“Tabon…”
“What?”
“I can guess what you’re thinking.”
He moved forward and cupped her face with his palm. He didn’t remember ever touching a woman in the same way before, but everything felt different with her.
“I’m not going to lie to you, Avarie. I want you in my bed more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. That doesn’t mean I’m going to pressure you, or do anything to make you uncomfortable. Do you understand?”
She nodded. “So, uh, should we go inside?”
He led her in the front door of Gunner’s side of the house, although no one would be able to tell he spent any time there. Both sides had been professionally decorated, and when they bought the property, they’d negotiated to purchase it furnished. Since they hadn’t owned it long, neither kept many clothes here yet.
It wasn’t ever intended to be a place they lived full-time. They’d decided to invest in Cambria given the property values had recently taken a dive because of the severe drought, which led to severe water rationing. However, as with everything else, it wouldn’t be long before the drought ended, and they would be able to turn a profit when they decided to sell.
“It’s very nice,” she said.
“I was just thinking how neither side looks lived in by two single guys. The whole place came this way.”
She walked over to the windows that looked out at the Pacific Ocean. It was an amazing view, but nothing like the one his house on the Oregon Coast had.
Maybe he’d tell her about it and see if she’d like to go there with him sometime. Again, he inwardly groaned, not accustomed to the thoughts that kept popping into his head.
“I’ll take your bag upstairs, and you can choose your room.”
“Okay,” she said, hesitantly moving from the window as though he were taking her away from it.
He smiled. “We don’t have to do it this minute.”
“It’s just that it’s so…beautiful. And so different from the Atlantic Ocean.”
“Yeah? I haven’t spent much time on the East Coast.”
“I mean, they’re both oceans, but the Pacific has a different vibe.”
“That’s a good way of putting it.”
Ava’s cheeks turned pink. “I really do have an extensive vocabulary, and I did graduate from college, although that isn’t evidenced by my current conversational skills.”
Razor studied her. “Do I make you nervous?”
Ava shrugged, but then looked into his eyes. “You do.”
“Tell you what. I’ll take your bag and leave it at the top of the stairs, and you can choose your room whenever you’re ready. And then, I’ll head next door to give you some privacy.”
“Oh. You’re leaving?”
“I don’t have to. Although I should’ve thought to stop at the market in town. We don’t have a lot in the way of provisions.”
“I wouldn’t mind going with you.”
“I’d love it if you would. We can pick up whatever you think your sister and friends would like too.”
Ava smiled, and Razor about melted. He’d moved his hand from her face, and had rested it on her shoulder, unable to stop touching her, but as he’d told her, not wanting to make her uncomfortable either. Now, though, he couldn’t stop himself, the lure of her lips pulled him in, and he covered her mouth with his.
When her tongue darted against his, he groaned and she whimpered. He lifted her legs until they went around his waist, and held her bottom in his two hands. At the same time, he kept his lips on hers, caressing her tongue with his, eliciting more of the whimpers he loved to hear.
He wasn’t thinking about protecting Ava now, or that without her knowing it, he’d been hired to do so. She wasn’t an asset, she was a woman he wanted to be inside of with every fiber of his being.
Thankfully she’d changed out of the dress that had almost driven him mad, but her short-shorts and t-shirt weren’t a whole lot better. He could feel the warmth of her arousal as her body pressed against his, making him increasingly harder.
He turned his head, attacking her mouth from a different angle as she held onto him tightly. Did that mean she didn’t want to let go of him any more than he did of her?
Razor pulled back and looked into her eyes. Her pupils were dilated, her breathing was labored, and her face, neck, and chest were flushed. If this were any other woman, he wouldn’t hesitate or ask; he’d take her right where they stood. But this was Ava.
“Talk to me, baby. Tell me what you’re feeling.”
“You can feel what I’m feeling, Tabon.”
“Likewise, but we need to talk about this. You just told me I make you nervous.”
Ava fidgeted enough that he released her legs. She slid down his body, and he immediately missed her warmth.
“You also make me want you, Tabon.”
“Tell me how, Avarie. Tell me what you want from me.”
She tried to hide her face, but he wouldn’t let her.
“I need to hear the words, baby.”
“I could feel you pulsing against me.”
He stroked her cheek with his finger, willing her to continue.
“I want that, Tabon. Except I want you pulsing inside me.”
Razor groaned, grabbing her ass with both hands and pulling her body close enough to grind against his. He was about to pick her up and carry her next door when he saw the lights of Gunner’s SUV pulling through the gate.
“We have company,” he said, resting his forehead against hers.
“I don’t suppose we can sneak next door.”
“We could, but we’d have to make it really quick.”
She smiled. “We shouldn’t.”
“You’re right. I guess. However, I need to do something about this.” Razor pointed to the straining zipper of his jeans.
Ava covered her mouth and laughed. “I’m sorry. Although not as evident, I’m having a similar problem.”
Razor leaned forward and brushed her lips with his one more time.
“I’m going to carry your bag upstairs, but keep them talking for a good five minutes before they come up, okay?”
“Uh, okay,” she giggled, closing her eyes, and turning that lovely shade of pink.
—:—
Ava watched Tabon’s gorgeous ass as he took her bag upstairs. Part of her wanted to tell him to take it next door instead.
“Hello,” Gunner called out, opening the front door and sticking his head in.
“Are you waiting for me to invite you into your own house?” she laughed.
“Hope we weren’t interrupting anything,” he said, joining her in the living room with Aine, Pen, and Tara following behind him.
“You were.”
“Oh, damn,” said Pen, obviously a little tipsy from wine tasting. “Maybe we should leave.”
“They can leave,” said Gunner. “There’s a whole other side to this place; they can have all the privacy they want.” He turned around and looked at Pen. “And so can we.”
Ava wondered if the two were just playing, or if Pen had let Gunner know she was interested in him.
“Where’s Raze?” Gunner asked.
“Right here, playing bellman,” Tabon answered.
“I’m sorry, I could’ve—”
He smiled. “Ava, do you really think I would’ve let you carry your own bag upstairs?”
She shook her head. “Thank you.”
“However, I’m off the clock now. Gunner, your shift has started. I’ve got to take my stuff next door, and then Ava and I were going to run out to the market.”
“We can do that,” offered Pen. “As long as Ava drives.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Gunner.
Ava noticed a look pass between the two men. “Yes,” she said. “Let’s go now.”
Her three friends followed her toward the front door.
“Wait,” said Tabon. “You’ll need these.” He handed her the key fob for her rental car
.
“Is there anything you want us to get for you?” she asked.
“I don’t need a thing except for you to hurry back,” he whispered.
—:—
Razor didn’t feel comfortable letting Ava leave without him, but it was obvious Gunner needed to talk to him. Cambria was a small town, and it was late—fuck, what was he thinking?
“This is a mistake,” he muttered to Gunner, and went out the front door. “We can talk when I get back.”
Gunner nodded, obviously realizing the same thing Razor had.
“Hold up,” he said, jogging over to the car. “I remembered I needed to pick something up.”
Ava raised an eyebrow as he approached the driver’s door. “Missing me already?”
“You know it, baby.”
“There isn’t enough room for all of us to go,” said Tara. “I’ll stay here.”
“So will I,” said Pen.
“There isn’t any reason for me to go either,” added Aine.
“I guess they figured we want to be alone,” he said once the front door closed behind them.
“I’m just glad it wasn’t obvious,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But…”
“Go on,” he said, holding up the passenger door for her.
“I got the impression you wanted to talk to Gunner.”
“No big deal. We can chat when I get back.”
—:—
Ava raised her eyebrow and got in the car. He was lying to her again; she was sure of it. She caught a glimpse of the way his face looked when he wasn’t telling her the truth, and she didn’t like it.
“Everything okay?” he asked when he got in the other side of the car.
“Yep,” she answered, not looking at him.
“What just happened?”
‘Nothing. Let’s just go to the store. I’m tired, and I’d like to get to bed.”
“I’m all for that.”
“Alone, Razor.”
“I see.”
He was as quiet as she was as they drove to the market. She grabbed a cart when they walked in.
“You can go get whatever it was you needed to pick up,” she said, hurrying away from him. She saw him shake his head, but instead of walking away, he followed.
“I’m serious, I don’t need help grocery shopping.”
“That’s clear. I’ll tag along anyway.”
His voice was as clipped as Ava was sure hers was. If he didn’t like her attitude, he should refrain from lying to her.
“I thought Gunner was leaving,” she said as they waited in the checkout line.
“He is. Although, I’m sure, given the circumstances, he’ll stay the night at my place.”
She shrugged and took out her wallet when the cashier gave them the total. Razor covered her hand with his.
“I’ve got this,” he said, putting a debit card in the keypad.
“That isn’t necessary. I can pay for my own food.”
“Yes, I’m aware. However, you’re my guest and I insist.”
When they returned to the house, Razor suggested Ava go in ahead of him, and offered to bring the bags in on his own. She almost told him she could help, but changed her mind. She was still pissed that he wasn’t being forthcoming with her, and if that was the game he wanted to play, he’d be doing it solo.
She didn’t see anyone downstairs when she went in, so she climbed the staircase.
“That was quick,” Pen said as Ava walked into the first room off the hallway and found her sitting on the bed.
“It’s late. Everyone is tired.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“Where’s my stuff?”
“Aine moved it into the room she’s in. We figured you wouldn’t be staying here anyway.”
“You were incorrect in your assumption.”
—:—
“Any news?” Razor asked, walking into his kitchen and finding Gunner sitting at the counter.
“It’s a match.”
“That was quick. You’re certain?”
“Lab at Fort Roberts processed it immediately, and since they already had the info from MI6, it wasn’t long before they determined it was exact.”
Razor sat down next to Gunner and opened a beer. If his teammate wanted one, he could get it himself while he processed through the ramifications of what Gunner had just told him.
Ava’s father, who she was obviously closer to than her mother, wasn’t at all who he’d pretended to be for the last twenty-plus years. The only thing Conor McNamara had in common with Makar Petrov was neither of them had been able to operate on the right side of the law.
Razor had been in this line of work too long to think that someone like Petrov was above keeping his daughter from testifying if by doing so, in conjunction with Finnegan’s turning state’s evidence, she could bring down his organization.
And, was he arrogant enough to believe no one would find out his true identity? The possibility had to, at the very minimum, be lurking in the back of his mind.
This confirmation meant protecting Ava had escalated to an entirely different level. Not only was Razor hiding her from someone wanting to stop her from testifying, he would now have to prevent her own father from finding her.
“Are you sure you don’t want to step aside and let someone else take over this assignment?”
Razor scrunched his eyes. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“No. I’m not. You have feelings for the asset. There’s no bigger mistake to be made.”
“I’d never walk away from this.”
“Roger that.”
“I swear to God, Gunner, if you go to Doc about this, I’ll never forgive you. Mind your own goddamn business. You hear me?”
Gunner nodded with hooded eyes. “I will be talking to Doc about this assignment, Raze, but not in the way you think. The first thing I’m going to tell him is that I’m your number two. Second, you and I will craft a plan together, and take it to him and Striker.”
Hard as it was for him to consider admitting it out loud, Razor appreciated Gunner’s plan of attack. His friend was right, he had feelings for the asset, and no one knew better than Gunner how horribly wrong that could go.
“Let’s talk tomorrow when we’ve both gotten some rest. I’ll head out to Harmony now.”
“You can stay here.”
“Not a good idea if you look at the big picture.”
Their eyes met.
“You’re gonna have to get closer to her, and do it quickly, Raze.”
“Who else is in town?”
“We’ve got a wide selection. Alegria would be my first choice for a number three. Monk is here, and Striker hasn’t left yet.”
Razor agreed with Gunner’s lineup. Alegria would be his first choice as well. “We’ll brief Al tomorrow, and get her engaged.”
Gunner stood. “I can do this,” he said, walking to the front door.
“I know you can, but do you want to?”
“There’s no way I’d let you proceed without me.”
Razor shut off the lights and slowly made his way up the stairs. He doubted he’d get much sleep tonight; there were too many things he needed to think over.
Gunner’s words left him with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was going to have to get closer to Ava, and do it fast—which meant this thing between them couldn’t happen naturally.
He would have to lie to her. Their relationship would be based on deception and that meant it could never be real. Knowing he had to accept that fact, made him feel a profound sense of regret, unlike anything he’d felt before.
8
“Alegria is in,” Gunner told him when he called the next morning. “Any sign of life next door?”
Considering the sun had just come up, Razor doubted he’d hear anything out of Ava and crew until much later.
“Negative,” he answered.
“Good. Alegria will head in your direction. When she arrives, you can leave for Harmony.”
There went his stomach again. Razor knew having her on Ava’s team was a good solution, but the feeling of dread he got from her taking over while he went to Harmony almost made him feel ill.
If he’d ever wondered how Mercer felt before Quinn knew the true nature of how he’d come into her life, now he could empathize. Mercer had lied to Quinn over and over again. That it was for her protection hadn’t mattered. He’d still lied. For a while, Razor doubted Quinn would ever forgive the man who was now her husband.
Would Ava forgive him once the truth finally came out? If she didn’t, he had no idea how he’d feel. For the first time in his life, it mattered. Somewhere deep in the confines of his heart, it mattered a great deal.
—:—
Sleep was something Ava craved, but her brain refused to cooperate. All night, she’d tossed and turned, thinking about Tabon.
When the sun came up, she went downstairs, made herself a cup of coffee, and sat by the window, watching the waves crash against the rocks below. It would be at least three or four hours before her sister, Pen, or Tara would get up, and maybe longer.
She padded her way into a room where she’d noticed bookshelves the night before. Maybe she’d find something to read that would hold her attention enough that she wouldn’t think about the man sleeping next door, and how much she wished she were in bed next to him.
She was perusing the vast collection of books when she heard the sound of a car. From the room she was in, she could see the car pull directly into the garage on the other side of the house.
Ava crept to the side of the window and peered through the draperies. A very beautiful woman came out of the garage, entered a code on the keypad to lower the door, and approached the entrance of Tabon’s side of the house.
She watched as the front door opened, and the woman slipped inside.
How could she have been so stupid? She’d thought Tabon was truly interested in her, but the reality of what she’d just seen proved she’d been wrong.
She had to get out of here. There was no way she could spend another minute in this house. She went upstairs to tell Aine that she was leaving. Her sister and their two friends could stay as long as they wanted, but she was out of there.
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