Harlequin Intrigue June 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: To Honor and To ProtectCorneredUntraceable
Page 49
She couldn’t hold back a little sigh when she felt the breath against her neck turn into little kisses there.
Evan rolled onto his back, but didn’t release her, so she rolled over on top of him. Neither spoke as he threaded his hands into her hair and pulled her lips down to his.
There was no hesitation, no faking, no fear. Only heat. Evan kissed her as though he couldn’t get enough of her. A knot of need twisted inside her.
They broke apart from the kiss, breathing heavily. This was neither the time nor the place to give in to what they were feeling. Evan pulled her in for one more brief kiss, then got up from the ground and helped her up, too.
With a minimum of words they set up the amplifier/detonator close to the wall and began the trek back to the car. They saw no sign of the guard.
Juliet handed Evan’s weapon back to him. “I’m glad I didn’t need to use this.”
“Yeah, it would’ve been weird kissing you with a dead body lying right next to us.”
Juliet rolled her eyes at Evan’s black humor. “Not to mention the two dozen guards that would’ve been chasing us once they heard my weapon fire.”
They reached the car and Evan turned to her, cupping her cheek. “You did good, Jules. You kept your head, didn’t panic, didn’t fight me when we had to roll under that log.”
“Well, I was pretty scared.”
“It’s all right to feel scared. It’s what you do when you’re scared that’s important. You handled it like a trained agent. Nobody can ask for more.”
Juliet didn’t say much on the way back to DC. There was too much she was thinking about. Evan was right; she had handled the situation with the guard well. She hadn’t panicked, not even when Evan had grabbed her and all but threw her down.
Because her mind was used to Evan. Not him throwing her to the ground, but him being around. His presence. His touch. Even his smell.
Evan had been gentling her over the past two days as if she were some sort of wild mare. Accustoming her to his touch, getting her mind to accept his presence as normal.
And although Juliet didn’t like to compare herself to an animal, damned if it hadn’t worked. After a split second of fear, she hadn’t even worried about Evan’s proximity; had only focused on the real danger: discovery by the guard.
The scene kept playing through her mind as they returned the borrowed car to Omega Headquarters and headed back to Evan’s town house. For the first time Juliet felt assured about her abilities as an agent as they went undercover at Cady’s mansion tomorrow. She might not be completely up to speed, but she would be able to get the job done. They would be able to recover the drone codes before anyone was killed.
She and Evan walked through his front door. He took off his jacket and hung it over one of the kitchen bar stools. How had Juliet never really noticed how ripped Evan was? His black T-shirt didn’t do much to hide the muscles of his biceps, pecs or abs. Thank God.
Evan turned to the fridge for a couple water bottles. He took a big sip out of one, leaning back against the counter.
“You want?” He held up a bottle, his dimple showing with this smile.
Looking at him, Juliet realized she did indeed want.
Evan. Right now. Tonight.
She knew he wanted her, too. That much had become evident while hiding under the log. This wasn’t just an undercover op for Evan. She wasn’t just an undercover op for him.
This time she didn’t plan to take no for an answer. She had let the attack steal too many months of her life. She didn’t plan to let it have even one more day. She wanted Evan and she knew he wanted her.
What was that saying? Leap and the net will appear.
Juliet leaped.
She slid her own jacket off and walked over to him. “Yeah, I want.” She took the water bottle out of his hand and put it on the counter.
She pressed herself flush against him and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. His hands instantly moved to her hips. She pulled his lips down to hers.
Yes. Finally. That was what she had been craving. His warm lips against hers. Evan tried to keep it soft and light, but Juliet had no interest in that. She pulled him hard against her and stood up on her tiptoes so she could get even closer.
“Juliet,” Evan murmured against her mouth. “I’m not sure we should—”
She became even more aggressive in her kiss. “Not sure we should what?” Juliet finally asked.
Evan broke away just for a moment so he could look her in the eyes. “I just want to make sure this is what you really want.”
“I’m pretty sure I want this more than I want to continue breathing.”
With that, Evan scooped her up by the waist and spun, placing her on the kitchen counter. He grabbed her hips and slid her forward so they were as close as possible. And kissed her again, stealing her breath.
Yes, this was how Juliet wanted to feel, had thought she would never feel again. Evan’s lips brushed over the underside of her jaw and down her neck. She couldn’t stop the soft moan.
“I’ve waited a long time for this,” Evan murmured against her throat.
“It’s been a long time for me, too.” Juliet found she could say it without bad memories coming up to swamp her.
Evan pulled back a little so they were looking eye to eye. “I’ve wanted you for years, Juliet. But it was never the right time.”
She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer. “Well, it’s the right time now. For both of us.” Then she reached down and pulled Evan’s shirt over his chest and head, letting it fall to the ground. Heat coursed through her. Everywhere their bodies touched was on fire.
Evan didn’t say anything, just swung her up in his arms and carried her to his bed.
Chapter Fifteen
Evan lay in bed, watching Juliet curled up next to him, sound asleep. His mind was blown by their lovemaking a few hours before. Better, hotter, just plain more awesome than he would’ve ever expected.
He had tried to keep himself on a tight leash. If Juliet had any moments of panic, he wanted to be able to stop and help her through it.
But evidently the only panic she’d experienced had been about him not getting their clothes off fast enough. A couple steps up the stairs, while he was carrying her, she had been running her hands all over his chest and kissing his neck. He’d stopped right there, lowered her, backed her up against the wall and kissed her thoroughly. She’d pulled her own shirt off, and he’d made quick work of her bra, so they could be skin to skin.
Nothing had ever felt so right in his entire life.
“If we don’t cut it out, we’re never going to make it to the bed,” he’d said.
The most beautiful smile he’d ever seen had lit up Juliet’s face. “I don’t want to make it to the bed. I want to make love right here, on the stairs.”
Evan had been more than happy to oblige. In fact, he’d almost ripped their clothes off in an effort to oblige.
They had finally made it to the bed, afterward, with a stop by the shower first. Now Juliet was sleeping and he needed to do the same. Tomorrow they’d be heading to Vince Cady’s mansion.
Juliet’s phone chirped on the nightstand by her side of the bed. That chirp—the one that signified Lisa Sinclair had received another sweetheart email. Evan tried to reach over and grab the phone before it woke Juliet, but he felt the tension flood through her. She’d already heard it.
“Just leave it,” he told her as she reached for the phone.
“I can’t.” She was wide-awake. “Not knowing what it says makes me just as crazy as knowing.”
Evan doubted that, but knew he couldn’t stop her.
Sweetheart, we’ll be together soon. Don’t worry about your husband, I have special plans for him. He doesn’t deserve you.
Evan hated the way fear crept back into Juliet’s green eyes. She didn’t openly panic, but the stress and tension had obviously returned.
“Jules, it’s going to be fine.”
“Well, we know the two are unrelated, so for now let’s put the emails on the back burner. Once we finish with Cady, then we can concentrate on tracking down whoever is sending them.”
Juliet looked uncomfortable, but nodded. “Okay. I’ll turn off my phone notifications for that email account. I’ll still get them, and so will the tech peeps at Omega, but we’ll only see them when I choose to open them.”
She set the phone down and Evan pulled her against him. “That will be better. You’ll be able to concentrate on the case, rather than worrying about the emails.”
“You’re right,” Juliet whispered. “It’s just, they freak me out. Throw my mind to crazy places. Sometimes it’s hard to come back from that.”
Evan kissed her on the forehead. “I know, baby. But you don’t have to battle this alone anymore. I’m going to be here to help you every step of the way. Not to mention all three of your dumbass brothers.”
Juliet smiled at that, as he had hoped, then pushed him back against the pillows and swung her leg so she straddled his hips.
“You know, we have to be at Cady’s house in just a few short hours. We better get some sleep,” she told him, but her wicked grin said something much different.
“Later,” he growled, pulling her mouth down to his. “There’ll be time for sleep later.”
* * *
JULIET’S SOBS WOKE EVAN. For a moment of sleep-induced confusion, he forgot where he was and thought he was having another nightmare, with Juliet’s agony in his head. But he quickly realized the sobs were coming from Juliet herself, asleep in his bed, dressed only in one of his T-shirts.
Her fitful thrashing and quiet sobs broke Evan’s heart. He had hoped her nightmare days were behind her, but he also knew recovery was never a straightforward line. Steps backward were also part of the process. All he could do was keep his word and show Juliet she wasn’t alone any longer.
Because she damn sure would never sleep on a closet floor again.
“Juliet.” Evan kept his voice even and didn’t touch her, not wanting to cause her further duress. “It’s Evan, baby. Can you wake up? You’re safe. It’s okay.”
He spoke the calming words over and over, and began gently and very loosely stroking her arm. Nothing that would seem like a grasp.
At first Juliet became more fitful, but then began to relax, almost as if his words were sinking in. He hoped that was true. He would’ve given his own life to have saved her from the brutality that now haunted her dreams with such poignancy.
“Evan?” Juliet’s eyes fluttered open.
Thank God. “Yes, baby. I’m right here. It’s okay. You were having a nightmare.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. Us sleeping together was probably a bad idea.”
Evan wasn’t sure if she meant the actual act of sleeping or their lovemaking earlier. Either way, she was wrong.
“No, it was the best idea either of us have ever had.”
Juliet shrugged. “I’m not a great sleeper.”
“You have nightmares. So do I. The important thing is you don’t have to wake up alone anymore. You don’t have to fight these demons by yourself.”
She nodded, but Evan could tell she was still upset by what had happened. He wasn’t quite certain what upset her more, the nightmare or him being there to witness it. She got up and headed to the shower. Evan let her go. She needed space.
And if she stuck around his bed, he was afraid he might start talking to her about always being there when she awoke, and holding her through any nightmares. It was too soon to be discussing that, and it might scare her off even more.
Evan could be patient. He’d been patient for years, even before the attack. He could be again.
And besides, now was not the time to worry about the future. They both needed to be concentrating on today, and Cady and retrieval of the codes. Everything else would have to wait.
A few hours later they were on their way to the estate near Annapolis. They had stopped by Omega so Megan could fine-tune the tracker and mayday device Juliet wore.
“Okay, remember the acoustic homing signal echoes off the magnetic ray with the tracker, and vertical trajectory also comes into play if the device is utilized as part of a denotation stratagem, so that needs to be taken into consideration. But because of the alloy elements, it’s virtually imperceptible to discovery,” Megan, one of the leading computer scientists in the country, had told them. “Any questions?”
Juliet and Evan had just looked at each other, neither really having any idea what the younger woman had just said. Fortunately, Sawyer was there to interpret, putting his arm around Megan, obvious love in his eyes.
“What giant brain here is trying to say is that Vince Cady and his men are not going to find the device on you, but it is definitely short-range,” he’d explained.
“Sawyer, that’s exactly what I said to them!” Megan blinked at them through her glasses, obviously believing it.
“I know, honey,” he’d responded in a stage whisper. “They’re just slow. Don’t worry.”
The little bit of humor had been just what they needed. Juliet had turned to Evan, shaking her head, her eyes twinkling. She was ready.
They were ready.
As they pulled up to a guardhouse at Cady’s property an hour later in Evan’s Jeep, Juliet slipped her hand into his. He gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“Bob and Lisa Sinclair, here by Mr. Cady’s invitation,” Evan told the guard.
The man looked it up on a small computerized tablet, then nodded and gave them instructions on where to go.
There were a number of cars already parked near the house, all high-end automobiles. Neither the number nor the caliber of the vehicles was surprising. Cady did not deal with lowlifes. His dealings were not something small-time criminals could afford.
Especially when it came to the drone override codes. Anybody interested in buying them would definitely be a big-time player. Someone Omega would need to start keeping tabs on, if they weren’t already.
Like Evan, Juliet was taking stock of the different vehicles. Some of these people would be associates they’d worked with before. Others would be new. All could be potentially deadly.
Evan pulled the Bob Sinclair cloak around him—a friendly guy, good with people, not quite the sharpest tool in the shed, but smart enough. He enjoyed creature comforts and good food, but also had an adventurous side, thus the Jeep as his chosen vehicle.
Evan could tell that Juliet was fully into her role as Lisa Sinclair. Lisa was smart—not a stretch for Juliet—but also liked to pamper herself, and cared more about her appearance than Juliet ever did. She wore expensive jewelry: a diamond bracelet, two almost gaudy rings on her hands, and of course, the locket around her neck.
Lisa’s clothes were a far cry from what Juliet normally wore; her tailored pants and blouse, coupled with high heels, were quite different from Juliet’s more casual jeans and sweaters. But Evan was sure Lisa Sinclair’s outfit helped Juliet dig more into character.
She appeared confident, professional and no-nonsense. Evan loved Juliet’s causal style, but had to admit she could pull off Lisa’s look as if she was born to it. It was a turn-on, for sure.
Evan parked the Jeep, then hopped out to come around and open the passenger door. He helped Juliet down from her seat and kept his hand at the small of her back as they walked toward the main door of the house.
“You look great,” he whispered.
One eyebrow arched. “Of course I do,” she responded, smiling. She was already Lisa Sinclair. “These shoes are Manolo Blahnik. Any girl would look fabulous.”
Evan pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, partly because he knew they were being watched and the action would be in character.
But partly because he ju
st couldn’t help himself.
A member of Cady’s staff opened the door as the two of them approached the steps.
“Welcome, Mr. and Ms. Sinclair,” the woman said. “Mr. Cady is expecting you. We will have you join the other guests in just a moment, but first please follow our security team.”
Juliet and Evan were led to a smallish room off the foyer. One man used a wand to scan Evan, while another did the same to Juliet. Evan could see her tension at the man’s proximity. She glanced at Evan and he gave her a reassuring nod. She flinched when the guard touched her shoulder and asked her to turn around.
Evan had a moment of slight panic when the wand beeped as it passed over Juliet’s locket. Megan had said it was undetectable as a short-range device. Had she been wrong? Was the very thing that was supposed to assure Juliet’s safety going to get them both killed?
“Would you mind removing that locket, please, ma’am?” the guard asked politely, but his tone brooked no refusal.
Juliet took a step back and removed the jewelry. Evan hoped it was as undetectable as Megan and Sawyer claimed it was.
Juliet cringed and couldn’t seem to find anything to say, so Evan stepped in for her. “That was her mother’s, so be careful with it.” Juliet grasped his hand, nodding.
The guard opened the locket, and after much studying, and even removing the picture that was in it, put everything back and returned it to Juliet.
“Sorry,” he said. “Any piece of jewelry this size must be inspected.”
“Fine, just give it to me,” Juliet told him in an acerbic tone. The guard handed it to her and she returned it to her neck. “Are we free to go or are we going to be subjected to more humiliation?”
“You’re free to go. Sorry for the trouble.”
“I would think so.”
It was easy to see why Lisa Sinclair had a reputation as being a bitch. Because she was one. Juliet, once she’d found her tongue, seemed to remember Lisa well.
The woman who had met them at the front door led Evan and Juliet into a large room with multiple windows. People were milling around, talking. Waitstaff were walking around with trays of food and drink.