by Zara Keane
When they reached Mindy’s suite, she flopped onto the bed and kicked off her shoes, revealing the elegant toes he’d once loved to nibble. A shot of lust hit him straight between the legs. He squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled sharply. Thinking sexy thoughts about his ex wasn’t smart, but being in close proximity to her was driving him wild.
Ignoring his insistent libido, Cash opened his eyes and pulled down two suitcases from the top of the closet. “You’d better start packing. Take whatever you think a wealthy American tourist would pack for a trip to a wellness hotel. And do your magic with your hair and makeup. We’ll use assumed names. Inspector Tobin has booked us rooms at a place on the East Coast.”
Mindy’s eyes widened. “Don’t you think traveling incognito is overkill? Going from blowing up my car to smearing grease on steps doesn’t seem a likely progression. The grease might have nothing to do with my stalker.”
Cash shook his head. “The grease wasn’t there when we went down the steps. Someone put it there while we were on the beach, making sure we couldn’t see him or her from where we were standing. This was deliberate and malicious.”
Mindy blew out her cheeks and sighed. “I’ll start packing. I guess I was hoping against hope.”
Cash eyed her sharply. “I know you’re worried about losing the role, but we can’t risk putting any more cast and crew members in danger. This isn’t just about you.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and he regretted them instantly.
Her head snapped up, and a flash of anger flickered over her beautiful face. “Do you think I don’t know that? Suzie is dead because a lunatic targeted me. Yes, I would love to play Gwynyvere, but not if it means more people die.”
Shit. He’d hurt her feelings. It wasn’t Mindy’s fault he was horny and plagued with regrets and what-ifs. “You might still get to play the part,” he said in a gentler tone. “Alfonso has agreed to reschedule the shoots and work around your absence. If the perp is apprehended within the next few days, the role is yours.”
Mindy raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “How likely do you think that is? So far, the only person Inspector Tobin has taken in for questioning was me, and that was for drugs that weren’t even mine. Let’s just say my faith in his abilities isn’t high.”
“Given the quantity of cocaine in the bag found in your room, he didn’t have a choice. And with your reputation—” He swallowed the rest of the sentence, but it was too late. “Mindy—”
“Don’t ‘Mindy’ me,” she said, her eyes flashing. “I know that tone of voice. I was married to it for three years.”
“And I was married to you and your fucking mother.” The words burst forth unfiltered, but he’d spoken nothing but the truth.
Her mouth opened and shut, fishlike, then set in a hard line. “I shouldn’t have let Mom move in, but if you had a problem with it, you should have been around more.”
“I was in the Navy,” Cash snapped. “You knew that when I married you. Being in the military means stints away from home.”
“You were never home. Even when you were physically present, you were emotionally absent.”
Cash’s chest burned and he had to force his fingers not to curl into fists. “You’re not in a position to judge. Once Barbara moved in and got to work on your insecurities, you were popping pills like candy. Did you even realize the effect they had on your personality?”
She jumped to her feet and closed the space between them. She was seriously pissed—nostrils flared, hands on hips. “I was an addict. I am an addict. Of course I knew they had a negative effect on my behavior. That’s why I went to rehab.”
“Why didn’t you go earlier? We could have made our marriage work—if you’d followed my advice and asked your mother to leave.”
“Why didn’t you?” she shouted. “It was your home, too. On the rare occasions you were actually there.”
“One of us had to pay the bills, and it wasn’t going to be you or Barbara.”
Her exhale was audible. “I worked.”
“Not regularly. Before you got the role on Once and Forever, you spent most of your time working out or high.” Years of frustration tumbled out with the speed of a freight train. “How do you think it felt to watch my wife self-destruct and to be powerless to stop her?”
“When you came home a wreck and the chips came down, I did go out and find a job.” Her chest rose and fell, drawing Cash’s attention to her generous breasts.
“Oh, come on,” he said, trying and failing to ignore the effect she had on him. “You landing a role at that particular moment was a coincidence.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I sobered up and put my heart and soul into the audition. At that stage, we didn’t know if you’d be able to work again.”
“And then you put your heart and soul into Tony Russo,” Cash said through gritted teeth. He walked over to the window and gazed out over the green fields.
“For heaven’s sake. Not that again. I’m an actress. Which, you know, involves acting. It’s hardly my fault if the gossip sites made crap up about me and Tony being an item.”
“You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself,” Cash said in a curter tone than he’d intended.
“You’re being a dick all over again. I don’t even like Tony Russo. He was just a guy I had to act with. But you know what? I’ve acted alongside a lot of guys since then and shot a lot of sex scenes. If you were going to freak out over every rumor spread by the media, our marriage was never going to work.”
“I freaked out, as you put it, because your mother made damn sure I knew just how cozy you were getting with Tony.” Every one of Barbara’s taunts remained imprinted on his brain, the wounds reopening every time he thought of them.
“We’re rehashing old arguments here, Cash. My mother is a vindictive bitch. She wanted you to believe I was having an affair with Tony so you’d leave, freeing me up to marry an actor or director—anyone who could help my career.”
He turned to face her. “Then why did you let her stay? I didn’t feel in a position to throw her out.”
“You should have.”
“No, you should have had the strength to stand up for yourself—and for our marriage.”
Mindy let out a laugh laced with bitterness. “I love how you dump all the blame for our breakup on me.”
His jaw set. “I never said you were entirely to blame.”
“No? Sure sounds like it from where I’m standing. Do you have any idea what it was like to be married to a man who never once opened up? You didn’t even tell me what happened on that last mission, the one that sent you home a wreck.”
“What more do you need to know?” he asked with a sigh. “It was all over the news at the time, and it was rehashed by the media when I received the Medal of Honor.”
“The official version, yes. You refused to talk to me about it, and it was obvious you were hurting. But every time I mentioned it, you clammed up.”
“You know I can’t tell you the full story. It’s classified information.”
She placed her hands on her hips and stared him down. “Classified or not, you could have discussed your feelings with me. Opened up a bit.”
He gave a sharp laugh. “I’m not good at discussing feelings. Even if I was, you weren’t home enough for me to have a chance.”
“That’s not fair. You were gone for months at a time and you’re complaining because I worked long hours? Jeez, Cash. Show some introspection.”
Oh, man. “I didn’t start this fight, Mindy.” She tried to stride past him, but Cash blocked her path. “I’m serious.”
“So am I.” She placed a palm on his chest and glared at him. “You’re fired, Cash Kincaid. I’ll find another bodyguard.”
He shook his head. “That’s a dumb move. Are you going to conjure a replacement out of thin air?”
She crossed her arms over her breasts. “Traveling alone would be preferable to being cooped up in a car with you.”
“You’re being ridiculous. A crazed killer is after you. You need protection, and I’m the best man for the job. Besides, we annoy each other enough to make a convincing married couple for our cover story.”
“I fired my mother. I can fire you, too.”
“Sure you can, but it doesn’t make any damn sense to do so.” He removed her hand from his chest, but didn’t let go of her. “We’re due to leave in a few hours. Where are you going to find a replacement before then?”
Mindy opened her mouth to protest but obviously thought better of it. She pulled her hand free from his grasp and took a seat at her dressing table. “We bring out the worst in one another, Cash,” she said, her tone resigned but with no trace of bitterness. “When I’m with you, it’s like I revert to my worst days, and all the petty arguments we had while we were married come to the surface. But it wasn’t all bad, was it? Our marriage, I mean. We had some good times together.”
His breath caught in his throat. “We did,” he said gruffly. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions. Again.”
“And I’m sorry for firing you.” She stood and extended a slim hand. “I know I won’t be able to find a replacement with a snap of my fingers. I should have had more sense than to lose my temper. Will you please stay with me until I can find another bodyguard?”
He took her hand in his, noticing how her fine-boned delicacy contrasted with his large calloused paw. “Sure. I’ll stay as long as you need me to. I had no intention of walking out on you, Mindy. Not this time.”
She gazed up into his eyes. “If we’re going to spend the next few days alone together and pretend to be a couple, we need to set a few ground rules.”
“Like what?”
“Like no more raking up the past. What is the point? We can’t go back in time and kick my mother out. I can’t erase the years I took prescription drugs.”
“And I can’t rewind the clock and open up more after I came home.” He was hyperaware of her hand still in his, and the subtle scent of her perfume. He yearned to take her in his arms and make her his again. He swallowed hard, trying to quell his rising desire. “You’d better pack.”
When she stepped back from him, the desire shining in her eyes matched his own. “I guess I’d better. Want to help me?”
“Sure.”
While Mindy packed her toiletries, Cash yanked open drawers and tossed underwear into one of the cases—red, lacy panties. An image of Mindy modeling them for him appeared in his mind’s eye. He puffed out his cheeks and let out a slow breath. “Maybe you should deal with this stuff.”
Her mouth curved into a sexy smile. “Is the sight of my lingerie too much for you to handle, Cash?” She laughed and strode over to the chest of drawers. “You didn’t even get to the good stuff.”
She pulled an array of sexy bras and panties out of the drawer and tossed them into her suitcase one by one. Lacy garments in a variety of colors sailed through the air, as well as a satin plunge bra, and a thong made out of crystals.
“Is that…see-through?” he asked in a thick voice, staring at the bra suspended from her index finger.
Mindy held the material against her hand. It was dusky gauze, and her skin was visible through it. He blinked away an X-rated vision of her wearing it—and nothing else.
“Do you want me to try it on for you, Cash?” The question was delivered as a challenge.
“Mindy, we shouldn’t…” His throat was dry as sandpaper.
“I’m done with doing what I should do. You’re going to think the worst of me no matter what, so what do I have to lose by sleeping with you?” Before he had a chance to protest, she’d pulled off her T-shirt.
“Whoa. We need to think about this. You need to…not get naked.”
And then his capacity for rational thought dissolved. Mindy unhooked her plunge bra, revealing her full, firm breasts. She tossed the garment into her case and slipped on the gauzy one he’d admired. Sure enough, the material revealed way more than it concealed.
An electric awareness skittered through his veins. “I am so screwed.”
A catlike smile spread across her face. “You will be.”
Within a minute, she’d shed the rest of her clothes and stood before him naked but for that killer bra. She placed her hands on her bare hips. “Your turn, sailor.”
His pants felt like they were going to bust open with no assistance. This was a bad idea. A really bad idea. And yet it felt just right. Breathing hard, Cash pulled off his holster and then his shirt. When he reached for his belt, she shook her head. “Allow me.”
Mindy unbuckled his belt and unfastened the buttons of his pants. His erection strained against the material, growing more insistent at her touch. “You’re killing me.”
With a laugh, she dropped to her knees, her sly smile growing wider. “Oh, I intend to do more than that.”
With a few deft movements, she freed him from the confines of his underwear. When his pants and underpants pooled around his ankles, he kicked them off and stood before her buck naked.
Mindy’s eyes clouded with desire. “You’re even more spectacular than I remembered.”
This made him laugh. “That’s you, babe.”
Mindy ran a tentative finger over his shaft, making him suck in a breath. She raised an eyebrow and smiled seductively. “You like?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Then her movements grew more insistent until she took a firm grip on him and pumped him with her fist.
Cash groaned and leaned back against the wall. Unlike most women he’d been with, Mindy needed no guidance in how hard to grip him or how fast to pump. She was very good at watching his reactions and correctly interpreting them. At first, he was aware of his surroundings. Though the more turned on he became, the less conscious he was of his location. What he never forgot was who he was with. Mindy. It had been so long and a lot had happened, yet being here with her felt so right.
“You’d better slow down,” he growled, “or I’ll come before I’ve had a chance to pleasure you.”
She grinned up at him. “I want this to be all about you.”
“Is that so?” He ruffled her hair, skimming the nape of her neck with his thumb. “What if I want it to be all about you?”
Her laugh tickled his skin. “There’ll be plenty of time for me after.”
And with those promise-filled words, she took him in her mouth.
The sensation of her tongue on him was amazing. His breathing grew ragged, his heart rate quickened. Mindy had always given good head, and she hadn’t lost her touch in the last five years. She danced her tongue over him, teasing the tip, torturing the shaft.
When she took his balls in her palm, he knew he was a goner. He reached down and cupped her breasts, rolling her pebbled nipples between his thumb and index finger. The sensation of the rough gauze of her bra versus the softness of her skin provided a sexy contrast. While other guys were turned on by scents or tastes or sights, the biggest turn-on for Cash was touch. The feel of various materials against his skin was either torture or bliss. And anything involving Mindy was a mix of both.
Mindy, an expert at interpreting Cash’s sexual desires, put his shaft between her breasts and let him thrust. “Does this feel good?”
“Oh, yeah. Too damn good.” He glanced down and caught the wicked glint in her eyes. “Don’t stop.”
Her generous mouth curved into a smile. “I have no intention of stopping, sailor.”
In that instant, the sound of shattering glass broke the spell. A bullet whizzed past Cash’s head, grazing his ear before embedding itself in the wall behind him.
“You’re bleeding,” Mindy said, her expression a tableau of horror.
“Hit the deck,” he roared. “We’re under attack.”
6
Mindy dove to the ground seconds before a succession of shots blasted what was left of the window to smithereens. Beside her, Cash swore under his breath and crawled in the direction of the windowsill.
/> “What are you doing?” she demanded, her heart beating at a crazy rate. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”
He ignored her and continued propelling himself forward by his elbows, still buck naked. Had the situation not been so serious, Mindy would have laughed.
“Stay down and cover your head with your hands,” he said. “I want to try to get a look at our shooter.”
Mindy obeyed, but angled her head so that she could observe Cash’s movements. When they’d entered her suite earlier, he’d tossed his backpack on an armchair beside the window. Now he pulled it down and extracted his phone, ammo, and some equipment that Mindy couldn’t identify. “Please tell me ‘getting a look’ at the shooter doesn’t involve you hanging out the window?” she asked. “Especially not without a bulletproof vest?”
“Don’t worry. I’m relying on technology to do the looking for me.” He hooked a cord to his phone and reached up to place a small camera on the windowsill, careful to keep his head below the rim. After a few finger swipes over his phone display, he grimaced. “I can see the area where the shots must have come from, but no shooter. He’s trampled the spot, though, so hopefully the police will find clues.”
In the next instant, the hotel door crashed open and several armed guards charged in. One of them helped Mindy to her feet and threw a blanket around her shoulders. “Are you all right, Ms. Mann?” he asked, avoiding looking at her naked body.
“I’m okay,” she said through chattering teeth. “But the window isn’t. And Cash’s ear is injured.”
“It’s just a graze,” Cash said, pulling on his jeans. “Nothing to worry about.”
Seriously? Men. She shook her head in exasperation. “I’m getting the first aid kit from the bathroom.”
“Let me get it,” said the policeman who’d helped her to her feet. “Stay here, away from the broken window.”
A few minutes later, Mindy had located the supplies she needed from the kit and had cleaned and disinfected Cash’s ear. Like he’d said, it was just a graze. “You were lucky.”
“We were lucky,” he corrected. “If the shooter had been a pro, we’d both be dead.”