“Can we go back to bed, sweetheart?” Riley said with a yawn. “Everything will look better in the morning.”
He set her on her feet and Sara willingly followed them back to the bedroom. Cuddling between them helped her relax, and knowing Paige and Emma were safe allowed her to fall into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Sara woke to the smell of Riley’s cooking. What a wonderful way to start the day. She loved breakfast but hated to cook. She took a quick shower, brushed her hair, and reached for her robe. With one arm in a sleeve, she remembered Kale’s comment about being naked when they were alone in the house.
The air conditioner cycled on, and the sudden breeze brought her nipples to attention, adding a sensation she hadn’t expected. Anticipation. Wandering naked wasn’t something she’d done much, at least not outside the bedroom. But life was about taking chances, and she was already trying new things with this relationship.
Riley and Kale were sitting at the kitchen table when she walked into the room. Both men stared as she poured herself a cup of coffee and opened the fridge to find the creamer. They didn’t say a word, and she wondered if she’d made a dreadful mistake.
“Damn, woman,” Kale groaned, “you sure do know how to make a man’s day.”
“Amen to that,” Riley added.
Sara poured her creamer and turned around to give her guys a smile. “Morning, boys.”
“Where’s my kiss, honey?” Kale asked.
Sara walked over to him, using her best come-hither stride, and kissed him soundly. Of course, Riley needed his fair share, so she kissed him, too.
“Sit, baby. You need to eat,” Kale told her, putting a full plate in front of her. They settled next to her with their own breakfasts, and Sara sighed. Even sitting naked while they were half-dressed, she felt comfortable. When her cell rang, she jumped, surprised by the sound and not too sure she wanted to answer it. Riley checked the number and answered for her.
“It’s Paige, sweetheart,” he said, handing it to her.
“Are you okay?” she asked her friend.
“If you consider solitary confinement okay, then I guess the answer is yes,” Paige said.
“It can’t be that bad. Where are you?”
Paige’s groan was heard by both men, and Sara covered her phone so her friend wouldn’t hear their laughter. “What?” she asked.
“I’m not allowed to tell you where I am. Something about national security. Anyway, I’m stuck with this guy.” Sara could barely hear Paige. It sounded like she was whispering. “He’s really hunky, but his personality is more Frankenstein’s monster. How long do you think we’ll be in hiding?”
“I don’t know. I wish you weren’t involved, but, well, last night I got another threatening call. He said…he said he was going to hurt you if I gave the information I have to the police.”
“Oh, Sara. You have to work with the police, or this will never be over.”
“I know. And I am.”
Kale tapped her shoulder. “The agents are here to question you, honey. You might want to get dressed. Or not.”
Sara stared over his shoulder at the three men coming up the front walk. She was out of the chair and down the hall in seconds, male laughter following her. “I have to go, Paige. I’ll try to call you later.”
Chapter 17
Riley smiled when she finally came back down the hall. Sara was wearing a pair of navy slacks that stopped halfway between her knees and ankles and a light-blue sleeveless top. Fairly conservative, but at least she’d left her hair down. He introduced her to the two men, Agents Martin and Jenkins, and they all sat around the kitchen table, though Kale chose to stand behind Sara.
“We’ve accessed the information you surrendered, and, while agents are still deciphering the names and locations, we can be fairly certain you were dealing with a domestic terrorist organization.”
“I had no idea,” Sara said, looking to Riley for counsel, and he cut her off.
“Ms. Brennan was not involved in any way, aside from managing what she knew as a software business.” He focused his attention on Agent Martin, the agent in charge of Sara’s case. The two men measured each other for a few long minutes.
“At this point in the investigation, and since Ms. Brennan voluntarily turned over evidence, we do not anticipate filing any charges.”
“Thank you. That is exactly what I wanted to hear,” Riley said, reaching over to squeeze Sara’s hand. “What can you tell me about locating her boss, Mr. Adams?”
“I can’t give you details, but we have agents in place and are tracking several suspects.”
“And the security issues we discussed?” Riley asked.
“Both women have been provided security details, and we have someone watching your house. Please understand that these precautions are temporary. Our budget is tight, and we are hoping to resolve this as soon as possible.”
“You have a plan in place to catch these people?” Kale asked.
“We are working on something, yes.” Agent Jenkins stood and paced the room. “We can’t share information about an ongoing investigation, but we have people working on locating Adams and the other members of his organization.”
“Organization?” Sara asked. “How many people are involved in this?”
“From what we can surmise,” Agent Martin said, “there are several small groups working the same type of scenario in different states. Product is shipped across state lines several times before being sent overseas.”
“Oh, God, what did I get myself into?” Sara asked. “What kind of product are they sending? Please don’t tell me I was processing orders for bombs.”
“No, ma’am, no explosives. Mainly, classified technology.”
“Great. Instructions to make bombs. Just as bad.” Sara put her head in her hands, and Kale rubbed her shoulders.
“Don’t, Sara. You had no way of knowing what was being shipped.”
“Really, Ms. Brennan, they are very good at what they do. Very convincing. But now that we know what and how they are operating, we can catch them.” Agent Martin stood. “I would suggest that you remain here as much as possible for the next few days. We have a man watching the house, but we can’t provide much more than the one man. Budget cuts, unfortunately.”
“We can handle protecting her. No problem,” Kale said.
“Of course, Special Agent Kinsley. Your presence here in the house was factored into our decisions. We hoped you would be able to enhance the security of the house.”
“Of course.”
Riley exchanged a glance with Kale, knowing they had plenty of security measures already up and running in their home. After many assurances, the NSA agents left, promising to keep them informed on the investigation.
Kale poured them all a fresh cup of coffee, and they sat around the table, sipping and thinking. No one spoke for the longest time. Riley was the first to break the silence.
“Sweetheart, we need to talk about the security features we have here in the house and on the grounds.” He looked at Kale, sure he was following the conversation instead of planning on his own. “When Kale and I moved in, we remodeled the entire place, rewired to upgrade all the electronic systems in the house, and increased security tenfold.”
“There are motion sensors at every door and window.” Kale stood and stepped over to the decorative tiles on the sink. He flipped a light switch on a three-switch panel and nothing happened. He turned it back to the off position and continued, “Every light switch with this configuration has an alarm built into it. No matter what room you’re in, if there’s a third switch, it activates the alarm when left in the on position for more than thirty seconds.”
“Paranoid much?” she asked.
“Prepared,” Riley replied. “Both of us are in high-risk jobs.” Riley smiled at her raised brow. “Even attorneys get death threats.”
“Have you ever fired a gun, Sara?” Kale asked.
“Yes, but it was a long time ago.”
“Well, we may need to refresh your skills, honey,” Kale said. “But we’ll wait until tomorrow to start lessons. You look like you’re worn out.”
“I’m not tired. Just a little stressed,” she told him, leaning back in the chair, the coffee cup cradled in her hands.
“Why don’t you and Riley find a movie to watch while I start dinner?” he suggested.
Sara’s grin was contagious. “Only if we watch something with no explosions or fist fights. I have enough drama right now.”
Riley laughed and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, sweetheart. I’ll let you pick the movie if you’ll sit in my lap.”
“Well, I don’t know.”
Damn. She was beautiful. Riley reached out to touch her, his fingertips gliding down her cheek while he watched her eyes sparkle. She was up to something.
“You might distract me and I’ll miss part of the movie,” she whispered.
Sara slipped around him and danced into the living room, bypassing the shelves of movies and grabbing the remote.
“Anything I want?” she asked, flopping into one of the overstuffed recliners.
“Anything, Sara.” Hell, he’d give her the world if he could. He plucked her out of the chair and carried her to the sofa, settling her on his lap. When she cuddled against his chest, he relaxed into the moment.
Sara pointed the remote at the flat-screen and channel surfed for a few minutes, quickly bypassing all the sports-related channels. She turned and gave him a quick kiss as she pushed the enter button, and he groaned.
“Oh, please, baby, not this.”
The home decorating channel. Well, he’d agreed to let her choose.
Chapter 18
Riley was awake. Had been for at least an hour, snuggled next to Sara, watching her sleep. He loved watching her, in laughter, in sleep, in the throes of passion. He just flat loved her. When the emotion first hit him, he’d thought it a fluke of lust. Sex with her and Kale was hot, scorching, and all-consuming. But as he spent more time with her out of bed, he realized it wasn’t a passing desire causing his gut to clench and his heart to tighten when she was near.
Damn it, he’d fallen hard for the little blonde who’d captured Kale’s heart so many years ago. While that was a plus, considering his lifestyle choices, he knew Kale’s relationship with Sara wasn’t the deciding factor in his attraction. If he’d met her anywhere else, Riley would feel the same as he did now. And he’d be dragging her home to meet Kale with high hopes of a life together.
She was lying on her side facing Riley while Kale’s arms wrapped around her. Sara’s right hand was cupped under her cheek while the other pressed against Riley’s chest. In sleep, she appeared utterly content, no worry lines, no bad dreams to torment her. Riley knew his goal for the rest of his life would be to keep her safe and happy and well loved.
The safe part was giving him fits, though. There were too many variables in the NSA’s plan to keep the bad guys away from Sara. For the last hour, he’d been working on a plan of his own. Moving as quietly as he could, Riley left the bed and went into the bathroom down the hall to shower and dress. The sun was a bare crack of white light in the east when he backed his car out of the driveway and headed to his office.
One of his clients was a private detective, well versed in espionage and protection. A former Navy SEAL, he could take care of things no one else would touch, and since he wasn’t a government agent, he often finished a job faster and more completely than traditional law enforcement agencies could.
As soon as he got to his office, Riley fired up his computer and started making calls. Checking the time, he sent Kale a text, brief and succinct, so Sara wouldn’t worry. The NSA agent was still parked across the street from their front door, and Kale was armed, so there shouldn’t be a problem with him being gone for an hour or so.
* * * *
Kale woke when his cell buzzed from the bedside table. He reached for it, wondering who would text him this early in the morning, and realized Riley and Sara had left him to sleep late. Picking up the phone, he grinned at Riley’s text, sure that breakfast was waiting for him down the hall. But when he realized Riley was gone, he all but leaped out of bed to make sure Sara was safe.
She was in the kitchen, an apron over her robe while she stood at the stove. Ruffled waves of brown and blonde hair had been pushed over her shoulders while she worked on breakfast. Kale leaned against the doorframe and watched until she noticed him.
“Morning,” she said with a smile. “Where is Riley? I can’t find him anywhere.”
“I just got a text. He had to go into his office, but he’ll be home soon. He didn’t want to wake you.”
“Sweet, but I wish he had. I worry.”
Kale closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll keep you safe, darlin’, don’t worry,” he whispered, nuzzling her ear.
Sara sighed, pressed her body back to lean against him, and replied, “I’m going to be worn out with all the sex in this house.”
“Is that a problem? You want us to slow down a little?”
Sara’s soft laugh warmed him. “No, I’m not complaining. Just wondering if this is a honeymoon period that will go away in a few weeks.”
“Not likely, Sara. We don’t expect anything to change from the way we are now. With the exception of your little legal problem.”
“What about my job? How am I supposed to work in Dallas and live here?”
Kale let go of her and leaned against the counter, watching her expression while she cooked. “You said you were working at a bar. Do you want to continue that type of job, or is there something else you want to do?”
“I was just working at the bar until I could find something else, something that paid more and had a future,” she replied with a shrug. “But I still need a job. I have obligations.”
Kale looked at the floor for a few minutes, working out the phrasing for what he wanted to say without offending her. “Between Riley and me, we make a pretty good living. If you decide to stay with us, we wouldn’t have a problem with anything you wanted to do career wise. You could find a job in the area, go back to school, stay home and raise babies. Whatever makes you happy.”
Her hands froze above the skillet, and Kale’s silent curse ping-ponged across his brain.
She stared at him for a long minute before turning off the stove and filling two plates with food. Still not talking, she handed one to Kale and took hers to the table. He sat next to her and waited for the storm. He had a mouth full of food when she spoke.
“Raising babies. How exactly would that work?”
Kale chewed carefully, taking his time while he thought of a response. She didn’t sound upset or angry. More curious than anything, which was a relief.
“The usual way. Get pregnant, pop out a kid, change diapers.” He watched her response. Brows down, she thought about it for a few minutes, eating her toast and watching him. Kale schooled his expression, hiding his concern. He and Riley both wanted children, a true family.
They also wanted Sara.
“Who would be the father?”
The nitty-gritty.
He waited until she was looking at him, meeting his gaze, to answer. “Both of us. As long as the child came from your body, we would claim it as our own. Nurture and support it as if we were the father. If you wanted a paternity test, we would agree to it, but both of us want a family, and we don’t care who the biological father is.”
“You wouldn’t want to know?”
Kale pushed his plate to the side so he could lean on the table. “Sara, honey, you know biology doesn’t make a parent. We’ve both known too many people who had children and didn’t give a damn about how they were raised. Riley has seen the same thing, parents not caring for their children, using them as tools to hurt the other parent in a divorce. We don’t want that for our family.”
“But how would it work out, legally?”
“You could give the baby your last n
ame, mine, Riley’s, or any combination. The family is whatever we make of it.”
“It sounds so simple and yet extremely complicated if this doesn’t last,” Sara said with a shake of her head.
Kale reached over and took her hand in his. “Sara, I love you. I want a life with you, not a fling, not an affair. I want to spend the rest of my life waking up next to you. And yes, I’d love to see your body swell with a baby. I think Riley feels the same way.”
“The forever thing is hard to fathom.”
“I know. But I think too many people enter into marriage with the thought that if it doesn’t work, they can just get a divorce and move on.”
She halfheartedly agreed.
“I believe when all parties agree to work through problems instead of bail at the first sign of trouble, marriages can last a lifetime.”
“And you believe you can have a lifelong marriage with three people?”
Kale held in his sigh, knowing she wouldn’t appreciate it. But he’d planted a seed, and he hoped Sara would think about what he’d said and decide it was something she wanted, too. “Yes, I do. But I don’t expect you to feel the same way. I won’t try to convince you, Sara.”
“Good.”
He laughed. “Damn, woman. You don’t make life easy, do you?”
“Not likely, with both of you trying to tell me what to do. Why should I make it easy?”
She was laughing at him, and he loved it. He loved her. “Why don’t you go take a shower? I’ll clean up the dishes.”
“What? You don’t want to shower with me?” Sara giggled and danced out of his reach then ran down the hall to the master bath. Kale couldn’t stop smiling while he hurried through the cleanup of the kitchen.
She was standing under the spray when he walked into the bathroom. Kale leaned against the doorframe and watched her, breathed in her scent as the warm water poured over her. She smelled like sex, the scent of pleasure from the night before, and he remembered her shout as she climaxed between his body and Riley’s.
Damn, she was so beautiful his heart almost stopped. He wanted her again. Hell, he wanted her every waking minute, but his body couldn’t keep up with the need. And even though his cock was at half-staff and ready to take her, Kale’s soul ached to hold her close and show her how precious she was to him.
Kidnapped at the Gun Show [Ransomed Hearts] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 11