by Leanne Tyler
“Jiminy.” She sat back on the sofa and drank her water.
Chapter 12
Night three in the junior suite
Simone lay on her side facing Liam, staring at him. He lay on his side, facing her as well. Neither of them said anything, and neither of them were sleeping. Time was ticking away like that on a bomb about to explode and yet neither of them could do anything about it. She’d still not been able to get a hold of her father’s lawyer, which meant she couldn’t get to the money for the ransom. Liam had gone through every file of data that he’d copied while at Lincler and was still no closer to proving that Lincler was involved in her father’s kidnapping, even though his name and Samwell Brady’s name were all over the files. Nor had he found any connection between Lincler and the gang from Chicago.
“What are we going to do?” she finally asked.
“I don’t know.” He turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. “Twenty-four hours is up and we haven’t heard from the kidnappers. We should have hours ago. They should have called, instructing you where the drop off point was if nothing else.”
“But they didn’t. Mom said they gave her two hours and when she refused to pay they sent her that video of me, making her think they’d shot me.”
Simone sat up in bed. “Where’s my phone?”
“Charging beside mine. Don’t you remember? It hasn’t made a sound.”
“Are you sure it didn’t power off? We’d better check it to be safe.” Simone started crawling across the bed, but Liam reached over to the table next to him and grabbed her phone for her.
“Here. Take a look for yourself to settle your curiosity. It’s on, but charging.”
He was right of course. But that didn’t stop her from checking the call log for any missed calls, or her message log to see if there was one that had come in without either of them noticing. She also turned up the volume on her phone so neither could sleep through it if they were to fall asleep.
“I think my father needs to find a new lawyer. One who will call back in a timely manner.”
Liam grunted. “I’m sure he is making the big bucks. He can afford to make his clients wait.”
“Unless he’s not calling me back because he’s involved.” She said, leaning over him to lay her phone back on the table and reconnect the charger.
Liam grabbed her and before she knew it, he had her on her back. “What did you say?”
“What? What did I say?”
“About your father’s lawyer?”
She blinked and thought for a moment. “That he might be involved in my father’s disappearance and that is why he didn’t call me back today.”
Liam pushed himself up and off the bed. He began pacing the room like a caged tiger, running his fingers through his short cut, dark brown hair. “That’s an angle I hadn’t thought about. Who better to know about your father’s finances than his own lawyer? What’s his name again?”
“Stan Whittenbrier.”
Liam went to the sitting room and got on his laptop. Simone followed, turning on a floor lamp for light.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m running a background on Mr. Whittenbrier to see what kind of dirt I can dig up on him.”
“Do you always assume people are crooked?” she asked.
“In my line of work nine times out of ten they usually are, sweetheart.”
“I’m not your sweetheart.”
“If you say so.”
She pursed her lips together and looked over his shoulder, ignoring his last comment. From what she was seeing, Whittenbrier was into plenty of unscrupulous dealings. She had to wonder if her father had any idea he was working with a man like that.
“You might as well run a background check on my father while you’re at it. If you haven’t already.”
“I haven’t. You said he wasn’t into shady activity. What changed your mind?” Liam turned his head to glance at her.
“His kidnapping.”
“If you’re sure you want me to look into him?”
She swallowed, took a deep breath and then nodded. “Yes. I want you to do it. I have to know.”
“Okay.” He typed in the information required and ran the search on Clayton Reid.
Liam’s laptop made a horrible noise and went black.
Simone jumped back. “Holy Moly!”
Then slowly there was white ticker tape writing of numbers and letters that began scrolling across the screen in a single row before large F. B. I. CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL appeared.
“Did you know about this?”
“No,” she squeaked. “What does it mean?”
“That either your father is an operative or he’s been taken into custody.”
“Into custody? For what?”
Liam shrugged. “I find it funny you assumed custody instead of him working for the F.B.I.”
“Wouldn’t he have told his family?”
Liam shrugged again. “Some agents don’t, especially if they work undercover.”
“It could explain why he was always keeping secrets from my mom.”
“True.”
“But why wouldn’t he have told me?”
“To keep you safe? To keep you both safe.”
Simone shook her head and walked over to the window in the suite, pushing back the sheers so she could get a better view of the city lit up at night. “I’m not sure which theory I prefer to believe about him. What if it is neither and he is a witness in protective custody? Couldn’t that be a possibility?”
“You know what we’re doing here? We’re speculating. We have to remember that his information came up confidential for a reason. Why? I don’t have clearance for. Brand would have clearance since he was a DEVGRU. I don’t.”
Simone turned away from the window. “Then we call Brand.”
Liam shook his head. “We still have the threat from the kidnappers not to go to the authorities. I’m hesitant to involve anyone from the team in Chicago, unless I call Hawkeye. Since the deadline has passed and we still haven’t heard from the kidnappers, I’ve almost ruled them out as a threat. But, I don’t want to risk it either. We don’t know if they haven’t reached out because the FBI has swooped in and retrieved your father, or if they were trying to get someone else to pay the ransom and they hit the jackpot that way.”
“Do you suppose they did?”
“It stands to reason they would. You heard your mother. They went to her first. Then to you. Why wouldn’t they try someone else?”
“But who?”
“A possible girlfriend?”
“A girlfriend? My father? No way!”
“Simone, be realistic. Your father comes to DC. He stays at the Palomar Hotel. One of the trendiest hotels in the area where the younger demographic flock. I’d bet my bottom dollar that he has a younger girlfriend in the area.”
“Yeah, but he’s in his late fifties.”
“Honey, men never are too old for a woman.”
“Liam, you are talking about my dad.”
“I am.”
“I don’t like thinking about my dad that way. Or my mom and Leland for that matter.”
“So noted.” He reached for her hand. “It’s getting late. We better see if we can get some sleep now.”
“Only if you put the barrier blanket back between us.”
“Why?” He turned around, facing her. “I thought we’d gotten past that silliness.”
“Silliness or not, you stay on your side. I stay on my side.” She walked on toward the bedroom.
“Did I upset you by what I said about your dad? Is that why you want the blanket back?”
“No. I get it. But like you said, men are never too old for a woman. I don’t want you forgetting our sleeping arrangements during the night.”
“Oh, is that what you’re afraid of? As I told you before, sweetheart, you have nothing to worry about. You aren’t getting me in your bed that easy,” he said.
Simone turned arou
nd and grinned, batting her eyes. “But sweetheart, I already have.”
Damn, she had him there. And she looked so smug about it too.
She started to crawl onto the bed and he cut her off by leaping into the middle of it.
“Liam!”
“Simone!” He playfully mocked her tone.
“You’re on my side, now move.”
“Maybe I want to sleep over here tonight.” He clasped his hands underneath his head, flexing his biceps to get her attention, but if she noticed, it wasn’t obvious.
“Fine. I’ll sleep on this side.” She laid down with her back to him. “Good night.”
He waited a few moments until he was certain she was settled and then he reached out and pulled her back toward him.
“Liam.”
“Sorry, but I can’t sleep. This worked last night for you. I thought it would work tonight for me.”
“Really?” She twisted around, sitting up to look at him before flopping back down on the bed.
“Your pillow smells like your shampoo. I wanted to bury my face in your hair while I sleep.”
“Say that again?” She slowly turned over to face him, running a finger up his chest and drawing a circle over the writing of his tattoo. “At least you’re being honest. The real reason I wanted the blanket between us was so we had a barrier to keep me from you.”
He silently groaned at her confession.
“Honey, you had me from the moment I walked into that bar Friday night.”
“I did?”
He nodded.
“But I was a mess.”
“A hot mess, screaming, ‘I’m trouble! You better stay away!’ But, I never was one to listen to warnings like that.”
He pushed her hair away from her face, letting his finger trail down along her jawline before tilting her chin upward. Leaning forward, he kissed her gently, savoring the taste of her.
She ran her hand up his back and they rolled on the bed until he was covering her completely. The kiss deepened and she delved her tongue into his mouth as his darted into hers, their teeth clashed and they pulled apart, laughing.
“Whoa there, Rambo. Let me take the lead on this, okay?” Liam said. “Some things need to be taken slow.”
“And some things need to happen now,” she said huskily. She reached up and pulled his head back down to her, hungrily kissing him again.
He allowed her to win the kissing battle, but he was not about to let her win it all. He slowly worked to get her pajama bottoms off as they rolled back over so she was on top.
She broke free from their kiss long enough to come up for air, smiling down at him as she straddled him. With on hand, she pushed her hair back from her face. In another quick motion she had the tank off over her head, exposing her breasts for him.
He sucked in his breath, eager to get his hands on them, but he’d wait.
“What’s the matter, Oklahoma?” she asked rising up on her knees so she could untie his lounging pajamas at the waist.
“Nothing. Are you a girl that likes to be on top?” He reached up to her hips and shimmied her panties down.
“Maybe.”
He rose up to meet her in a sitting position. “And maybe I like you flat on your back under me. What do you say about that?”
She arched her brows. “Maybe I like that too.”
He bent his index finger and moved it back and forth bidding her to come closer. She did and when she was within kissing distance, he pulled her closer and rolled them, so she was flat on her back, taking her underwear the rest of the way off in the process.
“That was a calculated move.”
“Honey, you haven’t seen nothing yet.” He got up off the bed. “I’ll be right back.”
“Promises. Promises.” Simone raised up on her elbows watching him walk away.
He hurried over to his suitcase, unzipped the side pocket where he kept his stash of condoms that he carried with him wherever the team went. He’d rather be prepared than SOL. Loverboy sure did find they came in handy. “Dammit.”
“What?”
“I’m going to kill Will. He took the last condom from my bag and didn’t tell me.”
“Oh.” The disappointment was clear in her voice. “Look in my bag. I usually have one or two in there. Just in case.”
He glanced back at her. “Just in case?”
“Don’t sound so surprised. Why do you carry them?”
“It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Exactly. I don’t travel expecting to get laid. But if I meet someone and things progress, I do want to be prepared.”
He unzipped her suitcase and found two glow in the dark purple neon packets. “Really? Glow in the dark?”
“Hey, Colleen bought them for Carly’s thing last Friday night. I snatched a few. I thought they’d be interesting conversation. Or a guiding light in the dark.”
He chuckled, letting his pants fall to the floor before he crawled on the bed with her. “Any man with experience wouldn’t need that to find his way around a beautiful woman’s body.”
“I don’t let just any man around mine,” she said, turning toward him as he lay down.
“Even if it is just casual?”
“Even if it is casual.”
She took the wrapper from him and tore it, unsealing the precious safety measure that would complete their tryst. “You know, I told Carly last Saturday I’d have little Donnie in my hands before the week was out. I don’t think she really believed me.”
“Little Donnie?” He laughed, shaking his head. “Simone, honey, you make lovemaking—”
“Sh-h-h.” She put a finger up to his lips, cutting his words off. “Let’s not call it that just yet. We’re keeping it casual, remember.”
There was a look that crossed his face for a split second that she couldn’t ignore, but she didn’t want to think about it at that moment. If she did, she’d be putting her clothes back on and going to sleep on the sofa. And maybe the smart thing was to do just that, but she never was one to listen to that little voice inside her head. Instead she handed him the open condom wrapper and began kissing his mouth, his neck.
His hands roamed her body, caressing and squeezing in places that had her squirming and her nether regions strumming with liquid heat. He did magic with his mouth and hands on her breasts and, heaven above, what he did with his fingers before he ever entered her. He had her begging him to hurry and she forgot herself more than once, crying out his name as they rose to a climax and she shattered into pieces, while he soared on without her.
As the dawns light wafted through the window, they clung to one another and she trembled. Liam pulled the sheet up around their bodies before she finally drifted off to sleep, with her head laying on his chest listening to his heart still thumping from their lovemaking.
She may have wanted to have kept it casual between them, but what they’d just shared was anything but casual. The remarkable man lying with her had just rocked her world.
Chapter 13
Simone reached out a hand, feeling for her phone to shut off the alarm, but instead she felt a nose and a mouth. She opened one eye and snorted, seeing Liam glaring at her.
“Not funny, sweetheart.”
“Sorry.” She rose up and turned off the alarm, then snuggled closer to Liam. “Tell me I don’t have to get up and go to meetings today.”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, but stay right here beside me.”
“That sounds like you want me to lose my job.”
“No. I was telling you what you asked me to tell you. With a little extra thrown in.”
She ran her index finger around one of his areolas until it was a hard bead and he gave a throaty groan.
“Are you looking for trouble this morning?” he asked her.
“Always. Too bad I don’t have time to finish what I started.” She raised up and kissed him lightly, but he wrapped his arms around her and rolled, pinning her onto the bed wit
h his body.
He stared down at her with hunger in his eyes. “You should never start something you don’t have time to finish, sweetheart.”
“Can I take a raincheck for later?” She slowly ran her foot up the back of his calf.
“That can be arranged. But how about I join you for your shower?”
She grinned. “I don’t think that would work. We’d end up doing other things besides showering.”
“I know.” He dipped his head to her neck and began kissing her there before moving behind her ears. “So maybe we should just skip the shower part and stay right here?”
“As much as I’d like that, I have my meetings from yesterday with Webster-Reynolds this morning. It’s going to be hard enough after last night without having me overheated from your kisses.”
“True. Just remember, you started it.” He moved away, sounding cool, so she could get up and go.
She hurried from the room after grabbing a bra and a panty from her suitcase. His tone lingered with her though, just like that look he’d given her last night before they’d made love… Had sex… Dammit, now he had her calling it what it shouldn’t have been because she had wanted to keep it casual, but it had turned into more. Why did guys always react that way when a girl wanted to be casual about sex? Wasn’t that normally what most of them wanted? She just didn’t get the double standard in this modern age.
She quickly pinned her hair up to keep it from getting wet before she jumped into the shower. Standing under the spray, she lathered and rinsed before turning the water off.
The shower curtain scraped back a small distance and a fluffy towel came toward her.
“Thanks, Liam.” She started drying off, getting her arms, her legs, and her back in quick fashion. “Should I turn the water back on for you?”
“I’ll give you time to finish in here before I get in. You have a phone call.”
