by Uncut
He dropped his arm over his eyes, trying to fall asleep.
Okay, buddy, you still want that woman with everything in you. Just pursue her like hell fire and get it out of your system. You can do it if you don’t trip on your tongue or scare her off with a boner in your swim trunks.
Damn.
He never thought he’d dread being in the company of such a beautiful, desirable woman, but he did. He knew how deep her passion ran, knew her scent and the feel of her soft lips. When he had kissed her, every ounce of testosterone in him boiled to the surface. His balls still ached from the rush, and she’d responded. He’d been dumb as a sack of rocks stopping when he did.
Deep in his dilemma of sporting an erection that wouldn’t deflate, Sam rolled over and turned on the bedside lamp. Work. That usually wiped sex off his brain. He got out of bed to open his suitcase, pulling out a notebook and pen. He tossed the items on the bed and followed them down onto the soft mattress.
Propped against several pillows, he studied the codes he’d penciled in, some of the entries two years old. Reading the notes gave him new concern, something he’d never experienced before now.
Always before, if he had a partner, it had been a hard-assed guy with as much attitude as he could stand. Now, there came Lana, and he would spend valuable time keeping her out of Antigua’s hands. And his. He couldn’t afford to be blindsided by his cock.
Damn it. How’d he get roped into this? Sam looked at the plan he’d put together months ago, the simple one where he went to Argentina, dragged that prick out to international waters, and arrested him. He tossed the notebook aside, grimacing when he thought about what the bureau had handed him. Play Romeo to Pearly, socialize with Antigua, and locate the fortune the idiot had stashed. The thing that ticked him off most had to be the order to wait until they had Miami in sight to take him down. He took some pleasure in knowing he had the option of unloading on Antigua and his musclemen if things went south.
He turned off the light and punched the pillows into the shape he wanted. He dozed and thought of Pearly, the lady divine.
What kept her awake so late?
He chuckled. It sure as hell wasn’t him.
Chapter Three
Lana yawned and grumbled under her breath. How could Horn look so rested and completely full of himself after being up until the early hours of the morning? She could hardly keep her eyes open and longed to close them, if only for a few minutes.
He’d insisted they have a bite before boarding their plane. What a start to the day. Their waitress had a voice like a shrill chainsaw, and a young couple ignored their three brats running wild through the dining room. She hid her smile when Sam quietly told the youngsters to pipe down. It had to have been his dark gaze that sent them scurrying back to their parents’ side.
Time dragged and she couldn’t seem to focus her attention on anything but Sam. He smelled like he’d just taken a walk through an orchard of full blooming mandarin trees and stood out in a fresh spring rain. The way he had dressed meant he intended to be comfortable. He wore no tie, and the collar of his white shirt had been left open. His expensive heather tweed sport coat fit him perfectly and emphasized his great build.
Lana changed her train of thought, eyeing his plate. “Do you ever get full?”
He brushed his palms together and sipped his coffee before answering. “Not when I have a yen for something special.”
She didn’t understand the man sitting with her at the small dining room table. But she knew her own body, and it hadn’t stopped humming since he’d kissed her. She frowned, remembering his smug comment while she could hardly stand up. Nothing, he’d said. Her pride had been stung, and that frustrated her. After all the fantasizing she’d done, all the dreams of tumbling around with him, and he felt nothing.
“Pearly, our driver is waiting.” He’d broken into her dark cloud, getting his gear together. “Come on, sleepy baby. Want me to carry you?”
To Lana, that didn’t sound too crazy, but she didn’t dare let him know how much she longed for more sleep. “That won’t be necessary.” He seemed determined to irritate her, or that could be his down home humor.
He closed his hand on her elbow and walked beside her, glancing at her with a smile that said he loved messing with her mind. Lana checked the front of her aqua blue blouse, suddenly aware he’d pointedly looked at her breasts. She inhaled a shaky breath, thankful they would soon be on their way. Outside, they followed the luggage cart past a taxi parked at the curb.
“Wait.” She caught Sam’s sleeve to stop him. “This taxi is empty.”
Instead of stopping, he caught her hand to move her forward. “No taxi for my princess.” A long black limo pulled up to the curb. “Your ride, baby.”
Her mouth had to be hanging open, but Lana quickly recovered. “I hope you have lots of cash on you, because I am not paying for this ludicrous pleasure craft.”
He ignored her, keeping an eye on the driver, who hopped out of the luxury car to open the trunk and efficiently stow their luggage before opening the back door for them.
She settled into the comfortable leather seat, the sheer delight of being so pampered sweeping away the exhaustion she’d felt earlier. Sam leaned across her to pull the seatbelt over her lap.
Stupid, stupid.
A jolt of desire shot through her after only the slightest brush of his body against hers. What would she do if they made love again? Cosmic explosion came to mind.
He settled back in total relaxation. She couldn’t relax. Her hands busily smoothing the white skirt she’d put on with no thought to how she looked. She should have worn slacks.
She looked up to find his gaze fastened on her legs, the glint in his dark eyes alerting her to steel herself for another of his observations.
“So, did you ever think about me, Pearly?”
“What did I tell you about going there, Horn?” This would make for a great mission if she couldn’t get her senses in check. He wanted to rile her, and she wouldn’t let him do that. “I’d think you were too busy to keep dredging up the memory of a quickie in a hotel with a stranger. For Pete’s sake. How dull is your life?”
He laughed. “Pretty damn dull since our little party.” Those darker than night eyes locked with hers. “I thought it ranked way above a quickie.”
Stop looking at him. You’ll be on your back with your skirt up any second.
“Sam.” Lana tried to appear friendly, wheedling, for God’s sake. “You meet so many women, and I happened to be just one more.”
He caught her chin in his fingers, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t council me on what I feel, Pearly.” He let her go, looking out the window for a moment. “I remember you saying you’d get in touch with me.”
“I can’t believe you had that much fun.” Lana pressed closer to the door. “That’s a line you probably use on all your encounters. I just beat you to it.”
“That’s right.” His voice softened and the set of his firm lips was seductive. “But in your case, I hoped you meant it.”
“Do you intend to keep up this line of conversation?” She trawled her reserve of patience to end the personal direction this had to be going. “I’d prefer we stuck to the matter at hand and how we get Antigua off that boat.”
“How good an actress are you, Pearly?” He stayed on his part of the seat but observed her while he talked. “Are you willing to be my girlfriend for a week or two? If not, we may as well call in a replacement.”
Had he threatened to have her removed from the mission?
“I’ll do whatever is required.” She opened her leather tote bag and took out a small video camera. “I’ll play the goose and giggle at your jokes and take a million pictures. Is that what you mean?”
Sam nodded and took the camera from her hand. “Very nice. Something new the lab cooked up just like in a Bond movie?”
“You could say that.”
“Are you ready to cozy up to a guy you may have to put a cap
in?”
“All in a day’s work, Horn.”
He seemed to forget she existed, reading the paper he’d picked up in the hotel. The man exuded sexual vibes no matter what he did. Lana eyed his hands, the shape of his fingers, and the width of his palms. Big, strong, and talented. She inhaled softly, chiding herself for letting her thoughts run amuck.
“You’re still having doubts?” His question surprised her, especially since he didn’t look at her.
“Of course I’m having doubts, or more to the point, concerns.” Lana did have doubts about how they would work together. She may as well tell him what bothered her. “You’re the agent in charge, but that doesn’t mean you don’t tell me ahead of time when something is going down.”
He folded the paper and turned in the seat to gaze at her. “I want to live, Pearly. I won’t make a move without telling you.”
“Sanchez and I spend hours trading information and working out an exact plan.” Her voice trailed off when his mouth set in a slight grimace.
“Pearly, you’ll have to trust me.” He squeezed her hand and added substance to his brief comment. “As soon as we get aboard that tub, we’ll do a lockdown and sweat out the details. I’m sure we have the same information, but if it makes you feel better, we’ll cram for the test.”
“Okay.” She’d sounded like a nag, but Lana didn’t want to approach their target like a blind rat. Anything she could find out about Antigua would be ammunition later on. “What do you know about Antigua’s habits, his past times and what he does to amuse himself?”
“He’s into polo, shooting animals in arranged hunting trips, high stakes poker, and women when he’s not chumming with his terrorist pals.” Sam tapped his knuckle against the window, apparently off somewhere in his own deep thoughts. “He doesn’t mind hurting people, Lana. Women are not exempt.”
“Thanks for the warning.” She’d read everything available on Antigua. He had an unpredictable, volatile temper that had rained misery and even death to the unlucky ones getting in his way.
She thought of the journey ahead and felt a sudden chill. This wouldn’t be a pleasure trip. Playing the waiting game with Antigua would be a new process to her, and she didn’t like it. She couldn’t balk or do anything differently than the orders that had come down. This had been organized by the top brass, and there would be ramifications if not done strictly by the letter.
Sam went back to reading his paper. She noticed he had found the sports page.
She’d never liked jocks and figured he’d been one in school. He had the body for sports, lean but well-muscled. He had other attributes, as well. Thighs that could carry him long distances and broad shoulders for strength.
Good Lord, woman. You’re worse than a horny teenager.
For the remainder of the trip to the airport, Lana checked over her notes and added several from the information Horn had given her. Since there would be no horses or animals to shoot aboard the ship, that left women and card games for Antigua. This would be a very long journey.
The limo cruised around the parked cars and buses waiting outside the terminal and on out onto the tarmac where their fancy private jet waited. No lines, no weapons checks, and they were allowed to drive to within a few yards of the aircraft.
Sam took charge of the luggage, waving her off when she tried to get her things from the trunk.
“Go get settled in, and I’ll handle the lifting.” He seemed anxious to get the flight underway.
“Thanks for the help, Sam.” That trait she’d never associated with him. Of course, she’d only had a brief relationship with him, and her mind had not been on his manners. “I’ll take my makeup bag.”
He looked puzzled. “Point to it.”
She rolled her eyes and pointed to the black tote at the back of the trunk. He brought it out and handed it to her, a slight smile on his lips.
“What? You’ve never seen a makeup bag?”
“I thought you chicks carried all that in your purses.”
“I carry a Glock in mine.”
Chapter Four
Lana chose a window seat with plans to sleep for most of the flight. She tucked a pillow under her head and leaned back in her seat, listening to the bustling sounds of caterers filling the refrigerator and cupboards in the small galley.
She heard the doors close and the engines turn over into a smooth drone. Her eyes opened in time to see the runway flash by like a video in fast forward and felt the thump of the wheels speeding over the concrete. At last, the jet lifted, and the sensation reminded her of being on a roller coaster going straight up those rickety rails.
The sleep she’d wanted didn’t come. Instead, her thoughts were riddled with details of the mission. She’d read the files on Antigua, seen photos of some of his victims. It hadn’t been pretty. Dead bodies would always give her a queasy feeling, but it came with the job. Then, she thought of Antigua’s other side, the fun-loving playboy, the gentleman attending charity events and gala parties with the most beautiful, affluent women.
None of that mattered. His crazy scheme had to be stopped. Despite her screwed up relationship with Horn, they’d get the job done.
“Is this seat taken?”
The sensation of a far off thunderstorm moved around her. The fleeting scent of spice charged through her senses. Of course, Horn stood in the aisle, waiting to be invited to sit with her. She squinted up at him. “I did want to nap for awhile.”
“It’s a long flight.” He lowered his gorgeous body next to her. “Let’s talk about us.”
“You have a short memory, Horn.” She turned toward the window, punching her pillow. “Go have a sandwich.”
“Don’t tell me you plan to make the bureau your life.” He leaned closer and laughed softly. “You’re too much woman to waste yourself chasing fools all over the world. That won’t give you an album to show the grandkids.”
The arrogant ass had prodded her into answering. “I have no plans to wither away in the department. Thanks for your concern.”
Obviously encouraged by her comment, he chipped away at her personal life. “So, what are your plans?”
“I passed the bar exam on the first try, and with very high scores.” Lana yanked the magazine he’d pretended to read from his hand. “I have plans to open my own law firm.”
“You’re going to be a bleeding heart defense attorney?”
Had she read a certain amount of snide attitude in his remark?
“I hope to help anyone that is being screwed over.” At the moment, she couldn’t quite remember why she’d fallen over herself to get into bed with him. “What interest could you possibly have in my future?”
“None, really.” His casual ease of looking her over ripped Lana’s self defense to shreds.
“If that’s true, then you won’t mind ceasing the personal interrogation.”
“I do mind.” Sam adjusted his seat to lie back as if he meant to sleep. No such luck. “We have eight hours to become acquainted, Pearly. Everything we’ve done together has been in a hurry. Relax and talk to me.”
He didn’t intend to go away. Lana remembered her panic in the hotel room where they had gone at each other with sheet-scorching passion. Why had she sneaked out like a guilty hooker? If he’d been just any nine-to- five guy, would she have left like a thief in the night? But he wasn’t just any guy. Horn belonged to her family of law enforcement. She’d been bombarded with the possibility of being fired, shamed by the brass, or worse, the fact she’d been an easy mark for one of their agents. Having sex with him revealed she had no control, couldn’t be trusted, and her name would be mud.
For two years, she’d lived under the gun, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She couldn’t stop the shiver that crept over her body. To her amazement and pleasure, Horn removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
His warmth still clung to the fine fabric and seeped deliciously into her skin. She snuggled into the delicious comfort, meeting hi
s gaze with a brief smile. “Thanks, Horn. I could have gotten a throw from the closet.”
“I’ll take care of you, Pearly.” He looked at his watch and then smiled. “Want to know about me?”
“Not really.”
“I promise to be entertaining.”
“I don’t like vaudeville.”
“Okay, I’ll tell you about Ms. Pearly.”
“Take your damn coat back.”
Why couldn’t the man just talk business?
“Pearly, I bet you’re an only child.” He leaned back and closed his eyes.
“Don’t expect me to apologize for that.” She bit her tongue. He had weaseled more information out of her with amateur innuendo. “I suppose you’re the only one.”
He shook his head and chuckled. “Wrong, gorgeous. I have three brothers and a perfect little sister.” He closed his eyes and looked content as a big cat that’d just eaten a satisfying meal.
Lana’s curiosity kicked into high gear. “And you have no children?”
She heard his soft groan and hesitated to look into his eyes. He began to count off on his finger tips and grinned evilly as she counted nine.
“Sorry to disappoint you, lady, but I haven’t fathered any children yet.”
“That sounds like you have plans to make some woman very happy.” She suddenly wanted to know his every secret, even though she had no intention to open her own life to discussion. “You surely don’t intend to stay with the bureau until you retire.”
He startled her, sitting up to study her with no hint of teasing. “I had intended to do just that, but Washington has been requesting my return to battle.” He laughed. “Not out in the desert, but training recruits. I keep telling myself, hell no.”
“And you have said hell no?” Lana shivered with the discovery they could actually hold a real conversation. She liked it. “You don’t like the military?”
“Quite the contrary.” He grew thoughtful, measuring his words. “I love the Army.” His jaw set in a hard line, the subject obviously stirring unpleasant memories in his mind. “I finally reached the saturation point and got out at a good time for me.”