Defensive Action

by Jenna Kernan

  “Why, indeed.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ryan walked her back to the queen-size bed. The moment they made contact with the mattress, Haley fell back onto the satin coverlet. Ryan controlled her descent.

  Haley responded to the pressure of his hips pushing her to the bedding, arcing to increase the contact. They were safe and he was here with her. She knew the woman who had driven her rental car to an adventure camp in which she never intended to participate would consider all possible consequences of sleeping with Ryan again. That Haley would worry about what sort of messages this behavior would send to him. And ultimately she would do the responsible thing, which was also the safest thing. She’d tell him to stop.

  But that woman was gone forever. She tugged him down for a greedy kiss. Their mouths slashed across each other’s in a rough and hungry taking of pleasure. The contact caused her skin to pucker, increasing the need building inside her like floodwater against a dam.

  He pulled away to catch his breath, pressing his forehead to hers as he used one hand to cradle her head.

  “Haley, are you sure about this?”

  “Yes. Are you?”

  There was a flicker of hesitancy that made her open her eyes. He lifted his chin, gazing back at her.

  “So much it hurts,” he said.

  Her smile was slow and seemed to curl inside her whole body. His kisses began at her temple and moved south. By the time he reached her hips he had slid her dress all the way down and off her body, unwrapping her like a cherished gift.

  He held her dress in his fist and made a show of dropping it. She giggled and then tugged at his checked dad shirt.

  “Your turn.”

  The man was graceful as a dancer, removing the shirt with the sweep of a single hand. Next he stood to unfasten the belt and rivet closing his shorts. In a moment he stepped from the last of his clothing, leaving nothing to her imagination.

  Oh how she wished she had a photographic memory.

  She crooked her finger. “Come here.”

  He did, eventually. But he made several stops along the way. So by the time his lips again met hers, she had already experienced exactly how shattering that mouth could be.

  She let her knees drop to the bedding, so thankful for all those hours of tae kwon do stretches. Ryan nestled against her and she guided him home, watching the pleasure break across his face as he inched deeper and deeper inside her.

  Then she lifted her hips and discovered that even former Marines, who were seasoned agents, had a breaking point.

  * * *

  HALEY WOKE TO hear the shower running. She lifted her head from the coverlet and listened as the water flipped off. Billowing steam preceded his return to the room.

  The white towel around his waist and the picture he presented had her grinning up at him. The broad muscular chest and the corded muscles of his stomach made her mouth go dry as other parts of her went all dewy. In his hand, he carried one of the hotel’s white terrycloth robes.

  “Oh, no. Don’t look at me like that,” he chided. “Or I’ll tell them to cancel dinner.”

  He opened the robe to her. She slipped from between the linens and stood before him, giving him time to take a good long look. He lifted the robe a few inches and cleared his throat.

  “Haley, you’re killing me.”

  Their eyes met and the electric current surged between them. She gripped the plush collar of the robe he held and used it to tug him closer for a kiss just as a knock came at the door.

  “Phooey,” she said and shrugged into the robe, cinching the belt with unnecessary force.

  Ryan went to the door and she trailed him. It was not until he was checking through the peephole that she saw the grip of a handgun peeking out the top of his towel at the center of his back.

  He opened the door and allowed the server to carry the tray to the balcony where a small table waited. Haley thought that this spot would be a lovely place for breakfast, but at night, with the curtains closed, it was less appealing.

  But with those blackout curtains, they also would present less of a target. Maybe she was getting the hang of this.

  Ryan remained in the bedroom area and signed the bill he was presented with one hand. The other was now in a terry pocket of his robe, likely gripping the handgun. The server thanked him three times on the way out, so she suspected Ryan had added a generous tip to the bill.

  When he joined her on the balcony, the hotel robe covered the swath of naked chest that had been a complete distraction.

  Only the smell of steak could have lured her away.

  “When did we last eat?” she asked.

  “Sunday night at the Wellers’ apartment.”

  “Yesterday? No wonder I’m starving.”

  Ryan removed the silver covers from their plates and opened her mini ketchup bottle. Conversation lagged as they tucked into their meals. In most instances, she could not or would not have eaten all her fries, but she finished them and every leaf of lettuce in her salad and every bite of steak. She slowed down only after she finished the last of the carafe of wine and eyed the desserts. Ryan had ordered two.

  “They said the red velvet cake, with cream cheese frosting and toasted walnuts, is most popular and the mint mousse on a chocolate brownie and ganache is also a top seller.”

  “Hmm,” she hummed and went for the mousse, which was an electric green.

  Ryan took the cake and sliced off a third and then set the plate back before her. She gave it her very best effort, but could not finish both. Ryan came to the rescue and cleaned up the remains.

  “Would you like anything else?” he asked.

  “A shower?”

  “That’s a great idea. I have to do some business. So you go ahead.”

  “Oh, okay.” Did she sound disappointed? She didn’t want to seem needy. Ryan lifted the tray and carried it out.

  She followed him as far as the hallway. On his return he flipped on the phone.

  “Can you believe it?” he said, staring at the phone. “It’s not set up.”

  “I can do it,” she said. He gave her the phone and she began the simple steps to get it working. Then she modified the settings, changed the ringtone and turned on the tracking function. Finally, she added herself as a user.

  “Pass code?” she asked.

  “1399,” he said, absently as he buttoned up his shirt and cinched the belt. She handed back his phone.

  “You have four messages.”

  Only then did he pause to smile at her. She got the feeling he was waiting for her to leave before conducting his business.

  She headed into the bathroom. There she paused to lean against the closed door. She was alone and safe. The wonderful meal made her feel relaxed and drowsy. She had just enough steam left to wash herself. She didn’t really want him to join her in the shower. Did she?

  The shower’s adjustable spray head was exactly what she needed, massaging her tired muscles and turning her skin a healthy pink. A few moments later, she stepped to the mat and used two fluffy towels. One for her body and one for her hair.

  Ryan knocked and then slipped open the door, offering her a women’s bathroom kit complete with comb, toothpaste and a toothbrush.

  She kissed him and he smiled. “Steamy,” he said and stroked her cheek.

  “How’s it going?” she asked.

  His smile remained, but his hand slipped away. “See you when you finish.”

  Not an answer, she realized.

  Haley clutched the bounty he’d provided and used every single product. She dried herself in the plush terry and wrapped an oversize towel about herself before combing her hair.

  She took a moment for a critical check of her reflection. She looked dewy and fresh and appealing. She found Ryan sitting up in bed with a mountain of pillows behind his bare tors
o. The phone’s screen glowed, highlighting his cheeks and deepening the dark, tempting hollows of his chest and abdomen.

  He glanced up and smiled.

  “Wow. And I thought nothing could look better than that red dress.”

  “You prefer the towel?” she asked.

  “I prefer neither.” He set aside the phone and flipped back the covers, giving her an eyeful. Apparently Ryan also slept in the nude.

  And suddenly, sleep was the furthest thing from her mind.

  * * *

  RYAN OPENED HIS eyes in the still, dark hotel room. The darkness was artificial, provided by the blackout curtains, judging from the bright sunlight that stole below the window coverings.

  The sense of unease returned and he swallowed against the regret. He was used to trouble and danger, but not this kind. Haley was the kind of trouble he could not handle because she distracted him and made him think about things he had no business wanting—like a future with her.

  Was she right that his father had lived a meaningful life and that had been more important than a meaningful death? He’d never really thought of it that way. He had only seen what his father had missed, a chance to make a difference, an opportunity to see the world and a vital mission to complete.

  But as he lay with Haley in his arms, he thought of his mother and father. His parents had been in love. They had showed it in a million different acts of caring. Why had he forgotten about that? Perhaps those loving acts had been more valuable than the illusion he chased. The mission was important and he’d sworn to complete it, if he could. Everything was in place to ensure the transport of the thumb drive. After it was gone, he’d have no reason to stay with Haley.

  She shifted in her sleep, stroking his chest. Her hair fanned his shoulder and her clean, inviting scent reached him. He sighed, knowing he would miss her and knowing that the best thing he could do for Haley Nobel was to disappear from her life.

  He was not the right man for her. She wanted a stable, reliable guy who was likely to come home to her. He couldn’t even count the close calls he’d had in the past year. Too darn many. What would his parents say? Would they be proud of him or disappointed?

  His parents would have liked Haley.

  Haley was a good woman. And he was throwing her away.

  Ryan shifted, slipping from her arms. Haley rolled to her back, breathing softly. He glanced at the clock, which told him it was nearly seven in the morning. Time to get moving. He had a meeting at nine.

  Before settling in last night he had used the paper door-hanger menu to order breakfast and hung it outside the door. The food should be arriving in about thirty minutes.

  He gave a reluctant look back at Haley, wanting to make love to her, stay with her, and that he just could not do. He had orders but he could at least feed her before he said goodbye.

  Ryan showered and dressed. He was just wiping the shaving cream off his face when the knock came at the door. He held the handgun as he checked the porter through the peephole and then told him to wait. The man called for him to take his time in his response but rolled his eyes.

  Ryan glanced at Haley, who was now sitting up in bed.

  “Everything okay?” she asked.

  Chapter Twenty

  Haley’s voice was low and husky and so appealing his throat went dry and his body hardened instantly. Did she know the picture she made, wrapped in a sheet, her hair tousled and her lips still swollen from their lovemaking?

  “Breakfast,” he said.

  She nodded and slipped from the bed, naked. He tracked her as she strode to the bathroom, not making a show of her perfect body, but not hiding it, either. Was this the same woman who he’d met on the highway?

  It wasn’t. She’d changed and now she was exactly the sort of woman his mother would approve of.

  Where had that come from?

  The door clicked shut and Ryan admitted the porter. The food was set on the porch and Ryan showed him out, adding a tip to his bill. Back on the porch, Ryan swept open the curtains and opened the French doors. He had one hour before his meet. He had his first cup of coffee while waiting for Haley.

  It was worth the wait. She appeared twenty minutes later in a turquoise tennis outfit that appeared to be one piece. Her slim, pale feet were bare and her hair was pulled back, but wet.

  “Good morning,” he rose to kiss her lightly on the lips and then offered her a chair.

  She perched on the edge and cast him a welcoming smile. “Smells wonderful.”

  “Coffee?”

  Haley nodded and then began exploring beneath the silver covers revealing eggs, fried potatoes, sausage, ham, bacon, a basket of bagels and muffins, strawberry crepes and fresh raspberries.

  “Holy smokes! What a feast.”

  “Eat up.”

  He served her eggs and bacon with potatoes. She also tried the crepe and part of a cranberry muffin.

  “The coffee is excellent. Everything is excellent.” She beamed at him and he felt like a heel. Under other circumstances, she would have woken in an empty bed. Maybe his old method was easier. Easier for him, at least. He managed to tuck away the eggs and ham, but wasn’t very hungry. He wished he could bring her along. But he had orders. She was to be abandoned at this hotel to find her own means back to her old life.

  Would she miss him at all?

  * * *

  “WOW, AM I FULL.”

  He smiled. “You deserve a good meal after all I’ve put you through.”

  “Well, what was the alternative?”

  His smile faltered. “I was going to leave you behind.”

  She frowned. “At the adventure camp?”

  His hesitation made her wonder if he’d considered leaving her more than once. It also made her realize that this would be a really excellent place to leave her. They were momentarily safe. He had arranged to deliver the thumb drive this morning and once that was done, his mission would be complete.

  He wouldn’t need to protect her any longer. His expression told her she guessed correctly. What she had seen as the beginning of a relationship, he had seen as the final curtain before pulling a disappearing act.

  She’d never find him. She knew that much.

  “Haley, I thought about what you said. About the possibility of time-sensitive information on that drive. Takashi moved the meet here, I’m wondering if there was a reason beyond pursuit by the group he hacked. I want to check the data on the flash drive, as you suggested.”

  “Is it protected?” she asked.

  “I have no idea.” He stared down at the device in question. “Do you think you can read it?”

  “Almost definitely,” she said.

  “What if it is a trigger for some virus or terrorist attack?” he asked.

  “Then we should know that. I won’t be connected to the internet when I check it. Worst case, it damages the computer.”

  “All right. I’ll call the desk and ask to borrow a laptop.”

  He did and they waited for the delivery.

  “You don’t trust very many people, do you?” she asked.

  “Very few.”

  She smiled and poured a final cup of coffee for them as they waited. The knock signaled the delivery.

  Ryan checked the peephole then opened the door, gun in one hand as he accepted the computer with the other. He brought her the laptop and drive.

  “No Wi-Fi,” he said.

  “Of course.” She went to work, booting up, accessing the drive and finally flicking open files.

  “I’m not sure what I’m seeing. Looks like doubles of each file.” She opened the doubles.

  The coffee in his mug had gone cold by the time she lifted her head and grinned.

  “All right, here we go.”

  He moved his chair around to sit beside her.

  “Here’s the ind
ex,” she pointed. “I had some trouble because it’s not in English. Kanji. Japanese characters. But this is an identical index inside the first one. It’s the translations.”

  She studied the screen. “This one is a chemical formula, something biologic.”

  Ryan straightened. “How do you know that?”

  “I was premed for a while. I took biochemistry. Loved it, really.”

  “Huh?” he said, glancing at her as if she was some alien species.

  “I’m not sure what it is. I can check online with the phone.”

  “No Wi-Fi,” he said. “That search could alert interested parties.”

  “Fine.” She clicked open another file and glanced his way. “You want me to back up this drive onto this computer?”

  “No. No copies.”

  She shrugged and her mouth twitched as she returned her attention back to the laptop.

  “This one is marked Siming’s Army. This one says Vaccine,” she said, pointing to the two files. “This one is labeled Dosage.”

  “Open Vaccine,” he said.

  She did. “It’s handling instructions and...this part gives dates and times for delivery.”

  “Location?”

  “Not that I can see on this file.”

  “When?”

  “Soon, a few weeks.”

  “Here’s one marked Storage. I thought it was file storage, but...” She clicked open a series of folders. “Transport orders, care instructions and delivery address,” she read. She opened the document and her hands slid from the keyboard. Her mouth gaped as she pointed with one finger. “New York. Here. Look at the location. That’s in the Adirondacks.”

  “That’s why Takashi moved the meet. Why he insisted I have a team in place. He wanted to get me closer to the shipment.”

  “Likely. The only location that I did find is a garnet mine outside Lake George. It says they have the serum for participants.”

  “Serum?” asked Ryan.

  “My guess is that is either a vaccine or an antidote to some biological toxin. If you are launching a biological weaponized disease, you would want your people protected.”