by Pat White
“We didn’t see it,” Mercedes said.
“Bugger.” Andrew shoved the notebook back into his jacket pocket.
“Well, we’re off to unwind with a quick game of Renegade Soldier III. Wanna come?” Eddie offered.
Andrew glared at his father.
“No, but thank you,” Jeremy said.
“See you tomorrow.” Eddie led Andrew down the hall and shoved a key card into a door.
Andrew paused before going into Eddie’s room. He shot Jeremy a look of disgust. Mercedes was tempted to give him another lecture.
Eddie and Andrew disappeared into the room and the door shut with a click.
Jeremy didn’t take his eyes off the door. “I’ve never felt more alone than in the presence of my son,” he whispered.
Mercedes’s heart went out to him. She understood the need to push people away, to isolate yourself.
“I’m down the hall,” she said, taking him by the arm and leading him toward her room. This was not the time to deal with his angry son and the mess created by that witch Nancy. Both men needed to calm down before they attempted to work through this.
They hovered outside her room.
“You want to come in and unwind?” she asked. “I don’t have Renegade Soldier but I’ve got a great view of the ocean.”
“I’d better not.”
“Oh, okay, sure.” She attempted a friendly smile, but couldn’t hide her disappointment. She’d fooled herself into thinking something had started between them and it had nothing to do with this investigation.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” She quickly opened her door and went inside, shutting it behind her.
“Fool.”
She peeled off her work clothes. Constrictive as hell, she thought, removing her panty hose, then her white blouse. She opened a drawer and pulled out a bright green T-shirt with pink-and-yellow flowers on the front. She turned the TV on and slipped into her tight black leggings. She pulled her hair from its ponytail and brushed it in long, steady strokes.
She should be relieved that he hadn’t accepted her offer to come in and unwind. That could be dangerous; they could end up in bed. With the heady emotions pulling at him, he wouldn’t know what he was doing, making love to his partner because he needed a connection, because his own son hated his guts.
But she knew why she’d be doing it. She wanted him. For no sensible reason. She wanted to pursue a relationship with this man, a man who respected her abilities as an investigator. A man she’d grown to trust.
You can’t have it both ways. Either sleep with him or work with him.
Someone knocked on the door. Probably Eddie needing a third player for Renegade Soldier. She got up and looked through the peephole.
Jeremy.
She opened the door and his lost expression changed to appreciation as his gaze roamed her body. As if catching himself, he snapped his attention up to her eyes.
“Sorry. You…the outfit,” he stuttered.
She enjoyed his reaction.
“What, you think I wear that suit to bed?” she joked. “Did you want something?”
Because she knew what she wanted and if he stood there another minute, she was taking it.
“I want to, ah…” Jeremy glanced away, trying not to be disrespectful when he looked at her.
“What?” she said.
She seemed irritated, Jeremy thought. She was probably exhausted.
“Nothing, sorry.” Jeremy turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand.
“Get in here.” She pulled him into her room and kissed him, her hands slipping under his jacket and sliding it off his shoulders.
He stroked her back, deepening the kiss. They stumbled to the bed and collapsed on the soft mattress, Mercedes on top of him. He needed this so bloody much.
No, it shouldn’t be happening. This isn’t a casual affair.
He wouldn’t treat this woman with such disrespect.
Holding her by the shoulders, he broke the kiss. Her eyes sprung open, wide, dark and filled with need.
“What are we doing?” he asked, out of breath.
“You mean the technical term?”
“I came back to apologize for taking advantage of you earlier, for kissing you.”
She climbed off of him. “Apology accepted.” She planted her hands on her hips and stared at the floor.
He’d hurt her. He ran his hand through his hair. “What I meant was—”
“I understand. No explanation necessary.”
“Mercedes—”
“It’s fine, just go.”
What had he done? Used his good sense and self-control to ruin what could have been the most amazing intimacy of his life. He knew it in his heart. He knew she’d surrender with complete abandon and maybe even teach him to do the same.
He’d only felt that way once in his life and that had ended horribly. He wanted to give it another try.
He stood and framed her face with his hands. “You are an amazing woman. I haven’t wanted a woman like I want you since…”
“But, this is wrong,” she finished for him. “I don’t want to lose your respect.”
He rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “I think you’re an intelligent, savvy investigator. That will never change. But you’ve changed something in me. My heart is telling me that you and I, together, is promising. And for the first time in years, I’m listening to it.”
He led her back to the bed and feathered kisses down to the base of her neck and across her shoulder. Her skin was soft and warm and tasted of crisp citrus.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him—a long, deep kiss that vibrated with her moan of pleasure. He wanted to pleasure her in the gentlest ways. She pulled his shirt and undershirt free of his trousers and lifted them up, over his head. Their lips only parted for a few seconds and he missed her in those seconds.
Then they were back, kissing and touching, connecting in that place reserved for lovers. She broke the kiss to pull down the covers and they fell into bed, Mercedes straddling him and ripping off her wild shirt. She ran her hands across his chest.
She leaned forward, kissing his chest, his neck, his lips. “Touch me,” she whispered against his lips.
He grew hard with her demand. He cupped her breasts, brushing at her nipples with his thumbs.
She arched and whispered something in Spanish. He wasn’t sure what it meant, but by the look on her face, her eyes pinched shut, her tongue dancing out to wet her lips, he knew what she wanted. And he ached for it, as well.
He ran the back of his hand across her stomach, past her waist and down. When he cupped the warmth between her legs, she cried out.
“Pants off,” she demanded, rolling onto her back.
“You’re the bossy one,” he joked, then kneeled beside the bed and slipped off her skintight leggings. This beautiful woman writhed with anticipation of what was to come.
He took off his trousers and shorts and ran his hands along the outside of her legs, kissing the inside of her thighs and up, to that soft, magical place that made her pinch his back with wanting.
“Don’t tease me anymore,” she said.
“I’m not teasing you, I’m cherishing you,” he said. “Every inch of you.”
He licked and kissed and she grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up to lie on top of her, his heat poised to set her body on fire.
She opened her eyes and what he saw there scared the hell out of him. Just as he’d suspected—complete abandon. She was giving herself to him entirely, without reservation.
“What about a condom?” she said.
“Right.” Good God, he’d almost forgotten.
Leaning over her, he reached for his trousers and grabbed his wallet. He kept a condom there, prepared for any eventuality.
“What happens if I take these off?” she asked, slipping his glasses from his face.
“I can’t see.”
“You don’t need to see—just feel.”
; He could still see the need in her eyes, the hunger.
“God, you are beautiful,” he whispered, slipping the condom in place.
She opened to him, thrusting her hips, making it impossible for him to do anything but fill her with his love.
They joined as one, their bodies hot with wanting, aching for release.
“Let go.” She trailed her hands across his bum, pulling him closer, deeper.
He felt a connection to this woman that he’d never felt before, a connection that had less to do with their bodies and more to do with their souls. She thrust her hips, once, twice and he lost all control—all thought. He thrust forward and fell apart, a sound echoing off the walls that he didn’t recognize as his own voice, a cry of surrender that ripped through his chest.
She cried out, as well, and they collapsed to the bed. Tossing the covers across her backside, he held her close, stroking her hair, thanking God for a second chance.
A chance to let go and fall into the arms of someone who could love him.
“AY CARUMBA,” MERCEDES muttered, walking toward the Command Center. “What have you done, chica?”
Nothing, she’d done nothing wrong.
Except sleep with her boss. Or was he her partner? Her brain hurt so badly she wasn’t sure what they were. But she knew they were investigators who had to focus on their case.
Jeremy had left in the middle of the night, sneaked away like a bad boy who’d had sex with his best friend’s girl or something.
Or something. He was probably messed up in the head after their little tryst.
Tryst, maybe. But little was not the word to describe the sensations racing through her body with every touch, every kiss. When she woke up, her skin still tingled all over. That was a first. Even sex with Michael hadn’t come close to what she and Jeremy shared.
She walked up to the Command Center, trying to keep the lightness from her step. She didn’t have to broadcast the fact that she got lucky last night. No, what she shared with Jeremy was between the two of them, no one else.
When she pulled open the door, she was shocked to see Jeremy and Andrew in Max’s office. Could they actually be talking?
“Hi,” Cassie said.
Mercedes smiled. “Good morning.”
“We’ll start when Max gets here, in about ten minutes.”
“How long have they been in there?” Mercedes motioned to the office where Jeremy stared out the window and Andrew fidgeted in the chair behind him.
“An hour maybe?”
She glanced at Cassie. “That long?”
“They’ve got a lot to talk about.”
“Doesn’t look like they’re doing much talking.”
Suddenly, Andrew shot out of his chair and stormed from the room. “He’s impossible,” he said, walking past them and out the front door.
Eddie walked in. “Hey, kid, what’s up?”
Andrew ignored him.
“What’s with him?” Eddie asked.
“He’s a teenager,” Jeremy said from the office door.
A few team members laughed. Mercedes studied Jeremy, waiting for him to make eye contact. He didn’t.
“Ready to start?” Max said, coming into the room.
Everyone took their seats and waited.
“Where’s Andrew?” he asked.
“Throwing a tantrum,” Jeremy explained.
“Here’s the strategy for the day,” Max started.
Mercedes struggled to focus past the shame burning her insides. It was a mistake. Jeremy was embarrassed by their lovemaking. Why else would he be avoiding eye contact?
“Weddles got further instructions about the drop,” Max said. “They’ve changed the location to one of three pancake houses. They’re playing it like a treasure hunt and it’s happening later this afternoon. We don’t know why the change.”
“So the undercover pub work last night was for nothing,” Jeremy said.
Mercedes’s heart sank. Lower. Lower. The kissing, the sharing of life secrets.
And he called it nothing, all part of the job.
“The kidnapper probably wants to keep everyone off balance by changing plans,” Max said. “The new plan is to leave the ransom at one of three pancake houses. He’ll call with the location later this morning. A team will be at each one. Spinelli and Malone will take the Pig in Blankets on the South end of town. Jeremy and I will take the Maple House and Agents Ramos and Finn will cover the Waffle Barn.”
Oh, God, they’d put her with a new partner. The writing was on the wall, in bright red spray paint— Ramos is out because she screwed her partner. Couldn’t she ever get it right?
Being assigned a new partner was the beginning of the end. First it was reassignment, followed by busy-work. She noticed that Jeremy had been paired with Max. He probably wanted Max’s undivided attention when he told him how unprofessional Mercedes had been last night, making love to him, giving her self completely.
Another job lost and she’d done it to herself.
By falling for the reserved Englishman.
“We’ve got communications devices,” Max continued. “Everyone stays in the loop on this in order to make it work. With any luck we’ll have Lucas back by suppertime.”
They broke off into groups, continuing their assignments. Jeremy disappeared, literally.
“So, it’s you and me then, love?” Bobby said, walking up to her.
“Yep.” She couldn’t say anything else, couldn’t utter a single word. Her heart was being ripped in two.
Silly, foolish girl.
“I’m working some leads on Internet friends, in case the Lynk angle doesn’t work out,” Bobby said.
“Great.”
“You okay? You’re lookin’ a bit piqued.”
“Hey, I should be asking you that question.” She eyed him. “Signs of whiplash?”
“Just a headache. Nothing to worry about.”
She and Bobby spent the morning and early afternoon on Internet leads. There was no sign of Jeremy since earlier in the day and no sign of his son, either. Maybe he wasn’t avoiding her. Maybe he was spending quality time with Andrew.
Yeah, and if you believe that, you really are a fool.
At four o’clock, Agent Spinelli set them up with listening devices—an earpiece and small microphone to attach to their jackets.
“Agent Ramos?”
She glanced up into Jeremy’s eyes, shocked that he’d actually spoken to her.
“Yes, Agent Barnes?”
He opened his mouth and closed it. “Be careful.”
“You, too.”
She sensed he wanted to say more.
Wishful thinking, chica. Stupid, wishful thinking.
JEREMY WATCHED MERCEDES and Bobby leave the office, Mercedes wearing an odd expression on her face. He couldn’t read her today, which was a first.
He couldn’t think of one intelligent thing to say to her after their amazing night. Yet she seemed unaffected by their lovemaking. Or was she ashamed?
No, she shouldn’t be. Jeremy had been the one to cross that line.
Maybe she was angry because he’d left in the middle of the night. But he’d awakened with a start, something poking at his subconscious, driving him out of bed and to the office to sift through files.
Unfortunately he hadn’t found anything solid. He would have been better off lounging in her arms.
Now what are you thinking about? Haven’t you got enough complications without adding a romantic relationship to the mix?
“You’re going to hurt yourself, mate,” Max said, walking up to him. “You’re thinking too hard. Let’s go have some cakes.”
“Right.”
Max gave Cassie a kiss and she settled behind a desk.
Jeremy wished he could have given Mercedes a kiss like that, a quick one for luck. But he wasn’t sure what to make of their relationship; he didn’t want to assume anything.
He wished deep in his heart that she felt the same way he did—that mayb
e, possibly, she’d developed feelings for him.
He’d asked Max for the reassignment because he wanted to pair a strong agent like Mercedes with Bobby, a man who might still be rattled by the car accident last night.
Jeremy could also use a little distance from his beautiful partner to get his perspective, to make sense of it all, so he’d know what to say when the time was right.
Like he knew what to say to Andrew?
He and the boy had gone at it this morning, Jeremy telling his son he belonged back home with his mother and Andrew arguing with him. The teenager still didn’t know the whole truth, and Jeremy didn’t see any sense in telling him. Jeremy wanted to do the right thing by Andrew, not confuse him any further.
The boy was meant to grow up with his family, attend university and live his life in England.
He and Max went to the Maple House and stood in line. Jeremy actually had an appetite this morning.
“A lot has happened the past few days,” Max said. “You all right?”
“Fine.”
“That’s rubbish and you know it.”
Jeremy smiled. “I guess you know me pretty well.”
“Finding out you have a son after all these years would throw anyone off course.”
“He hates me.”
“So did I.” He smiled. “But I warmed to you. He will, too. What about Agent Ramos?”
“What about her?”
“You still want her fired?”
“No, she’s an excellent agent.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Max smiled.
“Bugger off,” Jeremy said.
“What?” Max placed an open palm to his chest. “If you ask me, I think you make a brilliant team. You and Agent Ramos.”
“I don’t remember asking you,” Jeremy shot back.
Max smiled.
“Stop grinning like a fool,” Jeremy teased. He glanced out the restaurant window and noticed the bully, Brad Reynolds, race across the parking lot.
“Odd,” Jeremy said.
“What?” Max strained to see what Jeremy was looking at.
“I’ll be right back.” Jeremy went outside and followed the boy, calling his name.
Something about the Reynolds family had been bothering him, but he wasn’t sure what.
“Brad Reynolds!” he called. The boy disappeared down a flight of stairs leading to the beach. Jeremy followed, but by the time he reached the sand the boy had vanished.