by Skye Jordan
She couldn’t help but wonder if her views were skewed by the feelings Austin stirred inside her. Or her own childhood laden with loneliness and fear.
Annoyed, Everly flipped through the pages of her sketchbook until she came to the image of Bella she’d been working on. While Bella tiptoed along the diving board, Everly studied the girl’s profile. She stood on the end, her toes curled over the edge.
“Just the way Everly taught you.” Austin was treading water beneath the board. Bella stood there dripping and staring down at her father, clearly hesitant. “I’ve got you, baby.”
The sweet simplicity of the statement struck Everly. She had no doubt Austin would throw himself off a cliff if it meant keeping his daughter safe. How could Everly not admire that all-encompassing, selfless kind of love? A flicker of envy singed her heart. Everly had never known that kind of love. Doubted she ever would.
How could she take a girl away from that kind of love? How could this environment possibly be harmful to Bella? She might not know her grandparents, but if they had their way, Bella would never know her father or his unconditional love.
“Everyee.” Bella’s voice drew Everly’s gaze, and she found the girl nervous.
“You can do it, sweetie,” she told her. “Fingers hit the water first.”
Bella lifted her arms over her head, then bent and leaned forward until her feet left the board. And she slid right into the water, fingertips first.
Everly experienced a flash of pride, and when Bella surfaced, Everly clapped for her.
Now that Bella had broken that fear barrier, she couldn’t get out of the pool and back on the diving board fast enough. And for the next half an hour, Bella dove and dove and dove. And Austin treaded water beneath the board until Bella broke the surface and swam to the ladder on her own. Even then, he hung on the side of the pool, just in case.
Everly took out her pastels and added to the sketch. Rose to Bella’s cheeks and lips, gold and brown to her loose curls.
Staring at the sketch, Everly realized just how upset she’d be if Austin fired her. The rush of water drew her attention just in time for Everly to watch Austin push himself out of the pool. The muscles of his shoulders and arms flexed beneath skin tanned by the Costa Rican sun. Water matted the dusting of dark hair to his pecs and streamed over the ribs and valleys of his abs.
She ran her thumb across her bottom lip, still sensitive from the abrasion of his stubble, the roughness of his kiss. Her mouth was already watering when he planted one foot on the deck and stood. Heat and tension coiled inside her, collecting in her chest and between her legs.
All that man packed into one person was just sinful.
“Everyee, see me?”
Bella’s voice registered, but she couldn’t drag her gaze from Austin, especially not when those hazel eyes of his locked on to her, watching her watch him. He finally turned and grabbed a towel, patting his face dry. She was admiring his profile, imagining having all that for herself—his body, his passion, all that love he showered on Bella.
Something uncomfortable squeezed her chest. No, not love. She didn’t want love. Lust, definitely. Affection, maybe. But not love. Love trapped. Love damaged. Love hurt. At least for Everly.
He lowered the towel, his gaze still on hers. “What’s that?”
Everly followed his gaze to her sketchbook just as Bella ran toward her, dripping wet. “Everyee, you see me? See me dived on the board?”
“Bella, don’t—” Austin started.
Everly gasped, but before she could move, the sketchbook disappeared from her hands. Austin held the book out of the way and stopped Bella’s momentum with his free hand.
“Sweetie,” he said. “You need to be careful.”
“Sorry,” she replied automatically, but her face shone with happiness.
“I did see you,” Everly said, sliding her supplies back into the case she used to carry them. “You were awesome.” She set her things on the table and put her hands out for the sketchbook. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought these outside.”
Austin was holding the sketchbook open on a towel, his gaze riveted to the image of Bella. “This is incredible.”
“What?” Bella wanted to know. “What inebible.”
Everly laughed. If she still had a job at the end of the day, she was going to intensify the focus on Bella’s language skills.
Austin tipped the book so Bella could see it. “Don’t touch, okay? Water will ruin it.”
Her gaze took in the image, then she frowned at Austin. “That me, Daddy?”
“That’s you.” He flattened the book again, his gaze scanning the sketch with awe. The sight warmed Everly. “Man, that’s just…amazing.”
“Thanks,” she said.
Bella ran back to the pool, jumped in, and swam to the shallow end, where she played with water toys. Austin eased to a seat on the lounge beside her. “How long have you been drawing?”
“As long as I can remember.” The way he showed no sign of giving the book back made her glad she’d gotten rid of the floorplan of the house. That would have been hard to explain. “I’ll finish it and get it framed for you.”
He glanced up. “Really?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Sure, if you like it.”
“I love it. I’ll buy it from you.”
She laughed. “No, you won’t. Don’t even go there.”
“Hey.” His expression turned stoic. “I have to apologize for earlier.” He put up a hand. “Not for what happened,” he said with a laugh. “I won’t make that mistake again. But for the way I handled it.”
“Is that to soften the blow of firing me?”
“I’m not firing you. And I hope you won’t quit.” His gaze was steady and deliberate. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to Bella since I came into her life. I don’t want her to lose that because I lose it when I’m too close to you.”
The feelings this man could whip up inside her, a deep, wild, whirlwind of emotions, made Everly a little crazy. “I’m not a quitter.”
Another grin tilted his mouth. “I’ve figured that out.” He returned his gaze to the sketch, and his smile deepened. “Thank you for this. It means a lot to me.”
“You’re welcome.”
She couldn’t count how many sketches she’d created and given away over the years. And while they all gave her a sense of satisfaction, she’d never felt quite so gratified as she did now.
“Can I look at the others?” he asked, his fingers already turning the page. But he glanced at her to make sure it was okay. When she nodded, he scanned the previous image, a sketch she’d made of Ian’s boy.
“You’re so talented. Who’s this?”
“His name is Jamison. A year older than Bella. He’s the almost-son of a friend. I’m going to give it to him and his fiancée when the adoption is final.”
“Sweet.”
He turned the page again, moving back through the sketchbook. As he turned through page after page of sketches, Everly traveled through time, back to all her missions overseas and the amazing people she’d met. People of every nationality, every age. Animals from all over the world.
“Are these from your travels?” he asked.
She nodded.
“You’re drawn to faces,” he said. “Even your animals focus on the face.”
“I am. I believe you can see a person’s soul in their eyes. Their expressions.”
He lifted his gaze to hers, scanning her face. “I agree.”
The way he was looking at her, as if he could see her soul, made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure if she was afraid he’d see her as a Manhunter or as the raw soul she was without the Manhunter’s label. Either way, it was too close for comfort.
“So, what about that run?” she asked, refocusing on the one thing that grounded her. The one thing that made sense in her life: her work. “Tomorrow morning?”
He smiled. “Five thirty.”
“Señor Hix,” Lucia called from the kitchen. �
�Dinner is almost ready.”
He acknowledged Lucia but turned back to Everly. “There’s a big private security company that wants to meet with me about my services. Titus Security. They’re based in DC.”
“That sounds promising.”
“We’re talking about meeting this week, so I need to ask you if you’ll be comfortable traveling with me.”
Traveling—the perfect time for an extraction. But the butterflies in Everly’s gut weren’t excitement. They were dread. “Don’t give it a second thought.”
He nodded. “We’ll be meeting in the Caribbean. The location isn’t nailed down yet.”
“If they’re open to suggestion,” she teased, “I’ve never been to Turks and Caicos.”
He smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Austin took Bella inside, and while they changed for dinner, Everly made a quick phone call to Ian.
“Any news on the office?” she asked.
“I can shut down the system easily enough, but there are alarms built in to notify him of a malfunction. Sam’s looking for a way to block the warning notifications and/or shut down the sensors in just the office. Is there any way you can get in there when he’s home? Maybe when he goes to the bathroom or grabs a snack in the kitchen?”
“The house is big, but not that big.” The thought of Austin catching her in his office sent shivers down her spine. “I’ll see what I can do, but keep Sam on it. His solution may come before mine. And tell Roman we’re traveling somewhere in the Caribbean to see a new client this week. I’ll keep him posted as to when and where as soon as I know.”
After three sweaty miles of running through the jungle, Austin had successfully steered Everly clear of the cave at the end of the beach. And he’d managed to convince her there was nothing exciting to see within his training camp.
Now, if he could keep his eyes off her ass, he’d be golden. But that wasn’t going to happen. Not when she was wearing leggings that outlined every supple curve of her butt cheeks and every toned muscle in her thighs.
She was in fantastic shape in ways that showed beyond muscle. The woman had been talking or asking questions the entire run. Her pace remained extremely consistent—up hills, down hills, through ground cover, over gravel and bark.
Austin didn’t have any trouble keeping up with her. But he was having a hard time keeping his suspicions in check. She tackled the run like a professional athlete. If his mind wasn’t wandering to her body, the way she’d kissed him the day before, or all the fantasies he’d tortured himself with last night, it was making up stories to explain her smooth adaptation to every situation, the strength and confidence with which she stood her ground, or her well-rounded physical fitness. Even her agility along the trail made him wonder…where had it come from? Even if a person was gifted in one area, they were rarely gifted in a few, let alone several.
He couldn’t stop the voice in the back of his head whispering, She’s not who or what she’s claiming to be. Worse, the damn voice went one step further with, Wouldn’t take much for Seaver to hire another team. A better team than the last one. If she was going to come after him, he would prefer she do it sooner rather than later. The more time that passed, the harder it became to remain vigilant.
To keep his mind off Everly, he processed every detail of the six contingency plans he’d created in case Seaver initiated another kidnapping attempt. Then decided he needed at least two more escape plans.
Without warning, he found himself running up on Everly’s heels. In his sudden attempt to stop, his shoes skidded on the damp, leaf-strewn gravel, and he put his hands out to cushion Everly from the hit. She glanced over her shoulder and turned just as Austin made contact. One second, he was sure they’d both hit the ground, in the next, he felt Everly moving with him, providing counterbalance as they spun in a three-sixty before regaining their footing.
When they came to a stop, Austin had a grip on her upper arms. One of Everly’s hands was fisted in his T-shirt, the other clutching his forearm. And she was laughing, as if the ass-dumping they’d just avoided had been more fun than frightening.
“Holy shit.” Austin laughed the words. “I wasn’t prepared for you to stop.”
“You weren’t listening, were you?” Amusement danced in her eyes. “I asked if there’s a stream nearby. I hear water.”
He released her arms and took a step back. Hands on hips, he caught his own breath. “Are you secretly training for the Olympics?”
She gave him a funny look. “What?”
He gestured to her. “You have better agility, pacing, and cardio fitness than my guys. You haven’t stopped talking since we started the run, and you’re barely even breathing hard.”
“Talking too much for you? Maybe Bella’s conditioned you to tune out.” She turned a slow circle. “Where’s that coming from?”
“There’s a waterfall about a quarter mile that way.” He lifted his chin that direction, then wiped his face with the hem of his tee.
Everly poked his belly, and Austin flinched with a laugh.
“Race you,” she said, then took off running.
“Everly…” he started. But the deliberation and speed in her stride told Austin she had no plans of stopping, whether he competed or not.
He pushed himself to catch up with her, and when she finally stopped at the edge of the pool at the base of the natural waterfall, he glanced around the trees. “Remember what I said about the pond? The jaguars drink here.”
“I’m not worried.” She tested a rock at the edge of the water before putting her full weight on it and peering down into the pool. “That’s what the gun’s for, right?”
His gun was in a gut belt, concealed beneath the waistband of his shorts. “How’d you know I had a weapon?”
She crouched and stroked her hand through the water. “Saw the grip when you wiped your face.” Then she cut a smile back toward him. “Is this safe? This is so beautiful, I can’t wait to jump in.”
He already had to fight to ignore her every day when she swam with Bella. He didn’t need to see her wet from head to toe again, and he sure as shit didn’t want her stripping down to her skivvies.
“You probably shouldn’t…” He started, then gave up when she pulled off her running shoes. “Why do you even ask?” When she just grinned at him, he put a hand out. “Just don’t take off any more…” Her tank swept over her head. “Jesus Christ, Everly.”
“Fine, fine. No more clothes.” She jumped off the rock, curled her knees into her chest, and hit the water laughing.
Her cannonball was perfectly placed to shoot water straight toward Austin. He didn’t even attempt to escape. And couldn’t keep from laughing when she surfaced and gave him a satisfied smirk.
Her zest for life was infectious. He admired her ability to love life when she’d seen so much poverty and strife. She was refreshing. In fact, if he were honest, he was a little jealous. He doubted he’d felt that free since college.
“I don’t know which one of you is harder to discipline,” he told her, “you or Bella.”
“Bella.” She sighed, rolling to her back, closing her eyes, and floating in the center of the pool. “Definitely Bella. I’m an angel.”
If he weren’t so jaded, she could easily make him believe she was the angel she claimed to be. For the first time—maybe ever—he wished he wasn’t too world-weary to believe in such things.
“If you’re off jaguar watch,” she said, eyes still closed, “you should come in. The water is heavenly.”
Jaguar watch. Sometimes the way she phrased things—
Stop. Just fucking stop.
He forced his mind from searching for the devil in her. His suspicious brain was really starting to wear on him.
“We better get back,” he told her. “Bella will be up soon.”
She opened her eyes. “Do you ever relax?”
“Probably not as much as I need to.” He moved to the ledge and offered his hand. “Come on.”
&n
bsp; She sighed and swam to the edge. With her foot braced on a rock, she reached up for his hand. Austin was already experiencing the relief of getting back into a structured setting when Everly’s weight shifted. She planted both feet on the edge, wrapped both hands around his wrist, and laughed as she pulled him into the pool.
The unexpected move flipped a switch, and all Austin’s training rushed forward, his suspicions leading the way. He barely felt the cool water wrap his body and lunged for her as soon as he broke the surface. He easily caught her arm, and the force of his grip drained her smile.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Frustration spiked through him, and he gave her a hard shake. “How’d you know water wouldn’t ruin my gun?”
She frowned. “Because you fell into the pool with Bella my first day here. You had all your equipment on you that day.”
Jesus Christ. He was disgusted with himself. Embarrassed he’d let the depth of his suspicions show.
“Come on.” She swam to the side. “Get your precious gun out of the water.”
He gripped the edge of a rock and wiped a hand down his face, admitting, “Water won’t hurt the gun. I just didn’t know how you knew that.”
Before she pushed from the pond, she splashed him with water. “What’s wrong with you? Why would you make me feel guilty over something that’s not even a problem?”
He didn’t have an answer. “Because I’m an ass?”
“That’s not good enough.” She wasn’t angry, just matter-of-fact. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked. I bend over backward to make everyone happy—you, Bella, the security guards—and then you snap at me for nothing. How can you have so much patience for all Bella’s antics and get pissed at me so easily?” While he was thinking about that, she added, “You’ve kind of got a hair-trigger temper.”
“I do not.”
His automatic denial made her laugh. But it wasn’t her normal, lighthearted laugh. It was more like a whatever-you-gotta-tell-yourself laugh. She planted her hands on a rock and pushed herself out of the pool.
Austin caught her around the waist before she got out. “You’re right.” When she didn’t push away, he rested his chin on her shoulder and enjoyed the way she fit against him. “You remind me too damn much of the women I worked with in the military.”