A Silverhill Christmas

by Carol Ericson

  He studied her pale face from beneath half-lidded eyes. She thought he was CIA. He wouldn’t bother to correct her. She hit the nail on the head with one statement. The CIA had been trying for a long time to trip up Alexi. That’s why the Agency hired him—to try more unconventional methods.

  “So you’re Victoria.”

  She nodded slowly, her chin dropping to her chest. “You’re good, cowboy. I’m practically a state secret back in Alexi’s country, good old Glazkova. What else do you know?”

  “That’s about it.” He spread his hands wide. “Why don’t you fill me in, and while you’re at it, tell me why you’re stalking your ex-husband.”

  “First off, you might as well get the name straight. I’m Tori not Victoria.” She opened her arms. “Have you ever seen anyone less like a staid, proper Victoria?”

  She thrust one curvy hip to the side, and Rio’s eyes followed as if pulled by a magnetic force. In the muted glow of the flashlight, his gaze tracked over Tori’s luscious body. A riot of red curls tumbled over one ripe breast snug in a thin T-shirt raised above her jeans and showing a strip of her flat, hard belly.

  He swallowed. Nope, nothing staid or proper about her.

  Leaves crackled above them and Rio froze, killing his light. A thwacking noise disturbed the silence of the hillside. Tori hissed and Rio held a finger to his lips.

  A man uttered a curse in a guttural tone and another male voice answered him as the two voices floated over them in the night air.

  “I don’t see nothing down there.”

  “Tim’s working lookout on the balcony, and he said he saw a light on the hillside.”

  Damn. He’d been careless. Rio slid the butt of the flashlight into his belt as his gaze traveled back to Tori, her hand bunched into a fist against her hip. Too many distractions.

  The voices, sounding closer, continued. “That light could’ve been anything. Tim sent us on a wild goose chase for nothing.”

  “You wanna climb over the side and check it out?”

  “Hell no. You wanna slide down that hillside and hit those rocks on your way into the ocean? My loyalty to Alexi only goes so far.”

  “I’ll tell him you said that. I’m going over.”

  Even if Rio could find sufficient cover for himself and Tori, he couldn’t allow Alexi’s goons to discover his backpack with his weapon inside. He’d have to grab that, and then they’d have to…leave.

  He nestled his lips close to Tori’s ear and whispered, “Do what I tell you to do and just maybe I can save your life.”

  She drew a quick breath and jerked away from him. “How are we going to get out of here?”

  He held up his hand to her, palm out, and crept toward his pack, hunching forward. As he expected, leaves and twigs crackled beneath his hiking boots. This time when Rio heard the click, he knew someone had released the safety on a real gun, not a lighter.

  One of the men said, “There’s something down there. I’m going to check it out.”

  Rio grabbed his backpack and spun around, lurching toward Tori. He gripped her arm, yanking her along a jumbled path.

  She whispered, “Where are we going?”

  A crack resounded behind them, and the bright beam from a powerful flashlight skimmed across their legs.

  Rio rounded the corner of the makeshift trail, pulling Tori behind him. When the ocean stretched below them like smooth glass, he knew they’d reached the escape route.

  Gripping Tori’s hand, he pulled her to his side. He then removed his hiking boots and flung them skyward. “We’re following those boots.”

  Her perfect lips formed an O, but before she could utter a sound, Rio pushed off from the side of the hill with his bare feet taking the former Princess of Glazkova with him into the inky blue Pacific.

  Chapter Two

  Tori hit the water feetfirst and tunneled into its warm embrace. When she and McClintock had made contact with the ocean, the force ripped her hand from his. She bobbed to the surface and toed off her sneakers while she twisted her head around looking for the maniac who had pulled her off a perfectly good hill into the sea.

  She screamed as a dark shape emerged beside her.

  “Shh.” McClintock grabbed her flailing arm. “They didn’t see us. There’s a beach around this bend. Can you swim?”

  “You’re asking that question now?” Tori’s legs felt like lead as she treaded water with the heavy denim of her jeans clinging to her.

  “You looked like an athletic woman.” He sluiced his dark hair back from the sharp planes of his face. “This way.”

  She paddled after the form slicing through the water, and then pulled up straight and yanked off her jeans. She didn’t plan on drowning within sight of Alexi’s palatial rental. That would give her ex too much satisfaction.

  McClintock floated on the surface of the water and called back, “You okay?”

  Free of her jeans, Tori skimmed through the calm ocean toward him. “As long as there are no sharks out here, I’ll be fine.”

  When she drew abreast of him, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Sorry about that. I couldn’t leave my backpack for them to find, and I knew they’d hear me when I collected it. We had to get out of there, and I’d already scoped out this escape route.”

  “Some escape route—a twenty-foot drop into the dark ocean.” The pressure of his hands through her thin, wet T-shirt soothed her, and judging by his size and talents she figured he could take on a shark if it came to that.

  “Better than facing the wrong end of a gun. Follow me.”

  Did she have a choice? They swam side by side, and just as Tori’s muscles started burning, a strip of white sand beckoned beyond the breakwater. They headed for the shore, and got some assistance from the gentle waves cascading onto the sand.

  Tori allowed the final wave to carry her in where she collapsed on the sand and gulped moist air into her lungs. McClintock crouched beside her, not even breathing heavily after their unexpected swim.

  “That’s it. Take a few deep breaths. I’m going to check out the contents of my backpack.”

  The moon, no longer hidden by the dense trees on the hill, cast a warm glow over the beach. McClintock unzipped his pack and started pulling out a few items.

  While her heart hammered in her chest, Tori stretched out on the wet sand as she watched McClintock dig through his backpack. She’d almost slipped up earlier by calling him McClintock, which he was, just not the McClintock she’d expected.

  As soon as she had looked up at him, straddling her body after he had yanked her from the ledge, she had realized her mistake. When her friend in the FBI, Dana McClintock, had given her the tip about Alexi’s whereabouts, she’d mentioned that her husband’s brother was on his trail. Tori had expected to find Ryder McClintock, a CIA operative, on the job.

  But she’d grown up with sandy-haired, blue-eyed Ryder McClintock, and this man with his long, black hair and brooding dark eyes looked nothing like the Nordic McClintocks. But she’d guessed his identity immediately.

  This McClintock came from the wrong side of the blanket—one of old Ralph McClintock’s indiscretions. She’d heard all about how the McClintock brothers discovered the existence of an illegitimate half brother almost a year ago.

  When Dana, Rafe McClintock’s wife, had given her the tip about Alexi they’d both been on cell phones. All Tori heard was McClintock brother…tracking…Alexi… Maui. That’s all she needed to know.

  She hadn’t known how to play it when faced with this gorgeous stranger instead of her childhood friend, Ryder McClintock. She knew Ryder would’ve helped her in true McClintock fashion. She had her doubts about this one. How much McClintock blood did he have running through his veins?

  He shoved the items, including a gun, back into the pack and pushed to his feet. “Are you ready? There’s a small town less than a mile ahead.”

  He’d shed his own jeans in the water, and his wet boxers clung to his muscular thighs. His T-shirt outlined the
hard planes of his chest as water dripped from the ends of his shoulder-length dark hair.

  Tilting her head back, she shifted her gaze from all that blatant maleness on display to his face. McClintock’s nostrils flared like an animal sensing his mate’s de sire.

  Stop, Tori. She burrowed her fists into the wet sand. Her impulsiveness had always gotten her into trouble in the past, including this current mess with her ex. Time to think with her head instead of other parts of her anatomy.

  She tossed a handful of sand into the air. “Uh, we’re both a little underdressed to be walking the streets of a small town.”

  “We’re in Maui.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “The clothes we have on look like beach casual around here but if you’d like to wear my T-shirt into town, it’ll cover you up pretty thoroughly.”

  He grabbed the hem of his shirt and started to roll it up, revealing a set of ripped abs.

  Jumping to her feet, Tori stopped him. “That’s okay. If you lose your shirt, you’ll be half-naked. Don’t want to call too much attention to ourselves.”

  And she couldn’t be held accountable for her actions if she had to traipse along the beach next to a wet Adonis.

  She tugged at her own T-shirt molded to her body, pulling it over her underwear. “Okay, then what do we do in town?”

  He pointed to the lights up the coast as he took a long step forward. “I left my car there before hiking into the hills. Where’s your car? And how did you happen to stumble on my lookout?”

  While she sawed her bottom lip, Tori trudged after him, her feet slapping against the hard sand. She usually handled a defense with a good offense.

  “What’s your name anyway? You know mine.”

  He spun around and extended his hand while walking backward. “McClintock. Rio McClintock.”

  She grabbed his hand, and the sand on his palm chafing her own still couldn’t block that electric current she felt every time her skin met his.

  So the illegitimate brother rated one of the McClintock R names. Ralph had named his boys Rod, Ryder and Rafe. How had the black sheep ended up with one of those? Although Rio had a different ring to it, kind of exotic and definitely sexy.

  He yanked her toward him and she stumbled. “Sorry.” He steadied her with a firm hand placed on her hip. “Now how did you know I was out there, or did you?”

  Two of his fingers rested on the bare flesh between the bottom of her skimpy T-shirt and her bikini undies. That one bit of contact set her skin on fire. She swiveled away from him. She had to keep her wits about her if she didn’t want to reveal too much too soon.

  “I have a contact on the inside. I knew…someone was on my ex-husband’s trail here in Maui. I watched the waters in front of Alexi’s compound but didn’t notice anyone out there. The hillside caught my attention as the best place to spy on the activities in that house, so I headed out for a hike. I didn’t know you were on the other side of the hill until you pulled me over.”

  “I’m impressed. That’s a helluva hike, especially without any gear or even a flashlight.”

  “Save your admiration. I came with one of those hiking tour groups, told the guide I was meeting a friend for the hike back and ditched them. They supplied all the accoutrements, which I left on the bus. I didn’t figure it would get so dark so fast out here and didn’t even think about a flashlight.”

  Rio rolled his eyes, and a sharp pain stabbed her gut. He’d already pegged her as an idiot—flighty, impulsive—the same qualities Prince Alexi had seen in her and used to his advantage.

  “Not so impressive, huh?” She glanced down, burrowing her toes into the wet sand.

  “I wouldn’t say that. You still made it to the edge of that ridge in the dark without killing yourself. You must lead a charmed life.” He turned away from the water, heading toward the twinkling lights.

  “Yeah, supercharmed,” she said to his broad back.

  They scuffed through the dry sand in silence until they reached a paved path bordering the beach.

  Rio swung the backpack off his shoulder. “I have some money with me. I’m sure there are a few tourist shops still open where we can get some dry clothes.”

  Tori pinched the material of her damp T-shirt between two fingers and let it snap back. “Mine’s almost dry. I could use some shorts though.”

  “And I’m guessing a ride back to…wherever you’re staying.”

  “One of the hotels on Kaanapali Beach. You know, blend in with the rest of the tourists.” She didn’t mention she had plans to relocate to Alexi’s ostentatious complex overlooking the ocean. She just had a few loose ends to tie up before the move. And Rio McClintock represented one, big loose end.

  Her gaze wandered to Rio’s tight buttocks outlined by the edge of his T-shirt, and she smirked. Okay, not exactly a loose end.

  “I’m glad you find our situation funny. You’ve completely torpedoed that hiding place for me. Even if Alexi’s thugs never realized they chased a couple of people off that hillside instead of a couple of animals, they’ll be watching that location now.”

  The fact that Rio wouldn’t have that secret lookout gave a big boost to her scheme. “Don’t blame me. You’re the one who yanked me off the edge of the hill and tackled me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have even known you were burrowed in your little hole.”

  They emerged onto the main street of the small town. Lights glowed from the shops up and down the street, op en for business for people returning from nighttime hikes or a visit to the volcano. The Christmas decorations looked incongruous against the backdrop of swaying palm trees and the smell of suntan lotion.

  She had no intention of spending Christmas in Maui.

  Rio pulled her back from the street, tucking her behind his solid back. “Hold on. Let me check things out first.”

  “Suspicious, aren’t you?”

  He glanced over his shoulder. “That’s a quality you should’ve exercised before you got married.”

  “Touché.” He got that right, although he didn’t have to rub it in. If she’d been more leery of and less flattered by Alexi’s attentions and frantic pursuit of her, she wouldn’t be in this mess.

  “Okay, coast is clear.” He grabbed her hand and made a beeline for the nearest clothing store.

  “What’s the worry?”

  “Those two guys on the hillside had to have left their car here. I don’t want to run into them. Who knows? May be they know you. You don’t want your ex to find out you’re here, do you?”

  Not yet anyway and not in the company of a CIA agent.

  “You’re right. Alexi had a lot of loyal minions.” Minions who’d spied on her and kept her a prisoner in her own home in Glazkova. “Some of the ones I knew might still be working for him. It’s kind of a lifetime employment gig. If you leave, you have to retire…permanently.”

  “I know you’re joking, but you’re not too far from the truth. Anyone who has any information about Alexi’s business is a danger to him.”

  “Who said I was joking?” She pushed past him and entered the shop.

  The young woman reading a magazine at the counter looked up when they walked through the door. Her eyes widened as she took in their underwear. “Looks like you guys need some clothes right now.”

  Rio shrugged and grinned. “We went skinny-dipping and the waves carried our clothes out to sea. We recovered everything but our pants.”

  The clerk’s gaze meandered over Rio’s half-naked body and the corner of her mouth lifted in a smile. “That’s one of the dangers of skinny-dipping. You have to make sure you leave your stuff on the dry sand.”

  “We were kind of in a hurry.” Rio curled his arm around Tori’s waist, pulling her in for a hug, hip to hip.

  Tori nestled close to his body, resting a hand on his buttocks, the muscles under the thin material of his boxers firm beneath her fingertips. He went there first. She may as well contribute to the reality of the lie.

  “Yeah, I hear ya.” The clerk scooted around the
counter and as she brushed past Tori, she whispered, “Lucky girl.”

  Tori wished she and Rio had been skinny-dipping instead of escaping from Alexi’s thugs in the open ocean after a twenty-foot drop. She’d left those carefree days be hind her a lifetime ago.

  The woman gestured to a rack of men’s shorts and board shorts, and then pointed to a wall of women’s shorts. “We have a lot of new styles. The dressing rooms are in the corner.”

  After they both picked out some shorts and wore them out of the dressing rooms, Rio paid at the counter with slightly damp bills and they left the store.

  Tori had to admit the man still looked delicious even with a pair of baggy shorts hanging almost to his knees. He must work undercover for the CIA because he wasn’t as clean-cut as his half brother, Ryder McClintock, who also worked for the CIA. Strange coincidence that two half brothers, who didn’t know each other and didn’t grow up together, both landed with the CIA. Must be that protective instinct they shared.

  An instinct Tori intended to exploit.

  “Before I take you back to your hotel, do you want a shaved ice?” He pointed to a little shop on the corner. “Best shaved ice in Maui.”

  Tori figured he’d decided to sweeten her up. Pump her for information about Alexi. She had plenty to share, but she planned to do it her way and on her terms.

  “Sounds great. I am so thirsty.”

  He dug into his backpack and waved a bottle of water in her face. “You should’ve asked. If you don’t mind sharing germs.”

  She snatched the bottle from his hand and chugged the rest of the water. Hell, she didn’t mind sharing germs with this guy.

  They ordered a couple of shaved ices and settled on the bench outside the store to watch a handful of people wandering in and out of the shops on the street.

  “So how did you meet Prince Alexi of Glazkova?”

  That didn’t take long. “I was vacationing in Glazkova, and I met him at a private party at one of the casinos.”

  “You must run with the pretty people. Not every tourist vacationing in Glazkova rates an invitation to a private party with the Prince in attendance.”