by Kari Lemor
* * * *
Meg shoved her t-shirt inside her locker then finished tying the ends of her uniform top together under her bust. Her mind wandered to this afternoon in the pool with Chris. They’d kissed, just like the first day she’d met him but this time she was actually focused on their lips meeting and not whether the manager had spotted her in the pool again.
She tried not to think about the kiss, something she hadn’t done since Eddie, but this one had been amazing. Even though she’d thought Eddie was a good kisser, she’d been wrong. He’d been pleasant but when her lips had touched Chris’s this afternoon, it had blown her mind. Butterflies quivered inside her stomach as she remembered. She licked her lips, the memory of his sweet mouth on hers returning. When she’d done that this afternoon, his eyes had glowed with an intensity that drilled right into her soul.
Had he been as affected as she or was he merely a good actor? He was an undercover agent after all. Wining, dining and romancing women all over the globe must be typical for him. Pretending to be her lover most likely was nothing compared to some of what he’d done.
Yet he’d rescued her that first day before he knew who she was. Very chivalrous. Or had he known? Had he put himself in the right location to bump into her? She thought back to when they met and didn’t think so. He’d been staring at Moreno when she’d moved near him. He was simply in the right place at the right time. Of course she was going to help him with his ultimate goal so he wasn’t all chivalry and altruism.
Being with him this afternoon had been fun and she hadn’t experienced that in far too long. He was different from Eddie in so many ways. After their kiss, they’d flirted lightly, done more swimming then he’d cooked a wonderful meal right in the kitchenette of the suite. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten anything as good.
“You know, now that I’m living the good life, I’ll expect to be fed like this all the time,” she’d joked once she cleaned her plate.
He’d bowed his head, like the regal knight he was. “Of course, M’lady.”
She’d be doing this again and again every day for who knew how long. There’d be danger in that. And she wasn’t talking about Moreno. Being with Chris and how he was today, she could easily fall for him if she didn’t watch herself. Then when he rode off into the sunset on his trusty steed leaving her all alone, she’d have one heck of a heartache to nurse.
She stood up determined to avoid the pain at all costs. Close off those emotions and lock them deeply away behind the gates of her sarcasm. Use her witty remarks to keep any trespassers at bay. She shut her locker tugging the edge of her shorts over as much of her butt as she could then turned around. Mr. Moreno stood in the doorway to the locker room. The scowl on his face showed his mood.
Suddenly the danger of losing her heart to Chris didn’t seem like the most imminent threat there was.
Chapter 5
“Katie.” Moreno’s voice flowed over her name but she didn’t hear the lilting rhythm it usually had. He was livid about something. Had he discovered she’d ratted him out to the Feds? But how? She lifted her chin looking at the intense, dark-haired man curiously like she hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Where the hell have you been?” he rasped out again as he moved closer and icy cold seeped inside her. His pock-marked face was rigid with anger and she tried to keep from cringing. He was only a few inches taller but his imposing figure made him appear much larger than life. The twenty year age difference also cemented the knowledge that he was much more experienced than she was. And much more powerful.
Her gaze rose to the clock. “It’s still only four-fifty, Mr. Moreno. I have ten minutes before I have to check in.”
His tanned hands clamped onto her upper arms squeezing tight. Rage emanated from his eyes. “I’m not talking about now. Where the hell were you last night after work? Carlos said you moved out of your apartment and left the key for him. I had him searching all over for you today. I thought you had bailed out on me. You know you still owe me a great deal of money and I don’t take kindly to anyone skipping out on me.”
She shook her head back and forth, hoping to convince him. “No, Mr. Moreno, I wouldn’t do that. I’ve been working hard to pay everything back. I’ve even been giving you most of my tips. I want to pay you back as soon as possible. I know you’ve been really patient waiting for the money. I moved in with a friend, that’s all. It’s a closer place and I won’t have such a long walk.” God, she was babbling which was surprising with the fear that clawed at her throat threatening to choke her.
“A friend?” Moreno’s black eyes narrowed in skepticism. “But I specifically set you up in that apartment so Carlos could keep an eye on you and keep you safe. You should have discussed this with me first.”
She should have suspected as much. No wonder he’d known about her move this quickly. She swallowed hard at the thought.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Moreno,” she replied with true regret in her voice. Because she still had to stay at this job for a while and not because she hadn’t talked to him first. She also regretted that his hands were clenching tighter around her arms. “I know Sonny originally told me about the room but I didn’t know you had set it up. I would have told you otherwise.”
Moreno took a deep breath then lowered his eyes to her boobs practically falling out of her top. His mouth twisted into a smirk, his tongue stroking across his bottom lip. Unfortunately his hands didn’t let up on their grip.
“So, who’s this friend and where does she live?”
“Um,” she cleared her throat nervously. Why hadn’t she considered this aspect of moving in with Chris? She hadn’t thought Moreno would care about her private life. “It’s a guy I met a few days ago at The Ocean Terrace Resort. He’s in town for at least a month or so, setting up some new business down here.”
Her voice trembled and she gritted her teeth to try and keep it steady. “We hit it off by the pool and he said he’d love some company as he’s got a big suite all to himself. I figured since that place is so much closer to here and a lot nicer too, I would take advantage of it for now.”
Moreno’s hands became even tighter causing her to wince. These weren’t the first bruises she’d gotten from him. If she complained at all he could do far worse. He’d slapped a few of the waitresses around while he was mad. Like he was now. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea helping Chris out with his case. The Feds and cops were onto Moreno and she should have been happy with that, should have stayed out of it.
“You’re living with a guy?” Spittle dripped from the corner of Moreno’s mouth as he shook her. “I ask you all the time to be extra nice to my friends and associates and you refuse. I even offer to lower what you owe me but still you don’t do it. You now have some need to be fulfilled. I have many men who would pay dearly for someone who has the innocent look you do. Why all of a sudden this man?”
Because he’s an FBI agent who’s planning on putting you in jail and getting me out of this hell. She was losing feeling in her arms from his tight grasp. Now how to answer without having him beat her to a bloody pulp.
“Well, Mr. Moreno, this guy is young and good looking. And he’s been treating me awfully nice. I wanted to have some good things around me for a while.”
Her eyes opened wide when his face become even redder and she back pedaled. “Not that this place isn’t nice, it is. The club is gorgeous. But after working ten hours I’m so tired that walking home is tough. My room isn’t anywhere near as elegant as the resort. They have a pool, spa and gym, and living with Chris I can actually use them and not worry about the manager turning me over to the stinkin’ cops.”
Moreno actually smiled when she said stinkin’ cops and his grip eased somewhat. Was she getting herself in more trouble with her runaway mouth?
“Chris? What is his full name? What does he do for a living?”
She shrugged. “His name is Christopher Martin and I’m not sure what business he’s
in. He spent a lot of today on the phone but I didn’t pay any attention to what he was talking about. That stuff is all too boring and I don’t understand it anyway.”
She had to play dumb when it came to Moreno because she didn’t want anyone to figure out she had a brain in her head and completely understood all the backroom dealings. She’d be dead otherwise.
Moreno pulled her in close almost as if he was hugging her. This was no hug. His hands roamed down her back cupping her butt. “I am happy to see you loosening up, my little Katie, dear,” he whispered in her ear as his lips touched her cheek.
Bile rose in her throat. The dinner Chris had made threatened to come back up when Moreno’s hands squeezed her ass and pressed her to his obvious arousal. She closed her eyes gritting her teeth. Let this end soon.
He ground his hips into hers one last time then said, “Perhaps when your handsome gentleman is done playing with you, you would be willing to play with some of my friends who desire your company as well.”
The pig looked down at her or more specifically down into her top then skimmed his hands briefly over her hips. He took a step back waiting for her answer. What would he do if she refused? It wasn’t worth testing so she gave a tiny nod, softly repeating, “Perhaps.”
“Wonderful. Now go, get yourself set up with Dave. The customers will be here any time and you are one of their favorite waitresses. They all wish to sit in your service area. You have exactly what they want.” His hand stroked her ass one last time.
“Thank you, Mr. Moreno. I try.” She scurried out of the locker room to check in. Stacking glasses and filling the ice chests mechanically, she concentrated on what she had to do to find the right information for Chris and the rest of the Feds. It couldn’t be soon enough for her.
* * * *
Chris watched Meg move around the club for the third night in a row. He was amazed at her versatility. With the customers she was flirtatious and sweet though she still threw out attitude by the handful but not quite as much as she gave to him. They loved her wit and the way her long, slender legs moved and how she bent over their tables to deposit drinks on a napkin. Far too many eyes lingered on her chest when she did.
He couldn’t blame them, it was a damn fine chest. The tight top, low and bunched under her firm breasts, did a nice job of emphasizing her generous attributes. Not that he was checking her out or anything. Well, not as blatantly as some of these slobs were.
He’d taken his regular corner table near the bar nodding to a few of the people he’d met over the last couple days. Conversation was kept casual as he needed to concentrate on getting invited into that back room. He insisted he liked being by himself to absorb the atmosphere and listen to the music. No one questioned him. They had their own reasons for coming here every night.
Meg disappeared into the back room at least a half dozen times over the course of his five-hour stint. To avoid suspicion he couldn’t stay too long but he did want to be around when she got off duty.
He left a little before closing, waiting on the other side of the street for her to finish up cleaning and come out. A short while later she appeared with a few other waitresses. Waving to them, she caught sight of him standing against the telephone pole. She crossed right over, a tiny smile lighting up her face.
“Thanks, I wasn’t sure if you’d be here or not. You know you don’t have to stay this late if you don’t want to. I can make it back to the hotel by myself. I’m a big girl now. It’s far shorter than the trek I used to have before my white knight rode up rescuing me.”
He fell into step beside her to head back to the resort. “Now what kind of white knight would I be if I left the sweet damsel to walk back to the castle all by herself? What if there was some sort of dragon to slay or moat to cross?”
Her eyes twinkled impishly. She crossed her arms under her nicely endowed chest. “I’d slay the dragon with my sharp tongue and rapier wit and as for the moat, you forget that I was a champion swimmer and diver. Moats aren’t a problem.”
He chuckled. He didn’t doubt she could handle all sorts of dragons. “But what if there were fierce monsters in the moat?”
Her lips twitched. “I’d simply tell them if they waited a bit there’d be a tasty knight following along behind me. Moat monsters prefer knights in shining armor to damsels any day. Common knowledge.”
“Wow, good thing I met up with you. Apparently I’m severely lacking in my white knight training. I must have an old manual or something. Remind me to get my dues up to date and request a more revised edition.”
“Um, if you haven’t paid your dues,” her voice held humorous derision, “then you might not be qualified to be my knight. I may have to petition to get another knight, one with certified credentials, to replace you.”
“What if I promise to get them paid up and study the new manual diligently?” he asked enjoying the banter. “I could throw in a homemade meal every night with the deal. I don’t want to be thrown out of the union. I’ve been doing this type of job far too long to try something new. What do you say? Give me another chance?”
She rolled her eyes like she might possibly think about it. “Fine, but the right conditions have to be met. I need a soft bed at night, pool during the day, and a nice home-cooked meal before I head off to the old pub to do my duty as serving wench.”
He laughed at the serving wench comment, glad she could joke about it. Better to laugh than cry.
Once back in the suite there wasn’t much chatter. She was practically asleep on her feet. How did she do this day after day? But really, what were her choices?
He gave her a little push again into the bedroom, waiting a few minutes after the light went out to go in and use the bathroom. As he crept out, her soft voice mumbled, “Night, muffin.”
He kept his chuckle low and whispered, “Night, sweetie.”
* * * *
Chris finished brushing his teeth wondering what time Meg would get up today. It was only ten but he’d been up for a few hours. He’d actually slept late this morning too, for him. Typically an early riser, this assignment was playing havoc with his routine.
Indulging a bit, he gazed at her while she slept in the huge, comfortable bed. He could probably sleep in there and not actually touch her in any way. Seriously? Who was he kidding? If he was in that bed with her he’d have an impossibly hard time trying not to touch her. She was a bit addictive. It wasn’t simply her beauty either. She was fun. Her mind was as sharp as her tongue.
As he watched, she rolled onto her back lifting her arms to rest above her head, pushing her chest out prominently. She stayed asleep and he told himself he should stop gawking at her. Parts of him were already frustrated he was only gawking and they were begging him to do more. He silently stepped past but some discoloration on her arms made him pause to look closer.
They were bruises; severe ones by the looks of them. How had that happened? He eyed them closer, turning his head in different directions. Tiny crescent-shaped indentations where fingernails were marred the edges of the discoloration. Who would have gripped her hard enough to leave these? And why?
Debating whether or not to wake her up and ask, he sat on the edge of the bed. The bruises hadn’t been there yesterday at the pool. He definitely would have noticed.
His jaw clenched tighter as he lifted his finger to run along the soft skin of the arm closest to him. The thought of someone grabbing her and holding her this tightly made him see red. How did he have such strong emotions where she was concerned already? He’d only met her three days ago. It was simply because he hated to see any woman victimized, right? It had always been his downfall.
Her make-up free face, still gorgeous, began to show signs of waking. Her eyes fluttered open. She sat up quickly taking in a deep breath, looking around.
“Oh, you startled me. Why are you in here? Do I need to do something?”
“Yeah,” he huffed trying to remain calm. “You need to tell me how y
ou got these bruises on your arms.”
Fear flickered in her eyes briefly before she masked it, brushing it off. “It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“Meg.” He gazed at her seriously. “These are from someone wrapping their hands all the way around your arms and holding tight. Who did this? One of your customers in the back room?”
She shook her head averting her eyes. “Mr. Moreno wasn’t happy that I moved out without talking to him first. Apparently he had the landlord keeping an eye out for me, in case I tried to skip out of town.”
“Moreno did this?” His hatred for the man grew deeper by the minute. “Did he hurt you anywhere else?”
She kept her eyes toward the window and gave a shrug, though not very credible by any standards. “I’m okay. You shouldn’t worry. It’s not the first time he got upset and shook me a little.”
“He’s done this before?” Heat saturated his face and neck. “How often does he do stuff like this?”
She did look at him this time as she shook her head. “Not often, honestly. I usually try and stay out of his way when he’s in a bad mood. Dave, one of the bartenders, will give me a head’s up most of the time if he can.”
He remained silent, fuming for a few moments, his thoughts racing. “I can put you on a plane to Pennsylvania this afternoon and you can be back with your family by tonight. We can make up some story for Moreno that you were killed in a car accident when you were crossing the street. Then you don’t have to worry about him going after you or your family.”
Her expression started out puzzled then grew stubborn. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m not running away from my promise to you because Mr. Moreno got a little handsy. It’s not like I haven’t dealt with it before. You said yourself the information I could potentially get from those back room games could be the key to taking down his whole organization. You need me.”
“Yeah, I do. But I need you alive.”