The Omega Team: Lethal Intent (Kindle Worlds Novella) (MacKay Destiny Book 7)

by L. J. Garland

Before she could tell him no, he strode across the kitchen and out through the swinging door. Instead of his cousins, a man in tan pants and jacket stood near the entrance, staring out the window.

  “Can I help you?” Jamie said.

  The guy turned, his cold, dark gaze flicking over him in a quick assessment then shifting to the door leading to the kitchen. When he looked at Jamie again, he smiled—though it didn’t get close to reaching his dead eyes. “Yes, I’ll take two of those blueberry muffins.”

  Jamie reached for one of the paper bags he’d stacked on the back counter then slid open the case, grabbed the tongs, and plucked two muffins from the tray. He set the order on the counter next to the cash register—that he had no clue how to run. One more thing he needed to learn. “Five dollars.”

  Without hesitation, the guy reached in his pocket, pulling out his wallet.

  The swish of the swinging door, followed by the soft clicking of stiletto boots on tile met Jamie’s ears. Damn. She’s leaving. He turned toward her just as she came out into the front of the shop and jolted to a stop.

  “Will.” Familiarity rang like a claxon in her voice.

  The guy smiled, this time something definitely reaching his eyes—and it didn’t look like happiness. More predator. “Lily.”

  Her gaze moved between him and the guy. “What are you doing here?”

  “You were taking so long, I thought you got lost.” He tossed a ten on the counter, mumbling, “Keep the change,” then grabbed the bag and sauntered to Lily. “I got us muffins, Muffin.” He chuckled as he draped his arm around her shoulders. “We need to get going.”

  Jamie stared, dumbfounded. Was she married? Engaged? He hadn’t seen a ring, but that didn’t mean anything. He had no doubt they knew one another.

  Possessiveness jerked his gut into a knot. He wanted to clock the guy. But then anger and confusion rallied, leaving his feet glued to the floor. Why would Lily kiss him in the kitchen like that, agree to go upstairs with him for what promised to be hot, unforgettable sex, if she knew this guy was waiting for her? Why would she even agree to meet him this morning, after waiting outside in her car for who knew how long before the sun came up, if she had a thing going with this guy?

  Jingle-jang.

  The man in the tan suit escorted Lily out the door.

  Jamie frowned. What the hell is going on?

  Chapter Seven

  “What the hell is going on?” Lily demanded. “What are you doing here, Will?”

  “Saving your ass, Muffin.”

  “Don’t Muffin me.” She jerked free of his grasp. “And my ass didn’t need saving. I was doing just fine before you came along and almost blew my cover.”

  “From the looks of you, I’d say you already blew something yourself.”

  “You’re disgusting.” She picked up her pace, leaving him behind as her mind whirred. She’d figure out a way to explain all this to Jamie without giving away her true purpose of protecting him.

  He caught up, grasping her elbow. “I’m here as backup, which it appears you need.”

  “I don’t need any help.” She kept her voice low, trying not to cause a scene on the open street. “For your information, I just got a job at the bakery.”

  “He hired you?”

  “Yes. So I’ll be right there with him.” She threw a glare his way. “You don’t need to be here.”

  “I can guess what you had to do to get the job.” Jealousy ranged his features, narrowed his eyes, tightened his jaw.

  “I got the job because I know how to bake. I spent several months in Milan undercover.” The high-end bakery may not have been culinary school, but while undercover for the three months it’d taken her to unravel the knotted process management and staff used to launder local drug lords’ money, she absorbed quite a bit about how to bake. For scumbags, they made amazing breads—crusty on the outside, soft on the inside—and truly decadent pastries, pies, and cakes.

  He nodded. “Sounds familiar.”

  “It should. You sent me.” Then he’d shown up, claiming the mission had changed and she needed critical intel. Yeah, there were a lot of missions where he just “showed up.”

  “Let’s have dinner,” he suggested. “We can discuss how you’ll go about protecting one of our latest veterans.”

  “I’ve got plans.” Not really, but she’d make some. She crossed the street, Will hanging close to her side as she headed back the way she’d come.

  “Then, lunch.”

  “Look, Will, I’ve got this under control. Besides, what are the chances the terrorist is after Jamie?” She stopped and faced him. “You said there were over a dozen names on the stolen list, so the probability is less than 8 percent.”

  “So there’s a better than 90 percent chance you’ll be bored out of your mind in this tiny backwater town, baking with the dough boy.” He stepped toward her. “And if the terrorist does happen to show up, then we’ll take him down together. Like the old days.” He skimmed his hand down her arm. “Let me keep you company. And when this mission is over, there’s a place waiting for you at NCTC.”

  For Lily, the old days were exactly that—old. Her missions with The Omega Team flew her worldwide, varied in content, and the pay was way better than the CIA. Grey and Alexa had taken a huge chance on her. No way she’d risk that by crawling back in bed with William Harmon—figuratively or otherwise.

  She stepped off the curb and into the street, rounding the front of her nondescript sedan.

  “Where are you going? I’m offering you a job.”

  “I’ve got a job.” She dug in her pocket, pulled out the rental car keys, and opened her door. She smiled and waved at him. “Go home, Will. I’ve got this.”

  She slid into the driver’s seat, tossed her phone in the passenger seat, and started the engine. As she pulled away from the curb, she caught Jamie watching through the huge bakery window. Damn. Well, at least he saw her leave Will on the sidewalk.

  A short while later, she drove past the Black Bear Lodge. After pulling to a stop in front of her cabin, she grabbed her phone, got out, and marched inside. No sooner had the door closed behind her than she hit speed dial.

  Two rings and then, “Lily. Thanks for returning my call.”

  “Do you not trust me, Grey?” She clenched her jaw as she fought to contain her hurt and anger—this was Grey Holden of The Omega Team after all.

  “What’s wrong?” His deep timbre held a note of concern.

  “Will Harmon is here.”

  “In Cedar Valley?”

  “Yes.” She walked to the couch and flopped. “You didn’t know.”

  “He said he had some things to take care of. Said Jacquie wasn’t getting results.”

  She nodded even though he couldn’t see her. “I spoke with her. She gave me an update.” She had no doubt the woman would come through. She always did. No one could hide from her very long.

  “Your record at the CIA was exemplary, some reviews citing you could pull the proverbial rabbit out of a hat when needed…one of the reasons I hired you. Since you and Will have worked together, he probably wanted to see if you’d learned anything.” He paused. “Have you?”

  “Nothing noteworthy.”

  “Is Will’s presence there a problem?”

  “No.” Whining to Grey about Will’s insinuated offer to sleep with him and his overt offer of a new job would get her nothing. Grey was smart. Sooner or later, he’d figure out what Will was about—if he hadn’t already. “No problem at all.”

  “Good.”

  Yeah, not really, but she’d deal. She rubbed her temple to alleviate the tightness there brought on because she’d been grinding her teeth.

  “So, the reason I called earlier was to ask for a progress report to give Will.” He chuffed. “Since he’s there with you, I guess he already knows what’s going on. But if you wouldn’t mind filling me in?”

  “Sure.” She gave him a quick rundown ending with, “And now I’ve positioned myself wher
e I can keep a close eye on the package. I’ll be spending today getting the lay of the land, ideas where a terrorist might strike, weak points and hidden approaches to the bakery.”

  “Very good. I’ll email the client an update so he’ll know we’ve spoken.”

  And maybe he’ll get the message and leave. “Sounds good.”

  “I’ll call for another update next week if Jacquie hasn’t located the terrorist.”

  “I’m sure she’ll find him.”

  “No doubt.” Papers shuffled in the background. “And, Lilly?”

  “Yes?”

  “Of course I trust you.”

  ***

  “Here you go.” Jamie handed the bag to the woman on the other side of the counter, and grinned. “Looks like you cleaned me out.”

  The older woman surveyed the dessert cases. “You still have two cakes left. If these bear claws are as good as they look, I’ll be back to get the chocolate cake.”

  She was lucky she got any bear claws at all, what with Fire Chief MacKay bustling in and buying two bags stuffed full. Mac was related to Jamie’s dad somewhere along the MacKay family tree, but he’d never called him Uncle. No, everyone except Aiden, Kat, and Brigit—who called him Granddad—addressed Evan MacKay as Mac, including Jamie. The man was the rock of the community.

  But then, so were the rest of the MacKays. Seemed quite a few resided here in Cedar Valley.

  “Thank you, young man. And best of luck getting your aunt’s bakery up and running again.” She glanced around. “Though you might consider getting a chair or two. These old bones like to sit now and again.” With a wave, she toddled out of the shop.

  Jamie grabbed the rag he’d set under the counter and wiped down the top of the display case. The day had flown by and ended well, despite the way the morning had ended.

  He’d stood behind the counter when Lily emerged from the kitchen. The blood had drained from her rosy cheeks, and her eyes had widened for a fraction of a second. She knew the guy but hadn’t expected him to find her in the shop. Why?

  Unable to stop himself, he glanced at her left hand for the second time. Yep, still no ring. Of course, that didn’t mean much these days. She could be married or engaged without a band on her finger. Or they could be dating or have dated. Whatever. Didn’t matter. Because the way the guy draped his arm around her shoulders proved familiarity. He called her Muffin. Because he’d bought muffins. Lame, asshole.

  Why did he care? She’d made her choice. Left with the guy in the tan suit. He bought her a muffin. Hell, I filled all the damn display cases for her. I bought the damn blueberry muffin. He just gave me ten dollars for two of them. He scrubbed the counter harder. She doesn’t even like blueberry muffins. She likes cherry-cheese coffeecake, which she was enjoying with me before the guy showed up.

  Why did this bother him so much? Any other woman and he’d have waved good-bye. Lily was different. The way she kissed him. How she molded herself against him. How she responded to his touch. Hell, how he responded to her touch. He paused to peer at his fingertips, where they’d first grazed her skin when he took the coffee she’d offered. There’d been a tingle. Something…different. He didn’t know what exactly, only that he had a connection with the smart, funny, sexy Lily Vaughn. And he didn’t want to let that go.

  Except he had let her go. Let her walk right out the front door while he stood behind the counter. And it’d taken everything inside him not to run outside after her. But he hadn’t wanted to see them together—holding hands, laughing, being intimate. Not chasing her had been the safer choice because all he’d wanted to do was pound the shit out of the man in the tan suit.

  But then, as it turned out, he hadn’t needed to chase after her. She’d come back down the street on the opposite sidewalk, and, still, Jamie had stood behind the counter, unable to tear his gaze from the scene playing out on the other side of the huge front window.

  She’d gotten into her car and driven off. Alone. Left the muffin-buying asshole standing on the street. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

  Jamie turned to wipe down the back counter but paused to straighten the few remaining brown paper bags.

  Jangle-jing!

  “Sorry,” he called out without looking up. “Unless you want a cake, we’re sold out.”

  A soft click-clack echoed off the tile floor. The hairs on his nape stood on end, and a buzz of lust swirling through his veins.

  “You know”—her voice set his every nerve alive—“if you cut those cakes and sold them as slices, you’d make a bigger profit.”

  He set the bags on the counter then turned to face her. Damn, she was beautiful. Every inch of her, from her top of her blonde head to the tips of her stiletto boots, called to him. Who cared why or how it worked? All that mattered was that it did. He’d only known her a handful of hours, and he knew, knew they were connected in a way he’d never been with anyone else before.

  “Lily.” He set his hands on the edge of the counter, shocked at how her name growled over his tongue. “What are you doing here?”

  She held up a bag. “I hoped you might want to have dinner with me.”

  Chapter Eight

  Lily held the bag out and gulped a breath, hoping she could undo the mess Will had made.

  “I’d really like to have dinner with you,” Jamie drawled, “but I’m not into being second choice.”

  His bright-blue gaze landed on her, hot and intense, and a shiver of need rippled through her. How could he just look at her and leave her wanting?

  “You’re not. You’re first. You’re the only one.” What? When did that happen? You hardly know this guy. She lowered the bag to her side. “I mean, Will is nobody. Well…not nobody.” Stick close to the truth, Lily. “I used to work with him. We went out once. There’s nothing between us.”

  Jamie lifted an eyebrow. “He seemed to think there was.”

  The growl in his voice made her knees weak. But instead of turning into a puddle at his feet, she lifted her chin. “Well, he’s wrong.”

  “Is he?”

  “God yes.” She walked toward him then set the bag on the counter between them. “So, if you’d like some of this chicken parmesan, say the word. Otherwise”—she jerked her thumb over her shoulder—“I’ll take it and go.”

  He tugged the sack toward him, opened the top, and sniffed. “That smells really good.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “But before I do, I have to tell you, Lily, I really like you. A lot.”

  Her heart tripped. “I like you, too.”

  “Good. Because I don’t know about you, but I feel there’s something between us, some kind of connection. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but I’d like to explore it further.” He held up a hand to stop her from speaking. “But I also just hired you to work here. You need to know that had nothing to do with whatever this is between us.”

  “Got it.” She smiled. “You know nothing about baking, and you’re desperate. Never thought you hired me for any other reason.” His concerns about propriety rammed a knife of guilt into her chest.

  Ask yourself, Lily, did you seduce him in order to maneuver him into hiring you so you could do your job to protect him? Is it all a sham?

  I didn’t seduce him. He hired me because he needed help. Right time and place. And it’s not a sham. There’s definitely something between us.

  “Is there anyone else I should know about? A boyfriend, fiancé, husband, arranged marriage, anything along those lines?”

  “No. You?”

  “No, ma’am. I’m a one-woman kinda guy.”

  She liked the sound of that. “Me, too. One-guy kinda girl, I mean.”

  The corner of his mouth twitched. “Good.”

  He came from behind the counter, strode to the door, and set the lock then flipped the sign to Closed. Turning, he stalked toward her, trapping her against the counter with his arms on either side of her hips. Her heart pounded like mad, and she inhaled his heady scent—a mix of leather and musk and a warm su
mmer day. And, when he pressed close, the light stubble on his cheek grazed hers as his hard length pressed against her tummy.

  “I thought about you all day.” His voice, pure sex, rumbled next to her ear, his warm breath sending chills skittering down the side of her neck. “Did you think of me?”

  “Yes.” Her half-whispered response came out on a shudder, and her nipples tightened beneath her shirt. She hadn’t stopped thinking of him from the moment she first set eyes on him.

  He dragged his tongue along the shell of her ear then sucked the lobe into his mouth, giving it a slight nip with his teeth. “Good.”

  Jamie picked up the bag of food then reached for her hand and guided her to the kitchen. He set the bag on the prep table. “Do you want to eat now or later?”

  “Why? What were you thinking?”

  He faced her, a heart-stopping smile on his face. “Do you want me to tell you? Or would you rather I show you?”

  A war between jangled nerves and heated libido raged inside her. She’d never been a one-night stand type of girl, and though she didn’t believe he intended it to be a single encounter, whatever this was between them was moving awfully fast. She’d never tumbled into bed with a guy within a handful of hours after meeting him. So, yeah, she may have just met him, but somehow it seemed so much longer. More like weeks or months. But that’s crazy.

  “You’re thinking awfully hard.” He leaned his hip against the table. “As bad as I want to make love to you, we can take things slow. But there’s this thing between us, this pull.” He reached up and traced her jawline with his fingertips. “I can’t not touch you.”

  She leaned into his hand, and he gathered her into his arms.

  “I know we just met, but there’s a connection between us I’ve never felt with anyone else.” He shook his head and let loose a self-deprecating chuckle. “Damn, that sounded like a line, didn’t it?”

  She giggled.

  He tightened his embrace and sighed. “Except it wasn’t, Lily. It’s true. I don’t know how, but I feel like we’ve known each other forever.”