Beside her, Aiden remained blissfully silent, tucked out of sight. She thought about releasing him from his uncomfortable position on the floor of the car, but disregarded the idea. The personal safety of those entrusted to her care was serious business. If the road behind them remained clear, she'd let him sit in the seat. She'd almost lost him twice now in twenty-four hours. No way in hell she'd let that happen again.
Lost him.
No, she hadn't lost him, he'd almost been killed.
She'd lost him more than a decade ago, weeks before graduation, when he'd proclaimed that he didn't want her going into the dangerous world of espionage, intelligence, and special operations. He'd wanted her in some nice safe support position where she could put in her five years, get out, and spend the rest of her life following him around as Mrs. Aiden Greene and having babies.
Rejecting his proposal had been the hardest thing she'd done. She wanted everything in life—a challenging career and a loving husband. An exciting professional path was within reach. With Aiden, she thought she'd found the perfect man for her, a man who appreciated her for who she was and not what he wanted her to be. Learning otherwise had crushed her.
In a twist of fate worthy of one of life's little ironies, Aiden's future now rested in her hands. She was the lifer with the military career and he was the civilian with babies.
As she concentrated on her driving, all her senses tuned into the man next to her. A painful reality attacked her from the deep, dark recesses of her subconscious where she'd stashed them. She didn't have a challenging career and a loving husband because Aiden was the only man she'd ever loved.
It didn't matter, she forced herself to remember. Loving Aiden meant nothing. He hadn't really loved her, not like she deserved and craved. Instead, he'd been just like her father. His love had been conditional. They'd both loved her as long as she conformed to their expectations. She'd already spent the first part of her life attempting to—unsuccessfully—win her father's love by being what he wanted. No matter how much she'd loved Aiden, she hadn't been willing to live the rest of her life trying to fit into his mold. Dammit, she deserved to be loved unconditionally.
Erika shook her head to clear away the depressing thoughts. The pain lingered, no matter how deep she buried it, rising from the dead like some bad horror movie zombie. When her attempts to avoid this assignment failed, she'd accepted the inevitability of the heartache, the disappointment, resurfacing. Shaking off the hurt was critically important. A life depended on her ability to do her job and be on top of her game. Not just any life—Aiden's life.
Unfortunately, clearing away the emotional cobwebs left her body free to obsess. Every fiber of her being longed to be closer, skin to skin close. She started to imagine how they'd fit together, what he'd feel like stretched out on top of her. Or beneath her. Her lips craved his touch, making her curious to see if his kisses were as magical as her memories of them.
"I think I've lost all feeling in the lower half of my body. And my head is throbbing."
His voice broke the spell she'd woven.
She admired his restraint. She'd have been complaining up a blue streak after five minutes squashed on the floor of a Corvette. “Just let me make one more loop back on our route. Can you manage for fifteen more minutes or so?"
"I'm already numb. What's another fifteen?"
His gaze burned her flesh, warming her more than the strong sun shining through the driver's side window. “You've been very quiet through all of this. Whatcha thinking?” Maybe if she kept him talking, she'd stop fantasizing about his body.
"It's more than just another Manic Monday, isn't it? I've been trying to come up with a plan."
Whoa. “Excuse me?"
"A plan. You know, that thing that details the steps or actions to be taken.” His flippant tone set her nerves on edge. As much as she'd been expecting this, she didn't want it to happen.
"I know what a plan is. What I don't know is why you need to come up with one. This is my assignment, therefore, my plan."
"It's my life. I think that trumps you."
Okay, she needed to know what he'd done with the man who'd complied with her orders. That man needed to come back. Fast. The situation was dangerous enough without Aiden wanting to play James Bond. “This is a whole different ball game."
"I captured Sonny once. I can do it again."
Whoa, whoa, whoa. “The only thing you're going to do is take a trip to Washington, D.C., where you'll stay put on a secure military facility until Sonny is locked up in an American prison this time."
"I'm not going to argue with you, Erika. I've made up my mind."
"I have my orders.” As much as I don't like them. “They specifically state that I am to deliver you in one piece to Bolling."
"I'm no longer in the Air Force and you sure as hell aren't my wife. So the way I see it, I don't have to answer to anyone except myself. And I say I'm going to take an active part in bringing Sonny down, once and for all."
The tone of his voice left no room for argument. He may have refined it in law school, but he'd learned it at the Academy, yelling at underclassmen. She'd drop the discussion for now. She had learned the value of a strategic retreat at the Academy. It didn't mean she had any intention of giving in. Nope, she'd find a way to bring back the man who'd followed her last night and continue on her merry way.
"Where do you think the leak is?"
Erika admired the change in topics as a tactic. “As much as I hate to think it, the source is someone at headquarters in Bolling. No one else has all the pieces to the puzzle."
"Which lets Marilyn off the hook."
"I told you before that—"
"You're right. It couldn't be him. He had no knowledge of me before I showed up at the safe house, so he couldn't have tipped anybody off.” Erika heard the but he'd left unsaid.
He sounded so much like the arrogant cadet she'd once known that she was unable to hold back a snort. “I'm so glad you agree with me.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “Since Marilyn hadn't known about my assignment with you until we showed up last night, he couldn't possibly have had anything to do with the explosion."
The already cramped interior of the Corvette shrank as Aiden unfolded his large body. With more grace than she thought possible, he settled onto the low-slung seat. From the corner of her eye, she watched him stretch his legs. While arching his back, he rolled his neck and shoulders. “I can't stay down there any longer."
She'd just begun to feel a twinge of guilt for making him sit on the floor for so long when his arm stretched across the space between them and his hand brushed her breast. Her nipple tingled at the contact, heat warmed the skin and shot straight between her legs. Her whole body leapt to alert at the accidental touch. How pathetic was that?
The whole assignment was an exercise in keeping her feet under her when Aiden's mere presence knocked her on her ass. Now she had to contend with Mr. I-know-what's-best-for-me trying to take control on top of the flood of memories and the animal attraction. That's all it was, lust.
Oh, yeah, a vacation someplace tropical with cabana boys was in order once Sonny wore a prison jumper and Aiden was back in his expensive suits.
Except why instead of tanned, young hard-bodies fulfilling her every whim, did she see Aiden sauntering toward her across a white sand beach?
Chapter 4
Alternating between being pissed off and amused, Erika watched as Chad ran his hands over the curve of his Corvette. “I told you nothing would happen to your precious car."
"Yeah, well."
Typical fighter jockey—all flash and no substance. Except that Chad was the best AFSA officer around, so he must be one hell of an actor. Not for the first time, she wished she knew what his mission entailed.
"The only thing damaged is my back.” Aiden stretched, making his point.
"Quit complaining about a couple of aches and pains. You're alive, aren't you?” Chad zinged Aiden before Erika even had a chance
to open her mouth.
"Yes, I am. And I have Erika to thank for that.” Aiden leveled her with an intense gaze. So many emotions flashed in his eyes, she had trouble distinguishing them and wasn't sure she wanted to.
"Come on, you two. Let's get something to eat. I'm starved.” Chad's voice dragged Erika back to here and now.
A physical pain tugged at Erika's heart as she broke the contact. She lacked the strength to look away when he stared at her like that. Chad requested a table close to the fire exit, maneuvering the seating so he and Erika sat facing the door. Erika appreciated the gesture. She'd done her damnedest to make sure they hadn't been tailed, but she had to continue to play it safe.
A huge part of her wanted to toss Aiden in the Chrysler and haul his sexy ass east as fast as the speed limit allowed. They could be in Washington, D.C. in less than eight hours, she reminded herself. The sensible, logical, reasonable part of her calculated the risk involved in driving directly to Bolling. No matter how much she tried to crunch the facts, a straight shot posed too much danger. Whoever knew Aiden's home address and the location of the safe house undoubtedly had the inside track on the next step of the plan and expected her to head directly to AFSA headquarters. Hell, up until a few minutes ago, it's what she assumed she'd do.
No, until the leak was plugged, a very circuitous trip was a necessity. Which meant a night—nights—in safe houses and motel rooms.
Her hormones happy danced at the prospect of nights alone with Aiden. Of watching him sleep. Did he sleep in his underwear? Thoughts of boxers versus briefs set off another round of hormone happy dancing.
Her intellect needed to take control and fast.
"Earth to Erika."
"Huh?” Aiden's voice pulled her back to her dining companions.
"Are you ready to order?"
A waitress in a pink uniform with a white apron stood perched at the edge of the table, tablet and pencil in hand. The woman seemed more interested in drooling over her companions than doing her job. Erika felt an uncharacteristic urge to poke out the other woman's eyes when she cast a puppy dog gaze at Aiden.
"Oh, yeah, I'll have the cheeseburger, well done, with onion rings.” She caught Aiden staring at her, eyebrow raised and a questioning look on his face. “What?"
"Nothing. It's just with your figure, I assumed you were a healthy eater."
He noticed her figure? There went those damn hormones again. She had her work cut out for her, remaining detached until they parted company. “One of the hazards of the profession. Working with so many men has ruined my eating habits."
"Hey,” Chad sputtered. “Maybe I ordered a salad."
"Lettuce and tomato on your burger doesn't constitute a salad."
Chad laughed out loud.
Erika had worked hard to be accepted as “one of the guys” when she'd joined the male-dominated Air Force Security Agency. Deflecting advances from most of her co-workers had been tricky, but she'd managed to turn them down without stomping on any egos. Eventually, they'd stopped viewing her as a piece of ass and got used to dealing with her as an equal. She'd earned her successes and their respect based on her ability, exactly the way she wanted.
She'd sat across hundreds of tables, surrounded by men, looking exactly as she did now, on occasion in her dress blues instead of BDUs.
The fall of her hair and her lack of make-up never bothered her any of those times. Now, she felt frumpy in the gender-neutral camouflage uniform. She wished she'd done something with her hair instead of just twisting it up in her usual bun. For once, she regretted not tossing some makeup in her suitcase. Why did any of that matter now that Aiden Greene sat across from her? The fact that it did pissed her off to no end.
Turning her attention to the conversation between Aiden and Chad, she attempted to forget that Aiden was the only man she'd ever wanted, ever loved. The one man who'd never treated her like a piece of ass. If only he'd been able to respect her as a person—
The tantalizing aroma of hot onion rings wafted on the air as the waitress returned with their orders and a side order of flirt and a huge show of cleavage. No, no, no, Erika did not do jealousy. So why did she have to bite back a smile when Aiden pointedly ignored the bimbo?
Chatter slowed as Chad and Aiden attacked their hamburgers with glee. As she sat there, memories of meals eaten in the dining hall at the Academy teased her. At least now she didn't have to wolf back her food in twenty minutes or less.
"Where to now?"
Even though Erika suspected Chad asked out of curiosity and not some deep ulterior motive, she had no intention of revealing her plan until she and Aiden were back on the road. Even her CO wouldn't know their exact location until they showed up in his office. With an unknown leak that could be anywhere, she wasn't taking any chances with Aiden's life.
"I haven't figured that out yet, Chad.” It wasn't a complete lie. She planned on heading south, she just hadn't decided their exact destination.
Every time she began to think about the route, her mind flew ahead to how many nights she'd have to spend with Aiden. Nights in safe houses didn't concern her—much—as they'd have separate bedrooms. It was the possibility of nights spent in motel rooms that scared the shit out of her. Sleeping in the bed next to his, listening to him in the shower, hearing his steady breathing as he slept.
"You haven't?” Both men questioned at once, snapping her out of her lust-induced fog.
"Why does that surprise either of you?"
Chad jumped in first with his answer. “Because you make me look unorganized, that's why."
"I'm dealing with a pissed off drug lord who's being fed information by someone I'm supposed to be able to trust. Forgive me if it's put a kink in my plans."
Chad had the decency to look chagrined. Aiden cocked an eyebrow at her, looking like he didn't quite believe her. As if he'd read her mind and knew she'd been thinking about him. Either that or he saw this as an opportunity to push his own agenda.
Ha! Fat chance of that happening.
"Now, if you two chowhounds are finished, Aiden and I need to get on the road."
Raising his hand, Aiden signaled the waitress, digging in his wallet for a twenty as she approached.
"You shouldn't have done that.” Erika winced at the sharp tone in her voice. Rudeness never accomplished anything.
"Why not?” Aiden's spine stiffened.
"Your money is very limited right now."
"I may not have a wad in my wallet, but I can withdraw more."
"No, you can't."
"Why not? I'm not poor."
Erika could almost see steam rising from the top of his head. “Because any use of bank cards or credit cards could very well be traced."
"Oh.” His shoulders slumped
Erika turned her attention to Chad, needing to make arrangements to borrow his AFSA authorized credit card so as to throw off any possible tail. Besides, that peek at Aiden's vulnerable side posed a serious threat to her emotional well-being and she refused to allow that to happen.
Aiden and Chad pushed to their feet as she stood, allowing her to lead the way outside. Once she took the keys to the Chrysler, she bid Chad goodbye and headed for the car with Aiden following in silence.
It wasn't until she'd merged onto Highway 75 heading south toward Kentucky that Aiden spoke.
"So, do you mind telling me where we're going?"
* * * *
If Erika Lynn Dalton thought she could strong-arm him into getting her way, she was in for a rude surprise. Aiden had made the decision to take control of his life regardless of her plans.
Not answering him wasn't a good sign, either. “I asked—"
"I heard you."
Neither was not looking at him. Of course, she could always use driving as an excuse for that. “It's generally considered polite to answer a question when one is posed."
"Now this is the Aiden Greene I remember. Tall, handsome, and arrogant as all get out. I was wondering where he'd disappeared to
."
As he stared at her, half dumbfounded, half pleased, he heard her mumble what sounded like, not that I wanted the arrogant part to make an appearance. She still thought he looked good. A flush colored her face a splotchy red as he sat staring at her. She never had been one of those girlie girls who blushed prettily. As far as distraction techniques went, she'd just delivered a beaut. Not that he planned to let her get away with it.
"I'd like an answer.” He kept his voice soft, his tone firm.
She drew a deep breath, the action forcing her breasts up and out, dragging his eyes to the enticing flesh. His cock twitched as some of his blood headed south, abandoning his brain for more pleasant climes at a time when he needed all of it above his belt.
"I've decided to head to Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee. It's not a typical base, but more of a test facility. Because of that, I think it's off the beaten path enough to throw everyone off. I can't imagine anyone expecting us to go there."
He liked the way she thought. An out of the way stopping point sounded ideal. What he didn't like was the idea of being alone with her. If it was that out of the way, he'd be willing to bet his left nut that they'd be alone.
His body had been in a state of arousal since she'd landed on top of him last night. Sitting in the kitchen early this morning, only Marilyn's presence in a nearby bedroom had kept him from doing something incredibly stupid. And now, just staring at her chest had him as horny as a high school freshman. Oh, no. Being alone with her was definitely not a good idea. He'd hurt her enough for one lifetime. He refused to add to that by getting physical with her, no matter how good it promised to be.
His unruly little head throbbed in disagreement, wanting to be buried deep inside Erika's pussy something fierce, knowing sex with her wouldn't be just good, but knowing how fan-fucking-tastic it would be.
The Class of '93 Trilogy: Deadly Briefs Page 5
