I woke up with his magnificent body next to mine, which put a smile on my face right away. He moaned and stirred but didn’t wake as I carefully climbed out of my bed.
We should have gone to his place, I thought as I remembered his comfortable bed on my way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. What does all of this mean for us?
The only way it would work is if we could continue to communicate like we had the night before. He had appeared ready to work with me, but with men I could never tell. Not completely. They were such a damn mystery.
After taking a shower and brushing my teeth, I returned to the kitchen for a cup of fresh coffee. A third of the way through, he walked in, his hair perfectly messy and his eyes nearly closed.
“Morning,” I said quietly.
He grunted as he shuffled toward the coffee pot.
I took another drink, wondering if I should ask him about breakfast.
“Sleep well?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
When he finished pouring some of it into a mug I had set next to the machine, he walked over and sat down next to me. I sighed as he leaned over and gave me a peck on the cheek.
“What about you?”
“Best sleep since last time we were together. Your bed is better though.”
He smiled then took a drink of coffee.
“We should go talk to the FBI today,” I said.
“Yeah,” he said then sighed. “It’s a lot of hassle.”
“It’s better to tell them you have nothing to do with it sooner than later. I’ll go with you to back up your story and make sure you have a witness.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, looking into my eyes.
I nodded. He frowned.
“They told me you might be involved.”
“What? That’s crazy.”
“That’s what the agent said yesterday.”
“We definitely need to both go talk to them.”
“I wanted to make sure you knew what he said about you.”
“You don’t think I’m involved, do you?” I asked, upset.
“No. I mean, I don’t think so. Can I finish my coffee before we get into an argument?”
“I don’t want to argue at all.”
“Good. Neither do I.”
We both sipped at our coffee. I kept stealing glances at him, wondering what it was about him that had me falling so hard and so fast.
*
I sat next to him in a plain, unassuming waiting room in the FBI building downtown. After dropping the man’s name who had talked to him in the alley, the security guard downstairs had shown us to the right floor. Cooper turned his head to look at me.
“If something happens, I’ve got your back.”
“I can’t wait to talk to this guy and see what he thinks he knows about me.”
“They might have been lying. We shouldn’t be talking. The waiting room might be bugged.”
I nodded my head then turned to face the only door in the tiny room. We waited.
A few minutes later, the door opened and a man in a black suit walked in. Cooper and I both got to our feet as he stared at me with a curious expression on his face.
“This is the female journalist who has nothing to do with it,” Cooper said.
“Come with me,” the man said.
“Can we get your name?” I asked.
“Mr. Sorenson. This way, please.”
He held the door open. Cooper stepped forward first. I met them in the hallway. The three of us walked down one hall then another. By the time we stopped at a door, I wasn’t sure where we had ended up in the building.
“Take a seat,” Mr. Sorenson said while adjusting the oval, wire-frame glasses on his face.
Something was off about him, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. As I sat down next to Cooper in another uncomfortable chair, I watched the man’s face for any signs of lying.
“Thanks for coming in,” he said, opening a folder on his desk. “As I said, if you give us information on what happened before, we will make sure you’re not charged with anything.”
“Hold on a minute,” I said.
“I thought you were a journalist not a lawyer,” Mr. Sorenson said with a chuckle. “Although they’re both kind of hated the same these days.”
“People hate the media more. Trust me. I’m…”
“We know who you are,” he interrupted. “And we’re glad you came in too. When we saw you asking questions about Max Erickson renting office space, we thought you might not be involved after all.”
“You know she’s not, right?” Cooper asked, sitting on the edge of his seat.
I rubbed his back with my hand, more to support me than him.
“We’ve been listening to phone calls and reading emails, and, yes, we know she’s not involved.”
“Wait. You’ve been listening to my calls and reading my emails?”
“It’s all standard stuff,” he said. “The Patriot Act has given us a lot of power.”
“Too bad America doesn’t seem any safer,” Cooper said, getting upset.
“Let’s not get into a political argument,” Mr. Sorenson said. “As both of you have had contact with Mr. Erickson before, we want to wire you and get something we can use in court.”
“Absolutely not,” Cooper said.
I raised my hand.
“Hold on a minute. I have a say in this too.”
Cooper turned. I looked at him.
“If I can finish the story that I started in Afghanistan and clear your name at the same time, I’m all about helping.”
“You don’t understand the risks,” Cooper said.
I turned my attention back to Mr. Sorenson.
“What do you need me to do?”
I wasn’t ready to commit but definitely interested.
“Easy. We’ll give you a recording device, and you get Max to admit what he’s doing.”
“He’s not even told me anything yet,” Cooper said, shaking his head.
The fact he was so worried about me made me glow on the inside. Most of the joy, however, was extinguished by the reality of what the FBI was asking us to do.
“There has to be another way,” Cooper continued.
“Believe me, we’ve tried. These guys are slick.” He looked at Cooper. “You’re not involved in any of this, right? The time to tell me is now.”
“No,” Cooper said firmly.
“Fine,” Mr. Sorenson replied. “I have to fill out all the paperwork to get this started, but if you two stop in tomorrow afternoon, we’ll have the equipment ready for you. All you need to do at that point is get Max to slip up and say something incriminating.”
“Oh, that’s all?” Cooper scoffed.
He stood while shaking his head.
“Come on, Jade. Let’s get out of here.”
“You two be safe,” Mr. Sorenson said.
We walked out of the office and back downstairs.
“Those guys are fucking nuts,” Cooper said once we’d made it outside. “We’re not going through with this.”
“We have to do it,” I said.
“We don’t have to do anything.”
He placed his hands on my cheeks, staring into my eyes.
“I care about you so damn much.”
“And I love you.”
Once the word had slipped out of my mouth, there was no taking it back. He kissed me, his lips saying everything without him having to say anything at all.
We rushed back to his apartment and the better bed.
THIRTY
Jade
We reached his apartment. Once through the door, we were all over each other again. Things looked as if they might get better. At the very least, we were together.
And if everything worked out, I might go back to being a journalist while his name would be cleared once and for all. I smiled as we made our way to his bedroom.
Clothes came off as if we were in a race. I touched my lips against the skin on his chest, moving low
er. He bent and lifted my naked body into the air.
My eyes opened wide as I let out a cry of startled surprise. He grinned, kissing my lips as he walked to his bed, prey in his arms. In that moment, I craved his cock being inside me.
He laid me down on the comforter, still kissing me. On my back and lying lengthwise on the bed, he stood and kissed my neck. I moaned, loving his lips against my skin.
The kisses continued lower. He suckled one nipple then the other, all the while his hands roaming over the rest of my body, making me feel like the only person in the world.
When his mouth reached my stomach, I sat up on my elbows and scooted back. He crawled onto the mattress between my legs, kneeling and looking down at me. His cock swayed back and forth.
He leaned down and pressed his body against mine while kissing my lips once again. His strong, powerful tongue slid against mine, making my whole body tingle. I pushed his shoulders down.
A wicked grin slipped onto his face as he held himself up with his arms and stared into my eyes. Ever so sensually, he kissed my skin, moving lower down my body as I pushed, speeding him along.
Nestled between my spread legs, he stared into my eyes as his tongue barely touched my pussy lips. I sighed, all my worries washed away.
I ran my fingers through his hair, loving the soft, fullness of it. He licked me more insistently, his broad, flat tongue running from bottom to top then back again.
Blood rushed between my legs as my clitoris came out to play. He nibbled and teased at the tiny nub, sending waves of pleasure through my body.
He thrust a finger inside my wet, tight pussy and wiggled it like a worm, almost pushing me over the edge. I groaned, arching my back and lifting my hips into the air.
“You taste so good,” he whispered, breathing heavily.
My own breaths came fast and furious as my heart pounded. The rest of the world faded away as he slid another finger to join the first. Together, they danced.
“Oh, Cooper,” I begged.
“Yes, baby. Come for me.”
The sound of his voice took me to that special place. My mind exploded as my body convulsed, ecstasy running through my entire body. I looked down and saw him staring up at me.
“Fuck me like it’s our last,” I said.
A look came over his face, one I would never forget the rest of my days. It combined lust, love, hunger, and trust, a powerful combination of emotions and virtues.
He entered me quickly, his condom-covered cock sliding in easily. All the feelings of pleasure built up once again as he pushed in and out, faster and harder with each stroke.
I ran my hands over his strong arms as they held him up. The look of determination on his face made me so fucking hot. For a moment, I saw myself spending the rest of my life with the man.
Our bodies moved together as one. He lifted my legs into the air, pounding with more ferocity, fucking my pussy like it might be our last time and he wanted to make it count.
My second orgasm hit unexpectedly, especially so soon. I felt his throbbing cock deep inside me as I came, my pussy clenching around him. He didn’t stop fucking me.
“Yes, baby,” I cried, delirious with joy.
He contorted his face and squinted his eyes.
“Fuck!” he cried out as he came.
I had never seen him lose his composure before. The physical side of our relationship had somehow merged with the emotional, making the sex between us that much better.
His stroke slowed down, then finally stopped. He pulled out of me. I kissed him before he moved to the bed beside me. Both of us stared up at the ceiling, enjoying the afterglow.
“Now that was an afternoon delight,” I said.
He laughed, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.
“Right? Wow. That was unreal.”
“It keeps getting better,” I said, my hand on his thigh.
“You can say that again.,” laying his hand on top of mine.
I smiled, glowing inside and out.
“I’m not ready to go back to work tomorrow.”
“Thanks for calling off today and going with me.”
“I want to help with this. I mean, if I can get the story…”
My voice trailed off as I got lost in my thoughts.
“I want to make sure you’re safe.”
He rolled over on his side and stared into my eyes.
“You mean a lot to me, Jade. More than any woman before.”
“Hopefully there weren’t too many,” I teased.
“None in your league. Trust me.”
I kissed him on the lips, never able to get enough of the sweetness. As we enjoyed the moment of bliss, I let my mind wander willingly until all hell broke loose.
Someone pounded on the door of his apartment.
“Stay here,” he said, getting out of bed.
Still naked, he grabbed a robe, threw it on, and walked out of his bedroom.
“Hands up!” someone shouted.
I crawled out of bed, gathering my panties and bra. Before I had them all the way on, the bedroom door burst open and two men in black suits with guns drawn rushed in.
“Freeze!” one shouted.
I screamed, dropping my bra.
“Let her get dressed,” Mr. Sorenson said, walking in. “She’s not coming with us.”
“What the hell is going on?” I asked, my arms crossed over my bare chest.
“Max testified against Cooper. We’re bringing him in.”
“That’s bullshit. We had a deal.”
“That was before we knew your boyfriend was still involved.”
“But he’s not!”
“Do you know that for a fact?”
The agent stared into my eyes a moment before his gaze dropped to my chest.
“Get out of here!” I yelled, furious.
“I’ll be out here waiting to talk with you,” he said with a grin.
After he left, I rushed to get dressed. Would Cooper still be out there in the living room?
What the hell was going on? Why did my life always have to fall apart once it was going well?
I received no answers in the living room from Mr. Sorenson. He would give me no information other than I was not to have contact with Cooper or Max.
He ignored my complaints and left. They had already taken Cooper away. I had no idea if he was okay or if they had hurt him. My eyes teared up as his apartment door closed.
THIRTY-ONE
Cooper
Mr. Sorenson stared at me from the other side of a wooden table. A mirror took up one wall of the otherwise barren room. I hadn’t said a word since they brought me in.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he said.
I stayed silent.
“Okay. We’ll bring the woman in too.”
“No,” I said, slamming my cuffed hands into the table.
“Ah, so you can talk.”
“Look, I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but I’m not involved with Max, Jeffries or any of them.”
“Jeffries?”
Fuck.
“Would that be Captain Jeffries, your CO at FOB Cobra?”
“You guys said you know everything, right? Have you seen me involved in any way since we got back?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean anything. You could be really good at what you do.”
I laughed at the insanity.
“Don’t I get a lawyer? Let me talk to an attorney. I have the money to hire one.”
“You’re a national security threat, and you don’t get access to a lawyer.”
“That’s bullshit.” I moved my hands, the chains connecting my cuffs to the table clanging against the wood. “I’m a U.S. citizen, and I have rights.”
“Not until you help us, you don’t. Patriot Act, my friend.”
“Fuck this. That should have expired years ago. Let me go.”
“Or what? You’re not in a position to be making demands.”
>
I bit my tongue to help control my emotional response. The more I acted out, the more they could learn about me. If they wanted a game, I would play it.
The military had taught me how to get through torture well because they knew it would likely be used against soldiers who found themselves captured during the new, 21st century wars.
“Have you settled down?” he asked in a cocky tone.
I felt like reaching across the table and punching him in the throat. That would have wiped the smirk off his face.
“Here’s the deal. We need someone unknown and not in the military to take the fall. If you’re willing to give up the journalist, we’ll let you go free and clear.”
“Give up the journalist? What the hell are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. As a soldier, you follow orders and get things done no matter what it takes.”
“She’s not involved,” I said.
“You must not know her family very well, do you?”
“Her father is a traveling salesman, and her mother is dead. I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
“You are a dumb grunt, aren’t you? No wonder the Marines or Air Force didn’t want you.”
“Hey, I chose the Army on purpose.”
“You’re even more of an idiot than I thought.”
I lunged toward him then pulled myself back, causing him to flinch.
“You better fucking watch it,” he yelled.
“I’m not saying anything else until I get an attorney.”
He shook his head.
“If that’s the way you want to play it.”
After standing, he left the room. I stared over at the mirror, making sure they knew I was mad as hell.
*
When someone came back into the room, I looked at the nameless man with rage in my eyes. He undid the handcuffs. I slid the chair back and stood abruptly, causing him to take a step back and put his hand on the gun in a holster on his side.
“I’m not doing anything,” I said, raising my hands. “Where are you taking me now?”
“We’re setting you free?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
The man shook his head nervously.
“I’ll be talking to my attorney about this.”
“You can do whatever you want,” Mr. Sorenson’s voice said through a speaker.
I glanced up at it then over to the mirror.
“You’re fucking with the wrong man.”
Mr. Charming_A Mistaken Identity Bad Boy Romance Page 26