“Look.” She nodded toward the pictures of two brown-haired boys and one blond young girl on the mantel. The little boys were tiny versions of Kelsey, maybe two or three years old at the most. The blond girl was an easy match to Alex. Her blue eyes were his all over again. Next to those pictures stood a larger portrait of Alex and Kelsey’s wedding.
He wore a black tux, silver vest, and matching black tie. Kelsey wore a sleeveless, cream-colored gown with a ruffle that dropped diagonally from one shoulder to her bare feet. Sunset glowed behind the happy couple. It looked like they were on a beach somewhere.
She stood with her palms on his chest. They were both probably supposed to be facing the camera. Instead, the moment was caught with them looking into each other’s eyes. It was easy to read the love between them. Very tanned, masculine, and debonair, Alex looked down at her with both hands on her waist, his face tender and his eyes aglow. With her hair cascading like a curly waterfall over her shoulders, Kelsey smiled up to him, the tip of her tongue barely visible on her lips, her eyes full of light.
“They make a beautiful couple,” Libby whispered. “I wonder why they don’t have a family picture though.”
“I’ll tell you about it sometime,” Mark whispered back. “I didn’t think coming here was a good idea at first, but now I do. You’ll be okay.”
She slipped her arm around his waist. “As long as you’re with me, I’ll be fine anywhere.” Her heart thudded with what she had just acknowledged.
“I feel the same way,” he breathed, his eyes gleaming. “I know it’s soon, Libby, but—”
“Shhhhh.” She sealed his lips with her index finger. “Your boss told me something very important.”
“Alex?” Mark’s brow wrinkled. “What?”
“He said we never forget the people we’ve lost, but we have to keep on living. Jon’s gone, but I want to keep living, Mark.” She rose up on her toes. He met her halfway and kissed her gently, stealing her breath with that soft contact. The house was full of people, but all she felt was his lips on hers, and his hands anchored at her waist. She circled her arms around his neck, happy with whatever he had in mind.
Someone’s cell phone rang.
“Darn,” he growled when she broke the kiss. “I was enjoying that.”
“Me, too,” she admitted happily.
They joined the others in the kitchen. Libby snuggled with her back to Mark, his arm draped casually around her neck. For all she had been through, the day couldn’t have a better ending. Mark was going to stay with her. Somehow, they would find a way to be together. Nothing could upset the calm in her heart. Nothing.
Alex turned all business when he hung up his phone. “Listen up. Mother tracked Castor. He’s headed north with a dozen accomplices. Looks like our Russian friends have been busy. They’re driving some heavy rigs.”
Kelsey had come to his side after the phone call, her arm around his waist. He looked down into her face. “Sorry, sweetheart. We fly out to tonight.”
Libby caught the tender look in his eye. These two older people were very much in love. It showed. They shared a bond that seemed to answer questions still unasked. It happened in the intimate twinkle in his eye. Alex had just poured love all over his wife, and she had silently returned it in the light of her smile and a pat of her hand on his chest.
“At least I’ll have Mark and Libby for company,” Kelsey answered. “We’ll be okay.”
Libby blushed. She wanted the same with – wait. Mark? But he already looks at me like that. She leaned against him to test her conclusion. Instantly he pulled her close, his hand at her waist and his hips bumping her backside.
“Change of plans.” Alex nodded at Mark. “Get your gear. Roy and Murphy will stay with the ladies. You’re coming with me.”
No! Libby cringed. What?
Alex frowned. “Have you had any sleep lately?”
“A couple days ago.” Mark shrugged, tightening his hold on Libby.
“Well, you can sleep on the flight. It’s a couple hours, but it’s better than nothing. We leave in an hour. And Mark.”
“Yes, Boss?”
“I’ve got an extra shaving kit in the bathroom. First drawer by the sink.” Alex glanced down the hallway. “Get that dirt off your face.”
Libby heard Mark’s quiet grunt. Without another word, he pulled her down the hall with him. Just as well. She needed some time with this guy if he was leaving.
Darn that Alex.
Sixteen
“You’re boss has a lot of nerve,” Libby grumbled.
“He does.” Mark pulled the extra shave kit out of the drawer and turned on the hot water tap.
The bathroom was much larger than Libby expected. A sunken tub stood out like a masterpiece beneath the frosted window, and surrounded by black tiled floor and walls like it was. An elegant vanity and matching chair, a glassed-in shower stall, and a commode completed the setting. Kelsey had decorated with seashells and peach-colored candles around the tub. Black towels were folded and ready for use at the edge of the tub. It was a very romantic setting, not that Libby would need it now that Mark was leaving.
Darn that Alex.
She made herself comfortable at the vanity, still mentally cussing. First Alex used Mark like some kind of a chew toy for his dogs, and then he ruined her plans for time alone with her friend, who she hadn’t seen in a very long time. How messed up was that? Who does this guy think he is, anyway? Just because Mark works for him does not mean—
Mark stripped his shirt over his head.
Oh, my heck.
Her animosity toward Alex fled.
Libby’s heart stopped. She’d never been alone with Mark like this before, not with him half-naked, incredibly sexy and—
Oh, my heck. He’s ripped.
He focused on his reflection in the mirror. She focused on him.
Standing with his legs spread, he leaned over the sink and applied shaving cream. Camouflaged pants hung loosely off narrow hips, leaving the black waistband of his briefs exposed and a very nicely sculpted portion of his abdomen, too. She knew the proper term for those very handsome muscle groups, the rectus abdominus—the paired muscles running vertically on each side of his abdomen. Every student nurse knew the biology of how the tendinous intersections separated the rectus abdominus into what was popularly called a six-pack, or an eight-pack, or an – oh, my gosh.
She licked her lips. A thin line of hair trailed between those perfectly aligned muscles, past his navel to where those same muscles narrowed to a V. And beyond.
Libby wiggled, all at once aware of another ache in her body.
When he lifted his razor to take that first swipe, the muscles on his back rippled alongside his spine. A set of two dog tags hung off a simple beaded chain around his neck. Strong shoulders led to equally sculpted biceps and forearms. This man worked out. It showed.
Gradually, he scrapped his chin clean. The chiseled corner of his jaw appeared. When he tilted his head back, Libby watched the razor skim up and over his Adam’s apple. She caught herself wanting to taste that handsome neck, to run her tongue over that freshly shaved chin. Her fingers itched to bury themselves in his dark hair, and to lace around his ears as she pulled him into her body, and—
“You’re cute.” He winked at her in the mirror.
She blushed. He’d caught her mimicking his actions. Every time he’d moved his lips to the left to shave, so did she. To the right, she had followed suit. She scrunched her shoulders and smiled, afraid her very carnal intentions showed.
With one last swipe up his neck, he rinsed the razor and set it on the edge of the sink. She was off the chair and in his arms before he could reach for the towel.
“I like this.” She stroked his clean-shaven face with both hands, her body stretched sensually against his. “I like this a lot.”
His smoky gaze spiked another surge of heat through her. Placing her hands on his wet face, she kissed him while he held her tight. This was no little kiss
of impulse though. She meant it with every ounce of strength and desire she had. He smelled of shaving cream. His lips, warm and gentle against hers, melted her sorrow away, and a few inhibitions, too.
He took half a step back to steady his balance. “Hey,” he breathed hotly into her face. “I think there’s some people waiting for us.”
“I have something to tell you,” she said before she changed her mind. The hole in her soul demanded filling.
He leaned back to look into her eyes. “I’m listening.”
She took a deep breath and bared her soul in a hurried rush. “It broke my heart when you left Spencer last time. I didn’t want you to go.”
His tender smile was all the encouragement she needed.
“And I ....” She drew in another breath. Do I tell him? Do I say the words? Dare I? Is it too soon?
Before she could finish, he picked her up, turned around, and deposited her on the counter by the sink. Now she was sitting, her dress hiked up in a very un-lady like fashion, and her pantyhose exposed to her hips. He looked down at her, his eyes hooded and darker than she had ever seen before. Her heart thudded when he placed a hand on each of her knees and stepped between them, effectively pushing her dress up higher and her legs further apart.
She gulped. Yes. It’s time.
“Still listening,” he growled.
“I love you, Mark,” she whispered breathlessly. “I know it’s too early. I know I should wait for a year … for awhile. I can’t. I don’t want you to leave me. I love you so much.”
Well, if that didn’t sound needy, nothing did. She cringed. All she needed was a box of stationary to make it complete. Ugh.
His eyes lit up at her words. “Now it’s my turn.”
Gently, his hands moved up her thighs, over the wrinkled hem of her dress, claiming every inch of her along the way. By the time his fingers cupped her backside, she had turned into a quivering mass of desire. He had to have been able to hear the blood pounding in her veins. His eyes arrowed straight to her heart before his words did.
“I’ve always loved you, Libby.” His deep voice rumbled over her.
Zing. The gentle tapping she had felt on her shoulder a year ago was nothing compared to the noisy YES she heard now. This is the one. Pay attention.
He did not hesitate or ask permission this time when his lips covered hers, crushing her mouth in passion. Libby poured her heart into that kiss, and Mark matched her breath by ragged breath. She had never tasted anything sweeter. The door to her heart was kicked open. He wants me. He’s always loved me.
Her heart soared through the ceiling and clear up to the stars. There was no way to get enough. She wanted every part of him, and she didn’t care if they were in someone else’s bathroom.
Fire surged up from her legs, clenching her belly with need. Feverishly, she worked the snap and zipper to his pants, afraid she might spontaneously combust if she waited another second. Her dress hiked up higher, and one thing she knew for sure. All her spandex had to go!
“Libby.” He clutched her against his bare chest, wrapping her so tightly she couldn’t continue undressing him, but that was okay, too. She was happy to be plastered against this man. It gave her a moment to relish the sensations storming her starving heart. Judging by the hammering going on inside his chest, he wanted the same thing. She wiggled against him, planting nibbles and kisses on the skin she could reach.
Ah! He tastes good.
Mark straightened with an audible groan, exactly what she expected to hear. The sheer mass of his body added more fuel to the fire. Her feminine libido turned into a determined beast. She wanted him. Now. On the floor. Over the counter. In the tub. It was all good. Better. Best!
When her fingers dove under the waistband of his briefs, he caught her wrist and held her tight. With one hand splayed between her shoulder blades, he pulled her tightly against him again and imprisoned her. She arched against him, her hips nearly off the counter.
“I’m not going to take you in here.” He shuddered, still working to catch his breath.
Not now? Not me? She groaned, her physical need painfully urgent.
“I love you too much.” His hot breath scorched her neck as her brain kicked back into logic mode. “You deserve more.”
She stilled. No I don’t. Don’t make me wait. As ready as she was, it was hard to slow the freight train of her desire. She took several slow breaths, listening to his heart pound exactly like hers. Maybe I can change your mind.
He tipped her face up until they were looking into each other’s eyes. The man gazing down at her was the same honorable Mark. Even now, he had taken a step back and blew out a measured breath. She licked her lips again, hoping he wasn’t in any more control than she was. He tugged her dress over her legs again and smoothed the wrinkles.
She caught his hands, knowing exactly what he was doing. He was putting her back together, keeping her presentable, and breathing hard, but definitely not stealing her virtue.
Darn it anyway.
“No,” she whined.
“We will have our first time together.” He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. “I promise you that. I am coming back soon and—”
Her heart stopped. She’d heard those words before.
“No. Really, Libby.” He peered worriedly into her face as if he had read her mind. “This op shouldn’t take more than a day or two. Murphy and Roy will keep you safe. We’ll get these cartel guys, and I’m coming back for you. I promise.”
She stared at him, her heart barely calmed from throwing herself at him. Here she was doing it all over again, putting her faith on the line for a man who was going off to battle. This time felt different. The man was Mark. He wasn’t telling her what he thought she wanted to hear. He meant it. Didn’t he?
“You promise?” There was that needy tone again. What is wrong with me?
“I promise, Libby,” he whispered earnestly, fumbling in his pants pocket. “Here. Keep these for me while I’m gone.”
She took the keys he offered. One looked like a door key, the other a car key.
“Your keys?” she smirked.
His eyes widened in shock as he pinched the car key between his thumb and index finger. “They’re not just keys. This is the key to my ‘69 Camaro.”
He looked so endearing. The way he had emphasized Camaro made it sound like he’d entrusted her with his child.
“So, where is it?” She stilled her wanton side and let him think he had won. For now.
His eyes widened again, this time in a smile. He pinched the other key. “It’s locked up nice and safe behind garage door number 18C at my apartment. Maybe Roy and Murphy can take you over there while I’m gone. Go ahead. Drive it. You’d like it.”
“What color is it?”
“Black. Of course.”
How could she resist? His eyes were filled with a boyish charm that only added more fuel to her desire. There was no deceit on his handsome face, only the wide-open smile of a man in love.
“And here.” He pulled his dog tags over his head. In two seconds flat, he’d slid the keys onto the same chain and secured it around her neck. “Now you have everything I own,” he said quietly.
“I do?”
He nodded, his forehead pressed to hers. “My home. My car. And my heart.”
Seventeen
“They what? When? Stupid fools!”
Mark caught the drift of tension when Alex stepped away to take a call. They’d barely flown into Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. He hadn’t realized they were headed to Wisconsin until they’d left the Stewart residence. Apparently, Alex hadn’t wanted to alarm Libby.
Crowds of passengers stormed the baggage carousel. He watched for their weapons cases and ammo cases. Flying with firearms always meant extra restrictions and preparation, but he took no chances. The sooner this gear was out of the public’s reach the better off he’d feel. If only he knew what his boss was ranting about.
“We need to get t
o Spencer. Now.” Alex stuffed his cell phone into his pocket, grim and focused as he jerked his overnight case off the carousel, grabbed his rifle case and turned toward the exit. “Castor and his friends blew through the safe house.”
“What are you saying?” Mark stepped to his boss’s side.
“I mean they blew it up. Damned FBI only had two agents there. Both are dead. Zack thinks one of Libby’s sisters might’ve been killed, too.”
God, no. Fear clutched Mark’s throat. “Are Jon’s parents okay?”
“You know as much as I do,” Alex snapped.
“But how could this happen?”
“Because the damned Bureau is so buried in political bullshit, they can’t do anything right. Nothing like this would’ve happened if you guys had been there.” Alex cursed all the way to the tarmac and their next ride, a private jet that would get them into the airport at Eau Claire. From there, it was less than an hour to Spencer.
Mark couldn’t think. This turn of events was going to kill Libby. Zack had to be wrong.
“You see why I needed you here?” Alex fumed as they flew northward. “I need my best snipers.”
The Gulfstream ate up the miles. Before long they’d secured a rental vehicle, a roomy Yukon that would hold all their gear. Mark expected a war zone when they screeched up the long gravel driveway to the Clifton farm. It was strangely quiet. Alex’s cell phone rang. Mark listened to Zack’s loud voice in Alex’s ear.
“Boss, you gonna get your dumb ass in here or you gonna hang around for midnight target practice?”
Mark stopped in his tracks. Zack just called the boss what? But Alex did not react like Mark expected. Instead, they ran for the open front door. Zack slammed it shut behind them There were no lights inside the farmhouse, just the dim shape of Libby’s father, Jerry, crouched at the open window, his rifle in hand.
“Sit rep,” Alex demanded when he cleared the doorway.
“Nothing in sight. The Russians took out both FBI helicopters just outside of town. We saw the explosions from the upstairs windows. We know they’re coming and they’ve got rocket launchers. Get ready.” Zack took position at the other open window. “It sure feels like I’m back in Iraq all of a sudden. You heard from Mother yet?”
Mark (In the Company of Snipers Book 2) Page 15