The-Forgetful-Spy-Santiago

by The Forgetful Spy (lit)

  “Thanks for sharing your most intimate thoughts.” Colin squinted in disbelief and promptly rolled his eyes.

  Frankie’s voice sounded in his head. “I can still hear you two, you know.”

  Zack looked towards the ceiling. “Was that remark inappropriate?”

  Frankie didn’t respond for a few seconds, but finally said, “Yes, it was.”

  “Then I’ll be sure to avoid saying that in the future when I know you’re listening. Diablo out.” The goofy expression remained in place. He sobered up when Colin scrunched his eyebrows and thumped him on the shoulder.

  “Buccaneer out,” Colin said. He turned to Zack. “What was that? Sexual harassment isn’t exactly your style.”

  “Don’t know. Something about her voice lights me up.”

  “Douse it. Besides she probably looks like a mud hen.”

  Frankie came back on, “I heard that too, and by the way, even mud hens look good to one another.”

  Zack’s grin grew even wider. He winked at Colin and asked, “Are you implying I look like a mud hen, princess?”

  “Not at all. I’m sure you look like a mud cock. Is that what you are, Zack, a mud cock?” She enunciated the word ‘cock’ both times she said it like she was stroking one. Colin felt like he was in the middle of a porn movie.

  Zack’s expression softened. “Not fair to tease me like that, princess,” he muttered. “When we meet. I’ll get even.”

  “Unless I’m an ugly mud hen, right?”

  “Regardless of what you look like. You already know what your voice does to that particular piece of my anatomy. You want me, princess, all you have to do is ask.”

  Frankie cleared her throat. “I’ll keep that in mind. Dark Spirit out.”

  * * * *

  At precisely eight-thirty that evening, Colin waltzed into the eighth floor curator’s art and antiquity party anxious to complete this task and get back to his vacation and Laurie.

  Across the room, he spotted Zack wielding a tray of champagne-filled glasses and headed for him. He surveyed the room looking for Glenda, his ticket to the penthouse suites. According to Zack’s earlier report from the kitchen, Glenda was wearing a flamboyant red sequined dress, which was not as loud as her earsplitting laugh.

  “You’ll hear her before you see her,” Zack reported in a low tone as he offered Colin the tray. “Her face makes me glad I’m the waiter for this mission. Some women just don’t understand the fifteenth plastic surgery doesn’t look natural.”

  “Great. Thanks for the warning and the encouragement.” Colin grabbed a glass of champagne from Zack with a salute and circulated around the party searching for Glenda.

  Finding her easily when a boisterous laugh erupted from a small gathering to his left, Colin followed the sound. Her red dress looked like a flashing beacon he didn’t want to pursue. Taking a deep breath he centered himself and made his way toward the group of people to entice his prey.

  He pretended to watch a painting on his right as he then bumped into Glenda with medium force. He turned to apologize profusely and gave her a practiced appreciative once over, exuding his interest. He was a great actor.

  Face shaped into concern, Colin put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “I’m terribly sorry. Please forgive my clumsiness.” Something about touching a shoulder made women relax.

  Glenda was no different. She grabbed his arm securing him to her side and blatantly rubbed his chest provocatively without letting go of his bicep. “You’re forgiven if you stay and introduce yourself, darling boy.”

  Colin gave her his most practiced bad boy grin and pretended to be enraptured by her affectionate gesture.

  A quick round of introductions were made in the group and just as fast the guests excused themselves for one thing or another. He and Glenda were suddenly alone discussing rare sexual art in seventeenth century sketches of couples in the throes of passion expressed by coal markers.

  “My darling boy, I have the most scandalous pictures in my penthouse suite. They’re positively sinful. I’m donating them to the charity event tomorrow. Will you be at the auction?”

  “No. Sorry. I’ll be leaving early tomorrow.”

  “What a shame. It would simply be a crime for you to miss out on at least seeing the most erotic piece. Would you like to come up and get a preview?” Her hand slid to his hip and her fingertips dug into his butt.

  He stifled the urge to shudder. He leaned close, getting a lungful of the gag-worthy gardenia perfume she’d apparently doused herself in and forced a smile on his lips instead.

  “I’d never impose on you like that. What would people say if we deserted the party and went to your room?” Colin played coy to reel her in, but knew she’d more than likely drag him to her penthouse suite by his nuts.

  Over Glenda’s shoulder, he noticed a women enter the room. The cut and color of her dress caught his attention. Watching her walk, Colin thought the way she moved seemed familiar. The woman was facing away.

  His gaze traveled from spiky heels to nicely rounded hips and ascended to her blonde upswept hair do. His heart sped up when it occurred to him who the beautiful figure dressed in the slinky ice blue evening gown reminded him of. He stared at the lovely and very familiar bare back. Colin willed her to turn around so he could see her face to be certain.

  Glenda’s hand slithered to his crotch to rub his cock. Colin made the mission-critical error of forgetting to pay attention to the task at hand in favor of staring at the mysterious woman across the room. His fatal mistake forced him to jump away from Glenda’s lusty attentions. He followed by pegging her with a distasteful glare after getting caught staring at another woman.

  Glenda frowned and turned to stare at the woman in the ice blue dress just as she turned around.

  Holy shit.

  Across the room, Laurie grinned when she recognized him staring. She winked, gracefully snagged a glass of champagne from Zack’s tray and headed toward him and the now fuming Glenda.

  Laurie was about to crash in on his mission to seduce another woman.

  God help him.

  Chapter 7

  Rachel wandered into the curator’s art and snore party wishing she had a more important role to play in tonight’s mission. She kept a close eye on her watch. She had one function to perform tonight. It was easy. Pull a certain fire alarm at a certain time on another floor of the hotel and otherwise wait on standby in case needed.

  Whatever that meant.

  No other element of tonight’s mission had been explained to her. It was need-to-know only and, apparently, she didn’t need to know.

  Frankie told her there was a party on the eighth floor she could wander around until time for her task. It was better than standing around the downstairs lobby pretending to be waiting for someone for an hour as if she’d been stood up.

  Inwardly, she sighed and strolled into another room of the party as the strains of classical music followed her. Never having endured a music appreciation class, she had no earthly idea of what concerto or canon played, but it must be piped in. She hadn’t discovered a live orchestra yet.

  The eighth floor party level looked like the recreation of a Tudor mansion. Once inside the hall, she sweet talked the guy holding the door into believing she forgot her invitation. He scanned her slinky dress, stopping to visually fondle her breasts, then lifted his eyes and winked. Looking over one shoulder, he opened the ornate wooden door and let her slide into an impressive entryway. As the door closed behind her, an elevator next to the entrance opened and two expensively clad men exited. They didn’t pay any attention to her, intent on their own conversation. They’d headed to the left and into what looked like a large parlor. Groups of richly dressed people were ensconced in classically decorated rooms to either side of the entry. She headed to the right, where a library-like room waited.

  The sedate party didn’t interest her. Rachel was impatient and antsy for some unfathomable reason. She kept moving with the hopes something would
happen to liven things up until the designated time when she’d slip out and head for the third floor.

  A gorgeous waiter circulated in the center of the room and offered champagne to the patrons. She headed in his direction. Getting rip-roaring drunk wasn’t in tonight’s mission plan, but she could at least sip some expensive bubbly during her wait. Champagne was her favorite alcoholic beverage.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a couple standing so close together they were practically in an intimate embrace. The much older woman in a flaming red dress was pawing at a much younger man.

  The stud in question registered a familiar pang at only a glance, so she turned to study him further. He also saw her. His head snapped up to stare. Lips parted, he stared unblinkingly for several seconds.

  Holy crap. It was Tommy. What was he doing here?

  The man she’d rescued from a Columbian drug lord’s compound stood across the room being accosted by a woman far too old for him. Snagging a glass of champagne from the gorgeous waiter, she headed over to rescue Tommy from the clutches of yet another aggressive woman.

  Tonight she’d make time to finish what they’d started on that iron bed in Columbia.

  * * * *

  Glenda said something Colin missed because he was transfixed by Laurie’s imminent arrival. He couldn’t think beyond the blood roaring in his ears waiting for the train wreck about to happen. Shifting his gaze to Glenda, he queried, “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  “I asked who she was. But it’s clear you prefer staring at her to coming upstairs with me.”

  Colin put a hand on Glenda’s shoulder to stop her but she ducked away adding, “I hope you two will be very happy together.” She stormed off, her head held high.

  Laurie’s sexy perfume reached him a half a second before she stepped into his personal space.

  “Been cuffed to any beds lately?” She smiled and took a healthy drink of champagne.

  “No.” Releasing a long slow breath, Colin watched Glenda, and his best hope of getting into Salerno’s penthouse tonight, slip away.

  “Pity.”

  “What are you doing here?” The tone of his voice betrayed his frustration of losing Glenda.

  Laurie didn’t seem to notice. Or was she Rachel this time? One of her personalities leaned in and whispered, “It’s a secret. I can’t tell you.” She pulled away, gifted him with a seductive smile and added, “No matter what delicious torture you devise for me this time.”

  Colin huffed out a deep breath and watched glumly as Glenda stomped out of the library. Across the room, he saw that Zack had witnessed Glenda’s departure. He shot Colin an inquisitive look then shifted his gaze to stare long and hard at Laurie. Colin sent him a signal to follow Glenda. He did, but not before shaking his head on his way out.

  “What’s wrong, did Slutty Red Riding Hood turn you down?” Laurie downed the rest of her champagne and winked.

  Colin grabbed her arm and pushed her towards the door Glenda, and Zack, had exited through. “Not exactly.”

  “You should be more careful around women, Tommy. I’m not always going to be available to rescue you.” She cocked a brow. “And you’re welcome, by the way.”

  Ah ha. It must be Rachel with him tonight. He’d given her his cover name back in Columbia. Laurie had his real name.

  Colin stopped. “I didn’t need rescuing.”

  She giggled and took another gulp of her champagne. “Lighten up. She was way too old for you.”

  Shaking his head, he closed his eyes for a count of three. When he opened them, Glenda was still gone and he was screwed. “I needed something from her.”

  “On the other hand I have something you definitely need.” Rachel glanced at her watch. “But I’m on a tight schedule. Want to go find a private place?”

  Colin tried to comprehend her dramatic personality change. Laurie had been so shy and girly. Plus, she’d told him she didn’t drink. “I thought you didn’t drink.”

  A single bark of laughter came from her lips. “Since when?” She scrunched her brows together for a moment. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “No. I’m in the middle of something and you scared away my ticket for admission.”

  “Well, I have some time to kill. Anything I could help you with to reacquire your admittance?” She moved closer and stroked his hip with an intent he wished he had time to act on.

  But he didn’t.

  “I need to get a keycard for the express elevator to the penthouse suites. Like right now, this second.”

  She brightened up and her face lit with exuberance. “I might be able to get that.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure. Be right back.” Rachel was gone from his side in a flash. Colin wondered if he was dreaming. Perhaps he was dozing on the charter flight and hadn’t even made it to Las Vegas yet.

  Zack reentered the room and sent him a scowl. Nope, he’s not dreaming. He approached, stopped to offer Colin a fresh glass of champagne and whispered, “So what mission plan are you using and who’s the hot chick in the blue dress?”

  “Long story.”

  “Great. We’ll have plenty of time for you to share it when we’re both waiting in the unemployment line.”

  “We may have to implement plan B.”

  “Oh? We ‘may’ have to?” Zack huffed with a healthy dose of sarcasm. “Salerno just showed up. Figure it out. What are you going to do?”

  Rachel returned and inserted herself between the two of them. She lifted another glass of champagne from Zack’s tray and winked at him. “All set.”

  Colin shrugged. “Back to plan A.” If Zack was surprised about the change to a different female helping the cause, he didn’t show it. He nodded once and moved between them to circulate around the room with his tray. Colin knew he’d head for the kitchen and wait for his call that he was in the penthouse.

  “I don’t have much time to help you.” She swallowed half of the new glass of champagne. “If we’re going, let’s go now.”

  “We’re going.” He took her elbow and guided her towards the bank of elevators “How did you get a key card?”

  She pressed her lips flat and shot him a beseeching look. “Will you think less of me if I told you I lifted it from a man I just saw get off the elevators?”

  Colin grinned. “Nope. I’m grateful. Let’s go.”

  There were two elevators that were exclusively for penthouse use. One was express from the lobby to the penthouses and the one they stepped into went from the eighth floor directly to the penthouse floor.

  The elevator arrived and opened immediately after Rachel stuck the card in the slot as if it had been waiting for them. Once inside the car, she inserted the card into the slot inside and the doors slid shut cutting off the sounds of the party.

  There was apparently no button to push since the elevator didn’t go anywhere else with the exception of the penthouse.

  If Frankie, the op-tech from the other team, was doing her job, the camera in the ceiling of the elevator was disabled.

  Colin scanned upper corner where the camera was mounted and noted that the red light was off. He planted his butt in the back corner of the small space and pulled Rachel close. She didn’t seem worried about the camera either.

  Grinning as she snuggled up close, she placed her hands on his chest and tilted her head. She licked her bottom lip suggestively and he couldn’t help but kiss her. Her lips opened with little resistance. Two second later his tongue dueled with hers, each of them trying to devour the other first.

  He flashed back to Columbia and the final kiss they’d shared in the clearing before parting. It was borderline animalistic. Laurie, no, this was Rachel, moaned and his cock thickened appropriately, wanting to come out and play. It occurred to him on some level that the girl in his arms right now kissed differently than she had last night. She moaned again, bit his lower lip lightly and he didn’t care what her name was today. He wanted her. Naked. Soon.

  If not for the pers
onal nature of the mission he was on, he’d lay her down in the elevator and fuck her before they made it to the top floor.

  Glancing at his watch as they arrived at the penthouse level, he knew he had a little time to give to his lust. He wanted Salerno taken care of worse than he wanted to get laid, surprisingly enough.

  Colin broke the sultry kiss with a reluctant groan as the doors opened and peeked his head out of the doors to ensure they were alone. Grabbing her soft hand he tugged her along behind him and headed to Salerno’s room.

  The penthouse floor had four suites, one at each corner of this top-level, north, south, east and west. None of which could be seen from where he stood. A bonus. The elevator was situated in the center of a circular hallway. Each room was at a corner. According to the layout, the stairs to the roof were opposite the elevator and behind him. He saw the sign pointing to the roof exit and noted it for his future departure.

  Since Colin didn’t have to waste time subduing Glenda, he was ahead of schedule by more than fifteen minutes.

  Mission protocol probably demanded he knock Rachel out just like he’d planned for Glenda. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a place to leave her sleeping safely, so he pulled her along with him. If push came to shove, given her incredible Wonder Woman skills, she could quite possibly crawl down the outside of the building and thereby escape even faster than he planned to do.

  They went directly to Salerno’s penthouse suite at the southern corner. Colin pulled out a gadget that looked like a stick of gum. He stuck the key card into the device that turned any key card universal. The green light on the door lit up and clicked, signaling entrance accepted before he had even turned on his nifty tool.

  That meant he had Salerno’s key.

  Colin turned to stare at Rachel. “Shit. You lifted the card from the guy we’re robbing?”

  She crossed her arms and squinted. “We’re robbing someone?” A mischievous smile lit her face.

  The ding of the elevator prompted Colin to open the door to the suite and push her into the room. Ignoring the pinch of lust igniting his libido, he searched the suite committing to memory the lay out. The safe Salerno used during his stay at the hotel was in the spare bedroom. He headed in that direction and turned on his transmitter to contact Zack.