Thinking about his own house, it was so easy to envision seeing her there with him. He shook his head. “No, that doesn’t sound dumb at all. I hope that I can convince you to come to visit me in Maine. You can see my house.”
Her eyes widened as she pinned him with an exuberant stare. “You have a house?” He nodded, and she exclaimed, “Okay, now I’m so jealous!”
They sat in silence for a moment, neither seeming to know what to say. Licking her lips, Sara finally asked, “Is there something that you’d like to do? We can go out to eat, or I can take you somewhere to sightsee, or...um…”
Blake leaned back on her bed, pulling her down next to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he leaned in and kissed her smiling lips. “The only thing I want to see is you. The only thing I want to taste is you.”
He rolled over on top of her, propping his weight on his forearms. She was still smiling as he kissed her again, and he decided that might just be his favorite pastime. Later, both naked, with his cock buried deep inside her warmth, he decided that was his favorite.
Two days later, Sara stood on the sidewalk in front of her apartment building, her arms wrapped around Blake as they waited for the taxi. They had managed to leave the apartment several times...to eat, to take a walk in a nearby park, to visit a local bar with her roommates, Marcia and Tanika. But most of their time had been spent in her bedroom, making love.
The only deviation was when Tate arrived and assisted Blake in installing a security system in her apartment. She protested at first, but Blake insisted. Now, she was glad.
She had wondered when all of the horrendous events she had endured would hit her but found that with Blake at her side she focused on the here and now, not the past. But with him leaving, she wondered if sleep would come so easily by herself and not nestled in his embrace.
She knew his work—as well as his world—was in Maine. He had told her all about Mace Hanover, the owner of Lighthouse Security Investigations. He had told her about his fellow Keepers, Marge and Horace, and his house overlooking the water.
It had seemed so easy when they first met. First, he was going to be nothing more than a fling. Then he turned out to be someone she really wanted to get to know. And when her situation became dire, he became her rescuer. And along the way, her heart became involved.
With their arms wrapped around each other, he leaned down and kissed her lips, sweet and soft. She had resolved to be strong and wave him off with a happy smile but knew that was not going to happen as she blinked back her tears.
“When can I see you again?” he asked.
They had talked long into the night about how they both wanted to continue to see each other as often as possible. She was uncertain how a long-distance relationship would work but was not ready to give him up.
“This next week, I’ll be at the UN all week. The week after that, I’m supposed to be at a conference for international banks here in New York. I’ll have several days off the following week.”
“Then how would you like to come to Maine for a visit?” He nuzzled her nose as he whispered close to her ear.
Her arms tightened about his neck, and she battled the urge to squeal. “I’d love to!”
The taxi drove up, and she held him even tighter, kissing him with urgent desperation that she no longer cared about hiding. Finally, her arms dropped to her side, and she watched him climb into the taxi. As he drove down the road, she waved, determined for him to see a smile. As soon as the taxi turned the corner, her smile dropped, and her heart ached.
That afternoon, after already getting a text that said he was home, she called her mom. She had already filled her mother in on Blake and her escapades in French Guiana. “Hey, Mom. I thought I would check to see how you were doing.”
“Oh, sweetie, I can hear in your voice that you’re sad,” her mom said.
“I have no idea how you can hear that, but you’re right. Blake is back in Maine, and I miss him already. I confess that I’m a little scared…I don’t want to be with him just to make me feel better, but he does.”
“Have you thought any more about counseling? I know that your experience can come back to haunt you at any time, so please, keep it in mind.
“My boss said the same thing. She actually knows a counselor that has dealt with travelers who’ve experienced some kind of crisis. I’ve got her number if I need it. But with Blake around, I slept easily.”
“He sounds special, and not just because he saved you.”
“What I can’t figure out is how my heart became so involved so quickly. My roommate says it’s just because we were in an intense situation, and that it’s probably not real.”
“Oh, bullshit,” her mom said in her usual manner of saying what she thought. “There’s no rhyme or reason to why we fall in love, when we fall in love, or who we fall in love with. In fact, there’s no rhyme or reason to love it all. It simply is.”
“So, you don’t think I'm foolish?”
Her mother huffed. “Foolish about what, Sara?”
“The thoughts I’m having about Blake. Mom, I’ll be honest, in the last several days I’ve actually thought about this attempt at a long-distance relationship. We both want to see each other again. We both have admitted that we care a great deal about each other, even though the L-word hasn’t been mentioned.”
“When will you see him again?”
“I’ll be at the U.N. this week and the bank conference next week. Then I’ve got days off that will tie into a weekend, and I’m going to fly to Maine.”
Her mom was silent for a moment, then asked, “What are you afraid of, Sara?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to deny that she was afraid of anything, but her mother knew her better than anyone. Sitting cross-legged on her bed, she sighed and admitted, “I know it’s too early to be thinking about anything long term, but I can’t help it. I’m almost afraid that when I go visit him in Maine, I’ll fall even more in love with him and in love with where he lives. It’ll make coming back to New York to my tiny cramped apartment even harder.”
“You know what I always say, sweetheart,” her mother said, her voice gentle and soft.
“I know, I know. Take it one day at a time. And when it’s right, it’s right, and I’ll know it.”
Chuckling, her mom said, “Yep. Sounds like you been listening to me all along.”
Moving off the subject of Blake before it made her sadder, they chatted for several minutes about her upcoming translation job at the U.N. “I’m not sure who I’ll be working for this week, but it should be interesting.”
With vows of love and promises to talk soon, she disconnected and walked through the living room to the kitchen, trying to ignore the mess. Her two roommates were nice, but the idea of living and working in New York City was no longer holding the appeal that it did when she was younger. Making a sandwich and grabbing some chips, she took her simple dinner and a bottle of water back into her room, where she found it easier to concentrate in her own space.
21
Blake sat at the conference table in the LSI compound giving his report on the rescue of Sara. Since he had been present at her kidnapping he was able to fill in all the blanks. Acknowledging the congratulations from the other Keepers while offering his thanks to them in return, he did not hide the fact that he had feelings for her. Looking over at Babs and Sylvie, he thanked them both for the passport and clothing they had arranged for her to have.
“She appreciated it more than I can say. She escaped with nothing more than the clothes on her back.”
The two women waved off his appreciation, Sylvie saying, “We were more than happy to do it.”
Babs said, “I hope when she comes to visit you’ll introduce us to her. Drew said she was a trooper, and the fact that she shot someone and saved my fiancé’s life, I’d really like to meet her to thank her in person. We owe her everything!”
Heart warmed by Babs’ words, he smiled. “She’s planning on coming to Maine in ab
out two weeks. I’ll make sure to bring her out so everyone can meet her.”
Getting back to business, he looked over at Mace, rubbing his chin as though in thought. “Boss, was there something else?”
“I was surprised the kidnappers let her live once they got away. Or that they didn’t just leave her stranded somewhere.”
He nodded his agreement. “She told me that Boutillier had the three kidnappers killed right in front of her. It seems he wasn’t very happy that they brought her to his compound. While there’s obviously a dossier on him and the French Guiana police know about him, he also pays off enough people that he lives like a prince in his own little world in the middle of the jungle. He’s not keen on anyone knowing much about his little kingdom.”
“Our mission was how to help you get her out of the clutches of Boutillier. But I’m concerned with him knowing who she is. That’s why I had her apartment secured.” Mace added.
He nodded. “I agree. I talked to Superintendent Moreau, and his intelligence says that Boutillier never leaves the country and seems to rule from his compound from within.”
Josh added, “Since we first came on the case, I’ve had Boutillier monitored…both email and phone. So far, there’s been no mention of Sara.”
“How do you want to handle this?” Mace asked. “We have the security system installed, monitored by us. Our FBI liaison in New York is aware of the situation as well.”
Blake scrubbed his hand over his face and held Mace’s stare. “I can’t think of anything else for us to do, Boss.” What he did not say aloud was he would feel a lot better if she was in Maine with him…permanently.
Mace spent the next hour reviewing other cases. Several more high-profile security installation requests had come through, and the Keepers divided them amongst themselves.
After going for a run and swim, Blake made his way to the workout room, lifting weights and spotting for Cobb and Rank.
Rank grinned and said, “You know you’re going to need to add an extra day onto Sara’s trip up here when she comes. Babs, Sylvie, Julie, and Helena are all itching to meet her.”
The thought of Sara spending time with the other Keepers’ women did not bother him at all. He knew she would fit in and secretly hoped that they would become friends.
“Are you still coming to Moose’s tonight?” Cobb asked.
“Absolutely.” Missing Sara, he knew sitting at home by himself would not make the time pass faster. A night out drinking with his friends might be just what he needed.
Moose’s Bar was run by a crotchety former veteran who served in Desert Storm. His father had started the bar when he came home from the Vietnam War, and as Blake looked around, he did not think the interior had changed much in fifty years. The wood floor was simply more scuffed. The bar had a few more dents. The tables and chairs were repaired or replaced when they were broken.
It was not fancy and could get rowdy on a weekend night, but it made for a great place to unwind. Most of the Keepers lived within a thirty-mile radius of the Lighthouse, and Moose’s was in one of the towns nearby. It was not the only place the Keepers met to hang out and drink, but it was just what Blake needed tonight.
The music from the jukebox was not too loud, allowing him to hear the conversation. Drew, Babs, Walker, Julie, Cobb, and Tate had met him there, and the large table near the front held them all.
Sharing platters of greasy chicken wings, they all dug into the food, enjoying each other’s company.
“It sounds like you had a mission kind of like Walker getting me out of Mexico,” Julie said, licking her fingers as she smiled at Blake.
He chewed, then swallowed, thinking about how Walker met Julie when he was sent on a rescue mission to bring her and three teenage girls back from a Mayan tour when an earthquake had left them stranded. One of the girls was a senator’s daughter, and LSI had been given the assignment to bring them back. According to Walker, one thing after another went wrong, and he and Julie fell in love after spending time driving through Mexico before Drew could fly back in to get them. “I guess in many ways it was. Only we spent most of our time on the water.”
“Was she used to being outdoors?” Babs asked. “Twenty-four hours in a small boat is a long time.”
“By her own admission, she’s not outdoorsy…more bookish. But she had been raised in a lot of different places with her parents being in the Peace Corps so she adapted really well. Honestly? She did everything I asked with no complaints.”
Babs grinned her approval, and he added, “Yeah, you’d like her, Babs. She might not be as badass as you are, but she was pretty damn amazing.”
“She was interesting,” Tate threw out. “You could tell she was out of her element, but she did what was needed without falling apart.”
Babs and Julie both rolled their eyes, Babs saying, “Not every woman falls apart in intense situations, Tate.”
Chuckling, Tate rubbed his chin. “Sorry, didn’t mean to insult anyone. Guess my friends are the ones who are finding all the tough, deserving women out there.”
“Tough?” Babs and Julie said at the same time.
Lifting his beer, Blake laughed. “Think you’d better quit before they bury you, Tate.”
Tossing back the rest of his beer, Tate said, “I think you’re right.”
“Hey, sweetie,” a sultry female voice sounded from behind Blake just as he felt long fingernails sliding across his shoulders.
Twisting his head around, he smiled politely. “Hello, Shelley.”
“I wondered when you got back. I tried asking Barbara to find out when you’d be around, but she wouldn’t even give me a hint.” Shelley had a smile on her face but a hard glint in her eyes as she looked across the table at Babs.
“Not my job to tell you where he is,” Babs quipped, arching a brow. “In fact, it’s not my job to tell you anything.” She glanced to the side at Drew and asked, “You want to dance, Flyboy?”
Drew stood and offered his hand to Babs. “Any chance I get to have you in my arms, I’ll take it, babe.”
Julie and Walker shared a glance before she said, “I’m about ready to head home, honey.”
Shooting Blake an apologetic look, Walker stood and offered his hand to his wife. Saying their goodbyes, they walked out of the bar, leaving a couple of the other Keepers at the table with Blake.
Shelley slid into the seat on the other side of Blake and gave Cobb and Tate a pointed stare. “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”
“Naw. Got my beer. Got some wings. Talking to a bud. I’d say I’m set,” Tate drawled, leaning back in his chair, looking for all the world to be a man just chilling as he enjoyed a night out at a bar.
Cobb, who had his eyes on the sports channel on the TV, glanced over at her and belched.
Unable to keep the chuckle from sliding from his lips, Blake looked at Shelley. “Not trying to be a dick, but if I’d wanted to meet up, I would’ve called you.”
Her eyes widened as though the idea that he would not want to be with her had never occurred, and her lips pinched. He stared at her for a moment, thinking that when he first met her, the package seemed right. Long, thick blonde hair that she made sure was highlighted and styled from an expensive salon. Heavy makeup that somehow managed to still look decent after a tumble. Long legs, big tits, nice clothes. And yet, staring at her now, he had no interest...at all.
He could not help but compare her to Sara and find Shelley lacking. Both in looks, now preferring Sara’s natural beauty, and personality, having seen Sara converse so easily with his friends. And while everyone handled crises differently, Sara’s survival instincts and ability to do what needed to be done to help him help her escape were something he was sure Shelley would never be able to handle.
Shelley leaned closer, her breath whispering over his cheek. “I know what I can do with your dick…I know how much you like my lips around it—”
He grabbed her hand as it was sneaking up his leg toward his crotch unde
rneath the table. With firm pressure, he pushed it back toward her, making sure not to squeeze so hard that he caused her pain but firm enough to make his point. “Not going to happen, Shelley. We had a few nights of fun when we both felt like meeting up, that’s it. You knew it then, so I don’t know what point you’re trying to make now.”
Her face became so hard he was surprised it did not crack. She stood suddenly, her chair scraping over the wooden floor as she pushed it back. “You just lost the best fuck you’ll ever have.”
Determined to say nothing, he looked over as Tate guffawed.
“Seriously, girl?” Tate said between his chuckles. “You think an easy fuck is gonna give you the right to lead a man around by his dick?”
She sent a scorching glare toward Tate before dropping her gaze back to Blake. “You are so not worth it.”
With a toss of her long blonde hair, she turned and began to sashay back to the bar, but her exit was marred by Tate, Cobb, Drew, and Babs bursting out in laughter. Drew had been escorting Babs back to the table when they overheard Shelley’s parting shot.
Sitting back down to their beers, Babs said, “Like I said, Blake. Can’t wait to meet your girl.”
That night, lying in bed with the curtains open overlooking the deck and the inlet in the background, he thought about what Babs said and agreed. He could not wait to see Sara again. Two weeks...it would seem like an eternity.
22
Sara stood in line at one of the employee entrances to the United Nations building. She had a temporary pass, and as she went through the security screening, she showed her new driver's license for proof of identity along with her pass, had her purse searched, and walked through the metal detector.
Once inside, she moved with the crowd to the elevator toward the back. Getting off on the third floor, she walked down a long hall and into a room divided into multiple cubicles. Finding the one she was assigned to for the week, she waved to several of her friends and soon had on headphones, beginning her translations.
Blake (Lighthouse Security Investigations Book 5) Page 17