“I’ll do that.” Ryu smiled politely.
Johnny turned back to her. “Time to shake your booty on the dance floor, sweet-stuff.” He grabbed her arm. “You guys joining us?” He included Ryu and Victor in his invitation with a roll of his shoulder.
When they shook their heads, he threw a “Great to meet you, Mac,” over his shoulder, and towed her toward the impromptu, lawn dance floor.
She jammed in her heels before they hit the gyrating bodies. “Johnny, that was rude, I was talking to them.”
“I asked if they wanted to join us.”
“That’s not the point.” She glared at him.
He grinned unrepentantly. “Vic won’t mind. You told me he wanted you to have a better work-life balance. I’m making sure you do. Enjoy!” He pushed his way over to where Rachael was already dancing.
With an exasperated shrug, Kait joined them. Maybe it was the increased blood flow from dancing, maybe it was a job well done, maybe it was knowing Victor hadn’t hated Ryu on sight, but her headache started to ease and she began enjoying herself.
By the time she dragged her exhausted body off the dance floor the sun had set and someone had fired up the grill. The smell of sizzling meat juices wafted toward her. Her stomach cramped, reminding her she hadn’t eaten any lunch and pre-function nerves meant a small breakfast. Led by her nose, she headed for the food. After several stops to chat and catch-up she made it, paper plate in hand, to where Victor manned the grill.
“What can I get you?” Victor flipped a steak before turning to look at her.
“One of those sausages and a small steak.” Her mouth watered as he laid the meat next the pile of salad on her plate.
“You’re looking more relaxed, maybe I should do this more often.”
“I’m feeling better.” She smiled. “Thank you for hosting this tonight.”
He gave her a slight nod as she shuffled out of the way, making room for Deron who stood behind her in the queue. Not wanting to engage in anything as demanding as conversation, she left the well-lit deck and sat down to enjoy her dinner in a relatively out of the way spot. She’d been up early finalising arrangements, then dealing with the client and her team. Now she needed a few moments to catch her breath before she was drawn back into the thick of things.
The perfectly grilled steak hit her tongue with a rush of smoky, salty, peppery, meaty goodness and she almost groaned with pleasure. Settling down to eat her meal with focused gusto, she didn’t hear Ryu and Rachael approach until they were almost on top of her.
“…for the children, it was wonderful. Do you have any children of your own?” Rachael was clearly doing an availability and background check on Ryu.
Kait’s steak turned to wet cardboard in her mouth. Ryu’s reply was an indistinct rumble, too quiet to hear at this distance. As he spoke his head turned, scanning the darkness as if he sensed her presence. Instinctively she shrank further back into the shadows.
“That’s so true.” Rachael tossed her hair and laughed, lower and more sexy than her regular laugh.
Kait knew Rachael practiced that laugh. Once Kait teased her, saying she should record herself so she could get exactly the right intonation. For a moment had Rachael looked serious as if she might agree, before she lightly brushed the idea away.
Ryu turned to wait for Rachael who had fallen a step behind him. His quiet reply sent shivers along Kait’s skin. Even without hearing the words his voice had an alarming effect on her senses.
Rachael, usually so light on her feet, tripped as she hurried to draw alongside. Ryu sprang forward, catching her. His arms went around her, holding her in an apparently tender embrace.
“Oh.” Rachael’s voice was light and breathless. She ran her hands up his arms to his shoulders and, leaning back, gave Ryu a smile from beneath her lashes.
Kait clenched her jaw. That smile told her Rachael’s little stumble was no more than artifice to put her exactly where she wanted to be—in Ryu’s arms.
He must have asked Rachael if she was all right, because she nodded, her fingers sliding around the back of his neck and into his hair. “Yes, my hero. If I’d sprained my ankle I wouldn’t be able to work.”
To Kait’s surprise, instead of taking Rachael up on her all to obvious offer, Ryu gently extracted himself from her grasp. Subtly stepping away, he pointed up to the music, lights, and food smells pouring from the deck. Rachael nodded, clearly reluctant to end this opportunity to be alone with him, and together they headed back to the party.
As they walked away, Ryu turned and looked directly at Kait. Her eyes widened, he couldn’t have seen her in the darkness. She remembered the way his head titled as if scenting the breeze. Cripes, he couldn’t have smelt her from there surely. Tentatively, she bent and sniffed under her arms, no horrid BO hit her nose.
No, she must be mistaken. Either he actually saw or heard her, or he hadn’t been looking at her at all. Kait swallowed, and almost choked as the piece of steak she’d forgotten about went down the wrong way. Coughing and spluttering, her eyes watering like crazy, she shook her head. How could she have forgotten to swallow? Ryu’s effect on her was insane.
Her attraction to him was so visceral she struggled to react rationally around him. She’d never felt like this in her life. Sure, she’d been attracted, but never quite like this.
“Hey, what are you doing alone in the dark?” She jumped, Johnny’s question taking her by surprise.
“Cripes, Johnny, you surprised me.”
“Sorry, doll-face. You all right?” He looked at her in concern. “You look like you’ve been crying?”
“I have.”
Johnny crouched down next to her. “What’s up?”
“My steak tried to kill me.” She kept her voice deadpan.
“What?” He looked at her bewildered.
Kait chuckled, coughed, then chuckled again. Johnny always cheered her up, even when he didn’t mean to. “A piece of steak went down the wrong way. My eyes were watering from trying to hack it back into place.”
Johnny snorted a laugh. “That’s okay then. I saw Rachael and the new guy, Mac, come from here and I thought they might have said or done something to upset you.”
She shook her head. If only he knew. For a moment her heart contracted as she longed to share her uncertainty and mixed-up emotions with someone. Pushing the reaction away, she gave him an I’m-fine smile. Not understanding her feelings made it too difficult to talk about them. She trusted Johnny, he was an honest friend she could talk to if she needed, she just wasn’t ready.
“Why did you think Rachael and Ryu…Mac,” she corrected, “might have upset me?”
“She’s always doing something to upset you.”
“That’s not true, she’s my friend. For goodness’ sake, I’ve known her for years.”
Johnny shook his head. “Duration does not a good friend make. Stop being blind and look at the way she acts around you, the woman’s a viper.”
“You’re only saying that because she broke up with you.” She knew Rachael wasn’t always an easy friend but he was going too far.
“No, I’m not, she’s a capricious, malicious piece of work.”
“Then why did you go out with her?”
Johnny gave an exaggerated sigh. “Because sometimes I’m a very shallow man, Kait. I saw a chance for an easy lay and I took it. Successfully I might add, the woman knows exactly what her body is capable of, and it’s capable of a lot.”
“You’re disgusting.” But Kait couldn’t help smiling.
“Yes, yes I am.” He grinned back. “Come on back to the party.” Standing, he held out a hand to help her up.
Kait walked back with Johnny. Ryu was on the dance floor with Marielle, both of them laughing. Ryu’s eyes caught hers for a moment as she stepped into the light. She glanced over her shoulder longing for the safety and anonymity of the shadows. How was she going to cope working with a man who drove her insane?
Chapter 7
&nb
sp; Ryu pulled his t-shirt over his head and dropped it over the towel rail. Running his fingers through his hair, he sighed. It had been a long night. First the kids’ show then the party, lots of new people to meet. Always having to be on his game, trying to see below the surface. Someone he partied with tonight was making deals with criminals. But who?
Pretty Marielle, friendly Johnny, sexy Rachel, the bossman or, God forbid, Kait. He sighed again. Instinct shouted it wasn’t Kait, but how much was because he was attracted to her?
He was too tired to go through everything tonight. Maybe his unconscious would pick up something his conscious mind missed. After a quick shower, he climbed thankfully into bed and pulled up the covers.
Sleep was soon a dark wash through his mind. His eyes flickered behind closed lids as memories played…
Curiosity had got the better of him, again. A fleeting glimpse of activity on level three and he’d felt the itch to investigate. Now here he was, outside the last secure door debating the wisdom of going in. The debate was pointless. He stroked a hand over the metal panel, white paint chips catching on his calloused fingertips. What were they hiding?
Time to find out. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, he set to work on the lock. A tight smile tugged at his lips as danger sang like static against his skin. His fingers sensitive to the slightest vibration, he unerringly changed the angle of the lock picks. Silence hung heavy in the empty corridor as he made short work of the mechanism.
The click of the lock disengaging seemed overloud. He froze, nothing stirred. A steadying breath controlled his surging adrenaline. Life didn’t always turn out the way he wanted, but this, this made it all worthwhile.
Exhilaration, serving his country under the radar, knowing his actions made a difference. The lock picks vanished back into his pocket and he turned the handle. The door swung open on silent hinges. He frowned, disturbingly silent for a compound full of squeaky doors.
He slipped into the room. His eyes widened, horror turning his blood cold. In the centre of the bare concrete block room, sitting on a rough wooden table, were tubes of pale green chemicals surrounded by twisted wires. Bomb! The realisation exploded in his brain. The small red numbers on the timer attached to the front clicked over, 06:23. He had less than ten minutes to get the hell out.
“Shit!” The word was more exhalation than speech.
No time to disable the bomb. Neither his training nor his inherent difference would stop him dying if he was near that thing when it blew. His only option was to run as if the world were about to be blown apart at his feet. He turned and raced for the door.
Grabbing the doorframe, he spun himself around the corner. Three quick strides and he was across the landing and shoving open the door to the stairwell. As the door closed behind him, he heard it—rapid footsteps pounding up the stairs from below. The sound pushed his heart rate even higher. He ran up the stairs, praying he was quicker and quieter than the men below.
He slammed his way out of the final set of doors and found himself standing on the roof, five stories up with no external fire escape. He swore silently. Where was a helicopter when you needed one?
Standing in the shadows surrounding the exit, he debated his options. His jaw tightened, he hated being caught out like this. He glanced at the sky. The heavy globe of the moon illuminated the compound and the heavy jungle surrounding it. If he moved, he’d be a clear target.
Unfortunately, like the ticking bomb, time wasn’t on his side. A man’s coarse shout on the other side of the door made up this mind. He’d have to risk being seen. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, he sent his clothes, weapons, and camera into Elsewhere and began running. He reached the edge of the roof—and jumped.
Air rushed past his face, burning his cheeks. Throwing his arms wide, he released the dragon. With an electric rush, he shifted. His wings caught the wind and pulled him upwards. If he was lucky no one would look up and see a giant, copper dragon flying overhead. If he wasn’t… Well, he hoped they mistook him for a dream not an enemy aircraft.
He pushed through the air with powerful wing strokes.
Boom!
The sound and heat of the explosion almost tumbled him out of the sky, only a jerk of his tail and a mighty wrench of his wings kept him airborne. He glanced over his shoulder to see the roof where he had been standing only moments before, shattered and engulfed in flames. But he was free.
Ryu sat up with a gasp. Sweat trickled down the side of his face. Damn, he hated it when he dreamed. He rubbed his fingers against his temples. Why that dream? Other than the fact it was a while since he’d shifted fully and the dragon was getting edgy to spread its wings, he didn’t dream without reason.
He leaned back against the headboard as an image popped into his head. The photos he’d taken, one of the men had been Razor. How could he have forgotten?
He dragged his phone off the bedside table and sent Adrian a message. The case was about a year old and fitted with the timeline. Although that compound looked like something you might see in the South American jungles, it hadn’t been, it had been domestic, albeit isolated.
He added another text after his first. His mind was shouting that one of the other men in his photos would turn out to be a buyer for the black market information. Seller and buyer in one photo would make a very nice piece of evidence.
****
Monday was turning out to be far more difficult than Kait expected. She arrived early and everything, other than the weather being unseasonably crisp, suggested it would be a regular start to the week. However, things started getting challenging about four o’clock when Ryu arrived to use the practice space.
Ryu, about whom she was still having inappropriate fantasies. She dreaded to think what he might read from her face and she longed to avoid him. Unfortunately, she couldn’t stay in her office for the rest of the day and hide. Instead she had to carry on as normal. Each time she saw him her stomach twinged and her heart jumped. She couldn’t even blame anyone else, this was a nightmare of her own making.
She saw him on her way to Edward Heath’s office; the accountant always insisted on seeing her on Monday afternoons. She saw him on her way to get a cup of coffee as he ran through his routine. She saw him on her way back to her office as he paused to talk to Rachael. She caught his heady scent on her way to Victor’s office to talk about Thursday’s function. By the time she left Victor’s office, she recognised the clammy hands of panic.
This was ridiculous. She let out a whoosh of air. She never reacted this way to men. She worked with him for goodness’ sake, she couldn’t ignore and avoid him forever. Straightening her spine, and paying no heed to the barrel of cats in her stomach, she walked over to where he was working through his choreography. His face set in concentration.
She was halfway across the floor when he stopped and dropped his torches into their stand. Then…oh cripes, he wasn’t?
She squeezed her eyes shut, then quickly opened them again.
He was.
He was unbuttoning his long-sleeved shirt. He pulled it off in one quick, unselfconscious move. Her feet forgot what they were doing. The tight, white t-shirt he wore underneath revealed his muscular body to perfection. The edge of a tattoo on his upper arm peeked out below his sleeve. Her tongue stuck to her palate as her mouth dehydrated. Without thinking, she turned and hurried in the opposite direction.
She almost ran nose first into a support pillar, flinging her hands out in time to prevent bloodshed. This was madness. She blinked away the image of Ryu’s muscles flexing as he rolled his shoulders. Focus, Kait, Focus.
Ducking around the other side of the pillar so she couldn’t be seen from the practice floor, she leaned against the cold concrete. Her racing heart thumped against the pillar at her back. So much for attempting reasonable adult behaviour. He was a fascinating magician and she utterly be-spelled.
Rubbing her hands against her upper arms, she attempted to get herself back in line. First step, go back to her office
and hide. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself away from the pillar and took steps so outwardly composed no one watching would know all she wanted to do was run.
Except, her office wasn’t empty. Her steps slowed. A dark, male silhouette moved behind the mottled-glass office door. She stopped, her mind in no state to cope with a curve ball. She had an open door policy, and was always available if any of the staff needed to talk. But no one went into her office if she wasn’t there…
The shadowy figure slammed a hand loudly against her desk. Her shoulders tensed. Now did not seem like a good time to confront whoever was in there. A muffled but obviously angry voice filtered through the door. The voice sounded familiar… Johnny?
The voice raised a notch, frustration in every word. Definitely Johnny. What was he doing in her office? She stared at the door handle. Should she go in? She bit her lip. It wasn’t appropriate for him to be in there on his own. While she trusted him it wouldn’t look good if the others found out.
Her hand reached out, but as her fingers touched the cool, metal door handle she stopped. Rough expletives filled the room beyond, his tone not one she’d ever heard from her friend. She backed up, eyes on his silhouette. He clearly needed a place to have a private, and obviously unpleasant, phone conversation.
What on earth could be wrong? He’d been fine on Saturday night. She watched as his silhouette began pacing, hand alternating between waving wildly and clenching at his side. If only she could hear what he was saying, but his voice was too muffled to make out the words, only his tone was clear. Wait, what was she thinking, eavesdropping on a friend? She took another step back, away from temptation.
Johnny’s conversation cut off with a curt word and he threw his phone against the wall. He bent, both hands braced on her desk, breathing heavily. She counted the seconds as he tried to recover himself. Should she go in and talk to him, find out what was wrong?
She nibbled her lip as she stared at his hunched figure. Now didn’t seem like the right time. Johnny was usually so upbeat, he wouldn’t want her to see him like this. She would find time later when he was calm, and make sure he knew she was here if he needed her. He’d been her sounding board many times in the past, and at least once a shoulder to cry on. Now it was her turn to do the same for him.
Embraced by Fire Page 5