Bogota, Colombia
Patrick stood before him, the notebook he held in his giant hand looking incongruous. The man was much more comfortable holding a gun or knife.
“A woman, a psychologist named Carrie Easterly, that Ms. Bradford was working with at the clinic, disappeared. We don’t know many details. It’s become very hush-hush, but rumor is that Thorne and Ms. Bradford set out to find her.”
Cook let that information settle within him. Yes, this was definitely something.
“We still don’t know where they went, but she hasn’t returned to her apartment or gone back to work yet.”
“And no sighting of Thorne?”
“No, but that’s not unusual.”
He waved away Patrick’s assertion that Thorne was elusive. While it was true that Cook didn’t keep tabs on Thorne’s daily activities, it was only because he hadn’t put any effort into the matter. Thorne lived in fear, avoided any kind of serious, romantic relationship. The knowledge that Aidan Thorne could never have a normal life had been enough to sustain him through the years.
But recent events had changed his thinking. Fate had stepped in to give him a deadline.
“I have men staked out at her office and her home,” Patrick was saying. “We’ll know the instant she returns.”
Rubbing his jaw contemplatively, Cook considered what he knew of Aidan Thorne. Arrogant. Decisive. Determined. Was this a trap? After all this time of searching and digging to find his adversary, was Thorne trying to draw him out by using the woman as bait? It was a possibility, but it didn’t track with Thorne’s personality. The man was overprotective to the point of paranoia. Even had bodyguards for his parents, his sister, and her family. If Cook hadn’t found it so amusing, he’d be insulted. This vendetta had nothing to do with them. This was between Thorne and Cook.
Or could it be that Thorne no longer believed that danger existed? Had he become complacent? Did he think that the passage of time had absolved his guilt or lessened Simon’s pain? If so, Thorne had a monumental surprise headed his way.
“Sir?”
Cook looked up, almost surprised to see Patrick was still standing there, waiting for further instructions.
“The instant Ms. Bradford shows up, alert me. We’ll hold back a few days. Monitor her. See what happens.”
“Very good, sir.”
Cook waited until Patrick had walked out of the room before he allowed himself a smile. Whether Anna Bradford was actually romantically involved with Aidan Thorne or not no longer mattered. He cared about the girl, and that was enough for him.
His final act of revenge against Aidan Thorne would be a spectacular event. One from which the man would never recover.
***
The Caribbean
Aidan dove beneath the rushing wave, relishing the adrenaline rush as the warm water pounded his body. Day six of what they’d taken to calling their island paradise, and he wasn’t near ready to give it up. But to keep her safe, he would do that and more. Tomorrow, Anna would return home, and that would be that.
The last few days had been, hands down, the best of his life. He waited to see if that thought brought any guilt and realized it didn’t. He had loved Mellie with a young man’s passion and an endless optimism. They’d had so much in common, and a deep friendship had turned to love. He had admired her drive, and their shared goals had merged perfectly. There would always be an ache in his heart for her. Not only had she died a horrible, agonizing death at the hands of a man they’d both considered a friend, but she had been so damn young. What she could have accomplished, the lives she could have saved, the beautiful children they could have had together—all gone because of one man’s evil.
Now there was Anna. Witty, sassy, a little screwball at times, and so full of life and joy that just to look at her brought a lightness to his heart he’d never experienced before. For the first time in years, he was happy to be alive.
And it would all end tomorrow. He could not and would not take the chance of Simon coming after her. If she stayed with him, could he keep her safe? Yes, but that would mean curtailing her activities. Anna was a free spirit whose love of life and independence made her the amazing woman she was. Would she be willing to give all of that up just to stay with him? Maybe, but he would never ask her to make that sacrifice.
Aidan dove into another giant wave, swam deep, and then burst to the surface. He spotted the small lone figure on the beach and waved. She’d been in the kitchen all morning, claiming he had shown off his culinary talents long enough and now it was her turn.
He swam toward the beach, needing to touch her as much as possible before she left him. That desire became more urgent the closer he came to the shoreline. The agonizing knowledge that in just a few hours he might never touch her again made him swim even faster. The instant he reached solid ground, he started running toward her. Aidan had to give her credit. Though her eyes widened in surprise at his apparent urgency, she stood her ground, waiting for him.
The instant he reached her, he halted suddenly and just took in the whole of her. The sun had lightened her long, brown hair to a dark honey. Her golden skin had the sheen of good health again, and the shadows beneath her eyes had disappeared. She wore a sarong-style dress of blue and white that molded to her curves and fluttered around her long, bare legs. She was a combination of beauty, grace, and incredible sweetness.
The smile she flashed him held a bit of wicked teasing. “In a hurry?”
He touched her then, just a fingertip caress to her silky cheek. “You have no idea.”
“Ready to eat?”
He pulled her to him, molding her body against his. “Yes.” And then he kissed her, letting her know what he was hungry for.
Disregarding his wet, salty body, Anna stood on her toes and wound her arms around Aidan’s neck. She couldn’t get enough of him, and Aidan had shown her over and over that he felt the same way. She wanted him wet, dry, clothed, unclothed. Any way she could get him. Always.
His mouth explored hers with both tenderness and greed, his tongue delving and sweeping with unrestrained purpose. They had made love so many times in the last several days that it should be physically impossible for her to want him again. But that was the magic of Aidan Thorne.
As his hands roamed over her body, she felt a loosening of her clothes. She pulled back slightly to suggest that they go inside. The moment she did, her dress dropped to the sand, and she was nude. The dress wasn’t made for wearing a bra, and Aidan had shown her over the last few days how irrelevant panties were in his presence.
Aidan took his own step back and let his eyes roam over her, from head to foot. Anna stood before him, not exactly nervous but still a little uncomfortable to be out in the open with no clothes. The look on his face and his hoarse words, “You’re beautiful,” pushed all shyness from her mind.
His hands cupped both her breasts and lifted them, causing her to shiver beneath the scorching sun. She closed her eyes the moment his mouth clamped down on a nipple. “Aidan,” she whispered.
“Want me?”
“Yes.”
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
The firm beach disappeared beneath her feet. Anna opened her eyes to see the world tip over as Aidan scooped her off her feet and laid her on the warm, soft sand. The sun was in her eyes, so she had to squint as she watched him pull off his swim trunks.
He dropped to his knees before her, and Anna touched him, marveling as she always did at the silky, hard smoothness of his erection. “You’re so hard.”
“A common malady when I’m within a hundred yards of you.”
Feeling deliciously free, she smiled and stroked him. “I have the cure for that.”
“Yes, you most certainly do.”
Taking the hand that held him, he kissed her palm and lay beside her. “Do you know how special you are?”
“In what way?”
“In every
way. From your sassy, sexy mouth to your generous soul. From your tender heart to your courageous spirit.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes. You have beautiful eyes, gorgeous hair, the most tempting mouth, and a lovely neck.” His gaze dropped lower. “Your breasts make my mouth water. Your skin is like a soft, fragrant rose. Your legs make my fantasies go wild, imagining them wrapped around me. Your ass is—”
She pressed her fingers to his mouth. “Okay. Okay. You like my body.”
“The word like is too lukewarm. And you didn’t let me finish. Your ass is firm, round, and makes me want to bite it.” His hand glided down her stomach and stopped at her mound. “And your—”
Blushing outrageously, she said quickly, “I have plenty of flaws, you know.”
He gave her a mock look of astonishment. “Dare you to name one.”
“I have a voracious appetite.”
“Oh yeah?” His mouth hovered over hers. “For what?”
“Ice cream, of course.”
He kissed her smiling mouth, and once again Anna became lost in the glory of Aidan Thorne’s lovemaking.
He stopped abruptly and raised his head. “What about brunch?”
“Brunch smunch.”
He sat up. “You’ve worked too hard to spoil it.”
“Aidan Thorne, if you don’t finish what you started, I—”
His eyes glittered with laughter. “You’ll what?”
“I’ll…I’ll…” Her mind was blank.
“Well, when you put it like that.” He leaned back over her and, still smiling, kissed her, and Anna was once again lost in the lush, sensual world that only Aidan could create. No one had ever made her feel so wanted, admired, and, yes, loved, as much as this man.
Her hands eagerly touching him wherever she could reach, she gasped and arched her body when his tongue trailed from her mouth, to her neck, and between her breasts. How could she be so hot and shivering at the same time?
He lifted his head. His eyes glittered with a hot, wild desperation she hadn’t seen in them before. “Tell me you want me, Anna.”
“I want you, Aidan.” Unable to stop herself, she added, “Always.”
He looked at her then, touching her with only his eyes. His gaze moved down her body. Heat suffused her as if he caressed her everywhere.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally touched her, his hand settling at the apex of her thighs.
“Open for me, baby.”
Refusing never entered her mind. Her legs moved apart.
Anna’s heart thundered against her chest as Aidan’s hand moved gently over her, caressing. When one finger touched the top of her sex, she groaned, breathless. And when he penetrated her, she gasped and arched upward, seeking more of him. He obliged. One finger, then two, slid easily into her. Rubbing, teasing, arousing.
“Aidan…please.”
“I want to watch you, Anna. Want to see your face. Will you let me?”
Unable to articulate any coherent words, Anna could only give him what he wanted. Spiraling out of control, throbbing…needing, wanting, reaching for completion, the desire to get there a living thing. She never wanted it to end—this wild, untamed insanity.
“Keep your eyes on me, sweetheart.”
Not realizing she’d closed them, she fluttered them open again. His expression both fierce and hot, he locked his gaze with hers. And then he gave her the most amazing, beautiful smile. Suddenly, she was soaring, reaching heights she’d never dreamed possible.
Giving her no time for recovery, Aidan eased his big body between her sprawled legs, lifted her hips, and plunged to the hilt inside her. Still reeling from ecstasy, Anna wrapped her legs around his hips and gave him everything. This man, her hero, her love.
Chapter Twenty-seven
The rest of the afternoon passed in delicious splendor. After taking a shower together where things got so heated the hot water ran out long before they exited the stall, they dried off, threw clothes on, and headed down to the kitchen. The quiche was cold but easily heated in the microwave. The dish wasn’t nearly as good as many of Aidan’s had been, but she was pleased that he ate three slices and drank two glasses of an orange juice cocktail she had concocted.
After their meal, they quickly cleaned up and then spent most of the afternoon swimming in the pool. It was early evening, when they were walking along the beach and watching the sun settle into the horizon, that things went south.
“I’ve been thinking,” Anna said.
“About what?”
“Have you thought about setting up a sting to trap Simon? I’m sure Noah would help.”
“Yeah, McCall has offered to help numerous times.”
She stopped walking to frown up at him. “LCR people train to catch the most vile criminals in the world. Why wouldn’t you enlist their help?”
“The only thing that motivates Simon is hurting me by hurting a woman I’m involved with. That means putting someone at risk. I’m not willing to put another woman in danger.”
“You don’t think a female LCR operative could handle it?”
“Of course she could. That’s not the point. I can’t—”
“But that’s exactly the point. Either you don’t have a lot of faith in female LCR operatives, which I know isn’t true, or—”
“Or what?”
Though blunt honesty wasn’t necessarily something she avoided, Anna heard a small, cautious voice telling her this might not be the best time to give her opinion. She ignored the voice and spoke her mind.
“Or you’re not totally committed to capturing Simon.”
“Like hell I’m not. I’ve spent over a decade looking for that son of a bitch.”
“And yet you’re no closer to finding him than you were the first day you started looking.”
“You know nothing about this, Anna, other than what I’ve told you. Judging me based on—”
“I’m not judging you, Aidan. I’m just saying that—” She stopped, frustrated with the way this conversation was going. She had him on the defensive, and that wasn’t what she wanted.
“What’s the saying? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”
“And that’s bullshit. A blanket statement, and it doesn’t cover all the things I’ve done to find the bastard. I’ve done everything I can.”
“Everything but the one thing that might work.”
“Stop it, Anna.”
“I know you don’t want anyone else hurt. I understand that, but—”
“But nothing. You didn’t see them. What he did to Mellie… The horror he put Kristen and Amy through. You didn’t see what he did to them. You weren’t the one that had to explain to them why they’d been attacked. You didn’t have to see the censure and hatred on their parents’ faces when they realized that their daughters were targeted by a madman because they’d had the bad judgment of going out with me.
“So don’t you damn well tell me what I should and should not do.”
His voice had risen to a near shout by the time he was through.
She had hurt them both by stating her opinion, but she wouldn’t apologize. Going for broke, she said calmly, “No, I didn’t see your wife’s body. I didn’t see what he did to Kristen or Amy. And I didn’t have to explain anything to them or their families. But think about this, Aidan. Is your guilt allowing Simon to win?”
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
“That maybe because of everything that’s happened…the guilt you feel, you don’t believe you deserve happiness. And that’s exactly what Simon wants.”
His eyes went hard as steel. “You think I’m not doing everything I can to bring Simon in because I feel guilty? That makes no sense. If anything, my guilt motivates me. Stop trying to psychoanalyze me, Anna. I’m not a traumatized child.”
No, he wasn’t a child, but he had been traumatized. She had learned a long time ago that telling anyo
ne what their problems were didn’t help. Just because she saw the issue clearly didn’t mean Aidan would. He would have to come to that realization on his own, but maybe she had planted a small seed in his mind.
“I think I’ll head back to the house and pack.”
It was a deliberate statement on her part. Even though she was slightly ashamed to learn that she wasn’t above a little emotional manipulation, she hoped the reminder that she was leaving would penetrate his defenses.
When he just nodded and turned away to look out at the ocean, she knew she’d gotten her answer. It wasn’t the one she’d hoped for.
Feeling like shit, Aidan watched a crestfallen Anna walk down the beach, away from him. He had hurt her feelings, but there was nothing he could do about that. Her words had been like a knife to a long-festering sore. Images of Mellie flashed in his head. He might’ve known her for only a short time but they’d made thousands of wonderful memories together. Yet it was that last brutal image of her that stayed with him and wouldn’t let him go.
Combined with that were the faces of Kristen and Amy. Women who’d had no idea they snagged the attention of a sociopath simply by being seen with Aidan Thorne. Their lives had been almost destroyed, their sense of safety gone forever.
How the hell was he supposed to get past that?
His cellphone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the screen and frowned. “Dad? Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine with us, son. What about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought you might need to talk.”
Coming from anyone else, that might’ve sounded strange, but Eric Thorne had a sixth sense when it came to his children. He always had. When either Aidan or his sister, Jenn, was hurting, they could almost always expect to hear from their father. His dad claimed it was just the deep love for his children that made him hyperaware, but Aidan wasn’t so sure. Whatever it was, Aidan had been the beneficiary of that sensitivity all his life.
“It’s been a difficult few days.”
“Can you talk about it?”
Another reason he loved his parents was the unending trust they placed in their children.
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