He zipped up to the hotel and skidded to a stop. Two boys that didn’t look old enough to shave, let alone drive a vehicle shoved each other trying to be the first one over. They both wore official valet uniforms, so Hunter refrained from asking for ID. You can take the agent out of the FBI…
“Cool whip,” the shorter of the two boys stated.
Hunter chuckled and shook his head. To him, Cool Whip was what you slathered on pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. To these teenagers, it meant a sweet ride. He handed the keys to the boy in front. “I check the mileage,” he warned. The boy’s face fell, but he nodded, slid inside and levered the seat forward before closing the door and motoring away.
Hunter guided Talia inside the lobby of the opulent hotel, past a table filled with an impressive assortment of fresh flowers. Decorated in colors of copper and pumpkin, chocolate and cream, the landmark 45 story tower boasted a metal and glass staircase and a sculptural wine wall. It featured ultra-modern touches like multiple types of marble, precious hardwoods and buttery leather, along with over twelve hundred works of art, mostly by local artists. In keeping with its Rocky Mountain roots, it also included a fireplace. They’d just entered their suite and Talia had kicked off her shoes when Mason and Sawyer arrived. There was plenty of room for the two to stay in the suite and it made sense for them to all bunk together. If…no, when…Hunter and Talia were asked to join the cult, the other two agents would move to less posh accommodations closer to the compound.
He was glad for the two chaperones. As much as he longed to be alone with Talia, after that kiss earlier, he knew it wasn’t wise. He’d be tempted to taste her sweet lips again and she’d be tempted to remove his liver with a dull spoon.
It was both scary and sexy as hell to be attracted to a woman as capable and, well, deadly, as Talia. His protective instincts were deep. He liked to take care of the woman he was with, hold doors for her and keep her safe. Talia needed no one to keep her safe. She could handle that job herself.
She’d been surprised by the kiss. He’d used the excuse that Elijah was watching, when in reality, he just wanted to taste her without fear of a left-handed haymaker slamming into his frontal bone. Even before he whispered the reason in her ear, she responded to him. She melted against him and when she pressed closer, there was no way she could miss the instant, unmistakable desire he felt for her. He wondered if her reaction meant she was thawing towards him.
Though it was late, they hadn’t eaten dinner before they left for the church. The few nibbles of cookies hadn’t satisfied his hunger. Mason and Sawyer had already eaten, so he called Gordon, the personal butler assigned to their suite, and placed his and Talia’s room service order. Gordon was the only person on staff who knew their true identities. He also knew Sawyer and Mason were staying in the suite as well.
After Gordon wheeled in their meals, they discussed details with the other agents while eating, debating possible scenarios. The two agents had listened to the conversation and agreed that Elijah was interested in them. They’d both complained about having to listen to the endless sermon.
Talia stood and yawned. “I am tired. I will see you all in the morning.”
They bid her goodnight and then Sawyer clicked on the television and found a game on ESPN. The suite featured one bedroom plus a spacious sitting room with plush couches and fluffy pillows. Mason and Sawyer each claimed a sofa that would serve as their bed.
Hunter’s cell buzzed and Tyler Redmond’s mug flashed on the screen.
“What’s up, Ty?”
“Jimmy has cracked the corn.”
Hunter paused. “Uh, say what?”
“The bird has eaten the worm.”
The kid was weird. That’s all there was to it. “What the hell are you talking about, Tyler?”
A loud sigh came through the line. “Dude, you are so ancient,” Tyler complained. “They’re code phrases. You know, like the eagle has landed.”
Recognition dawned. “Ah, gotcha. Elijah took the bait.”
“Exactamundo. He accessed the articles and even looked at the pictures we posted of both of you.”
“Could you pinpoint where the search was coming from?”
“Inside his compound.”
So, he did have computer access. Hunter wasn’t surprised. Elijah would want to monitor the news. He wondered if everyone utilized it or just the Lightkeeper? What a stupid name.
After he disconnected with Tyler, he debated calling his bosses, but it was late. He’d wait until he had more information after church in the morning.
“I’m going to call it a night, too.” He could tell Sawyer was about to make a crack about him sleeping in the same room as Talia but one look at Hunter’s narrowed glare and he merely waved goodnight.
When he opened the door to the bedroom, Talia gasped and spun around, holding her dress across her chest to cover herself.
“What are you doing?” Her tone was outraged.
He wanted to answer her, he really did, but his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. Her body was so tight and toned. Fit. Muscular without being bulky. Her mile-long legs were perfectly shaped. And her breasts—
“Hunter?” she prompted.
He shook his head. He wasn’t some hormonal teenager looking at a woman’s naked chest for the first time. He was a grown man who had been with many women in his lifetime. So why did this one tie him up in so many knots? “Talia, when we’re inside the cult, we’re going to be sleeping together for who knows how long.”
Panic filled her voice. “We are not sleeping together!”
“Poor choice of words,” he assured her. “I meant that we will be sleeping in the same bed. We might as well get used to it now.”
“Why would it matter? Elijah will not be sharing our bed, so he will not know if one of us sleeps on the floor.”
“Talia, how many undercover ops have you been on?”
She looked perplexed at the change of subject. “Several. Why?”
“How many have gone exactly as you planned?”
Her shoulders dropped with a deep sigh. “None.”
“Exactly. We have to be prepared for anything.” At least that’s what he told himself. It wasn’t that he wanted to share Talia’s bed. Sure, it wasn’t. Anyway, he wouldn’t be getting much sleep with her being so close but out of touch.
“You are right. But don’t even think of straying to my side.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
#
Talia woke from a particularly vivid dream of being wrapped around a naked Hunter, his body heat suffusing her with comforting warmth. She froze when she realized her dream was in fact, reality. She was wrapped around Hunter and his chest was naked. She didn’t trust herself to look down at the rest of his body. Mortification set in when she realized that he’d kept his promise and hadn’t strayed to her side of the king-size bed. It was she who had invaded his space, all but climbing on top of him like a horizontal lap dancer.
She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest, so she hoped that meant he was still asleep. His arm banded her to his side. It took some maneuvering, but she was able to wiggle out from under his hold and slide out of bed.
The bathroom was big enough to house a family of four comfortably, affording her the space to run through several yoga poses before she showered and dressed. Hunter wasn’t in bed when she stepped out in a cloud of steam. Male voices filtered under the door, as did the decadent smells of food and coffee. Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she made a beeline for the tray of sizzling bacon.
Mason whistled when she dashed into the room. The other two men turned to gape at her. She’d dressed in a form-fitting emerald green dress that was elegant and sophisticated, with matching three-inch pumps and tasteful jewelry to compliment the look.
“Who knew you dressed up so nice, Cohen,” Mason said from his perch on the arm of the sofa.
She shoved him as she walked by, sending him tumbling to the cushions with a deep laugh.
“Kidding,” he said to her back.
“You look beautiful,” Hunter said. Her gaze snapped to his, waiting for the cutting remark that was sure to follow. Instead, his eyes were sincere, his smile warm.
She felt heat in her cheeks. She never blushed. Ever. “Thank you,” she said, sidling past him to grab a bite to eat before they had to leave.
“I’m going to grab a quick shower.” Hunter plucked a piece of bacon from a plate and headed to the bedroom.
There was enough food to feed an army, so Talia loaded up her plate. She was lucky in that she possessed a fast metabolism, but she also trained hard to keep her body fit. Sawyer and Mason chatted away while she ate. She’d just taken the last bite of toast when Hunter returned, all clean and dressed in an expensive blue shirt that brought out his eyes and black pants. He looked incredibly handsome and she had to choke down the last bit of bread when it lodged in her throat.
He didn’t seem to notice her staring. “I’ll text you when we’re on the way back,” Hunter told Sawyer and Mason. His eyes met hers and she felt like an electric shock had zapped her body. She actually jumped.
“Ready?”
She nodded. It was all she could manage.
“I hope he doesn’t ramble on for over an hour again,” Sawyer grumbled. “I can’t take it.” The two men were leaving after them to park in the lot next to the church so they could listen in again.
Once she and Hunter made their way downstairs and were seated inside the Ferrari, Hunter reached over and clutched her hand. “You do look beautiful, Talia.”
Her cheeks heated again, pissing her off. “So, I usually look like the back end of a poodle, is that what you are saying?”
He glanced over at her. “What? No! You always look beautiful.” He faced ahead again and shrugged a shoulder. “I just wanted you to know.”
He took the wind from her sails as fast as a pin popping a balloon. She wasn’t comfortable being praised for her looks. Her fighting ability, definitely. Her shooting accuracy, sure. Her knife skills, absolutely. But not her looks. When other girls had been dressing up, applying make-up and attending dances and dating, she’d been studying hand-to-hand combat techniques and learning how to disable a man with a ball-point pen. When someone said, “Nice leg-sweep takedown, Talia,” she smiled with pride. But tell her she was beautiful, and her first instinct was to mount the defensive. What was wrong with her?
The rest of the drive was silent. She wanted to say something to ease the tension. Hunter had been nothing but nice and she’d snapped at him. She was not good with male/female games. If she wanted something, she went after it. She didn’t understand the subtleties or nuances of mating rituals.
#
Hunter concentrated on the road, but he snuck peeks at his companion every chance he could. Her brow was furrowed and she was obviously mulling something over in her pretty head. He’d come to realize she didn’t take compliments well. He’d been lying when he said she looked beautiful. She looked stunning. Breathtaking. So incredibly gorgeous it was all he could do to remember to inhale, lest he pass out at her feet.
Last night, he’d just fallen asleep after lying awake for hours, hyper-aware of her beside him, when she rolled over, and over, and over until she was practically climbing his body like an aggressive vine, a sexy little moan coming from her throat. He’d hardened instantly, his body wanting to join with hers so bad it ached. Her scent washed over him, enveloped him. It was intoxicating. Then her hand started caressing him and for a moment, he thought she might be awake. His mind raced with possibilities, mainly how fast he could rip off her nightshirt and bury himself inside her. But one look at her face and he knew she was fully immersed in dreamland.
He’d passed the rest of the night trying to pretend she wasn’t plastered against him. It was torture. He’d fallen asleep for a short time but woke when she did. He pretended to be out so that she wouldn’t be embarrassed. He wanted to spare her feelings.
Coffee helped wake him up, as had the plate-full of food. But when she walked out of the bedroom in that killer green dress that made her light green eyes shimmer, it’d been all he could do to not fall on his knees at her feet. She was simply the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
He needed to rein in his thoughts. They had a job to do and today could be crucial in their quest to being accepted into the Church of Light. If all went as planned, they would be moving into the compound by nightfall.
Chapter Seven
“Tell me, what did you think of today’s sermon?”
I thought you were a pompous, self-righteous blowhard who swindles good people out of their hard-earned money while preying on their fears of God. “Inspiring. I was totally engrossed,” Hunter said. And more than half-way asleep.
“I hung on your every word,” Talia chimed in. “It was like you were speaking to my heart.” She patted the center of her chest in emphasis.
“You believe in the tenants I preached? Love of God and family. The need to bring children into the world and teach them our beliefs? The certainty that there are bad people in the world and we need to take measures to protect ourselves? That if good people join together, we can defeat the evil forces and embrace the teachings of God?”
That had been what he’d been preaching? Guess he should’ve paid more attention. All he heard was blah, blah, blah. “Absolutely.”
“Yes,” Talia added.
Elijah studied them closely. “Henry, Tina, are you planning on having a family?”
Hunter opened his mouth, but nothing came out. The question threw him. A sudden image of Talia pregnant with his child flashed in his mind. Maybe a little girl with long black ringlets like her mom.
Talia clasped his thigh, and in a move that looked caring to Elijah, but painful to Hunter, she squeezed. He closed his mouth, not even realizing it’d been hanging open. Smooth, McGrath. Real smooth. Then he tried not to wince. She had a grip like an anaconda. Hum, he wondered what that grip would feel like clamped around his—
“We are planning on a family,” Talia answered, interrupting his X-rated thoughts. “We have talked of children often.”
He mentally shook his head. He was in the middle of an op, with their hopes of getting inside hinging on this interview. He needed to quit thinking of Talia as a woman and think of her as a fellow agent. A teammate. Nothing more. “We’re just waiting until Tina can access her trust,” Hunter chipped in.
Elijah nodded slowly. “Excellent.”
Hunter held his breath. Here it came…the invite to join the cult.
“Thank you for coming again today. I hope to see you two at next week’s services.”
Damn. He forced a smile, hoping the disappointment that hit him low in the gut didn’t show on his face. He thought they’d nailed the two interviews. What was Elijah waiting for?
“We’ll be here.”
#
Talia eased her hand into Hunter’s as they exited the church, the move both easy and instinctual. When had holding hands with him become a habit? And why did she like it so much?
The meeting with Elijah after the services had been disappointing. They’d hoped to be moving to the compound today, that much closer to their assignment of finding Margaret Conrad. Instead, they would have to sit through another one of Elijah’s spectacularly boring sermons next week. She’d need to down a couple of Red Bulls to stay awake.
She swept the area with her gaze while Hunter popped the locks on the car. She spotted the van where Sawyer and Mason were monitoring the conversation. They planned on following Elijah and his men to see where they went after the service. They talked about adding a tracker to his vehicle, but they knew he was security-conscious. If the tracker was discovered, they didn’t want to scare him away thinking they had something to do with it.
Hunter helped her into the car and then closed her door before rounding the hood and sliding inside. “Damn, that was a bust.”
“I thought we had him,” she murmured
. He’d seemed so interested. “Maybe he’s just being careful.”
Hunter started the engine and pulled away. “We know he vetted us online. The interviews have gone well, I thought. What more does he want?”
Speaking of interviews… “What was up with the scarecrow act when he asked about a family?” When Hunter didn’t answer right away, she glanced over at him, shocked to see red tinging his cheeks.
He cleared his throat. “We hadn’t discussed children, so I wasn’t sure how to answer. I was trying to decide if it would be positive or negative for Elijah.”
“Oh. I had not thought about it being negative.” Did Elijah consider children a burden? He didn’t accept any families in the cult. Maybe he didn’t like kids. “He preaches so much about family and all, I assumed it would be positive.”
Hunter looked over as he braked at a red light. “You made the right call. His eyes perked right up.”
“That frightens me,” Talia murmured. “Maybe he likes children a little too much.”
“Pedophile?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I do not necessarily get that vibe from him, but I would not be surprised.”
Talia’s cell buzzed. “Sawyer,” she told Hunter as she activated the speaker.
“You have a tail.”
She cast a look at Hunter to see him checking out the rear-view mirror. She didn’t want to turn around and tip off the followers.
“White van, two vehicles back,” Hunter guessed.
“That’s the one,” Sawyer confirmed. “Two occupants. Not Elijah.”
“He sent someone to follow us,” Talia said. “That has to be a good sign.”
Hunter angled into the parking lot of the hotel and drove to the valet stand. Talia waited for him to open her door and when he did, she surreptitiously checked the perimeter looking for the white van, spotting it idling across the street. Hunter tossed his arm over her shoulder and guided her inside. Once they were in the lobby, they both watched as the van slowly drove away.
#
Elijah paced the back room, waiting for Rob and Clint to return from following Henry and Tina. He wanted to know where the couple went after the service. He almost extended an invitation to join the cult this morning, but held back. He needed to be positive he was making the right choice. The stories he’d read online reinforced his feelings, and after the two interviews, he knew Henry and Tina would be a perfect fit.
Total Surrender (COBRA Securities Book 11) Page 6