HOT Secrets

by Lynn Raye Harris

  “Yes. I won’t apologize for it, Sky. The life I came from… Well, I told you what it was like. I’d have done anything to escape. Turns out I didn’t have to. All I had to do was the one thing I was good at—and keep on doing it. I know your path is different. Please don’t hate me for mine.”

  “I don’t hate you.” It shocked him to say it, but it was true. He’d hated her for so long—convinced himself he did anyway—but the truth was he did not. He was simply pissed at her. Had been for a long time.

  Maybe he was letting that go now.

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yeah, I really am.” He rolled her onto her back, pressed her down into the mattress, his dick already starting to swell.

  She moaned softly. “You’d say anything right now. Admit it.”

  He dropped his mouth to her neck, licked a path along her throat. “I probably would, you’re right. But Bliss—if I hated you, I wouldn’t be here. That much I promise you.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  She loved his mouth on her neck. Loved the way his lips glided across her skin, his tongue flicking over her nerve endings. Bliss closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip, trying not to moan again.

  He’d said he didn’t hate her. That was something. A big something considering she’d been convinced he did, in spite of last night and the amazing sex they’d had. It was possible to have sex with someone you hated, or so she’d been told. And she’d kind of assumed that’s what happened, at least for Sky.

  His mouth sought hers. They kissed, long and deep and openmouthed. And then he dragged her T-shirt up and over her head, dropped to feast on her nipples like he had last night. Her panties eventually disappeared, as did his briefs, and then they were locked together in a primal dance as he sank into her again and again, varying his rhythm, kissing and touching and driving her insane.

  Bliss came with a cry, her body shaking as it exploded beneath Sky’s expert touches. He followed her soon after, groaning and trembling as he shot himself into her. He got up and disappeared into the bathroom, then returned and dragged her against him. She threw a leg over his, her arm over his chest. Her body quivered with the aftershocks of her orgasm. Her heart ached with love—and fear.

  Fear that he didn’t feel the same way. That he couldn’t. That she was going to get hurt again and that she might never recover.

  They fell asleep together, twined like the roots of a plant. This time, in spite of her chaotic emotions, she slept deeply. When she woke, she was alone. She bolted up in bed, searching the darkness, her mind computing facts.

  Okay, so if it was dark, she hadn’t slept that long—or not all night anyway. Sky wasn’t in bed. She felt a little queasy, but she chalked that up to the stress of the past few days. And the food. God knew she hadn’t exactly been eating the way she was accustomed.

  Bliss showered and pulled on clothes. She checked her phone, but she had nothing from either Jones or Sky. She headed toward the HOT inner sanctum, kind of surprised she was here and happy about it too. She liked these guys. Or what she’d seen of them so far. They were professional, honorable, and protective.

  The minute she opened the door, her queasiness flared as someone’s microwaved food assaulted her nostrils. She pressed a hand to her mouth and leaned against the wall, waiting for it to pass. Another minute and it was gone, just like it had never existed. Bliss made a mental note to eat more normally—meaning eat what she liked to eat, like lean chicken, fish, and vegetables. No more greasy food. No more workroom pizza. Those things made her ill, which was why she usually avoided them. No more excuses.

  She walked into the operations room where Echo Squad was working. Sky was there, looking handsome in his tactical pants and black T-shirt. For a computer geek, he sure was muscled and sexy as fuck. And he knew how to use the gifts God had given him. Her body sizzled at the memories of what they’d done to each other the past two nights.

  He looked up as she walked into the room and frowned. Bliss ground to a halt. That gave her pause. But his expression relaxed as he came toward her.

  “What are you doing awake?” he asked when he drew near.

  “I could ask the same of you.”

  “I got a call. You didn’t hear a thing. Didn’t even move when I left the bed.”

  Bliss blinked. “Really? You got a call.”

  “Yep. Which means you must have really been exhausted. You need the sleep, Bliss.”

  “I slept. For hours. I feel great.” Her stomach twisted but she didn’t let him see that anything might be wrong.

  “It’s been five hours. Not quite enough time, don’t you think?”

  Bliss frowned. “You’re here. You’ve had no more sleep than I have.”

  “I’m used to it. This is how we operate in the field. I’ll sleep again soon.”

  “Then I’ll sleep when you do.”

  It was his turn to frown. She thought he might argue but he didn’t. She knew that had cost him. “All right. Come on over and see what we’ve got.”

  She followed him to the conference table where the others sat. They all had laptops out.

  “Hey, Bliss,” Saint said. “You feeling okay?”

  Why did everyone keep asking her that? She dragged out a chair and sat down. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Saint shrugged. “No reason. You just look tired.”

  Bliss fought the urge to yawn. “You guys are going to give me a complex about the way I look. First Sky and now you. I swear, can’t a girl sport some under-eye bags without a lot of commentary?”

  Nobody said anything. Easy might have cleared his throat. Wolf dropped his gaze like he’d been caught with a hand in the cookie jar. These guys.

  “Seriously, aren’t there any women around here besides the ones I saw last night? You guys need some checks and balances.”

  “Not many,” Saint said. “But Mendez is working on that. We need more female operators—maybe you’d like to try out?”

  Bliss snorted. Sky set hot coffee at her elbow and she glanced up at him gratefully. “Hell no. I’m a computer geek. I like to eat donuts and play World of Warcraft in my free time.”

  “You do not eat donuts,” Sky said, frowning. “In fact, you’re typically pretty fussy if I recall.”

  Bliss picked up the coffee. “No, I just know what I like.” She took a sip of the hot brew. It gurgled into her stomach, and she thought she’d better be careful about how much she drank. What the fuck? “So what have y’all learned from the recordings?”

  “Nothing much.” Nobody said a word about the money she’d discussed with Jones. Or the cash he’d given her. It was hers, so why would they? But now they all knew she made bank on what she did. It made her feel kind of icky that she made so much off a few transactions while these guys risked their lives for far less.

  But nobody said a word about it, so neither did she.

  “We’ve been watching the tracker we placed on Jones,” Sky said. “He didn’t go to Langley after he left you.”

  Bliss frowned. “Really? I guess he could have transmitted the files electronically.”

  “He’s made no big transfers out. We’re watching his line—not a tap because we don’t have authorization—but we can see the packets he’s transmitting. And it’s done nothing to indicate he’s dropping those files across.”

  Bliss pulled in a breath. “So Jones didn’t go to Langley. He went home and he’s done nothing to get those files to his bosses. I suppose he could take them in tomorrow…”

  “Bliss, baby—” Sky put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Jones harassed you for days about the importance of this—and now he can’t be bothered to take it to CIA HQ for analysis? Seriously?”

  Bliss didn’t like where this was going. “So you think he’s dirty?”

  “We think it’s possible,” Saint said. “Not necessarily the case—he could have handed the files off to a courier, but we show no stops and no detours before he went home. We’ve got eyes on his place�
��nobody in or out.”

  Bliss concentrated on what Saint was saying. “So it’s just one wild theory among many at the moment?”

  “Pretty much,” Sky said. “But it’s suspicious behavior considering how strident he was with you about getting those files in the first place.”

  Yes, it was definitely suspicious. But not a smoking gun by any means.

  “Hey,” Wolf said, looking up from his computer. “I think we’ve got a new problem.”

  Everyone turned. “The media is reporting an explosion in a residential area in Arlington. There’s a structure fire.”

  Bliss’s heart dropped. It could mean anything, of course it could—but she feared she knew exactly where that explosion had occurred.

  “Do they say where?” Sky asked.

  “Yeah, there’s an address.” Wolf glanced at her before he read it off. Every number, every syllable, was a punch to the heart.

  “That’s my house,” she said faintly. Everything she’d worked so hard for. Everything she’d done to make it her own. Her renovations, her safe room, her belongings—someone had struck right to the heart of all she cared for. Her eyes teared up as she met Sky’s gaze.

  Well, not all she cared for, she amended. But all she owned. Her stomach boiled with acid. Her skin flamed.

  Strong hands closed over her shoulders. She hadn’t realized she’d stood, that she’d moved, but clearly she had. Sky guided her back to the chair and pushed her gently down onto it. His face appeared in front of hers.

  “It’s okay, baby. It’ll be okay. We’ll find who did this. We’ll stop them. Nobody’s going to hurt you. I swear.”

  “Sky,” she whispered. “I feel sick.”

  And then, before she could stop it from happening, the contents of her stomach insisted on an immediate exit. She didn’t know what the guys did in response, but strong arms swept her up and cradled her. Words filtered to her.

  Hospital… Ambulance… Private… Mendez… Hang on, baby…

  Bliss didn’t know what any of it meant. And she wasn’t going to find out because the inky blackness swallowed her whole.

  “Call an ambulance,” Sky said as Bliss’s eyes rolled back in her head and her body went limp. The guys sprang into action, a couple of them running for the cleaning supplies while Saint got on the phone.

  “Wolf, call 911,” Saint ordered. “I’m informing Ghost.”

  “On it, boss,” Wolf replied, punching in the numbers on one of the desk phones.

  “Bliss, baby, you with me?” Sky asked.

  She didn’t answer. He took one of the cloths someone handed him and wiped her mouth and throat. “She’s burning up,” he said. “Get me a cold cloth.”

  A cold cloth was thrust into his hand a few moments later. He laid it over her forehead and prayed this was the worst of it. She could have picked up a virus somewhere over the past few days and it was just now hitting her. Or someone could have targeted her before she’d ever come to him. Considering all she’d been through since she’d stolen Martin’s files, anything was possible.

  “Ambulance is on the way. She’s going to Riverstone.”

  Riverstone was the private facility that took care of HOT’s covert operators when they needed special care after returning from missions. It was exclusive and staffed with the finest doctors and nurses money could buy. Bliss would be in good hands there.

  “I’m going with her,” Sky told Saint as he stood with her in his arms.

  “You think I don’t know that? We’ll handle things here.”

  Soon Sky was in the ambulance with Bliss as an EMT gave her fluids and checked her vitals.

  “Is it a virus?” Sky asked.

  If it was, he was probably next. Hell, even knowing that, he hoped that’s all it was. He could handle a virus. What he couldn’t handle was the unknown.

  “Could be. We won’t know until we get her to the hospital. They’ll check her thoroughly there.”

  Bliss moaned and Sky leaned forward, wrapping his hand around hers. “I’m here,” he told her. “We’re getting you to a doctor.”

  “Sky,” she croaked, and he thanked God she was lucid enough to know who he was. “Feel so bad.”

  “I know, honey. Was it something you ate?”

  “I don’t… don’t know. Oh God, my stomach hurts.” She started to heave again, but there was nothing in there. Nothing except blood.

  Sky’s gut twisted. What the hell? She squeezed his hand hard, her body trembling as she brought up more blood.

  “Do something,” he growled to the EMT.

  “I’m doing all I can,” the man replied. “The fluids will help. As soon as we get her to the ER, they’ll find out what’s going on.”

  Sky hated that he felt so helpless. Hated that Bliss was going through this. Her small body trembled, blood stained her lips, and her blue eyes were cloudy as she fell back against the gurney. The EMT wiped her mouth gently.

  “I’ll do it,” Sky said.

  The man handed over the moist cloth, and Sky worked on cleaning the blood off Bliss as best he could. She lay with her eyes closed, her entire body quivering, and Sky wanted to scream. He felt so damned helpless. Panic wound itself into his brain, hammered into his skull.

  The ambulance roared up to the small hospital on a quiet street in Maryland and the doors burst open. Bliss was whisked into the hospital, Sky at her side, still holding her hand while the medical staff raced her down a hallway.

  Someone pushed him out of the way as they turned as corner. Sky skidded to a stop. A small woman had inserted herself between him and the retreating gurney. She faced him down like she was ten feet tall and made of steel. She had dark skin, dark eyes, and the kind of utter confidence he’d only seen in trained warriors.

  “Sir, you’ll have to stay here. We’ll take good care of her.”

  “I’m going with her.” He started to brush past the woman, but she put a hand up, pressed it firmly to his chest, and shook her head. Like she was his mother—or his nanny, more like—and he was a little boy with misbehaving on his mind.

  “No, sir. You’re staying out here. Go fill out some paperwork for us. Then someone will show you to a private waiting area where you can clean up and get some coffee. You’ll know what’s going on as soon as we do.”

  With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared down the hallway. A man in scrubs stood off to the side, waiting. Sky turned his head. The man smiled. “This way, sir. If you can fill out the paperwork, that would be great.”

  Sky started in the direction the man indicated. “Who was that?”

  “That was Dr. Puckett. She’s in charge of the hospital.” They stopped at the desk, and the man picked up a sheaf of paper on a clipboard. “Thank you, Carol,” he said to the woman behind the desk before turning back to Sky. “Fill these out, please. We’ll take good care of your wife, sir.”

  Sky’s fingers flexed on the clipboard. “She’s not my wife,” he said automatically.

  The man smiled and put a hand on his arm for a brief second. “It’s okay. We’ll still take good care of her. I’m Jerry if you need anything. I’ll be one of her nurses when she’s in recovery.”

  Recovery. It was a word that Sky latched onto like a lifeline. Recovery. She was going to make it. She had to make it. They had things to talk about. He hadn’t expected her to come back into his life, but now that she had, he needed her to be okay.

  Not because he knew what came next, but just because she was Bliss—and Bliss needed to be alive in the world. So long as that was the case, he’d figure out the rest.

  He went over and sat down and started to fill out the things he knew about Bliss. Height, weight, age, allergies—dust and grass—and some things he didn’t know, like date of her last period. It was only when he finished and they’d shown him to a small waiting room that he finally went into the bathroom and saw himself in a mirror. Blood spattered the front of his shirt. Too much blood.

  He jerked the taps and let the water f
low, then ripped off the shirt and dropped it in the trash. He was used to blood. It wasn’t an issue for him. And yet he felt like a madman suddenly, the need to get her blood off him paramount. The need to erase the evidence that Bliss was dangerously ill.

  He scrubbed his hands, his arms, even his face. When he looked at himself again, water dripped down his cheeks and his brows were harsh slashes. It was such a look of incredible anger that he closed his eyes and gripped the sink, sucking in breaths to regulate his emotions.

  Then he straightened, wiped his face and arms with a towel, and exited the bathroom. Wolf and Easy were waiting.

  “How are you?” Wolf said, putting a hand on Sky’s shoulder.

  “Fine. Why?”

  Wolf exchanged a glance with Easy. “You just look a bit… intense,” he said. “Why don’t you have a seat. Want some coffee? They’ve got a fancy coffee bar thingy over here. Cappuccino, espresso, Americano—lattes. What do you want?”

  Sky couldn’t think about coffee right now. “Nothing. Did anyone…?”

  He left the question hanging because he couldn’t finish it. But Wolf knew what he was talking about. “No updates on Bliss yet.”

  He felt raw inside, like he’d been scraped over jagged bits of glass and then had alcohol poured into the wounds. “This makes no sense,” he said. “She was fine just a few hours ago.”

  “She could have picked up a virus. Or bacteria. They’ll do crazy shit to you.”

  Sky needed to do something or he was going to lose his mind. He started to pace, feeling like a caged animal. Like his heart was on his sleeve and his soul was exposed. Not because he still loved her or anything. But she’d been his once and he still cared. Dammit, he cared.

  “Hey,” he said, rocking to a stop and staring at his teammates. So much had happened over the past few days, so many hours filled with work and determination to prevent a worldwide catastrophe, that he’d forgotten some of the details. But now he was remembering the little stuff, painstakingly cataloging every moment with Bliss that he could think of since she’d come back into his life. “She had ice cream at the mall last night. Jones gave it to her. Could he have put something in it?”