by Serena Zane
Lucy looked at the tip of her boot. “I don’t want your pity, Garrett.” She wiped a hand across her nose and sniffled. “I’ve got to go change.” Lucy turned to go, but stopped when he didn’t let go of her hand.
He pulled her close and held her to his chest. “Lucy, I—” She was going into a dangerous situation where he wouldn’t be able to protect her. He’d never felt this protective about anyone. He’d fought his own urges for years around her, and couldn’t fight anymore. Not when he could lose her.
“Don’t.” Starting to shake her head, she tried to push away.
Realization of her mistake flashed in her eyes as she looked up. Her emerald green eyes met his. He was lost. Kevin’s lips crashed down with a possessive hunger, and his tongue demanded entry. Her mouth opened for him as if of its own accord.
***
Lucy could think of nothing other than the heat that engulfed her body. Desire consumed her like lava. The rough planes of his chest felt firm under her palms. Everything seemed to fade except the feel of Kevin’s masterful kiss. Her arms went around his neck and her knees lost all support. She collapsed onto the couch, unaware of anything other than need as they sank into the cushions.
Kevin tore his lips away, his eyes like a steel sword daring her to follow through with what they’d started. Lucy stilled, caught frozen beneath his predatory eyes. Silence stretched between them. The sound of their labored breath made the room seem smaller as Kevin moved within scant inches, hovering just close enough to make her skin tingle. She licked her lips.
Slowly, thoughts crept back into Lucy’s scattered brain, and the realization of what just happened hit her like a ton of bricks. She’d always wanted him to kiss her, but why now? Kevin’s fingers stroked the back of her hand, too much, and she couldn’t think.
Lucy backed out of his embrace, got up, and walked to the window. She gazed unseeing at the bookshop across the street. Kevin moved to stand beside her.
Lucy did the only thing she could think of in a situation like this. She stepped away from him again, paced, and talked about work.
“We’re talking about Chase, aren’t we?” The heat of Kevin’s gaze bore into her skin as she staggered backward. Nervously, she tugged the same strand of hair that kept escaping from the braid she’d tossed together at the base of her neck.
“Chase is like me in many ways. We have many things in common, including trying to handle situations by ourselves even when we’re in over our heads. We both know this and usually pass it off as nothing, but this case wasn’t just something he could handle on his own.” She circled around the couch and picked up a packet on the table.
“This is why Chase came to me a little less than two weeks ago.” Lucy handed him the packet and took a cautious step towards him.
He reached out and took it.
“He gave me an address, and a name. Chase discovered somehow he’d gotten in too deep.” She sat down on the sofa and watched as he looked at the file. “Chase still wouldn’t fill me in on the details, but he gave me that envelope.” Lucy gestured toward the manila packet she’d handed him.
Kevin sat down next to her and opened the contents.
“Whoever he deals with is heavily involved in high-class theft. They’ve been hitting international museums.” Her fist clenched when she recalled the worried look in her brother’s eyes. “That’s how I found out they’d be interested in a museum diamond exhibit. The name he gave me was for his informant, the man we met tonight, Chuck Conner. Conner’s well-paid for gathering names, dates, and information on various heists.”
Lucy got up and began to pace again. She kept her gaze focused on the carpet and tried to concentrate on the case. Lucy paid Kevin no attention as she wrung her hands in front of her while she moved.
“It’s my belief someone’s paying Conner a considerable amount more than we are in order to keep out of trouble. Which is why I created the cover tonight—” she gestured at her clothes and let out a little laugh. “I don’t trust him, and I plan to use him to get to the inside man. Chase made it easy for me.” She shuddered at the memory of Conner touching her.
“The guy’s got a routine he doesn’t like to break. Every night at 8:00 p.m. Conner walks to Finnegan’s Pub on the corner of Tenth and Madison. He spends half the evening at a late dinner where he drinks a glass of red wine. Conner leaves the pub around ten.” Lucy moved back to the window and ran a hand down her curtains. “Only tonight he ran late leaving by about an hour. My guess is he waited for someone. I’ve had two days and used all of that time doing everything I can to prepare for an undercover job.”
Lucy tracked Conner, cased his apartment, and discovered the best way to infiltrate and plant bugs. She smiled when she noticed the interested gleam in Kevin’s silver eyes. This is right up his alley. Good, get his focus back on the case.
“It wasn’t easy to invade Conner’s apartment building. Following him the day before, I waited as he went out on his nightly trip to Finnegan’s Pub, and then entered his home.” Lucy laughed when she recalled the way she tricked the door attendant into letting her into the complex.
“I wore my plaid mini-skirt and a tight, but expensive designer blouse. The guard didn’t think twice when I told him I’d left a set of earrings in Mr. Conner’s place.”
Kevin shifted on the couch, his eyes roaming over her body.
“He let me in right away. The bag I carried contained everything I needed to tap his home.”
Kevin leaned forward. “What were you thinking? You should’ve waited for the team.” He stood, his movements contained.
Lucy watched him from the window. “I’m fine. It was easy. I started in the living room with a large replica of a Chinese cat figurine on his mantel. The new cat contained a small mini-cam and a mic to pick up any communications he might have with his guests. I moved to his study and made quick work of his laptop. I hardwired the main circuit and put a tracer on it for tracking his Internet activities. After I got all of the phones in his office tapped, I took off to set up my own surveillance system here in the apartment.” She walked over to her laptop and flipped open the screen, where a feed played. Lucy didn’t tell him she’d gotten help from Cindy. He didn’t need to know.
“Sounds like you’ve been a busy girl.”
“I have.” She walked over to the pile of clothes she’d dropped on the floor and picked up her skirt. She pulled the tap Kevin planted off of her waistline, and palmed the tiny bug. “Thanks for the backup tonight. Nice to know I’m trusted.” Lucy opened her hand, and the small device lay in the center of her palm.
His mouth moved up in a sensual grin. “It’s not that we don’t trust you Montgomery.” As he took the tiny device from her outstretched hand, his fingers brushed her skin, leaving streaks of heat behind. She jerked her hand away, and moved toward the window again, the farthest point in the room from him. Kevin let out an audible sigh of frustration. “It’s more a matter of safety in numbers. You said yourself that your brother tried to go through this alone and got in over his head.”
He silver gaze aimed directly at her. She felt uneasy at the way he kept his eyes on her; he’d never done that before, and her body heated up.
“We wanted to make sure you didn’t end up on the missing numbers list as well. If it helps your bruised ego any, Killroy says he’s sorry he didn’t tell you sooner.” He reached up and pulled out the earpiece he’d worn.
Lucy started laughing. After everything, the look of chagrin on Kevin’s face was priceless. His silver eyes filled with mirth.
“I can’t believe you left that thing on the whole time,” she sighed as she shook her head, “Agents. So, how many on the team?”
“We’ve got five. You already know about me. There’s Brett Halverson, who does logistics. Cindy’s on tech and Killroy’s on tactical.”
Lucy’s eyes widened.
“Killroy is in on this too?” She asked, more than a little surprised. “This must be bigger than I thought.”
His eyes became earnest. “You did the right thing when you decided to go undercover rather than be straight with Chase’s informant. We’re now able to get you on the inside.”
Lucy moved away from him again, afraid to get too close. She shifted from one foot to the other. The way her body reacted to his nearness was far too much for her to handle tonight. She felt his eyes on her as they followed her movements while he continued to talk about the mission.
“The group we’re dealing with is a covert team that specializes in stealing priceless cultural pieces in the world’s top museums. They’ve already broken into the Louvre, D’Ordssey, and the Smithsonian, stealing valuable art, sculptures, and jewelry from within.” He stepped into her space, and the tension in the room rose incredibly. Lucy’s breath caught.
“They took Chase.” She pressed back against the wall behind her. “You think this terrorist group’s got Chase.” Lucy made it more a statement more than a question.
“We’re not sure. We are aware this group’s funded by the sale of the pieces. We suspect that Chase got too close to the truth, which is why they took him. We know about them, but we don’t know the specific people involved. With the tempting bait of the Hope Diamond, you’ve laid a treasure too valuable for them to pass up. It would sell for millions on the black market.” He placed a hand on the wall behind her.
Lucy tried to tell herself it didn’t mean anything.
That’s the only thing he’s interested in, Lucy thought. Just because he kept invading her space didn’t mean he’d changed.
“Your job will be to help them obtain the diamond, then disappear with them. Once you infiltrate their lair, you’ll make sure we can get access to your brother. When we get him out, you’ll finish the mission by recovering the stolen artifacts, and apprehend those involved. If nothing goes wrong, Killroy estimates that your brother will be out within the space of a few weeks. The rest may take a little longer.”
Lucy put a hand to her head and nervously twisted that strand of hair. She couldn’t move away from him anymore. Nerves on edge, she couldn’t stop fidgeting. He wasn’t acting like he normally did, and the kiss shook her up.
Kevin silver eyes roamed over her, searching for something she couldn’t name, his fingers threaded in her hair holding her in place. He smelled good, like fresh rain and spice. She wanted to have him pull her into his arms and make this disaster go away. Lucy didn’t want him to know how badly he affected her and focused on a picture-frame on the far wall.
“So, it’s to be an in-and-out operation.”
Kevin nodded and moved a hand to still hers as she continued to twist and pull on that same strand. “It needs to be. There’s no room for slip-ups this time. We go in fast and hard. It’s the only way to catch terrorists like these.”
God, she wanted him. Her breasts kept brushing his chest as she breathed; they were inches apart. Her lips opened.
“Okay. Let’s do it then. When’s the briefing?” Her eyes met his and she felt her gut clench.
“You just got it.” His searing kiss landed on her lips. His grip on her hair tightened for a moment. Abruptly letting her go, he walked toward the door. His smile held the devil’s own mischief. “Get a good nights’ sleep. You’re going to need it.”
“Goodnight.” Lucy moved quickly over to the door, and opened it for him to leave.
Kevin walked over and stopped in front of her. He gently brushed the strand of hair she’d pulled behind her ear.
Being this close to him, it became hard not to continue what they started, but this wasn’t the time. Lucy suppressed a sigh.
Kevin pressed his forehead against hers letting out a ragged breath, “Night Montgomery.” He turned and walked out the door.
Lucy closed it gently behind him, leaning her head against the hard wood. The surface cooled her forehead. She turned the lock with a soft snick. Lucy smiled as shortly after, she heard the sound of his footsteps going down the hall and the quiet ding of the elevator.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lucy pushed through the double doors of the Red Dragon at exactly 7:30 p.m. She did a cursory check of the room. A nice place, the red and golden décor created a great atmosphere. Too bad she was on assignment. As her gaze scanned the occupants, she met Kevin’s steel grey eyes for a moment. He sat in a booth at the back wearing his normal black shirt and blue jeans. She paused for just a moment and then moved on. She couldn’t let Conner know that they had company.
Conner waited at a little table for two in the middle of the restaurant. She let her hips sway as she crossed to him.
“Hi there.” Swinging the little purse she carried, Lucy took her seat on the plush burgundy leather chair. “I wondered if you would show. After I got home I realized that we’d never exchanged names. Mine’s Valerie Beaumont.” She stretched her hand out and grasped his in a quick gesture, giving him a meaningful look, “My friends call me Val.”
“I’m Chuck Conner.” His weasel face broke into a grin and he rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand.
Lucy suppressed a shudder.
“I suppose we did get a bit distracted the last time. I’ve been looking for someone like you to take to this place for a while now; someone who would really appreciate the atmosphere, and the décor.”
“How long have you been here?” She withdrew her hand, and looked at her watch pretending to make sure she wasn’t running late. But, Lucy intentionally ran late to get in conversation about work. It made a good show for Conner.
She gave him a sideways grin as the waitress showed up and asked for their order. Lucy got tea, egg rolls, and lemon chicken. “I’m sorry I ran a bit behind schedule. The diamond is taking up more of my time than I would care to give, to be quite honest.”
Lucy took the napkin off the table and placed it on her lap.
“People at the museum are worried about stories connected with the stone. I think it’s all a bunch of bull, myself, but they believe in it so strongly, the stone only left the Smithsonian four times. I, for one, would like to see it tour the U.S.” Lucy shrugged, “I guess New York will do for a start.”
“Sounds like you need a nice long vacation.” Conner’s eyes followed her hands as they placed the napkin on her lap. An appreciative gleam appeared in his gaze. The waitress showed up with their drinks and put them on the table. As Lucy reached to pour the tea, he stopped her hand with his.
“Here—” He picked up the shiny silver tea pot and poured into a ceramic cup with little red dragons on it.
“Thanks.” Lucy lifted up the tiny thing to take a drink. She wrinkled her nose at the strong flavor, and grabbed the sugar to pour in it.
Conner chuckled and the sound made her twinge.
“I could really use a vacation.” Lucy set the cup down and ran her finger along its rim. “I’m at the point where I’d laugh if the diamond did get stolen. It’d give me something to be frustrated about other than my boss.”
Lucy watched as Conner studied her from across the table. He looked like a man who could hardly believe his luck. Things were going well. Her focus divided as she thought about her brother. It had been several days since he went missing, and she worried that he wouldn’t be alive by the time she found him.
Conner’s mouth turned up in a leering grin, the look in his eyes giving away his thoughts. It almost seemed too easy. Place a beautiful strawberry-blond in front of a man who told him everything he needed, and reveal all her troubles to him. She played to his masculine ego.
How sweet, she thought. Conner leaned forward on the table as he listened to her rattle on about all the stumbling blocks challenging her. He had a lascivious grin on his face. She noted when the pieces she fed him appeared to mentally click off a list in his head. The man was like an open book:
>
Drop-off, Monday, 4:30 a.m. …
Armored car.
One museum employee, plus guards.
Must acquire diamond before it enters the building.
She concentrated on the conversation. Conner watched her with an intense stare as she rambled on while she munched on lemon chicken. The look on his face as she ate turned predatory and a creepy feeling centered deep in the pit of her stomach.
Lucy studied her suspect. She didn’t think the informant came from Irish decent as one might guess with a name like Chuck Conner. His voice sounded too tailored.
She listened to the practiced tones carefully and tried to decipher where he might be from. A tiny shiver went down her spine again when he chuckled at something she said. Lucy felt as though she missed an important clue as she popped a piece of egg roll into her mouth.
Conner appeared to be enjoying himself, and didn’t look as though he wanted the evening to end. His eyes followed her movements as she finished her meal. The only thing left on her plate was the yellow sauce from her lemon chicken. She scooped it up with her last egg roll and licked the jelled substance off the tip. Her lips slowly rounded the roll and she bit down on the end.
***
When Lucy walked through the ornately carved double doors of the Red Dragon precisely at 7:30 p.m., her little black dress clung suggestively to her curves.
Kevin gritted his teeth as he watched her scout the room for Conner. She didn’t need to look so eager. Her gaze caught Kevin’s for a moment and he shifted in his seat. The edges of her lips went down, and he knew she didn’t like him being there.
Kevin breathed a frustrated sigh when he watched her beautiful eyes move on. He took a moment to control himself. Lucy seemed to be all business, as if the night before never happened. He watched as her green gaze scanned the room to find Conner, who waited at a corner table.
Lucy gave the man a heart-stopping smile, and sauntered over to sit down in the chair opposite Conner. An unexpected pang of jealousy stabbed Kevin.