Surrender to Temptation (Agent Lovers Series Book 1) (11 page)

Gray spent some time crawling through the apartment on all fours, peering under the bed and couch, peeking in all the corners, and scratching his head. Time passed and Chris eventually called to check in. “You know how it goes: you catch mice with bacon and cats with mice—or something like that,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ll wait!”

He’s right!
Gray thought, and he plundered Liz’s meager supplies. “Here you go, my friend,” he said in an amicable voice. “Isn’t this yours? It smells delicious. Mmmm!” Gray set out a plate loaded with pieces of tuna fish, globs of canned cat food and other delicacies, then sat and waited. “Here, kitty, kitty. Don’t keep me waiting! Today was a stressful day. It’s time for me to get some sleep; my eyes are starting to close.”

Gray gave a start when the phone rang again.
Oh my God.
Gray looked out the window. It appeared that it had been dark for a while. He looked around. The plate and bowl had been licked clean, and the cat slept peacefully in a corner of the couch. Gray grabbed the startled cat and maneuvered him into his carrier, boxed up food for him, and even managed not to forget his litter box, and then he set off to get Chris.

***

His friend was waiting in front of Jennifer’s door with two packed bags and a pug under his arm.
This should be fun,
Gray thought
. Some kind of “dog,” if one could call it that, and a cat
.

He stopped right next to Chris on the curb, leaned down to look out the passenger window and gazed doubtfully at the small four-legged creature. “Did you get conned into buying that while I was gone, or is that really Jennifer’s?”

“That’s Brutus. He belongs to Jennifer. A neighbor always takes care of him when she’s gone. When I went to go into her apartment, she shoved him into my hands. Apparently she thought I was Jennifer’s boyfriend.” He grinned broadly at this mistake. “And who’s that on the back seat?” He threw a questioning look at the pet carrier, which had orange fur poking out of its air holes.

“That’s Furball, Liz’s gluttonous cat. I hope you haven’t forgotten anything?”

“Of course I haven’t.”

“Then hop in.”

Chris stowed the two bags in the trunk and sat in the passenger seat with the dog in his arms.

“The dog suits you,” Gray said sarcastically. Brutus immediately scrambled loose and promptly crawled back between the seats.

“Brutus! No!” Both men reached hastily for the dog, fearing a vicious confrontation between the two four-legged animals. But to their astonishment, Brutus lay down dutifully next to the pet carrier. Furball purred contentedly and sniffed curiously through the air slits. The two seemed to like each other.

“It looks like they already know one another. All the better. At least we won’t have to worry that they’ll tear my place apart.” Gray faced forward again and drove off into the slow-moving rush hour traffic leading out of the city.

Almost two hours later he pulled up in front of his house, which stood in the middle of a twenty-five acre piece of property outside of Jacksonville. Only a narrow, inconspicuous gravel road led from the highway to his house, keeping it well hidden from the casual, outside observer. Gray found the seclusion of the property almost perfect.

The men unloaded the car and carried their haul into the house. In the living room Gray opened up the pet carrier and after careful consideration, Furball stepped out into the unfamiliar terrain. He looked around leisurely, inspected the strange surroundings with disdain, and sniffed everything. Seeming to find the place acceptable, he made himself comfortable in the soft black leather chair. Brutus, who had followed the cat everywhere, lay down next to him and snuggled close to his purring friend. A moment later they were both sleeping peacefully.

“Have you ever seen anything like it?” Chris looked at the animals, astonished. “The two seem to belong together like Bonnie and Clyde.”

“Or like Calvin and Hobbes,” added Gray.

“Huh? Who’s that?”

“You don’t know about Calvin and Hobbes? Come on, let’s take the bags upstairs. Then we’ll call the hospital and see how they’re doing.” One after the other, they climbed up the stairs, which were covered with soft, thick carpeting, and put the bags in the rooms they’d chosen for each woman. They pulled out a set of civilian clothes for each of the women to replace the filthy uniforms they’d worn to the hospital. They put them in their backpacks and left for the hospital.

***

“Don’t bother arguing,” Gray said four days later. “It’s already been decided, and besides, our boss has given his blessing for you to stay at my house for at least three weeks.” Gray looked grimly from one woman to the other. “Maybe even longer. It depends on how quickly you recover.”

“I’m not going. You can get that idea out of your head right now. I can rest just as easily in my own apartment.” Liz crossed her arms over her chest and stared obstinately at an imaginary spot on the wall behind Gray so that she wouldn’t have to look him in the eye.

“Yeah, sure.” His reply dripped with sarcasm. “And tomorrow you’ll be speeding around on your motorcycle again. Forget it!” He relished the feeling of the last two words in his mouth. Finally, he was able to give her a taste of his own stubbornness. “Why don’t you call Townsend so he can confirm what I’ve told you? Maybe you’ll believe him, since you don’t believe me.”

“And what about my cat? He’s probably starving to death by now.” Liz finally looked at him. Of course she wasn’t about to tell him that a nice older woman was taking care of him during her absence.

“He’s being very well taken care of.”

“If he is in an animal shelter, get ready for a beating, Gray.” She leaned forward threateningly from her position on the bed.

“Don’t worry. Furball is doing great.”

“How do you know his name?”

“Because I picked up him when I picked up your things from your apartment. Just like Chris picked up Brutus and Jennifer’s things from her place.”

“You broke into our apartments?” the two women said at nearly the same time.

“No, we had your keys. I don’t think that you can call it breaking and entering if the person has the keys. Now, from now on, I don’t want to hear anything but: thank you Gray and Chris, for taking such good care of us, so we can recover in peace.”

The two women looked obstinately at the blankets that were spread out over their legs.

“Have it your way. You can thank Chris and me later. Now put on the fresh clothes we brought so we can leave.” The men left the room and waited in the hallway. Apparently Liz really did call her boss, because they could clearly hear her angry voice through the closed door.

“We don’t need a babysitter and we can take care of ourselves, Sir. This isn’t the first time that we’ve been injured. And we didn’t get hurt all that badly anyway.”

There was a short pause while she listened to the voice on the other end. Then Liz hissed furiously, “You’ll have to explain it to me sometime: total strangers get our apartments keys without our consent and rummage through our personal things. You don’t really want to be responsible for that! Ms. Langer and I aren’t in comas; we’re completely responsive, and our wishes are being overruled while we’re in the hospital. Rescind your childish and reckless decision this very minute!” Before her supervisor could possibly respond, Liz slammed the receiver down. Then she called out so that Chris and Gray could hear her through the closed door, “Gentlemen, we’re staying here! And now if you’ll excuse us, we’re tired and need our rest. I think the doctor in charge will back up our temporary need for rest.”

***

Chris looked in disbelief at Gray, who was staring at the closed hospital room door through narrowed eyes. “Did she really just bitch out Townsend?”

“That’s what it sounded like.”

“So now what do we do? Get their things and the animals from your house and take them back to their apartments?” Chris sounded disappointed.

“No. I’m getting some coffee.” Gray turned his gaze from the door and to his friend’s face. “I’ll bet you a hundred dollars that Townsend is here within an hour. No one, and I mean
no one
, talks to the boss like that.”

A wide grin spread across Chris’s face. When Gray was right, he was right! Townsend wouldn’t stand for a tongue lashing like that. Happily he followed Gray. They got two large cups of coffee from the hospital vending machine and then took up positions on two chairs in the hallway outside the women’s room.

***

Forty minutes later a sullen Lt. General Townsend headed down the hallway and straight for them. With a terse nod he greeted Gray and Chris, who jumped up immediately. Then he knocked once curtly on the door and walked right into Liz’s and Jennifer’s hospital room.

The two men outside the door didn’t have any problems overhearing the “conversation” taking place inside the room. Townsend’s thundering voice was as easy to understand as if he were standing right in front of them. He was yelling so loudly, Gray imagined Townsend could have saved himself the walk and made himself heard from his parking place five stories down. Gray had never seen him so furious.

“Let me make myself clear, Gibson and Langner,” Townsend said. “Until further notice, you answer to Blackwood and Robbins! That is an express order that you
will
follow! I will
not
tolerate any dissention in the ranks. I never have and I never will. Do you understand me?”

“But Sir, you can’t—” Liz began.

“I can and I do! And I’ll prove it!”

Despite their desperate situation, Liz and Jennifer crossed their arms and listened to Townsend’s rant without saying a word.

“Have you both forgotten what happened a year ago? Even though my order specified that you should convalesce until you were fully recovered, you reported for duty before you were ready. And what was the result? The mission almost had to be aborted, because your leg, Langner, wasn’t completely rehabbed after its fracture. And you, Gibson, were barely able to get your partner out of danger because your broken ribs hadn’t yet healed. I will not tolerate such inappropriate behavior again! This is why you’ll have a babysitter this time—two very competent babysitters, in fact. That’s the only way to make sure you two will actually follow my orders this time.”

“Sir?” said Jennifer. “Lt. General, we really don’t need any—”

“Have you not been listening to me, Langner?” Townsend roared. “No arguments! You will stay at Blackwood’s until you’re fully recovered. That is my final word on the matter!”

The door flew open, and Townsend stepped out into the hall and looked at Gray and Chris. The men looked back at him expectantly as he closed the door behind him.

“I hope I haven’t done you a disservice,” Townsend said.

“Don’t worry about that, Sir. We’re fully capable of reining in the ladies so they actually recover. Your team will be complete again soon.” Gray spoke with complete conviction.

A grin spread across the older man’s face and he nodded in agreement. “If anyone can do it, it’ll be the two of you. Watch out for them, Blackwood. You too, Robbins, and good luck!” Townsend saluted and then walked down the hallway and disappeared around a corner.

“Now what?” said Chris.

“What do you think? Now we follow the plan. As soon as they pack up their bags, we can go.” Gray walked to the door and knocked.

“If you’re not the pizza delivery man or the stripper we hired, then get lost!” Liz called out in an irritated voice.

Shaking his head, Gray opened the door and planted himself at the foot of the bed. His penetrating gaze shifted back and forth between Liz and Jennifer. “You heard the order. So, for once you’ll do what you’re told. Specifically, you’ll do what Chris and I tell you to do. Now pack your bags. We want to go!”

“You know what you can do, Blackwood?” Liz asked.

“I have a pretty good idea what you have in mind.” Gray gave her a small smile. “Nevertheless, you’ll pack your things. We’ll leave in ten minutes.” He turned around and joined Chris who was waiting in the hallway.

The sounds of closet doors slamming repeatedly and voices murmuring softly came from behind the closed door. After several minutes, Liz and Jennifer walked out of their hospital room. Gray and Chris divested them of their backpacks, and then walked ahead of them, out of the hospital and over to the spot where Gray had parked his SUV. With reluctance, Liz and Jennifer climbed into the back seat and stared defiantly out of the side windows.

Chris turned toward the women, but his friendly look was met with vulgar gestures, followed by a verbal attack by both women. Chris and Gray chuckled. Note: Took it for now!

Gray watched Liz in his rearview mirror. It gave him perverse pleasure to know that this time at least, she wouldn’t get the last word. There would undoubtedly be numerous altercations between them while the women stayed at his house, but he was prepared for that and would react accordingly. He didn’t plan to let her walk all over him, the way she did with everyone else. She would leave his house with more manners than she’d had when she arrived—he would see to that! Whatever would happen between them was a different matter, and he was only too happy to wait and let himself be pleasantly surprised by whatever developed.

About halfway to his house, Liz and Jennifer fell asleep in the back seat. Chris turned around to look at them briefly and then turned back to Gray, asking softly, “Do you think you’ll be able to cope with both of them at the same time?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Or are you saying that you’d like to invite yourself to stay with me as long as they’re with me? Or should I say, as long as
Jennifer
is with me?” He smirked at his friend.

“Well, since you asked so nicely. Of course I’ll graciously accept your invitation.”

“Invitation?” Gray laughed softly without taking his eyes from the highway and focused his attention back on the drive.

***

“Wake up, you sleepyheads! We’re here!”

Dazed with sleep, Liz and Jennifer took in their surroundings first and then looked at Gray and Chris, who were grinning mischievously at them from the front seat.