by Mia Dymond
“What’s your poison?”
“Cream and sugar.”
“Can I trust you to sit here while I go get the coffee or do I need to handcuff you to the chair?”
She raised both eyebrows and he swore he saw a flash of something close to arousal in the depths.
“Never mind,” he mumbled, “I’ll be right back.”
He inhaled the deep, nutty smell as he stood in front of the counter and ordered a strong cup of courage. Nothing like a stiff cup of caffeine to kick your brain into submission. His brain definitely had plans of its own when it came to Sophie and he almost wished he would have followed along earlier. He wanted that woman like a second breath and it took everything in him not to shove her beneath him and put them both out of misery.
But he was sincere when he told her there just wasn’t enough time. No, the chemistry between them was downright lethal and he intended to show her just how much. Never had he shared feelings with a woman so quickly and without thought. It was as if she had an inside connection to his thoughts. And, he wasn’t bothered by that in the least.
Once he held two steaming cups, he headed back to the table and sat beside her. Much to his relief, she wasted no time in touching him. She wrapped one hand around her cup, and wrapped the other around his forearm, her fingers drawing lazy circles against his skin.
“I’m curious,” she said as her fingers taunted the nerves beneath his skin, “how did you get your nickname?”
He chuckled low under his breath. Curiosity was a good start.
“Curious, huh?”
She nodded.
“I’ve never been one to follow protocol.”
“In the Army?”
“In life. I enlisted in an act of rebellion.”
“Is that a decision you regret?”
“Not in the least. Thunder, Chaos, and Ace made it all worthwhile.”
“You guys are close.”
“Family.”
“I take it there are several stories behind those nicknames too.”
He nodded without elaboration.
“So,” she prompted, “tell me about your team.”
“Can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Confidential. I’d have to silence you if I told you and I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m confident you’d find a way to challenge my methods.”
“You’d be disappointed if I didn’t.”
He snickered, aroused as hell by the fact that she didn’t hesitate before she fired right back at him. No doubt, she’d challenge him alright and she was absolutely correct when she responded – disappointed didn’t begin to describe his feelings.
“Thunder assembled Alpha Four when he retired from the Army. It only took three phone calls to build a team.”
“The four of you are very loyal.”
He nodded. “There’s just something about fighting evil that brings a team together.”
“Do you think about it often?”
He hesitated, weighing the decision to answer her. He’d seen a whole lot of evil during his military tours, things that he’d never share with her. Yet, thanks to Uncle Sam and Thunder, he’d learned to file it so far away that even memory couldn’t find it.
He glanced down at her fingers, still rubbing circles on his forearm and distracting him from answering her question. Her soft, gentle touch caused the nerves under his skin to quiver with excitement. What in the hell had she asked?
“Sophie?”
“Hmmm?”
“I can’t concentrate when you do that.”
Her brow furrowed. “Do what?”
He glanced down at her fingers. “That. You’re driving me crazy.”
“Oh, really?”
Before he could stop himself, he nodded. Oh. Hell. So much for never let them see you sweat. He’d pretty much just handed her a whole locker of ammunition.
“Well, then.” She blinked those deep, dark eyelashes several times as her fingers continued their assault. “Perhaps you should answer my question.”
“No.”
“No?”
“I mean, no I don’t think about the evils in my past often. Alpha Four gives me plenty to think about.”
“Are you in danger?”
“Not always. Sometimes our assignments are as mundane as installing a security system.”
“Other times you put your life on the line for someone else.”
“Yes.”
“Like me.”
“Well, no one’s tried to kill you …. yet.” He gave her hand a slight squeeze, buying a second of courage for his next comment. “But I’d put my life on the line for you without a second thought.”
A pretty pink blush covered her cheeks. “Thank you, but I hope that won’t be necessary.”
“It won’t.” He lifted his cup, drew the steaming beverage across his tongue, and then swallowed. “Tell me more about you.”
“I’m positive you already know everything there is to know about me.”
“Not everything. There are certain things we can’t search, you know.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Like your favorite color.”
“Guess.”
He wasn’t surprised at her answer. Sophie didn’t usually make things easy, so he’d play along. “Red.”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?”
“Of course.”
“You wear a red nightgown to bed. A very sheer, short, skimpy one.”
“Rebel!” The pink appeared again in her cheeks. “Did you come into my bedroom last night?”
“Yes. Protocol demands I make sure you’re tucked in for the night.”
He waited, expecting another outburst or perhaps even a reprimand. And he fully deserved one. He looked in on her, alright and it took severe self-discipline not to lie down beside her and remove that nightgown in one full swoop. Pull the damn thing over her head, toss it to the floor, and then love her like she’d never been loved before. His cock had been raised and full of blood, ready to take full control. That’s why he’d very quietly closed the door and headed to the bathroom for a nice, cold shower.
“Did you like it?”
That response, however, surprised the hell out of him. God, he loved this woman – and if anyone even so much as questioned his admission, he wouldn’t hesitate to set them straight. He glanced at the neighboring tables, relieved they were still empty.
“Hell, yeah,” he answered without regret.
“You sleep naked, don’t you?”
Again, she threw him off kilter. And again, he answered honestly. “Most of the time.”
She lifted her cup and he saw the slight shake of her hand. So much for cooling things off between them. All a change of scenery had done was fan the flames into taller ones. He took a stab at steering the conversation another direction – away from her skimpy nightgown and his naked body.
“Why isn’t there a man in your life, Sophie?”
She lifted an eyebrow. “There is.”
Although her declaration made his heart beat ten times harder, he wanted to know more. “Before now.”
“That has a lot to do with my father’s occupation. He and my mother have always been very supportive of my privacy, but my social status seems to be a pretty big hurdle for most men.” Her fingers began to draw on his forearm again. “That, and my trust account.”
“I can relate.”
“I don’t know much about your personal background.”
“My grandfather made his very large fortune in oil.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, my gosh! Bernard Caldwell, of course! I guess I never put the association together.” A twinkle sparkled in her eyes. “You do understand.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Money attracts women and that usually turns out badly. That’s why I ran for the military. Nobody cared about my family or my we
alth.”
“What does your family think about your choice of occupation?”
“I have their full support. My grandfather never stops telling me how much pride he feels.”
“What do they think about your engagement?”
“What makes you think I told them?”
She glanced down at her left hand. “This ring did not come from a jeweler, Rebel.”
“No.” Her insight amazed him and warmed his heart. “It was my grandmother’s.”
“And you gave it to me.”
He nodded, hoping to hell she wouldn’t bring up the fact the whole thing was a farce. He just didn’t want to hear those words come from her mouth.
“I’m honored,” she answered softly.
He laid her left palm flat against his right palm. “It looks tailor-made for you.”
“It’s beautiful, as I’m sure your grandmother was.”
“She was,” he agreed. “My grandparents were married over fifty years.”
“Maybe the ring had something to do with that.”
He laughed at her conclusion. “My grandmother swore by it. She never took it off, not once in all the years they were together. She claimed it was the glue that held them together. When they would get sideways with each other, she’d flash the diamond at my grandfather and the argument dissipated.”
“Smart woman.”
“Extremely. Maybe that’s why I’m attracted to smart women.”
“Maybe.” She picked up her cup, swallowed a couple times, and then set it back on the table. “I guess I should get ready to go to the spa.”
He drained his own cup and then stood. “We’ll swing back by the house, then I’ll drop you off on my way to Alpha Four.”
With Sophie tucked away safely at the spa, Rebel allowed himself to relax while he sat with his teammates around the Alpha Four briefing table, yet again, while the Captain explained security measures for the evening’s party.
“The Senator is sending back-up,” Thunder told them. “Those operatives will cover all outside doors. No one in or out without clearance. That leaves the inside for us.”
Ace nodded. “Do we expect any activity?”
“My guess is no.” Rebel folded his hands in front of him. “The Senator seems convinced the attacks are personal to Sophie but I still believe the paintings are the target. If that theory is correct, she won’t have merchandise with her tonight so we shouldn’t have a problem.”
“The theory is correct,” Thunder insisted. “Our guy won’t make a move until she has another painting. When is her next rendezvous?”
“Tomorrow morning. She’s scheduled to make another exchange at Laurent Interiors.”
“What’s the set-up?”
“It’s a sale this time so the crowd may be thick. Our perp may be more bold.”
“What about security?”
Chaos jumped in. “Intel reveals guards at both doors. Each buyer will have to present a sales slip for exit.”
“I’ll be next to her,” Rebel added. “If he confronts her, I’ll take him out.”
“Everglade Springs PD ran Sophie’s description of the guy through their database,” Ace said. “They haven’t found a match yet.”
Chaos leaned back in his chair and braced his arms behind his head. “Have you noticed that he never fights hard for the paintings? Either he’s a coward or he doesn’t really want them anyway.”
“What?” Rebel frowned. “He likes the thrill of the attack?”
“I don’t know but think about it. Both times Sophie was confronted, he left without the art. And if he robbed Pennington, he left the painting in the bushes. None of the art was damaged, either.”
“Hold on.” Rebel unfolded his hands. “Sophie said that the paper backing was torn on both of her paintings. What about Pennington’s?”
Ace grabbed a piece of paper from the stack in the middle of the table. “The brown paper wrapping was ripped from the back of that painting.”
“He’s after something else.” Rebel thumped the table with his fist. “Something he wants is hidden in the backs of the paintings.”
“We’ve got to intercept the painting to find that out,” Thunder pointed out. “We may very well get the opportunity tomorrow.”
“Another thing bothers me.” Chaos dropped his hands and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “How does he know when Sophie obtains a painting?”
“Good question.” Thunder shrugged. “Could be coincidence. The art auction was a public place and apparently DuBois is popular. He could’ve followed her to the gallery the next time. She’s a popular broker. Maybe he had a hunch.”
Ace spun the paper in circles on the table. “There’s no evidence that the gallery owners tipped anyone off, and they really had no reason to do that. They made their money by accepting the painting.”
“Time will tell.” As badly as he hated to admit it, Rebel knew they would just have to wait and see what happened. No sense beating a dead horse.
He glanced around at his friends. “Everybody have a tux?”
All three other men nodded in tandem.
“Good.” He stood and headed out of the room. “I’m on my way to get mine. I’ll see you guys tonight.”
***
Sophie stared at her reflection in the entryway mirror as she stuck a diamond earring into her left earlobe. Although the gem sparkled off the light from the chandelier above, it paled in comparison to the one now resting on her left hand. Both contentment and uncertainty invaded her.
The precious gem was even more special to her now that Rebel revealed it once belonged to his grandmother. And, he had given it to her so selflessly, without hesitation. The thought of him removing it from her finger and presenting it to someone else made her physically ill. Yet, common sense told her she should be prepared.
She released a soft sigh and cleared her mind. She would take full advantage of her newfound happiness and enjoy the evening.
She gave her head one final shake to fluff the curls at the ends of her hair, hoping that Rebel would approve of her wearing it down and loose around her shoulders. When she glanced back into the mirror, she saw him standing at the foot of the stairs. With her heart beating hard and fast, she turned to face him.
The tuxedo he wore did very little to enhance the man inside. Even beneath the elegant, black material his muscles took center stage. He, too, wore his hair loose, the ends brushing the stiff creases of the tuxedo jacket. His white dress shirt lay open, as if protesting the addition of a tie.
“Red,” he said in the silence.
She smiled. The color of her dress had been chosen for him, as well as the cut. The neckline was cut severely low so that the tops of her breasts could peek from inside. The short-sleeved bodice squeezed her waist, allowing the skirt to brush the tops of her knees. She chose her two-inch, red stilettos to boost her height, but still he towered her. She had every intention of teasing him and he was a fool if he couldn’t figure it out.
He reached into his jacket pocket and then pulled out a straight, red tie. “I hoped.”
She stepped in front of him and buttoned the top buttons of his shirt. Such a shame to cover him up. She then held out her opened palm and he placed the tie there.
“Good choice.” She draped the fabric around his neck, evened the ends and then began to form the loops. “These are better than bow ties.”
“You won’t catch me in a bow tie. I like to breathe.”
“There.” She stood back to admire her handiwork while her body screamed to be pressed against him.
As if he heard the silent commotion, he pulled her back against him, his hands on her hips. “I want to kiss you.”
“So do it,” she murmured.
“I might smear your lipstick.”
“So do it,” she repeated.
In mere milliseconds, he pressed his lips solidly against hers and moved them over every square inch. Beneath his touch, the tiny nerve endings tingled with exci
tement and demanded more contact. Lost in the absolute satisfaction, she opened her mouth under him and invited his tongue inside, more of him. Once his tongue found hers, she closed her lips and sucked down hard, satisfied when a masculine grunt left his mouth.
His hands pressed harder into the skin on her hips and the party faded into a distant thought. At this moment, all that mattered was this man and the blazing hot fire between them. Suddenly his cocky, dominating air did everything to stoke it. That’s why she almost punched him when he ended the kiss and then rubbed a thumb across her bottom lip.
“I smeared your lipstick.”
“I have another tube.”
He glanced down at her cleavage and raised an eyebrow.
“No.” She giggled. “I’ll take an evening bag.”
“You look absolutely stunning.”
“Thank you. So I’ll pass for your bride?”
“Absolutely.”
Reluctantly, she stepped back from him and turned to reach for the evening bag on the end table under the mirror. “Do you think we can pull this off?”
“Not a doubt in my mind. You just keep that sweet, sexy twinkle in your eye and I’ll fall right in line.”
She spun back around and frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Your eyes tell me you want to eat me up.”
“Confident, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but only because I’m pretty sure mine say the same.”
All arrogance aside, he was exactly right. She’d even entertained the notion of ditching their engagement party. “You’re forgiven.” She gestured with one hand at his jacket. “Aren’t you hot?”
“I’ll survive.”
“You could take it off until we get to the hotel.”
“No, I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Don’t want the whole place to know I’m packing.”
She mentally smacked her forehead. Of course he carried his weapon. “Sorry, I forgot about that.”
“No apology necessary. I’m just going to make damned sure no one ruins the evening.”