by Helen Brenna
“Hey.” The soft voice sounded behind her.
Kate spun around to find Riley sitting in the shadows. “I didn’t know you were out here.”
“Does that mean you wouldn’t be here if you’d known?”
“No. It’s just…”
He stood and came toward her. “I couldn’t sleep.”
So their kiss had affected him more than he’d let on. “Neither of us seems to be doing much of that these days.” She sighed. “I’ve got some bad news.”
He shrugged. “I don’t see how things could get much worse.”
“Most of the phone calls I made tonight in trying to locate the statue in Turkey didn’t pan out. No one seems to have any leads.”
“We took a risk. Sometimes things go wrong.”
“I’m still waiting to hear back from one art dealer. We could get lucky.”
“Still planning on having the statue of Chaos finished in the morning?”
She nodded. “But it’ll need more drying time before it’ll be ready to fire. If it’s not completely dry, inside and out, it’ll explode in the kiln.”
“It has to be finished before we reach Istanbul.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Then what do you propose?”
“Fire it in Istanbul.”
“How much firing time does it need?”
“Theoretically, at least eighteen hours. Can we get to Istanbul with that much time to spare?”
“It’ll be tight, but it’s possible.” He looked off into the night. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you, Kate.”
She studied his profile. Such a proud and capable soldier. “That was hard for you to say, wasn’t it?”
“I’m not used to needing people, at least not civilians.”
“Well, I’m certain that even without me, you would’ve figured something out.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I’ve gotten myself out of some pretty messy situations, but I’ve never had the life of someone I loved threatened like this.”
He was trying so hard to be strong, but Kate could feel the uncertainty nearly boiling off him in waves. His big hands rested on the balcony rail. How she’d ever thought of those strong, capable fingers as beefy was beyond her. She placed her hand over his and caressed his warm skin.
His head dropped and he studied her fingers as if the look of her hand on his was too foreign to comprehend.
“I wish…things were different,” she whispered. “I wish…we’d met again under different circumstances. When this is over—”
“It’ll be over. We’ll be over, Kate. Life goes on as before.”
“You go your way, and I go mine?”
“That’s what I keep trying to tell you.” He pulled his hand away.
“Why does it have to be that way?”
“So many reasons I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Try.”
“For starters, I’m twelve years older than you. Hell, I’m pushing forty. You’re just getting started. You can try and argue the age difference doesn’t mean anything now, but when I’m sixty, you’ll only be in your mid-forties. You don’t need me bogging you down.”
“That sounds like an excuse to me, and a bad one at that. You’re not that much older than me, Riley. Besides, I think the fact that you’re older is one of the reasons we work.”
He grunted.
She felt herself getting defensive. “You’re more confident than any man my age. I like that. Somehow it feels right.”
The man’s broad chest, muscles bulging on top of muscles, and strong, square chin that said anything but gentle. Sensitive, funny, soft-spoken? Riley? Not in this lifetime. But suddenly she didn’t want any of those things. Suddenly all she wanted was a hard, big man. Riley made her feel the most vibrant combination of both femininity and strength.
“What if I do want you?” She moved toward him. “What if you’re exactly what I want?”
“Then I’d tell you you’re crazy. Out of your mind.” Instead of stepping back and away, he stood his ground.
She put her hands on his chest, felt hard muscles under her fingers and wanted more. She stared at his mouth, felt her own lips part. But he was too tall to meet face-to-face.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she tried to pull him toward her, but he wasn’t budging.
“Kate, don’t do this again….”
If he wasn’t coming to her, she was going to him. She pulled herself up onto that tall frame and kissed him. Breasts pressed against his chest, she hung on him.
Any of the other men she’d dated would’ve been scared to death by her forwardness. Not Riley. He glanced down at her, his eyes heavy lidded, the breath puffing out of his chest. “You’re starting something you’re not going to want to finish.”
“I’m a big girl. I can handle whatever you dish out. Try me.”
He groaned out loud and, in one motion, lifted her into his arms and pinned her against the wall of the house. She swung her legs around his waist and suddenly they were face-to-face, his blue eyes intense on her face, his lips inches from hers, his arms free to explore.
“Kiss me,” she whispered. “Kiss me, damn it.”
He closed his eyes, buried his face in her neck and breathed in her scent. His hands traveled along her sides and settled beneath her breasts as his mouth hovered over hers. He seemed desperate to clear his head.
It took everything in her to hold back and let him make this first move. She was aching to feel his mouth on her lips, her neck. “Riley…”
Suddenly the last thread of his control seemed to snap. He pressed his lips against hers, silencing her, and his tongue slipped between her teeth as his hips pressed against her very center. He cupped her backside and held her against his erection, grinding roughly, but oh, so sweetly against her swollen flesh. If they’d been naked, she’d no doubt he’d have been inside her and she’d have been coming in seconds flat.
The small rustling noise of a lizard or squirrel sounded from the bushes, and Riley staggered back. His eyes were dark, almost black as he set her down.
A taste. That was all he was going to give her. She almost whimpered. “Riley—”
“No, Kate,” he whispered. “When your head clears you’ll be thanking me for ending this before it goes too far. When I leave for Moscow tomorrow, you’re staying here with Angelo. Along with Ally.”
“And if March asks for me when you call him?” she whispered.
“I’ll make something up. He bought it this morning.”
“That’s because his contact saw me when we picked up supplies. March knew I was here.”
“You’ve done more than enough already, Kate.”
She touched his arms and made him turn toward her. “You’re not going to want to hear this, but your battle has become mine.” She ran her fingers down his cheek, resting the pad of her thumb on his mouth. “There’s no going back.”
He shook his head. “I can’t accept that.”
“You don’t know how to run a kiln. You don’t know how to fire that statue without ruining it. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to Jenny because of me.”
Staring down at her, he said nothing.
“Jenny needs me, Riley. So do you.” More than he would accept, more than he even knew.
But he couldn’t argue. He knew she was right. Without a word, he was gone.
Kate leaned back against the wall and caught her breath. Her neck felt raw, her lips bruised, but she’d never felt more alive in a man’s arms. All she wanted was to feel him again. And again. To what end?
Heartbreak. What else could be in store for a woman who wanted a man who refused to allow himself to want her?
RILEY CLOSED HIMSELF INSIDE the guest bedroom, leaned back against the door and jabbed his hand through his short hair. The last time he’d lost control like that with a woman he’d been all of eighteen and a virgin. After that, for years, he’d only been with Amy. Sex with h
er had been good, fine, though he’d always held himself back, worrying he’d hurt her. Amy had been too fragile in so many ways.
And after Amy? Come to think of it, when hadn’t he held himself back with a woman?
God help him, but a woman like Amy suddenly held no appeal. He wanted a live wire in his arms. He wanted Kate. He wanted the taste of her on his tongue, her soft, eager flesh under his hands, her legs around him again. Her center swollen and wet.
He swallowed and closed his eyes.
Get a grip, soldier.
She might have argued her point well that she wanted an older man, but the fact was that she wanted babies, a family. The fire inside him died as quickly as if an ice-cold bucket of water had been dumped over his head. “I won’t do that to you, Kate. Not now. Not ever.”
But he was going to need Kate in Moscow, and that meant they were going to be alone. No Ally to keep them in line. Out of control was right.
“NO!” ALLY ANNOUNCED in the morning, all but stomping her feet for emphasis. “I am not staying here! And you can’t make me.”
“Wonder where she gets that from?”
Riley glared at Kate. “You’re not helping matters at all.”
“Sorry.” Kate sighed.
Quite early that morning she’d finished the statue. Now it was a matter of letting the clay dry completely so they could fire it in a kiln. It was time to head to the airport and on to Moscow.
Angry with Ally’s childish outburst, Riley let reality sink in a bit for her and turned toward the Bebels. “Efharistó,” he said quietly. “Thank you, Nadi and Angelo, for everything you have done for us.”
“Our home is your home. Always,” Nadi said, hugging Riley. “Adio.”
“Adio, Riley,” Angelo said, shaking his hand. “Be safe.”
With a worried expression, the older couple turned away. Nadi smiled at Ally. “Ally, dear. You have enjoyed your stay with us, yes?”
“Yes,” Ally whispered. “But I want to be with my dad.”
“I understand,” Nadi said. “I want you to know that we would love to have you with us. We will have fun, too. I will teach you more Greek. Show you how to make pasteli. Honey candy. Take you shopping again.”
Ally looked away.
“Okay.” Nadi took Angelo’s hand. “Now we’ll leave you alone to discuss this.” They left the living room and went into the kitchen.
The moment they were gone, Ally turned to Riley. “You said I could stay with you. You said you wanted to reconnect. It was all a lie, wasn’t it?”
For the life of him, Riley didn’t know how to fix this.
“Ally, honey,” Kate said, pulling Ally into a big hug. “You want Jenny back, right?”
Ally nodded.
“Then you need to let your dad take care of this.”
“But I can help.”
“I know, honey.” Kate sighed and stepped back, keeping her hands on Ally’s shoulders. “But the truth is that Angelo can protect you better.”
“My dad will keep me safe. I know he will.”
Riley paced behind Kate.
“But if he has to worry about you, he may not be able to get Jenny back safely.”
Ally glanced at Riley. “Why do you always want to get rid of me?”
“Get rid of you?” Riley stopped in front of his daughter. His anger dissipated the moment he finally understood what Ally was feeling. “Ally, that’s not what I want.”
“Then why do you do it?” she cried. “Every chance you get?”
Speechless, he stood there.
“Dad, I want to stay with you,” Ally said stubbornly. “I’m going to stay with you.”
All of a sudden Ally looked so much like Amy, his heart ached, but she wasn’t Amy. She was her own person, and if she did take after one of her parents, it was more than likely him.
“Kate, thank you,” he said. “But I need to talk to Ally myself. Alone, please.”
With a soft, reassuring touch on his arm, Kate left the room.
Riley knelt in front of his daughter. “I’ve been wrong, Ally. Leaving you with Jenny all these years.”
Ally said nothing, only looked at him with not a little bit of distrust, and he couldn’t blame her.
“Jenny’s been great to take such good care of you, don’t get me wrong, but I’m your dad. I should be with you.”
“But you’ve always said that wouldn’t work.”
“I know. And that was true. Then. But things are going to change.”
“How?”
“I don’t know yet.” Being with Ally these past several days—and Kate—had changed things for him. “When all this is over, we’ll figure it out. Somehow, some way, you and I will be together.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.” He folded his arms around her and held her tight. “Ally, honey, if anything happened to you…” He set her back and away from him. “I know you’re scared. I know you want to come with me. But I need you to stay with Angelo. I need to know you’re okay, so that I can focus on getting Jenny back. Okay?”
Ally’s shoulders shook. “Okay.”
“Listen to me.” He cupped her face. “I’m coming back.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.” She vaulted into his arms and Riley held her as tight as he could without breaking her in pieces. “I love you, Ally.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.” After she’d practically squeezed the life out of his neck, she let go. “And I have to tell you something else.”
“Yeah?”
“I lied about something.”
He waited, wondering.
“Chocolate is my favorite cake.”
“I knew it.” He smiled and rubbed his thumb along her cheek. God, but he loved this little girl. Never again was he going to turn his back on her. Never again.
“Daddy, come back.”
“I will.”
“And take care of Kate.”
“You know I will,” he whispered. If necessary, with his dying breath.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO MOSCOW?” Kate whispered.
“Yes.” Riley glanced out the window of the airplane as they made their descent to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport. A blanket of white snow covered the ground as far as the eye could see. “Never in the winter, though.”
The city itself, with its population of ten million plus, had long been considered Europe’s largest metropolitan area, with suburbs branching out for many miles in every direction. As far as Riley was concerned, though, it looked like every other big city.
“Let me guess,” she said. “On a mission.”
He nodded.
“Have you been to Red Square?”
He’d been there, all right, but not in the way she meant.
“I’ll bet you have,” she murmured. “But you haven’t really seen it, have you?”
“No.”
“That’s too bad. St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin alone are worth the trip. But there are also the museums. The famous shops.” She chuckled. “The nightlife is amazing. Fabulous restaurants. Delightful theaters. Fast and furious nightclubs.”
He kept his gaze focused out the window.
“We won’t have time for any of it, will we?”
“No.” Although this mission was nowhere near legit, it was no different than any other one. And they’d have no time to see the culture of the city. The moment Vasili Belov discovered his statues were missing he would scour the city looking for him and Kate. They had one night to get the job done and then get out of Dodge.
Kate patted her bag. “This Chaos statue needs more time to dry before firing it in a kiln.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he said as the plane landed and taxied to the gate. Riley turned on his cell phones and checked for messages. Nothing. But then, only one of the phones March had given him looked to be working here in Russia. He glanced at Kate. “Anything from that last contact of yours on the location
of the Turkish statue?”
“No,” she answered after a moment. “But it’s possible he e-mailed me. When we get out into the terminal, I’ll check.”
Purplish crescents tinged the skin under her bloodshot eyes and her voice lacked energy. After traveling to three different countries in five days, having logged more than six thousand air miles and catching sleep on planes and in cars, she looked as exhausted as he felt. All he wanted to do was squeeze her hand and tell her this would all be over soon. One way or another.
Immediately after exiting the plane, they located an internet connection. While Kate booted up the laptop Angelo had given them before leaving Athens, Riley pulled out March’s cell and dialed. “I’m here,” he said the moment March answered. “In Moscow.”
“Put Kate on the line,” March said.
He handed over the phone.
“I’m here,” she said.
“Good. Then all is in order.”
She handed the phone to him and went back to the laptop.
“Let me talk to Jenny,” Riley said.
“She’s a little…tied up at the moment.”
“You bastard.” He paced next to Kate. “I want to talk to her.”
“And I don’t want to play any more games,” March said, his anger subdued but there all the same. “That’s what you get for trying to double-cross me and sending your man to tail us. You’re lucky I don’t kill Jenny right here and now.”
Riley closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed.
“Once you’ve secured Vasili Belov’s statues, head immediately to Istanbul,” March said, speaking quickly. “We’ll meet at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow to exchange the statues for Jenny. I’ll call you with a location.”
“When we were in D.C. you said I had until midnight.”
“Did I? Hmmm. Things changed.”
“That’s too soon for me,” Riley said. He had to stall. “I need more time.”
“There isn’t more time. The buyer is anxious to get his collection. He wants to meet at five. So you’ve got until four and not a moment longer.”