by Desiree Holt
Lauren lifted an eyebrow, waiting silently for him to continue.
“Remember our little discussion about where we go from here?” he asked. “I said at the time this wasn’t just about sex. That’s still the truth.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Just like my partners, I know I’ve found that special connection with you, Lauren. I hope you feel it too because I have no intention of walking out of your life.”
She cleared her throat. Expressing her emotions wasn’t something she’d ever been very good at. “You said when all of this was behind us we’d talk about where we go from here. Is that what you mean by ‘special connection’?”
He nodded and cuddled her closer to him. “Like I said when we were alone, I’m in this for the long haul, sugar. We’ll take it as slow as you need to, but I’m not going away.” He paused. “How about you?”
She wound her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his body. “I think I’m still getting used to this. I’ve never had good luck with relationships before. Most men find me…odd.”
Troy turned her head to face him. “Most men aren’t me. And they don’t have an appreciation for who and what you are. But I’m sure glad they left the door wide open for me.”
“Me too.” She grinned. “I’m not going away either.” A sobering thought wiped away her smile. “Do you really think we haven’t seen the last of this business? Is that what’s bothering you?”
He frowned. “Not exactly. I think whatever is tweaking my Spidey sense is a result of all this but still something totally different. I just wish I could put my finger on it.”
“While you’re puzzling it out, I’m going to log in some time on my computer and catch up with my clients. Then I think I’d like a glass of wine.”
“I put your favorite Riesling in the fridge to chill earlier,” he told her.
“I love a man who thinks ahead. Be still my heart.”
He teased her lips with his. “If you’re really good, I’ll show you some more of my skills later.” He studied her face. “If you’re tired, we can just hit the sheets early. You can sleep and I’ll read. You had a draining afternoon.”
“And then some,” she reminded him. Warmth flooded through her and crept up her cheeks. “But I think I can drum up a little more,” she teased.
The kiss he gave her was brief but scorching nevertheless. “Then prepare to be overwhelmed.”
Chapter Eleven
“They haven’t moved from the house since they got home from the hospital,” Bonner complained in an irritating whine. “And last time I drove by, there were two other cars in the driveway. How the fuck are we supposed to snatch her if she’s never alone? Kill everyone else?”
He and McFadden were in the living room of their suite. Next to him the laptop was open, its screen displaying the program tracking the little GPS on Arsenault’s car. McFadden was sitting at the conference table unpacking the box of goodies Olberman had shipped to him.
“That’s a very unsophisticated and dangerous suggestion,” he told the other man. He was forced to dig deep for some forbearance. He didn’t know which annoyed him more, the fact they were not closer to grabbing the Cahill woman or Bonner’s insistent complaining. “She’s just been through an ordeal. From everything the boss sent us on psychic healing and the aftermath, it makes sense Arsenault would stick to her like glue. And her friends are probably just checking up on her.”
“Olberman’s been on our ass,” Bonner pointed out. “He must call you ten times a day.”
“This is important business to him,” McFadden pointed out, looking at the piece of electronics he’d just taken out of the box. “He’s got a lot riding on it. And a lot of people waiting. But he also knows we have to pick the right time for this.”
“What does he plan to do with this broad when we get her, anyway? Rent her out?”
McFadden stared at the other man. He hadn’t mentioned anything of his boss’s plan for Lauren Cahill. But obviously Bonner had been thinking about this a lot while they waited. And waited. And waited.
“That’s none of your business.” He kept his voice carefully controlled. “You only have to worry about doing what you’re told, so you can keep getting paid.”
Bonner hitched himself up in the armchair. “I’ve been thinking. If Olberman’s shelling out half a mil just to get the real goods on this girl, he’s set to make billions by renting her out to people who need her. We ought to be able to cut ourselves a slice of that pie.”
McFadden set the piece of gear he was holding carefully on the table and looked at Fred Bonner.
“You’ve been working for Kurt Olberman for a long time. He pays you well.”
“But—”
Reid held up his hand. “But nothing. Face it. You’re not smart enough to earn the kind of money you do without this job. Be grateful for what you’ve got.”
“Damn it.” Bonner smacked his hand on his knee. “Surely he could spare us a little cut of everything he’s gonna rake in. Can’t you even ask him?”
Reid thought if Olberman didn’t kill Bonner, he might do it himself.
“Do the job right, and you might get a nice fat bonus. Keep bitching about it, and you won’t be around for your next meal.” And maybe he wouldn’t anyway once he outlived his usefulness. McFadden was getting damn sick and tired of the man. He just couldn’t allow him to fuck up this gig.
“What’s all that stuff you’ve got?”
“Electronic gear the big man sent so we can bypass Lauren Cahill’s security system if we need to.”
“You mean if we need to get into the house? What about the guy with her?”
“Sooner or later he’s going to leave her alone, even if it’s just for a quick run to the store. We need to be ready.”
Bonner scratched his head. “From what Olberman said about the agency, this guy is sure to have installed a high-end system. What makes you think we can get through it?”
McFadden allowed himself a smile. “The system hasn’t been invented yet that the boss can’t figure a way around. Don’t get your shorts in a bunch. If we have to go in for her, it will be smooth as glass.” He looked at his watch. “Isn’t it about time for you to make a run past their house anyway? See what’s going on?”
Bonner heaved himself reluctantly from his chair. “How come you don’t have to do the night runs?”
Reid ground his teeth. “Because I do the daylight runs, which, in case you missed it, are a lot more dangerous. More chance of discovery. Would you rather change?”
“No. I’ll do it. Shit, I hope we snatch the broad soon and get this done.”
“Meanwhile,” Reid pointed out in a voice edged with sarcasm, “you’re living on Olberman’s dime in a high-rent hotel and eating top-of-the-line food. If you have to do a little driving and sit on your fat ass to earn your salary, I’m sure you can put up with it.”
He ignored the venomous look Bonner shot at him as the man headed for the door.
* * * * *
Lauren stretched out on the couch, half sitting, her head against Troy’s chest, her hands cradling her glass of wine. A baseball game was playing on the television screen but the sound was muted. They were enjoying the silence and the warmth of each other’s bodies after a long, stressful day. She hadn’t really been up for company, but Faith sounded so concerned about her. Besides, her friend had hinted the men had some business to discuss, and Lauren didn’t want to be the kind of person who complained about things like that. Troy’s fingers sifted through her hair, brushing her scalp with a gentle rhythm that eased the residual tension in her body.
She still had a hard time believing there was more danger out there waiting for her, something so intense that Troy refused to leave her side. Where on earth could it be coming from? And what happened when he was satisfied she was safe again? He couldn’t just back out of missions forever. She didn’t even want to think about him leaving.
This connection between them had exploded without w
arning, and she was still trying to wrap her brain around it.
“I can smell your brain burning, sugar,” he teased. “Heavy thoughts?”
“Maybe.” She wet her lower lip. “Just thinking about…stuff.”
His hand stilled for a moment. “Yeah? What kind of stuff?”
“Oh you know. This and that.”
He chuckled. “I think I need you to be a little more specific than that.”
She managed a sip of wine without spilling any. “I keep going over and over in my head what you said about some kind of danger still out there waiting for me. I can’t imagine what it could be.”
He caressed her cheek with his knuckles, skimming her face from cheekbone to jaw. “I didn’t mean to get you upset. And I could be totally wrong. Seeing demons where there aren’t any. But my gut tells me there’s still some kind of unfinished business.”
“But the stalker has been caught, and the media frenzy has died down. Nothing leaked out about my visit to Clark Hauser. Are you sure it isn’t just residual feelings from the past couple of weeks?”
He shrugged. “Maybe.” He tilted his head enough to brush a kiss across her forehead. “Or maybe it’s just an excuse to stay around here. Would that be so bad?”
“Of course not.” She nibbled her lower lip. The “special connection” phrase still rattled around in her brain. She wanted to ask him about it, but she didn’t want to push if she was getting the wrong idea. Still, he’d expressed feelings for her when they made love, and she didn’t think he was the kind of person to say things he didn’t mean. She just didn’t know how far he wanted to carry this.
“Okay, spit it out, sugar. What’s got you so tied up in a knot?”
“I know you passed on the rescue mission in Canada and you assured me they didn’t need you.” She shifted slightly so she could take another sip of her wine. “But you can’t just hang around here indefinitely. Other missions will come up where they need you. What happens then?”
“You mean what happens with us?” He took her wineglass and placed it on the coffee table, then turned her in his arms. “I haven’t really wanted to push you, Lauren. You’ve been through a real ordeal, capping it off today with your session at the hospital. But when I said I wanted things for us, I meant it. And not just for now. Forever.”
Her heart gave a funny little skip. “Are you sure? You’ve seen the kind of baggage I come with.”
He cupped her cheek and looked directly into her eyes. His own had deepened to the color of rich roasted coffee. “I don’t toss the word ‘love’ around lightly, Lauren. I think it’s something to be said only when it’s absolutely right. I know it’s what I feel for you.”
Her heart did that funny little stumble again, and she felt almost giddy.
“I…” She stopped. She’d never said this to another man but it just felt so right with Troy. “I love you too. I just didn’t want to—”
“Read something into my words that isn’t there? Lauren, I say what I mean and mean what I say. And what I’m saying is I love you. I didn’t want to come at you with it too soon and scare you away, but let me assure you it’s the real deal. Things might have happened fast, but that doesn’t mean we’re not solid.”
He lowered his mouth to hers, his lips pressing firmly against hers. When his tongue brushed lightly against the closed seam she opened for him at once and he swept into her mouth.
And there it was, that electricity. The chemistry. The erotic sizzle that burned through her body. Yet it was so much more than that. She felt it clear through her soul. Troy’s fingers raked her hair back from her face, and he tilted his lips to give himself better access. He licked every inch inside her mouth, running his tongue across her teeth and her gums, thrusting deep in her throat. By the time he lifted his head, she could barely think straight.
“Does that answer your questions, sugar?” His eyes burned with desire. “This isn’t just a physical itch I need to scratch. You’re worth so much more than that. I want to spend my life with you.”
“I want that too.” She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his.
“Honey, some people are together for two years and never feel what I feel for you. What we feel for each other.” He showered light kisses along her neck to the hollow of her throat. “You need to understand that life for me often moves at warp speed. You’re right. I could be tapped next week for a mission that needs my particular skills. I’d be gone with no real idea of when I’d be back. It could be two days or two months. Can you live with that kind of routine?”
She smiled at him. “I’ve watched Faith do it for a long time. Mia and the other wives handle it. I’m a lot stronger than people give me credit for, so there’s no reason I can’t fit right in. Besides.” She touched her fingers to his stubbled cheek. “For the first time in my life, I fit right into a group. All of the Phoenix wives have psychic gifts and connections to their husbands. For once, I’m not the odd man out.”
He kissed her forehead. “I’d say you fit right in.”
She laid her head against his shoulder. “Emotions are a difficult thing for me,” she told him. “My psychic abilities and the resultant notoriety have made me suspicious of people. I don’t always trust their motives. But I trusted you the minute I met you.”
“We have time to work out whatever details we need,” he went on, “but as soon as the team is back from Canada, I’d like for us to get married.” He frowned. “Do you think your family will give us a problem?”
Lauren laughed. “You mean because they think I’m a nutcase, and now I’m about to marry a man I’ve known for less than a month?”
“Not funny,” he told her. “Lauren, I want this to be a good thing all around. Maybe we should back it up a little if you think it will be a problem.”
She wound her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, her heart thudding against her ribs. “The only problem would be if you changed your mind. I never thought I would find someone like you, Troy. Something like this.” She swallowed a laugh. “You just leave my family to me.”
His kiss was gentle this time, a light touching of lips. An affirmation of emotion. His big hands massaged her back, gently kneading her muscles. She loved the slightly rough calluses on his hands and the strength of his lean fingers. The residual strain from the day, the situation, everything, eased slowly away under the rhythmic motion on her shoulders and neck.
He took his time as his hands coasted over her body, outlining her curves. She closed her eyes, leaning into him, the hard muscled wall of his chest solid and secure. A delicious warmth spread through her, and a lassitude that washed away the tension of the day. Troy seemed to know exactly where to touch her and how.
Without her realizing it, the atmosphere shifted. One minute they were lying there, both of them finally relaxed, Troy soothing her with his clever touch. The next, desire burned hot and bright inside her, a desire so fierce and overwhelming it was almost painful.
He slid his mouth from her lips to her cheek, inhaling the scent of her skin before moving on to lick the spot behind her ear where his touch always sent shivers skating down her spine. Half-lying against him, she could feel the swell of his cock beneath her hip and pushed herself against it. It flexed beneath the denim in response to her touch.
“See what you do to me?” His voice was husky.
“Mmm.” She turned her head to look at him through half-lowered lids. “You should see what you do to me.”
“My pleasure. Always.”
Although she had never been forward with men, for a lot of reasons, she’d never been shy and retiring either. Just wary. She’d learned early on that most men found her an oddity. But with Troy she’d somehow been open from the beginning. Saying and doing things without feeling restrained.
With agonizing slowness, he eased her sweater over her head, tossing it to the side. His lips were warm as they coasted over the upper swell of her breasts followed by a leisurely swipe of his tongue. Her hardened n
ipples pressed against the thin silk of her bra, aching for the hot wetness of his mouth. When he finally closed his lips over one of them she moaned with satisfaction. Somehow, it was more erotic to her with that flimsy barrier between them.
Her hands came up to clutch his head, gripping his hair as he moved his mouth to her other breast. Her other nipple. When he bit down gently on it she cried out with pleasure. Troy’s big hands caged her ribs, lifting her to his mouth as he nibbled and sucked, tormenting her pebbled tips while blood raced in her veins and her liquid soaked the crotch of her panties.
If she had a sane thought at all, it was that a month ago sex held little or no interest for her, based on past experience. Now, one touch from Troy Arsenault and she went up in flames.
At last, he released the clasp on her bra, slid the straps down her arms and dropped the garment next to her sweater. Palming her breasts, he proceeded to skate his tongue over every inch of their surface with slow, agonizing licks. Lauren squeezed her thighs together as the pulse in her womb vibrated through her body.
She held his head firmly against her while she squirmed on his lap, the thickness of his erection practically burning itself into her through their clothes. Desperately she tugged on his shirt, yanking it from his jeans and trying to pull it over his head.
He lifted his mouth from her body long enough to yank it off himself, then groaned as her hands found his nipples through the soft hair on his chest. She scraped her fingernails over them, loving the sound that rumbled up from his throat when she touched him.
She heard the zipper slide down on her jeans, then his hands lifting her enough to slide them and her panties off. There was something so erotic about lying there naked except for her shoes, with Troy still almost fully dressed. She started to sit up and reach for his jeans, but he pushed her gently back into the couch, arranging her to his satisfaction.
