“Somethin’ change between you an’ John?”
I yawned. “No. Ye… Well, kind of, I guess…”
“Thought ya looked kinda uncomfortable when Dad said we should sleep together.” He hesitated. “I figured maybe two people gettin’ ready to die in a plane crash might have some talkin’ to do. Maybe work a few things out.”
“Yeah. We talked. Among other things…” I pressed my face into his chest. “He gets it now, Arnie. He knows I won’t give him a commitment.”
His hand went still on my hair. “Ya explained? Or did ya just say it can’t happen?”
“I explained. He gets it.” I drew a deep breath. “And you know? I think he’s okay with it. I think… we’re okay.”
“Well, I guess that’s good, darlin’.” His hand resumed its stroking. When he spoke again, I could hear the smile in his voice. “‘Among other things’, huh? So ya banged him an’ then told him it ain’t ever gonna happen again. What did I tell ya about sendin’ mixed messages, darlin’?”
I smacked his chest lightly, smiling in spite of myself. “It wasn’t like that.”
His chuckle rumbled under my ear. “Uh-huh.”
I sighed. “Okay, it was… but it was complicated. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise, but I thought he had just lost the love of his life…”
Incredulity tinged Hellhound’s rasp. “Ya pity-fucked him? Jesus, darlin’, guys like me get pity fucks. Guys like him get supermodels crawlin’ all over them an’ beggin’ for it. I’m surprised he’s even talkin’ to ya.”
“Like I said, it was complicated.” I sat up and kissed him. “And you will never be a pity fuck.”
“No kiddin’. Even when I begged, ya wouldn’t give me any.” He pulled a long face.
“You didn’t beg; you suggested. And anyway, I’d only known you for a few days then. I made up for lost time later.” I gave him an appreciative up-and-down appraisal and ran a hand up his denim-clad thigh. “I like the jeans-only look, but I’m surprised you’re not commando as usual.”
He shrugged, grinning. “I’m sleepin’ on the couch. Didn’t think Dad an’ John’d wanna see me salutin’ the flag in the mornin’.” He pulled me closer, sprinkling kisses up my neck. Whiskery shivers tingled my skin.
“But since ya brought it up, darlin’…” His hand drifted down my shoulder and rounded the curve of my hip, and the tingles spread. “…Maybe ya wanna check out my flagpole,” he rumbled in my ear.
“Mmm. You think?”
“Uh-huh.” He nibbled my earlobe, sending a delicious shiver down my spine. He pulled away a fraction and sent a smiling glance downward. “Well, look at that. The girls are salutin’, too.” He stroked a fingertip over one of my nipples, shamelessly pressing toward him under the soft T-shirt.
I sucked in a breath, heat pooling between my legs. Hellhound nuzzled the neck of the T-shirt aside to find that magic spot near my collarbone, his tongue and teeth and whiskers playing a symphony of pleasure on my skin. A small moan leaked out between my lips.
His hand coasted down to the hem of my T-shirt but I captured it as it crept underneath.
“I can’t,” I whispered. “This bed squeaks. If you get started with those fabulous hands of yours, I can’t hold still. I’ll wake everybody all over again.”
He chuckled. “Ya say that like it’s a bad thing.” His fingertips traced a feather-light path under the T-shirt, making my hips press involuntarily toward him.
The bed emitted a squeak and I froze.
“We don’t hafta use the bed, darlin’,” he murmured.
I sighed. “I can’t.” I pulled away, generating another tell-tale squeak. “Not with John right in the next room. If he heard, it’d be like rubbing it in. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, darlin’, don’t apologize.” Hellhound withdrew his hand and brushed a kiss onto my forehead. “It’s fun just teasin’ ya.”
“And I expect you to deliver as soon as we’re alone.” I grinned at him. “Just teasing, huh?” I cast a significant glance down to the bulge in his jeans. “I call bullshit. If I hadn’t shut you down, I’d be coming my brains out by now.”
He chuckled. “Nah. I prob’ly woulda got up to close the bedroom door first. That’d slow ya down by a few seconds.”
“You probably would have? You’re such a gentleman.”
“Hell, yeah.” He dropped a kiss on my lips.
Chapter 6
I woke slowly, clinging to the warm lassitude that enveloped me. Despite my best efforts to remain asleep, a niggling sensation of guilt prickled just below my level of consciousness.
My sleep-sodden brain paged through the possibilities. Was I missing work? No, it was a holiday, I was sure of it.
Something I was supposed to do? No, I didn’t need to make any phone calls. Nobody I had to meet…
The comforting familiarity of Hellhound’s quiet snores lulled me back toward sleep, his hand warm and heavy on my bare stomach…
Shit!
My eyes popped open.
The bedroom door still wasn’t closed and light streamed down the hallway from the direction of the living area. Soft clinks and the smell of coffee assured me we’d been caught by at least one of the Kanes passing by on the way to the kitchen.
Fortunately our position wasn’t as explicit as I’d first thought. My T-shirt had ridden up, but the blankets were pulled high enough to hide my partial nudity. And since I didn’t remember having a mind-blowing orgasm, I was pretty sure Hellhound’s magic hand hadn’t strayed too far from its current position.
Still clad in his jeans, Hellhound lay on top of the blankets, curled protectively around me. My heart warmed.
Guarding my dreams, as always. How many times had he woken during the night to dispel my nightmares and soothe me back to sleep?
I eased out from under the covers, tugging my T-shirt down into place. Hellhound mumbled and stirred, and I bent to brush a kiss onto his lips.
“Go back to sleep,” I whispered, and drew the blanket over him.
“Mmhmm.” He settled without opening his eyes, and a moment later his snores resumed.
I gathered my things and retreated to the bathroom. Inside, I threw on some clothes and splashed water on my face before glowering at myself in the mirror.
So this was awkward. So what? We were all adults. And it wasn’t like Hellhound and I had been screwing each other’s brains out in the middle of the living room. Kane could just deal with seeing us sleeping in the same bed.
Get out there and get it over with.
I glared at the embarrassed-looking woman in the mirror. “Get going,” I hissed at my cowardly reflection.
After a deep sigh, it obeyed.
When I peeped around the corner into the kitchen, my heart rose in cautious hope. No sign of Kane. His father looked up from his coffee with a smile.
“Good morning,” I murmured.
“Good morning. What are you doing up so early? I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“Um, no…”
I hovered in the doorway. What the hell should I do? I really wasn’t in the mood for small talk at five-thirty in the morning, but having successfully avoided awkwardness with Kane, I didn’t want to go back to bed and set myself up for it all over again. And it didn’t seem fair to wake Hellhound and make him go back to the couch.
Doug raised his cup. “Coffee’s on the counter. Just fresh a few minutes ago.”
Coffee. Blech.
“Um, thanks. Maybe half a cup.” I sidled into the kitchen and poured myself a small portion.
Doug smiled and cocked a thumb toward the kitchen cabinets. “You might want to eat something with that. I make it strong enough to dissolve the spoon.”
“Thanks for the warning.” I followed the direction of his gesture and discovered some bagels in a breadbox. There was no toaster in sight and I doubted Kane was a peanut butter fan, so I snagged a naked bagel and trailed back to perch on the stool beside Doug at the breakfast bar. Taking a sip of
the tarry substance in my cup, I couldn’t prevent a shudder.
“So how many spoons are in this batch?” I asked.
He chuckled and took a slug of his own brew. “None this morning. John gets testy when his cutlery disappears.”
“Good to know.” I nibbled in silence for a while, pacing my sips of the corrosive fluid. “Did you, um… sleep okay? Um… I mean, after…?”
“Just fine.” He smiled and patted my hand. “Don’t beat yourself up, Aydan. I’ve done my fair share of screaming after combat, too. All of us have. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
I sighed. “Thanks, but…”
There wasn’t really anything more to say. I grimaced and took another bite of bagel.
We sat in silence for a while, Doug sipping his coffee while I worked on my bagel. I was beginning to relax when he spoke.
“I see Arnie has a new tattoo.”
“Um… yeah.” I grabbed my coffee cup and took a gulp.
He stared at the wall, but his eyes looked far beyond it. “I don’t usually notice when he gets a new one. He has so many. But this one…” He spoke as though to himself. “He’s had an empty place there all his life.” He turned to me, his gaze probing too deeply. “Does it mean what I think it means?”
I clutched my mug like a shield between us. “I, um… I don’t know what you think it means.”
He appraised me in silence for a moment before his shrewd grey eyes softened. “I think you’ve given him… comfort. He’s never let any woman get as close as you.” He gazed into the past again. “My wife Ellen worried over Arnie until the day she died nearly fifteen years ago. I think…” He took a sip of coffee, and when he spoke again, his eyes were bright. “I think she’d be happy today.”
“I hope so,” I murmured.
Doug returned from his reverie, his gaze sharp again. “John thinks the world of you, too.”
“Uh.” I took a large bite of bagel and chewed with intense concentration.
He smiled. “I won’t pry. I don’t care how, or if, things work out between you and either of my sons. I just want you to know that in my books, you’re family.”
“I… Doug, I don’t feel like I deserve that, but…” I swallowed the lump in my throat with a swig of coffee. “Thanks, I’m honoured.” My voice came out husky anyway.
Doug smiled and reached over to pat my hand. “You don’t have to finish the coffee, Aydan. I know you’re a brave woman. You don’t have to prove it.”
I laughed, grateful for the change of topic. “Thank God. This stuff is killing me.”
He chuckled. “Go ahead and dump it. You won’t hurt my feelings.” When I returned from the sink with a cup of water, he glanced at my face. “Don’t take this wrong, but you still look tired. Why don’t you go back to bed for a while?”
The first caffeine jitters vibrated in my hands as I reached for the remains of my bagel. “I don’t think I can sleep after drinking that rocket fuel.”
“Try. You might be surprised.”
That sounded like a fine idea. If nothing else, I could avoid more conversation.
I swallowed the last of the bagel. “I think I will. Thanks.”
Escaping to the couch, I snuggled into the nest of bedding Hellhound had abandoned. Hyper-alert to Doug’s movements in the kitchen, I lay tensely. Caffeine buzzed in my veins.
I wouldn’t sleep. Even without caffeine overload, I could never sleep when someone might be watching me…
A soft voice and a gentle touch on my shoulder lifted me from my troubled dream. “Shhh, Aydan, it’s okay. You’re safe. It’s just a dream.”
I dragged my eyes open to focus blearily on Doug leaning over me. He smiled, his maze of wrinkles framing eyes full of compassion. “Shhh. Go back to sleep.”
My eyelids dropped like stones.
The comfortable rumble of male voices roused me. I yawned and hauled myself upright to massage my aching neck, thankful Hellhound had spent the night in the hide-a-bed instead of here. The couch wasn’t very comfortable even for my 5’10” height. For someone several inches taller and close to a hundred pounds heavier, it would be a chiropractic nightmare.
“Good morning.” Kane emerged from the kitchen to eye me quizzically. “You ended up on the couch.”
“Um. Yeah…” My groggy brain didn’t supply any other useful comment.
Keep it simple.
“Good morning,” I mumbled. “Is everybody up but me?”
Kane chuckled. “No, it’s only eight. Hellhound will sleep as long as we let him.”
A glance at his freshly shaved face and still-damp hair made me feel grubby and rumpled, and I rose self-consciously to begin folding blankets. “Is it okay if I have a shower?”
“Of course. Here, I’ll take those.” He appropriated the bedding and inclined his chin toward the bathroom. “I left a fresh towel and washcloth by the sink for you.”
“Thanks.” I beat a hasty retreat.
When I emerged from the bathroom, the sound of Hellhound’s guitar drifted to my ears and I followed it into the living room. Kane and his father sprawled in the chairs nursing mugs of coffee while Hellhound sat on the sofa, his quiet music accompanying the conversation.
I curled into the corner of the couch beside him, the last of my tension ebbing away. Another yawn took me by surprise and I cuddled deeper into the cushions, feeling safe and relaxed for the first time in weeks.
Hellhound chuckled. “‘Mornin’, darlin’. Ya look like Hooker, all curled up smilin’ there.”
I laughed. “Good morning. Lucky I know you’re talking about the cat, or I’d take serious offence. Is Miss Lacey looking after him while you’re here?”
“Yeah.” His eyes softened as they always did when he mentioned his elderly neighbour. “I’m lucky to have her.”
“She’s lucky to have you to take her grocery shopping and to her appointments, too.”
“Mm.” He smiled and returned his attention to the guitar, though his music hadn’t faltered while we talked.
A faint vibration caught my ear and I sprang up. “That’s my phone.” I hurried for the bedroom.
“Jesus, darlin’, ya got ears like a fuckin’ bat,” Hellhound teased.
“Well, I’m just not deaf from playing loud music half my life,” I tossed over my shoulder, and left their laughter behind to grab my waist pouch from beside the hide-a-bed.
I punched the button without taking time to look at the call display.
“Ms. Widdenback?” The precisely modulated voice slammed tension back into my body. “This is Archibald Rankin, Nicholas Parr’s assistant. I was calling to see when it would be convenient for you to return Mr. Parr’s credit card.”
“Uh. Sorry, I completely forgot about it…”
“That’s quite understandable, and I’m sorry you went through such an ordeal. How are you feeling?”
God, it was hard to remember these guys were violent, ruthless criminals. I shook off my sense of unreality. But maybe Rankin wasn’t a criminal. Parr kept lots of innocent employees on his payroll, too…
“I’m sorry to bring back unpleasant memories,” he added.
“It’s okay. Um, I’m in Calgary right now…” I bit off the words ‘…staying with friends’. Shit, all this damn pleasantness threw me off guard. “Is there a place where I can drop it off?”
“Oh, I don’t want to trouble you. Just give me the address where you’re staying and I’ll be happy to come and get it.”
I snapped fully alert.
Yeah, wouldn’t they like to know where I was staying? They must be pissed after going to the trouble of bugging my house only to have me depart before they could hear anything useful.
“I’m checking out of my hotel in a few minutes,” I lied. “I’ll be driving anyway, so just let me know where I can drop it off.”
“We’re in a rather inconvenient location in the industrial park,” he demurred.
Parry, thrust, parry…
“…but sinc
e you’re here, Mr. Parr would be pleased to take you out for lunch,” he finished. “You can give it to him then.”
Touché.
Shit.
I stalled, racking my brain for excuses. “Um, I thought he was out of the country on his Christmas gambling holiday…”
“No, when such a serious situation arises in his company, Mr. Parr is always on hand to deal with it. Frivolities like vacations come second. He’s very dedicated to his business and his employees.”
Yeah. And he was undoubtedly also very dedicated to finding out what had happened to the deadly weapon prototype we’d swiped from his burning plane.
“Uh…” I couldn’t think of a way around it. “Okay. I’d like to have lunch with Nick.”
About as much as I’d like to cuddle a pit viper.
I sighed. “Where and when should I meet him?”
There was a distinct note of satisfaction in Rankin’s pleasant tone. “He has a reservation at La Chaumière for eleven-thirty.”
Inspiration seized me. “I’m sorry, I got caught here in the storm yesterday, and I wasn’t intending to stay the night. All I have is jeans and hiking boots. That’s not appropriate for La Chaumière, and I wouldn’t want to embarrass Nick.”
The faint sound on the other end of the line might have been grinding teeth, but when Rankin spoke again his voice still radiated warm concern. “Please, use the credit card to purchase anything you need. It’s the least we can do.”
Now I was the one grinding my teeth. “That’s so kind of you,” I cooed. “But I really…”
“Please. I insist.” This time there was a hint of iron in his tone.
I dealt the bed a vicious kick. “Oh, thank you. You’re so kind.” My sweetness was enough to cause diabetic shock inside a three-mile radius. “I’ll look forward to seeing Nick at eleven-thirty.”
I pressed the disconnect button. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
Chapter 7
I shoved my phone back into my waist pouch and stomped down the hallway, teeth locked together to prevent more obscenities from spilling out.
Spy Now, Pay Later Page 5