Kiley stood and crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. Finish.”
Scott opened the bag. He pursed his lips and pouted. Kiley would normally find that look adorable, but right now she was too mad. She hated it when Scott teased her by pretending to pout.
All she wanted to know was how they could allow Paula to stay there? Especially knowing what would happen to her.
“I don’t know, now. You’re so moody,” he murmured.
“Moody?” she cried. “I do have a gun in my desk drawer, asshole, so keep it up. Give me a reason to use it.”
He grinned and glanced at her out of the tops of his eyes. “I’m sure I’ve given you numerous reasons over the years and you haven’t shot me yet.”
Her whole body heated, but she rolled her eyes more at herself than him. “I wasn’t this pissed off. How could you—“
“Again, Kiley. You haven’t let me finish.”
“Well, would you hurry up?” she snapped.
Scott closed the bag and picked it up before turning to leave. “If you’re going to have that attitude…”
“Damn it, Scott,” Kiley growled as she rushed forward and grabbed his shirt sleeve. She tugged, making him stop. “Stop playing around.” She took a deep breath, calming her anger. “Please, finish.”
“Since you said please,” he said over his shoulder and inclined his head toward the kitchen.
“Let’s go get some plates and eat before it gets cold. We’ll talk once we’re settled.”
Kiley had a feeling she wasn’t going to like this. Not at all. Scott watched in silence as Kiley reached up to pull two plates down from the cabinet. His eyes strayed to her firm ass, and he couldn’t help but admire how good she looked. Damn, she’d grown up fine. All that chestnut brown hair cascading down her back made him want to tug on it, pull her head back so he could kiss her good and thorough.
Kiley worked out a lot and it showed in her toned body, her high, firm boobs, and her flat, hard stomach. Damn, what he wouldn’t give to explore every inch of that lithe body with his mouth, his hands, his tongue.
He’d been lusting after Kiley for a long time, but he’d never made a move. For one, out of respect for her brother and his best friend and for two, he knew Keith would beat the hell out of him. One thing Keith took more serious than anything else was the protection of his sister - and that included protecting her from him. Keith believed his sister deserved better than a Mercenary. And truth be told, so did Scott.
“Do you want some wine or a beer?” she asked, pulling Scott from the naughty images running through his mind.
“Beer would be great,” he murmured.
Kiley pulled one from the fridge and tossed it to him. He caught it easily and set it on the table.
He really needed to get his mind off Kiley’s ass. Determined to keep his thoughts on what he had to tell her, he grabbed the bag of food and began to pull out the cartons while Kiley set the plates, silverware and a glass of wine for herself on the table.
They fixed their plates in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Scott was just about to take a bite of sweet and sour chicken when Kiley asked, “So what’s the bad news? Other than you’re not going to do this?”
Scott set his fork down. “I’m not going to Turkey but your brother and six other guys are.”
Her eyes widened. “Seriously?” Then they narrowed. “Wait. Why aren’t you going?”
He leaned on his elbows. “You and I are to stay here.”
“No! Paula will—“
“Kiley,” Scott growled in a tone usually reserved for the men beneath him when they wouldn’t listen or when he was pissed. He pointed his fork at her, and she immediately bristled. Scott knew she wouldn’t take well to this. “We are staying here. Your brother made me stay behind so I could keep an eye on you and make sure you didn’t do something stupid. Like follow them.” Scott lowered his fork and sat back. “It’s going to be tough enough getting her out of there. Let them go do what they do and trust them to get her home.”
Kiley’s shoulders sagged. “Fine. Fair enough. When are they leaving?”
“Sometime after midnight. They’ll be over there about two to three weeks. What you had was great, but they need to do some surveillance, get a lay of the land. One of the other guys thinks he might be able to get us in through a contact that works in that prison. It’s someone he’s used before.”
“That would be great.”
Scott nodded. “Yeah, it would.”
“Are you sure you can trust him?”
Scott nodded. “It’s the same guy who helped us when Scott was held captive over there. He’s good at what he does, but if the guy ever gets caught, he’s a dead man.”
She pursed her lips and pushed the food around her plate with her fork. “So we’re just supposed to sit here and twiddle our thumbs?”
Scott snorted before taking a bite of his chicken. He chewed, ignoring Kiley’s curious green-eyed stare.
“Are you going to explain that snort or not?” she asked.
Scott tried to hide his grin. God, he loved her bluntness. She was never dull, that was for damn sure.
“I’m going to help you track these guys down.”
Kiley’s lips softened as they spread into a small smile. “You’re going to help me do research?”
He shrugged. “Can’t be all that hard. Right?” He took another bite of food and waited for her to answer.
“No,” she said sarcastically. “It’s not hard at all. It’s so easy even you can do it.”
He gave her a tight lipped grin, but inside he was definitely amused. No doubt about it; Kiley was a pistol. “So, I’m not just a pretty face?”
Her lips twitched. “Who said you were a pretty face?”
“Ah, come on, gorgeous. The way you stare at me when you think I’m not looking speaks volumes. I’m pretty, and you know it.”
The blush that instantly covered her cheeks caught him by surprise. He’d only been teasing her.
He’d never caught her looking at him. If anything, he’d always believed Kiley was indifferent to his charms. Had he been wrong?
She averted her eyes and focused on her food. “I do not stare at you, thank you very much.” She took a bite of food but kept her gaze on her plate. “So, how exactly are you supposed to help me? Most of the time when it comes to research, you’re just in my way.”
“Ouch,” Scott said with a chuckle.
Kiley lifted her gaze to his. “Well, it’s true.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Scott began as he reached for his beer. “I’m at your disposal. Whatever you need. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
In the back of his mind he was hoping she’d tell him to strip down naked and take her on this table. Legs spread wide, thighs wrapped around his hips, and his cock buried deep in her pussy. Just thinking about it made him sweat.
He was such an ass lusting after his best friend’s sister. Kiley was his friend. They fought like brother and sister. They each knew the other like the back of their hand. Sex would ruin that for them.
Kiley turned her attention back to her food, but she wasn’t eating. Instead, she pushed the food around with her fork. That was odd behavior for Kiley, especially when it came to Chinese food. It was her favorite. Scott had never met a woman who could eat as much as Kiley and still stay slim.
“Is something bothering you?” Scott asked after several seconds of silence.
“You mean other than Paula being in a Turkish prison?”
“Yeah, other than that,” Scott replied.
“I don’t know,” she sighed, then dropped her fork. She grabbed her glass of wine and downed two sips before continuing. “I know these missions take time, it’s just…I want her out of there.”
Kiley set her glass down and frowned. “How could she have been so stupid? Why couldn’t I convince her that guy was no good? Why didn’t she listen?”
“She thought she loved him,” Scott said.
“For some people.”
Kiley sighed and twirled her glass, staring at the red liquid inside.
“Have you ever been in love, Kiley?”
Kiley nodded sadly. “Once,” she replied softly.
Scott frowned. “When?”
She didn’t meet his startled gaze. Scott had no idea she’d ever been in love. She or Keith had never said a word about it.
“It doesn’t matter. He never returned those feelings.”
“Well then, he’s an idiot,” Scott growled.
Kiley looked at him at first in surprise, then her eyes softened and her lips spread into a slightly amused grin. “Yeah, I would agree that he’s sometimes an idiot.”
“Do you still see the guy?” Scott asked, surprised at the sharp ping of jealousy hitting his heart like someone flipping it with their finger.
“What about you?” Kiley asked without answering his question. “Have you ever been in love?”
Scott snorted. “No.”
“Of course not.”
“I don’t…I can’t…,” Scott sighed. “I don’t have the right job for that kind of relationship. How can I ask a woman to be okay with me risking my life like I do? It would never work.”
“We know several Seals that have successful marriages. That excuse is a crutch, and you know it.”
“I’m not a Seal anymore. What I do is different.”
“No, it’s not,” Kiley scoffed. “You do the same thing. The only difference is one is funded by the military and the other is privately funded. Come on, Scott. Out of all those women that you’ve slept with, not one of them got under your skin?”
Scott pointed his beer bottle at her. “You know me well enough to know the answer to that. Not one.” He sat back and took a sip of beer. “Love em’ and get the hell out, that’s my motto.” His lips twitched. “From what I understand, that’s yours as well. Perhaps you and I should team up.”
She smiled just a little, and Scott’s heart skipped a beat at the mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
“I don’t sleep with co-workers or friends of my brother’s. Not only that, but God knows where that penis of yours has been.”
Scott snickered as he watched Kiley carry her still full plate to the sink and begin to scrape the food into the garbage disposal. “I’m very careful. I always use a condom and get checked regularly.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder, her eyebrow raised adorably. “Really? I’m impressed.”
“I’ll always use a condom. I’m saving my skin to pussy virginity until I can convince the right girl she’s meant to be mine, you know when I’m old and gray and can no longer play with the big boys.”
Kiley giggled and shook her head. “Good luck with that.”
She set the plate down and turned to lean the small of her back against the counter. She reached down and gripped the edge of the granite countertop as she stared across the room at him with amusement, but there was a glint of something else in her eyes that made Scott’s pulse race.
“Don’t think I could convince her?” he asked.
“What I think is that this is a conversation better left for one of your male cronies. Right now, I need to get in the shower and get to bed.”
Scott grinned. “Want some company?”
Kiley walked past him and pushed at his forehead with her index finger, forcing his head back slightly. “You wish,” she mumbled.
Scott did wish. But he also knew wishing was all it could be. Kiley was off limits. He would never ruin the friendship they had over a night of sex, despite how incredible he knew it would be.
Chapter Three
Kiley’s hands shook as she stared at Scott. It was one of the reasons she’d grabbed hold of the counter. She didn’t want him to see what kind of effect he had on her, especially when he was making sexual comments she really didn’t think he meant.
He looked so handsome, so incredibly sexy with that devilish twinkle in his eye. He always had that look when he was teasing her, even when they were kids. She placed trembling fingers on his head as she walked past, letting the short hair rub against her fingers as she ran her hand across them.
“You know the way out,” she said.
Her hand dropped from his head but Scott grabbed it. His fingers felt warm around hers, and she resisted the urge to pull her hand away. Instead, she turned to face him.
He stared up at her with concern and a hint of understanding. “Paula’s going to be okay, Kiley.
They’ll get her out.”
She nodded. “I know. Still doesn’t stop me from worrying.”
Scott brought her hand to his mouth. His lips were moist and soft as they touched the back of her fingers. Every inch of her arm tingled as he held her fingers against his lips for several seconds. He lifted his eyelids and met her gaze. Kiley swallowed, hoping the feelings she had for Scott didn’t show in her eyes.
She’d loved him since she was a teenager, but she’d never told anyone, although Paula had guessed. It’s why she’d never dated anyone seriously. It’s why her sexual encounters were just one night stands. It was because no one would ever measure up to Scott. No one would ever hold her heart the way Scott did.
Scott removed his lips from her hand and stood. Kiley’s heart raced as he leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on her forehead. It wasn’t the first time he’d ever kissed her like that. He’d done it numerous times. He’d even kissed her chastely on the mouth, so she shouldn’t be surprised he would do it now, especially if he thought she was worried or upset. Unfortunately, when he was this close to her the butterflies in her stomach always went insane.
“I’ll see you at the office in the morning at eight?”
Kiley licked her lips. “Make it eight-thirty.”
Scott’s lips twitched slightly. “Deal.”
He started walking away, and she breathed a sigh of relief she hadn’t jumped him. Again. “And bring some coffee from the shop that’s on the corner.”
“Don’t like the office coffee?” he asked, although Kiley had no doubt he already knew the answer.
“Keith’s gone. Office coffee always sucks when Keith’s gone.”
Scott nodded and continued toward the front door. “Ain’t that the truth?”
Kiley stood in the kitchen for several minutes after the front door closed. Part of her wanted to run after him; call him back. Scott always made her feel better. Now that he was gone, that his tall, muscular presence was no longer filling her kitchen, the space felt overly big and lonely.
Sighing, she glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was only seven-thirty. Too early for bed.
Especially when it was an empty bed. She decided to hit the computers again and get that program running to track those women that James had friended on Facebook. She needed to keep an eye on them and hopefully be able to follow them if they left the country.
* * * *
Scott let the door of the office slam behind him, alerting Kiley to his arrival. He knew she was there. Her convertible Camero was parked out front. He couldn’t miss the damn thing—bright yellow with black interior. A stand out car for a stand out girl. Made perfect sense to him.
He grinned to himself as he headed down the hall to Kiley’s office carefully balancing the three coffees he carried in his hands. He could still remember the argument she and Keith had over that car. Keith hated it. He thought she drove too crazy for a convertible, that she’d get herself killed. Keith had always been an overprotective brother, but after the death of their parents, he’d become even more so.
Scott chalked it up to fear of losing the only family he had left. Scott could understand that. He could also understand Kiley’s frustration with it. She was an adult, and Keith should treat her as such. Unfortunately, Keith never listened to reason when it came to Kiley.
As Scott made his way down the hall, he stuck his head into Keith�
�s office and nodded at his assistant, Miranda. “Mornin’, doll. Kiley in her office?”
Miranda smiled slightly and turned her attention back to the computer in front of her. “Where else? That girl’s going to work herself into an early grave alongside her brother. See what you can do about that.”
Scott snorted and set one of the coffees he carried on her desk. “I’m tryin’.”
He heard Miranda mumble something under her breath that sounded like ‘yeah, I bet’, but he chose to ignore it and headed on to Kiley’s office. Sometimes he wondered if the forty-something, gorgeous brunette that took care of Keith’s office duties knew about his feelings for Kiley. He’d tried to hide it as best he could but she’d still caught him watching Kiley. Miranda would give him an amused grin, but never said anything. At least loud enough that he could hear it.
He used his hip to push open Kiley’s door.
“Oh, thank God, you brought coffee,” she said as she held her hand out.
Scott stopped and raised an eyebrow. “You expect me to bring it to ya? You can’t get up and come get it?”
“You’re at my disposal, remember?” she countered, still holding her hand out. She wiggled her fingers, and he resisted the urge to laugh out loud.
Scott relented and placed the cup in her outstretched hand.
“Thank you,” she said, taking a big sip.
She winced and hunched her shoulders. “Crap,” she gasped and wiped at a drop of coffee clinging to her lower lip.
Scott licked his own, wondering what it would be like to lick that coffee from her lips himself.
“It’s hot,” he said.
“No kidding,” she murmured as she set the cup aside. “You made good time.”
“I came in the back way. Not as much traffic.”
Kiley nodded and returned her attention to the computer. She had her hair up today, small pearl earrings dangled from her lobes. Kiley wore very little jewelry, but when her hair was up, she always had in earrings. He flicked one of the pearls with the tip of his finger as he leaned over her shoulder to see what had her attention.
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