by Lisa Eugene
“What?” she said, indignant, but smiling.
“You’re tough and indomitable.”
“Tough?” Her lips twisted wryly. “I’ve cried more in the last week than I have in the last two years.”
His gaze softened, his irises a burnt umber. “I’m sorry. I know this has been an ordeal. I have to claim responsibility for it.”
It hasn’t all been bad, she wanted to say, but instead she said, “True.” She nodded thoughtfully. “But I blame Cane Howard more than anyone else. I believe you would have left my apartment after you retrieved the drive.”
He frowned. “Don’t be so quick to absolve me, Maggie. Cane and I may be a lot more alike than you think.”
She swung her head back and forth, disavowing his claim. “I don’t believe that, Gabe.” She expelled a weighty sigh, anxious about the answer to her next question. “What do we do now?”
She felt his muscles tense beneath her, firm like chiseled marble. He cupped her chin and locked their gazes. The edge of his lips pulled slightly.
“I guess we’re a ‘we’ now, hmm…?”
His words sent warmth sluicing down her back and stark fear scooting around in her heart. “I guess so.”
“…until this is over.”
Fool! What had you expected him to say? Until death do us part?
She nodded.
He frowned, releasing her chin. “I’ve been thinking about it. But it’s complicated.”
“What’s so complicated about it? We give the research back to Dr. Rollins.” She couldn’t help the urgent pitch in her voice.
“Cane Howard is tenacious. He will do everything to ensure that doesn’t happen. Last I heard, the Rollinses weren’t even in the country.”
“There’s got to be a way to find them.”
He sighed and rolled them over, positioning himself on top of her.
“Let me figure it out. I have a few ideas. For now though, we have to leave this motel.”
“Are we not safe here?”
His brows pulled together. “I won’t feel safe until Cane is no longer a threat. It’s just not prudent to stay in one place for too long.”
She nodded understanding. “Where are we going?”
“I don’t trust any of my safehouses. Harry knew of them all. We’re going to a place my dad used to take my family when I was a kid. It’s in the woods farther north.”
She nodded again, considering the emotion that thickened his voice. She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed it away. Clearing his throat, he brushed her hair back and settled between her legs. She winced as her sore thighs parted.
“Are you tender?”
She nodded, realizing that desire was weaving through the delicious ache in her groin. “I need a shower.”
He shot her a lopsided grin that provoked an arrhythmia, and his sinfully long lashes fanned over his dark eyes. He was such a hottie!
“It’s almost nine. You’re usually up to your third shower by now.”
She smacked his shoulder playfully. She could feel his residual all over her body. “Thanks to you I’m in dire need of one.”
“Yes, you are, you dirty girl.” His voice was a mocking sing-song.
Maggie felt her cheeks flame hot at his teasing words. Lurid images populated her brain. Discomfited, she groaned and pushed futilely at his thick shoulders, trying to knock him off her.
He chuckled and rolled over, allowing her escape.
“That’s a compliment, Maggie!” he yelled at her back as she absconded to the bathroom.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Maggie felt the gentle shake of her shoulder and she bleated a grumpy moan. She’d fallen asleep as soon as she’d gotten into the car. The supple leather seat and the smooth rumbling vibrations of the sports car had lulled her into a blissful somnolence. Her lids feathered open and she had the strange sensation of being in a magical fairy tale surrounded by thick woods.
“Wake up. We’re here.”
Her lips shimmied at Gabe’s voice as she tried to hold back her smile. Guess who was the big bad wolf?
Her eyes met his as he leaned over to make sure she was awake and she gave him a sleepy smile. “My, what big teeth you have,” she drawled.
He waggled his brows playfully and popped open her seatbelt. “Better to eat you with, my dear.”
Her smile widened and she found his playfulness infectious. Was this the same grizzly man who’d invaded her apartment? “I’m afraid I don’t have a basket of goodies to offer you.”
“I think you may have other goodies that may interest me.” He grinned. “Now, out of the car before this wolf gets hungry.”
Maggie popped the door open and scooted out just as he growled and dove for her neck. She laughed and did a silly triumphant dance, celebrating her nimble escape, and causing him to smile broadly and shoot her his odd puzzled look. She knew she must look ridiculous. David was so much better at the ‘butter churn’ than she was.
“Don’t forget the wolf gobbles Red in the end.”
Maggie’s jaw dropped in consternation. “No way. Everyone knows that Red and Grandma get away.”
He rounded the car and opened the tiny trunk, unloading his duffle bag along with some other items. Maggie admired the way the black tee hugged his large biceps and embraced his powerful chest like an adoring second skin.
“Not in my version. In my version, the wolf eats Red in the end.”
Gabe still had his head lowered to the trunk, so Maggie couldn’t see his face. She chewed her lip, thinking about what he’d said. Was his wolf a good wolf or a bad wolf? And did he gobble Red in a bad way or good way? She turned to face the cabin and the sight steered all thought to a grinding halt.
The majestic sight took her breath away. When Gabe had told her they were going to a place in the woods, she’d thought two-room shack, hopefully with indoor plumbing. She was in no way expecting the massive structure made of timber and natural stone. The enchanting home had buttresses of vertical wood beams that rose all the way to the second floor and followed the same architectural design around the house. The façade was inlaid with beautiful arched colonial windows surrounded by gray and brown French cut stone that blended into the natural environment and gave the abode a rustic tranquility.
Her gaze traveled down a curved stone path to the slate peak of what looked like a caretaker’s smaller cottage. Somewhere in the distance she could hear the rush of water and guessed there was a stream or brook nearby. They had driven into a large circular stone drive which centered a tiered waterfall that was now turned off, and the entire area was surrounded by densely packed mammoth yellow birch trees with an apron of delicate pink cherry blossoms. A slight breeze tickled her skin and the steady glow of afternoon sunlight lit up the lighter blondes of her hair.
Her awed gaze slid to Gabe, who was now holding the bags and waiting for her to proceed him to the goliath mahogany front door inscribed with a giant M.
“This place is magnificent. Are you sure it’s okay for us to be here?”
He met her eyes then looked away. “It’s okay. I know the owners.”
He left her tapping her foot nervously at the front door as he disappeared around the back of the house. Maggie twisted her fingers, anxiety causing her stomach to summersault as the moments slipped by. What was taking so long? Was he breaking into the house? She scanned the front yard and the three car garage. The place looked desolate. She startled, her questions answered when she heard a shuffle and click from inside, followed by Gabe’s tall form drawing the door open. As he gathered up the bags, she stepped into the large circular foyer, her sneakers quiet on the waxed wood floor. She could see that the dark teak wood ran throughout the expansive house. An elegantly carved wooden staircase started in the foyer and twisted upwards towards the double height ceiling to the second floor. She peeked into a massive room off the foyer that had chunky horizontal beams running across the ceiling and a full wall of the same style stone from the outside. The st
one was interrupted by an inviting fireplace that she could literally walk into. Earthy tones of brown, cream, taupe and green could be seen on abutting walls throughout the grand house.
Gabe walked past her into a large room that could only be the library, and she followed him, not wanting to be left alone. The walls of the library were covered with dark knotty pine occasionally interrupted by taxidermy mounts, and a far wall held a vast display of rows and rows of books from floor to ceiling. Her brows furrowed as she turned to stare at Gabe and she held her breath at the haunted expression on his face. His dark eyes were clouded with foggy emotion, and she had the visceral urge to hold and comfort him. She remembered he’d said his family used to visit this place and wondered if he was reliving some childhood memory. His family must have been close to the owners of this house. She still worried though about their intrusion into this private place. Perhaps they should’ve just moved to a different motel.
“What if the owners show up? Did you break in?”
He seemed to surface from his reverie to notice that she’d followed him. He stepped forward and pulled her into the steel cage of his arms, almost crushing her in his strong grip.
“They only use this house a few months out of the year and won’t come until late spring.”
She swiveled her head, now noticing that all the furniture was covered with large white sheets. At her continued frown, he pressed his lips against her forehead and issued reassurance. Her body loosened in his arms, the uncertainty melting away like warm butter from the feel of his heated lips. Her hand moved to rest on his left shoulder, and she remembered his shoulder wound.
“Don’t forget. The stitches have to come out today.”
He nodded and smiled genuinely. “Only if you go easy, Nurse Ratched.”
“Of course.” She rubbed her palms together and snickered an evil laugh, watching his smile bloom to its devastating fullness.
“You can go settle in upstairs. I’ll be up in a little while and you can have your wicked way with me. The master bedroom is the third door on the right.”
Gabe watched Maggie walk from the room and expelled the long breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He rubbed his eyes with the tips of his fingers and asked himself the question that had been plaguing him for some time. What was he going to do with her? She was an amazing woman. Beautiful. Funny. Smart. Crazy. And sexy as hell, with a latent wild side that whipped his libido to a rapacious frenzy. She deserved so much more than this chaotic, uncertain life he led. He knew he shouldn’t allow her to get so close, but felt utterly helpless when it came to her.
At the market when he thought she’d been trying to escape him, he’d practically lost his mind. The depth of his emotion scared him, rattled him to his core. He was supposed to be her protector, yet he knew he was her greatest danger. Whatever was happening between them could only end badly. He had too many demons, too many battles, too many things to atone for. She was right. The best thing would be to get the research back to its creators. He needed to finish this thing with Cane so they could get back to their lives. The wistful ache in his heart told him the sooner the better. He knew the only cure for his strange malady was to walk away.
And you thought to bring her here? The castigation came from his conscience as he spun and scanned the room he hadn’t been to in almost a decade. Memories assailed him. He could see his father’s face clearly, hear his deep voice, and smell his woodsy outdoor scent that he loved as a child. Dark shadows seemed to float from the walls to seep painful awareness into his brain. His palms reached up to cover his face, to block out the flashbacks, and that was when he heard it. A slight rustle at the door caused him to spin and reach for the handle of the gun at his waist.
The dark figure filling the doorway looked just as surprised as he did. Perhaps even more so.
“Saints alive! Is that you, Mr. Masters, sir?” Bushy white brows pulled together to form a snowy range on a face that was mapped with age and amazement.
Gabe gave a sheepish smile and holstered his gun. He stared into the kind face of the caretaker of the Masters’ rustic retreat. “Hello, Cyril. Good to see you. Still sneaking up on me, I see.”
“My God. It’s been way too long, sir.” The old man shuffled forward to clap him on the back, his cataract gaze boldly exploring Gabe’s countenance. The deep furrows webbing his eyes snaked along his dark skin as his face cracked into an enormous smile.
Cyril Broves had been the caretaker of this Masters’ property longer than Gabe had been alive. He and his wife, Ronnie, lived in a small cottage near the main entrance and saw to the maintenance and general upkeep of the house when it wasn’t inhabited. Cyril was too old now to do any of the work himself, but he had a team under his direction who he managed dutifully. Gabe plucked fond childhood memories of the old man from an antiquated file. He’d spent many days of the long hot summers lounging in the cottage listening to stories of Cyril’s childhood in Barbados and stealing pastries from Ronnie’s oven.
“I heard a car pull in and came to see what was afoot,” he was saying. “I’m sorry the house is not prepared, sir. I wasn’t expecting your mother and brother until early June this year.”
Gabe waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about it. I won’t be staying very long. And, Cyril,” he shot a quick look at the door, “please, dispense with the formalities. I have a young lady with me. As far as she knows, I’m a friend of the Masters’ family.”
“Very well. Whatever you wish.” The head of cottony hair gave a deferential bow. “The larder is well stocked, but there’re no perishable items. I can make a trip to the market in town.”
Gabe stood, thoughtful for a minute. “There are a few items I need, but Cyril, it’s imperative that no one knows I’m here.”
He watched Cyril nod again, his brown eyes shining. Cyril’s gaze flicked over the gun at his side and he seemed to understand. “Is it okay to let Ronnie know? She also heard the car pull in and will be curious.”
“Of course.” Gabe frowned. “I think she would tan my hide if I didn’t see her.”
“That she would,” Cyril replied knowingly, and they both chuckled, sharing the same memory. Cyril searched his face for several emotional moments, and then tilted his head. His milky eyes narrowed meditatively. “If you don’t mind me saying, sir. You’re the spitting image of your father, God bless his soul. I thought I was seeing a ghost. We sure miss you ’round here.”
Gabe nodded. The sudden closing of his throat rendered him speechless. He watched as Cyril turned to leave, his features crinkling with despair. “I’ll be back later for your list. Just ring if you need anything.”
“Stop moving!” Maggie lost count on how many times she’d had to chastise Gabe. He sat on the edge of a huge four poster bed with her jailed between his knees. She’d adroitly removed most of the stitches from his shoulder wound, and only had a few more to go. Afternoon sunlight showered the large master bedroom, streaming in through a bay of windows that arched high into the vaulted ceiling. She had no trouble seeing or severing the square knot at the ends of each of Gabe’s sutures, but his impatience was starting to thwart her efforts.
“You’re being a very bad patient.” She clucked her tongue and shook her head, but the smile playing on her lips belied her austere tone.
“Sorry, I’m very distracted,” he explained with a smile, his hands inching around her waist and sneaking under the hem of her shirt.
She scooted out of his reach, trying not to drop the tweezers and scissors she’d spent a half hour sterilizing. His naked shoulders rippled as he caught her hips and pulled her back into the circle of his arms and legs. Burying his face in the deep valley of her breast, he growled an animal sound of contentment.
“I said no bra, Maggie. Take it off,” he grumbled, trying to creep under her shirt again. The pads of his fingers brushed against her abdomen and she felt the sensation resonate to her toes.
She expelled a shaky breath then her lips slanted with
amusement. “If you behave, maybe I’ll let the girls out. Now, if you distract me, they stay locked up—tight!”
“Girls?” The corners of his eyes crinkled as he peered up at her with his chin resting on her bosom.
“Don’t worry about it. Just don’t distract me or I won’t do a very good job.” She leaned down and kissed the bridge of his nose. “Be good.”
He shot her a sexy lopsided grin. “Oh, I intend to be. Let the girls come out to play.” He pouted sulkily and she wanted to lick his lips.
Maggie rolled her eyes with affected exasperation and resumed her task, ignoring the sudden fluttering in her stomach.
“Tell me more about your plan to reach Dr. Rollins,” she coaxed, trying to keep him still. She also wanted to hear more about what he’d outlined earlier when he’d come upstairs.
Gabe kept his hands on her hips, but his expression grew serious. “I know the personal log-on codes Dr. Rollins uses to get into her email and some other medical websites. Assuming she hasn’t changed them, I can create a program that alerts me when she’s logged into any of these sites.”
“You said she wasn’t in the country. Would that be a problem?”
“It shouldn’t be. It’s all electronic media and global software.”
A buzz of excitement widened her slate blue eyes. “Then we can communicate with her?”
He nodded slowly. “Should be able to. I’ll have to breach the firewall to send something like an instant message.”
“So, it’ll just pop up on her computer?”
“Yes, but we have to sit and wait until she logs in. There’s a chance she may not log on to a computer at all.”
She frowned. “I can’t imagine she won’t.”
“I don’t know where in the world she is or what kind of access she has.”
“Wow. I hope this works. I didn’t think this technology existed.” She snipped the last stitch and slid the thread from his skin.
Gabe sat quietly. “The technology was perfected by Masters Communications almost a decade ago. It’s used mostly by the military and some special branches of the government. You need to know the user’s codes and specific configurations of the operating system. Once I’m in, I’ll get a better idea.”