HOT Mess (Expanded Edition)(Hostile Operations Team - Book 2)

by Lynn Raye Harris

  Jesus, and wasn’t that just a perfectly sexist thought?

  He tossed in an image of Georgie as a CEO, put the handsome and happy husband at home in an apron, and felt much better about the whole thing. Well, not better, but more politically correct anyway. So long as it ended with Georgie in Hopeful—or Dallas or Austin, maybe—everything would come out right.

  “I expect you’re thinking about my family again,” she said from behind him.

  He turned and leaned back against the counter, watching her eat. Her hair was piled on her head, exposing the slender column of her neck. Her creamy skin had marks that he’d put there, and it filled him with a male satisfaction that was hard to deny. They weren’t dark marks, or even very noticeable. But he knew.

  “Hard not to. Rick asked me to check on you, not take you to bed and do dirty things to you.”

  She grinned. “And how I loved those dirty things. You can be dirty with me anytime, handsome.”

  Sam shook his head. “What would your mother say if she heard you talk like that?”

  “Mother believes that a woman should know her mind—and demand what she wants out of life.”

  “Somehow I doubt that extends to hot sweaty sex with tattooed soldiers.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “And how would you know? For all we are aware, she loves hot sweaty sex. And tattooed soldiers.”

  Sam shook his head. “Do not put that image in my mind. Your mother is a goddess who wears pearls to breakfast and gloves to garden parties.”

  Georgie was laughing. “Trust me, I could barely say it. But it was funny. You have to admit it.”

  He couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, fine. But we’ll leave it at that. No more mom jokes.”

  She sipped her coffee. “I doubt I have another one in me anyway. Mother is a paragon of propriety.”

  He nodded. “Yep, she sure is…” He thought of Mrs. Hayes with her delicate features, her perfect hair and perfect smile, her warm hugs, and the way she’d patiently taught him to be a gentleman without once making him feel inadequate about the things he hadn’t known.

  Georgie wasn’t her mother—but she still had her mother’s grace. “So what is it you want out of life, Georgie? Because your family seems to think you’re up here brooding about your divorce.”

  “I am not brooding.” She put her fork down on the edge of the plate. “I like it here. Or I did until yesterday when things went to shit in my life through no fault of my own.”

  “I’m sorry, G. I hated having to tell you that Jake Hamilton was dead.”

  “I know.” She smiled sadly. “The truth is I like what I do in my job, and I really like what you and I did last night. I’d like more of that. For right now, that’s what I want.”

  He was all about more of last night. He shouldn’t be, but he was. And he was damned glad to hear she wanted it too.

  “What we did last night was pretty spectacular to me too. It felt great, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more of the same.”

  “So don’t say anything to ruin it.”

  He frowned. “I wasn’t going to. But, Georgie, if you’re thinking there’s more to this than sex—there’s not.”

  Because he had to be truthful even if it cost him another night with her naked body wrapped around his.

  She rolled her eyes. Not quite the reaction he’d been expecting. “Oh for God’s sake. I should have never told you I’d imagined marrying you twelve years ago. That was a fantasy born of my youthful naïveté. I’m not that young or idealistic anymore. I’m capable of meaningless sex, Sam.”

  Meaningless? Why didn’t he like that word?

  “That’s good to know. Because I have a crazy job, G. I can be here one minute and gone the next, and no idea when I’ll be back again. You don’t want to be a part of that.”

  “I’ll decide what I want to be a part of, thanks.” She picked up the fork again and finished the last bite of eggs. “But don’t worry that I’m trying to turn last night into happily ever after. I had my taste of that fantasy, with the big wedding and the till-death-do-us-part bit, and I know it doesn’t work out.”

  For some reason, it saddened him to hear her say that. Georgie was supposed to be the optimistic one. But she’d been burned, and it couldn’t help but affect her.

  Her phone rang. They’d had a debate at HOT HQ about her keeping it, but they’d decided it might be a good idea in case Jake’s contact called and told her what they wanted from her. Since the terror cell was currently under surveillance, they wouldn’t be able to move undetected—which meant they weren’t tracking her to this location without a lot of warning.

  Small comfort to Sam, but at least it was something.

  Georgie glanced at the screen. Then she groaned. “It’s Rick,” she said.

  Sam felt a pinch in his chest. Maybe he shouldn’t, but he did.

  “Hey, big bro,” she said, answering the phone brightly. Sam couldn’t stay and listen to her talk to her brother so he grabbed his own phone and went outside on the back deck. The day was still early and the sun sparkled on the water. A blue heron stood in the shallows, one foot raised, so still it looked like a statue.

  Sam dialed HOT. Big Mac answered. “Hey, Knight Rider. Just planning to call you.”

  His heart thumped. “Yeah? Got anything?”

  “Kid’s pulled up some video surveillance from the Metro for the last night she saw Jake Hamilton. We’d like to have Dr. Hayes take a look. There’s video of someone talking to Hamilton, but it’s grainy. There’s another shot, far better, of a face that looks like the man she described. But we need to be sure.”

  “What about the night she was pushed?”

  Kev sighed. “Too many people on that part of the platform. There’s a disturbance, but it’s hard to see. Probably when she fell.”

  Sam frowned, his gut churning hard. Whoever’d pushed her had been smart about it. “Okay. Want me to bring her to HQ?”

  “That’s a negative. Richie’s bringing the video out.”

  Sam was getting used to thinking of his teammates by their call signs. Even the team captain. “We’ll be here. I think shuffleboard starts in an hour, so maybe in between activities we’ll find some time for videos.”

  Big Mac laughed. “Damn, man, you’re gonna fit in with us just fine. Call if you need anything.”

  “Copy,” Sam said, smiling in spite of himself. He liked being HOT. Being a part of Alpha Squad. He only hoped they were as good as they were supposed to be.

  If not, Georgie’s life was forfeit. And that was something he couldn’t let happen. With everything he had in him, he would fight for her—even if he had to risk his own life in the process.

  Sam glanced into the house and saw her holding her cat, talking as the animal swished her tail back and forth happily. He started to go inside, but his phone rang again. Sam bit back a groan as Rick’s name popped up on his screen.

  Damn, this was about to get interesting.

  14

  When Sam came back inside, his expression was quietly grim. Georgie’s heart turned over.

  “What’s happened?”

  He only stared at her. “Rick just called me.”

  Georgie sighed. Dammit. “Rick needs to mind his own business.”

  Sam scraped a hand over his head. “You told him you’d found a boyfriend and he could stop worrying about you. That you were having the best sex of your life and Tim was a pimple on the ass of humanity.”

  Georgie only felt a mild sense of embarrassment at having her words repeated back to her. She stroked Belle’s soft fur and sighed. “I didn’t want him to worry. And the sex was pretty good, but don’t let it go to your head that I said that. It was a slight exaggeration for effect.”

  It wasn’t, but he didn’t need to know that.

  He looked murderous. “Jesus, Georgie. You just don’t get it, do you? Your family is convinced you’re a princess and only the best will do. Not only that, but they’re also worried about their princes
s and this new man in her life when the old one was clearly so bad for her.”

  Annoyance flared to life inside her. “Why do you care? I didn’t say a word about you.” She spread her hand to encompass the cottage. “Or about this. I said I met someone and the sex was great. I wanted Rick to get off my back, okay?”

  “Yeah, but guess who wants me to check out this new boyfriend of yours?”

  Georgie sighed. “So check him out and give Rick a glowing report. What’s the problem?”

  Sam stood there with his fists clenched at his sides, his naked chest rippling with tattooed muscle, and a fierce expression on his face. Her core flooded with heat. Oh wow he was hot.

  “The problem is that I have to lie. I’m expected to investigate the guy you’re sleeping with… who just so happens to be me.”

  Georgie put Belle down and went to him. She tilted her head back to meet his dark, glittering gaze. And then she put her hand on his pectoral, smoothing it down his abdomen and over the ridges of hard muscle. Her core was already wet.

  “You aren’t Rick’s lackey, Sam. You have a job to do. Tell him you don’t have time and tell him I’m a grown woman. It’s as simple as that.”

  “Simple?”

  She was gratified to hear his voice had dropped a few notches. Oh how she felt those sensual tones deep in the heart of her.

  “I’m not wearing any panties,” she whispered. “Doesn’t that make it all better?”

  “Georgie,” he groaned. “You’re killing me here.”

  She reached for his belt buckle. “Oooh, you feel that? The wind is blowing. Blowing my dress right off. Blowing you right where I want you.”

  For a minute she thought he was going to resist her, thought he would set her away and lecture her about her choices. But he didn’t. Instead, he gathered her dress in his fists and lifted it over her head.

  “You really aren’t wearing panties.”

  “Of course not. I wanted to be ready.”

  He frowned as his fingers lightly touched the bruised skin of her hip. “I’d like to maim whoever did this to you.”

  “Forget about them. Take care of me. I need you. Can’t you tell?”

  He caressed her hot, wet mound, and she thrilled at the sound of satisfaction he made as her skin burned where he touched. She gasped when his finger ghosted over her clit.

  “You’re naughty, G. I had no idea.”

  She laughed softly. “I know you won’t believe this, Sam—but I didn’t know it either.” She looped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him. “You make me that way.”

  His teeth flashed white in his handsome face. “You’re a pretty hot mess yourself, you know that? And I fucking love it.”

  He captured her lips, kissing her so deeply and passionately that she melted against him, clinging to him like she had not one ounce of strength left in her body.

  His hands roamed over her form, grabbed her ass, and lifted her up so her head was higher than his. She tried to put her legs around him, but he stopped her, held her high with his arms wrapped beneath her bottom. He carried her like that to the nearest surface—the couch—and then sat her on the back of it. She opened her legs as he dropped to his knees in front of her.

  And then he spread her open with his fingers and curled his tongue around her clit until her nipples were tight, aching points and her body was on the edge of explosion. But he didn’t let her finish that way.

  Instead, when she was right there, right on the edge of bliss, he stood.

  “Sam, I’m going to kill you,” she gasped.

  He unzipped his jeans and freed his cock. “Yeah, no doubt about it, babe. You’re already killing me.”

  He was so hard and beautiful that she wanted to take him in her mouth and feel him pulsing against her tongue. Instead, he sheathed himself in a condom that he produced from somewhere—and then he plunged inside her.

  Georgie flew apart instantly, her body rippling with her orgasm, a raw scream issuing from her throat as Sam pumped into her harder, drawing out her release in ways she’d never known were possible.

  How did he do this to her? How did he know right where to touch her? How did he know what she needed before she did?

  With Tim, sex had been pretty good—sometimes even damn good. But it did not feel like this—like her entire body was on fire with sensation, like she would die if she didn’t have him inside her, stroking hard into her.

  She didn’t need Tim like she needed her next breath.

  But she did need Sam that way. Oh God.

  She tried to reason with herself. How could she need him when he’d only just come into her life again? How could she possibly think she needed him? She needed this. This thing he did to her. She did not need him.

  This kind of thing was possible with another lover. Of course it was. Surely she’d had it with Tim too and she just couldn’t remember it.

  And yet, as Sam lifted her legs and wrapped them around his torso, she shuddered with the thought of any other man doing this to her. It wasn’t possible.

  Because there was no other man in the world for her but this one.

  There never had been.

  15

  “Is this the guy?” Richie sat at the small table in the kitchen and slid an 8x10 picture toward Georgie. Sam watched her reach for it with trembling fingers, and a wave of protectiveness washed through him. It was so strong he wanted to wrap her up in his embrace and never let her go.

  She’d twisted him up inside but good. It was only a couple of hours ago that he’d been standing between her legs, buried deep inside her, the top of his head ready to come right off it felt so damn good. He wanted that again.

  And then he wanted her to go back to Texas. He wanted her where she belonged, safe with her family, and he wanted her to find another guy to drive crazy with her hot body and wicked tongue.

  He wanted a clear conscience again, but he knew he wasn’t going to get it anytime soon. Yeah, he didn’t really have to tell Rick anything—but he hated lying to his best friend. Rick only wanted what was best for Georgie, and while he knew she was an adult, he’d sounded pretty damn suspicious about the new man in her life.

  “I don’t want her hurt, Sam. Just check this guy out if you can, okay? Put the fear of God in him, same as always.”

  Same as always. Yeah, they’d been hell on the guys Georgie had started to “date” when she was fourteen. Oh, she hadn’t been allowed to go on actual dates that early, but there’d been mall meets and football games and picnics where she’d pair off with some teenaged Romeo. And Rick and Sam were right there, frowning and wagging hypocritical fingers since they were also doing their damnedest to corrupt the teenage daughters of Hopeful’s citizenry.

  “That’s him,” Georgie said. She glanced up at Sam. He wanted to reach for her, but he didn’t. Richie’s gaze bounced between the two of them for a moment. The dude wasn’t stupid and there were definitely undercurrents in the room.

  “All right. That helps. Thanks, Dr. Hayes.”

  He started to stand, but Georgie reached out and caught his arm. “I want to know who those people are.”

  She sounded fierce now, and Sam felt a swell of pride. And annoyance since the less she knew the better.

  Richie glanced at Sam as he sat back down. There were too many things she couldn’t know, but there were also things they were going to have to tell her if this mission went down the way they were planning. Georgie withdrew her hand and tucked it into her lap.

  “I can’t tell you much,” he began. “But this guy is known to associate with certain—elements, let’s say—that are wanted by the US government.”

  “And this is why the military is involved instead of the cops?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you catch him?”

  “We intend to. He hasn’t left the country, so we’ll get him.”

  “I don’t know who we are. How do I know you can manage this at all?”

  Richie grinned. “W
e specialize in this kind of thing, Dr. Hayes. And though I can’t tell you specifically who we are, believe me when I tell you this is all part of the daily routine for us. We’ll get him.”

  Georgie looked annoyed. “Fine. But don’t we have watch lists? How did this guy get into the US anyway?”

  “Unfortunately, he’s a citizen. And yes, we have watch lists. Sometimes that’s what we do—we just watch.”

  “Watching didn’t help Jake Hamilton one bit.” Her tone was sharp and Sam winced. Just what he needed—Georgie pissing off his CO.

  Richie’s gray eyes snapped with meaning. “Sergeant Hamilton had a choice. He made the wrong one.”

  Georgie seemed to deflate a little. “I know that, but I’m still sorry it cost him his life.”

  Richie squeezed her shoulder, and Sam had a crazy impulse to stop him from touching her for even a second.

  “I’ve been doing this job a long time and I can tell you that it never gets easier to accept death. You get immune to it in some ways, but even that comes with a price. I’m sorry it cost him his life, even if I’m not surprised.”

  Georgie bowed her head. “So what now? How long do I have to stay here?”

  Sam tried not to read more into that question than necessary. It was normal she’d want to go back to her life.

  “I’m afraid we don’t know. But you’re in good hands with Sergeant McKnight, so don’t worry. We’ll have more information in a day or two and he’ll update you then.”

  Richie stood and Georgie brought her knees up, hugged them while she turned to look outside. Her cat jumped up on the table and head-butted her. She scratched the cat absently.

  “McKnight.” Richie jerked his head toward the door and Sam went with him. They walked outside and into the front yard. There was a driveway lined with trees that led out to a road about half a mile away. They were definitely remote.

  Richie turned. “It’s not my place to tell you how to conduct your personal affairs, but try not to let the lovely charms of Dr. Hayes cloud your judgment, okay?”

  Sam stiffened. “Keeping her safe is my priority. It always has been.”