Closer

by Leigh, Jo

  She walked past the bed, Boone at her side, and headed straight for the closet. Boone stood by the door, his shoulders looking so broad in his dark shirt. He’d pushed the sleeves up past the elbows, which made him look incredibly sexy.

  Since she wanted out of there, she got right down to business. She got her suitcase from the top shelf. In it, she packed underwear and bras, and built out from there. Mostly jeans, T-shirts, and one dress that didn’t need much in the way of an iron. Shoes, a pair of pajamas she doubted she’d wear. It was like packing for a trip of unknown duration. A no-frills vacation to her living room.

  She turned to pull a pair of sweats down, and caught sight of Boone. He was staring at her suitcase as if mesmerized. When she looked to see what had caught his attention, it made her giggle. How do you take down an ex-Delta Force? Dazzle him with a pink thong.

  She picked it up with her index finger, watching Boone as she lifted the Victoria’s Secret weapon. He was spellbound. He didn’t even blink.

  When she dropped it back into the suitcase, his whole head moved down to catch the flutter.

  Feeling wicked, she decided to test her theory further. While he was still in the trance, she undid the top button of her jeans. No effect. Then she unzipped, figuring the sound would distract him. Nope.

  This would be the real test. Another thong. Would he go back and forth between thongs? Would his head just explode? She lowered her jeans, slipping them down past her hips.

  Aha. He’d looked. His eyes widened quite a bit more than expected. But still, no other body movements. Well, she couldn’t swear that was true. She didn’t have a very good view of his fly.

  She lowered her pants down past her knees and let them drop. She had to toe off her sneakers before she could take them off completely, but he didn’t seem to mind. Once the jeans were off, she went to phase two. She turned around.

  Normally, she wouldn’t want any part of her butt exposed to this kind of light, but for this, she made an exception. When she turned her head to look back at him, bingo. She expected his eyes to boing out like in a cartoon.

  No longer able to hold it in, she laughed. Really laughed. Jeez. How was it possible?

  That, naturally, got his attention. He looked her in the eyes and blushed a deep, satisfying red.

  “Busted.”

  He coughed, his gaze on the carpet.

  “Certainly an experienced soldier like you has seen one of these babies before.”

  “Christie,” he said, in a warning growl.

  “Oh, no, big guy. I could have had my gun out and popped you right in the kneecap, and you wouldn’t have noticed.”

  “Are you finished?”

  She laughed again. “Yeah. I figured I’d eat like this.”

  His blush renewed. “Put on some pants.”

  “What?”

  “Please.”

  “My, my. Panties, huh? I’d never have guessed.”

  In response to her taunt, he did the mature thing. He turned his back and folded his arms across his chest.

  She pulled on another pair of jeans, giggling the whole time. Was he not the cutest person ever? Of course, this wasn’t over. She would have to think about this new piece of data very carefully. Strike when he least expected it.

  “All clear, Rambo.”

  He didn’t turn. But he did put his right arm out, to show her his special finger.

  She closed her suitcase, then took another look around. If she needed anything else, she wouldn’t be far away, but given a choice, she wouldn’t come back here. Maybe after the bastard was caught. Maybe.

  “Ready?” Boone had the door open.

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  MILO SAT RIGHT NEXT TO CHRISTIE as they ate dinner, and Boone noticed she would slip him pieces of chicken as she ate. Even though it wasn’t that good for the dog, Boone understood the motive. She was worried about her old pal. So was he.

  Seth had explained that he was going to use a modified electromagnetic pulse to zap the RFID. It wouldn’t hurt the dog, not for the duration that would be necessary. She and Boone would go to a vet first thing in the morning and get the damn thing taken out. Seth wanted it. He was going to see if he could identify the source. Figure out where the geek would have gotten it.

  The other matter at hand was to lock up the doggy door, and make sure Milo never went out unattended. He’d have felt better if Seth could have taken Milo, but he didn’t want to do that to Christie. She’d already been scared out of her bedroom, she didn’t need to lose her best friend.

  He tried to concentrate on the meal. It was good. Not enough vegetables, but still, it tasted great. He knew that was Kate’s contribution. She was a hell of a cook, didn’t matter what she had to work with. In Kosovo, she’d made them some incredible cevapcici and her sarma couldn’t be beat.

  It was great to see her and Seth working together. After the Balkans, they’d all split up. He’d lost touch with some of them. Kate had gone deep underground. It was only a few months ago that Seth had heard from her. That first night, when she’d come back, was when she’d heard about Nate. She hadn’t disappeared again. Not from them, at least.

  “You know what?” Christie said. “I think I have some cookie dough in that fridge of mine.”

  Kate smiled. “What kind?”

  “Who cares? It’s cookies.”

  “I stand corrected.”

  Christie lifted her hand for a mighty high five by Kate. All Boone could do was let it go. One night of cookies wasn’t going to blow her training. If he could have given her champagne to go with it, he would have. Tomorrow, they’d get back to it. Different track. Different gym, which was going to be a real pain. Different shooting range. They had to get the geek to come here. Not out there. Here, Boone had control. Here, he could take the man down, and there wouldn’t be a hair follicle left for anyone to find. They just had to get him angry enough to attack.

  He listened to Christie’s voice as she talked so easily to Seth and Kate. He wasn’t concentrating on the words, just the voice.

  He’d been strong last night. He’d thought of her, focused on his responsibility. With every word she said, with every gesture of her long, graceful fingers, he felt himself weaken.

  He thought again about what had happened in the closet. She’d made him stupid. It was still hard for him to reconcile that he’d held it together when she was naked and willing in his arms, but that he’d become thirteen again when he’d seen her damn panties.

  Tonight would be a struggle. One he wasn’t at all sure he wanted to win.

  “GOOD BOY. WHAT A FINE DOG. You’re the bravest of all the animals in the kingdom.”

  Boone smiled at Christie’s chatter. She held her beloved Milo’s head in her lap while Seth worked his voodoo. It took a tenth of a second and it was done. The EMP had destroyed the chip inside the RFID. The end, except for removing the chip itself.

  It was also the end of the night for Seth and Kate. They’d disappear, go back to the worlds they’d created for themselves, but he knew if he needed them, they’d come back. No matter what. No matter where. They were a team.

  Christie hugged them both. She invited them back under happier circumstances. No one asked what she meant. Then they were alone.

  Finally and truly alone. Every bug and camera the geek had planted was gone. He’d lost his eyes and his ears. And now he’d lost his tracking system. There wasn’t much left for him to do. Come back and plant more bugs? Maybe, but Boone doubted it. He’d come to claim what was his. Christie.

  “I’ll wash, you dry?”

  She led him into the kitchen where the table was cleared and all the dishes were piled in the sink. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to grab the dishtowel, to stand, leaning against the counter, as Christie soaped up her sponge.

  “So you guys were all in the Balkans, right?”

  “That’s right.”

  “With Nate.”

  “Yep.”

  She paused
, her lips slightly pursed. “What did Kate do?”

  “She was part of the UN peacekeeping force.”

  “How’d she get mixed up with you guys?”

  “We had mutual acquaintances,” Boone said, turning away from her.

  “You mean she was a spy.”

  He shouldn’t tell her anything. Especially when he wasn’t one hundred percent certain no one was listening. “No, she wasn’t. She helped the people in Kosovo.”

  Christie washed dishes for a while in silence, while he watched her, wanting so much to tell her everything. When she spoke, it wasn’t about Kate.

  “Seth, I assume, was the electronics expert, yes?”

  “Surveillance.”

  “And you did communications, which is different.”

  “That’s right.”

  “What was it you were sent over to do?”

  He got another dish to dry.

  “Boone?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “You’re not even in the army anymore.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I took an oath.”

  “Ah. I see. An oath.”

  “It matters.”

  “I’m sure Nate would say the same thing.”

  “You know how he felt about the Force.”

  “Yeah. He died for it.”

  “I can’t, Christie. I’m sorry. It’s not an option.”

  “Fine.” She went on washing. Not looking at him. Bruising the china.

  He put down his cloth and took her by the shoulders. He turned her to face him and made sure she was looking him straight in the eyes. “I’m not telling you because it could be dangerous for you to know. Okay? You have enough to worry about in your life without me adding to it.”

  She didn’t respond. Her lips, which had been pressed together when she turned, loosened. Her eyes softened and he felt her relax beneath his hands. “Okay. I’m sorry I pressed. I just keep wondering why anyone would want to kill my brother. You can understand that, can’t you?”

  “What I can tell you is that your brother was the best of the best. What he did, he did for his country. He honored you. He honored us all. I was, I still am, proud to have served with him.”

  Her eyes closed. She breathed in and out slowly. When she looked at him again, it was the vulnerable Christie he’d seen so often in the last twenty-four hours, but this time, there was no fear, just sadness. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Boone nodded.

  She turned back, and they finished the dishes in silence. He put the towel away. Milo scratched at his locked doggy door, and Christie got quiet.

  Boone took his weapon out from his jeans. “You have a leash?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Great. I’ll take him outside.”

  “No. Please. Not here. I’d rather take him to a park. Somewhere not around here.”

  “Sure, we can do that. Go get the leash. We’ll be back in no time.”

  THEY WENT TO WESTWOOD, and walked by the university. Milo seemed no worse the wear for his implant ordeal, but Christie was silent and jumpy. It wasn’t a long trip, but the ride home felt as if it took forever. He went into the house first; they both had their weapons ready and he had the scanner. They went through each room, each closet. Then they checked the locks on every door and window. Christie was so keyed up, he suggested they go to the kitchen and have some tea.

  She surprised him with hot chocolate, instead. “What the hell,” she said. “We already had evil cookies.”

  He sat her down, and they drank the sweet drink. Even he had to admit, it was damned tasty. Still, they didn’t talk.

  Tonight, he’d have to be vigilant. It could happen, although he doubted it would. The geek would be angry, yes. But not yet to the point of breaking. That would take a little more time. A few more trips parading for the last remaining camera—the one that focused on the path out front.

  That would do it. It had to.

  Christie finished her drink just as he finished his, took their mugs to the sink and rinsed them out. Then she put the dishes away from dinner, wiped her hands and went to the door where he was waiting for her. “I’m going to take a shower,” she said, turning out the kitchen light. She touched his arm. “You’re welcome to join me.”

  Boone looked at her, into those dark brown eyes. He should say no. Offer to stand outside the bathroom until she was done. Instead, he kissed her.

  Chapter 10

  CHRISTIE CLOSED HER EYES and sank into his kiss. Her pulse sped, but the rest of her relaxed. She felt small, protected. Amazingly turned on.

  She’d thought about how he would kiss when it was just for them, not for the camera. She’d been shamefully off the mark. He teased her mouth open farther so he could slip his tongue between her teeth. He brushed her tongue with his, making her shiver, tasting of sweet chocolate. His exploration of her was intense and focused, as if this kiss would tell him all he needed to know.

  What, she wondered, did he want to know about her? He knew that she was scared to death. That she’d lost her bearings and felt as if there were constant earthquakes tearing up the very ground beneath her feet. He knew she was willing, that she wanted him, that more than that, she needed him, even though the need itself confused her and made her ashamed.

  His hand moved from her shoulder to the small of her back. He pulled her closer so her body and his were tight together. His erection, hard and thick, pressed against her stomach, and she remembered the feel of it in her hand.

  She wanted more. To feel him between her lips, on her tongue. Inside her, pushing and urgent.

  He pulled back.

  She took a deep breath, then found his hand, pulling him along as she headed for the bathroom. Closing the door behind him, she closed out everything else, too. No stalker, no microchips, no warriors. Just the two of them.

  “I should wait outside,” he said.

  “Not gonna happen.”

  He smiled. Not that half smile, either, but a wide, devilish grin. “And what is gonna happen?”

  “I’m gonna take off all my clothes,” she said.

  “Oh?”

  “And so are you.”

  “We did that last night.”

  “That was for comfort.”

  “And this?”

  “Don’t think so much.” She backed up until she was closer to the shower. Then she pulled her T-shirt off. She’d worn one of her Wonderbras which made her look bigger than she was. It was pink and lacy, and he certainly seemed to like what he saw.

  He stared as he pulled his own shirt over his head and tossed it behind him.

  It was her turn to be mesmerized. She had to give it to the U.S. Army. They knew how to make their men hot as hell. Yeah, she’d seen him last night, but not for long enough, and not just standing there, letting her stare with abandon.

  She toed off her sneakers and her socks, which wasn’t terribly easy, at least not while trying to look sexy. But then, he had to crouch down to get his shoes off.

  While he was down there, she figured she’d make it worth his while. She undid her jeans, and pushed them down and off.

  He looked up. Got really still. She, wearing her mind-snapping thong, moved in close. Boone just looked for a long moment, his lips slightly parted, then his hands came up to the side of her panties and he pulled them down. He wasn’t in a hurry.

  She heard him moan as the panties dropped to the floor. At first she thought he was going to ignore her and glom on to the thong, but he wasn’t much interested in anything but her.

  His hands moved up her outer thighs as he looked up at her face. “You’re a dangerous woman,” he said.

  “Me?”

  He nodded.

  “I can’t even hit the target.”

  “Don’t kid yourself.” He rose, his hands still on her hips. “You’ve got one hell of an arsenal.”

  “I’d feel a lot better if I could shoot straight.”

  “You’ll learn. I’ll teach you.”

 
“That’s actually not what I want to learn right now.”

  He kissed her again. Slow, deep. Thorough.

  She used the opportunity to undo his jeans and push them down as far as she could without stopping the kiss. Boone took over. She felt him kick away his pants to join his shirt.

  It was her turn to break away. She opened the shower door and turned on the water. As she did that he undid the hooks of her bra. It ended up on the pile, and they were both, finally, naked.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered, nuzzling behind her ear.

  “You think so?”

  “I do.”

  She turned into his chest, at once liking that he was so tall, and wishing she didn’t have to look up so high to see his face. “You’re not bad yourself.”

  With his hands on her shoulders he held her steady, looked at her with serious eyes. “I shouldn’t do this.”

  “You think he can get in here? Into this room without you knowing about it?”

  “No. But you can make me lose my concentration.”

  “I can? Wow, I had no idea.”

  “Just thinking about you in that little thong of yours…”

  “I meant to ask you about that. Panty fetish?”

  “Nope. Not that I’ve noticed. Before today, that is.”

  “Ah, so it’s my panties that had you so rapt.”

  He nodded. “Guess so.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re not taken. I really don’t. You’re gorgeous, you’re smart. You’ve got that whole dark and dangerous thing going.”

  “I told you. I can’t. Things are complicated.”

  “You know what’s not complicated?”

  “What?”

  She kissed him again, only this time, she moved her hand down, fisting his hot erection. “Let’s get clean so we can get dirty,” she said, her mouth a scant inch from his. “Show me what you like. Teach me how to please you.”

  “You already are,” he said, reaching behind her so he could open the shower door wide enough for both of them to get in.

  The water was perfect and it hit them from three sides. Of course, the nozzles were adjusted to her height, but Boone didn’t seem to mind. He touched her back with both hands, rubbed her chest with his, the water and the heat making everything slick.