Nodding, Nick followed her. “The best thing we can do is teach Carlie tricks so she can get away from him.”
“And any other assassins who might be after her.”
Nick raised an eyebrow, unable to mask his surprise. “She told you?”
“Yep, and wait ‘til you see the defense I taught her.” Shelley grinned. “She’s already really good at it.”
Nick wondered what Paul would think about him training Carlie to defend herself. If S.A.T.O. decided she was still a threat, they wouldn’t want her knowing those skills. Then again, if they couldn’t prove why she was a threat, Nick would be forced to break even more rules to keep her safe.
Not that the rules mattered anymore. He’d already broken the biggest one. He cared about the target.
Chapter Fourteen
“Wake up, beautiful.”
Carlie rolled over but didn’t open her eyes, stubbornly clinging to the dream she’d been having about Nick.
Suddenly, his hot lips were on hers, and Carlie snapped alert when his hand slid across her hip and down her leg. The heat of his touch ignited her senses through the light fabric of the yoga pants she changed into before napping. His tongue teased the corner of her mouth and she parted her lips, happy tremors shivering through her body when his tongue flicked against hers. He pressed a few soft kisses into her mouth and pulled away.
She sighed and opened her eyes, meeting his dark ones. “A girl could get used to waking up like that.”
Fire lit behind his gaze. “And then there’s this guy, who can hardly wait for bedtime.”
Laughing, she stroked his face, running her thumb across his lower lip. “Sorry about Shelley interrupting earlier. Are you still suffering?”
“I will be if we don’t stop touching each other.” He rolled to the side and stood, staring down at her. “Shelley went to pick up dinner, but she said you made good progress today. I thought you could show me what she taught you.”
“Dinner?” Carlie glanced over at the clock on her nightstand, surprised to see it was already past 5:00. “Why did you let me sleep so long? We need to do more training.”
Nick shook his head. “You needed the rest. I know you feel pretty good, considering how bad your bruises are, but that was traumatic on your body.”
“But I have so much to learn.” She crawled out of bed, standing next to Nick. As much as she wanted to train, she couldn’t help but wonder how long Shelley would be gone. Maybe they had time to explore each other again before dinner.
She stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his chest. Her body gave slight grumblings of pain, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. Besides, being so close to Nick certainly put her mind on things other than aching muscles.
Taking in a deep breath, Carlie delighted in his scent. His light aftershave brought to mind the musky scents of nature. She wanted to lose herself in him again, even if only for a few minutes. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man, and Nick seemed too perfect to be true. She didn’t dare question this gift. She just wanted to enjoy him.
“How long until Shelley gets back?” she asked, lifting her face for another kiss.
Nick brought his mouth to hers, kissing her passionately enough to set her heart racing. He pulled away, though it appeared to take a lot of effort. “Not long enough. I don’t want to rush things.” He framed her face in his hands. “What I want to do with you will take hours. Maybe longer.”
Carlie licked her lips. “That sounds...nice.”
He chuckled. “It won’t all be nice. I like it a little dirty.”
His calloused fingers slid down her face and over her neck, and goose bumps broke out on her skin. She loved the way he touched her and couldn’t wait for more.
Nick’s fingers tightened around her neck, brushing painfully against her bruises.
“Ouch, Nick. You’re hurting me,” she protested, wondering what had gotten into him.
A glance at his face revealed it had hardened into an impassive mask. Instead of relaxing his hands, Nick tightened his hold. She tried to pull away, but he took a step forward, increasing his grip and cutting off her airway.
Struggling for breath, panic clutched at her gut. Why is he doing this? Was he lying about caring for me?
Without thinking further, she plucked at his thumb, ripping his hand from her neck. At the same time, she twisted and punched him in the jaw as hard as she could. She ran to the closed bedroom door and fumbled with the knob, realizing Nick had locked it. Her fingers shook too hard to turn it to the unlocked position.
“Carlie, wait.”
His authoritative command stopped her frantic scramble and she turned around, pressing her back against the wood. A brown belt karate student against a fifth-degree black belt was doomed to lose, but Carlie wouldn’t beg him not to hurt her.
Nick clutched his chin. “Shelley’s methods are more effective than I gave her credit for.” He shook his head and dark hair fell across his brow. “Good, hard punch on your part, too.”
“What?” Carlie’s hands flew to cover her mouth as the fear drained out of her. “You were practicing? Oh, Nick.” She took a step forward, torn between embarrassment and anger. “I thought you decided to attack me for some reason.”
“I should have known better than doing it without warning.” He shrugged. “I do understand why you have trust issues, after all. I wanted it to seem real to you, to see if you could actually keep your head and defend yourself.”
She folded her arms, still not sure which emotion to feel. “And I can.”
“Very effectively,” he agreed. “Let’s get me an ice pack and wait for dinner.”
I can’t stay angry. He’s trying to help me.
She took the remaining steps to his side and pulled his hand from his chin. A red mark marred his skin. Rising to her tiptoes, she kissed it softly. “Sorry. I should have realized and not punched so hard.”
Wrapping her in his arms, he hugged her tight. Carlie felt safer than she remembered feeling in a while. It had been silly to think he’d do anything bad to her. As much as she’d told herself the past six years she couldn’t afford to fall for anyone, Nick made that a hard conviction to hold onto.
“You stunned me for a moment, Carlie. No one will be able to choke you like that again.” He ran his hand up her back and massaged her shoulder. “We have a lot of other defenses to work on before I’ll feel comfortable about you being alone, though.”
She nodded and pulled away, catching his hand in hers and leading him to the door. “Let’s get some ice. After dinner, Shelley said you’d teach me how to defend against an attack from behind.”
He sucked in a breath that ended in a short laugh.
“What?” She glanced over her shoulder.
“I was just thinking how much fun it will be to attack you from behind.” He winked.
Carlie turned to open the door, hiding her smile. Whether this was the start of something real—as she’d like to think of it—or lust, like Shelley said, Carlie intended to enjoy every precious second spent with Nick.
***
Sweat rolled down her face and Carlie plopped onto the couch. “I’m too tired to do more.”
Shelley collapsed next to her, fanning herself. “I agree.”
After eating takeout hamburgers, Nick and Shelley took turns teaching Carlie every defensive move they could think of. She learned eyes were one of the most sensitive things on an attacker, and a stiff poke in them could give her a chance to get away. Elbows were very effective at taking out an attacker from behind. Knees were vulnerable to well-placed kicks. The list went on and on.
Carlie couldn’t believe she skipped out on so much with her karate training. Apparently moving frequently had hurt her in that regard.
Nick and Shelley spent the last hour attacking her simultaneously. Carlie was pretty sure she’d defend against phantom attackers in her sleep.
Nick sat in the armchai
r adjacent to the couch and crossed his ankle on the opposite knee, clasping his hands over his stomach and leaning back with a satisfied air. He and Shelley now had several bruises to match Carlie’s, but he seemed happy. “I don’t think you’ll ever panic again. The next person to attack you will be sorry.”
Shelley nodded her agreement. “Even at partial power, you gave me a few good whacks.”
Carlie grinned. “Sorry about that. I did try not to hurt you.”
Her friend shrugged. “What with Stephen sniffing around here again today, I’m happy to know he can’t hurt you.”
“Stephen? What do you mean? He hasn’t been here.”
Shelley’s eyes widened and she glanced at Nick. “I thought you told her.”
“Told me what?” Carlie turned her attention to him.
Heaving a sigh, he pressed his lips firmly together and shook his head at Shelley. “I thought it might be better to skip that information.”
Although Carlie liked feeling safe and protected by her new friends, she didn’t like being kept in the dark—especially not if it concerned her attacker. “You’re keeping secrets from me already, Nick? We’re barely even dating. Might not be the best time to prove yourself to be a liar.”
“Carlie!” The shock in Shelley’s voice was apparent, but Carlie couldn’t let herself be tricked by anyone.
She so badly wanted Nick and Shelley to be the friends they seemed to be, but a part of her feared this was a clever ruse by her enemies to gain her trust. Her feelings for Nick were wildly inconsistent. She swung between wanting to believe the promises his sexy eyes made and fearing she was foolish to trust a man again.
Nick uncrossed his leg and sat up straighter in the chair, gripping the armrests in either hand. He stared her down for several moments before whispering, “I thought we were a little more than barely dating earlier in this very room.”
Though heat crept up her face, Carlie stared at him impassively. “What happened with Stephen?”
“Fine. Pretend nothing happened.” Nick’s eyes flicked to Shelley briefly, but honed back in on Carlie. “He showed up while you slept, claiming he wanted to apologize. He still wanted to be friends while at our dojo. I advised him against that. When he argued and wouldn’t leave Shelley came outside to offer a bit more...encouragement.”
Carlie glanced at her friend. “What did you do?”
She shrugged negligently. “Offered to put a bullet in him if he stayed. He ended up making another threat toward you, and Nick punched him before I had a chance to do it. He left after that.”
They were protecting her, but she didn’t understand why Nick wanted to keep that a secret. In some ways, if Stephen came after her again, she’d be better off knowing he’d tried to get at her today. Why did Nick think he should lie about it?
Unease tickled at the back of Carlie’s mind. She didn’t really know anything about Nick. Where he came from, what his past held. She’d been so overwhelmed by the fact that he protected her, and his devastating good looks, she’d never questioned anything. Last time she went along blithely with a male’s plans, she ended up pregnant and miserable and, later, on the run.
She turned to Shelley. “Thanks for all the training today. I’m sure you’re ready to go home. We’ll take tomorrow off, but open the restaurant Wednesday, okay?”
Shelley blinked a few times, clearly nonplussed. “You don’t want to talk about Stephen?”
Carlie shook her head. “I’m sweaty and tired. I’m going to take a shower.” She turned to Nick. “You can shower when I’m done. Then, we have some things to clear up.”
Chapter Fifteen
Nick shut and locked the door behind Shelley, pulling out his phone to check the text message that came through earlier in the evening.
Meeting with committee tomorrow. Don’t trust the target. I think she’s lying to cover her tracks.
Well, damn. That wasn’t the message Nick had hoped to receive. His boss obviously clung to the belief Carlie was guilty. Carlie, herself, was pissed off at him over Stephen. Plus, Nick got the distinct impression she questioned her wisdom at allowing things to progress between them. He probably wouldn’t get that wild night of sex he’d planned on.
Regardless, he still believed she was innocent. His urge to keep her safe was overwhelming. The water in the bathroom finally turned on, the sound reverberating through the walls of the house.
Now that he had some privacy, it was time to call his friend. Nick knew he had to prepare for everything. The need to get Carlie out of the country in a hurry had to factor into his contingency plan.
Since S.A.T.O. monitored all calls placed with his cell phone, Nick pulled out Carlie’s and dialed. He hoped if they traced her activity, they wouldn’t connect this number to him or think anything of the call.
“Hello?” a woman answered, sounding a bit harried as a baby cried.
Nick smiled, wondering how his friend was handling married life. “Hey, Madeline. Is Donovan around?”
“Who is this?” She sounded suspicious, protective. Nick understood, since the couple had been through a lot in the past year.
“We’ve never met, but I’m a good friend of your husband’s.” He sifted through his various identities, trying to remember what name Donovan last knew him by and might have told Madeline. “Edward Chambers.”
“Oh!” So much conveyed in that single syllable. She definitely knew who he was. “I’ve heard about you, Edward. Nice to finally talk to you. Hang on and I’ll get him.” The baby wailed again, and Madeline made shushing sounds. “It’s okay, Jo Jo. Be a big girl for mama.”
Sounds of young boys laughing in the background twisted a twinge of pain in Nick’s gut. He never expected Donovan to settle down. They were bachelor men, living the bachelor life and claiming to enjoy it. It surprised Nick how jealous he felt of Donovan’s good fortune.
Madeline must have covered the mouthpiece, because Nick heard muffled voices and then Donovan came on the line. “Edward, you old dog. How’s life treating you?”
Nick laughed. “Well, not as good as it’s treating you, apparently. Sounds chaotic at your place.”
“Yeah. The baby’s teething and my son has a friend over playing X-Box. It’s a good life, except I never get my beautiful wife alone anymore.”
“Did you get the gifts I sent?”
“Sure did. I know how you spy types are constantly on the move, so I didn’t know where to send a thank you card.” Donovan chuckled. “But enough small talk. If you’re calling me, you have a reason. What’s up?”
Nick cleared his throat. Part of the reason he liked Donovan so much was the man’s no-nonsense approach to life. It was typical for him to cut right to the chase. “Remember Jason Steele?”
“Of course.”
Even though Donovan was a police officer, he didn’t always think laws needed to be followed if justice was more expedient. Nick had met him fourteen years earlier in Los Angeles. While Nick worked his first case for S.A.T.O., Donovan had already been working the streets as a beat cop for nearly a decade. Despite their difference in age, they had a lot in common, and Donovan was the only person he truly considered a friend.
When Paul ordered him to kill Jason Steele, Nick immediately contacted Donovan. Regardless of what S.A.T.O. believed, Jason was a good man, a good agent, and Nick couldn’t kill him.
“I never asked how you got him out of the country,” Nick said. “But I may need your help that way again.”
Donovan let out a low whistle. “You or someone else?”
Nick had thought about that all day. If Carlie had to leave the country to get away from both her enemies and the United States government, Nick didn’t want her going alone. He’d never felt any emotional attachment to a woman before. Past dalliances were nothing more than a momentary satisfaction and having his needs filled. This past month, watching Carlie, learning all about her—the connection he had with her felt deeper.
“Me and someone else,” he finally an
swered.
“Maddie, could you keep an eye on the boys?” Donovan’s muffled voice came again. “This conversation needs to be private.”
Nick heard the click of a door shutting, and then everything went silent.
“What kind of trouble you in?” Donovan asked.
“I’m not in trouble. My target is, but I think she’s innocent.”
“She, huh?” Donovan chuckled, honing in on that pertinent fact more quickly than Nick thought he would. “And you’re going into hiding with her? Leaving everything behind that you’ve worked so hard for?”
Nick knew he hadn’t really thought things through. Right now, Carlie was pissed off. She might not want to speed off into the sunset with him. If he left the country, he’d never be able to come back. He had a house in Canada and plenty of money in private accounts not connected to S.A.T.O. The one thing he hadn’t lied about was his business investments. Nick had acquired quite a bit of wealth over the years and stashed a lot of that money into a Swiss bank account after the fiasco with Jason.
Leaving the country wouldn’t be an enormous hardship on him, but it would change everything. Was he willing to take such a big chance on a woman he barely knew?
“How did you know Madeline was the right woman?” He knew that didn’t answer Donovan’s questions, but figured he’d understand. “I never expected you to settle down.”
“I knew the second I met her.” Donovan’s voice was as serious as Nick ever heard it. “She wasn’t so sure about me, but I knew things would work out.”
“So, it’s not entirely stupid to fall for my target? I’ve only been on one date with her, but we went through some intense stuff the past few days. Today hasn’t been so peachy, though.” He sighed. “She’s pissed off at me.”
Donovan laughed. “They always get mad. The fun is in making up.”
“Will you help me, then?”
“With woman trouble, no. I’m barely able to keep my own wife deliriously happy. I will help you leave the country undetected by S.A.T.O., however. I’ll need pictures of you both to get identities and passports the government can’t trace from my source in L.A. Also, I exchanged money for Jason so he didn’t draw attention to himself. I can do that for you, if you tell me where you’re going.”
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