Guiding Kinley (NCIS Series Book 3)

by Zoe Dawson

  The depth of need she’d developed for him so swiftly was more terrifying than failing. That was reason enough to step back.

  If only she had the strength.

  An hour later they had donned their married-Canadian-couple personas and were headed for their private plane. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Nadeau. Her name was Simone.

  “Whoa, almost forgot,” he said.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the set of rings. He slipped the ridiculous diamond and band onto her finger, then shoved the gold band onto his.

  She swallowed hard at the way it felt to be connected to him, and it had nothing to do with the rings.

  And everything to do with her heart.

  Chapter Ten

  Beau indicated Kinley should precede him up the steps. His fingers still tingled from sliding the rings on their fingers. The way she’d looked at him as he did it made his heart thump against his chest. Playacting. He was only playacting being married to her.

  Daniel was behind him with a very sour look on his face.

  Playacting or not, she was something in that high-class getup she’d chosen. The DEA undercover gurus had tried to pick something out for her, but Kinley had done a fine job on her own. He paused on the stairs and Daniel slammed into him, but his gaze was riveted to the tan sandal with the blocked heel. The shoe was elegant, expensive, leather and handmade, and it encased a sweetly feminine foot whose arched lines extended up a delicate ankle, a silken calf to the hem of a cream-colored dress with black diamond patterns on it. It was wrapped around a set of the most dangerous curves he’d ever seen and tied right under the bodice molded to her body. His fingers itched to see if that one flimsy string would bring the whole cool, collected facade crashing down with the fabric. Before she’d gotten on the plane, he noticed the gold necklace nestled in the hint of her delectable cleavage. She looked nothing like the no-nonsense special agent.

  No, with her richly colored hair swept up under the elegant, broad-brimmed, rakishly angled white Panama hat and a pair of sleek sunglasses, she looked like she was born to a privileged and pampered lifestyle. Silken auburn strands drifted down, caught in the slight breeze blowing across the tarmac and brushing the nape of her neck, telling him that he was in way more trouble than he had bargained for.

  Kryptonite.

  Hitting him where it hurt. All those cyclone curves and auburn hair.

  “Could we, Jerrott?” Daniel groused.

  Beau watched as that sweet backside wiggled into the plane. Beau turned, gave him a wide grin and hopped the stairs into the plane two at a time, then ducked inside, nodding to the pilot as he did.

  The older man just smiled and tipped his fingers to his forehead. “Ready when you are.”

  “We’re ready if Wescott would stop dawdling.”

  “Me?” Daniel sputtered, then narrowed his eyes when Beau smirked.

  The pilot chuckled and closed the cockpit door as Beau made his way into the main section of the small private jet.

  Kinley was seated in the central area, where there was a large round table surrounded by four cushy leather chairs. There were also seats along either side of the plane, situated next to the windows.

  “Geez, the DEA gets some nice toys,” Beau said.

  “Confiscated from some drug lord,” Daniel said, settling into a seat next to Kinley.

  Beau smiled at Kinley. She had both her arms and legs crossed and didn’t look particularly happy with him. Of course, he was supposed to be the so-cool-frost-gathered-around-him Ryan Nadeau, the obscenely wealthy independent software developer.

  Daniel rose to close the outside door and Beau leaned down.

  “You are transformed,” she murmured. “I could almost believe that you are as big a bastard as your profile says you are. The way you got out of the limo and left me to my own devices was well-played.”

  Her eyes went over him, and he felt the force of her green gaze. He knew how to play the part of a bastard.

  He grinned and leaned down, his voice a wisp of sound. “That queen-of-the-realm tone you’re using really turns me on.”

  She tried to maintain her frosty expression, but he saw her fight the smile. He extended his hand to her. “We need to buckle in for takeoff.”

  She took his offered hand. She was such a mix of uptight and cute, he never knew what to expect from her. He drew her up but resisted the temptation to pull her directly into his arms. Wescott was a complete wet blanket.

  Beau led her to a window seat and waited until she got comfortable, but rather than taking the seat next to her, he sat next to the window on the opposite side of the plane. She looked surprised, and perhaps even a little disappointed. He smiled to himself and buckled up.

  When Wescott came back, he paused, looking surprised also that Beau wasn’t sitting next to her. Beau wasn’t worried about Daniel. Kinley wasn’t interested in him, but that didn’t seem to stop the frisson of heat that made his hand fist.

  He was making it a point to not crowd her. It was important that she understood he knew she could handle Daniel.

  The pilot came over the speaker with instructions for takeoff. As the plane accelerated, then lifted into the sky, Beau glanced over at Kinley. Her hands were in her lap doing a twisting little dance. He was sure it wasn’t fear of flying because she’d been completely relaxed on their way to the Bahamas from Norfolk. So, she had to be worrying about the mission.

  She turned and met his eyes and he smiled at her, realizing that she wanted him close. He regretted that he couldn’t hold her hand.

  Despite the intimacy they shared, he had no idea who she really was. She was sharp, smart and, when it came time to step up and do what was needed, fearless. He wanted to know her better outside of work. Outside of the danger and the need to maintain in public a professional relationship. But he was starting to think that maybe…he could find out.

  He was completely floored with his next thought. As hot as she looked and as hot as she made him, he wanted to hold her hand. Oh, he wanted her. Kind of hard to deny that one, given the ongoing rock-hard state of his body. But now he wasn’t interested in getting naked with her simply to get naked. He didn’t just want her casually. Which was ridiculous, considering that’s how he’d operated on a regular basis. But, sitting here, reassuring her with his eyes, he wasn’t sure he’d ever had Special Agent Kinley Cooper casually. Not even from the first. That was a freaking first for him. Or at least, it had been a long time—okay—since…Jennifer. She had broken his heart. He hadn’t forgotten what that was like.

  But Kinley… If he let himself get too deep, he was afraid she would wreck him. Carve out his heart. Hollow him out.

  “Daniel, why don’t you fill us in on your contact and how this is going to play out,” Beau said to distract himself from that train of thought.

  “My contact is very elusive. I have never met him. He uses burner phones and gives me tips as he gets them. He has been one hundred percent accurate every time. He will get the information we need. He also gave me the name of a gun dealer in Havana who can help us out with weapons. The meet is set up for tonight at the La Casa del Luna. He will supply us with the doctor’s name.”

  “Risks?” Beau asked.

  “Minimal in my opinion. Like I said, he’s been totally spot on. He offered to help because he lost a family member to the cartel. He wants them taken down.”

  “A dance club. Not loving that,” Kinley murmured.

  Daniel shrugged. “He chose the place. We have to go along with it. I’m not worried. We should be in and out with the information and on our way by ten-thirty at the latest.”

  When Daniel got up to go to the bathroom thirty minutes later, Beau unbuckled his seat belt and slid over next to her. Yeah, apparently, he was a stupid sumbitch. She started and turned to look at him. He curled his hands over hers.

  “There’s no need to be nervous. I have your back.”

  “Yeah,” she whispered. “That’s part of what makes me nervous. You’l
l want my front and everything else in between.”

  He laughed out loud just as Daniel came out of the bathroom. Beau met his testy look, but he wasn’t budging. He’d had her for most of the flight.

  When the captain came over the speaker to let them know they were descending into Havana, Kinley’s hands tightened in his. He squeezed them as they waited until the plane touched down and the captain gave the all-clear before they rose to depart.

  “Get the car and luggage,” Beau said to Daniel, who nodded, walked to open the hatch and disappeared through it.

  Kinley took a deep breath near him. “We’ll have to buy clothes. They only had so many on hand that fit us.”

  “No worries. I’m sure you’re an amazing shopper.”

  “Why, because I’m a woman?”

  “Maybe, and it’s part of the mission, which you’ll take very seriously. So, you ready?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’m ready.”

  “And prepared?”

  “Like you were ever a Boy Scout.”

  “I was, as a matter of fact.”

  She snorted.

  “Scout’s honor.” He moved in behind her, herding her toward the door. He leaned in close to her ear. “I won all my derbies. It’s all about the wood.”

  She tried to huff, but it came out as more of a laugh. “Oh, man,” she muttered, giving him a rolled-eye look over her shoulder before she ducked, stepped out of the plane and onto the metal steps.

  He followed her, using her descent in heels as an excuse to touch her elbow in a steadying gesture. Given she could probably do cartwheels in those things, it was completely unnecessary. Pathetic, even.

  Wanting something with her was starting to get to him. He was walking a dangerous path with not only his own emotions, but with hers, too. The unknown here was how important her career was to her. What her priorities were where it came to him.

  Her whole persona changed as she hit the tarmac and headed toward the terminal, and he lost that train of thought. Her aura went from Kinley to Simone in a heartbeat. He made a similar transformation, changing the affable look on his face to that of a serious CEO and busy businessman.

  They sailed through customs and were soon searching for Daniel at the curb. When he pulled up in the Mercedes and came around to open the door for them, Beau took Kinley’s arm again, on the pretense of helping her into the car. It was late afternoon, but the fatigue was pulling at him. He hadn’t slept much last night with the cramming for the mission.

  She settled into the seat like she’d been born in luxury and he settled next to her, closer than he should sit, but hell, they were supposed to be married.

  Why did that thought make his heart jump each time?

  “After shopping, I need a shower and some food. You?” Kinley asked.

  “That sounds great. When are you supposed to meet the guy with the guns, Daniel? I’m not too keen about doing anything, including meeting your contact, without some firepower,” Beau said.

  “Agreed,” Daniel said. “He’s not far from here. It shouldn’t take any more than half an hour.”

  “And your contact?” Kinley asked.

  “Not until ten-thirty at El Casa del Luna.”

  “Kinley's right. Dance club. Not a great choice. Too many people,” Beau growled.

  “He’s a little bit on edge because of the crap going down with Montoya. The Las Espadas are hunting for him hard.”

  Beau still didn’t like it.

  “After we freshen up, Kinley and I can go get the guns while you scope out the floor plan and do some recon. Will that make you feel better?”

  It was on the tip of his tongue that no freaking way was he going to let her out of his sight. She turned to look at him and she saw it right there in his eyes.

  She looked a bit hurt and completely mutinous. He realized they would have to do the job, whatever that entailed.

  “Beau—”

  “I’m sorry. I just—” He shook his head. “Yes, you go with Daniel to pick up the weapons.”

  Trust. He’d meant what he’d said, but she was clearly calling him on it. “Get me something nice, shiny and deadly,” he said.

  The idea of being separated from her didn’t sit well with him, but not so much because of the trust issue. It was a knee-jerk reaction to something that was totally unreasonable and personal. They were undercover; she for the first time in a city that would not be that friendly if something went south. Until he had a better handle on who the players were and what the danger level was, he didn’t really want to let Kinley out of his sight. But Daniel was a seasoned agent, and for that matter, so was Kinley.

  Daniel eased the Mercedes through traffic and pulled over in front of a neocolonial structure with graceful arches. He stopped at the curb, and several bellmen immediately moved in their direction.

  Beau smiled at Kinley as his door was opened. He could see the fatigue etched on her face quite clearly now, and he was sure he didn’t look any better. For a woman who came to average height, she could move fast. He caught up to her and put his hand on her lower back as the bellmen held the lobby door for them.

  Kinley smiled when she saw the shops. “Go ahead and go up, the two of you. I’ll get this task done and be right up.” She was already focused on the job.

  He was all set to go in after her, or hover outside, just to keep an eye on her, but realized that trust was about more than believing her capable. It was also trusting her to take care of herself. She wasn’t exactly fragile or helpless, which was a big part of why he was so drawn to her. But it didn’t make him feel any less conflicted. He wasn’t used to feeling so proprietary or worrying so much about anyone.

  But just because she’d clearly done a good job taking care of herself up to this point didn’t mean bad things couldn’t happen. He swore under his breath. He’d worked with partners before, even a female partner. Amber was as tough as they came, and Kinley was cut from the same tough-cookie cloth. But there was an emotional element tied in here that was tying him up in knots and confusing the crap out of him.

  It was the part that wasn’t rational or reasonable, more like a primal directive to protect and defend. He snorted at himself. Caveman mentality.

  He stared after her as she disappeared among the racks of clothing, thinking about that, which led him to also think about what would likely happen if they went up to their hotel room at the same time. And finally, resigned, he sighed and turned toward the registration desk. “Yeah, good call.”

  Thirty minutes later he stepped out of the shower, his muscles loosened up from the hot water. He should feel good, but he didn’t. Probably the latent anxiety he’d tried to ignore—quite unsuccessfully— while waiting for Kinley to show up. She hadn’t come into the bathroom, but that could be because she was aware of what would happen if she got anywhere near him while he was naked. More distraction they didn’t need right now. And he was already feeling far more distracted having been through the emotional roller coaster of the past half hour than he’d like to be.

  Falling for her was hell on him.

  Whoa, slow that train down, he thought immediately. Just a slip of the mind. Crazy slippery mind.

  Then he stepped into the master suite and found Kinley stretched out on the bed, fast asleep. And he thought falling for her was also one of the best feelings in the whole world. The relief was far greater than it probably should have been, but he was human. She was here in one piece. That was all that mattered.

  His body, however, was even happier, if its reaction to seeing her all flushed and relaxed was any indication. In fact, it felt quite rejuvenated. Perhaps a cold shower would have been a better idea. Yeah, if he had been functioning on more than one brain cell, it would have occurred to him.

  He hated to wake her, but they had a timeline here and they were slowing it down. Besides, she looked too good in that bed and he couldn’t jump her bones. She would rather have the short time they were allotted to clean up. Again, he was struck by how litt
le he really knew her. And by how badly he wanted to correct that. It would take a lifetime to know everything about her, but this was about a temporary assignment. He was going back to DC and she was going to probably get a promotion out of this.

  He rubbed the towel over his hair, then tripped over a long row of bags lined up against the side of the bed as he rounded it. That was some major shopping in the twenty minutes he’d been in the shower. She’d obviously made a nice dent in the DEA credit cards issued in their names.

  His eyes caressed every inch of her. A bundle of surprises, a sharp mind. Special agent and shopaholic. She stretched. Stretching was good. Another part of his body thought it was good, too. His emotions were far too turbulent to deal with that temptation at the moment. His eyes roamed over the bags. Getting dressed was a good idea. Not the idea he wanted to contemplate, but it was safer.

  Kinley woke up to find Beau leaning over the bags with nothing but a white towel around his waist. He rose to his full height as their eyes met. He looked so hot all mussed, disheveled. He made scruffy look so sexy. She worked at fighting off the waves of lust just looking at him inspired.

  There was a distinct reason she couldn’t keep her hands, her eyes, her mouth off him. The way he’d looked when he was talking to that customs officer after he got just a tiny bit rough with her. He’d been dressed all in white. A white polo that fit him like a second skin, delineating every muscle in his torso, hugging his broad shoulders, the material stretching around his biceps, showing just the bottom of his sexy chain tattoo. The white, casually elegant pants had encased his long legs, the cuffs rolled up to show strong ankles above a pair of white deck shoes.

  Women had been passing by him, unable to take their eyes off him as he made it clear without even raising his voice to the guard that his wife wouldn’t be treated with anything but kid gloves. His jaw had been hard and stubbled with beard, all the lines of his body showing the barely leashed power and grace of every big, bad boy who’d ever been at the top of the food chain. The thing that made her heart skip a beat—he hadn’t been pretending or playacting. He was downright serious.