Covert Alliance

by Linda O. Johnston

  “Hey, this may be the role we’re playing in front of people, but for real?”

  The role. Pretending to be attracted to each other so they could be together in public, sharing where they were, talking to each other, without anyone suspecting, hopefully, what they were really about.

  The thought that he wasn’t the first CIU member to come up with this plan rocketed suddenly through Alan’s mind. He had wound up helping at the end of that other agent’s assignment, seeing him with the woman he’d needed to help, recognized that their attraction to each other might have started as a role but had morphed into reality.

  Would that happen between Kelly and him? No way. Too many differences between them, in attitude and more.

  Alan pulled back a little, his breathing uneven, then stopped. He wanted her. No matter what or why. He grinned down at her gorgeous face, her teasing smile. Her challenging, sexy eyes. “We can always rehearse when we’re by ourselves,” he said. Then he didn’t want to talk anymore.

  He reached toward her, moving his hand inside her flowing, low-cut top until he could grasp one full, firm breast over her bra, then the other. He kept his eyes on hers, though, knowing he would make himself stop if that was what she wanted.

  “Rehearsal sounds good,” she said in a husky voice. And when she reached out to grasp his erection through his pants, he knew they were a go.

  * * *

  Kelly felt as if all her concentration was on her breasts, where Alan touched them. Teased them. Brushed, then gently squeezed, her nipples.

  “I think this rehearsal needs to move into the bedroom,” she managed to say, even as she continued to gently cup the area where his arousal extended his jeans, wanting to rub it harder. To feel its flesh.

  Maybe even to taste it.

  This was so strange. She’d had relationships on and off while living here before in Blue Haven, but none since she had shed her old persona and become Kelly.

  Now, for the first time in forever, Kelly craved sex. Not just any sex.

  Sex with this man.

  “I agree.” Alan’s voice was raspy, but he backed away enough so she could no longer reach him. Nor was he still touching her breasts.

  “This way,” she said immediately.

  Was she being foolish? Could be, but sex wasn’t really going to change things between them—except physically. But they were both here for similar, if not identical, reasons, and if they happened to become closer, maybe they could work together even better.

  She grabbed his hand and led him from the kitchen into the tiny hallway, and then flicked on her bedroom light as she pulled him through the door.

  “Nice room,” he said, glancing around. She tried to see it through his eyes. It was small, with one double bed in the middle, a narrow three-drawer dresser against the wall near the door, and a night table near the headboard. The furniture was serviceable, but not especially attractive. She hadn’t spent any time or money decorating the place. There were no pictures on the walls, only a fluffy area rug beneath the bed on the wood floor. In short, it looked like the rest of this place—like a hotel suite where she was sleeping, eating and doing little else.

  Which was fine with her. But was this room acceptable as a place for them to make love?

  Apparently so, since without saying anything else Alan reached for her, pulled her flowing top over her head, then reached down to remove her slacks.

  “Thanks,” she said in response to his compliment about the room, even as she managed to start unbuttoning his shirt.

  It didn’t take long. In moments, they were both naked, standing there, staring at each other.

  He was incredible. One hunky, sexy, muscular guy with an erection so long and thick that it invited her to reach for it. Caress it. Moan at the way it made her want him even more.

  He didn’t wait for her, though. His hands were stroking her, breasts first now that they were bare. And then he reached down and began stroking her most sensitive area.

  She gasped, knowing she was growing wet. And hot. She wanted him. Right away.

  But—

  “Here,” she said, taking his hand and leading him to the bed.

  “Wait just a second.” He bent down, reaching into his trousers for a small plastic package. Protection.

  He must have been anticipating this, which was surprising. But it was a good thing. As attracted as she had been to him almost from the first, she really hadn’t thought sex would be part of their quasi-business relationship. Or maybe carrying condoms was just something he did.

  She wasn’t about to ask.

  When he rose again, she just looked at him, tearing her gaze from the very appealing and obvious part of him that all but beckoned her to the rest of him. He was tall, of course, and his muscular build suggested that he worked out a lot—not surprising for a government agent.

  He was undoubtedly the sexiest man she had ever seen, and she wanted him, role-playing or reality or whatever.

  “Alan,” she whispered.

  His smile was hot as his eyes roved down her body, as well. He reached out his hand, and she suddenly found herself lying beside him on the bed’s beige coverlet.

  She wanted to waste no time. She began by grasping his upper arm with one hand, kneading the hard muscles there. At the same time, she felt him reach out, touching her breasts once more, and then moving his hand down her front until it stopped at the hair covering her sex.

  He shifted then, moving her legs apart as he began kissing her there, then using his tongue to taste and stroke her. She breathed heavily, irregularly, enjoying and focusing on the feeling for what seemed like a long time but was probably only seconds. And then she cried out, “Please, Alan.”

  He clearly heard what she wasn’t saying. In moments, he’d pulled away, but only slightly. She wasn’t sure where he had put the condom package, but it was back in his hand, and she saw and heard him rip it open.

  “Let me,” she said, attempting to smile.

  “With pleasure,” he rasped.

  She took the condom. Before doing anything else, she bent and took his erection into her mouth, sucking it. And then she moved back enough to cover him with the sheath.

  He moved on top of her then and was quickly and completely inside her, rocking gently back and forth at first and then pumping harder and harder until she reached completion, crying out and laughing at the same time even as he gasped, too.

  He soon lay limply upon her, clearly spent, as she was.

  His voice was ragged yet filled with humor as he said, “I think we’ll be able to convince anyone, if we need to, that we’re spending some time together because we’ve got some really fun kind of relationship.”

  * * *

  Kelly was delighted that they spent even more time together that night. In that bedroom, and on that bed. In fact, Alan stayed until morning, and they engaged in two more bouts of incredible sex that took Kelly’s breath away. And, finally, allowed her to sleep.

  But Alan got up early and woke her, too. “Sorry, but I’d better head back to my place before showing up at work. But you can be sure I’ll need breakfast, lunch or a snack at the Haven sometime today.”

  “With some of your coworkers so we can show off the way we look at each other now?” Kelly teased, although it really didn’t feel that funny to her. Would they regard each other differently? Most likely. Or maybe it would be somewhat the same, but they wouldn’t have to fake it as much.

  “Maybe. Let’s see how things go.”

  He had gotten out of bed then, headed for her small bathroom carrying his clothes and returned entirely dressed in the casual outfit she liked so much on him.

  By then she had donned a knee-length green robe and was in the kitchen, making coffee in the small pot she kept there. “Want to sit down and join me?” She waved an empty mug at him.

  “Just half a cup. I’ve got to be on my way.” He looked great. Or maybe the enhanced smile he leveled on her just made her feel as if she were the ha
ppiest woman on earth.

  As long as she didn’t think of anything, anyone, beyond this room...

  But Kelly figured Alan had been thinking about more than the wonderful night they had spent together as he sat down at the table, watching her at the counter, and started talking. “You should know that one of the reasons I’m heading back to my place is that I want to go over some of the secure files I have access to regarding you and your background—and Blue Haven. I was aware of the real estate connection to dissension between Stan Grodon and Andi, including about that property Jerome Baranka was promoting. Like I said, I’d met some of the town’s other businesspeople who might contribute to Stan’s campaign and all, and had checked on Baranka, but I hadn’t previously run into him. I want to look in more detail at what we have on him, if anything, and also get some of the helpful research geeks who work for the Identity Division to check him out further, too.”

  “Really? That’s wonderful.” The coffee was ready, and Kelly poured Alan his half mug, then set it in front of him on the table. “But you know I mentioned him when I was being interviewed by the ID Division about what had been going on around here when my sister disappeared.”

  “Yes, I do know.” Alan took a sip of coffee, smiled and took another, then continued. “As I said, I’d initially started out looking into the people Stan seemed to see often and even rely on. I was going to get to Baranka soon. Now I’ll concentrate on him right away.”

  Kelly, who’d poured her own coffee and sat down across from Alan, leaned over the table toward him. “People Stan sees often and relies on? Have you checked out Paul Tirths yet?”

  Alan’s smile was grim. “Oh, yeah, and I acted damned friendly with the guy whenever I saw him, hoping to get him to talk. I know you told Judge Treena that Tirths had been the one to tell you what had happened to Andi, then retract it, so all you could claim was hearsay, not anyone’s usable testimony.”

  “I’ve been watching for him, too.” Kelly knew her voice was shaky and quiet.

  “I met him when I first got here, but he’s apparently on vacation or something right now. I gather he’ll be back in a few days. But you’d better stay away from him to make sure your cover isn’t blown.”

  “I know. I’m having to be so careful here...but it’s worth it if I can do anything to help Eli. And...” She looked straight into Alan’s eyes. “If I can pretend—” she trilled the word “—to be your girlfriend and use it as a backdoor way to see more of Stan, and—”

  “Cool it.” Alan laughed, took what looked like a final sip and stood. “Time for me to go. But reminder—please don’t do or say anything to Stan, his minions or anyone else that could blow what I’m doing here. Got it?”

  Kelly was standing by then, too, and she maneuvered her way around the table till she was up against Alan. She felt her breasts tease his chest, even as his erection started to grow against her. “Yes, sir.” She pulled his head down to give him a kiss.

  It was another hot, enticing meeting of their lips and tongues, and it tempted Kelly to march Alan right back to her bedroom. But she didn’t even try.

  He stepped back first. “Remember that,” he said. “You called me ‘sir’ and at least pretended that you consider me in charge. Well, I am in charge of this investigation, Kelly, so please remember that. You want a positive resolution, and so do I—including ensuring that Eli comes out of it okay. But this is what I know, what I do. You’re an amateur.” His quick stare suggested she was an interloper, but it quickly eased into something more persuasive. “Please listen and cooperate with me. Okay?”

  She had been teasing when she’d said “Yes, sir.” She hadn’t meant it to appear as if she considered Alan in charge. Sure, what he said made sense. He had been trained as a government operative.

  But despite her wanting his opinion on approaches and what to do, that didn’t mean he was her commanding officer or anything like that. “I want to cooperate,” she told him. “But please, let’s talk often. Do things together. All right?”

  He didn’t respond immediately, and his blank expression sent a pang of hurt through her.

  “I’ll see you later at the Haven,” he said, then stepped forward, held her close again long enough to give her a brief kiss, then left her apartment.

  * * *

  What a night, Alan thought as he drove back to his own apartment. His body ached and felt sated at the same time.

  And did he want more? Absolutely.

  So if the people he dealt with here in Blue Haven assumed he had a relationship with Kelly, that was fine.

  The problem was that he now did have a relationship with her. But he wasn’t sure what it was.

  Phenomenal sex, yes. Counterproductive task-related matters, also yes.

  They shouldn’t go together.

  His place wasn’t far from Kelly’s, but it was certainly more homey—a larger, more personal place for him to live for the time being. He lived in a two-story triplex in a much bigger complex. He hadn’t met many of his neighbors, but he hadn’t needed to.

  He had instead wanted to get to know everyone on or affiliated with city council to learn all he could about Stan Grodon.

  Getting to know more of the town’s businesspeople was also on his agenda if he couldn’t find what he wanted soon, but he now wondered if it had been a mistake not to get to know Jerome Baranka.

  Well, he would do so now.

  He entered his place at ground level, then ran up the flight of steps to the small bedroom he used as an office. Instead of using the desktop computer, he unlocked a suitcase hidden under the desk and pulled out a laptop—one with software that was key for all CIU agents. He put it onto the desk beside the desktop’s keyboard, booted up, then entered the current password—they changed frequently by a formula he knew well—to access the national resources it made available.

  He looked up Baranka on the government site he liked best. It wasn’t the first time he had sought information on that guy, but before he had just gotten a brief initial review of everyone whose names appeared in the Shereen Alsop file. And once he’d come here and settled in, he had gotten more detailed info on those he’d met, most especially the target of his assignment—Stan.

  All his research had given him enough of a start to figure out who to focus on and spend the most time with here—other than Stan, since he didn’t want the egotistical possible killer to feel threatened that a security guy was acting too friendly.

  But he’d checked out others, including Councilwoman Arviss.

  He hadn’t mentioned that part to Kelly, because letting her know too many of the devices he relied on here wasn’t a good idea.

  The councilwoman appeared to be what she seemed, so allowing her to continue to work with, and champion, Eli Grodon should be fine.

  He spent another ten minutes reviewing things and creating files to return to—never printing them, though, since they could wind up in the wrong hands.

  Then he shut things down and headed to the floor below, where his bedroom was located. He showered first, then changed into a different suit for this day.

  Would Kelly like this charcoal-gray one? He would see her at the Haven today, though he wasn’t sure when. He would definitely look forward to it, and to the non-act they would put on in front of other people.

  Maybe he’d even find a way to get her alone and kiss her. To suggest a visit to his home sometime soon.

  To—

  Enough. He had a busy day awaiting him.

  Chapter 11

  Kelly had been at work at the Haven for nearly an hour. Contrary to how she normally felt, today she felt almost overdressed in her skimpy work outfit every time she thought of the night before, when she had been happily, enjoyably naked.

  But she realized she was just laughing at herself.

  “What’s so funny?” Tobi asked. Kelly had just gone into the kitchen, which smelled like cinnamon, to place an order with the chefs, and Tobi was on her way out with a tray containing several
delicious-looking omelets.

  “Just having a good day.” Kelly tried to tone down her grin. “How about you?”

  The other server’s pale hazel eyes scanned Kelly from head to toe. “I suspect you have reason to feel good,” she said with a huge grin of her own. “I want to hear all about it later. Right now, I’ve got stuff to serve.” Tobi walked briskly but carefully out the kitchen door.

  Kelly watched her, swallowing hard. Was it that obvious what she had done last night? Or was Tobi just playing games with her, as she was sometimes prone to do?

  If so, the timing appeared more than coincidental. Would everyone she knew somehow sense what she had been up to?

  Just in case, she considered how to turn it off. She couldn’t change into something less suggestive, but she could stop looking so happy, or—

  “Did you bring an order in here?” Ella had just appeared in the kitchen near where the cooks were hard at work preparing breakfast dishes.

  “I sure did.” Kelly tried to sound pleasant without smiling at her boss, who was, as usual, wearing a stylish dress—a beige one today, with an orange print scarf around her neck. “The orders are for a table for six in my serving area, and they all seem hungry.” Kelly started reciting some of the food they’d requested, some of the restaurant’s best and priciest breakfast items.

  Ella stopped her after a few seconds, waving her hands to cut her off. “That’s good. Go give the order to the chefs. Don’t just stand there.”

  “I—” Kelly stopped herself from saying anything. At least Ella hadn’t said anything personal or suggestive—like that she could see Kelly looked especially happy, or satisfied, that morning.

  Giving her boss a nod, she moved around her and presented the order to the cooks on the notepad she carried. She also gave them a verbal rundown.

  “This all one order?” asked the lead chef.

  “Yes.”

  “Check back in seven minutes.”

  Kelly hoped that was all it would take. In the meantime, she would go back to the table and serve the fruit juices, coffees and teas they had ordered.