Agent I1: Tristan [01] The D.I.R.E. Agency

by Joni Hahn

  “Rachel, I’m going to make love to you tonight, and I don’t want you worrying about whether I’m hurt or not.” He brushed back the hair from her face. “I’m a pretty tough guy. I can take it.”

  Smiling, she smoothed her palms up his arms. “You were kind of bad ass out there.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Kind of? Damn, I need to step it up.”

  Laughing, Rachel pulled down his head for an open-mouthed kiss. After what she’d seen tonight, she needed the comfort of his touch, the safety of his strength around her. She needed to know he was okay, that despite the danger he’d faced, he had survived and was actually there, in her bed, making love to her.

  Breaking the kiss, Tris tugged her t-shirt over her head. He stared down at her chest covered in blue lace.

  “This is all I could think about throughout dinner tonight.”

  Rachel smiled as she guided his palm to cover one of her breasts. They groaned together. “Wait until you see what I have under these shorts.”

  He stilled above her. “Oh, hell...”

  Backing away, Tristan stood and stared down at her. Unbuttoning her shorts, Rachel took her time shimmying out of them. She watched his eyes darken as her blue lace thong revealed itself. He grabbed her shorts and yanked them off her legs.

  “You have got to be the most beautiful thing God ever created.”

  She frowned up at him. How could he say that when there were women that looked like Piper and Penny out there? Women that were more sophisticated and experienced?

  He came to her and placed a butterfly kiss on her forehead. “The first time I saw you in the church, I couldn’t take my eyes off of you. Lying here with you now…” He shook his head. “I just keep thinking I don’t deserve you… this. I don’t deserve to be happy. But, I also can’t let you go.”

  Rachel smiled as love struck her like a placid wave, washing over her, soothing her with the comfort of its truth.

  She loved Tristan. Despite what he did for a living, he was a man with a good heart, a man that sacrificed his life for others without thought. A man that would protect her to his last breath.

  He was a real superhero, and she loved him with every fiber of her normal being.

  Rolling him onto his back, she stretched out on top of him like a cat, navel to navel, her skin alight with fire. Her deep, leisurely kiss told him what she had in mind. She would show this gorgeous, courageous, lonely man just how much she loved him.

  “Just try to let me go, Jacobs, and see how far you get with that.” She gave him a sweet, simple kiss on the lips. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Sitting up, Rachel’s hair tumbled over her shoulders. She unhooked the front of her bra and let it trail down her arms to the bed.

  With a groan, he kneaded her breasts ardently, her hands urging him on. Her blood thrummed in her veins, her lower belly pleading for more. She rubbed the crux of her thighs against his length.

  “They can’t hear us on that thing, can they?” She nodded at his armband.

  Tristan shot up to a sitting position. “Oh shit.”

  Rachel’s heart pounded against her ribs. “What?”

  Clutching her head in his hands, he kissed her hard on the mouth and grinned. “No, they can’t hear us.”

  She smacked him on his ripped abdomen.

  He said, “It’s a little late to think of that now. Especially after everything we did back at my place last weekend.”

  She gave him a suggestive smile. “What did we do at your place, again? I can’t remember…”

  Tristan leaned forward and gave her a kiss so hot it could probably teleport her without the rest of his system.

  “Short term memory loss,” he said. “A sure sign of sexual deprivation.”

  Grinning, Rachel skimmed her hands up his arms and over his wide shoulders. She kissed the strong pulse at his neck, made her way down his throat and over the hard, rocky plains of his chest. Her kisses were slow, easy as they trailed down his body. When she reached the sensitive area below his navel, the soldier in him started dishing out orders.

  “Stop Rachel.”

  She ignored him.

  “I’m serious,” he said, his words choked. “I’ll never make it.”

  When she showed him how rebellious she could really be, he cursed aloud and flipped her over. He ripped the thong down her legs and rose up to shuck out of his briefs.

  “Rachel, let’s take this slo-“

  She lifted her hips, taking him to her core. He sucked in a breath.

  “We have time for slow later, Jacobs. I’ve been without out you too long.”

  He moved inside of her with hard, rapid thrusts, knowing it drove her crazy, knowing he could bring her to climax again once she reached this one.

  “I love what you do to me, Tris...”

  His long hair fell over his furrowed brow, damp as he weaved his magic through her. The heavy breathing and guttural groans he emitted aroused her even more, taking her to a brink he reached with so little effort.

  It had been that way from the beginning, whether they made quick, desperate love like this, or slow, tender lovemaking. He knew her when she didn’t know herself, loved her when she didn’t love herself.

  He was the most generous man she knew.

  Rachel cried out, the focused, hungry look in his eyes carrying her higher and higher until she exploded. He kissed her forehead before thrusting to reach his own release moments later.

  Rolling onto his back, Tristan pulled her onto his chest. Rachel smiled against his slick skin.

  The loner would never be alone again. No matter what he did for a living or how long he stayed away, she was his. He owned her body and soul, and nothing or no one would ever change that.

  In the wee hours of the morning, they lay facing each other in bed, their passionate time in the shower, exhausting. Rachel struggled to keep open her eyes, but knew her time with Tristan grew short.

  He would leave her tomorrow. His vacation would be over and he’d go back to work.

  ‘I wouldn’t expect someone to sit around waiting for me while I’m out… working. I’m gone for months at a time.’

  What if she wanted to wait? What if she was willing to settle for what he could give her?

  He raised her palm to his lips. “For as long as I can remember, Mitchell has told me not to care. Caring about someone makes a person vulnerable.”

  Rachel’s eyes popped open, anger blossoming inside of her. She wanted to find this Mitchell person and tell him to stick his advice where the sun didn’t shine.

  “That’s horrible.” She brushed back the hair from Tristan’s temple.

  “When I saw you in Naylor’s clutches tonight, a part of me went crazy inside. All I could think about was saving you. I didn’t care what happened to me or anyone else there. It was all about you. Naylor knew that.”

  “Oh, Tris...” She kissed him lightly on the mouth.

  “Now, he knows I’m vulnerable. But, more importantly, he knows you’re vulnerable if I’m not around.”

  Her heart pounded riotously. “Does that mean you’re not leaving tomorrow?”

  He gave a half laugh. “Hell, I don’t know what it means. I have to be in Brazil on Sunday. From what I know, Dar Naylor does, too. Does that mean you’re safe? No. He and his father have teams of experienced agents just like we do.”

  He stared at her intently, his blue eyes swirling. “I want to take you to D.I.R.E.”

  She pulled her hands from his grasp. He frowned.

  “For how long?”

  “Until you’re safe again.”

  She sat up, taking the covers with her. She looked back at him. “Which is when, exactly? When you catch Naylor?”

  He laid back, head in his hands, displaying all of his hard muscle for her pleasure. He really played unfair.

  “Yes.” His gaze went to her bare back.

  “You’ve been after him for years, haven’t you?”

  His eyes met hers again, no lon
ger calm. She could see the storm brewing in their indigo depths. “Yes.”

  “So, you’re asking me to put my life on hold until you catch him?”

  Sitting up beside her, he braced his hands behind him on the bed. “I thought maybe I’d become a part of your life, Rachel. I thought you might want to take this thing between us beyond tomorrow.” He jumped out of bed and sauntered to the living room. “Forget it. I’ll ask Mitchell to assign Aidan.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. Idiot, idiot, idiot. That’s exactly what you want. Does it matter where you spend time with him, as long as you’re with him?

  There was nothing in Creekmore for her now. Everything important would be at D.I.R.E. She would be safe there, and waiting for him when he returned from his ops.

  Throwing back the covers, she rushed into the living room. Tristan slouched on the sofa, staring up at the dark ceiling.

  Walking around the sofa, she straddled his lap. He skimmed his hands up her bare back. Would she ever tire of his touch?

  “I want to be wherever you are, Tristan.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “If that means D.I.R.E., Creekmore, or the Australian outback, I’ll do it.”

  #####

  The next morning, Tristan stood at the bedroom window staring out at the backyard. After Rachel came to him, they’d made love until she fell into an exhausted sleep about five o’clock.

  That’s when the guilt set in.

  A yawn escaped. What the hell was wrong with him? Rachel didn’t deserve to get attached to someone like him. Yet, she had shown him throughout the night how much he meant to her.

  He should be freaking ecstatic.

  Except he knew Aidan would kill him. Rachel’s brother knew as well as Tristan that life with a D.I.R.E. agent was impossible. He didn’t want that for his sister, any more than Tristan wanted it for Rachel.

  He’d done it anyway. He’d asked her to stay at D.I.R.E. Aidan and Mitchell would do a tag team match on his body when they found out.

  “Good morning.” Rachel stretched out her arms on the bed.

  Damn, he could get used to seeing her like this every morning. Sleepy looked good on Rachel Monroe.

  “Tristan.” She sat up in bed. The covers fell to her waist. Scrambling out of bed, she grabbed him around the waist. “Look at your back.”

  He walked over to the mirror again and twisted around. What had been a faint discoloring last night had developed into a black bruise the side of a small Frisbee.

  “Does it hurt?” She stood behind him, studying the bruise intently.

  “How do you expect me to concentrate on pain when you’re standing there naked?”

  She frowned at him in the mirror. “Don’t try to distract me, Jacobs.”

  “Well, you’re distracting me.” He bent to place butterfly kisses behind her ear. Tristan knew she really got hot when he kissed her anywhere on her neck. He now knew why she’d flipped out that day in front of Cody.

  Moaning softly, she slid her hands inside his shorts to grab his rear. She started to lower them to the ground.

  Knock. Knock.

  Tristan set her away. The knocks were loud, made by a strong hand. Although he knew Dar Naylor wouldn’t politely knock at the door, Tristan also knew when to listen to his gut.

  It burned like fire at the moment.

  “Rachel, get on your robe and get in the closet.”

  Nodding, she ran to the bathroom and grabbed her robe off the door. He tossed her his phone and grabbed the gun from her nightstand.

  Pound. Pound.

  “Rachel? Jacobs?”

  His gaze met hers across the room. All hell was about to break loose.

  “Aidan.”

  “Rachel! Jacobs!”

  “Get dressed,” he told her.

  This was not how he wanted things to go down. In a perfect world, he would ask Aidan if he could marry his sister. Aidan would give his blessing and they would live happily the rest of their lives.

  However, he knew the evil of the world better than anyone. He also knew Aidan Monroe’s temper.

  “Aidan.” Tristan opened the front door. “What are you-“

  Shoving past him, Aidan stormed into the living room. Tristan felt an energy about him, an actual, physical energy that seemed like a palpable anger. He wore a D.I.R.E. armband on each forearm, and gloves on his hands. Each finger was wrapped in thin, metal rings, the tips covered with some type of diodes.

  “Too much caffeine, Monroe?”

  “No.” Mitchell walked through the door. “Just the early stages of his power. It’ll taper off.”

  Mitchell was here? Hell, that can’t be good. As a matter of fact, the entire situation proved to be a total cluster.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Tristan saw two D.I.R.E. SUVs parked in the street. He shut the front door.

  Mitchell said, “I came to – what the hell happened to your back?”

  Aidan stopped pacing to stare at Tristan.

  He stood in front of the bar, his arms crossed over his chest. “Last night, Cody and a couple of his friends wanted to have a little discussion outside of Vinnie’s. Naylor and his lackey were there as clean-up crew, but they got away.”

  Aidan stood shoulders hunched, his fists tight at his sides. “What happened?”

  “They went to the hospital. I haven’t heard anything since.” He lowered his voice. “I had to protect Rachel, Monroe.”

  Aidan stared at him with beady, suspicious eyes.

  Tristan’s gaze went to Mitchell. “I’m fine. It’s just a bruise. Your investment is safe.”

  He gave an affirmative nod. “Good. I came to get you back on track. You’ve lost focus.”

  “I’m on vacation. I’m supposed to lose focus.”

  Aidan pounded on the bedroom door. Rachel opened it a second later. Despite the dark rings under her eyes, she looked beautiful in her pale yellow sundress.

  “What is your problem, Aidan?”

  He gazed over her head into the bedroom. She glanced back.

  Tristan groaned mentally. The bed... Their clothes...

  Shit.

  Aidan’s growl started low and escalated as he stormed across the room. He launched himself at Tristan, backhanding him across the face. The contact jolted Tristan, causing him to stumble back a few steps.

  “You slept with my sister?”

  He grabbed Tristan by the bare shoulders. Electricity crackled in the air and shot through Tristan’s body. He flew backward across the room and smashed into the fireplace.

  “Tristan!” Rachel cried.

  Falling to the floor, Tristan’s system activated and revved, waiting for a command. Groaning, he stumbled to his feet. “Sonovabitch.”

  Aidan lunged at him again.

  “Aidan, no.” Rachel grabbed his arm from behind. Electricity sparked in the room like fireworks, knocking her back against the wall.

  Anger exploded inside Tristan. He roared. “What the hell did you do to him, Mitchell?” He rushed to Rachel’s side.

  Aidan bent to help her up.

  “Get the hell away from her.” Tristan helped her to her feet. “Are you okay?”

  Rachel leaned against him, weak, limp, her glazed eyes on her brother. “What’s happened to you?” Her aqua gaze shot to Mitchell. “What have you done to my brother?”

  “Get your freaking hands off her,” Aidan growled.

  Tristan pulled her behind him. “Back off or I’ll teleport her somewhere.”

  “I’ll find you, invisible or not, and I’ll kill you.”

  Rachel moved to stand beside Tristan. “Why? What has he done?”

  Aidan stood poised to pounce, his breathing heavy. “I trusted him, Rachel. I trusted him with you. He betrayed me.”

  “How? He’s protected me from Cody all week.”

  “The sonovabitch slept with you.”

  Tristan winced. He had one relationship in the world. One.

  His friendship with Aidan.


  He’d managed to ruin it with royal flourish. He’d betrayed his friend and didn’t deserve forgiveness.

  Just as Rachel deserved a better life than he could ever give her.

  She clutched his bicep. “My private life is none of your business, Aidan.”

  “The hell it isn’t. I know what kind of person he is.”

  Yes, Tristan knew, too. It was funny how Rachel made him forget all of the unscrupulous things he’d done in the past.

  “Well, obviously, you thought he was good enough to protect me.”

  “He’s done some bad things, Rachel.”

  “So have you. We all have.”

  “Did he tell you what he did at Cody’s bachelor party?”

  Oh shit. Tristan would kill him for putting this on his shoulders. “What I did?”

  “He drugged Cody. Put Rohypnol in his drink so he’d stay passed out until after the wedding.”

  Rachel grew deathly still, her round eyes shooting to his face. “Is this true, Tris?”

  He’d never lie to her so he told the truth, knowing it meant certain doom. “Yes.”

  Anger rolled off of her like’s Aidan’s energy. “So, you two took it upon yourselves to play God with my life?”

  “Rachel-“ Tristan reached for her.

  “No.” She backed away further and slapped her hand to her forehead. “Granted, marrying Cody would’ve been a mistake but… Were you going to keep that from me forever? What else haven’t you told me?”

  “Nothing.”

  Irritation kept a rolling boil inside of Tristan. After all they had been through, she chose to hold that against him? And Aidan, the two-faced bastard, had turned on him, too.

  Not to mention his own father.

  Mitchell had been right. It was better not to care at all.

  Tristan crossed his arms over his chest. “Feel better now, Monroe?” Without waiting for a reply, he turned to Mitchell. “And you, you just had to rat me out, didn’t you? We can’t have any of our agents getting close to someone, can we? Did you threaten to fire Max?”