Dangerous Secrets

by Moira Callahan

  She wasn’t sure he felt anything for her. At least, he hadn’t given any signals one way or another. But she had a feeling that she was going to have a hell of a time living with the man for even a few hours, let alone days or weeks.

  Groaning, Mallory slid further into the water, until her chin was brushing the surface. Thank goodness she had a few toys in her dresser to help her tend to the sexual needs of her body. It had been a damned long time since she’d had the time or inclination for a boyfriend.

  College actually, now that she thought about it. She’d had a couple in high school, but they’d been more the sort to mess around with, first and second base stuff. College had been the full gauntlet of the dating scene.

  Ryan had been her first, and only “real” boyfriend. He’d been an English major and funny as hell. They’d always had something to talk about, whether it was their discussions about books, movies or TV shows or their playful arguments about politics. They’d never run out of topics.

  The sex had been good, too. For the most part. Ryan had always ensured she found her pleasure, even if it had been after he’d finished. He never left her wanting. But he’d never been very adventurous. While they’d talked about a few more daring things to do in the bedroom, they’d never actually done anything of the sort.

  “It is fine to talk about it, Mallory, but doing is a whole other kettle of fish.” He used to say that to her every time she’d brought up the topic of trying something new sexually.

  While she’d cared for him, when she’d been accepted into culinary school it hadn’t been that hard to leave him behind. Not that he’d seemed overly broken-hearted. He’d wished her the best, kissed her on the lips and then waved with a happy smile as she’d driven off in her taxi for the airport.

  Obviously it wasn’t meant to be, not with him.

  She’d done a little bit of random dating when she’d started the culinary academy. But then school, studies, and the need to soak it all up and in had taken her focus off men. From that point on, she’d picked up a few toys from the adult stores and made do.

  She just hadn’t found the right someone who could distract her from her first love, cooking and creating new, and interesting foods. Until Trent’s arrival, she’d honestly feared that would never happen.

  Now that it had, her body was letting her know that the rubberized cocks she used just weren’t cutting it. Unfortunately, her body didn’t get a vote any time soon. Not with Trent there to do a job. Besides, she reminded herself, he might have a girlfriend or wife.

  Feeling horrid at the idea she was taking him away from family, she pulled the plug on the tub and stepped out onto the mat. Drying off as quickly as she could, Mallory tugged on her terrycloth robe and moved to the living room.

  She found him sitting on the floor in front of the sofa, his laptop open before him, his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder, and he was frowning as he tapped on the keys.

  He glanced up just as she was considering turning around. “Hold on a sec,” he muttered into the phone before pressing it to his chest. “Is everything okay, Mallory?” he asked.

  Nodding, she smiled at his concern. “Yeah. I just had a question. It’s personal and nosey and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I’ll understand if you don’t, really. I just.” She stopped and huffed out a breath.

  He was grinning at her. “What’s the question?”

  “I was just wondering how your girlfriend or wife took the fact that you were moving into an assignment’s place,” she said. Damn, that sounded even dumber out loud than it had in her head.

  “No girlfriend and I’ve never been married. So, you don’t have to worry. No jealous female will be pounding on the door,” he said, a smirk curling his lips.

  Rolling her eyes, she glared at him. “Good to know. I was just worried that you had other responsibilities is all.”

  “Uh-huh, sure,” he said. And he clearly wasn’t buying it.

  Feeling the urge to growl at him, Mallory sniffed instead. “Good night,” she muttered before spinning on her heel to march to her bedroom.

  “Sweet dreams, darling,” he called after her.

  Shutting her door she huffed out a breath. “Men,” she grumbled. The man was pompous, arrogant, and too damned sexy for his own good. Tossing her robe aside, she grabbed the long and oversized t-shirt she preferred to sleep in and slipped it over her head.

  She climbed into bed and yanked the covers up high under her chin. Wrinkling up her nose, Mallory closed her eyes and let the aggression toward him slide away. Soon enough she felt the need to sleep tugging at her as she relaxed more and more.

  ****

  “What do you mean, she has a boyfriend?” The man slammed a hand to his desk, stunned and upset at this unexpected wrinkle.

  “The girl, Thompson, has a boyfriend.”

  “Are you sure he’s her boyfriend?” he asked pinning the other man with a look.

  “We did a full check as soon as we spotted him going into her building. Dave got a glimpse of him when he went into her place and he hasn’t seen the guy come out.”

  “Shit. What do we know about him?”

  “Trent McDonald, ex-Marine, served ten years before an honorable discharge. He ended up getting in with a buddy and is now a military contractor. He was overseas when we went at her the first time and just flew back in. From the info we got from the airport, his flight landed and he headed straight to her place.”

  Shoving his hands through his hair, messing up the normally impeccably groomed strands he cursed again. “We need that drive. We can’t let the cops, or worse, the Feds find it first. If they do...”

  The others in the room nodded. They all knew the consequences if the drive was found by anyone but one of them. Prison, if they were lucky.

  A knock at the door had him holding up a hand. “Yes?”

  “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but we need to leave now if we’re going to get to the event on time,” his assistant called out.

  “I’ll be right there,” he said, checking his watch.

  “All right, find out more about the boyfriend. And, for the love of God, find that damn drive,” he snapped out. “I’m going to be appointed any day now, boys. I can’t have that lurking out there like a fucking time bomb just waiting to explode in all our faces.”

  The three men all snapped him a salute as he left the room. While he wasn’t in the service any longer, them either, he trusted them more than the sycophants who sucked up to him daily. They would find the drive and, if the woman got in the way again, they would terminate her.

  “Debra,” he smiled at his wife. “You are looking stunning as always, my dear.”

  “Oh you,” she laughed.

  Smiling, he took her arm as they walked out the door of their home.

  Chapter Six

  Jerking awake, Trent rubbed a hand over his face and squinted around the room. Mallory’s guest bedroom. Right. Grabbing his phone, he flinched at the bright screen as he checked the time.

  Then he heard it again. The sound of a choked sob.

  Mallory, he realized, throwing back the blankets. Grabbing up his jeans he tugged them on and buttoned them as he went from his room to hers. Easing the door open, he slipped inside and went straight to the bed.

  “Mallory,” he called her name as he sat down on the bed at her side. Reaching out he flicked on the lamp next to her bed.

  “Come on, honey, wake up. It’s just a nightmare,” he said, grabbing her hands as she flailed.

  She came awake with a scream and fought him.

  “Mallory, it’s Trent, easy,” he said louder.

  She stilled instantly and blinked at him. Letting her hands go, he eased back a bit so he wasn’t crowding her.

  “Trent?” she whispered.

  At his nod, she let out a sob and threw herself into his arms.

  “Shh, I have you,” he whispered. Wrapping her up in his arms, Trent rubbed her back gently. “Shh,” he said again a
s he began to rock her gently back and forth.

  She wiggled around until she was in his lap, her arms tight around his neck and her tears hot on his skin. He didn’t know what to say to soothe her so he just held her and let her cry. Trent had a bad feeling that making her talk about the attack twice in one day, first with Robyn and then with him again, had been too much.

  He didn’t know how long it was before she finally relaxed her hold on him and no more tears slid down his skin, but he didn’t care. He’d sit there the entire night with her if that was what she needed.

  Eventually, she loosened her hold and sat back a little. Her eyes were red and a bit puffy which didn’t detract from the fact she was still gorgeous. Not that he mentioned any of that. He had a feeling she wouldn’t appreciated it much.

  “Want to talk about it?” he asked as she slid back to sit on the bed.

  “No, not really,” she muttered.

  “Let me get you some water and a cloth.” Getting up, he went out to the bathroom and wet a face cloth with some cold water before filling up the glass she had sitting there. Carrying both items back, he handed her the cloth first as he settled back on the edge of the bed.

  She pressed the cloth to her face for several long minutes before wiping it over her skin. When she set it on the bedside table, he handed her the glass.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “You don’t have to thank me. I have a feeling I’m the reason you had that nightmare,” he said.

  She looked at him as she sipped the water. Lowering it to her lap, she shook her head. “It’s not your fault. I usually have one version or another each night. The doctors said I should expect to have them for quite a while.”

  “Doesn’t help that I made you talk about it again, though.”

  “Oh, shut up,” she said.

  Blinking at her, he grinned. “Did you just tell me to shut up?”

  “Yes,” she said as her face went very pink. “You are not to blame for the nightmares. The asshole who attacked me gets all the blame for those.”

  “Oh, well, all right then,” he said. Chuckling as she got even redder, he leaned back on his hands and looked around her room.

  It was a little more feminine than the rest of the apartment, but not overly. The bed was heavy wood, king-size, he noted, and she had matching bedside tables and a large armoire. A good-sized closet was across the room, an armchair near it with a little table holding a lamp and a book. Another romance from what he could see.

  The floors were hardwood, same as the rest of the place but she had a large area rug that tucked under the bed and covered most of the floor. A good idea for the middle of the night or first thing in the morning when the boards would be chilly.

  When he looked back to her, he found she was watching him. Lifting a brow, he smiled. “What?” he asked.

  She shook her head and shrugged. “Just watching you scope out my bedroom.”

  “It’s a very nice bedroom,” he said.

  “It is,” she nodded. Finishing off the water, she held the glass out to him.

  Taking it, he got to his feet. “See you in the morning, Mallory,” he said. He knew a hint when he got one.

  But even he could be surprised. She grabbed his wrist and shook her head when he looked to her. “Come back?” she whispered.

  “Mal,” he frowned.

  “Please? I—” She looked around and nibbled on her lip. “I can’t be alone, not right now. Just until I fall asleep, please?”

  He was a sucker where she was concerned and was man enough to admit it. “All right, I’ll come back.”

  At his agreement, she let his wrist go, though he was happy to note there was some hesitation there. Grabbing the damp cloth, he left.

  Returning to her room a couple of minutes later—he’d stopped to change into a pair of sweatpants—he padded to her bed. “Get back under the blankets,” he said, waving her over.

  She slid under and made room for him at the same time.

  Once she was tucked in, Trent settled on top of the blankets and stuffed a pillow under his head. It was going to be a long, long night. Reaching out, he turned the lamp off, plunging the room into near darkness except for the bit of light off the street coming around her drapes.

  “I know this is likely outside your usual parameters,” she whispered. “Thank you, though. I hate trying to fall back asleep after a nightmare, not knowing if I’m really alone in the apartment.”

  “I get it.” Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her in closer. “Go to sleep, Mal. No one’s getting to you without going through me.”

  He could feel her laugh before she poked him in a couple of spots on his chest. “There is an awful lot of you to get through.”

  Shooting her a look, he narrowed his eyes. She was messing with him. Her eyes gave her away. “Listen here, lady,” he said, grinning slowly.

  “Yes?” she asked, batting her lashes.

  “Go to sleep, Mal.” He liked the playful side of Mallory he was seeing. A lot. Too much, maybe.

  “Mm-hm.” She was silent for a time before she gently rested her hand on his chest.

  Pressing his hand over the top of hers, he held her hand to his skin. Turning his head, Trent pressed a kiss to her hair. “Sleep, baby. Close your eyes and just sleep. I’m right here.”

  It took a few more soft encouragements from him before she finally relaxed. Then it took a couple more to get her to go to sleep.

  Once her breathing had evened out, he loosened his hold on her a little. He really didn’t want to move. She felt damn good pressed against him. Honestly, he couldn’t recall the last time he’d slept with a woman in his arms.

  Normally, that wasn’t his thing. He preferred a little dinner, a lot of sex and then he went home. He wasn’t one to cuddle or snuggle or do any of that after-sex glow bullshit. Not that he raced off right after the deed was done. He just didn’t like having to chit-chat.

  But with Mallory, he didn’t find the idea of cuddling, snuggling or anything else like that uncomfortable. Oddly enough, he found it was actually a very pleasant thought.

  Holy shit, was he in trouble.

  Chapter Seven

  She was so warm and relaxed and weighted down. Mallory frowned. Why was she feeling weighed down?

  Prying open an eyelid, she squinted, then her eyes sprung open at the tanned, heavily muscled arm thrown over her waist. Blinking, she followed the arm up to the shoulder and to the rest of the very large, very warm body.

  Holy hell! Trent was still in her bed.

  Okay, technically he was on her bed since he was still on top of the blankets. But, really, who was she to get all nitty-gritty with the technicalities?

  Trent McDonald was in her bed, in her bedroom, and holding her close. He was practically wrapped around her. Which seemed damn nice, to her way of thinking.

  It took her a minute, though, to remember why he was there. The fact that he hadn’t gone running as soon as she’d burst into tears was a huge point in his favor. That he’d been the perfect gentleman the entire time to boot? Another point in his favor.

  He’d stayed with her. Smiling, she put her head back down on his arm. She could get used to this, having a sexy man holding her close, keeping her warm, and still there in the morning. Oh yeah, she could totally see herself getting used to that.

  Probably not a good idea since he was just doing his job. Well, sort of. He had gone above and beyond last night.

  Seriously, there had to be something wrong with the guy. No one, man or woman, could be as perfect as he seemed to be. Could they?

  “Why are you thinking so hard so early in the morning?”

  His deep, rough voice vibrated through her body and startled the hell out of her.

  “Geez,” she said, pressing a hand to her chest. “You scared me.”

  His chuckle jostled her around. “Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry in the least.

  “You don’t sound it,” she said. Wiggling
, she flipped back so she could see him. Which very well could have been a big mistake. She was now face-to-face with him and his arm was holding her pressed up against him.

  Thankfully, the blankets were still between them. Not that they were a great barrier. “And you definitely don’t look sorry,” she said. Damn, her voice sounded really odd.

  “What if I said I wasn’t sorry?” he asked, a grin curling his lips.

  Snorting, Mallory smacked his chest lightly. “You are a bad, bad man,” she said. Adjusting her head on his arm, she shut her eyes and relaxed into him. “What time is it?”

  She felt him turn slightly before settling back into position. “Not quite eight. If you want to sleep some more, go for it.”

  As tempting as that sounded, she knew she shouldn’t. “No,” she said with a sigh. “I should get up and make some breakfast.”

  “That sounds really good,” he said. “What’s for breakfast, little chef?”

  “Lots of coffee and whatever I feel like making. Maybe just some cereal,” she said, because she could. She knew she’d thrown him when he didn’t move to even breathe.

  “Cereal?” he squeaked.

  “Yup, cereal,” she nodded, wiggling in closer to him. Pressing her forehead to his chest, she breathed him in. He smelled like warm, sexy and slightly spicy male. Delicious.

  “What kind of cook says cereal?” he asked. His hand slid up her back and pressed her even closer to him. “Especially to a very hungry man.”

  “This one.” Mallory didn’t sound all that convinced, even to her own ears. It really sounded more like a question than a statement. Wrinkling up her nose, she peeked up at him. Yup, he wasn’t buying it either. “Fine,” she said rolling her eyes. “I’ll make you something really good for breakfast. Pancakes or something.”

  “I like pancakes,” he said. “But really, anything would be fine.”