by Lexxi James
“Seriously? Anyone can be certified?”
“Not convicted criminals, but pretty much anyone else. And nobody ever checks their records. Not that it would matter, because the journal could be chock full of fake data.” She shrugged. “It is what it is. But, back on track, I forge your signature and get my buddy to notarize it. In an operation like this, one of two things is likely. I’m forging your signature and notarizing it as myself, or I give my buddy a stack of them and a kickback per signature. I don’t know, like fifty or a hundred dollars a signature. If it were me, I’d keep the cash and forge the signatures myself. There’s also less risk of a leak.”
Jake’s uncertain stare stopped her in her pacing.
“What is it?”
He snickered. “I’m really glad you’re on our side. Just sayin’.”
“Hey, I might think like a criminal mastermind, but I’m determined to use my cold, calculating, greedy thoughts for good.”
“Okay, so we’ve crossed the signature roadblock. What’s next?”
“For the next step, a medical exam, we’d definitely need a co-conspirator. I can’t just go up to you and say, ‘Hey, Jake. Let’s get you a checkup. What’s that you say? What for? Oh, no reason.’ But with you deploying and all, that paves the way for justifying a little probing and prodding. Or, let’s say I have a reservist nurse or even a physician in my hip pocket. I can forge everything except the blood tests. For those, I need a reason to physically touch you.”
He let out a playful scoff. “So, now you need a reason?”
Laughing, she clarified her position. “No, Kathryn-the-kitten just needs your say-so, and my little claws will be wherever you want them. But Kathryn-the-corrupt-nurse, who’s looking to line my wallet with blood money, would need it. At the very least, to run blood tests. But . . .”
Her pacing shuffled to a stop. “What if I called you. Say, I was a medical reservist. I’d have full access to the global directory, meaning I have your number. I’d call, from a base number, with some story about how paperwork got lost, and I need you to come in right away to do additional labs before your deployment. Have you visit my office during the times I’m on duty at the base clinic. You wouldn’t think anything of it. Just another waste of time, ticking off another item on an endless checklist before deployment. And I’d look official. You’d be none the wiser.”
“So that’s it?”
Hands on her hips, Kathryn shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe. Someone would have to pay the premiums until the service member died. And we’re talking about a lot of money if all the dots connect. We’ve got one or more UMOs involved, and for each one of those, we probably have a doctor or a nurse, and possibly a notary public.”
Pacing again, she said, “But think about it. If this is going across state lines, who knows just how far-reaching and tangled this web is? And how much money are we talking about? Are underwriters and banking personnel involved? The team already identified over two hundred service members that meet the criteria of being over-insured and on a high-risk deployment. Easily, we’re talking about payouts over two hundred million.”
Kathryn met Jake’s stunned expression, unsure what to say. She grabbed a scrunchie from around her wrist, tempering her growing irritation by collecting herself in a high-and-tight ponytail. It was as close as she’d get at the moment to military bearing.
She had to pull herself together. Stay focused. Get a step ahead of these bastards.
Then it hit her. “I think I know how to narrow it down. They’re fueled by greed. They might have a certain expectation of a payoff each and every time. What if . . . the service member survives? Returns from their deployment?”
“Well,” Jake said as he rubbed his neck, “no payoff, for sure.”
“And a risk that the insured will discover someone’s taken out a policy on them, even if they don’t discover it right away. These policies aren’t free, and they’re certainly not cheap. Someone has to pay the premiums. If it’s the spouse, there’s no way big monthly payments to an insurance company would go unnoticed.” She closed her eyes for a second and thought. “If I were the evil mastermind, I’d—” She choked back her feelings, but couldn’t say the rest.
Jake stood up and pulled her close, saying quietly, “You’d send them back into danger.”
Pressing her face against his chest, she nodded. “We can narrow the list by looking for back-to-back deployments.” This revelation weighed on her, and she turned to wipe her eyes.
“Hey.” He wove his fingers through hers, sealing their handhold. “How about we take a little break after we wrap up today. Dinner tonight, away from here? I’d like to take you someplace special.”
“I’m always up for dinner.” Her shy smile warmed with the press of his lips.
She headed out, ready to dive back into a few hours of detective work, when she heard him shout, “And pack an overnight bag.”
Twenty-Nine
The closer it got to the end of the day, the more eager Kathryn became for whatever new adventure an overnight bag promised. As the last of the crew left the Russo compound, Kathryn was consumed with Jake’s tight-lipped surprise.
He teased her with a hint. “Somewhere off the beaten path, but with great food. Natural, woodsy, but still nice. No evening gowns or anything. Casual. Comfortable. Oh,” his expression brightened, “you’ll need a bathing suit.”
Disappointed, she gave him a frown that matched the knit in her brow.
“Or not,” he said with a supremely naughty grin.
Trying to pack, she picked through her limited wardrobe. When Jake had rushed her to his place in the middle of the night, she’d grabbed only the essentials. And who the hell packs swimwear when they think they’re going into protection? Reconsidering his advice, she answered herself with a giggle.
I guess the answer is “or not.”
Jake knocked lightly, waving an Amazon box in his hand. “Delivery for Ms. Kathryn Chase.”
“I didn’t order anything,” she said slowly, a little wary about the unexpected package.
“You didn’t? Then I guess I did. Just in case you didn’t have everything you needed for our trip. We’ll take off when you’re ready.”
As soon as he ducked out of the room, she tore open the package. Inside were several bikinis in various styles and sizes—and levels of skimpiness. There was even a few sheer cover-ups and some fancy flip-flops. Her inventory of the box led to one revelation.
Jake’s definitely not a fan of the one-piece.
She lifted out a string bikini bottom, dancing the scanty scrap of stretchiness before her eyes.
Or very much fabric at all.
With a final swing, she tossed the bottoms into her suitcase, followed by the matching skimpy top. Despite the circumstances, her twinge of excitement climbed to full-throttle giddiness. This was her first getaway in years, and she’d be soaking up every debaucherous moment of it.
Kathryn kept her bright smile plastered on the entire time, although the trip had become their own experience with Murphy’s Law. Starting it all was Jake’s truck blowing a flat on the freeway.
Fixing a flat during the madness of rush hour was a feat in and of itself. But Jake had done it before. What he hadn’t done before was dodge golf-ball-sized hail during said tire change. Freak hailstorms weren’t an everyday occurrence, but in Colorado, hail happens.
Kathryn suspected Jake’s record time in changing the tire would give him bragging rights for years to come.
Next, he’d booked a private executive jet. It was luxurious, complete with leather seats, their own soft blanket-sized pashmina, and stocked with all her favorite snacks and a variety of magazines. She’d never seen anything like it.
It was stunning.
Broken, but stunning.
The replacement part required from maintenance should have taken five minutes. An hour and a half later, they were finally off.
Once they were airborne, Kathryn’s motion sickness
kicked in. She’d never flown without Dramamine, but it would have taken longer for the drugs to kick in than for the half-hour flight. And the beautiful chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne were just making matters worse.
At least the bathroom was just as stunning as the rest of the plane. She got several really great looks at it. The toilet bowl was remarkably clean. Embarrassed, she apologized to Jake repeatedly.
Between sipping champagne and eating berries, he apologized back for enjoying the spread. But as he put it, “Braving a hailstorm builds an appetite.”
The tiny airstrip barely seemed capable of handling their jet. But the plane landed like a champ. A driver with a beautiful black town car waited, ready to take them to their destination. But cell service was sketchy, and several U-turns and dry heaves from Kathryn later, they finally arrived at the Springs Resort and Spa at Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
No matter how many things had gone wrong in the past few hours, everything seemed strangely right to Kathryn. Perfect. Exactly the way a woman who’d been on one deployment after another was used to traveling. A trip filled with one screw-up after another was just her cup of tea.
Like all workaholics, Kathryn had heard about this place, but never found the right excuse to go. She skipped along when they finally arrived, wearing a ridiculous smile, goofy in her giddiness.
“Your mood doesn’t spoil easily,” Jake said with a grin.
“Crazy as it sounds, days like this take me back. I miss traveling. And it’s not just me. You’re just as chipper.”
He nodded as they explored the property.
When the bright blue of the geothermal spas came into view, Kathryn pulled in an awe-filled breath. “This is gorgeous.”
They were overlooking the pristine San Juan River, pocketed with the world’s deepest crystal-blue hot springs. Even in the shadows of evening, the lights glistening off the waters shimmered bright, practically inviting her to take the plunge, clothes and all.
The property boasted twenty-four pools of pure mineral water, ranging from eighty to one-hundred-fourteen degrees Fahrenheit. Built by Mother Nature for pure pleasure, the pools were open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
“It’s paradise,” she said softly, and he squeezed her hand.
“I was hoping you’d have that reaction. I’ve always wanted to come here, but never have. You’re my excuse to drop work. And I couldn’t resist the suite we’re in.”
They arrived at the lobby hand-in-hand, making their way to the front desk.
“Ah yes,” the clerk said. “We have you in our magnificent ‘O’ suite.”
Kathryn’s eyes widened as she blinked at the clerk, the manager, and then Jake.
With a boisterous laugh, he pulled her close. “It’s called that because Oprah stayed there.”
Her head sank to his shoulder, hiding her bright red flush as she whispered, “For a moment, I thought it was a different kind of hotel.”
Low in her ear, he said, “It is tonight.”
Her blush deepened.
Kathryn’s appetite was back. With bags dropped off, they headed to the Alley House Grille. They ate and drank as they reminisced, recounting every catastrophe of the day. She laughed so hard, her cheeks ached. Her stomach was full and happy, and sitting across from Jake was one stitch-fest after another. It was as if years of pent-up laughter were all coming out in a single night.
Jake was more than a piece of heaven. He was the hottest slice. Rugged and rough, sweet and sincere, so many complicated layers made up both the Master and the man. A more perfect man couldn’t possibly exist. She couldn’t imagine being anything but his.
“I need to ask you a strange question,” Kathryn said, scooping a bit of Bailey’s salted caramel sauce onto the spoonful of chocolate layer cake they were sharing.
“You asked if I thought my hard-on was the same size as my foot, and followed up by asking if you could hold my shoe up to it. Is it stranger than that?” Taking advantage of her distracted laugh, he snatched the spoon of dessert into his mouth, sucking it clean with an exaggerated, “Mmm.”
“Hey,” she said, playfully frowning at him as she assembled her perfect mouthful again. “There are no strange questions in medicine.” She brought the spoon to her mouth, indulging in her own suggestive rendition of, “Mmm-mmm-mmm.”
“Watching you eat that spoonful’s pretty exciting.”
She swallowed, giggling.
Then Jake set her back on track. “Okay, what’s your strange question?”
“Um . . .” She stalled, busying herself with fixing the last spoonful. “What should I call you?” She extended the spoonful to him, but he shook his head, pushing it right back to her lips.
“That’s all you. And has Jake gone out of favor?” His curious grin amplified his confusion.
“I mean,” she said quietly, “when we’re alone. I’ve been reading—”
He nudged her hand, lightly shoving the chocolate cake in her mouth. She smiled, enjoying the indulgence and letting him speak.
He moved his chair next to hers. The bright hazel of his eyes darkened, and his voice turned low and commanding. “Close your eyes.”
Without thinking, she did. As she waited, her heart raced and her breathing quickened. But nothing was happening. Still, she sat quietly with her eyes shut, trying to quell her nerves by biting her lip.
“There you go again, being disobedient. What did I say about biting your lip?”
That’s your job. She pressed her lips together with a wanting sigh.
His whisper was hot against her ear. “I sometimes wonder what would push you to use your safe word. We’re in a restaurant. Not packed, but not empty. If I asked you to stand up, you’d do it as quickly as you closed your eyes. I could push you. Insist you bend over the table. What if I pulled up your skirt? Ripped off your panties? Starting with a slow lick . . .”
She parted her lips, saying nothing but taking in a desperate breath.
“You belong to me, kitten, and I’ll fuck you wherever and whenever I want.”
Trying to utter a word was impossible. Breathing was a challenge.
A second later, his tone lightened. “Open your eyes.”
She did, staring at the man she wanted to ride like a pogo stick.
“See, Kathryn? Even without touching you, I control you. Without raising my voice, I command you. I don’t care what you call me, because we both know you’re mine, to do with as I please, and to please you in ways no one else can.”
They exchanged a seductive glance, and Jake called out, “Check, please,” just as Kathryn signaled the waiter.
Though it was late night, or technically early morning, the idea of taking a sexy dip in a secluded private pool was irresistible. After a quick change into swimsuits topped by bathrobes, Kathryn followed Jake to an oasis of bright blue pools blooming from a sea of darkness.
He sank into the naturally heated spring, but the hunger of his gaze didn’t rush her. Inch by inch, she teased the robe down, slowly exposing her skin as Jake’s eyes darkened.
“I knew you were evil.”
The mere tone of his voice forced a shiver across her body. She slipped into the water, barely waist-deep when he pulled her to straddle him.
With his tongue trailing her neck, he tugged at the string holding up her bikini top, quickly covering her nude breasts with his hands. He kissed her soft skin, massaging her nipples, then squeezed with a sharp pinch.
She squealed, and rocked her core slowly over his rod.
“Not so fast,” he said. “This is for you.”
“I need you. Here. Now. Under the stars.” She kissed him, ravenous to taste him.
Hold him.
Love him.
He looked down, staring at the last of the fabric concealing her. “Take it off,” he said, his voice gruff against her neck.
She untied each side of her bottoms, tugging them away and losing them in the water.
His hands moved across
her thighs, positioning themselves perfectly across her round, firm butt. Then, spreading her cheeks, he rubbed the length of his cock back and forth across her sensitive hole.
Her gasp was covered by his mouth as their tongues foraged and explored. His lips, light and tender, moved across her mouth as his fingers grazed her ass. Working back and forth, she started to whimper as his tongue mirrored the movements of his hand. She sucked, moaning louder. Her body started a slow build of pleasure, ready for anything he would give.
“Take me inside you,” he demanded.
God, yes.
Her hands wrapped around his thick, solid rod as she smoothed the head toward her. Barely at her entry, he thrust deep inside, forcing her tight walls to stretch wide. She pressed her lips to his neck, quieting her ecstasy in silent shouts.
Wrapping her hair around his hand, he pulled her face away to command her. “Ride me. Hard.”
Her body moved to his will, working back and forth over his hardness, and taking his finger deeper and deeper into her tight ass.
“Is this what you want, kitten? Me, filling all of you at once?” A second finger pushed in, stinging and yet soothing, fucking her from behind while his cock worked her core.
“Yes,” she said, her voice quivering, then sucked in the tongue that was forced again in her mouth. Her body rocked with all of him, tightening and tantalizing in a swirl of sensations ready to erupt. Her nails sliced across his back, tearing away anything but raw desire.
“You’re mine,” he said low. “All of you.”
His thrusts split her wider, racing to the peak of their pleasure. Her body stretched back, and shuddering wild cries pierced the quiet night.
They were her own.
Panting, she collapsed against his shoulder, shaking and holding him tight. With his hands free, he held her close, pulsing and releasing the last of his own climax deep into her core.
Once they were robed and ready to head back to their suite, their wet swimsuits tucked into the pockets of their robes, Kathryn was startled by a member of the staff who approached, armed with a small-caliber rifle.