He wanted Erika in his arms right now, wanted her warmth seeping into his body and chasing away the chill. She'd done so much for him in the past few hours. She'd been more of a balm to his shattered nerves than the six-pack of beer he'd thought he needed. All he'd really needed had been her, to be inside her, joined with her, sharing her strength. It was cruel to think, but being with Erika for just this short time soothed him more than being with Nancy ever had. He hoped his ex-wife had someone she could turn to, someone who would be there for her in the way he'd never been.
The colonel's deep voice dragged Aiden back to the conversation. “Once we have everything in place, our agent is going to leak your exact location to Ramos. We're sure he'll be in touch after that happens. You will be protected at all times."
"Do we know anything about Sonny's whereabouts?” Erika looked like a sexy Amazon warrior with her hair falling on her shoulders. No wonder she kept it in a bun; men would be rendered complete idiots at the sight of her hair brushing the tops of her breasts as she leaned over. They should use her as a counterterrorist weapon. Osama would be so screwed.
"Our surveillance guys have been trying to hone in on a couple of bouncing satellite phone calls they intercepted. One of them may lead us back to Ramos. One of the calls originated in Clearwater and the other Orlando, as far as we can tell at this point, so he's somewhere in Florida."
The colonel snagged another paper from the file, this one a list of known contacts in the States. It was considerably shorter than the list Aiden had drawn up when he'd been the one investigating Sonny and his empire. Good. They'd managed to disrupt his business when they'd captured him.
The trio went through the file, piece by piece. The information from the government of Cancuen proved less than helpful. They knew how Sonny managed to escape, but they didn't know if he was still in the country or if he'd left. American intelligence suspected Sonny had set up shop in Florida, but knew little else. The information gathered on known associates’ activities might yield something. Aiden planned to scour that source to see if he noticed any deviations from when he'd tracked Sonny.
In a global game of cat and mouse, every thread had to be explored to the very end. His daughter's life depended on it. Aiden refused to allow himself to be flushed out by Sonny until the AFSA had a better sense of the playing field. While he'd gladly trade his life for Samantha's, he'd never risk the lives of the agents working with them, regardless of what he'd said earlier. He'd certainly never risk Erika's life.
Every nerve in his body thrummed with awareness as she sat close to him, thigh pressing thigh, in order to scan the documents as they were presented. He wanted to take her back to bed, to give back to her what she'd given him all night long. He wanted to protect her from the wrath of the military, which took sexual harassment quite seriously. Not that he'd been harassed; he'd been an eager participant. Hell, it couldn't even be considered harassment, could it, since she had no real authority over him. Given the current climate, however, the argument could be made that they shouldn't have slept together. Being a lawyer, he'd defend her to the end. He just hoped Colonel Covington wasn't waiting for a moment alone with her before going after her with regulations blazing.
She'd chosen her career over him once before. The irony would not be lost on him if, thirteen years later, he damaged the reputation she'd built.
He had to shake her from his thoughts and focus on the task at hand. Rescuing Samantha, recapturing Sonny, and ... then what?
The last piece of paper slid in front of Aiden showed a young Latino boy sitting in a bar, beer in hand. He looked like any of a million college students all around the country with his t-shirt and jeans. Next to that was a photocopy of a student identification card with the name Antonio Ortiz. Aiden looked up, questioning.
"That's Sonny, Junior."
Aiden looked back down at the picture and the ID. Sonny's son was a student at Penn State University. The game swung back into balance.
* * * *
Aiden sat at the desk in his room, the intelligence data spread out in front of him. The words separated into individual letters swimming around the page. He'd stared at the documents for too long.
Dammit. The information he needed to get a bead on Sonny hid in there somewhere. He just had to find it. Years of intel work and time spent as a lawyer taught him to search for the obscure, the subtle pattern. To do that, he had to concentrate on the task at hand, blocking out all possible distractions.
His biggest problem right now was clearing his mind of images of Samantha.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the unmade bed. He needed to stop thinking about Erika, too.
Closing his tired eyes and pulling a deep breath, memories assailed him. The scent of sex still lingered in the air, keeping his libido humming. Despite the fact that he'd come twice in less than twelve hours, he wanted her again. How was it that he managed to go without sex for three years—unless he counted whacking the weasel—but now he got antsy after three hours?
If he were honest with himself, he'd admit that sex with Nancy never held the power that defined the word with Erika. Several years with his ex hadn't led to the connection he felt with Erika after just a few nights. Underneath the innocence inherent in a virgin lurked a woman coming to terms with her sexuality. She'd possessed that innate sensuality at the Academy, driving him and half the male cadets in her squadron wild without even realizing it. Now it had matured into something dangerous—something with the power to enslave him.
That danger frightened him. So much depended on him. The lives of two women very important to him. Erika and Samantha. With his history of keeping women he was supposed to protect safe from harm, even the slightest diversion could prove to be his undoing. Theirs, as well.
He'd be damned if he'd allow that to happen.
If he could just keep his hands off of Erika.
The faint graying of the sky peeked around the edges of the curtain, drawing Aiden's attention back to the here and now. Stretching as he stood, he crossed the short distance to the window and tugged back the curtain. The faint pink haze on the horizon promised a beautiful Thursday, a very good thing since he intended to head for State College, Pennsylvania as soon as he showered.
When this was all over, he could do without sitting in a car for hours on end and staring at interstate signs for a long time.
Stripping off his clothing, he grabbed a new pair of boxers and headed for the shower. The cold bathroom floor chilled his feet when he entered the utilitarian room, making him snatch the bathmat from the edge of the tub to stand on while he brushed his teeth. Turning on the water, he stepped under the hot spray and let the steam seep some of the tension from his muscles.
Where was Sonny hiding Samantha and what was Aiden's next move once they had Junior?
"Just thinking of you standing there with all that water pouring over your body makes me wish I hadn't already showered in my room."
"What the f—” Aiden poked his head around the back of the shower curtain to see Erika sitting on the counter, looking damn fine in jeans and a t-shirt. “How the hell did you get in here?"
"I pocketed your key before I left."
Dangerous. The woman was fucking dangerous.
"It's a good thing I don't mind.” He popped back in the shower to finish soaping up. “How long do you think it'll take us to get to Pennsylvania from here?"
"I'm not sure, but it doesn't really matter. We're not going from here, we're heading to Bolling as soon as you're ready."
"What do you mean we're going to D.C.?” If the water hadn't already been steaming, it would have been, as fast as his temperature rose. There was no need to go to Bolling now that they were working together. Dumping him and running—
"We need to go to headquarters to pick up some equipment and I'd like to go to my apartment and pack a bag. I'm running out of clean clothing."
As much as it galled him to admit, Erika had a point. There were certain things they needed
if they were going to stay safe and gain an edge in this chase. “What am I supposed to do about clothing? I'm sick of wearing the same damn thing over and over. We can't exactly swing by my apartment so I can pack a bag.” He detested the whiny tone in his voice.
"I've actually been giving that some thought. When we get to Bolling, you can use your credit card to buy some necessities at the BX."
The idea of shopping at the base exchange didn't thrill Aiden. The supply was usually limited at the store. “Why can't I just go shopping at a mall?” He chuckled to himself. Those were words he never thought he'd utter.
"We're going to leak to Sonny that you are safe and secure at Bolling. The charge will serve as proof, if he has the means to check."
"But I need to get out in the open."
"Unless I miss my guess, he'll make contact via his source. In the meantime, we'll be on our way to Penn State to track down Junior. I'd rather draw him out on our terms."
Damn leak. He'd give just about anything to know his or her identity.
He had to admit, she was good at her job. Between the two of them, they made an awesome pair. His gut clenched at just how awesome a pair. Time to switch gears. Turning off the water, he shoved back the curtain and reached for a towel. The obvious desire on Erika's face stopped him in his tracks.
Her gaze took him in, from head to toe, stopping for a leisurely gawk at his groin. The intensity burned him. He moaned when her tongue flicked out to moisten her lips. Her pink lips. Lips that looked incredible last night when she'd sucked him.
"If I weren't in a hurry to get on the road, you'd be in big trouble."
His cock responded to her sultry once-over and lust-roughened voice by standing at attention. Damn, damn, damn. They didn't have time for this right now. Might not ever have time for it again, depending on the course of this mission. Instead of cooling his ardor, the very hint that he might not get lucky jerked his libido into high gear. Too bad. He'd never let his cock dictate his actions and didn't plan on starting now.
Turning his back to her, he dried off, avoiding any contact with his unruly dick for fear the slightest touch might set him off. He tried to wrap the towel around his waist but it looked ridiculous tented in the front. Plus, it didn't want to stay in place. Abandoning the effort, he strode from the tiny space in the nude.
Fortunately, Erika stayed in the bathroom while he dressed.
He picked up his dirty shirt and socks, tossing them in the shopping bag that served as a suitcase. He headed to the bathroom to claim his toothbrush when she entered the room. Lust still darkened her eyes, the struggle not to act on it written on her face.
"I'll let you finish getting dressed.” She kept her eyes averted as she scooted past him.
His patience was most definitely going to be tested as he hunted down Sonny.
Too bad he'd never been accused of being a saint.
Chapter 12
He'd really been granted clearances. What the hell had the colonel been thinking to cave like that? Then ... then ... if things weren't bad enough, the colonel sent her spinning off the edge of a cliff. He'd ordered her to stay with Aiden at all times to make sure he followed protocol and didn't get hurt. Ha. Erika wanted to pound the steering wheel in frustration or stomp her feet or—
Instead of being able to get rid of him when they arrived in Washington, D.C. in an hour or so, she'd have to continue to be with him for who knew how long, and run the risk of falling deeper in love with him. Damn.
If she'd even suspected their time together might stretch beyond the parameters she'd established, she'd have given more thought to her seduction.
Who the hell was she kidding?
They'd been in the car for almost two hours now. So far, the traffic in suburban northern Virginia had been kind and rush hour hadn't been the fickle bitch it could be some days. She thanked her lucky stars. She didn't want to spend any more time with Aiden than necessary. She had to shift back into a professional mode, finish out this case, and send him on his way.
Could she really have resisted him if she'd known she'd be forced to work with him? Just his presence in the seat beside her kicked her pulse up and sent her hormones raging like a hit of amphetamine. He'd become her drug of choice since that first hit, when her body straddled his on the sidewalk. All thoughts of danger and escape disappeared as the contact rush flooded the pleasure centers in her brain. She wanted—needed—the next fix of his long thick penis filling her until she screamed. It had been less than twenty-four hours and she was jonesing already.
She needed an AA—Aiden Anonymous—meeting in the worst way.
Oh yeah, way to think those professional thoughts.
Time to grab the bull by the horns. “I think our first step needs to be a thorough evaluation of the intelligence data with one of the experts."
"I am the expert when it comes to Sonny."
"No offense meant, but you've been out of the game for seven years. So has Sonny. I'm sure things have changed."
"That's where you're wrong. He hasn't been out of the game at all. Once again, you're underestimating him. That's exactly the thinking that has put my daughter in the hands of a man who wants to punish me, by making me suffer the way he thinks he's suffered since I handed him over to Cancuen authorities."
"I think you're reading too much into this."
"And you're not reading enough."
She'd actually wondered where the arrogant, self-assured Aiden had disappeared to. He'd been lurking all along, lulling her into a false sense of security.
"I think our first course of action needs to be finding Antonio on that college campus and drawing Sonny out. The sooner, the better."
"I disagree. I think the leak will tell Sonny that he spotted you at Bolling and tell him you're safe. That will flush Sonny out much faster than tracking down his party animal son."
"And I disagree with you. Look, if you don't want to go to Pennsylvania with me, just say the word. I'll ask Colonel Covington to authorize a car rental in my name."
"You can't do that, he won't. He ordered us to stay together, for safety purposes."
"Then I suggest you pack a bag and prepare to visit a college campus."
Damn and double damn. The cadet she'd known and loved was back. Only, she didn't love him so much right now. Right now she was ready to unbuckle his seat belt and push him out the car door.
"We can discuss this further when I'm not distracted by traffic.” Oh yeah, that was a brilliant tactical maneuver. She didn't realize she'd snorted out loud until she caught him staring at her in her peripheral vision.
Silence reigned for the last hour of the trip. The arrival at the Air Force base took the edge off her tension. Soon, she wouldn't have to breathe the same air as Aiden or smell him with every inhale. Soon, she'd be able to stretch without worrying that she'd accidentally touch him.
She maneuvered the car through the obstacle course of concrete barriers making up the entrance to the gate. Without the sticker that identified her as someone who belonged on base, she had to stop and identify herself, first to one Security Police charged with tracking traffic and then to the Security Police at the actual gate. After scrutinizing her military identification card, he waved her through. The enhanced security had come about after the terrorist attacks almost five years ago. Everything had been stepped up in response to the surprise attacks, especially in the Washington, D.C. area.
Erika navigated the streets to the single-story nondescript building that housed the East Coast office of the Air Force Security Agency. She'd wanted nothing more than to be a part of the ultra secret command since she'd been tapped at the Academy. Since then, she'd worked hard, harder than most, to be accepted in the mostly male environment. She'd achieved a degree of success—she was considered “one of the guys,” and “not like most women.” She yearned to be more than a woman good at her job because she was “one of the guys.” She yearned to be accepted as a woman good at her job. Period.
It was
a battle she'd waged all her life, from the freaking cradle, for Pete's sake. Her father wanted a boy. Instead, he got her. Rather than learn to parent a girl, he'd treated her like the son he wanted. So the vicious cycle began.
She thought, when she and Aiden dated at the Academy, she'd finally achieved the level of acceptance she'd always craved. He'd seen her as a woman, all right. In his world, however, women didn't do more than cook, clean, and pop out babies. Not what she wanted for herself.
She believed she'd spend the rest of her life on the treadmill her father had put her on all those years ago unless she broke the cycle.
Good Lord, pity parties were so not her style. What the hell was wrong with her?
Pulling into the parking lot in front of AFSA headquarters, Erika prepared to show Aiden the part of her life that had caused the rift between them. How would he feel?
"Are you ready for this?"
"Why on earth wouldn't I be? I want my daughter back. I want Sonny. This is the first step."
So much for thinking that he might be bothered by the physical reminder of what caused their break. Men. Even the most intelligent could be clueless.
Aiden followed her up the walk, standing too close for comfort, as she punched in the security code. His heat soaked through her skin, warming her to her core. His scent invaded her senses until she wanted to jump him on the spot.
Oh yeah, way to be professional.
With a soft snick, the door unlocked and Erika tugged it open. The padded soles of their walking shoes made little noise as they made their way down the hallway to her office. She hoped to encounter as few people as possible during this foray. Popping in and out unnoticed suited her fine. The hallway remained thankfully empty as she unlocked the door to her office and settled Aiden in a chair to wait while she gathered a few things.
"Major.” The sound of Lieutenant Colonel Hampton's voice, Colonel Covington's second-in-command, startled her. “I was wondering when we'd see you today."
The Class of '93 Trilogy: Deadly Briefs Page 15
