by Joni Hahn
“If you’re worried about confidentiality, what we do together stays between us.” Her dark, heated gaze settled on his mouth. “Okay?”
Damn, if she gave off signals like that to all of her patients, it’s no wonder she had a successful practice.
He really didn’t give a shit about anyone else’s opinion. The only people that mattered in his life already knew his history.
And now, Natalie Meeks. Her opinion, her thoughts, had come to matter. Why, he didn’t want to think about. Once she read his file, she’d know the kind of man he was and want to separate herself as soon as possible.
That would be a good thing.
This attraction he felt for her had exploded into a driving need since he’d held her hand. He wanted more.
More could never happen.
God, he was screwed up. Maybe Mitchell knew what he was talking about, after all.
She grabbed her purse from the back of the chair. “I need to go. I don’t want to get mixed up in the Padres game traffic.”
“Stay.”
He did not just say that…
Her wide smile made his heart pound. “Are you sure?”
No. He nodded.
Dropping her purse on the floor, Natalie took the tablet from his grasp. She set it on the desk and dragged over a chair.
“Come on, Saint. I was just getting to the part where you confessed your addiction to Justice League cartoons.” She patted the chair.
Riordan had a feeling that things would change once he sat down. He’d crossed into forbidden territory, into the land of misguided trust.
Tread lightly, stay alert.
Survival had to be paramount.
“I have a thing for Wonder Woman.” Dropping into the chair beside her, his arm brushed hers. Every nerve-ending along his side spiked. This would not end well.
Sitting side by side, feet on the desk, she offered him some rocky road ice cream. He declined, opting for her water bottle on the floor. Taking a drink, he set the file to audio, before leaning back to listen.
Having his involvement in money laundering, selling government secrets and stealing corporate information voiced aloud brought shame to a profession he’d never disparaged before. Every once in a while, he’d glance at Natalie to see if she gaped at him with shock in her eyes.
She listened intently, swallowing a spoon of ice cream every so often.
His last case came up. He’d been called in to do intel on-
“Clint Robinson?” Clicking pause, she looked over at him with raised brows. “You were hired to shadow D.I.R.E’s lead scientist?”
She sat so close, he could feel her breath on his face. He’d kiss her like a crazed lunatic if he didn’t get out of there now.
Jumping up, he walked over to the mini-fridge and grabbed a beer. Water wouldn’t cut it tonight.
“At the time, D.I.R.E. was in the planning stages. Jim Monroe and Mitchell Jacobs courted Robinson like a debutant. I was told Naylor’s client wanted files on whatever project Robinson had going on at the time.”
Natalie twisted around to look at him. “Does Mitchell know that?”
He lifted an eyebrow and stared at her.
She sighed aloud. “Of course he does.”
Resuming the audio, Natalie sat back in her chair, Riordan standing beside her.
WJP notified that St. James can extract project intel. Bank transfer made to Naylor account.
AnonOne requested operative be taken out immediately after extraction. Jaydan Rose assigned to case.
Shock reverberated through Riordan, rendering him numb. He paused, beer bottle halfway to his mouth. “What?”
Natalie’s cool fingers brushed his clenched forearm. His gaze shot to her peaceful face, her voice calm.
“Keep listening.”
WJP bank transfer made to Naylor account. Firm extraction assigned to St. James. AnonOne notified St. James will be taken out tonight. AnonOne bank transfer made to Naylor account.
Holy shit…
Dropping down in his chair, Riordan ran a hand down his face and hung his head. “Screw… me…”
Natalie’s hand rested on his whip-scarred back. “Robert Naylor had one client that paid for the project information. Another that wanted you gone. He made a nice, tidy sum that night, didn’t he? The bastard.” Her hand balled into a fist.
Someone had wanted him out of the picture. Someone had paid his own boss to get rid of him - despite Cassandra’s feelings for him, despite the years he’d been a loyal employee.
“Who would want you gone, Riordan? What were you involved in?”
Jumping up, he started to pace. “Nothing besides Cassandra and my work for Naylor. I didn’t have time for anything else.”
Turning in her chair, Natalie’s next words sounded stilted. “Did Cassandra have an ex-boyfriend that wanted revenge?”
He shook his head before running his fingers through his hair. “No man had the balls to date her before me. They were all terrified of Naylor. Hell, Rose and I were – are - friends. I can’t believe he’d take me out like that and act like it never happened.”
A short, succinct curse escaped as self-pity washed over him in waves. He’d been smart not to trust anyone. Now, he’d let in Natalie Meeks and she worked for Mitchell.
Shit. He should’ve never let her stay.
“There’s got to be an explanation for Jaydan and Mitchell, Riordan. Maybe Jaydan refused.”
Hell, you’d think she had a vested interest in all of this.
St. James reported files download complete.
He pointed at the screen. “I remember that. It was dark, I stood up from the chair and… wham. I got hit in the head and blacked out.” He walked away to pace again. “When I woke up, I was in that freaking cave.”
Who the hell gave a shit what happened to him? Whether he’d existed or not?
Natalie came up beside him, her fresh scent reaching him before her hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. What they did to you was despicable.”
He shrugged off her touch. “I don’t want your pity, Meeks.”
Grabbing his arm, she turned him to face her. “I wasn’t gracing you with pity, Riordan. I was expressing my own feelings. And dammit, if I want to express my feelings, I will do it.”
He yanked away his arm. “Express them somewhere else. I don’t want to hear them.”
“Why? Because they make yours come to the surface?”
Screw him again. The self-pity stared him down, nose-to-nose, taunting him. He didn’t want to yield. He was stronger than that.
“Don’t proclaim to know me, Doctor. You don’t know shit about me.”
Her green-gold eyes blazed, her smooth cheeks red with anger. “I know you’re a stubborn jackass.”
He leaned down into her face. “Is that a professional opinion or gut instinct?”
“Neither. That’s bloody obvious.”
Breathing hard, she replaced the self-pity before him, her beautiful face more welcoming, her allure way more powerful.
Natalie Meeks angry made for one hot woman.
Those pale pink lips of hers were plump and red, her hazel eyes swirling like a tornado. The delicate, lady-like senator’s daughter had backbone. What a freaking turn-on.
“I need to go.” She turned away, her braid falling to her back.
“I never pegged you for a runner, Meeks.”
Stopping short, her back stiffened.
“I thought it was a chance occurrence when you ran from me the other day at the pool. We’d just met, so I thought I’d made you uncomfortable. But, here you are, running… again.”
With slow, minute movements, she turned back around.
Riordan swallowed hard. Oh hell. He shouldn’t have said that. Her face looked like she’d gotten sunburned. If she started turning green, he’d be the one running.
Pointing her forefinger, she walked toward him with a slow, determined gait. “I don’t run from anything, Riordan St. James.”
> She stopped in front of him, nostrils flaring. His gaze traveled over her exquisite, flushed face.
“Really? Daddy’s always had your back?”
If she didn’t loosen her jaw, she might just break a tooth.
Riordan smiled inside. He really shouldn’t play with fire. But damn, he hadn’t had this much fun in, in ever.
“Don’t proclaim to know me, Saint. You don’t know shit about me.”
Ouch. She’d thrown back his words at him. How did he top that one?
Natalie stood so close he could see the pulse pound in her throat, hear her labored breathing. If the scowl on her face told him anything, he loomed close to the edge of certain dismemberment. As a gambling man, he could throw the swimming pool incident on the table and see exactly which member she’d try to amputate.
He wouldn’t do that to her. Natalie Meeks prided herself on her professional and proper demeanor. To bring up a taboo topic like lust guaranteed bodily harm.
Then again, he’d been tortured in a Mongolian prison. What the hell did he have to lose?
Pointing at his chest, he said, “I don’t know shit about you? Really? I know you wanted me to touch you at the pool the other day.”
Natalie’s pretty face went from red to white to green in seconds.
Hell. He was a dead man.
With an abrupt about-face, she headed for her purse.
She really was running this time.
He couldn’t let that happen.
Catching up to her, Riordan touched her arm from behind.
She whipped around – and launched herself into his arms. The next thing he knew, she kissed him.
Not a delicate, lady-like peck on the mouth. Not this Natalie.
This mad-as-hell beauty kissed him like she wanted to dive down his throat. Catching her against him, he gave as good as he got, letting her know, without words, that he wanted this, too. He was damned glad one of them had finally gotten the nerve to take the first step. The tiptoeing around each other had grown irritating.
Smoothing his hands over her back, he grabbed her rear and hoisted her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around him, her hips flush against his hardness, her breasts crushed against his chest.
A dam broke inside of him. Years of frustration and anger poured out of him as he plundered her mouth. Leave it to Natalie, the delicate, graceful senator’s daughter – the one woman he could never really have - to bring it all to the surface.
Her arms locked around his neck. Passion flowed from her like a waterfall, raining down on him, drowning him in excitement, urgency… need.
Breaking away, he lifted her to sit on the desk by his helmet. He swooped in and placed an open-mouthed kiss on her neck. Her pulse leapt under his lips.
“I thought you hated me...” She angled her neck in invitation.
His lips trailed over her smooth skin, before dipping into the base of her throat. “I do this to all of my enemies.”
Her breathing hitched, rushing against his ear. The heat of her palms blazed a trail of ash over his back and shoulders.
“Remind me to tick you off more often.”
He smiled against her throat. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”
Her laughter tinkled in the room like wind chimes.
Leaning back, she stared into his eyes, her olive irises dark, unwavering. Taking his hand from her waist, she guided it to her full breast. They groaned together as he kneaded her slowly, luxuriously, her eyes rolling shut.
How could she allow him to touch her this way? He used to be a bad guy, a prisoner, the grandson of a drug-addict. She was a doctor and high-class, senator’s daughter.
Natalie Meeks trusted him.
She took him, wanted him, as he was – flaws, history and all. Why the hell she wanted him went beyond his comprehension, but he wouldn’t argue.
He wanted her, too.
Out of all the women in the city he had yet to meet, why did she bring out this need, this faith in him?
Because that’s what this was – another form of freedom. For the first time in his life, he felt free to truly trust someone.
He would trust Natalie Meeks.
A part of his brain called him a fool, the other danced around like a crazy idiot. Freedom made him want to shout at the top of his lungs.
So did Natalie Meeks.
Her warm whisper hovered in the air between them. “Touch me, Riordan.”
Laying back on the desk, she gazed up at him with blazing, hungry eyes. Unbuttoning her fly, she waited for him to finish the job.
Oh, hell…
He grabbed the tab of her zipper. The phone rang over the speaker system in the communications room.
Curse words rolled off his tongue as he pulled her up. “I have to get that.” Reaching over to the next desk, he pressed the speaker button on the phone. “Saint.”
“Have you killed each other yet?” Mitchell’s voice held a note of anxiety.
Staring down at Natalie’s pink cheeks, he said, “No, but she’s definitely got me worked up.”
With a hand to her forehead, Natalie shook her head as she dropped to the floor.
“Dammit, Saint, I told you not to get involved with her. That was an order.”
Buttoning her jeans, Natalie picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder. Her reluctant gaze met his.
He’d lost her.
Gone was his spirited, copper-haired fireball. In her place stood a woman battling her own desires and what she thought was right.
What she didn’t realize, they were both the same thing.
“Mitchell, I’ve got to go.” He held out his hand to stop her.
Shaking her head, she backed to the door. “No.” She jiggled her keys. “I do.”
Chapter 5
“I’m giving him clearance, Mitchell.”
Holding the phone between her ear and shoulder, Natalie stared at the open email on her computer screen, her stomach in knots. She hated to admit weakness to anyone, especially someone of Mitchell Jacobs’ mental and physical toughness. However, if she wanted to keep any shred of self-pride, she had to do this and move forward.
Away from Riordan St. James.
“You’ve determined that already, Natalie?” he said. “Why do I find that hard to believe?”
Natalie knew she didn’t fool him. How could she when he saw evidence of her attraction to Riordan that day at the pool?
No, her assessment didn’t take long at all. Last night had proven many things, among them - her serious feelings for Riordan.
A patient. Again.
She couldn’t allow it to happen.
“Mitchell, we’re all a product of our experiences and Riordan is no different. He reacted to the contents of that file with normal confusion, frustration and anger.”
“And his self-confidence?”
“I don’t see an issue with it. Granted, I think he questioned his own abilities when he got captured. However, knowing he’d been deliberately set up by Jaydan Rose and Robert Naylor made him realize it hadn’t been his abilities but his trust that had left him vulnerable.”
“Jaydan Rose had nothing to do with it.”
Welcomed surprise washed through her. That meant Riordan’s file read incomplete. Why would Mitchell deliberately leave out information of that magnitude? Had he left out information on her father, as well? Dan Meeks hadn’t been mentioned once.
“You may want to let him know that, Mitchell. Right now, Riordan thinks his friend betrayed him.”
“He has to trust to be part of this squad.”
“He knows that.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “Mitchell, he’s overcome great odds to be in this position. He’s proud of the fact that he’s been chosen. He’s a survivor. You would be hard pressed to find someone more determined to succeed.”
“That’s good to hear.”
She softened her voice. “Is this safe, Mitchell? Really?” Leaning back in her chair, she held the phone to her ear
and stared at the early morning passersby outside her window. “He’s been through so much-“
“I thought you worked for D.I.R.E., Natalie, not Riordan St. James?”
Guilt, strong and jarring, assaulted her. Her back stiffened. “You’re right. Forgive me. It’s not my place.”
He breathed into the phone. “Natalie, Riordan is one of the best sharpshooters out there. He’s smart as hell and damned good with a blade. Three years of torture in a Mongolian prison couldn’t break him. He’s that damned strong. There are always risks associated with our jobs. These enhancements are no different. But, if they can help our agents defeat enemies and make the world a safer place, we’re going to use them. You should look at Riordan’s enhancements as another weapon, one that will make him much less vulnerable to attack or harm.”
Her heart swelled with pride. If Mitchell Jacobs had that kind of respect for him, Riordan had to be special.
She understood Mitchell’s explanation - on the outside. It all made perfect sense.
Convincing her insides that the enhancements would keep him safer proved altogether different. She couldn’t help worrying despite the impressive abilities Mitchell had touted.
Why are you worried, Natalie? You’re cutting ties, remember?
Yes. She’d made this call to put an end to any kind of relationship she had with Riordan. No matter how all-consuming and exciting.
“Very well,” she said. “Is there anything else I can help you with? If not, I’ll email my report to you this morning.”
“Did you ask your father to start an investigation into Riordan’s reappearance?”
She sat up in her chair. “No. I would never do something like that without discussing it with you first. Why?”
“Your father requested an inquiry. I put a stop to it.”
Natalie stilled, her mind whirling. Mitchell Jacobs could stop a Senator’s inquiry?
“It could have hindered an ongoing investigation, if it hasn’t already.”
Her heart pounded against her ribs in heavy beats. “What kind of investigation? Is Riordan still in danger?”
“That’s no longer your concern, Dr. Meeks. You’ve taken yourself off the case.”
#####
