by Taylor Lee
Now, staring into the mirror at her tortured reflection, Ruby admitted that the overriding emotion she’d felt when Noah dared her to spar with him had been anticipation—spiked with lust. Groaning loudly, she pressed her face into her hands rubbing her fists against her eyes. She almost wished that she could cry, except that she never cried. It was a rule she’d lived by since she was eight years old when her father died. Fighting to regain her composure, she acknowledged that her relationship with Noah had changed irreparably. Now she just had to figure out what the hell she was going to do about it.
Trying to bring some sense of reality to the unreal situation, Ruby consoled herself. Good God, it was hardly surprising that she was attracted to Noah. How could she not be? He was beyond handsome, indeed he was stunningly attractive. But she reminded herself what she’d always known. Noah was, as Stuart had observed, nearly a literal prince. He was the son of one of the country’s most famous Senators. Gawd, Senator Walker was even being mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. Ruby sniffed. Should the Senator ever choose to run, he’d have little trouble raising the money for a successful campaign. The Walkers were part of a privileged group of wealthy African American families that had defied the usual expectations and created a lifestyle that rivaled the most prosperous bluebloods in the circles that Ian Ross ran in.
Ruby was well aware that Noah had lived a privileged upscale childhood. Ivy League prep schools, acceptance at Harvard, Princeton and Yale, Noah was on the path to the monumental success that his striving parents had prepared for him. The only question was which illustrious profession the brilliant boy would choose. After a successful undergraduate stint at Harvard, Noah decided against medicine, law and finances. Instead, to his parent’s dismay, Noah decided against graduate school and joined the Army. Within a couple of years, he’d risen in rank and was carving out a career path that was certain to lead to his becoming a general someday.
But, once again, Noah had rebelled against the heady expectations of all those around him and chose instead to become a member of the elite Army Ranger corps. When he’d achieved the rank of Colonel at the young age of 32, he decided he’d reached his desired goal. To his father’s horror and his mother’s grudging acceptance, Noah decided to become what his exasperated father called a “fucking spy.” According to the LOTN gossip, ultimately Noah acceded to his father’s entreaties and agreed to meet Ian Ross. As the senior Walker huffed, if his son was going to save the world from evil the least he could do was become wealthy while doing it. Ian Ross’s high-powered, off the grid security organization promised Noah the adventure he demanded and the wealth his parents had wished for him. It was with Ian Ross that the peripatetic boy, and now accomplished man, had found his life’s work.
Ruby forced herself to look in the mirror and face the woman staring back at her. She acknowledged that her life had been as different from Noah’s as ice was from fire, as privilege was from poverty. Her hard, chaotic childhood included an alcoholic father who was dishonorably discharged from the army and ultimately killed in a bar fight. Her depressed, resentful mother was incapable of handling the smallest details of her life, much less her daughter’s. The bitter, destructive woman continually threatened her pre-teen daughter with her imminent suicide. Her mother’s repeated attempts to kill herself became so commonplace that Ruby was genuinely surprised when she came home from school in her freshman year of high school to find her mother dead on the floor with an empty bottle of barbiturates beside her.
Bouncing from one foster home to another, Ruby managed to graduate from high school. College was out of the question no matter how smart she’d proven herself to be. Fortunately a counselor who saw her potential steered her to the military. Having lived all of her life rebounding from one crisis to the next, Ruby was captivated by the “orderliness” of military life. She loved its rules and demanding expectations. Fiercely competitive and ambitious she rose to the rank of staff sergeant. No longer the vulnerable underdog she’d been all her life, Ruby proved herself to be an accomplished warrior intoxicated by the thrill of danger and her ability to conquer it. When she decided to leave the Army she intended to sell her skills to one of the security companies hiring elite retired military personnel. Her quixotic meeting with Lt. Col. Davis who was just beginning to form LOTN, turned out to be an epiphany. Convinced that LOTN was the path to the future she longed for, Ruby eagerly signed on.
Afraid of becoming her father OR her mother, Ruby declared that what she really wanted was NORMAL. As silly as it sounded when she said it out loud, she craved the house in the suburbs, the proverbial white picket fence. She wanted a husband with a successful job that didn’t involve danger. She even wanted the requisite two kids. She assumed that LOTN would be a short-term stint. It would allow her to make enough money to meet a man who met her criteria. A successful man, in a safe profession. A man who didn’t care if his job was boring, in fact he preferred that as long as his income and status were secure. Excitement, danger, ridding the world of evil? Activities that were so secretive they couldn’t be shared with his spouse? No, those criteria would be anathema to the man she sought. Enter Stuart—and, Ruby reminded herself—exit Noah.
~~~
“There you are, sexy woman! I wondered when you would get here. We were beginning to think you’d stood us up. The last anyone heard of you, you were heading off to spar with TDAH. How did that turn out?”
Ruby threw a nonchalant shrug in the direction of the two women who were holding down the table at their favorite Mexican hangout. The gorgeous blonde woman who’d spoken was her best friend and fellow agent code named Sapphire. The equally gorgeous blonde sitting beside her was none other than her boss, Diamond. Ruby groaned to herself. God, as if she’d needed anything else today to make her feel insecure. It was a toss-up, between Sapphire and Diamond who was the more beautiful. Both women were everything that Ruby was not. They each were at least 5 feet 8 inches tall in their stocking feet and sported curvaceous bodies and mile long legs; living proof that Barbie dolls did exist in real life. Ruby scoffed. It didn’t help that every damn one of the LOTN agents looked like a knockoff of Sapphire or Diamond. Except her.
Diamond’s searching gaze drew Ruby out of her self-imposed pity party. Knowing that her boss was much too astute to put anything past her, Ruby forced a bright smile on her face. She was glad she did when Diamond’s eyes narrowed further.
“I hope that Agent Walker wasn’t the only one who left a mark. Tell me that you marked him as well.”
For one horrified moment Ruby thought that somehow her terrifying leader truly did have x-ray vision and had spotted the raised marks on her ass. Sapphire saved her when she added to Diamond’s inquisition.
“Yes, Ruby, tell us that you gave TDAH a mark to remember you by at least as evident as the scrape on your cheek!”
Knowing that she had to be blushing, Ruby aimed for nonchalance as she rubbed on the light abrasion she’d thought her makeup hid. Leave it to the eagle eyed Diamond to see beneath the subterfuge. Knowing that if anyone could finagle a glimpse of her sore butt, Diamond could, Ruby told herself she was lucky that Diamond couldn’t see through her skirt.
Forcing herself to sound merry, Ruby laughed. “No, “Tall Dark And Handsome” may not have any visible marks, but be assured he’ll think twice before he challenges me to a sparring match again.”
“Ohhh,” Sapphire crooned. “That sounds interesting. C’mon, girlfriend, let’s hear all the deets! By the way, I can’t believe that you are lucky enough to be going on a mission with, not one, but two of our ‘hunky’ stable studs.” Sapphire’s tossed her head and arched an amused eyebrow. “Be careful, Ruby. Just because these guys think they are immune from settling down, my experience says otherwise.”
Knowing that Sapphire and Jase Malone, one of Ian Ross’s top agents were not only an item, but also actually engaged to be married, Ruby rushed in to disagree.
“Sorry, Sapphire, but I truly think you and Jase
are the anomaly. I can’t imagine either Noah or Grayson hooking up with an agent.” Ruby continued hoping that her dismay wasn’t apparent. “Besides, Noah is practically engaged to a beautiful woman who could easily be on the cover of Ebony.”
Sapphire nodded in agreement. “Oh, that’s right. Apparently the bride-to-be is gorgeous and a Vassar grad. As you know our guy graduated from Harvard, no less, which makes them the puurfect couple.” She pursed her lips in thought then added, “I remember Jase telling me that Noah’s parents practically arranged the prospective marriage when their children were in kindergarten. I guess that’s the way the perfectly programmed world works in those rarified circles.”
Diamond snorted. “Talk about the privileged elite ensuring that their genes don’t get diluted.” She softened her words with a shrug. “Although, I have to say, Noah is the least snobbish man I know. And surely one of the finest. That said, I agree with Ruby. You and Jase are an anomaly, Sapphire. At least I hope so. I can’t imagine anything worse than being married to one of those testosterone amped, adrenalin junky, lady killers that we associate with.” Seeing the flush on Sapphire’s cheeks she quickly added, “Although you and Jase might prove me wrong.”
Accustomed to her instinctive warning signal that she was in danger, Ruby couldn’t figure out why the back of her neck was itching furiously. She rubbed her neck but the sensations just grew stronger.
It became clear when Sapphire said excitedly, “Speaking of the devil—or more accurately—three devils. Will you look at who just turned the corner?”
Ruby didn’t have to look. She felt him as surely as if he’d reached out and touched her. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, as deep as she could through her constricted chest. Forcing herself to look up, Ruby met his gaze, grateful that Noah looked as troubled as she felt.
Chapter 7
“What do you know, fellows? Look who’s here? And here the three of us had planned on a night on the town. So much for that!”
Grayson’s wide grin and sparkling eyes belied his mock dismay when he saw them. Bounding up the steps to the outdoor patio of Mateo’s Cantina he headed toward them continuing his lament.
“Damn, and we thought that we would rustle up three or more Chiquitas and sow some of those proverbial wild oats before we had to head for the hinterlands of Colorado.” He heaved a heavy sigh as he leaned down and bussed Diamond on her cheek. “Good evening, Ma-daam Diamond. Delighted to see you. May my colleagues and I join you?”
Diamond tossed her head and glared at Grayson but even she couldn’t hide her amusement at the inveterate tease.
With a heavy sigh, she shrugged. “And if I said no, Agent Webb? Would that discourage you?”
Grayson laughed as he pulled out a chair between Diamond and Sapphire and plunked himself down. Grabbing Diamond’s hand he bent over and kissed it then peered up at her with a star stuck expression.
“The pleasure of being squeezed between two voluptuous blond man killers gives me the courage to approach even you, Ma-daam. And you must admit, you are one scary babe!”
Diamond snatched her hand away from Gray then shook her head and laughed along with the rest of the group.
With a heavy sigh she turned to Ian Ross who had captured the chair between Diamond and Ruby.
“Really, Colonel Ross. What do you feed these men? A combination of testosterone and adrenalin? And if so do you administer it via injection or hide it in the hunks of red meat they devour?”
Ian quirked a brow and then planted a quick kiss on Diamond’s cheek before turning to Ruby and doing the same.
He emitted a long suffering sigh and said in an aggrieved tone, “I can only tell you that Agent Webb continues to surprise even me with his audaciousness. Which is not to say that Noah and I aren’t just as delighted to see you three beautiful women as Grayson clearly is.” He added with a smile, “And thanks again for inviting us.”
Ruby was shocked. Still trying to calm her pounding heart at the sight of Noah, she couldn’t believe that Sapphire and Diamond hadn’t told her that they had invited the men to join them. She quickly reminded herself that the groups of agents often, in fact, usually, had a celebratory dinner before they left for a mission. Which didn’t help a bit when Noah crossed the patio and was inches away from the last empty chair. The one between Sapphire and her. Like Grayson and Ian, he gave Diamond a quick kiss and then hugged Sapphire as he sank into the chair beside her.
“Sapphire, I’m glad to see you! I’m pleased that you could join us. Just wish that your besotted lover was in town.” Glancing at the huge glittering rock on the ring finger of her left hand, he corrected himself. “Pardon, me, Sapphire. I meant to say your fiancé. Speaking of whom, where is my erstwhile commander? I would have liked to share notes with him before we left for Colorado.”
Sapphire smiled prettily and leaned into Noah’s shoulder.
“It’s great to see you, Noah.” She included Ian and Grayson in her greeting. “And of course I’m delighted to see all of you. It’s been too long. Jase sends his regrets. He wished that he could be with Diamond and me to see the three of you off.” A frown crossed her smooth brow. “Unfortunately, from what Diamond has told me, the mission is a dangerous one. Those asshole home grown terrorists are a treacherous lot.”
All of the men nodded in agreement.
Noah spoke for the group. “Yes they are, Sapphire. Although not any more dangerous than the last psychopathic killer we took on.”
He rubbed a hand across his eyes.
“I don’t know which of us, Jase or me, will ever stop seeing you signaling me to take the sniper shot of Roberto Ventrilo pressing his Glock against the back of your skull.” He shook his head. “Seriously, Agent Shaw, that move of yours ranks among the most courageous actions I’ve seen on any mission. Including the harrowing ones I saw in three Middle East tours. Too bad that my buddy Jase and I will have nightmares for the rest of our lives at what could easily have happened. Although, I gotta say, if anything mine might have been worse. If our timing hadn’t been perfect, and you didn’t drop precisely when you did, and my shot wasn’t dead on… I might have killed you before Ventrilo did.” Noah huffed a hard sigh and brushed a hand across his eyes as if blanking out a hideous scene.
Sapphire squeezed his hand and held his gaze.
“Don’t, Noah. It’s like I tell Jase. Everything worked perfectly because we’re experts. We all did what we had to do. And it worked!” She reached for Diamond and Ian’s hands. “We’re just lucky that Ian and Diamond have created an arrangement that brings the best male agents in the world together with the best female agents.”
Breaking through the tense moment, Grayson raised his water glass.
“Here, here. A toast to all of us.” Looking askance at the water glass, he jerked back.
“Although, I’ll be damned If I will make such an auspicious toast with a glass of water!” Rising from his chair he signaled to the waiter who was serving their table. “Juan, bring us a bottle of your finest, make that your most expensive, tequila.” He waved his had expansively. “In fact, bring us two bottles.” He glanced over at Ian. “Oh, and put it on his bill. Actually, put everything on his bill. We don’t call him moneybags for nothing.”
In the midst of the laughter that followed, Noah held up his hand.
“No, Juan. This party is on me. In honor of Jase who isn’t here, and Sapphire who is. And for the rest of us who are about to begin a mission that promises to be as dangerous as all of our operations are.” He said to the wide-eyed waiter beside him, “Bring us two bottles of Don Julio Real. You have that brand don’t you, Juan?”
The waiter nodded eagerly. “Si, Señor Walker. We have the Don Julio although we don’t often sell it. Mi jeffe will be pleased!”
At that moment, Noah leaned over and gave Ruby a chaste peck on the cheek. “Hello, Ruby. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”
Ruby hadn’t realized that she’d been holding her breath until she tried to re
spond. Unfortunately her throat was too dry and all she could do was nod and sink deeper in her chair.
Grayson broke the silence.
“I just remembered, Noah, you and short stuff went a few rounds in the ring this afternoon. Tell me, did she kick your horny ass? Sure hope so.” He stopped and pinned a hard gaze on Ruby. “Hey, what the hell? Don’t tell me that the ever-so-sophisticated Agent Walker left a mark on his opponent. Damn, if I didn’t know better that scrape looks like rug burn to me!” Facing Noah he frowned and shook his head. “C’mon, man, you know the rules. No marking the lovelies. Even if you do take her down, you don’t rub it in. All I can say is that I hope to hell she marked you worse.”
Noah voice was terse. “Rest assured, asshole. Ruby got in more than a few hard licks.”
Silence fell over the group at Noah’s clearly angry retort. Fortunately, at that moment, Señor Mateo, the owner of the restaurant, and Juan appeared, each carrying a bottle of the impressive tequila. Three servers followed them carrying large trays laden with steaming, fragrant dishes.
Señor Mateo bowed to Noah and then to Ian.
“I trust you will forgive my impertinence for selecting your food. I know the dishes that you two fine gentlemen prefer and frankly the items that are special enough to accompany this exceptional tequila.”
After downing one shot of tequila and another more quickly than she ever had, Ruby began to breathe normally. She was almost able to ignore the fact that Noah was inches away from her. And that, without asking, he continually filled her glass with more tequila and served her choice morsels from the succulent array of food. As presumptuous as both gestures were, Ruby was still startled when Noah nudged her and gave her an inquiring glance and then turned to the group.