by Melody Anne
She felt another flush as his eyes drifted to her ample chest that she covered with constricting tops and fitted suit jackets.
“The thought of that freedom appealed to me until I was about twelve. Then I realized all I’d be able to eat is seafood, which I can’t stand, so I gave up on my dreams of swimming the seas around the world.”
Hendrick laughed. “You didn’t give it up when you realized mermaids weren’t real?” he questioned.
She looked at him in mock horror. “What? Mermaids aren’t real?” She gasped. “What are you talking about?”
They both laughed as a little girl gazed at the two of them in horror. “I was just kidding,” Mallory quickly said. She leaned closer to the child. “But we do have to keep it a secret so the fishermen don’t find them.”
The girl’s eyes flashed with appreciation as she nodded, her face serious. “Yes, we don’t want that to happen,” she said. The girl’s mother sent a thankful look Mallory’s way.
“That was a close one,” Hendrick said when the child stepped away. “We can’t be responsible for crushing the hopes and dreams of our youth.”
“I guess we should be careful,” Mallory said. “But I do still believe in mermaids, by the way.”
She could tell by Hendrick’s expression that he was confused. He wasn’t quite sure if she was still joking or maybe a little crazy. She enjoyed keeping him guessing.
“Are you going to explain?” he asked as she finally stood, and they began moving through the aquarium looking at the many displays.
“I believe in magic,” she said. “And sure, I haven’t personally seen a mermaid, but I’ve seen a lot of things in life that take my breath away. So, I choose to believe there are many mythical creatures out there. After all, someone came up with the idea many, many moons ago. Was it because they’d caught a glimpse of a mermaid? Or was it all in their imagination?”
Hendrick seemed to really contemplate her statement, and she found she truly liked that. Finally, he smiled at her, his face breathtaking when his guard was down, and light danced in his eyes.
“I like that,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to slay dragons.”
She went serious for a moment, taking in the heat from his body as he walked next to her and a scent she couldn’t quite describe. It reminded her of walking through the woods next to a stream at dusk. There were hints of pine, salt, and a freshness about it that made her want to swipe her tongue just once up his neck.
“That’s a very noble profession,” she told him, loving that he obviously embraced magic too, even if he didn’t realize it.
They kept moving through the beautifully decorated aquarium when his stomach rumbled, and he laughed.
“I didn’t get to eat my lunch,” he told her a bit sheepishly. “By any chance are you hungry?”
“Starving,” she said with a laugh. “I didn’t realize it until you said that.”
“Great, I saw a restaurant sign in the last hallway.” They moved to that hallway then went down, finding a great place with a view of the sound. It was absolutely perfect . . . if not a little more romantic than she wanted. The place was dim in the middle of the afternoon since it was heavily overcast in Seattle, and little light shone inside.
“This is fancy,” Hendrick said. “I like it. A perfect place for a beautiful woman.”
Her body tingled at his words. He was either very smooth or spoke exactly what was on his mind. She hoped for the latter but had a feeling it was him being smooth.
“I’ve never eaten here. As I don’t like seafood, this might not be the wisest choice,” she said as they approached the hostess station.
“They always have non-seafood options,” he assured her.
There was a window seat available as they were between lunch and dinner. They were seated and the hostess left, assuring them the waitress would be by soon.
“Since your dreams of becoming a mermaid failed, what was your second choice as a child?” Hendrick asked.
“I didn’t have a plan B. I was very upset about giving up my mermaid dreams. In high school, I realized my favorite shows were all crime related. I thought of becoming an attorney but knew that sitting in an office all day would drive me absolutely mad, so I did a lot of searches on what my interests were and what jobs would work well for me. The FBI came up on every single one of them. So, I joined the military and then the agency. And here I am now.”
Their waiter interrupted, giving them water and menus. He took their drink orders and disappeared again.
“What about you? What made you join the military, and then this group you’re in now?” she asked.
He looked as if he was wrestling with the decision to tell her the truth or not. She’d learned in her many years of working with men it was best to be quiet and let them figure out things on their own. If they wanted to talk, they would. If they didn’t want to talk and she pushed them, they’d put up a wall.
“I didn’t have the best home life,” Hendrick finally said after a longer pause, then became more comfortable. My parents divorced when I was three. I lived with my mother, but she checked out emotionally and never came back again. My dad was an absent drunk I rarely saw. He wasn’t violent, but he was the definition of a deadbeat dad. I have one brother and one sister who still live in the small town I grew up in. Neither of them have any ambition whatsoever.”
“I’m sorry, Hendrick,” she said, truly meaning it. “Where did you grow up?”
“In Oxbow, Oregon. The town is so small they don’t even have a school.”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been to a town that small. I might’ve passed one while driving somewhere, but you drive through them so fast if you blink you’ll miss it.”
“If it wasn’t for my teachers and my sports coaches, I don’t know how my life would’ve turned out. But they saw something in me and pushed me to graduate, then helped me when I told them I wanted to join the Navy.”
“It was your way out,” she said, knowing that feeling. “It also sounds like you’ve always had what it takes to be successful.”
“I don’t necessarily know about that. I think I was far more motivated than others. I wanted out of that town and away from my family. So, I worked twice as hard as others because I wasn’t letting anything hold me back from getting away.”
“It also sounds like you were born with a healthy dose of competition,” Mallory told him.
He laughed. She could sink into the sound of his laughter. That was a dangerous place for her to be. They were business partners and nothing else. She had to convince herself of that. It was more difficult the longer she spent time with him.
“Yes,” he told her. “I’m certainly competitive, but it’s hard not to be when I know the difference between men and boys is strength. I get what I want . . . when I want it. I have a feeling you’re the exact same way,” he said in that deep, low voice that made her stomach clench.
He leaned in, invading her space in a way she wished they were alone. But they weren’t. She was very aware they were in public, and more than aware that if they did anything to blow either of their covers they both might be out of work.
“Hendrick . . .” she began but stopped at the fire burning in his gaze.
“You don’t need to say it,” he said when the silence dragged on for several moments. “I understand we’re doing an important job. I wasn’t expecting this curve ball thrown at me.”
She was then puzzled.
“Curve ball?” she questioned.
He smiled as he leaned back.
“You,” he said. “You’re one hell of a curveball and I’m finding I want to take a swing.”
Those tingles in her belly spread to between her thighs, and she wondered if she’d be strong enough to resist the attraction between the two of them. Her entire life she’d put her career first. This was the first time she resented that path. She’d always been able to put the female weakness, as she called
passion, in her rearview mirror. But with Hendrick she wanted to throw all of her carefully laid plans aside.
“We can’t have conversations like these, Hendrick,” she finally said.
He didn’t seem fazed.
“Why not?” he asked. “I’ve always believed in honesty.”
“Because this job is a career changer for me, and I’ve worked hard and long on it. We need to stay professional.” She put a stern expression on her face that had made many men back down. He didn’t even blink. There was something wickedly sexy about a man who knew who he was and wouldn’t allow anything to get in his way.
“Please,” she said, hating to be pleading with him. Her attraction only grew when he backed down, changing their conversation to work and impersonal topics. He was giving her what she’d asked for, but their sexual tension didn’t dim.
They left the restaurant, and the drive back to his place was silent. She put her vehicle in park and waited for him to climb out. He sat there, her throat tightened, and she couldn’t utter a word for the life of her.
Finally, he spoke just when she thought the air around them was going to suffocate her.
“I’ll respect you, Mallory, but this chemistry between us is unusual and incredibly special. I think we can both do our jobs and explore what this means. I don’t want to give you false hopes of white picket fences, children, and animals running around, but I think we could make some magic happen between us as we do our jobs.”
Her entire body throbbed with the need to say yes. A job was fulfilling, but it was one piece of a person’s life. A human needed touch, needed their needs met. Could she have it all? She’d never tried before.
“I’ll think on it,” she told him. It was all she could give right then. She needed to clear her head and be out of his presence to think for a while. Maybe the day had been a fluke. Maybe when she woke up the next morning she’d realize how ridiculous she’d been.
“I’ll accept that,” Hendrick told her.
Then he leaned over and kissed her cheek. Before she could respond, he jumped from her vehicle and disappeared up his walk. The home didn’t fit him, she realized as he slipped inside. She didn’t know why that thought occurred, but it just didn’t fit him.
She finally drove away . . . and his kiss burned long into the night. She couldn’t imagine what she’d feel if his lips touched hers . . .
Chapter Eleven
“Hello, Brackish.” Joseph Anderson answered his cell with a smile at the young man who’d already brought much levity to his life over the last few months. If the elder statesman enjoyed anything, it was a man who was supremely confident of his intellect and had a right to feel that way. Brackish fit that mold to perfection.
“Mr. Anderson. How are you today, sir?” Brackish asked with true respect and sincerity. Joseph could hear the smile in his voice as he asked the next question. “Feeling safe and sound in the mansion?”
“I’m well, thank you.” Joseph paused for a moment as he chuckled. “You might be feeling sneaky and sly, but I’m much older and wiser than you, boy, and I have to say I feel the same way about it as I did when you initially talked of home safety. My security systems are more than adequate,” Joseph boasted.
“I know you like to believe that. Is the wager still on?” Brackish asked.
“Yes, it is. You break into my house, I’ll pay you to upgrade all of the systems,” Joseph said, not at all worried about his top-of-the-line system failing.
“Any ground rules, sir?”
“Ground rules . . . Hmm. I’ll send you a rough schematic of the ground floor. Don’t disturb my bedroom or room three on the diagram. Katherine still goes through therapy and I don’t need her interrupted or frightened. The object to retrieve is a globe, almost the size of a volleyball, carved out of lapis, it won’t be hidden in a drawer or in a secret spot, but it’ll be up to you to find it,” Joseph said.
“Consider it done,” Brackish said confidently. He then finalized the call. “We have a couple things going on this week so you can rest until nearer the end of next week. Be ready.”
“Good luck, Brackish. Until then, be safe,” Joseph said with a laugh before ending the call.
***
Brackish hung up his phone with a beaming smile. The first part of his operation was set to perfection. Joseph believed the team wouldn’t strike for the next week and a half. Meanwhile, he was planning to strike in four days. This would test how good Joseph’s systems truly were.
The conference room of the special ops compound housed the team and Chad. They’d all heard the call and were smiling once the connection ended. They were looking forward to having some fun with Joseph and whatever team he was putting together. It was always a positive to test yourself against others. It helped see where your strengths and weaknesses lay.
“Chad, can you get Jasmine on the phone? I have a plan to use her to do our recon. From what we saw of her during paintball, she might be more than happy to help get in on some undercover work,” Brackish said. A sinister smile that held no weight, crept over his face.
“Oh, I like it. She’s almost as lethal as me,” Smoke said to the room.
“Well, I know she’s cold-hearted,” Sleep said as he rubbed his belly. “I think I have permanent damage from her shooting me in the gut. You know, I like the kid, reminds me of me. If she’d been a boy . . . umm . . .”
With that screwup of words the team realized the noose he’d just set around his own neck and the banter was on.
“If she were a boy, what?” Chad asked with a grin that told Sleep he was glad it wasn’t him who’d said those words, and really glad no women were in the room with them.
“Yeah, Sleep?” Smoke asked with a smirk. “Is someone at this table being a chauvinistic pig?”
“I don’t know,” Brackish said as he flexed his arm. “There are just some things a woman can get away with that a man can’t. That’s not sexist, just reality because we’re stronger.”
The table erupted. “I’ve seen some damn strong women,” Eyes said.
“Yeah, and they have skills that spin some men in circles,” Chad reminded them.
“But not us because we’re so smart, talented, and ripped,” Smoke said.
“I don’t know how smart Sleep is after his slip-up,” Eyes said.
“Women might have skills, but this badass has more,” Smoke said, standing and flexing his varying bulging muscles, making all of the men groan and make puking sounds.
“Do you ever get tired of being full of yourself?” Brackish asked as the laughter began to die.
“Nope, I’d date myself if it were possible. I don’t think there’s a woman alive who can handle all of this and keep me entertained,” Smoke assured the team. Then he lost it with laughter as he dropped back down into his chair.
Smoke made the room fall apart when he lost his breath from laughing so hard. He had to slap the table, and hard, a couple of times to get his brain to kick back into the natural rhythm of breathing. Green nearly fell out of his chair laughing at how ridiculous Smoke was and that made Chad let out a deep throaty laugh that sounded like a hippo calling its mate. They had to look like a pack of wild hyenas.
After a few more rounds of insults, Brackish got the room to quiet down. Grown men, who’d seen the worst of the worst of what the world had to offer, were wiping tears of laughter from their eyes, but they easily composed themselves in a nanosecond to do their jobs.
“Okay, let me start over,” Brackish said while giving a final wave of his sleeve over his eyes. “Chad, the idea is to ask Jasmine to take a few of her cousins and her little brother over to visit their grandparents tomorrow. I think she’ll be fully onboard with helping. She’s a thrill seeker. We’ll tell her to go under the guise of seeing her grandparents, and while they’re visiting, she’ll start a game of hide and seek throughout the entire house. She’ll be the first to hide, but what she’ll really be doing is looking for our gl
obe while mapping out the guards’ locations.”
“Brilliant plan,” Eyes said.
“Love it!” Green exclaimed.
“Perfect setup — way to use locals,” Sleep offered.
“Nice. She’ll definitely be onboard,” Smoke shared.
Chad looked around the room at the men he’d been leading and wondered how he’d gotten so lucky to find such a perfect mix. It was a great feeling to lead men who could weave between serious and hilarious with ease. While this was a big deal for Brackish, the only reason the other men remotely cared was because Brackish did, and that was enough for them. If one was in, they all were.
“It’ll work flawlessly. Let’s send her a text to see if she’s available. I know that kid never answers calls,” Chad said.
Hey Jazzy, it’s Chad, have a secret mission for you if you’re interested. Call me ASAP.
Within five seconds of pushing the send button, his phone was ringing, Jasmine’s name flashing on the home screen. Chad turned it so the entire table could see then flipped the screen back, hit the accept button, and put the call on speaker so everyone could hear.
“Hey, Chad, what’s going on?” Jasmine asked almost out of breath. “I’m in.” They all chuckled at her enthusiasm. She didn’t even care what it was, and she was in.
“Are you okay, Jazz?” Chad asked.
A couple of audibly deep breaths were heard before Jasmine started again, “Ha. Yes. I’m doing fifty-yard wind sprints. Pushing myself to see if I can be as fast, if not faster, on my twentieth as I was on my first.”
“What number are you on?” Chad asked.
“Thirty-three,” Jasmine said nonchalantly.
Each man sitting there gave knowing nods. They all knew the internal fire she was displaying, and they fully respected it. Jasmine was going to do some great things with her life. She showed the same grit each of them had shown from a young age.
“Keep pushing yourself. If you have a minute before getting back to it, I have the men from the paintball games with me right now and they’re going to ask you to help with something. I’ll let Steve discuss the details with you. No pressure at all, but I think you might be interested,” Chad said before sliding his phone to Brackish.