by Abby Wood
~ Look for these titles from Abby Wood ~
Now Available:
Alpha Agents
Book 1 G-Man and Handcuffs
Book 2 Witness Bares All
Book 3 Steel and Hardness
Coming Soon:
Finding Eternal Peace
Witness Bares All
By Abby Wood
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Published By:
Etopia Press
P.O. Box 66
Medford, OR 97501
www.etopiapress.com
Smashwords Edition
All characters are 18 years or older
Witness Bares All
Copyright © 2010 by Abby Wood
ISBN: 978-1-936751-02-0
Edited by Georgia Woods
Cover by Valerie Tibbs
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Etopia Press electronic publication: December 2010
http://www.etopia-press.net
~ Dedication ~
To Georgia, A wonderful editor who has helped me not only with polishing up my story, but who has prepared me if I ever have to enter the Witness Protection Program.
Chapter One
The black Hummer seemed to crawl up the winding mountain road at a snail’s pace. Josie leaned her head back against the seat and stared out the window at the same scene she’d studied for the last several hours. Sheesh, how long does it take to get to this highly secretive place?
They’d been driving since before sunrise, and every time she'd asked Donovan how much longer it would be, he’d turned away from her and muttered without giving her a straight answer. Blowing the bangs out of her eyes, she pushed the control to lower the window. She sighed with relief as the flow of cooler mountain air blasted her face. The tension between Donovan and her was enough to suffocate her.
“Put the window up. The glass is blacked out for a reason. We can’t take any chances.” He waited two seconds, and when she didn’t immediately roll her window up, he pushed the control button on the door himself. “Look, Marie—”
“Josie. My name is Josie.” She snorted. “Agent D.”
“Not anymore, it isn’t.” He turned up the air conditioner, glanced over at her, and then turned his attention back to the road. “The trial is a week away. You can go back to your life, your own name, and forget about everything you’ve had to…suffer through. In the meantime, you’ll not take any unnecessary risks, and I’d appreciate it if you’d follow the rules.”
Turning her face away from him, she blinked to dispel the sudden rush of tears clouding her vision. She didn’t want to go back to having no job, no life…no Donovan. Damn him.
“Marie…” He placed his hand on her thigh. “I know it’s hard, but this is for the best.”
She refused to look at him, but nodded. Her leaving and never looking back might be what he wanted, but all these months of just the two of them depending on each other had done a doozy on her. There was no happily-ever-after written in the stars for her.
Agent D and she were two very different people. Donovan had his high level of responsibilities, code of honor, and seriousness. She was more spontaneous, a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, live-life-to-the-fullest kind of gal. And against her better judgment, she’d thrown herself at him, fucked like it was going out of style, and somehow, during all the chaos, fell in love with an agent for the FBI.
But, he didn’t return the feelings.
Donovan pulled the vehicle off the old logging road and came to a stop. Josie sat up straighter. A lone cabin nestled deep in the woods, symbolizing beauty, serenity, and vacancy, sat in front of her. This was no safe house. The whole scene belonged on a postcard depicting a national forest for tourists to visit. A reenactment of pioneer life. “This is where you are keeping me?”
“Yeah.”
“There are other people here.” She studied a rather large man slugging another equally big man in the shoulder walking around to the back of the cabin. Her chest tightened. He’d made it perfectly clear. No one was supposed to know where she was staying. Something wasn’t right. Her chest tightened, and her breath seemed to lodge in her throat. Any one of these people could work for Renfro Jackson.
She pulled the door handle, but Donovan had control of the locks. “Let me out.”
“It’s okay. This really is a safe place for us to stay.” He turned off the engine. “You’ve heard me mention Agent Tony. Bryce and Taylor, the agents that transported you after the incident at the casino, are also here. They’re all here to double up on security. Tony’s girlfriend even came to keep you company. You’ll like her. I think you have a lot in common with each other.”
“You’ve slept with her too?” She whipped around and glared at him. “Can we compare notes? Maybe we could even swap partners…Agent D?”
His black eyes narrowed, but he didn’t deny it. His hand came up and rubbed the whiskered five-o’clock shadow along his jaw.
Shush, shush, shush.
It was a familiar sound lately, usually one that came when he was at a loss for words and had to think up an answer.
“Oh, whatever.” She snorted, sat back, and waited for him to unlock the door.
He had her face encased in his hands before she could spew any more anger toward him. “Dammit. Don’t be like that. And stop calling me Agent D. My name’s Donovan.” He exhaled. “Josie…Marie…Oh fuck it.” He leaned over and claimed her mouth with his own. His tongue pushed past her lips. Hard, fast, and possessive, he just as quickly let her go. “Come on. Let’s go get settled.”
She sat with her mouth open, afraid to breathe, and stared out at the rustic cabin. There was no way she was going to believe that Donovan didn’t love her. Not with a kiss like that. The man had more feelings wrapped up into his cold exterior than even he knew about.
Chapter Two
The love between Tony and Jolene was apparent to everyone, but especially to Josie. She turned her gaze away from the couple embracing and moved a few steps away from the crowd. Peering out into the distance, she noticed a path leading from the yard down a slight embankment.
She had more freedom today than any other time since being placed in a safe house because of the remote location. Not wanting to admit that she found the rustic setting quaint and charming, she kept her mouth shut and stayed out of the friendly conversations floating around the cabin all afternoon. Donovan had briefed her with the rules set up to protect her, but he’d forgotten to mention exactly how far she could wander
around outside. She glanced back at her keeper. He was holding up a security camera while Taylor and Brice verbally told him which way to move.
Walking quickly away from the house, she jogged along the path and out of sight. She inhaled and let her body relax. She hadn’t had any space to herself since the night Bryce and Taylor drove her away from the casino after the shootout and straight to the safe house to live with Donovan.
Yesterday Donovan informed her that their current location had been compromised, but she knew the truth. He’d wanted someone around to keep them apart. She was growing too dependent on him. There was no danger. He only wanted to stop their sexual affair.
“Oh.” She stopped. The most beautiful river lay in front of her, and on the bank a deer and her baby were drinking at the water’s edge.
“They come down to the river every afternoon, along with bears and elk. I think I could watch them all day long.”
Josie turned and found Jolene standing beside her. She crossed her arms. “I didn’t hear you following me.”
Jolene laughed. “Yeah, well…I’m sneaky like that.” She shrugged. “Donovan was coming after you, but I told him I’d bring you back.” The woman stepped in front of her and faced her. “Are you okay? I’m not usually this nosy, but I know the guys can be pretty intimidating. It’s all those G-man hormones…they bounce off each other.”
“G-man?” She chewed on the inside of her cheek.
“That’s what I call the guys on Tony’s team.” She winked. “It’s a much easier title to say than Federal Bureau of Investigations Special Agent.”
Josie lifted the corner of her mouth. “You’re right about that.”
“I take it you’ve been sleeping with Donovan…”
She raised her brows, but something about the woman had her nodding. “I’m that transparent?”
“No.” Jolene rubbed Josie’s bare arm. “I’ve just been in your shoes. I know the look. It’s hard not to fall for them. They’re like the last of the alpha males.”
Josie shrugged. “It’s all one-sided though. Donovan…Agent D is all business, all the time…well, except when he’s screwin’ me.” She tried to hold the tears back, but after staying strong and having no one to talk to, the friendly conversation undid her resolve. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be blabbing about my troubles.”
“Aw…” Jolene reached out and wrapped her arms around Josie. “You’re going to spend a week here with us, and we’ll talk more later. Right now, let’s get you back to the house before Donovan has all of the G-men stomping down here with their guns drawn.”
She let Jolene turn her around. She lifted her head and pulled back. Donovan stood in the path frowning. Uh oh.
“I was coming back. I just wanted to see where the trail led…” She shut her mouth. That sounded like a lie even to her.
Donovan ignored her excuse for running off and nodded to Jolene. “Thanks, but I’ll bring her back.”
Jolene squeezed her arm before walking back up the trail. Josie stared at Donovan. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t—”
He held up his hand. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain” He stepped toward her. “Let’s walk.” He motioned off to the side. “We’ll leave the deer to enjoy their moment.”
They strolled down the river in silence. Her head spun with questions. Why wasn’t he taking her back to the cabin? Did something happen and he was trying to give her the bad news? Maybe she’d pushed him too far.
Unable to take the suspense any longer, she touched his arm. “Donovan, stop, please.” She dropped her hand. “What’s going on? There’s something wrong, isn’t there?”
He shook his head. “It’s not what you think.”
“Well, I’m thinking the worst.” She wrapped her arms around her waist. “Is it about the trial?”
“No.” He held out his hand. “Let’s sit down.”
She moved over to the grassy knoll overlooking the river and waited. Donovan sat beside her and gazed out to the water. Please, don’t break my heart…
“I want to apologize.” He turned toward her. “I’ve treated you unfairly.”
She drew her legs up and laid her head on her knees. Her anger melted away. It was so easy to believe him. A man of few words, he always said exactly what he meant. No bullshit radar was needed around him. “It’s okay.”
He smiled. “You’re always so forgiving. We’re in a difficult situation. We both are.” He leaned back on his hands and crossed his legs. “I was trying to wait until the trial was over to have this discussion with you.” He paused. “It goes against everything I believe in to fall for the woman whose life I’m responsible for. I’ve pledged my word to the agency that I would not become emotionally or physically involved with someone under my protection, and with you, all the rules flew out the window.”
“I know.” She sighed. “I wish…gah!”
“Tell me.”
“I wish we’d met at a bar or through a friend, instead of this. I hate the circumstances I’m in.” She sighed.
“Yeah, me, too, but there’s no going back.” He leaned forward. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”
She lifted her head. “You have?” Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head. “Why are you telling me now? Why not last week, or even on our way out here?”
“I don’t know…there’s something about being out here where you start reflecting on your life. The important things become essential and the insignificant problems practically melt away. The cabin seems like home, Tony and Jolene are happily in love, and all I want to do is shout to the world that you’re my woman.” He leaned over and lifted her onto his lap. “I’m sorry I put you through hell. If everything happens according to our plans next week, we can live normally.”
“Oh, Donovan. I love you so much.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s killed me thinking you’d grown tired of me.”
“Don’t ever think that.” He kissed her. “I’ll never stop wanting you. I’ve fallen in love with you.” His hands stroked the inside of her leg. “I want you. Right here. Now.”
“Yes.”
He laid her gently down in the tall grass, unbuttoned the front of her blouse, and spread it open. With a quick flick, he’d opened her bra in the front, and her breasts fell free. He groaned. “You’re beautiful. Just thinking about all that dark hair spread out on a pillow, your brown eyes begging me to join you, has me tied up in knots.” He drew his finger around her rose-colored areola. “I want to whisk you away and never let anyone hurt you again.” He lowered his head and captured her nipple.
Her back arched. “Don…o…van!”
He sat back and unbuckled his belt. “You’re a greedy woman…” Chuckling, he unzipped his jeans. Getting up on his knees, he pulled his pants down far enough on his hips he could remove his cock.
She squirmed out of her shorts and panties. Laughing, she tackled him to the ground. “I’ve wanted to do this all day long.” She straddled his hips and cupped her breasts. “Help me. I want to feel you all the way inside of me.”
Donovan fisted the base of his cock and ran it along her slit. “Damn, you’re wet. So juicy and sweet.” He licked his lips. “So hot.”
She waited until the bulbous head teased the opening of her cunt, and then plunged down on top of him. “Oh, yes…” She moved back and forth, rubbing her clit against his body. The pleasure was instantaneous. The pressure in her lower stomach grew and constricted. “I need you,” she moaned. “I’m going to explode.”
“Do it.” Donovan reached up with both hands and cupped her breasts. “Damn, that feels good.” His big hands covered every inch of her. He squeezed, pulled, jiggled, and she lost herself in his touch.
The constant caress on her clit sent her careening out of control, and pleasure burst into a million pieces, spreading throughout her body, wave after wave.
Donovan shuddered underneath her, and hot pulses of cum filled her body. She slumped over his chest and laid her head in the soft
crook of his neck. “I love you so much,” she whispered.
“I love you too, baby.”
She lay in his arms long after his spent cock slipped out of her pussy. Too tired to move, she luxuriated in the closeness Donovan offered. It took a lot for him to admit his feelings. She understood it went against everything he believed in. He did things by the book, and falling in love with her was a huge no-no.
“You won’t get in trouble…because of us being together, will you?” She lifted her head.
“I don’t know. I won’t hide what happened anymore.” He kissed the tip of her chin. “It’ll be okay. Whatever happens, we’ll get through it.”
“You’ve got about two minutes, and I’m coming over to see if you’re dead or alive.” A voice yelled in the breeze.
She hid her face in her hands. “Donovan! He’s going to catch us.”
Donovan laughed. “We’re okay, Bryce. We’ll be up at the cabin in a minute.” He rolled her off him and sprang to his feet. “Let’s jump in the river and clean up before we have to face the others.”
She rose. “This is going to be the longest week of my life.”
“Mine too.” He motioned over his shoulder to the water. “Wanna swim?”
“That depends. Can I stop calling you Agent D in front of the others?” She grinned.
“Sure.” He pulled her close. “I’m sorry, but you’re still going to have to use the name Marie around everyone, okay? We can’t forget why we’re here.”
She nodded. Despite the declaration of love, the present risks she was living with required her to always be on guard. “I understand.”
Chapter Three