“That’s pretty cool. We have a little bit of Cheyenne in our family, but it’s so far removed I couldn’t begin to tell you anything about it. What about you?”
“Well, I have an older brother who actually speaks Lakota fluently. I only know a few words,” she said, deciding how much to reveal about herself. Just because she felt she could trust him didn’t change the fact that they’d just met. “My kids and I powwow every summer with our adopted family. In fact, my daughter and I are both pretty good fancy shawl dancers and my son is a serious grass dancer. Won first place last year at the Annual Golden Powwow.”
“Golden?”
“Yeah,” she said slowly, a bit of unintentional “duh” in her tone, “as in Golden, Colorado. It’s a town. You know, where they make Coors beer.” She laughed when he wrinkled up his nose and made a disgusted sound at the thought of actually drinking Coors beer. “So you’re a beer snob? Say it ain’t so!”
His hand flew to his heart in a dramatic gesture. “I’m afraid it’s much worse than that, beauty. If it comes in a can that doesn’t say Coke, it doesn’t get anywhere near these lips.”
His lopsided grin appeared, and the butterflies in her stomach came out to play again. The damned things should have been exhausted by now. Did butterflies take naps?
“So what does get near those lips?” she teased and propped her elbow on the table. She rested her palm in her chin and regarded him boldly. Whoa! Since when did she know how to flirt? Goodness, how many times was she going to surprise herself tonight?
*Perhaps this man brings it naturally out of you?*
‘Shhh, Sapa.’ She’d never heard the big cat sound so saucy. ‘You’re going to make me laugh out loud, then he’ll think I’m crazy,’ she growled silently, trying to keep her expression steady.
“So you want to know what gets near these lips?” he asked, giving her own question back to her. “Only the best, I assure you.”
Their drinks arrived and Delaine burst out laughing. The man had ordered Shirley Temple drinks for both of them, and hers had an extra cherry!
The best? Definitely!
* * * * *
Justin heard himself talk her into a slow dance. He took her in his arms and immediately regretted it. Barely managing to behave, his fingers itched to slip low on her back and tease the luscious curve at the top of her ass. Arms wrapped securely around her firm body, his nose buried itself in the top of her soft curly chignon, careful not to disturb the elegant style. Nudging her chin up with his nose, he urged her to lift her head so he could kiss her then kiss her some more. Mmm, she tasted and felt so good. And when she gave him delicious slow slips of her tongue and little nips of her teeth, he got so hard he could have played nine innings with his dick. Damn, if he didn’t get her off the dance floor soon, he’d come in his pants.
To Delaine, Justin’s kisses were like chocolate—rich and addictive. She couldn’t hold back her soft moans as he nibbled and sucked on her tongue. He pressed closer and she gulped. Lord, the man was hard as a rock and huge against her stomach. Feeling his arousal did wicked things to her body. Good thing her wardrobe hadn’t been delivered yet. That little inconvenience meant a pair of granny panties was getting soaked under her little black dress instead of her usual itty-bitty thong. All hail granny panties! A thong would have been drenched and completely good for nothing by now.
They returned to their table and talked, kissed and held hands until well past two in the morning. As he saw her to her car, Justin was genuinely pleased he’d shown her a good time. Unable to resist one more kiss, he leaned down far enough to take one more kiss as she sat behind the wheel. Delaine responded hungrily, as if she’d never see him again and had to get her fill of him right now. That lip lock singed the hair on his toes and left him clenching his teeth, fighting for control as he closed the door and stepped away from her car.
She pulled away from the curb and his smile faded. He started his Jag and flipped on the secure cell phone link hidden in the dash. A few seconds later the beep signaling the end of transmission sounded. The digital photo he’d quietly taken of Delaine was sent.
* * * * *
“Hey, Geri, it’s Delaine. Sorry to call so late but it’s the first chance I had today.”
“No problem. What’s going on?”
“So far so good at Astin. I met Brian Baker. A real sleaze,” she grunted into the phone, fighting with her high heels, trying to toe them off as she sat down at her laptop. “You’re a genius, by the way. My badge got me access to The Vault. How you managed to get the encryption key to work, I’ll never know.”
“That’s why they pay me the big bucks,” Geri chided. “That, and getting your butt out of there in one piece. Have you come up with any evidence yet on what Baker is doing?”
“Not quite, but I’m working on it. I’ve got a tail, Ger, and she’s slowing me down. Can you check her out for me?”
“Sure, send me a digital.”
Delaine pressed the send button on the encrypted e-mail program and said, “It’s on the way to you now. Her name is Sarah Ann Crosby,” she said on a wistful sigh.
“What was that?”
“What was what?”
“That dreamy sigh you just let slip is what,” Geri said matter-of-factly.
Delaine should have known better. Geri Studebaker had been a top agent back in her day. She didn’t run the most secretive law enforcement agency for nothing. The woman didn’t miss anything and her deductive reasoning was second to none. Hell, she could probably figure out what Delaine’s motive had been for things she’d done back in grade school.
“You’re not going to believe this, but I met someone tonight. Ger, he’s so fine, and smart.”
“What’s his name?”
“Justin.”
“Justin what?”
“Oh my god, I have no idea,” Delaine said in amazement. A name, a whole name, was usually the first thing she got out of a person when first meeting them. She had no idea of his profession either, having just asked about his career when she’d gotten the grand idea of teasing him with that stupid apple tart. The end result—Justin had almost choked to death and she’d pounded on his back like she was tenderizing a tough side of beef.
“Just be careful, Delaine.”
“Will do, boss. Good night.”
Delaine shut down her computer and then walked around the house, checking security. Once in bed, she tucked her gun under her pillow and summoned Sapa onto this plane.
‘Come to me, Sapa.’
The black lioness shimmered into a relaxed heap on the floor next to Delaine’s bed. She licked her paws and replied, *Yes, Suta?*
Delaine hadn’t been this wound up in, well, never. She reached down and rubbed Sapa between her ears in a gesture that soothed both her and the great cat. “What do you really think of the man we met tonight?” Delaine asked anxiously.
*He will make a worthy mate.*
“I just met him, Sapa. How could you possibly know?” Delaine paused as an idea popped into her head. “And why didn’t you tell me whether Gary was a worthy mate or not?” Delaine ground her back teeth, agitated at having asked the question before she’d really thought it out. She already knew the answer, and Sapa, if anything, was straightforward and a lover of I-told-you-so’s.
*If you recall, Suta, I expressed dislike for the Gary person several times before you married him. Yet, I am your guide, not your master. You will do as you will.*
“Yeah, yeah, I remember,” Delaine sighed. The fact that she’d never shared Sapa with Gary spoke volumes. “By the way, thanks for the heads-up in the ladies room. Who was the blonde woman in my house begging for help? I assume the woman tied to the chair was a different one. What did the vision mean? Who are those women?”
*I was not told or shown. But do not worry. We are never given a glimpse of things to come in order to hurt us, always to aid us. Now sleep. We must rest for tomorrow.*
“Tomorrow? Other than my hair appointmen
t with Pam, there’s nothing going on tomorrow.”
But Sapa only purred, her long feline tongue lolling to the side as she began to disappear. Oh lord, the lioness was grinning.
“Sapa, you come back here!” Delaine called. “What happens tomorrow, you stubborn old thing you!”
Sapa sent serenity and reassurance along their bond as she shimmered away to her quiet place inside Delaine’s mind.
Delaine was asleep in seconds, her dreams filled with a redheaded, six–and–a–half– foot, gorgeous hunk of a blue-eyed man.
Chapter Five
Who in the world could be calling her this early in the morning? Delaine grumbled, rolled over in her bed and snatched the phone off the hook. “Hello?”
“Hi, Mom!”
“Hey, babies! How are you?” she said happily, bolting straight up in the bed, now wide awake. “What are you two doing today?”
“We’re working in La Boulainge for brunch,” said Tanna, her oldest.
“Then we’re going to play a round of golf. Finally!” Michael declared. He was Tanna’s spitting image, born only a few minutes behind his sister. Both were enrolled in the Le Cordon Bleu culinary bachelor’s degree program, and Delaine was infinitely proud of them. They’d taken the departure of their father with amazing grace and rallied around her like little soldiers during that rough time. They still had a relationship with their dad, though by his and his mistress-turned-new-wife’s choosing, it was somewhat cool.
“We just called to check on you. How do you like Charlotte?” Tanna asked.
“It’s nice. Lots to do, plenty to see. You’ll love the house. Most of my upcoming assignments are on the East Coast, so I’ll be staying here for a while.”
“Will our stuff get there in time for Christmas break?”
“Yep. And I can either set up your rooms before you get here, or wait until you arrive so you can pick which rooms you want.”
“It doesn’t matter to us. Can’t wait to see you. The next two months are going to feel like forever, Mom,” Michael’s deep voice filled the line.
“I look forward to seeing you too, sweetie.”
“We’ve gotta run,” Tanna said, always the diligent one. Shooing her brother off the phone she said, “We’ll call you next week, Mom.”
Delaine felt a tug along the bond. “Oh, Sapa says hello to you both. She misses you as much as I do.”
“Hi, Sapa!” they chimed in unison. “Love you, Mom! Bye.”
“Love you too.”
Even as tired as she was, she was so jazzed at hearing from her children she couldn’t possibly go back to sleep now. With that, Delaine was out of bed and headed to the shower.
While she lathered up in the oversized stall, thoughts of her children filled her mind along with a nagging guilt she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Tanna and Michael still had no idea she was a spy. Front companies like Aegis understood that agents, especially those with families, needed to maintain as normal a life as possible. Since she had kids, and used to have a husband, most of her traveling had been limited to short take-downs where they were pretty sure who was up to no good. All she had to do was go in, get the evidence and get out. It usually amounted to a few days here and there with the pretense that she was away training pharmaceutical manufacturers how to use her company’s software or help them map their production processes. Perfect cover for her high-tech persona.
She used to question why she couldn’t share her profession with her family. After all, she was providing a valuable service by taking scum off the streets by infiltrating their organizations and taking them down. But after so many years of firsthand experience with the kind of ruthlessness these criminals possessed, she was glad neither her ex-husband nor children knew what she did for a living. Ignorance was the best form of protection. And Aegis protected them well. After all, Delaine Jeris wasn’t even her real name.
The steam felt good, but her conscience nagged. She’d just met a fabulous guy whom she wouldn’t mind seeing again, but it had been forever since she’d had to do the “hide my identity” thing with a potential lover. She cringed at the memory of how she’d almost slipped and told him her real name last night. With Gary, she’d had years to adjust until keeping her job secret was second nature. But what face should she wear with this new Justin guy? And why did she wish she could wear none at all?
‘Come to me, Sapa,’ she whispered to her best friend and guide.
*I am here, Suta, but I will not get into that water with you.*
Delaine laughed at Sapa’s dry humor. She’d learned as a little girl that the lioness despised playing in water. One summer while visiting her grandma on the reservation, her cousins tossed a non-swimming Delaine into the lake. Floundering to stay afloat, she’d screeched for Sapa to help her. Her cousins thought she’d suddenly perfected her dog-paddling technique. What they hadn’t seen was Sapa’s big black back holding her head above water, trying to get her to shore with all haste. Delaine’s threats to tell her grandma sent her cousins fleeing, while a very angry Sapa wished she could sink her fangs into their backsides. Never mind the fact Delaine only had to put her feet down to touch bottom. Sapa had growled, hissed and, to Delaine’s surprise, cursed a blue streak until her supernatural fur dried out.
Delaine pressed her lips together as the lioness’ corporeal form stalked around the large bathroom. A giggle bubbled out of her throat just as Sapa chose a nice cool spot on the tile floor near the sunken bathtub, flopped down and regarded her charge. Delaine laughed outright at the sound of Sapa’s droll voice.
*It is a dreadful memory.*
‘I’m sorry, Sapa, but it’s funny. Now. At the time I was terrified. But that’s not why I called you to this plane.’ With that, Delaine stuck her face under the shower of water and groaned. God that felt good. Too bad her mind couldn’t enjoy it.
‘Sapa, what’s going on with me? I feel so…unsteady.’
*There is nothing wrong with you, Suta. Your name, Suta Winyan, means Strong Woman. You are, and have always been, a strong woman. Even now when you feel unsure.*
‘But why do I feel this way? I’ve never had a problem doing my job before.’
*Performing your duties is not the issue. Deceiving our mate is the issue.*
‘He is NOT our mate,’ Delaine protested hotly, not sure why.
*And you know this how?*
Delaine scrunched up her face and regarded Sapa like the stubborn little girl she’d been when they’d met. She rolled her eyes instead. The great hunter lay on her side yawning, not paying the least bit of attention to Delaine’s face. But then, she didn’t need to.
‘God, what is it about this guy? I don’t even know him and I want to tell him everything. What makes me want to…hell, I don’t know. I’ve never been affected by anyone like this. Not even my ex-husband, and I was married to him forever.’
*Do you have to mention the puny Gary man? It makes my stomach upset and gives me the urge to eat grass.*
“Sapa, you only eat grass when you feel sick or nauseous.”
*Precisely.*
Delaine snorted at her spirit guide’s matter-of-fact tone, then Sapa said something that rocked her back on her heels.
*You do realize the puny Gary man hid more from you than you did from him, yes?*
Delaine hopped out of the shower, sputtering like a drowned rat in a shower cap. Yeah, she’d known all right. She was, after all, an undercover agent. If there was anything she was good at, it was ferreting out the truth, even about her own husband. The cheating bastard.
‘Enough said. Sometimes I wish I weren’t the only one who could see and touch you. It would have been nice for a chunk of his ass to disappear and he’d have no idea what bit him.’
*I would not have dared bite such a vile creature. Just the thought…* Delaine’s eyes went wide as the lioness actually shuddered and made a nasty gagging sound! *I must depart in search of some grass to eat. I am feeling somewhat unsettled.*
Delaine laughed as she grabbed her favorite aromatic oil and worked it into her damp skin. With genuine thanks, she responded, ‘I’m fine now, Sapa. Thanks for keeping me company.’
*Anytime, Suta, but do not fool yourself. Justin is for us. It is expected that you would want to keep no secrets from our mate.*
“Uh, sure,” she drawled, not giving in on the mate business. Not yet.
With that, her spirit guide faded into the back of her mind, leaving Delaine with more to think about than she’d had on her mind before summoning the big cat. Shower cap tossed aside, she strode to the closet to dress. The phone rang again and the tactical gear she’d selected from the sparsely occupied shelves landed on the closet floor. Thinking her kids must have forgotten something had her flying back into the bedroom. Her towel hit the floor as she dove across the bed for the phone like a third baseman for the Colorado Rockies.
“Tanna? What’d you forget, honey?” She tensed when a deep, sexy voice greeted her enthusiastic hello.
* * * * *
“Good morning, beautiful.”
Justin? Oh my god. She wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. What to do? What to do? Okay, now just calm down. The man wasn’t standing here looking down at her completely naked butt, he was on the phone. But on the phone or not, her body responded to the smooth tone sliding over the phone line. Her breasts pressed into the soft jacquard comforter, which felt unusually abrasive against the sensitive tips. Delaine wondered if the small droplets of water on her back were starting to steam. She cleared her throat, bent her knees and allowed her feet to kick back and forth in the air.
“Well hello, handsome. How are you?”
“I’m great, but I’d be doing better if you were having breakfast with me.”
“Breakfast? I…uh…” She had to what? Come on, girl, think of something!
“Have you eaten already? I know it’s a bit late.”
Whew! He’d just bailed her out. She guessed she should be thankful considering the state of her frozen brain. Wait, what did he mean by a bit late? Her first glance at the nightstand clock convinced her that the cheap plastic thing was lying. She couldn’t wait until her things arrived from Denver so she could have a clock that was reliable. There was just no way she’d slept the morning away until eleven o’clock! Time to get moving if she was going to be on time for her appointment at Pam’s. Damn, she hated rushing.
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