One of his hands moved from her hair, shimmied down her back and palmed one cheek of her ass, urging her forward. He met her halfway with a powerful grind of his hips. A moan escaped her. As though he’d planned it that way, his tongue slipped effortlessly through the opening she’d given him. His minty taste filled her as he licked, explored and claimed her mouth.
Through a haze of desire, she became aware of other sounds invading the veil of privacy she’d only imagined.
“What a disgusting display,” the woman across the aisle hissed.
“That’s why this country is going to hell,” her husband replied.
Sounds of rustling clothes joined their indignant complaints and moved farther and farther away.
MacGyver’s laugh tickled her lips and brought her back to the harsh reality of her situation. They stared silently for a moment and…was it lust that clouded his eyes and put that cocky grin on his face? Why was it she felt safe with him? Almost as though she sensed his intrinsic honesty and integrity.
If those self-righteous people knew the sacrifices he’d made—and her as well—to keep their country safe, would they still be disgusted? Probably. Their audible whispers had succeeded in shattering the moment. How easily she’d pushed aside the important things. The phone call. Pop caught up in a mess of her making. A groan vibrated her throat as shame landed on her like a stack of bricks.
Kellie moved one leg to the floor, but MacGyver still wouldn’t let her go, cinching her waist with an unyielding grip. “Trust me. He won’t hurt your stepfather—at least not until he gets his hands on you. You’re the prize he wants, and he’s not about to throw away his leverage, even if everything doesn’t go the way he plans.”
She pushed away from his chest, and this time he let her go and got to his feet. Maybe he’s right. Kellie clung to his theory for a split second. But how many hostage-takers issued threats they weren’t prepared to make good on?
The flimsy structure of hope she’d built crashed down around her shoulders. Despair stole her ability to reason, and she drew back her hand. Guilt for her part in Pop’s current circumstances wrenched a war cry from her as she swung. The sharp crack of skin on skin stunned her. The palm of her hand stung as though she’d burned herself.
“It wasn’t your call to make.” She enunciated each word precisely, hoping to see some small amount of remorse in his expression. She should have known better.
MacGyver’s gaze never wavered. His left cheek bore a red insignia shaped like her hand, but minus that and the miniscule flicker of…what? Disappointment? Hurt? The flicker was gone so fast, Kellie might have imagined it—attributed feelings where none existed.
Damn it—should have used my fist.
Chapter Nine
If he lived to be an old man, MacGyver would never understand women. Not his sisters, not his ex-fiancée and sure as shit not the sexy-as-hell woman who pretended to sleep beside him in the backseat of their rented SUV. They were twenty miles from Coeur d’Alene and Kellie hadn’t yet uttered a word, so he still didn’t know which of his dumb moves had pissed her off so bad.
No way was he letting Kellie go to the cabin alone as the shit-for-brains on the phone had instructed. Perhaps MacGyver shouldn’t have ripped his phone from her fingers and added his two cents to the conversation, but even contemplating that scenario had made his teeth clench and his temperature shoot through the roof. No…not sorry for putting a stop to that crazy notion.
Hanging up on the prick hadn’t set well with Kellie—at all. And he could see her point, but the jackass on the phone needed to know who was calling the shots. Besides, any first year cop-in-training would know holding Kellie’s stepfather hostage was only a means to an end, and the end in this case was getting his hands on Kellie. She didn’t like that explanation one bit.
Scraping a hand across the back of his neck, MacGyver glanced at her. She’d slapped him upside the head, and he hadn’t even seen it coming. As much as he hated to admit it, pulling her onto his lap and locking lips with her had been a rookie mistake. What had he been thinking? The problem was he hadn’t been…at least not with the head on his shoulders. Hell no. The scent of her skin when he’d leaned close to hear the caller’s demands, her full lips and her astonishingly innocent, green eyes—God, he’d wanted to hold her and protect her. Taste her again. Feel her respond to his kiss as though she, too, sensed their connection. And he’d been right, because she’d willingly joined him in his wicked display of lust.
Knowing he wasn’t alone in whatever was happening between them made no difference. He’d disrespected her. His mother would have used a two-by-four on his hard head, instead of a flesh-and-blood hand. Yeah, he’d deserved Kellie’s slap and more—but she was still in danger, and deciding what happened next shouldn’t be based on how angry she was at him. Somehow he needed to fix that.
Casting a glance toward the front seat where Travis drove, while Blake snoozed, he discreetly worked his cell phone from his pocket. His friends had been no help, ragging on him from the minute they’d seen the evidence on his cheek. Their shit didn’t bother him, but he’d noticed how much their teasing was embarrassing Kellie. A few choice words in Travis’s ear had plunged the vehicle into the silence that still reigned.
MacGyver woke up his phone, scrolled sideways to the notes app and tapped the screen for a new page. One more tap to bring up the keyboard and he typed: Sorry. Truce? After making sure Travis was looking straight ahead, he slid the mobile over the leather seat until it nudged her leg.
Kellie turned her head and glared at him, then glanced at the phone, before returning her head to the same place it’d been, closing her eyes again.
Tough crowd. Persistent, if nothing else, MacGyver pulled the phone back and typed: Please? Let me make it up to you. Cook you dinner? Run you a bubble bath? You name it.
He slid it back, and this time her irritated expression couldn’t hide a flicker of curiosity. She picked it up, read his message and a microscopic grin lifted one corner of her mouth. She pecked out a slow answer and pushed the phone toward him.
Bubble bath sounds good! Too bad there are only showers at the cabin.
MacGyver laughed softly. Dinner it is then, if you’ll forgive me…and smile.
She frowned when she read his words but began typing right away. Not your fault. I wasn’t ready to listen, but you were right. I was WAY out of line. Forgive me too? A sad-faced emoticon followed the last word.
The weight of his self-reproach lightened marginally. Was it possible she was angry about the way he’d handled the phone call and not about the kiss? He grinned big and gave her a thumbs-up before he focused on the note page again. Still waiting for that smile.
Kellie peered toward the two in the front seat and grabbed for the device as soon as he shoved it toward her. Two keystrokes later a smiley face winked at him from the screen.
Ha! Very funny.
It’s a little funny!
A gorgeous, full-blown smile swept the worry from her face, but exhaustion remained in the dark circles beneath her eyes. She hadn’t eaten today, and considering her hangover had kept her from eating anything substantial yesterday, breakfast should have been first on the agenda. As he studied her, the smile slowly disappeared, and she fisted the phone with an air of determination.
What are we going to do?
He liked the sound of that we. Did Kellie realize what a concession it was for her to admit her concern and to acknowledge their need to work together? Probably another bad idea, but he couldn’t help giving her hand a light squeeze before he took his phone back. Instead of typing, he sat forward, dropping his arm heavily along the seatback, causing Blake to jerk to attention.
“I’ve been thinking, and all of us need to have a say in what happens next.” MacGyver pushed the brim of his ball cap up a notch as he gave Kellie an encouraging smile.
“What do you
have in mind, Bro?” Travis looked at him through the rearview mirror.
“If she agrees, Kellie and I’ll take the SUV up to the cabin. I’d like to find a spot to drop you and Blake so you can approach from another direction—maybe hang back and see what’s waiting for us.”
“I may know a place. It’s been a few years since I’ve been here, but there used to be a deer trail from the lake that skirts around the back of the property. The brush is thick, but you should be able to see the cabin from there and get fairly close without being noticed.” Kellie unbuckled her seatbelt and slid forward. Her knees brushed MacGyver’s thigh, but she didn’t seem to notice the contact or the hitch in his breath.
He cleared his throat before trusting his voice. “Outbuildings?”
She nodded. “Just a carport and a woodshed on our property, but there are other cabins close by, and this time of year, some may be vacant.”
MacGyver nodded. She was good. Simple but thorough plans were what he was used to, and Kellie was calm and factual in giving them the info they needed. Definitely an asset since she was the only one familiar with the area.
Travis focused on her through the mirror. “Your stepdad—what’s his first name?”
“Charles. His friends call him Charlie.”
“Tell us something personal about him—something he’ll recognize as coming from you.” Travis slowed and merged into the right hand lane of the highway. Any of the next several exits would take them into Coeur d’Alene.
Kellie snuck a peek at MacGyver, and he ached to reassure her they were on her side—that there was no malevolent motive for asking about her stepdad. “One of us might find Charlie before you do, and we’ll need to convince him we’re the good guys. It’ll be easier if he believes you sent us.”
Her brow creased, and she focused on something beyond the windshield. “Charlie met my mother when I was twelve. One day, this fireman was wheeled into the hospital where she worked as an ER doctor. He’d fallen through a roof while fighting a fire. Both of his legs were broken and Mom said he’d been lucky to survive. Pop told us later that when he woke up in the ER and saw Mom, he thought he’d died and she was his beautiful guardian angel. They were married six months later, and he still loves her like crazy, even though she’s been gone for nearly two years.”
Kellie swiped at a tear that had swollen over the rim of her eyelid and rolled down her cheek. MacGyver pretended not to notice, and no one spoke right away. Travis had asked for personal, and that was what she’d given them. Her eyes held a sadness that hadn’t been there before. MacGyver gripped the edge of the seat to give his hands something to do besides reaching to comfort her. He’d already proven he couldn’t be trusted not to turn comfort into something entirely different.
“Okay. I’d feel better if we were armed. What kind of gun laws does Idaho have?”
A derisive snort preceded Blake’s glower over the seat back. “Hey, man. Have I ever let you down?” A smug grin spread from ear to ear.
“No, you haven’t. That’s why your damn duffle’s so heavy?”
“Hell yeah. I took a chance. When you said you were lookin’ to get out of town fast, I packed a few things…just in case.”
“Good thinking. I knew I liked you.” Travis nodded his approval.
“I didn’t bring radios, though. We’ll need a signal to let us know if you run into trouble.”
“You’ll know.” MacGyver and Kellie uttered the words at the exact same time, and they both laughed, prompting a suspicious glare from Travis through the mirror.
“What the hell’s going on back there?” He gave the mirror a twist and darted a glance at Kellie. “I thought you were pissed at this poor slob. Now you’ve gone and made up? Shit! I miss all the good stuff.”
Kellie’s eyes sparkled. “Travis, you didn’t think I was mad, did you? Hell no. That was just a warning shot. When I get angry…you won’t have to wonder.”
Travis laughed uncertainly. Kellie’s cheeks turned an attractive shade of pink as she turned to wink at MacGyver, and her smile brightened his world.
“Well hell. Knowing my friend’s slow learning curve, he’ll likely be in trouble again before the day’s done.”
Everyone chuckled at Travis’s observation, except Blake, who’d gone quiet again.
MacGyver shrugged one shoulder as he basked in Kellie’s openness. “I hate to admit it, but he’s probably right.” He laughed when she cocked her head and pursed her lips.
Her perusal lowered to his mouth, and another of her gorgeous smiles broke over her face like sunshine. MacGyver couldn’t get enough.
Shifting toward the front, she bobbed her chin at something ahead. “Take the next exit and turn right. I’ll let you know when we’re getting close.”
MacGyver leaned back against the seat, threading his fingers together behind his head. Why the weight of the world had just lifted from his shoulders was a question he’d save for later. Right now, he wasn’t going to waste the truce he’d won. He kept Kellie engaged by asking about the Veterans Memorial Bridge that seemed to cling precariously to a steep section of I-90 above them. Obvious pride lit up her expression as she described all that the City of Coeur d’Alene had done to honor the fighting men and women of America. To hear the gratitude bordering on reverence in her words soothed some of the rough edges from his war-weary soul.
The lake was beautiful, the water clear, calm and crowded with boats in spite of the weather being overcast with intermittent rain showers. Fifteen minutes later Kellie directed Travis to pull over into a recreation area where fishermen with more boats waited for their turn to launch.
They piled out of their vehicle, and Blake opened his duffle, displaying a cache of semi-automatic handguns. MacGyver and Travis each chose one and grabbed extra clips, while Kellie hung back.
MacGyver picked one more, slid in a clip and flipped the safety on before he faced her. “Do you know how to use one of these?” She’d handled his weapon well enough last night to make a believer out of him, but he didn’t want to assume she had experience where only desperation existed.
Blake snickered. “I’ll just bet she does. She has the look of a real sharp-shooter. Right, Kellie?” He stepped toward MacGyver, swept the gun from his hand and checked the safety again, probably from force of habit. Then he held it out to her.
“Knock it off, Blake. She’s with me. She doesn’t have to carry if—”
“Yeah, I’m pretty damn good.” Kellie’s smile was off as she took the weapon and shoved it barrel first into the back waistband of her jeans.
What the hell? Their whole damn exchange was off. Blake kept pushing, obviously trying to provoke her. And Kellie just kept taking his shit. MacGyver couldn’t figure her out. She’d been willing to fight both him and Palazzi, drink with bad biker dudes and steal a car. That took guts. So why was she backing off of Blake instead of calling him on his trash talk? MacGyver pushed his ball cap back and stepped between them, anger and protectiveness in every tense muscle.
Kellie’s eyes were filled with worry as she turned toward him, and a miniscule shake of her head stopped the words on his tongue. Before he found them again, she strode away toward the lake, her message clear—it was none of MacGyver’s business. Travis gave him a what-the-fuck scowl before he followed her. Blake stared at MacGyver as though waiting for him to say something, defiance in his stance. A heartbeat later, he trailed after Travis, and MacGyver brought up the rear, with no clue what just happened.
Pushing through thick brush, Kellie led them to the foot-wide, well-worn deer trail she’d promised. “The cabin is on the ridge. You can just barely see the roof from here.” She pointed uphill, where the gables of a house peeked through the trees. “The vegetation has really grown since I was here. The trail splits a couple times, but if you stay right you’ll be okay. Ours used to be the first cabin you come to, but that may have changed
in the past two years.” The touch of sadness in her voice again tightened MacGyver’s gut.
“I haven’t gotten lost in a week or two.” Travis grinned, apparently trying to work a smile from her and ease the strained expression she wore like a mask.
It almost worked, but then a frown undid the curve of her lips, and her voice turned hard. “You boys be careful. I don’t want anyone hurt on my account.”
Blake’s sarcastic snort echoed inside MacGyver’s head. That was it—that was all he could take. Anger boiled over, and he started toward Blake, who was already walking up the trail, his limp barely noticeable. MacGyver would learn the reason for the man’s surliness where Kellie was concerned or send him packing.
Travis blocked MacGyver’s path, stopping him with a hand on his chest. He bobbed his chin toward Kellie, who’d turned and disappeared to the other side of the brush.
MacGyver shrugged off Travis’s hand and took a couple steps back. “What the fuck’s eating him?”
“Well, he’s your friend, so you should definitely ask him, but now is not the time. We’ve got a job to do.”
Right…but MacGyver didn’t have to like it. He stared after Blake long enough to wrestle his temper down where it belonged, then nodded grudgingly.
“Give us a few minutes to get in position.” Travis’s large hand landed on MacGyver’s shoulder. “After we find Charlie, you can see if Sorenson wants to get anything off his chest.” He walked backward a few steps before turning and hustling after Blake.
Kellie was sitting in the driver’s seat when MacGyver reached the SUV. She started the engine as he climbed in. When she shifted out of park, he laid his hand over hers and gently pushed the lever back where it had been.
“Let’s give them five minutes or so.” He spread his long legs and slouched on the seat, grateful to have more room if only for a while. He wanted to ask her about Blake again, but there was no reason to think it would be any better received this time than when he’d asked her in the airport. “I was sorry to hear about your mother. What happened?”
Honor Among SEALs Page 12
