. “I heard you leave the house almost an hour ago, but when my stomach began growling I decided to come look for you.”

  “You don’t need me to prepare your breakfast.”

  He gave her a forlorn expression. “But I can’t cook, Darling.”

  Eve retreated until she felt the rocks against her back. “I’ll teach you,” she gasped breathlessly, seconds before he reached for her.

  Matt’s fingers curved around her narrow waist, the water adding to her buoyancy as he pressed her breasts to his bare chest. She felt his body’s heat through her swimsuit. His fingers became steel bands, holding her captive. The heat from their bodies was enough to make the frigid water boil.

  The gold and green eyes seemed to strip away her suit to photograph what lay beneath the black spandex. What did he want? What was he waiting for?

  Eve tried, but she couldn’t pull her gaze away from his mouth. The fire spreading from his massive body warmed her quivering flesh. How she wanted him. She wanted him to protect her, make her laugh and make her feel safe.

  She needed him to give her the security her father had failed to give her, and she needed him to make her feel desirable again.

  “I just might need some extra tutoring,” Matt teased, before he released her and floated on his back. Eve swam quickly to the edge and climbed out of the water. “Aren’t you going to share the pool with me, Eve?” he shouted.

  I don’t want to share the pool with you, screamed in her head. I want to share your life with you. A life away from the killings and secret missions; a life where she could feel like a woman loved by her child and desired by her husband.

  Trembling hands reached for the towel atop her discarded clothing. There was no way she was going to swim with him. Seeing him fully clothed was tempting; seeing him with nothing more than swim trunks was torture.

  “I’m going back to the house to prepare your breakfast.”

  “Forget about breakfast,” he ordered sharply.

  Sitting down on the ground she slipped into her jeans. “You can’t ask me to prepare breakfast for you, then change your mind in the same breath. I’ve offered to do the cooking because I happen to like it. Not because you deem it my duty.”

  “This has nothing to do with cooking. What the hell are you frightened of, Eve?” he taunted. “I told you before that I’m not going to touch you.” Frowning, he waded closer to the edge. “I’m not going to lie and say I don’t find you attractive, because I do. You’re a beautiful, sexy woman, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget you. But we happen to be actors in a play where we’ll have to give the performances of our lives, and when the curtain comes down it will be over. For both of us.”

  Eve shoved her feet into her jogging shoes, stopping only to tie the laces. She had to get away from Matt. His words were branded into her brain. They were bound together, but were destined to live their separate lives.

  And as much as she believed she was beginning to love him, she wanted it to be over. She didn’t want to spend another day living a lie. The pretense was beginning to wear on her nerves, and she doubted whether she would be able to pull it off.

  And while under the guise of wearing haute couture, attending high society parties, and living in luxurious surroundings, she had had feelings of guilt creep into her being. Matt claimed all of it was necessary to obtain information about her son, but there were times when she thought his stratagy too laid-back. She had been in Mexico more than a month, and she was no closer to regaining possession of her child than she had been when she first arrived.

  Walking back to the house, she prayed for strength; she needed it if she wanted to reclaim her son.

  Chapter 15

  Eve raised questioning eyebrows as Matt sat down at the kitchen table. It looked as if he had waged a personal war with his razor, as evidenced by the many dots of drying blood on his cheeks and chin.

  She removed a plate filled with warm rolls from the oven, leaning over his shoulder and placing them on the table. “I think you’d better retire that blade before it decides to slip from your chin to your throat,” she teased mercilessly close to his ear.

  “That’s not funny,” he growled.

  “I think it’s very funny.” She had recovered from their encounter at the pool, but apparently her refusal to swim with Matt had left him in a foul mood.

  He’d returned to the house shortly after she did, and waited for her to shower before he stal
ked into the bathroom, slamming the door violently. He’d said over and over that their marriage was legal publicly and a sham privately. However, his display of affection had shifted to their private world, and when she didn’t respond he was annoyed.

  Sitting down, she flashed him an open smile. The short, wet, black hair clinging to his scalp resembled a seal’s coat with its weight and sleekness.

  Reaching for a roll, Eve missed the tightening of Matt’s jaw and the imperceptible movement of his broad shoulders. She was barely given the opportunity to cry out before he sprang from his chair and brought her up hard against his body and tickled her. His hands swept up her rib cage as she collapsed, unable to catch her breath, in hysterical laughter.

  “Apologize,” Matt demanded. He held her firmly, not hurting her but not permitting her to escape him.

  “No-o-o,” Eve gasped. She wasn’t going to give in that easily. Besides, there was nothing for her to apologize for.

  “Give in, Darling. You can’t win.”

  “Never.” She wiggled sensually, her breasts brushing against his chest.

  “Stop wiggling.”

  Eve shifted, unintentionally pressing her pelvis to his groin. “Let me go.”

  “I…I warned you,” Matt said between clenched teeth.

  He was going to release her even if she didn’t apologize, but it was too late. The involuntary tremors of arousal began, bringing with it an explosive reaction in his loins.

  Eve raised her chin and saw the unbridled passion in Matt’s eyes before he lowered his head. His mouth took hers, the heat rising so quickly she weakened immediately.

  She was only aware of his tongue forcing her lips apart and the solid hardness in his groin searching through the layers of fabric concealing their nakedness.

  His tongue made a sweeping motion over her mouth, plunging in and out frantically and devouring the honeyed sweetness making him drunk with passion.

  Matt’s motions were jerky as he pulled his shirt from the waistband of his jeans. “Touch me,” he demanded, his fiery breath on her face. Eve collapsed in his embrace and he supported her limp body with one arm. His right hand was busy guiding her left under his shirt to his fevered flesh.