His gaze drifted back to her face, and he realized she was staring just as intently at him. His combat sense began screaming at him. He felt like she was reading every thought in his head, discovering every secret in his heart. Right then, he decided to have Amy check her out.
He shook the hand she extended. “I’m delighted to meet you, Rena,” he said, burying his suspicions deep inside.
“Likewise.” She grinned. “It’s nice to finally meet the man Misty keeps talking about. I was beginning to think you were just a figment of her imagination.” She winked. “But I have to say, you are definitely real. Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but duty calls. Any time Misty can’t keep a date, call me.” She headed down the long hall toward the back of the house.
Jack watched her retreating figure with interest. The gentle sway of her hips held a lot promise for some lucky man. He felt himself grinning like an idiot.
Misty nudged him. “Are you ready?”
“What?” He jerked his gaze to Misty. “Sure, I’m ready. Does she get this reaction often? And why aren’t you jealous?”
“Yes, she gets this reaction from almost every man she meets. And I’m not jealous because I know her. She’s not interested in you. You’d know it if she was.”
She opened the door, and they stepped out on the porch. “Are we staying here or going someplace else?”
He escorted her to his car, opening the door for her. “Someplace else.”
They quickly left the city behind as he drove far out into the country. Pulling over to the road’s edge, he walked Misty up a slight hill to a beautiful tree with a large house towering in the distance.
“Should we be on their property?” Misty asked.
He shrugged. “They can’t see us. We should be all right.”
He couldn’t tell her the house and grounds were his. Not after he’d told her he was broke.
When he’d escaped from ULTRA, he’d taken money from hoods, the mob, any criminal or villain he could to build the fortune he needed to support his investigation of the secret cabal within ULTRA and to help his team. When he’d accrued enough, he did some smart investing and, within a few years, was worth millions.
He’d wanted a house as far from the city as he could get. When this place hit the market, he’d snatched it up. The rural solitude reminded him of his grandparents’ house in the English countryside he’d loved as a child.
And now, another summer was approaching and things hadn’t changed since the other thirteen summers had come and gone. No reason to believe this one would be any different. He inhaled the country air, trying to settle his thoughts.
But something was already different. This year, he had Misty. He saw her watching him. Why couldn’t she have been the fling he’d told Frank she’d be?
She leaned over and touched his arm. “So many expressions crossed your face just now. What’re you thinking about?”
His hand curled into a fist. “I’ve got to go out of town. Not too long, just a few weeks.” He leaned against the tree, closing his eyes. If he kept looking at her, he’d never keep himself together.
“We’re not seeing each other anymore, are we?” she asked quietly.
His opened his eyes and gazed at her, watching tears slip down her face. “It’d be best if we didn’t,” he said in a low voice. “But I can’t stop thinking about you.” He laid his hand on her cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb. “You’re a dangerous distraction.”
“Why?” she asked. “I can help you if you’ll only tell me what’s going on.”
He pulled her a little closer. “You need to stay away from me, from what I’m involved in.”
She grabbed his hand, holding it tight. “I don’t want to stay away from you.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she laid a finger on his lips. “I have skills you could use, connections with important people.”
He kissed the finger on his lips, and his hand slid up her arm to curl around the back of her neck. He pulled her close until her face was inches from his. “I knew I should’ve kept this to a phone call,” he murmured before closing the gap and kissing her hard.
“I can take care of myself,” she whispered as he buried his face in her neck.
He raised his head and from the look in her eyes, knew he must look pretty pathetic.
“What’s happened to you?” she murmured. “Who’s hurt you so much?”
He almost told her everything right then. Instead, he stood, giving her his hand. “I’d better take you home,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.
Misty smiled as he pulled her to her feet. “Which home?”
“What do you mean?”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Did you or did you not promise to cook for me?”
“I suppose I did.”
“I’ve decided now’s as good a time as any,” she said.
He smoothed her hair off her face. “I haven’t gone shopping yet. I don’t have anything to fix.”
She mover her hands slowly up his chest. “Maybe it won’t matter.”
He frowned, picking up on her meaning. No mistaking. She wanted him. “Are you sure?” At her touch, his body came to life, responding to her hands quicker than he would’ve believed.
“Let’s see what happens,” she whispered.
****
Misty began to tremble as she stepped into Taylor’s apartment. He pushed the door and it shut with a loud click, making her jump. His home was the same as before, increasing her nervousness as she looked around. The picture of Scavenger floated behind her eyes, making her stare at the man with her.
I’ll tell him I’m not ready and ask him to take me home. She turned to tell him and stopped. He looked so alone as he gazed at her, her resolve melted and the words died in her throat.
He took her hand. “Are you afraid of me?”
“No. Yes. I mean...”
“It’s all right,” he said as he laid his hands on her shoulders. He gave her a small smile. “You’ve been saving yourself, haven’t you?”
She nodded, feeling her face grow hot.
He massaged her shoulders, helping her relax. “I’m as far from Mr. Right as you get, you know.”
“I don’t think so,” she whispered.
“Say the word, and I’ll take you home right now.” He snorted. “If you knew the truth about me, you’d run for the hills.”
Misty smiled as she laid her hands on his chest. “I don’t know about that. I do know I want to be with you, right here, right now, whoever you are.”
He ran his knuckles lightly down her cheek. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, closing her eyes.
He crushed her to his chest. “Then I’m a selfish bastard, because I want you, too.”
He carried her to the bedroom, cradling her to his chest and set her on her feet. Slowly unbuttoning her shirt, he gazed into her eyes and ran a finger down the valley between her breasts.
“This is your last chance,” he whispered. “Say the word, and I’ll take you home.”
Misty was silent as she finished pulling off her clothes. She turned to him. “I wouldn’t stop you for anything.”
She slid her hands under his T-shirt, caressing his skin. She lifted it as high as she could, and he pulled it off, flinging it to the corner of the room. Resting her hands on his hips, she slowly slid them around front to open the snap on his jeans.
She gazed in his eye as she removed the eye-patch. “Let me see all of you,” she whispered.
He kicked off his boots, his socks staying inside and he pushed his pants down. She raked her gaze over his body, marveling at the strength in him. “You’re as close to perfect as possible.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m not.”
She ran her hands down his sides. “Yes, you are.” He started to say something, but she pulled his head down. “Don’t argue with me.”
He lowered his mouth to her breast, and she gasped from the shock that shot through her. Her hands grippe
d his head, and she pulled the rubber band from his hair, running her fingers through it to let it fall free. His hand moved down to her stomach, then lower, touching her gently between her legs. She grabbed his shoulders, digging her fingers in as he stroked her.
He laid her back on the bed, stretching out next to her and smiled as he touched her again. “I love the way your breasts rise and fall as you breathe.” He trailed his fingers across her stomach before stroking the insides of her thighs. “How soft your skin feels.”
He took her breast in his mouth again while his fingers squeezed her other nipple.
Misty’s stomach began fluttering as his touch inflamed her. She spread her legs, inviting him to take her. “I need you,” she panted. “Now.”
He positioned himself over her. “Anything you want. You told me not to argue.”
Taylor stroked the outside of her. He entered her slowly, pausing briefly until she ran her thumbs over his nipples, making him groan. He filled her, capturing her cries with his mouth as she moved with him. Her legs held him tightly, and they increased their rhythm, finally giving themselves to the passion exploding inside them.
He raised up and smiled at the woman who’d just given him something very precious, something special. She looked at him, a silly grin plastered to her face.
“What?” he asked.
“I’ll have to tell Rena she was right, only minus the ripped clothing.”
“Do I even want to know what you’re talking about?” he asked.
She wiggled against him, smiling as desire again smoldered in his natural eye. “No. I don’t think you do.”
Chapter Eight
The phone jangled. Misty propped her head on her hand and watched as Taylor sat up and snatched the receiver off the cradle.
“Hello,” he growled. She stared at him as he nodded his head, agreeing with whoever he was speaking to. He slammed the phone down and she jumped.
He shook his head. “Looks like dinner will have to wait.” He grabbed his clothes. “We’ve got to go. Now.”
Misty scooped her clothes off the floor, her fingers trembling as she pulled them on. “What’s wrong?”
She frowned as he ignored her question, instead turning to inch the curtain away from the window. “Ready?” he asked, scanning the parking lot.
“Yeah.” She stared at his profile. “You want to clue me in?”
He walked to the dresser, pulling out the gun she saw him with the other day. He tucked it into the back of his pants. “No.”
Taylor led her to the front door and opened it a crack. “This isn’t exactly how I wanted to end our time together.”
She squeezed his hand. “I know.”
They paused at the outside door and he glanced around the area. “We’re clear.”
She nodded. “Let’s do it.”
They ran to his car and she caught the keys he tossed to her before he slipped into the back seat and wedged himself onto the floor. “Head for the exit. If you’re stopped, make something up. I wouldn’t want to shoot anyone.”
She nodded once, sure he meant what he said. “I’ve got it covered.”
Misty glanced in the backseat. It was a good thing Chevy made their cars with a lot of legroom or he’d have never fit. Thank God men never clean out their cars. He’d thrown a blanket over himself and, with all the junk back there, he wasn’t even noticeable. As she pulled out, ULTRA strike teams hustled into the parking lot.
An agent in familiar black and green armor waved her to a stop. She watched agents surround the building, packing an overabundance of firepower. She frowned. Did a couple of them have rocket launchers? Weren’t they even thinking about the innocent people in the building? This didn’t seem like the ULTRA she knew and worked with.
All this for one man? ULTRA really does have its knickers in a twist.
The agent leaned in, checking the interior of the car. “Did you see anyone leave this area within the past ten minutes?”
Her hands shook and she gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “No, I’m sorry, I didn’t. I work the night shift at my job and just got up. Did something happen?”
“We’ve been alerted to a wanted criminal in the area.”
“Oh.” I shouldn’t be this nervous, she thought. I’m an ULTRA liaison, for pity’s sake. She noticed the agent taking in her mussed hair and rumpled clothing. She smiled as she realized the agent was looking down the shirt she hadn’t completely buttoned up. “Is he hiding around here?”
The agent grinned at her. “Anything’s possible. You’d best stay away for a few hours.”
Misty gunned the engine. “Thanks for the warning and good luck.” She pulled out of the parking lot, her speed increasing the farther she went. She was halfway to Angel Haven before she pulled over. “Okay, it’s safe.”
Taylor sat up, his hair and clothing as disheveled as hers. “That was quite a bit of storytelling. Have you always had this particular talent?”
She grinned. “Nope. It’s a learned ability.”
He slid into the driver’s seat. “I’ll take over.”
Misty pushed herself over to the passenger’s side. “Good. My hands are still shaking.” She watched him for a minute. “How can you be so calm?”
“Practice,” he murmured. “A whole lot of practice.”
They arrived at the mansion. Taylor put the car in park and stared out the windshield.
“What will you do now that they’ve found you?” Misty asked.
“There’re other places I can go,” he said. “I’ve got to do some checking. I’ll call you later.”
Misty turned his face to hers and kissed him, pleased when he deepened it. She got out and stood on the porch, watching him drive away.
****
Jack pulled into the warehouse and sat there listening to the ticking engine cool. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he considered the possibilities. He figured he had three main options. One of his group had sold out, someone was captured, or Misty was somehow involved.
He hit the steering wheel. “Damn it!” He got out, slamming the car door.
ULTRA would leave a small patrol at the apartment, so that place wasn’t good anymore. He stomped to the kitchen and grabbed a beer as he made himself something to eat. He could stay here and he always had the country house. He dropped on the couch and turned the television on.
He laid his head back, closing his eyes. “Bloody hell, I’m tired.”
Footsteps crept near and he tensed, his combat sense kicking in as he stayed still. He counted to ten, then reached over his shoulder, flipping the intruder to the floor in front of him. He grinned. “Hey, Frank. I think this one puts me up at least a hundred to five.” He extended his hand, pulling his friend to his feet.
Frank glared at him. “I hate it when you do that.” He brushed himself off. “I came by to see if you made it out okay.”
“I had help.” He wouldn’t meet Frank’s stare. “Misty covered for me.”
Frank cringed. “You did not just say that to me. Why would you take her back to the apartment?”
“None of your damn business,” Jack muttered, feeling his face warming.
Frank stared at him and then burst out laughing. “Are you blushing? You are. Wait until Amy hears about this.”
“Don’t start with me.”
Frank cleared his throat. “Could Cyber-X have put a tracer on you?”
Jack shook his head. “No. With all the sensors I have, I would’ve picked it up and he wouldn’t have sent ULTRA. He’d come for me himself. He wants to complete his contract.” He sat back down on the couch. “Has anyone been taken?”
“Not that I know of.” Frank sat at the other end. “Do you think we’ve got a turncoat?”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know.” He stopped, not wanting to voice his other suspicion. “It could’ve been Misty.”
Frank just stared at him in silence. Then he said, “I’ll bring the group here tomorrow night and we’ll k
ick around some ideas.”
****
The next evening, Jack pulled out the gear he wore as Scavenger. The green breastplate still fit him perfectly, but the blades on the black mesh on his arms weren’t ULTRA issued. Those he’d taken from a villain. The gold gauntlets were another piece of stolen villain equipment. Everything else, the gray mesh leg armor, the reinforced boots, the leg holster, all came from his time at ULTRA. He checked his weapons. Everything was ready.
He still had a few hours before Frank and his team were due at the warehouse. If he could find out anything new, he would. He climbed in his van and pulled out. Time to get information, and there was only one man to see. He headed for one of the poorer sections of the city.
****
Jack leaned over the edge of the roof of a three-story building, looking for a particular man in the crowds below. Spying him, he jumped off the roof, his artificial legs absorbing the impact. He landed in the narrow alley between the buildings. He grabbed a dirty, disheveled man, dragging him into the shadowed space.
Jack smiled grimly. “Having a good night, Mexico?”
The Hispanic man shrugged. “Could be better. What up wit’ you, man?”
“ULTRA’s getting close. What do you know? And talk like a regular human being. You know I can’t stand it when you talk like an illiterate slob. Save it for the cops.”
Mexico straightened up, losing the heavy accent. “You’re the boss.” He glanced up and down the alley. “You’ve pissed off a lot of important people. Fenmore’s goons got their hands on a telepathic tracker. You’re lucky all they could get was a kid with no experience.”
“Just bloody terrific,” Jack mumbled. “Anything else?”
“Only that if Fenmore’s involved, the kid’s got to be scared to death.” Mexico shrugged. “Other than that, nothing.”
That explained how they found the apartment. A small bit of relief crept in as he realized this information let Misty off the hook. “Can you let me know if you hear anything new?”
Bedeviled Angel Page 5