That included HRT.
She also wanted to explore the unusual feelings she had regarding Supervisory Special Agent Payne Novak while they had this chance. But couldn’t do that if they went public. She knew this chemistry wasn’t a common occurrence. She’d been forced to spend time with the opposite sex before. She, Dominic, and Eban often shared quarters, but that had always felt like bunking with a BFF. She’d certainly never wanted to kiss the face off one of her CNU colleagues.
Novak however… she was all for kissing his face off.
His gaze turned quizzical. She’d been staring too long.
She turned back to the table and found both Dominic and Eban looking from her to Novak with matching expressions of surprised irritation. Shoot.
Charlotte divided the tasks up between the negotiators and told them to run whatever text they came up with past the Behavioral Analysis Unit and their boss.
Novak came up behind her. “My turn?”
It was a question rather than a statement which proved how far they’d both come. She pushed back her chair and grabbed her coat off the hook by the door. Felt Dominic’s and Eban’s brooding gazes follow them out the door.
They were met by a ferocious wind that attempted to slice off the top layer of her skin.
They put their heads down, and she noticed Novak tried to shield her as much as possible even though he was the one without a proper jacket. He did that a lot, she realized.
She caught the top of his sleeve, dragged him down to her level. Shouted rather than whispered in his ear as the howling gale tore the words off into the night.
“The reason I suggested we shouldn’t tell anyone about that kiss was because I wanted to do it again sometime. Not because I’m ashamed of you or it.” She scanned his face for some sign of understanding. “I wanted you to know that.”
She held onto him determinedly. He looked confused, probably wondering what the hell she thought she was doing.
His gaze moved over her head, and she twisted to see McKenzie striding toward them. She didn’t let go of Novak’s arm.
He met her eyes and, finally, a smile tugged at the side of his mouth. He nodded. “Understood. I think that’s a good idea.”
McKenzie reached them, and she let go.
“What’s a good idea?”
“To get a taped video statement from Kayla to send to TJ’s email address,” Charlotte yelled.
“It is a good idea, but let’s see if you can save any more of them until we’re out of this weather. Damn, I hope the snipers and SWAT guys are protected.” McKenzie walked on, chafing his hands.
They strode quickly to the barn, and she was hyperaware of what Novak had said to her. He thought it was a good idea that they kiss again sometime. A quiver of lust rushed through her. Then she made herself focus. She needed to do a better job of hiding her feelings in front of these highly trained, intelligent agents. She’d given it away to Eban and Dominic, but they knew her inside out and sideways. She couldn’t afford for anyone else to figure it out.
They headed through the corridor inside the barn. Novak caught her fingers from behind and gave them a quick squeeze. Over in less than a second but printed indelibly on her being like the most ardent of kisses.
It spoke of understanding and hinted at a promise.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Four hours later, after reviewing, editing, and forwarding to Quantico their proposed script for emails, leaflets, and for Kayla’s video message, Charlotte rubbed tired eyes and sipped the coffee some angel had brought her. Novak and Romano had connected the laptop feed to a giant screen. They merely needed popcorn and soda to complete movie night.
Dominic came and plonked himself next to her. She was careful not to look at Novak, but the way Dominic’s lip twitched, she knew he had already guessed she was infatuated with the guy.
He leaned close and murmured in her ear, “So…you and Novak, huh?”
She scowled at him. “Shush. It’s not like that.”
It was totally like that.
Agent Fontaine went up to Novak and fluttered her long dark lashes, and Charlotte had to physically force her body not to react. When Fontaine touched Novak’s arm he glanced at Charlotte, looking almost nervous, she felt both a burst of relief and irritation at herself.
“Ha,” Dominic muttered. “At least it’s mutual.”
“Shut. Up.” She gave him a kick under the table to reinforce her pronouncement.
McKenzie strode in, and everyone found a seat or places along the wall. Charlotte barely managed to keep from grinding her teeth when Fontaine hoisted herself up next to Novak on the work bench.
He moved a fraction of an inch away from the gorgeous agent, and Charlotte released a breath.
She looked at Dominic. “Don’t say a word.”
“What’s up?” Eban dragged up a chair behind her and Dominic and leaned his head through the gap.
“Just studying human behavior,” Dominic said laconically.
“If you say anything, Dominic Sheridan, I’m going to find pictures of every woman you ever dated and send them to Ava.”
“Don’t even joke about that.” Dominic shuddered. “Greek women have a temper.”
“You love it,” Charlotte teased.
He grinned. “I do love it.” His gaze shot between her and Eban. “I want my friends to find the same sort of relationship I have. Minus the crazy future mother-in-law.”
“Who’s your best man?” Eban asked. “Because I am available.”
“It better not be your asshole brother,” Charlotte muttered. Dominic’s brother was a drunk and a creep. The first she could forgive but not the latter.
“He’s not invited.” Dominic yawned. Charlotte felt guilty because he and Eban were on the early shift. But everyone was here except one agent manning the phone in case it finally rang. Charlotte had given up hope these people would talk to them until the status quo was broken.
Novak pushed off the bench and went and stood beside Romano. Fontaine looked disappointed.
Romano warmed up the miniature drone and then took it up to the ceiling of the concrete corridor where they’d concealed it.
“Power level is sixty percent,” Romano noted.
Lack of sunlight meant it hadn’t been able to recharge, which could be an issue long term.
“Head to the front door,” Novak instructed. They’d pre-programmed some of the routes but needed to go slowly in case Harrison had modified the structure or there were people in the corridors. “We assume there will be guards at the gate and can’t afford for anyone to even suspect we have this device inside, so I want you to land it out of sight and walk it forward to get a visual.”
Romano nodded. Even though all eyes were on him, he looked laid back and confident.
Charlotte couldn’t resist the draw any longer and walked up to the front, beside Novak, so she could see the drone’s progress overlaid on a 3-D rendering of the compound that had been digitized.
Romano flew slowly. Past a series of doors and then to an opening in the corridor.
“Head up the stairs and then right.”
The entire audience held its breath. Harrison had threatened to blow the building if he found out they were attempting anything. Charlotte suspected infiltrating his home with a multimillion-dollar drone would count.
A bead of sweat formed on Romano’s temple.
He flew the tiny machine around another corner in the labyrinth and then landed it softly on the hard, concrete floor. He didn’t waste any time and scuttled forward. It took a lot longer to get anywhere on the ground, but all eyes were glued to the screen as the drone raced through the darkness.
Charlotte scanned the barren walls for signs of explosives. Nothing visible.
Voices came over the mic, and everyone quieted to see if they could pick up what these people were saying. Romano slowed but kept moving cautiously forward.
The space was dimly lit with two sconces that glowed a dull amber. Two
shadowy figures were on duty either side of the door. The long narrow slits in the concrete allowed the men to scan the clearing in front of the fortress. These slits were strategically placed around the building.
“If we could get to the walls without being detected, we could stuff a few of those slits with C4 and blow a hole in the wall,” Novak said.
“But probably not without Tom Harrison pressing the button and killing them all,” said Charlotte.
“Only if he already placed the charges.”
“What do BAU say about the likelihood of that?” Charlotte asked.
“I spoke to Lincoln Frazer, and he couldn’t see anything in Tom’s profile to suggest he’d carry out his threat of mass murder, but he also said they wouldn’t have predicted his response to seeing his commanding officer on national TV either. The guy is unpredictable. That’s a problem,” McKenzie answered.
“We haven’t seen any evidence the place is set to blow,” Novak said.
Charlotte tried to unclench her jaw, but the tension was growing and impossible to ignore.
Novak peered closer at the monitor, taking interest in the hinge mechanisms and locks. The inset door was a heavy-looking thing with a wheel on it that looked like something you found on the inside of a submarine.
The drone couldn’t pick up the muttered conversation between the two guards so Romano backed it away as soon as Novak had gotten images of everything he wanted.
“Head back down to the lower level,” Novak said suddenly. “I want to check out the points immediately below the cafeteria for explosives.”
“We won’t have much juice left if you want to stake out the cafeteria area for any length of time,” Romano told him.
“If Harrison is serious about killing everyone, then all he needs to do is call a meeting in the cafeteria and bring down the roof,” Novak stated. “That’s where I’d pack explosives.”
“But he said he was only going to blow the place up if we made a move. Why would everyone congregate in the cafeteria at that point if they thought they were under attack?” argued Charlotte.
This was Novak’s decision, and she could see him weighing her statement as carefully as he weighed Romano’s.
“Ideally, we want to listen in on Tom Harrison’s conversation.” McKenzie pressed his lips together.
“We don’t know where he’s spending most of his time,” Novak sounded frustrated.
“I know finding explosives means we don’t want to risk an assault, but not finding them might simply mean we’re looking in the wrong place. It’s not a green light,” Charlotte pointed out.
Novak’s eyes flicked to her. The operator assessing the negotiator’s statement, not the man assessing the woman. Charlotte felt a thrill of pride.
“SSA Blood is right. We don’t have time to search the whole structure for bombs.” Novak expelled a breath. “We don’t want to use up all the juice, so let’s pick up intel instead and work on getting the other drone in through one of those slits in the wall now we know there aren’t any internal barriers.”
That was a good idea except those positions were all guarded.
“A bullhorn might disguise the sound of the second drone flying inside the facility,” Charlotte suggested.
McKenzie grinned at her. “I knew you’d see it my way eventually.”
“Sure, boss.” She laughed.
Romano flew the first device near the roof of the corridor, and everyone held their collective breath as he reached the cafeteria. No one was around, thankfully. Romano scanned the area. It was dark. The community was apparently conserving power, which was smart if they were planning a long siege.
Romano headed up into the rafters, which was the only homely feature in the entire place. Carefully, he set the drone down and then walked the device to a joist that was hopefully out of sight from the ground.
And now they waited.
* * *
The meeting broke up, and everyone went back to their individual assignments or to catch some sleep after working an eighteen-hour shift.
Novak and Charlotte headed back to the room they shared without speaking. Although it was late, he wasn’t tired. She’d told him earlier that she wanted to kiss him again. Did that mean tonight? Or back in Quantico?
Did it mean kiss or something else? Something more?
But Charlotte needed her rest. She already had dark shadows under her eyes. He forced the thoughts of kisses out of his head. Sleep. Now.
They both used the bathrooms, and he cleaned his teeth. He heard the shower go on in the room next door and did his best not to imagine Charlotte naked. But it wasn’t easy, especially as he’d felt her pressed against him a few times now and could more accurately picture her naked.
She needed her sleep.
He might be horny, but she was exhausted.
He made himself go back to their room and climb into the top bunk. Closing his eyes to at least try to pretend he was dozing. He heard the door creak open then close. His heart beat faster when he heard her flip the lock. But maybe she didn’t want McKenzie barging in on her when she might be getting dressed. It had certainly been an unwelcome shock that morning.
This was their last night together. The bleak realization kept booming through his brain like fireworks.
“Novak?” she whispered.
He grunted. He wanted her to call him Payne.
“You awake?”
“Sure am.”
She stood on her bunk and leaned over the edge of the guard rail. He rolled on his side and faced her. The drapes were open, and there was enough ambient light that he could clearly see her wide eyes and the way her teeth pulled at her lower lip.
Their mouths were only inches apart.
“How would you feel about another kiss?” she whispered.
His heart pounded so hard he could feel it against his ribs. She was propositioning him, and it was the sexiest thing he’d ever experienced. Was he dreaming? He frowned.
“Unless you don’t want to.” Her expression became uncertain. And he was done playing games.
“Do you want to come up here or shall I come down there?” he asked.
She shivered, and her eyes widened. “I think our combined weight might break the bunk.”
Blood heated in his veins. Combined weight. “Jesus, Charlotte. You say that, and all I can think of is having you naked beneath me and pounding into you.”
She blinked, but she didn’t appear put off by his words. In fact, she looked eager. “Okay.”
He laughed and leaned a little closer. Kissed her mouth. “What do you mean, okay?”
“Okay, yes. I’m saying proceed with the pounding. Yes, please.”
Holy fuck. She was green lighting the fantasy of doing a lot more than kissing. He jumped over the side of the bunk, landing quietly on his feet, and caught her to him. She wore her over-sized t-shirt. Nothing else. The material was thin and stretchy, and he used it to draw her even closer.
“Are you serious?” He needed to know he wasn’t crossing a line.
She swallowed audibly. “Only if you want to. I’m not trying to force myself on you.”
Relief seared his brain at the same time as amusement. “Feel free, honey. Any damn time.”
Her hands skimmed up his chest and over his shoulders. “How about right now?”
She rose up on tiptoe and nipped at his lower lip.
His fingers curled even tighter into the material and then slipped under the thin cotton and whipped it up over her head. Rather than seeming shy about her body, she stood there naked in front of him, letting him look his fill. Her fingers traced the edge of his boxers, then up his oblique muscles and across to his navel. Women liked his body. He knew that. Usually he found it a little disconcerting, but Charlotte wasn’t salivating over the muscles he worked hard for so he could do his job. Instead, she touched him as if she was matching the texture of his skin to her imagination, and he liked that idea—that she might have fantasized about this. Her hand
s skimmed over the sprinkling of hairs on his chest and touched the brown nub of one of his nipples.
He was busy trying not to marvel over her body. The soft breasts and trim waist and toned legs. She might be a negotiator, but she was also a Federal Agent so she kept in shape. He ran his hands down her sides and cupped her bottom, pulling her against him, trapping his erection between them. It was a glorious form of torture.
She rubbed herself against him, and he almost blacked out.
He tilted her chin up, wanting to kiss her almost as much as he wanted to have sex with her. Her mouth opened beneath his, and she tasted like sensible mint toothpaste, but he knew there was a lot more to her than that. His one hand roved, finding the rigid tip of her left breast and tweaking it hard enough for her to close her eyes and drop her head back on a moan.
“Like that, huh?” he asked.
“Love that.”
They spoke in whispers. Aware that if they were caught they’d be left sexually frustrated and immediately sent back to Quantico with letters of censure in their files. He didn’t know which would be worse.
Her fingers wrapped around the length of him, and she made a little pleased humming sound that for some reason made his cheeks burn.
He cupped her ass, rubbing her clit against his hard length, and feeling her push against him.
“Wanna be fucked against the wall, Charlotte?” he whispered. His hand slipped along her seam, his fingers easing inside and finding her hot and ready. “Or on the bed?”
“Both,” she whispered back, taking a gentle bite of his ear lobe.
His knees almost dissolved.
He grabbed a condom out of his wash bag. He carried them as much for his team as for himself. As much for survival reasons as for sex. He’d never been so glad that he was prepared for anything.
He hadn’t been tempted by a woman in what felt like forever. It wasn’t that he didn’t like sex. He loved sex, but anonymous hookups left him feeling dissatisfied and were no better than a hand job.
As much as he wasn’t good with women, as much as he didn’t want another relationship that left him feeling empty, he wanted more than casual sex. He wanted fire. He wanted to burn. But he didn’t want to be consumed.
Cold Wicked Lies: A gripping romantic thriller that will have you hooked (Cold Justice - Crossfire Book 3) Page 23