by Seton, Cora
Sticky from traveling, he rose from the bed and hurried to the bathroom for a quick rinse in the shower. He didn’t want to be away from her any longer than he had to. Every minute with her was precious. In just two short days, he’d ask her to be his wife. He sure as hell hoped she’d say ‘yes.’ If she said ‘no,’ the refusal might ruin what they had at that moment. The risk was one he was willing to take.
Chapter Seven
‡
An incessant ringing pierced the cocoon of Mitchell’s sleep, forcing her out of the warmth and comfort into the cool room. She lay naked against the sheets, the chill of the night washing over her as she felt for the warm, hard body that should be next to her. “Remy, could you answer the phone?”
He didn’t respond, and his side of the bed was empty. As her senses kicked in and her brain connected with her hearing, she made out the sound of the shower behind the bathroom door and smiled. Remy wasn’t far. Rolling to her side, she reached for the phone that hadn’t stopped ringing. “Hello?”
Silence.
A shiver shook her body, and she grabbed the sheet and blanket, pulling them up over her body. “Hello,” she said again, anger rising at the rude call in the middle of the night. Again, no response. She leaned over to hang up the phone when a voice caught her attention, and she froze.
“For every action, there is a reaction. Yours is coming.”
Dread settled in her belly like a lead bowling ball. “Who the hell is this?”
A soft click sounded, and the line went dead.
Anger pushed past dread, rising like a tide. Mitchell yanked the phone over close to her and dialed the operator.
“What can I do to help you?” asked the operator.
Most likely the night clerk. “Can you tell me where the last call to my room came from?”
“No, ma’am, I can’t. Although it was an outside call. Why?”
“No reason. Thank you.” She hung up the phone and sat upright in the bed, chewing on her fingernail. Couldn’t be Rocco. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to follow her all the way out to Colorado. He would have had to fly, to be here as quickly as she was.
Which would explain the feeling of being watched at the airport in Norfolk and Atlanta. But he wasn’t stupid enough to get on the same plane as she’d flown on, was he? She closed her eyes and waded through her mental images of all the passengers on the two planes. Another thought struck her. Rocco might not have been on that plane, but one of his henchmen could have been, and she wouldn’t recognize his face. He could be anyone.
Mitchell’s gut clenched.
“What’s wrong?” Remy stood in the doorway to the bathroom, a waft of steam surrounding him and making its way into the bedroom. His body was covered in a damp sheen of moisture and he had a towel draped around his neck, his dark hair black and wet.
“Wrong?” Mitchell’s pulse raced. The man was beyond sexy, and she couldn’t believe he wanted to be with her.
“Your face was white, and you looked like you’d seen a ghost.” He strode across the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Are you okay? Was the trip too much for you?”
“Seriously.” Mitchell laughed. “I’m not that big a wimp. It’s just that the phone rang again.”
“Did you answer?” His gaze pinned hers.
With a nod, Mitchell glanced at the phone on the night stand.
“Who was it?”
“I don’t know.” A shiver rippled across her body.
Remy wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his warm, damp chest. “What did he say?”
“‘For every action, there is a reaction. Yours is coming.’” She connected with his gaze. “You don’t think Rocco followed us here, do you?”
“I don’t see how he could, unless he came by private plane. Every law enforcement organization in Virginia is hunting him.”
“In Virginia,” Mitchell said softly with a head shake. “But not in Colorado. Where’s that disposable phone?”
“On the desk.”
Mitchell threw back the blanket and hopped out of the bed, padding over to the desk. The cool mountain air made her skin pebble and her nipples tighten. The phone lay where she’d left it. She picked it up and dialed her boss’s personal cell phone number.
“You realize it’s only five in the morning back in Virginia.”
“Patrick is usually up by four.” She waited for the ring tone.
On the fourth ring, he picked up. “Yeah.”
“Patrick, it’s Sanders.”
“Sanders. You get a new phone?”
“Yes, I did, after my other one was compromised by Rocco.”
“What happened? Did he get to this one too?”
“No. Maybe worse.” She drew in a deep breath. “I got a call at the hotel room where we’re staying in Vail. I think it was Rocco.”
“You’re in Vail?” Patrick chuckled. “That frogman is pulling out all the stops, isn’t he?”
Mitchell glanced at her SEAL, her heart warming. “Yes, but what worries me is how Rocco knew where to find me, because we didn’t know we’d be staying here until we got to town and found our cabin had burned to the ground.”
“What?” Patrick exclaimed.
Mitchell pushed a hand through her hair. “Yeah. We were two hours late getting here, only to find that a fire gutted our rental cabin.”
“Coincidence?” Patrick prompted.
“I thought so at first,” Mitchell responded, forcing her shoulders to relax, “but now I’m second-guessing that conclusion.”
Remy leaned close to her other ear and whispered, “No such thing as coincidence.”
She’d had the same feeling as soon as she’d heard the voice on the phone. “I’d hoped you’d tell me that they caught Rocco, and all this is just one of his minions playing mind games with me.”
“Sorry, Sanders. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to tell you we’d caught Rocco. But I can’t. He’s still loose, and either he’s following you, or he’s got someone else on your tail. Do me a favor and lay low. Don’t give him any opportunities to get to you. I’ll contact the regional office for that area and have them send in backup.”
Her thoughts flashed to other agents and holiday time. Mitchell chewed on her bottom lip. “I hate to tie up resources if I’m wrong.”
“And I’d hate to lose a good agent if you’re not. The federal government put a lot of money and training into you. I can’t replace you that easily.”
Mitchell snorted. “Nice to know it’s all about the money.”
Patrick laughed. “Sanders, we love you, you know that.”
“I know.” Her stance softened and she tightened her grip. Patrick had always been fair with her, and had forgiven her for taking her search for a dear friend onto her own time. If she hadn’t, her friend might have been yet another of Rocco’s lost or destroyed victims in the human trafficking business. “Say hello to Rita, and give the kids a hug for me.”
“Stay safe. I’d hate to have to bring you home from Colorado in a body bag.”
“Again, thanks for caring, and the really harsh visual.” She hung up and laid the phone on the desk. Tension attacked her muscles and she hated feeling vulnerable. “Rocco’s still loose.”
“Which doesn’t answer the question of how he got here, unless he hired a private plane to make the trip.”
“Which he could have done and arrived sooner than us, since we had a layover and were delayed at baggage claim.” Mitchell opened her suitcase and extracted her gun case. Flipping the catches, she removed the Glock and loaded it.
“You gonna sleep with that?” Remy asked, his brows rising.
Mitchell grinned at him. “Make you nervous?”
“A little.”
“I’m an expert shot.”
“I trust you when you’re awake, but I’d prefer if you left it on the night stand when you sleep with me.”
“Before I moved in with you, I slept with it under my pillow.”
&nb
sp; “Interesting.” He slipped his arm around her waist, plucked the gun from her hand, and laid it on the desk. “Humor me, and leave it on the nightstand. I wouldn’t want it to go off accidentally while we were making love.”
“That would be hard to explain to the paramedics, wouldn’t it?” Mitchell leaned her naked body against his and absorbed his warmth. “I’ll keep it on the nightstand.”
“Thank you.” Remy kissed her. Capturing her butt cheeks in his big palms, he lifted her and wrapped her legs around his waist. “Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow, we can decide what to do about the phone calls.”
Mitchell leaned her cheek against his, liking the way his scruffy beard scraped her skin. “How can I sleep, knowing Rocco might be here?”
“I’ll stay awake while you sleep.”
“And when will you sleep?”
“While you’re awake, holding that gun.” He winked and laid her on the bed, dropping down over her. “Now, go to sleep before I think of better things to do.” Remy kissed her on the mouth and started to roll off her onto his side.
Before he got too far, she caught him and pulled him back over her, liking how warm and safe he made her feel. “Couldn’t we just do those better things and sleep later?”
“Hmm. I might be persuaded.” He nibbled her earlobe and trailed a line of kisses and nips down the length of her neck. “Yeah, I could be persuaded.”
An hour later, Remy stared at the ceiling with Mitchell nestled in his arms, sound asleep. He’d been slower and gentler as he made love to her the last time, savoring everything about her body and trying to soothe away her fears by giving assurances he’d be there for her and run interference should anyone attack.
Other than having made love to Mitchell three times that evening, nothing else had gone quite the way he’d planned. They had both been so busy in their lives, with missions and training, that they needed this downtime to relax and spend time getting to know each other even better. He’d wanted to woo her and treat her like a princess, letting her know how much he cared, and how their life would be if they were married. In effect, he wanted to give her an idea of what forever together could be like before he popped the question.
Based on the way things were going, forever would be a bit rocky and full of unpleasant surprises, and that wasn’t the way he’d planned this trip.
In the morning, he’d see what he could do to find out who else might have checked into the hotel without a reservation, and if they had any connection to Rocco. Perhaps Mitchell could flash her badge and get in to review the hotel security cameras to see if anyone had come through before or after their check-in that might appear suspicious.
With a plan in mind, Remy waited until daylight crept into the window before he allowed his eyes to close and sleep to claim him. With a busy cleaning staff that started early in the morning, he was certain whoever had made the phone calls wouldn’t attempt anything stupid with witnesses around.
“Hey, sleepyhead.” Mitchell’s hand on his shoulder woke him at noon.
She wore a loose T-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms. Her breasts swung free beneath the cotton, tempting the saint right out of Remy.
“I figured you’d want to get some lunch while the resort restaurant was serving, or I’d have let you sleep longer.” She brushed a hand across his cheek and waved a cup of coffee beneath his nose. “And I made coffee, just the way you like it.”
Remy sat up in the bed, set her coffee on the nightstand and pulled her across his lap. “I’d rather have you.”
“Yeah, same here.” She nuzzled his neck, and her stomach rumbled loudly. “Okay, so I’m a little hungry, too, which is part of the reason I woke you.”
Remy rolled her onto her back and came up on his arms over her. “Who needs food when we can lie in bed all day and feast on each other?”
Remy’s stomach rumbled, and Mitchell laughed. “I guess that answers it. Let’s go find some food, then we can figure out how we can enjoy this wonderful vacation—given the constraints of a possible vindictive bastard trying to get to me.”
“Hmmm. Room service is sounding better by the minute.” Remy captured one of her nipples between his teeth through the cotton of her shirt.
“A distinct possibility.” Mitchell lifted her shirt to give him better access to the nipple.
He rolled it between his teeth and then pulled it into his mouth, tapping the bud with the tip of his tongue.
Mitchell’s stomach rumbled again.
Remy sucked the nipple into his mouth and let go. “As good as you taste, we need to get some food in both of us.” He rolled off the bed and stood. “Come on. We can lay around waiting for something to happen, or get out there and make it happen.”
Mitchell rolled her eyes. “In other words, we can stay where it’s safe, or go outside and make targets of ourselves.”
Remy yanked her to her feet. “If you feel more comfortable holing up in the room, I’m all for it. After we get something to eat.” He slipped into a pair of sweat pants and marched to the window, sweeping aside the curtains.
Sunshine poured into the room and the mountain rose up before them, blindingly white and steep. The lifts were busy ferrying holiday skiers to the top. Skiers traversed the hill in front of them, some making long zigzags, taking a path from one side of the slope to the other. More daring and expert skiers made tight turns, leaving behind squiggly lines of S’s, their knees together, their hips swaying, graceful and effortless all the way to the bottom where they’d again board the lift.
Remy had grown up in Louisiana, but had always wanted to learn to snow ski. It wasn’t until he requested cold-weather training in Alaska that he’d first put on a pair of skis. After a few spectacular spills, he’d figured the sport out enough to stay upright. Something about the swishing of the skis on the crusty snow and the pristine white slopes gave him a sense of peace at the same time as it challenged him. He loved skiing.
Mitchell stood beside him. “The view’s beautiful.”
“I love my home in Louisiana, but the Rocky Mountains leave me in awe.” He stared out at the beauty before him.
“I know what you mean.” She hooked his arm in hers and leaned her cheek against his bicep. “I used to come here on spring break when I was in college.”
“Is that when you learned to ski?”
“Yes.”
“Your family never took you on a ski vacation?”
She shook her head. “Dad never even considered it. I didn’t know what it was all about until my college roommate asked me if I wanted to come along. I worked as many hours as I could get as a waitress, earning tip money and blisters so that I could go.”
“Do you like skiing?”
“I love it,” she said, her gaze on the slope in front of them. “It’s challenging, and somehow peaceful at the same time.”
Remy’s heart swelled. This woman was meant for him. They had so much in common it was almost scary.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s get breakfast and go rent some skis.” Mitchell released her hold and spun away.
“No.” Remy caught her hand and pulled her back into his arms. “If Rocco is out there, he’ll try something.”
“I’m not hiding in our room when there is snow and sunshine out there. I won’t be terrorized by anyone. It would be like being held hostage.” Her body trembled. “I will not be held hostage again without a fight. Not by Rocco. Not by anyone.”
“I almost feel sorry for Rocco if he tries to take you again.” Remy smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear. Not the most beautiful woman in the world, Mitchell was strikingly attractive when she was passionate and fierce about something. From rescuing a friend to taking down a bastard who preyed on innocent women, she was a force to be reckoned with.
“Are you with me, or do I have to ski by myself?” She brushed her lips across his.
“Looks like we’ll be skiing together.”
“Good. Now let’s get dressed and get breakfast…or lunch.” M
itchell dressed in record time, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. Makeup-free, her skin was smooth, and her face was pleasantly girl-next-door.
Remy slipped the ring box into his pocket, not wanting to leave it in the room for the maid to find and mistake the tape-covered box for trash. He really needed to stop by a jewelry store and get a new box. He couldn’t give it to her like it was. Everything had to be perfect for when he proposed to Mitchell.
If Rocco really was in Vail, Remy’s plans could be shot all to hell. When it came right down to it, he didn’t mind his plans being ruined as long as Mitchell dodged all the bullets.
Chapter Eight
‡
Dressed and ready to go, Mitchell stood by the door, waiting for Remy to pull on his boots. When he straightened, the disposable phone rang.
For a second, Mitchell hesitated answering. After the phone threats she’d received, she’d rather walk around in ignorant bliss than hear another. Then she remembered she’d given the number to her boss. “Hello,” she answered.
“Agent Sanders?”
“That’s me. Who’s calling?”
“Agent Ron Billings from the Denver Field Office. I hear you might need backup in Vail.”
Mitchell smiled. Trust her boss to get right on it. “I don’t want to call anyone in at Christmas time. I know they’d rather be spending time with family.”
“Your boss tells us you have an escapee gunning for you. We’d rather err on the side of caution.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I’m sending out Agent Thomas Thurmon today. He’ll be there in two hours. He’s been briefed, and he has photos of Rocco, you, and Chief Petty Officer LaDue. He’ll be working undercover as a tourist. I won’t have him make contact, unless you specifically need him to.”
“Good. I’d rather not let Rocco think I’m running scared.”
Agent Billings gave her Thurmon’s phone number and his. “If you need any more assistance, please don’t hesitate to call either of us. We’re the on-call for the holiday.”
“Lucky you.” Despite what she’d verbalized, she really was grateful for the backup. Mitchell ended the call and saved the numbers in the phone’s contact list. “Help is on the way.”