When she met his gaze, she recognized the understanding in those dark eyes. He might not know the details, but his sharp survival skills had sensed she wasn’t dealing straight. Her sharp survival skills sensed it.
He didn’t say another word but set aside his coffee cup. She felt relief that he seemed content to have made his point, relief that she wouldn’t have to lie to him again. She should have presented a compelling argument about why he should trust her. She should be fixed on the goal, not worrying about the aftershocks on this man’s life.
But when he pulled her into his arms, Lindy found herself sliding against him, letting pleasure drown out the naggy voice that kept reminding her she was luring this man to his doom.
Joshua was a bad guy. Doom was his fate to choose, and he’d chosen it—long before meeting her.
But with his strong arms around her, the scent of him filtering through her with every breath, Lindy struggled to remember that the end would justify the means. Her job wasn’t to judge the value of the bad guys, but to see justice served.
Why was she finding that so hard to remember?
“Finally, we’re in a bed,” he whispered in between kisses.
“I’d hoped for a bed last night.”
“You weren’t impressed with the barn?” He nibbled her bottom lip and dragged his strong hands over her breasts, down her ribs until he made her shiver. “Was it the straw bed or the lack of electricity?”
“Actually, I was impressed.”
“By what?”
“Your versatility. You segued from mixing with peers of the realm to sleeping in a barn convincingly.”
“Should I believe you?”
“Do you want to?”
His only reply was a heavy sigh. Untying his robe, he shoved it off, then he stretched out against her, oh-so-breathtakingly naked.
Lindy absorbed the feel of his body, all hard muscle and hot skin. He twined his legs through hers and his arms came possessively around her. To her utter shame, she sank into his embrace, wanting nothing more than to let the newness of him override wayward thoughts, to let fantasy erase the reality of a situation that felt impossible.
Maybe Joshua sensed her struggle, perhaps even shared it. He did nothing more than hold her. His body anchored her close as if he was savoring the feel of them together, as if he wanted to capture the moment. Burying his face in her hair, he inhaled deeply, a simple gesture that stirred Lindy in places that had no business reacting to this man.
“Now it’s my turn,” he whispered.
Tension shot through him in a surge of gathering muscles and, suddenly, he was slithering down the length of her body.
“Joshua.” She freed him from the tangle of her arms because she had no choice.
“I won’t need handcuffs.”
“You sound sure of that.”
She made a move to twist away, but he slid his arms under her thighs and caught her, pinning her to the bed.
Just the sight of him poised between her spread thighs was enough to make her tremble, especially when he hovered above her most intimate places, dark eyes smiling a challenge. When he lowered his face, Lindy knew he had something to prove.
He dragged his tongue over her in a hot, wet glide that brought her up off the bed.
“I’m sure.” He never took his gaze from hers as he dug his fingers into her bottom and held her steady.
Arrogant man. But that was her last thought before he slipped his tongue upward for another slow stroke.
Lindy gasped this time, her thighs brushing against his stubbled cheeks, and that friction alone on her skin was enough to make her insides soft.
Joshua intended to prove he had the power tonight, and some vague part of Lindy’s brain registered that as she’d had a go at him last night, fair was only fair.
And when he lifted his chin, just enough so his whiskered jaw brushed all her moist folds and made her cry out, Joshua proved she didn’t have much choice anyway. Not when he took aim and drew that tiny knot of nerve endings between his lips in a gentle sucking motion that made her melt. Lindy pulled away to control the sensation, but he held her steady and flicked his tongue again, proving that he had all the control.
Their power play had spiraled wildly out of control.
She’d never let her feelings get in the way of work before, couldn’t possibly imagine a worse time to start than now. Lindy had damn well better bring this man in. She had to produce him with his information about Renouf to rationalize her behavior.
Because Joshua was right about one thing—powerful men didn’t take kindly to being betrayed. Malcolm Trent wasn’t pretty or kind when he felt he’d been manipulated or used.
With a stubborn feeling of rebellion, she abandoned herself to the moment, refusing to think about duty or consequences.
This situation was impossible, this moment so fleeting. All she could do was grasp it with both hands. She’d deal with the fallout later.
And there would be fallout.
Because Joshua was right about something else—he didn’t need cuffs. Not with his face tucked between her legs. Her body dissolving beneath his skilled touches. Her thoughts spinning out of control. His touch was a weapon that coaxed sensations she shouldn’t be feeling, gave him more control over her body than she had herself.
With his fingers and his tongue, he pleasured her until she buried her hands beneath the pillows and attempted to knead her orgasm into breaking. But it wasn’t until her legs quivered and she exhaled his name on each breath that Joshua pushed her that final bit, and brought her to a climax that left her reaching for him.
“Make love to me.” There was no more power play between them, only the need to feel him everywhere.
Then he was in her arms, covering her body and pushing inside. Her body still radiated from the strength of her climax. She could only wrap her arms around him and hang on tight, pressing kisses into his neck and lifting her hips to ride an ache that didn’t want to let this man go.
Without any words between them, they explored the pleasure they found together as the sun set beyond the balcony, bathing them in a balmy night breeze, making love to each other as if tonight would be their only night.
12
LINDY WANTED to fall asleep wrapped in Joshua’s arms. Indeed, she should have fallen asleep long ago. After so many hours of delicious lovemaking, she should have been in a coma. But unlike her sleeping lover, she couldn’t shut down her thoughts, all racing to make sense of what was happening.
She wanted to understand why this situation was blowing up in her face. She’d played the attraction card before to catch her thief. She’d met many men who’d found her desirable. She’d never hesitated to use them. Of course, she’d never played to this degree. But then she’d never been attracted to a target.
She’d been certain she could manipulate their chemistry to her benefit. She’d seriously underestimated Joshua.
And her reaction to him.
When he exhaled and rolled to his side, Lindy wanted to roll with him, to drape her arm across his waist and snuggle close. It would have been so easy to give in, to curl up against him and let the music of his breathing lull her.
Or she could press a kiss to that sensitive spot she’d found on his nape, sort of below his ear but not quite, the spot that made him shiver.
And if he shivered, he might wake up, would definitely wake up if she slipped her hand around his waist and started handling the goodies…
Lindy swallowed back a sigh. She’d meant what she’d told him earlier—she’d wanted to believe he cared about what she thought. But that was the trouble with bad guys—one would be foolish to trust them.
Joshua Benedict had been charming, schmoozing his way across the globe for over a decade that she knew of. Despite his noble gestures and all the dreamy orgasms, Lindy didn’t doubt for an instant he’d spotted her as a cocky fool and was playing her exactly the way she’d meant to play him.
That thought forced steel i
nto her spine and, rolling away, she slid off the bed. She was drawn to the balcony, wanted to stand outside and let the night air soothe her restlessness.
She wasn’t usually such a fool.
She made her way toward the loo instead, stopping at the room’s personal safe to help herself to the small leather money belt that Joshua had carried with him since Venice.
He’d stowed it with her carryall. She didn’t expect to find much of interest besides the camera. If he carried more, he would have taken care not to leave her with the key.
Not that Joshua couldn’t help himself to her things if he’d chosen to. The courtesy safe wouldn’t offer any challenge to a man of Joshua’s talents. But it would take time to get in and out. At least she could run to the loo or take a shower without him helping himself to her equipment.
Right now she needed to do something to take charge of her runaway emotions and behave like a professional. So slipping into the bathroom, she flipped the lock on the door, passed the vanity and headed straight for the inner cubby with the toilet.
She pulled the door shut behind her and turned on the light, blinking to clear her vision when the overhead fluorescent beam nearly blinded her. Closing the toilet lid, she took a seat and spread the belt across her lap.
A wad of cash and his camera.
Like everything else about Joshua Benedict, his digital camera was first-rate, surprisingly light for such a large model. The size had struck her as odd when she’d first seen it. For a man who made his living slipping in and out of places without detection, she’d have expected something smaller. More like the imaging device he’d used inside the museum gallery. High-tech. Effective. And, fortunately for her, small enough to dispose of easily.
Depressing the power button, she scrolled through a photo list, not expecting to find tourist photos of Venice.
Sure enough, the last several shots were those she and Joshua had taken to doctor their identity papers. These were of no interest, so she kept scrolling. Then she came across a shot she didn’t recognize.
Zooming in, Lindy discovered a text document of what turned out to be the history of a stained-glass window adorning the north wall of Santa Lucia’s church. Squinting to focus on the text, she scanned a review of the scriptural scene depicted in the glass. She scrolled through another five photos to find more of the same—a document about every window in the place.
Why was Joshua interested in Santa Lucia’s stained glass? Given the size and weight of the windows, these weren’t items easily stolen. She’d gotten jammy with the window in the chancellery, but that window had only been ornamentation, a mere tenth of the size of those in the church.
Did Renouf have his eye on one of those historic altarpieces? If so, Joshua might want the details to mastermind a break-in. A thief might cut through portions of the glass to access the church. But there were much easier ways to enter.
The next photos made more sense—a recent church property survey. Joshua had shot the document from several angles then had methodically zoomed in on each portion to enlarge the detail. At a quick glance, she could pinpoint four ways to access the church without going near the windows.
She’d have Blythe red flag the church, too, to see if anything turned up missing. Although she didn’t think Renouf would be bold enough to send in a thief after Joshua’s run-in with the polizia.
But having a clear plan helped soothe her frazzled nerves. Lindy finished scanning the photos and scrolled back to the last one, and it was while powering down the system that she noticed the camera’s odd shape again.
Inspecting the design, which left half the device devoid of any display in what might be a setup for an oversize battery, she tugged lightly and popped open half the camera to reveal what wasn’t a battery slot at all, but a storage compartment.
The man was certainly crafty. She found herself smiling while tipping the camera to see what she might find inside—a box fell into her hand.
Bloody hell…she snapped open the box and gave a quiet laugh.
The White Star.
Even if Lindy hadn’t been briefed, she would never have mistaken the value of this piece. This wasn’t jewelry as Lady Kenwick’s brooch had been—all showy diamonds surrounding an ungodly big ruby. This was a relic that practically radiated age and antiquity.
The auction-house photos she’d seen had accurately detailed the amulet, carved from ivory into the shape of a star, each delicate point veined with gold. But the photos hadn’t conveyed the power. The White Star felt warm and heavy in her palm, as if it radiated some sort of ancient force that had acted as protection through the centuries. Lindy had never been overly fanciful, yet she found something compelling about the piece, something that felt strangely…alive.
No wonder Renouf wanted the White Star enough to murder, to be able to hold this piece…
Recalling Joshua when they’d met in the museum, Lindy remembered the gloves he’d worn. She hadn’t given them much thought—gloves were a necessary precaution in his line of work. Hers, too, if she didn’t want to leave a calling card. But Joshua had mentioned handling a sculpture.
Dragging a few sheets of toilet paper from the roll, she flipped the amulet into the cradle of her palm now protected from her skin. Lindy found it impossible to not touch. Was she imagining the way the ivory seemed to glow? Had Joshua felt the power of the White Star—is that why he’d carried it on him?
The risk struck her as extreme. Even if he hadn’t had time to arrange safe delivery to Renouf, surely he could have concealed the amulet somewhere rather than dragging it all over Europe. Something this valuable should never be casually handled, or left exposed…
Lindy knew she’d been had again.
The spell broke. Carefully, she set the amulet inside the box and returned it to the camera’s secret compartment.
For every step ahead she got with this man, she was knocked back another. For every piece of information he yielded, he took possession of two in return. A bloody never-ending tug-of-war.
Stuffing the camera and cash back inside his man purse, she flushed the toilet—not that cover really mattered at this point, but she was a professional.
After she returned Joshua’s things to the safe, she indulged herself in that trip to the balcony, treating herself to a peek at the man still asleep on the bed.
Arrogant, arrogant bastard.
The late-night ocean breeze enveloped her like cool silk. Lindy inhaled deeply, tried to dispel the agitation that was making her thoughts race and her skin crawl. She needed to get a grip, to think rationally, to sort out the mess this situation had become so she could figure a way out. Joshua had been tiring her out with his game of hide-and-seek, scattering her wits with his delicious orgasms. He’d gotten the better of her.
The White Star was a plant. Mr. Meticulous would never casually handle such incriminating evidence. He hadn’t so much as dropped a hint she might use as evidence in court since the night they’d met. Finding him in possession of the White Star would have sealed his fate, would have been the leverage she needed to force him to deal with Secret Intelligence.
Either he told her everything he knew about Renouf, or she would pick up the phone and call hotel security, who would call the local authorities. Once she identified herself, she’d start the justice process in motion. Joshua Benedict would be extradited to the United States quicker than he could have gotten his pants on.
But Lindy couldn’t pick up the phone and have him taken into custody. Because Joshua had planted the White Star for her to find as a message—one she got loud and clear.
He had something on her.
Staring into the night, at the moon glowing over the dark ocean, Lindy leaned heavily against the stone balcony and willed the moonlit darkness to calm her spiking adrenaline.
She couldn’t be sure what Joshua had on her, but it would be something solid. A lot more solid than ethics. While Malcolm wouldn’t be thrilled about her using seduction to coerce a target, poor beh
avior didn’t carry the sort of weight Joshua might use as leverage to force her into erasing his SIS file or using her resources to help him vanish into oblivion.
No, the only thing Lindy’s poor behavior had done was allow her to dig her own grave by giving Joshua time to come up with something solid.
Will dropping out of sight to seduce me to see your way present any problems for you? he’d asked her. With work? What about your family?
And then Lindy remembered what Malcolm had told her about a hacker in her old police precinct, and two plus two equaled four.
Joshua had uncovered her alias.
JOSHUA LED Lindy along the dock toward the moored motorboat. The front desk had called to notify them the San Remo Marina representatives had arrived, so they were back in their beachwear this morning.
Lindy looked lovely with the breeze lifting her hair from her face and her eyes bright from sleep. Yet she’d been quiet and contemplative. Joshua suspected she felt the tension building as much as he did.
They’d stolen a few moments, but the situation still played out. Their game continued, influenced by external forces they had no control over and an attraction that made them vulnerable.
Even though they’d partnered up for the moment—made a helluva team, in fact—Lindy needed him to deal with MI6. He needed a way out of the impossible fix she’d placed him in.
“We have to refit.” He refused to dwell on the inevitable, only wanted to make the most of the time they had together. “What do you say we hit the shops after we’re done here?”
Lindy only nodded.
He wanted to smooth away the troubled crease between her eyebrows, do something to make her laugh the way she had in his bed last night, when she’d been hot and eager underneath him, as awed and satisfied by what they’d found together as he was.
Another thing he needed to defend himself from—this unexpected feeling of rightness he knew only with Lindy.
“Looks like they’re already here,” Lindy said.
Into Temptation Page 17
