He collapsed forward. Tori slumped against the bench and wall behind her, half sitting, half lounging. She cradled his head to her chest, her breasts taunting him with all the things he had yet to do.
Holy shit.
There were no words.
He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her. How had his heart come to be wrapped up in one, bite-sized woman? And how did they proceed from this?
Chapter Ten
Tori towel-dried herself in the dim bathroom after a much-needed cold shower. A couple of candles were the only source of illumination since the sun had set. She strained to hear movement in the house, more worried about where Emery was than the threat of a Russian hit team. It was a weird shift in priorities, but chances were, Emery was a hell of a lot more dangerous to her right now than men with guns.
She didn’t know what had come over her in the garage. Frustration? Pent-up sexual tension? She couldn’t blame Emery for doing exactly what she’d told him to. He was a man, presented with a naked, willing woman. God, how could she face him? She’d wanted him so badly for so long she hadn’t exactly thought about what they were doing. He wasn’t someone she could fuck and leave. They worked together, for Christ’s sake.
Given the circumstances, she needed to be up-front with him. Emery was a reasonable guy. She just hoped he didn’t treat her like a piece of ass after this, not that she thought he would. He was more likely to go back to forgetting she existed, which was probably better in the long run, though it would hurt her. He’d continue to tinker with his electronics and she’d pine for him. It wasn’t a great plan, but she’d lived with it for this long. Eventually she’d get over him and move on, or the job would end and they’d go their separate ways.
Armed with a flimsy plan, Tori got dressed in another pair of cotton panties, the same sports bra she’d worn earlier, a new tank top and jeans. It wasn’t the most flattering outfit she’d ever worn, but it would do in a pinch. She gathered up her discarded clothing and exited the tiny bathroom. Almost immediately she was aware of the overwhelming sense of Emery’s presence. He stepped into view at the end of the hall, his shadow stretching out toward her.
“Made sandwiches.” Thought you might be hungry after all the exercise.
“Thanks.” She clutched her clothes to her chest like some sort of shield.
He lingered a moment longer before stepping out of view. She could hear his footsteps creak as he retreated toward the kitchen, leaving her in peace.
So much for tackling the problem of their coupling head-on.
Tori went straight to her duffel bag of new clothing set against the wall and squished the dirties into a side pouch. If they had to run, she didn’t want to leave much evidence behind of their presence. In a pinch, she could shoulder the bag and keep her hands free to shoot.
Emery had a few candles placed through the house to provide a little light. The windows were open to let the breeze in, and outside the bugs hummed a chorus of sounds. It was almost peaceful. Except for the impending awkward conversation. They couldn’t let this rest between them. Not when she needed to count on him. Being distracted could cost them their lives.
She stood, pushing her shoulders back.
It was better to handle this like a Band-Aid. Rip it off all at once. The sting would abate and they could move the heck on. Or pretend to.
She strode into the kitchen and blinked in the light. A battery-powered lantern provided far more illumination than the candles. Emery stood leaning against the counter, sandwich in one hand. He blinked at her, which was infuriatingly cute. A man with that much hidden strength should not be sexy—and cute. His hair was still rucked up on one side and she could remember sliding her hands under that very shirt not too long ago.
“Turkey?” He held out a sandwich neatly divided into triangles.
“Thanks.” She took the offered food and backed up until she could lean against the refrigerator. She bit into the bread and meat without tasting it. How did she begin? What did she say? She swallowed and stared at the floral print on the paper napkin.
“About earlier?” Yeah, what about it? How did she begin?
“Hm?”
Like a Band-Aid.
She lifted her gaze to his. If she was going to be honest with him, she’d do it with pride and own the truth.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you or pressured you like that. I’m . . .” She took a deep breath to keep going. The unwavering quality of his gaze was a little unnerving. “It was my fault. To be honest, I’ve had a silly crush on you for a while. I don’t know why I did what I did. It was stupid. I don’t want it to change our working relationship.”
Heat rose to her cheeks and her eyes pricked. There was nothing stupid about what she felt for Emery, it was just unrequited. She couldn’t fault him for not feeling the same about her.
Emery stopped chewing. In fact, he didn’t move except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He just stared at her.
You’re crazy if things are going back to the way they were. I’m madly in love with you.
The imagined Emery voice almost made her smile. Wouldn’t that be wild to hear?
He put his unfinished sandwich down on the counter and dusted his hands off. She wanted him to say something, but time had proven that she couldn’t rush him. He’d speak in his own time.
“I thought we’d talk about that later,” he said.
“Why not now?” Couldn’t they just agree to move on?
Emery shrugged.
“Look, we can forget it happened. Cool?” She bit one of the triangles in half, still not hungry.
“No. That’s not cool.” His frown deepened.
“Then what do you want to do?” she said around the bite of sandwich.
“I don’t think you’re silly or at fault. No one is at fault here. We’re adults. We can talk about this.”
That was remarkably reasonable, and full of complete sentences. She nibbled on the rest of the triangle, a bit more interested in food now.
“I’ve been thinking while you were in the shower,” he said.
“Hurt yourself?”
“No.”
He paused, piquing her curiosity.
“What were you thinking about?” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know.
“That we’ve both been oblivious.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced at the floor before looking at her once more. “I think today was bound to happen. I’m attracted to you. Have been for a long time.”
That sounded an awful lot like what her imaginary Emery said, minus the admission of love.
“Wait. I’m sorry. What?” Had she heard him right?
Emery crossed the kitchen in two strides until he loomed over her, filling her vision and blocking out the light. Just looking at him, the counter pressing against her back, she could almost feel him moving inside of her again and that brought heat crawling up her neck.
“If you’ve got a silly crush, I have an unwise obsession.” He placed his palms on either side of her and leaned down until his face was mere inches from her own.
Was he serious? Her heart pounded against her ribs, the deep ache of desire throbbing alive. What if this was a joke? Was he being serious? Or telling her this to—what? Play along to keep her with him? That was silly. Emery hadn’t lied to her or tried to control what she did. He’d presented the facts, just like he was doing now.
He was attracted to her.
“Say something,” he said.
“What am I supposed to say?” She gripped the half of her sandwich so tight the pieces of turkey squished out of her grip and hit the floor.
“Whatever you’re thinking. You always have something to say.”
“I’m wondering if this is some kind of practical joke.” There. Every opportunity to own up to his bad humor.
“I’m not kidding around.” His brows drew down into the serious expression she was used to from him.
That was a relief to hear. She didn’t dare hope fo
r more, but she couldn’t stop the yearning from bubbling up inside of her. She wanted him. And he wanted her, too?
“Why haven’t you ever said anything?” she asked. How much time had they wasted?
“Why should I?” He shrugged. “I didn’t see the point of it.”
“How is it not completely obvious?” She pushed the napkin and what was left of her sandwich onto the counter to free up her hands. “I call you all the time.”
“With work stuff.”
“I do not.” He’d fixed her laptop. Tricked out her sister’s necklace with a tracker. And a dozen other things that had nothing to do with their job.
“I am guilty of being oblivious to what is otherwise obvious to other people. But I’m not about to forget what happened today. Not at all.” His gaze dropped to her mouth, and damn it, she wanted him to kiss her.
“Then . . . what are we going to do?”
“I’m going to kiss you.” He bent his head a little, and damn if she couldn’t feel the memory of his lips. “But only on your mouth, and only once. Any more and I’ll get distracted. We can’t afford to be caught unaware.”
“O-okay.” She could appreciate his forethought, even if her body screamed at the unfairness of it. Her hormones were overriding her critical-thinking ability. The safety of her sister and the threat to her should be at the forefront of her mind, but all she could think about was Emery. This close, she could see the lighter flecks of gold in his hazel eyes.
“One kiss,” he said.
Was he taunting her, or promising her?
Tori held her breath. Emery leaned toward her and bent his head a little more. His lips whispered over hers in a gentle glide.
“That doesn’t count.” She reached for him, but he grasped her wrists, holding her hands prisoner. In this setting, she didn’t mind him pinning her hands.
“No.” He pressed against her, trapping her body with his.
Emery sealed his mouth over hers. He licked the seam of her lips, demanding entrance. There was nothing of the shy lover she’d imagined him to be. She didn’t have to coax him out of his shell. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and she curled her fingers into her palms. She wanted to hold on to him, and yet the way he took complete control was a major turn-on.
The pieces clinked together.
She’d never been attracted to a guy like what she’d imagined Emery to be. Her body had recognized the strength in him even when she hadn’t. She melted into his hold, wishing they were skin to skin. Once wasn’t enough. She wanted him again and again. But damn it, there wasn’t time for that.
As if Emery heard her thoughts, he broke the kiss. He pressed his lips to her forehead, breathing deep. She closed her eyes, soaking in his strength, the quiet competence she’d taken for a single facet of his personality.
“I can’t let you keep distracting me.” His lips moved over her skin. Did it count as a kiss?
“You’re right.” Tori pulled her wrists from his grasp because he allowed it and hugged his waist. She’d never again make the mistake of thinking she could show him up, unless they were talking cars. “What are we going to do?”
“I can’t think when you’re touching me.”
“Really?” The Walking Brain had a weakness?
“I’m thinking a lot about things that won’t help us.” He stared down at her, gaze narrowed.
“Like? Dirty, sweaty things?”
“Yes.” He frowned.
“Want to tell me about them?”
“No.” Yet he slowly brought his arms around her, as if he thought she might bolt if he moved too fast.
“It could be fun. We could compare notes.”
“You have notes?”
“No. Why? Do you?” Oh, that could be fun to explore.
Emery cleared his throat. “We need to assess the situation.”
“I know. Can I see your notes after we assess things?”
He continued speaking over her. “And we also need to sleep. I’ve been going for almost two days.”
“Shit, Emery.” She pushed at his chest, the haze of lust abating. Their safety depended on both of them being ready for danger. Emery exhausted and running on fumes was not ideal. “Go to bed. I’ll keep watch. There’s nothing more to assess than what we already know.”
“Wake me in two hours.”
“Six.” She glanced at the no-frills watch she’d purchased because they were keeping cell use to a minimum. “One AM. Then I sleep. We’ll do better with clearer heads in the morning. If I think of anything useful, I’ll write it down and leave it in here for you to work on, okay?”
Emery nodded and for the first time she noticed how his shoulders sagged. Had he stayed up all night on her account? Christ, the man was a machine if he could be firing on all cylinders and making sense.
“Don’t leave the house,” he said.
“You don’t get to give orders.”
“I’m the field agent here.”
“Not when you’re sleeping. Go. Move. Now.”
Tori was pretty sure he let her shove him into the living room. She grabbed the makings of a second sandwich now that her hunger was awake, and blew out the lights, following him into the front of the house. By the time she made it to the armchair he’d positioned for a lookout, Emery was already lying down with his back to her on the queen mattress. He was still dressed, down to his boots.
“Talk to me?” His voice was quiet in the darkness.
“What do you want me to talk about?”
“Anything. I like to hear you.”
Where did she start?
Tori licked her lips, her mind going back to her theory for how to tweak the Lancer for a faster start. Good as anything. As she spoke, her mind circled the new discovery.
Emery liked her.
He had hot, dirty desires that featured her.
They were going to get through this, because she wanted to find out which of them had the naughtier list of fantasies.
Chapter Eleven
Emery strode toward the cabin in the early morning light. He peered at the windows, looking for some sign of life inside.
Tori had kissed him again this morning before crawling into bed. Just a quick peck, but there was nothing friendly about it.
He could still hear her voice, quietly rambling when he passed out. He couldn’t remember a single thing she’d said, but her nearness and the sound of her were comforting.
He glanced through the windows, but couldn’t make out more than deeper shadows. It would be good if Tori could sleep longer. It might help make the day shorter for her.
The back door squeaked as he pulled it open, but that was unavoidable. He stepped into the kitchen and blinked in the relative brightness of the LED lantern. Tori sat on the counter in a pair of running shorts and a tank top.
“Wondered where you were.” Her voice was still husky from sleep.
“Just looking around.”
“Anything out there?” She ripped open a package of powdered donuts and held it out to him, but it wasn’t the donuts he wanted.
He plucked one from the package and lifted it to her lips. She didn’t hesitate to open her mouth and bite it in half, leaving a smear of white sugar across her lips.
“Nothing.” He shoved the other half donut into his own mouth, watching her tongue swipe the residue from her skin. He caught himself before he mimicked the action.
“What’s our game plan?”
He leaned against the refrigerator and pondered their options. There were too many questions and not enough answers.
“Do you think the hit team is connected to Evers somehow?” Tori’s voice was quieter, smaller.
“Unlikely.” He’d thought about that long and hard before discarding the idea. It was too coincidental. Besides, the mob didn’t play well with anyone, and Evers wasn’t the kind of person to share turf with anyone, even on a temporary basis. He wasn’t sure how the Eleventh factored into things yet, but he’d find answers.
&nbs
p; What Emery wouldn’t give for a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection. He was pretty sure he could uncover something now that Evers’s organization appeared to be in bed with the Eleventh. He hadn’t paid as much attention to the Eleventh’s soldiers’ activity on social media since they’d been focusing on Evers’s dummy corporations. The two working together was the only explanation for the Eleventh to be openly hanging out at Greenworks. There was a good chance Emery could pick up something on the Internet, now that he knew what to look for. The Eleventh crew wasn’t anywhere near as tight-lipped as Evers’s people.
“Will you say something, please? I’m tired of listening to myself think.”
“Things we know.” Emery held up a finger and ticked off each item. “Someone is protecting Evers. Maybe even someone in the FBI or higher up. We can probably assume Evers knows we are FBI and that we successfully infiltrated his organization through Dustin Ross before he died. It makes sense that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. With Evers in prison, he needs foot soldiers now that Dustin is gone. The Eleventh has a process that works for them, but they aren’t the sophisticated machine that Evers had going. They’re also expendable.”
“I need coffee if you’re going to talk this much.”
“You said to talk.” He grabbed a bottled latte from the cooler and handed it to her. They’d be without hot coffee until they got back to civilization.
“I know. Do you talk to Aiden like this?” She twisted the top off and drank deeply of the creamy liquid.
“When I have something to say.” He watched her throat flex as she swallowed. He’d felt those same muscles constrict under his lips yesterday.
She breathed deeply, perking up a bit. “Okay, keep going.”
“The hit team does not fit into their operation.” Emery stared at the floor, rolling the question over in his head.
“What if Evers’s organization is trying to pick us off? Divide us? It’s not like we’ve raided any of his other operations. Fuck, we can’t even get FBI backup to pull that off. I don’t believe in coincidences. Someone in the FBI could be protecting him, but I’d guess whoever they are also can’t hang us out to dry directly. That still doesn’t totally explain the hit team.”
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