Ty grabbed the bottle in front of him, a definite no-no during work hours under normal circumstances, and lifted it. Without instruction, the men and women around the room lifted their respective drinks. Nick passed up Lara’s bottle of water, and she held it up with the rest.
“Hear, hear!”
* * *
An hour or so later and the conference room was empty, save the four of them. Lara looked out at the faces she’d come to think of as a part of her makeshift family. Certainly they seemed to be more caring toward her than any she had left. But still, even if her mother had still been alive and her father devoid of any malicious suspicion, Lara would have felt the affection she felt for them at the moment.
And the pain from her potential fall from each of their graces.
“When I started in the Moretti organization, I met a man named Andrew Moore,” she jumped in. “He was kind, he was patient, and he had some of the best intentions of any person I’d ever known.” She rolled her shoulders back, uncomfortable. She’d been sharing an equal passing look over the three men, but at the next part she paused longest on Nick. “Despite the rules, I fell in love with him, started a relationship with him, and then, one day, I found out he was Moretti.” She gave a weak smile. “It was hard and at the same time easy to turn him in. Once I made the call I was rushed away. It was after that that I found out I was pregnant.” Her eyes strayed to Xander’s. He gave her a barely perceptible nod. “The main reason I went to lockdown was so Moretti never got the chance to know. Only a few were let in on the knowledge, and even they were strictly monitored. I gave the baby up to a family who knew going in that they would always be in WITSEC. They knew that the father was a criminal who, if he ever caught wind of the baby’s existence, wouldn’t stop until he had her. They gave up their former lives to be her parents.” A memory of the three of them playing on the front of the tiny yellow house’s porch almost made her smile. “I kept a secret from all of you. In fact, I kept several. I thought I did that to keep her protected, but that isn’t entirely true. I did it for me, too. My life has shown me that it’s hard to trust. But I’m finding that I can trust you.” She let her gaze rest on Nick for a second before continuing. “So, I’m sorry for all of the trouble my secrets have caused you.”
Lara was done. Finally, with her own words, she had opened up and told the whole truth. Her worst and hardest secrets were now facts she shared with her team. It was almost as if she’d shed a weight—a burden of knowledge no longer hers alone to bare. She unclenched her fists and flattened her hands on the tabletop. The picture of Mei against the whiteboard looked back at her, smiling. The three men around her were momentarily silent. All with looks as blank as they came. Then, slowly they reverted to their normal states of rest.
“So, what you’re saying,” Ty started, “we’re all pretty much besties now?”
A laugh bubbled up and escaped Lara’s mouth before she could stop it.
And just like that the tense moment passed.
“Okay, I know it’s not technically after five, but how about we go get hammered? I’ll buy,” Xander said. He looked to Ty for approval. The agent readily gave it.
Lara laughed but shook her head. “I’ll have to pass, but you guys have fun,” she said.
Nick also shook his head. “Same. I’m not in the mood. Maybe next time.”
“Suit yourselves,” Ty called over his shoulder, already following Xander out. “We’ll drink for you.”
Lara watched after them, half expecting Nick to leave, as well. However, he kept his seat. Lara met his gaze. His dark eyes sent an immediate thrill through her.
“Nick, want to grab a drink back at my hotel room?”
Nick smiled, and that look that excited every part of her. “I’d love to.”
CHAPTER TEN
“Sorry for the mess.”
Lara eyed the sleep pants and shirt she had meant to put on after the shower, along with the towel she’d originally fallen asleep with, on the floor next to the couch. The blanket she’d used to cover herself with at Xander’s earlier visit was, for whatever reason, lying in the hallway. Because of her guarded status, her suite was off-limits to the hotel cleaning staff.
Nick’s eyes roamed over the mess, forming his own mental picture she was sure. “Funny,” he said. “I slept on the couch last night, too.”
Lara smiled and set about collecting the mess. “Make yourself at home,” she said, quickly followed by, “and make us some drinks while you’re at it.”
Nick saluted her with a grin and went straight for the minibar. Leave it to a man to be able to sniff such a thing out on the first try.
Lara dumped the clothes and blanket in the corner and looked around the bedroom to see what else needed to be cleaned up. She heard the clinking of glass from the kitchen area and pictured the man holding it. He was tall, dark and handsome. There was no disputing that. However, over the past several days she’d learned he was also courageous, clever and kind. A man you absolutely wanted in your corner.
Before heading back out, Lara glanced at her bed, imagining what could be done on it.
“I didn’t know what you wanted, but I feel like, after everything, whiskey seemed a solid choice,” he greeted when she came back.
“That is a solid choice.”
She took the glass from his hand and led him to the couch. They sank in, close. Thighs already touching. Memories of them on his kitchen floor resurfaced. The idea of him in her bed—his body on hers—sent flames across her skin.
“To Mei,” she said, trying to calm herself. To slow down.
Nick raised his glass. “To Mei,” he repeated. They cheered and drank. She reveled in the burn.
“I never told you,” she said after the bite of the whiskey had subsided, “but thank you.” He raised his brow. “For jumping in,” she explained. “You saved my life.”
Lara would never deny she was a guarded person. She’d built walls out of mistrust and fear. But the smile she gave Nick in that moment was as vulnerable as it was genuine. She hoped he realized that.
“That’s what partners do.”
Lara held up her glass. “To partners,” she cheered.
“To partners.”
They took their respective drinks.
“Plus,” she added on, “the whole knife trick? That was pretty badass. Though I thought you were a bit crazy when you first tried.”
Nick let out a loud chuckle that rocked his drink. “You’re telling me. It felt like a real MacGyver for a second,” he admitted. He took his jacket off and searched one of the pockets. She waited until he produced a knife. “I think I’ll always keep this on me now.”
Lara laughed and agreed it was a good idea.
“How are your hands?” she asked after another drink. She’d noticed he’d taken off the Band-Aids he’d worn during Mei’s informal memorial. Nick put his glass on the coffee table and turned his hands palm up. Angry red lines of forming scabs etched across each. Lara didn’t like the look of them, especially since he’d gotten them to save her, but she was glad they didn’t appear worse.
“A little sore but nothing worth writing home about.” He curled and uncurled each hand to show he meant what he said. Lara set her drink down and took one of his hands in hers. He quieted. The heat of his skin pulsed into hers. Whatever had been her original goal of grabbing his hand got lost in translation. Instead she brought his palm up to her lips. She met his eyes as she kissed his skin.
What was meant to be drinks didn’t stay drinks.
Nick’s lips were warm and wet and soft and hard all at the same time. They crashed into hers with a fervor she more than matched. Lara felt their heat travel to the parts of her body that longed for him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss while his hands traveled beneath her shirt and up across her bare skin. She moaned against him as his hand fisted in her hair, pulling her head away from him enough to get at her neck. His lips consumed her skin, leaving noth
ing else on her mind other than one simple fact.
She needed more.
Barely on the couch already, it was easy to stand. She did, stepping out of her boots, while pure confusion passed across his face, heated from their short yet sensual exchange.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, voice low. He thought she wanted to stop, and she knew that if she really had wanted to, he would have agreed. Even though it was apparent he wanted her.
Lara took a step back and turned to look down the hallway. Nick followed her gaze. He returned to her with a growing smile. She returned it, and in a flash he was back on her, this time with added purpose.
Her blazer found the floor just as he picked her up, cradling her backside in his hands. She wrapped her legs around him and inclined her chin down to meet his lips again. There she held his head in a lock that gave her great pleasure while he walked them both down the hallway.
The door to her bedroom banged open. The light dimming exponentially thanks to the blackout curtains. It set the already sensual mood even higher. Without being in her room before, Nick found her bed just fine with her commanding a great deal of his focus. He slowly bent over and set her on the bed, detangling from her lips and legs.
Lara’s breath was coming out in short bursts, making her chest heave up and down. She watched, mesmerized, as Nick unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. He let it fall to the floor, giving Lara an unobstructed view of his bare, beautiful chest. Lara’s hands went to her own shirt, ready to tear the entire thing off, when Nick reached forward and stilled her hand.
“No,” he said, voice filled with grit. “Let me.”
He straddled her legs without putting any weight on top and bent so that his lips brushed against hers. Lara’s eyes fluttered close, enjoying the feel of him. Then he broke away but didn’t break eye contact. He brought his fingers up to the top button of her shirt and unbuttoned it. Then he moved to the next and did the same. Then the next. He kept going until her shirt fell open, exposing her once again lace-less bra. It was a perfectly ordinary beige, but Nick didn’t seem to mind.
He lowered and kissed her again, but this time starting at her neck. Lara moaned as he slid down her skin, moving on to brush across her collarbone. From there he kept moving south until he got to her chest. Lara watched with bated breath as he moved the cup of her bra to the side to expose her breast. He flashed her a wicked grin before his mouth covered her nipple. Another moan escaped as his tongue flicked back and forth, exciting an already excited body. He didn’t stay long, to her disappointment. Instead he moved farther to the right, stopping at the skin at her side. Her brows knitted together, confused for a second, when she remembered what was there.
The dark bruise Mason Moretti had dealt her. They shared a look between them, before Nick leaned over and kissed it gingerly. That act alone made her feel more vulnerable than anything they’d done so far. He had been tender and caring and respectful all in one small act. They shared another look, and Lara smiled, letting him know it was okay.
She was okay.
And then Nick brought his lips back to her skin and slid all the way down to the top of her pants. There his fingers deftly undid them. Lara’s body tensed, unsure of what was next but oh, so ready, when Nick got back off the bed. He grabbed the sides of her pants and made them join the pile of discarded shirts on the floor.
Before Lara could be told no, she slipped out of the rest of her opened shirt and sat up. Her hands, not as deft as her partner’s, in turn undid his pants. Though she was much quicker. It garnered a laugh from the man.
“You’re not great at patience, are you?” he asked.
Lara gave his smirk one of her own. She leaned forward and kissed the skin right above his pant line. When she pulled away, his smile was gone.
“Can you blame me?”
Nick answered without words. He pushed her back on to the bed, this time joining her fully. His hands traveled across her skin much faster than before, unhooking her bra with surprising precision. Apparently he was adept at more than just pinning a bad guy to a pier’s pylon.
Their lips slammed together, their tongues finding each other with delight. Their bodies intertwined, each hungry as if they’d been starving.
Lara slid her hands down and tugged at his pants. She no longer wanted to wait. Nick must have carried the same sentiment. Soon there was nothing but skin between them. She moaned into his kiss as he pressed against her, teasing her. She scratched his back in turn, wild abandon taking over her muscles.
The sensation must have been the right move. He spread her legs apart with one of his knees and thrust inside of her in one fluid motion.
This was so different from sex in Nick’s kitchen. There were no more secrets. She was no longer hiding. She trusted Nick completely. They moaned in tandem. Lara arced upwards against him, arms wrapped around his body, pinioning him to her. He pulled out slow before pushing back deep inside of her. Lara moaned again as Nick repeated the motion, picking up speed.
Lara felt the buildup of pleasure and asked for more in the form of a series of moans. She pushed back against his length, creating more friction for the both of them. Nick’s tongue found hers as he deepened their kiss, showing he appreciated what she was doing. He rewarded her in kind by thrusting faster, deeper, until the mounting pleasure within her came to a head. She gripped at his back and rode the wave in pure ecstasy, a moan ripping from her lips.
When it was over, Nick pulled out and moved his lips to her ear. “We’re not finished yet.”
In one quick movement he grabbed her hips and flipped them over, putting Lara on top. It all happened so fast that Lara’s understanding lagged behind. Her body hadn’t even stopped convulsing fully. She looked down at the tall drink of man beneath her naked body. He looked up with a face full of heat. He was undeniably and absolutely handsome. It kept the high within her going.
She lifted, repositioned herself, and steered him inside of her. The pressure felt amazing as she slid up and down, picking up speed. Nick treated her to a noise that let her know she was hitting all the right notes. He gripped her hips and helped the motion, closing his eyes briefly. Together they moved as one, building each other up. Lara felt her losing herself again, nearing nirvana, when Nick ran his hand up her body and fisted in her hair. He pulled her lips to his. One long kiss heralding in one hell of a finale.
Nick and Lara’s bodies tensed in unison, each caught in their separate yet shared pleasure.
“Oh yeah,” Lara breathed, falling against his bare chest. “We’re not finished yet.”
* * *
He waited.
And waited.
And waited.
He didn’t have a clock or a watch, he didn’t even have a window to monitor the passing of time by the moon, but he still knew without a doubt that they were late.
He crossed and recrossed his ankles. The concrete beneath him didn’t give. It was as unforgiving as the wall ahead. Cracked lines that hadn’t moved since the day they’d been set down and filled. A series of connections that created a symmetrical web that surrounded him.
How the mighty have fallen, he thought with a twinge of a smile.
A sound he’d expected some time before echoed across the small closet of a room before the door to his left began to move. Its heavy metal scraped against the floor until he could see his visitors in full.
There were two of them, both in uniform, but that was where their similarities ended.
One man wore a look of worry, with sweat pooling beneath his arms. He had his hand on the door as if it was a lifeline, a physical object that represented the control he was losing at being there. He had thinning brown hair, a pasty complexion and an irrefutably average body. His eyes were also your run-of-the-mill green. They moved across him in a fearful dance. The other man, perhaps younger by ten years, was holding the series of keys with no discernible traces of guilt or worry. Youth gave him a strong jaw, a lean frame and eyes that lit up in an almost reverenc
e as he looked inside. His name was Toby, and he liked cocaine.
The man next to him was Anthony, and he loved his wife.
“You’re late.”
Toby’s wisp of a smile became more pronounced. He straightened his spine so he appeared taller.
“Sanders got sick halfway through shift and had to leave,” he explained. “It took them a bit longer to run through their sweeps.”
The man actually smiled. “That works even more in our favor.” He stood and held out his hands. “Is everything ready?”
Toby, quick to please, ran through his chain of keys before coming to one marked in red. He set about freeing the man’s hand without hesitation.
Anthony, the more moral of the two, looked away. “Yes, everything’s ready,” he said with no dose of enthusiasm.
It was a poor attitude to have, as far as the man was concerned.
“Don’t worry, Anthony. You and I are about to have a little adventure,” he said, mock cheer lining his words. “It’ll be fun, I promise.”
Anthony looked like he was inclined to believe the opposite. The forever pessimist. But, then again, maybe that came with the territory of working at a maximum security prison.
Toby was nearly vibrating with excitement. Maybe it was the cocaine. Or maybe, like others the man had met in the past several months, Toby was finally meeting the closest thing to his hero.
“Marco will buzz you through the first door. He’ll tag along and run any interference while you two go through the chow hall and into the kitchen.” Toby told the man the plan as if he’d never heard it before. As if he hadn’t come up with it himself, but he indulged the young man. Toby began to unbutton his uniform, stripping until he was only down to his underwear. “Then you two will jump into Anthony here’s car and drive off to freedom!” For a moment the man was afraid Toby would clap his adrenaline-spiked hands together. Luckily he didn’t. All the man needed was another mistake—another slipup—and he’d be right back staring at those gray cracks again. “Marco will go back to post and keep anyone from checking on you for as long as he can.”
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