She cuddled closer, holding onto his hip.
Now, he began laughing. “You know, Quinn did warn me about you. I didn't think he was serious. You’re trouble.”
It was time to confess.
“I did sleep beside the guys. When you’re out in the woods, working and in the dark, you needed to keep warm. That was done out of necessity. We kept our bags together.”
“And this?” he asked, as her hand slid across his abs. When they quivered in response, he wanted to curse. There was no way she could have missed his reaction to her touch.
“This is for pure pleasure. When I rough it, I don’t like to give up all my luxuries.”
“Good to know,” he said, taking in the scent of her hair.
Yeah, this was going to be sheer torture.
“Goodnight, Lucas,” she said, cuddling closer.
He could barely think, let alone speak. “Sweet dreams, Maura.”
Oh, they absolutely would be.
How could the dreams be anything less?
Chapter Six
Tuesday Morning
I t had been a very long night. While Callie and Quinn sacked out on his couch, Nate sat behind his desk worrying about his partner. If they could maintain contact, he would feel a little better. Since that wasn’t going to happen, he needed to find something to do to keep him sane.
So, he focused on work.
Before him were the files on all of Bravo Ghost’s assignments. As he scanned the detail stripped list, he didn't know what to think. There was very little on it that could be construed as useful. Mostly, it was a list of single words.
As he studied it, two things became clear. It wasn’t going to give him a definitive answer, and one word kept popping up over and over again.
Oracle.
Beside the word was coding, and that was exactly the same group of numbers which began each FBI file. For the life of him, he didn't know what the hell it meant. Even though he was a director in a satellite office and was constantly briefed on things that would come up, he was clueless.
Going online, he searched Oracle, only to find a few gaming references but nothing linked to the FBI.
Curiosity was killing him.
Staring at his tablet, he tried to weigh the pros and cons of using the government’s equipment to do the search. At first, not using it was winning.
Then, he thought about his friend, partner, and surrogate brother out in the middle of the forest with Quinn’s sister.
Curiosity won out.
Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or fear that finally persuaded him, but Nate was going to do all it took.
Picking up his tablet, he typed in the search parameters, scanning all the Federal databases they had access to. When he hit enter, Nate crossed his fingers.
Closing his eyes, he tried to recall anything that ever popped up using that word. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember.
Then, there was the beep.
Glancing down, he was surprised at what he found.
Absolutely nothing.
The search had come up blank. Maybe he had been wrong about the coding. It was quite possible that he had made a mistake. Closing the tablet, he picked up his papers and decided to pursue a different avenue.
He was glad he checked.
After all, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Right?
* * * C a r t e r C h r o n i c l e s * * *
Quantico
Across the Country
At the alert, she rushed into her boss’s office. Gabriel Rothschild had warned her that if it ever happened, make it priority one.
Well, it was happening.
When she rushed his office, he looked up startled from his call. “Are you okay?” he asked Maggie, putting the phone on mute.
“Remember that coded alert you set up?” she asked, bouncing from foot to foot.
“Yes.” How could he forget?
“It just went off,” she admitted.
This wasn’t good.
At all.
“Okay, thank you, Maggie,” he said, dismissing his secretary. As soon as she was gone, he was back on the phone. “Can I call you back? I’ve had something come up,” he asked before ending the call.
After hanging up, there were two things that he had to do.
Calling IT support, he spoke to the director. “Bob, do you recall that alert you had set up?”
“Yes, boss. It wasn’t that long ago.”
“Someone searched the keyword. I need you to trace it back and find me a location. I need to know who was using FBI equipment to search for our little secrets.”
There was the frantic tapping of keys over the phone as the man worked to find Gabe his answer. When it stopped, his voice came back over the line.
“It was in-house,” he admitted. “One of our own. Passwords were used and no one hacked in.”
“Where?” Gabe asked. He wasn’t quite sure if that made him relax or more stirred up.
“The user ID that came up was from one of our satellite offices out west. A Nathaniel Carter searched it from his tablet.”
Gabe pondered that information. He knew the man. Not well, but enough to point him out of a group of people.
This was odd.
There was no way that one of his directors would just search that word randomly. That had to mean one thing. Someone was into something that he had no business touching.
This had to be handled, and soon.
If this got out, the shit would be hitting the fan.
“I appreciate it, Bob. Keep up the stellar work. If he makes another attempt, let me know.”
The call was cut off.
Now, Gabe had to handle this before it got out of hand. Picking up his private cell phone, he made a call. When the man answered the phone, he explained what was going on.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Handle it. This can’t get out. There is no reason for him to have any working knowledge of that word. I want you to find out why he searched it, and what he’s working on.”
“He’s off for a few days. I know he just closed a big case. I can’t imagine why he’s searching for Oracle.”
“Well, he’s in his office at work right now. If it’s not him, then we have bigger fish to fry, my friend. Someone is using his tablet and knows his passwords. If that’s the case, we need to take care of it, ASAP.”
“I understand.”
“Handle it.”
“How far do you want me to take it?” he asked.
Gabe thought about it. “Oracle is your utmost priority. You keep it secret and convince Director Nathaniel Carter to do the same. I don’t need details. Scare him bloody senseless. I don’t want the man digging into this shit mess. Then, we’re going to get dirty too.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“You do that. This is your problem now too. Curiosity killed the cat. Make sure Nathaniel Carter is well aware of that.”
“Great.”
With that, he disconnected the call. While he was upset that someone was digging, Gabe was at least grateful it was one of their people.
Now, he just needed to figure out what Nate Carter knew, and why he was searching.
He needed answers.
And Gabriel Rothschild would get them.
No matter what.
* * * C a r t e r C h r o n i c l e s * * *
Sleeping hadn’t been as difficult as he thought. While they were squeezed into that camping gear, Luke swore that he’d be restless. Yet, he wasn’t.
Luke slept like a rock.
Maybe it was exhaustion, or the fact that Maura’s scent lulled him into a peaceful slumber.
Unfortunately, that didn't describe his feelings now.
Her body was practically on top of his, from her head to her feet. Their legs were tangled together, and she was breathing softly on his neck.
Yeah, he wanted her in the worst possible way.
Never before had he been in this kind of predi
cament. Whenever Lucas Mars wanted a woman, his charm, grin, and sense of humor reeled them in. Here, lying across his body, was a woman immune to all three.
What the hell was he supposed to do?
Kidnap her?
He nearly laughed. Wasn’t that what was happening?
God! What had he gotten himself into? One more morning of this, and he would be forced to take matters into his own hands. Luke couldn’t help it.
He was crazy about her.
Lying there, trying not to move, Luke was torn. Anything that happened between them had the potential to be explosive-- both good--and bad.
He tried to remain calm.
It looked like he was out of control and on dangerous ground.
It was a matter of time.
When she woke, there was the sound of birds chirping all around her. From the lack of sun on her face, Maura could tell that it was still right before dawn. Before giving any signal of being awake, she took in her surroundings.
All was calm, except the man beneath her. Much like her, Luke was wide-awake. She could tell by his breathing. Sliding her hand across his abs, his breath actually hitched in his chest, just as his heart kicked in response.
Okay, now she needed to figure out what to do. Their bodies were pressed together, and she needed a plan.
He was a good man, and Maura was beyond attracted to him. Every quality he had was on her list—like he was patient, kind, gentle, dedicated, strong, and intelligent.
If she could build her own man, he would be it.
Yet, she had a problem.
Maura Gaines was already married-- to the Marines.
How could she make him fit into her already chaotic life? Was there room in the insanity for a relationship? After all, there were times where she didn't come home for weeks in a clip. Could that kind of absenteeism work for a couple?
Would he get bored?
Could he wait for her?
What if he ran for the hills?
There were so many damn questions plaguing her mind.
Again, she moved her hand, feigning sleep, and once more he reacted to her. Okay, she could feel him hardening against her hip in arousal.
The feeling was mutual.
At least they were both attracted to each other. That was a start. Maura knew that every time she looked at him, she was tempted to run her mouth across his body. The blue eyes, the sexily tousled hair, and the sculpted body, all made the saliva pool in the back of her throat.
God.
What the hell was she thinking?
Slowly, she opened her eyes, ending the little game she was playing. While she was tempted to slide her hand lower, across the front of his cargo pants, she wouldn’t torture him. He didn't deserve to hurt any more than he obviously was. When Maura glanced up, his baby blues were watching her every move.
Then she saw it.
He was suffering.
In his eyes, she could see the need and longing. It likely mirrored her own emotions.
Maura owed him for the morning torture. Taking a chance, she brought her mouth down to his. It was meant to be a light brush of lips, but instead it exploded around her.
The kiss was spectacular.
In fact, it rivaled their first one after their single date.
Luke didn't know what to think as she worked her mouth over his. This was like a dream come true. Now, all he needed was for Maura to start peeling herself out of her clothes, and he’d be set.
When she pulled away, he nearly wept.
“Good morning,” she said silkily.
Luke fought for control of his body. While he was hard and edgy before, his entire form was now fighting to remain dignified. It was bad enough her body was resting on him, but that kiss had been perfect.
“It is now,” he replied, finally finding his voice.
Maura relaxed back against him, curling into his body for warmth. “It’s chilly out.”
He hadn’t noticed. In fact, he was pretty sure he was burning up. The flush was running from the tips of his toes, right to his mussed-up hair.
“I hadn’t noticed.”
She grinned. Then, the smile faded as Maura tried to remember the truth. When this was all over, she’d disappear back into her world.
She needed to back away.
Luke was sunny and bright, and she lived in the shadows. He couldn’t live in her world. For now, she’d have to hold onto the little bit of light which was filling her soul.
While it lasted.
“I know we should get moving. Thank you for playing pillow and mattress last night. It was nice.”
“Yes, it really was,” he admitted. “How about we get some breakfast, and then get moving? I want to get to the cabin as soon as possible.”
Yeah, so I can get you naked and have my way with you until we both can’t think straight.
Fortunately for Luke, he was able to keep the last part to himself.
For now.
“That’s a good plan,” she offered, reaching for the zipper. After she set them free, Maura moved off his body, despite desperately wanting to stay against him.
She felt safe.
It was an interesting feeling to have, considering her life.
Maura slipped into her hiking boots and headed for her pack. When she pulled out two protein bars, she held them up. “Breakfast is served.”
Luke laughed, despite the tension running through his body. Another night like that, and he wasn’t going to be able to control himself. “How sweet. You cooked for me.”
She loved when he teased. Her life was far too serious. While he was near, Maura felt calm.
Never had a man made her feel like that.
“Hey, I can cook!”
“Prove it,” Luke challenged.
She looked around at their lack of gear. “How am I supposed to do that?”
He went for it. “When this is over, make me dinner at your place.”
When her mouth dropped open, it took a few seconds to compose her thoughts. Here, he was offering her more past all this. It was something she likely didn't deserve. “You know I can’t, Luke.”
The sting of her words hurt, but he refused to let the rejection show. “Why?”
“You know why!”
Okay, this wasn’t the route to take. If he came at her head on, she would stand her ground. Maura Gaines was a tough Marine.
“Chicken.”
Immediately, he saw the reaction.
Maura stared at him in shock. No one had called her that since she was a kid. In fact, after her brother Christopher did, she kicked his ass. “I am not! How can you even think I am?” she asked, horrified. “I pride myself on being anything but that!”
He started laughing. “Uh, no. That’s what I want you to cook me. I really dig chicken. It’s a versatile meat.”
She stared at him, and then began laughing, once she realized what he had just done. The man before her had unarmed her with one single word.
Yeah, he was definitely a Fed.
“Apparently, my brother should have warned me about you.”
Luke grinned, winking at her as he snagged the protein bar from the air. “You’ll have to take that up with him. It’s not my fault you came into this one blind.”
Maura couldn’t think straight. No one flustered her quite like this man.
Watching her, even as he smiled, Luke knew the truth.
He was screwed.
Maura would bolt the second this was over. He’d already let that happen once, and it wasn’t going to occur again.
It looked like he was in for one hell of a tough chase.
He hoped he was ready.
And so was she...
* * * C a r t e r C h r o n i c l e s * * *
Tuesday Morning
FBI Office Union Gap
The three sat there drinking coffee and digging through the makeshift files. They were having very little luck finding anything that would prove useful. Quinn was getting frustrated, C
allie was engrossed in data, and Nate was just worried about his partner.
If something big didn't break soon, they wouldn’t be able to follow the trail.
“These crime scenes are like Swiss cheese,” Quinn stated, dropping the papers back onto his lap. “I don’t see how any competent ME could have let his team botch this up.”
Callie had to agree. “They’re bad. Half the information on the autopsies is missing. No wonder they didn't think to investigate further. Just from looking at them, I’d believe they were accidents too.”
Nate was just as frustrated. It was official. He now had Oracle on the brain. It was fast becoming an obsession with him. The harder he had to look, the more he needed to find something, anything, to get to the bottom of it. The FBI had no trace of it in their files, and when he went back to the internet, it was a bust.
“I’m going to call Luke to check in,” stated Nate, pulling out his phone. As he waited, it went to voice mail. “Check in when you can,” he stated, offering no more information. He wanted to assure that if the burner phone got lost, no one would get any extra information. They needed to be careful as they covered their trail.
Yeah, he realized that his paranoia was unfounded, but something was definitely going on.
At the knock on his door, he glanced over. Before he could tell the visitor to come in, two people entered his room. Nate was confused and irritated, since he’d never seen them before in his life.
“Yes? Can I help you?”
“You need to come with us,” stated the man. He stared at them with no emotion on his face.
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” replied Nate, standing up. “Who the hell are you?”
“Seaton and Madden. That’s all you need to know,” stated the woman. “It seems you did a search today, Director. It was flagged and reported. You’re coming with us. Turn in your weapons and get ready for transport.”
Nate glanced over at his secretary, who was staring at the pair in horror. When his gaze slid back to the two strangers in his office, he didn't know what to think.
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