by Debra Webb
His attention came back to rest on the subject of his musings and her incessant pacing. She was working herself up into a real frenzy. He supposed it was a combination of cabin fever, fear and her own unhappy history. But there was little he could do about it. He wasn’t at all sure his heart could take another night like last night, though his body was more than willing. They’d made love twice; each time she’d burrowed a little more deeply under his skin. She’d touched him so profoundly that last time that he’d been shaken to the core. Ric closed his eyes. He knew better. He’d promised himself that he’d never do this again. And here he was, head over heels in love with a woman who would never love him in the same way because of external reasons.
Oh, there was no doubt in his mind that Piper felt something for him. It just wasn’t what it should be. It would never be enough to hold. Besides the major differences between them, she wasn’t going to overlook his little secret when she discovered who he really was.
“I can’t deal with this,” Piper announced, jerking him back to the here and now. She stopped in the middle of the room and stared at him. “I have to get out of here. I’m losing it,” she added, desperation in her voice.
He’d known this was coming. “You know it’s not safe to leave the room.”
She threaded her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. “God, I hate this.” She opened her eyes then and stared directly into Ric’s. “Do you suppose this is what Sorrel and Weaver went through?”
He knew what she was thinking. They’d been so careful, hiding out like this and then they’d died anyway. “I don’t know,” he told her in all honesty.
“I have to get out of here.” She grabbed her purse from the coffee table and started for the door. “If I’m going to die, it’s going to be on my own terms. I’m not going to be murdered in this room like some sort of caged animal.”
“Whoa, querida.” Ric quickly moved between her and the door. “You can’t do that. It’s not safe. We have to stay right here.”
“Why?” she demanded. “SSU doesn’t know I’m here, remember? If they did they’d have made a move on this place already. Wouldn’t they? That was the whole purpose of this little field trip, wasn’t it? I’m safe because no one knows I’m here.”
“Maybe.” Ric molded his palms around her cheeks. “But I can’t let you take that risk.”
She closed her eyes and nuzzled her cheek in his hand. “I’m so tired of this, Martinez.”
He wanted to make it go away for her. “I know, querida.”
She opened those amazing eyes and stared up at him, pleading her case even before she spoke. “Please get me out of here just for a little while. You can take care of me. I know it’s not your job. But I trust you. You have a gun. You can keep me safe just as well as Townsend—better probably.”
“Don’t ask me to do that,” he murmured thickly. She was playing havoc with his reasoning.
She clutched at his shirt, leaning into him. “Please, just for a little while. Besides, SSU doesn’t even know I’m here. What’s to worry about?” she argued.
He knew this city well, he rationalized. According to the latest intel, SSU hadn’t suspected Piper had left Atlanta. That was true enough. The station had even run a couple of her old research segments, which had never aired for one reason or another, to make it look as if she were still in Atlanta and working.
“All right,” he acquiesced. “But I make the rules. You do exactly what I tell you, when I tell you.”
She nodded, her expression brightening already.
“I know a place where we can get lost in the crowd.”
“What kind of place?” she asked, anticipation flashing in her eyes.
“A place where we can—” he jerked her close and did a little two-step “—dance our cares away.”
“Give me five minutes to change.”
Ric watched her mad dash to her room. He fished the cell phone from his jacket pocket and punched in Raine’s number. He didn’t have any idea how he was going to explain this, but he’d figure something out. Raine wouldn’t have any choice but to go along with him. Ric wasn’t about to let Piper down. He would just have to face the consequences later.
THE SUBWAY DOORS closed right behind them as Piper and Martinez bounded onto the train. She felt invigorated. Alive. Sneaking out of the hotel, and then the two blocks to the Metro station had her blood racing through her veins. She looked at the man standing next to her and couldn’t resist the urge to touch him. He kissed her, lingering as if they weren’t in a public place, as if nothing else mattered.
The ride to Columbia Square took only a few short minutes. Martinez held her hand as he led the way to the escalator. Two minutes later they were emerging onto the busy sidewalk.
“Two blocks this way,” he told her, putting his arm around her shoulders as she walked beside him.
“Where are we going?” He still hadn’t told her the name of the place.
He shot her a wink and heat instantly spread through her. “Just a place I used to hang out whenever I was in town.”
“With a girlfriend?” she inquired innocently.
He grinned. “I’ll take the fifth on that one.”
“Oh, you are wicked, Martinez,” she scolded teasingly. “How dare you bring me to a place where you brought another woman!”
“I’ve been called worse.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on, we’re almost there.”
Piper had to practically run to keep up with his long legs. The place he led her to occupied the corner of a block. The Millennium was emblazoned over the double doors in huge, glittering silver letters. When he opened the door, music rushed out to envelop them. The thunderous rhythm seemed to propel them forward, into the flashing lights and palpable energy of the inner sanctum.
Martinez passed a bill to the woman who greeted them. The woman stamped their right hands, then smiled an extraspecial smile for Martinez. Piper seethed, instantly wanting to scratch the woman’s eyes out. Of course, it wasn’t the woman’s fault he looked like a Latin god. The tight black jeans and black form-fitting shirt left absolutely nothing to the imagination. He was muscular and gorgeous. The cell phone clipped to his waist added to the whole effect. And Piper had discovered where he kept his handgun when he was dressed like this—strapped to his ankle. He’d grown up tough and knew how to handle himself in a tight spot. Usually she was very uncomfortable with guns, but Martinez somehow made it okay. Made her feel safe.
The dance floor was enormous and round, not an angle in the joint. Even the bar was a half-moon. Crowded with gyrating bodies, a balcony circled the entire club. Spiral staircases were strategically located for easy access. The main dance floor was packed. Piper wasn’t sure how one more body would manage to squeeze onto it.
Martinez leaned down to her. “Want something to drink now or later?”
She shrugged. “Later,” she shouted back.
He nodded and led her onto the dance floor. Surprisingly, the throng automatically made room for them. Anticipation pounded with every beat of Piper’s heart. She hadn’t been dancing in a while, but that wasn’t what had the blood coursing through her veins. The mere thought of seeing Martinez move was driving her mad.
He was right at home with the loud music, the swaying crowd and the fast hip-hop beat. That awesome body fell right into perfect step with the music. Piper could hardly keep her rhythm for watching him undulate those amazing hips. The memory of how those hips felt pressed firmly against hers made her mouth go dry. She had never seen a man who could move quite like that—not in real life anyway. Maybe on MTV. Every part of him was involved. There wasn’t a muscle or a limb he couldn’t wiggle or sway in a kind of motion that sent little shivers across her skin.
And he never once took his eyes off her.
By the end of the second song, Piper was matching him step for step, move for move. When the music slowed, he stopped and looked deeply into her eyes. Time stood still as the love song trembled from the speakers
. The mass of dancers around them faded into the background and he moved toward her, his eyes only for her.
Martinez pulled her into an intimate position, one muscular leg planted firmly between hers, his arms around her waist. Her arms went instinctively around his neck. She tilted her head up so that she could maintain that soul-deep eye contact. His breath on her lips made her yearn for the taste of his delicious mouth. One hand slid down to her thigh and beneath the hem of her very short dress. Piper gasped at the feel of his palm as it ran across her skin. He tugged her closer, forcing the heat at her core fully against his hard thigh.
He watched her intently as he rocked her over and over against him. The intimate motion had her burning. One hand held her firmly by the waist, the other moved magically over her body, touching, tantalizing. The flames of lust dancing in his eyes told her that he was every bit as affected as she was. He squeezed her thigh, almost sending her over the edge. The music stopped and Piper thought she would die when he eased out of the intimate contact.
He leaned close, tempting her further with that subtle yet exotic scent he wore. “We need to cool down. Let’s get a drink,” he offered.
The music started again, loud and fast, before she could answer, so she simply nodded. Holding her hand, Martinez led her to the bar.
He held up two fingers and said something to the bartender she didn’t hear. The man behind the bar nodded and went to work. Piper eased onto a vacant stool and Martinez took the one next to her just as the two tall glasses were set before them.
She raised an eyebrow in skepticism as she studied the exotic-looking drink. Martinez leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry, querida. You’ll like it.”
Piper took a long sip from the straw and almost moaned with pleasure. The fruity drink was marvelous. Martinez smiled knowingly. She was so glad he brought her here. Drink in hand, she spun around on her stool so that she could survey the ocean of shimmying bodies. She hadn’t realized until just this moment how much she had missed a nightlife.
Something in his peripheral vision drew Ric’s gaze to the left, beyond the bar. He snapped to attention. The man watching them so intently turned away. But something about the man struck a chord of recognition, making Ric’s heart beat faster with anticipation. He’d seen that face somewhere before. He concentrated hard on the man’s movements. Could he have simply seen him here before? It hadn’t been that long since he’d been to this club. Maybe the guy was a regular.
Then a blond woman walked up to him. Recognition hit Ric. The blond woman who’d entered the ladies’ room after Piper that night at the charity art auction. Her gaze connected with Ric’s. She knew she’d been made, but quickly turned away as if nothing had happened.
Ric stood, dropped a twenty on the bar and snagged Piper’s hand. She turned to him, a look of protest on her face. Her eyes went wide as she read his. She plunked her half-empty glass down on the bar and jumped off the stool.
He weaved through the crowd without slowing down. He held tightly to Piper’s hand, not allowing her to slow down, either. It was two blocks to the subway, six minutes on the train, then another two blocks on foot to the hotel unless they took a cab. If this guy or his partner followed them, they would have to lose him or her before getting on the subway. Once they were on that train there was nowhere to hide. Ric burst through the doors into the un-seasonably brisk night air and strode in the opposition direction than the way they’d come before.
“Wait, what’s going on?” Piper dug in her heels in an attempt to slow him down.
He glanced back at her, but didn’t slow his pace. “I’m not sure yet,” he lied, not wanting to upset her. He hurried around a strolling foursome, then glanced back once more. The guy was definitely following them. No sign of the blonde. Ric swore.
He pulled Piper close, maintaining his hurried stride, then leaned his head down as if to kiss her. “We’ve got an unfriendly tail.”
Her startled gasp was audible. “What’re we going to do?”
Ric smiled, a good deal more confidently than he felt. “We’re going to give him the slip.” He hoped like hell the blonde hadn’t taken another route to try and head them off.
Piper narrowed her gaze in determination, refusing to show her fear. “Sounds like fun.”
They started to run. Just around the next corner Ric led Piper through a gap in the twelve-foot-high chain-link fence surrounding a construction site. If the blonde came around the corner at the end of the block, she’d run into her partner instead of Ric and Piper. Dodging piles of discarded materials from the old building’s renovations, they rushed into the covering of darkness within it.
Piper flattened against one of the few remaining inner walls and Ric shielded her body. He struggled to control his ragged breathing, hoping Piper would do the same. She did. He removed his .32 from his ankle holster, then listened for the telltale sounds that would indicate their tail had followed them onto the site. The sound of rustling metal and a hissed curse served as a warning. He didn’t intend to give up so easily.
They needed to move to higher ground. Careful not to make a sound, Ric eased along the wall that served as a shield between their position and the enemy. Piper did the same. When they were close enough to the stairwell to reduce the risk of being noticed, he led her across the open floor and through the open stairwell door. Once inside, Ric listened again. Their tail was headed in the opposite direction for the moment. Another lucky break. But where was the blonde?
Slowly, holding his breath with every step, they headed up. On the third floor they slipped out of the stairwell and into the maze of precariously standing walls. Ric didn’t take the time to consider that he should never have allowed Piper to talk him into this, or to wonder where Raine was at the moment. They had to find a good hiding place until their apparently somewhat inept tail gave up, or Raine showed up—whichever came first.
The grill hanging haphazardly over a return ventilation duct snagged Ric’s attention. It was about six feet off the floor. Perfect. He pointed to it, then made a stirrup with his hands. Piper nodded her understanding. She took off her shoes, and holding them in one hand, allowed Ric to boost her up. It took a couple seconds longer than he would have preferred, but she finally slipped inside.
Ric paused to listen again. He could hear the guy on the floor below them. Apparently the guy’s night vision wasn’t as good as Ric’s. He seemed to stumble over everything in his path. Satisfied that he had time, Ric gripped the edge of the ventilation opening and pulled himself up and inside it. Once inside, he pulled the grill back up into place. He had to hunker down, since sitting up straight was impossible in the close quarters.
Piper was right behind him, breathing hard in the consuming darkness. He turned to her and pressed his fingers to her lips, then pulled her close. “I’m going to take off my shoes and move in front of you to lead the way.” He felt her nod. He kissed her cheek, allowing her to feel his smile against her skin.
Ric slipped off his loafers and left them next to Piper’s shoes. He tucked his .32 back into its holster. Piper quickly lay down and flattened against the sheet metal to allow him enough room to pass. If they were going to run into any rats or spiders, he’d just as soon be the one to greet them. Adopting a low crawl, Ric started forward, careful not to allow his belt buckle to scrape the metal.
The duct ran about thirty feet before it did a ninety-degree angle to the right. Twenty feet later another ninety-degree angle, straight up this time, halted their forward movement. There was no place to go now, but up. Ric eased into a standing position then flattened against the wall of the duct and allowed Piper to stand up in front of him.
She tiptoed, putting her mouth next to his ear. “What now?”
“We wait,” he whispered against the shell of her ear.
She nodded.
It was a good thing it was an unusually cool night. Otherwise the heat would build fast in their dark, cramped hiding place. He couldn’t see Piper’s eye
s in this deep darkness, but he could hear her breathing, could smell her sweet scent. The pull between them was thick and pleasant. It felt good just being near her. The silence that settled around them and beyond their hiding place slowly abated his uneasiness.
Piper touched him, her fingers splayed on his chest, then smoothed over him in a slow, seductive manner. He swallowed to contain the groan that rose in his throat. She brushed her thumb over one nipple, then repeated the action. Even through the thin fabric of his shirt, the action drove him crazy. He pulled her hand away. She was playing with fire here and this definitely was not the time. Not to be denied, she covered that same nipple with her mouth and sucked it hard through the thin material. His hands fisted at his sides, Ric clenched his jaw to restrain any response.
She moved to his other nipple and gave it equal time. Then tiptoed and captured his mouth. She kissed him hard, frantically. He kissed her back, harder, deeper. His fingers trailed up her arms and to the straps of her dress, he pulled them off and down, exposing her breasts to his searching hands. She gasped in his mouth when he squeezed the two small globes. Her hands went straight to his waist, greedily wrenching his jeans open.
This was crazy. They couldn’t do this. He groaned into her mouth as her hands pushed his clothes away. He felt her reach for him. Oh, yes…
His body pulsing with need, Ric pushed her dress up over her hips and then lifted her against his chest. There wasn’t enough room for her to wrap her legs around his waist, so he lifted her higher until he felt the heat of her center against his straining tip. He held her against his chest with one hand and guided himself into position with the other, pushing her scant panties aside with impatient fingers. Slowly, one searing inch at a time, she slid down onto his throbbing arousal. Mind-blowing sensations. Hot and tight. He kissed her, a deliberately slow, languid kiss that spoke of his desperation…of his need for her.
She rocked her hips against him, urging him to move. Slowly, carefully so as not to make a sound, he pressed her against the metal wall behind her and moved. Slowly. Silently. In. Out. And in again. She was so hot. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins at the danger…the risk they were taking, but he couldn’t stop. Not now. He went in again, so, so slowly. And then almost all the way out. Her fingers fisted in his shirt. His own tightened around her slim waist. In again. Man, she was unbelievably hot and tight.
