Her fingertips brushed his cheek. He didn’t move. Her lips met his and he was torn between wanting her all over again and knowing the worst thing he could do was fall into this thing with her any deeper. The tip of her tongue slid between his lips and she moved closer until the length of her body was pressed against his.
Trey sucked in a deep breath. Maybe just one more time. The damage was already done. Once more couldn’t hurt. It would give him more memories for those long, cold lonely nights when he returned and was supposed to pretend nothing had happened.
Her hands pushed the elastic waistband of his pants down before she stroked his erection and his decision was made. Rolling on top of her, he captured Carly’s face in both of his hands. He kissed her hard and deep. Thrusting one hand into her hair, he slid the other one down, following the curves of her body. Her knee came up and hooked around his hip.
In the total darkness every breath she took resonated through him. The tiny sound she made in her throat when his tongue tangled with hers sent a tingle straight to his core.
No one could see them now. This time wouldn’t be about the mission. It was just about them and it shouldn’t be happening. That thought filled his head even as he pulled her panties off for the second time that night and plunged inside.
Chapter Eight
Trey didn’t let himself rest that night. All hell would be breaking loose in the basement after the target’s men discovered Jimmy’s escape. He only hoped they didn’t connect the team’s infiltration with him and Carly. Why should they? The Smiths were simply newlyweds having sex. Nothing suspicious about it. Though the guards in charge of Jimmy would most likely pay a hefty price for watching them instead of their captive. They might even pay with their lives.
His mind circled around and around the possibilities and consequences until just after dawn when he felt Carly slip out of bed. She padded to the bathroom and he heard the shower start.
As the exhaustion began to catch up with him, Trey flung one arm over his eyes. He hadn’t slept at all and now, sleep deprived and distracted as hell, he had to be at the top of his game for the meet. He needed to convince the target to trust him and hopefully build a long-lasting relationship. He also had to try to not get him and Carly killed in the process.
The terrorist they were after was an extremely powerful and very bad man. They didn’t want him dead. If they had, Jimmy could have taken him out long ago. They wanted his boss and the best way to locate him was by getting admitted into the target’s inner circle by doing business with him.
Finding John Smith and his computer had been a stroke of luck and the timing couldn’t have been better, given the fact their only mole, Jimmy, had been compromised.
Trey told himself he only had to get through this one meet. After that, someone at Central should be able to handle all future correspondence electronically. They’d get the info they needed to find the leader out of the target. Hopefully the guy he was dealing with wasn’t big on using the phone and Trey wouldn’t be brought in again unless the bad guy requested another face-to-face. If that happened, he’d come alone with the team. No way was he bringing Carly here again.
Listening to the water still running in the shower, he pictured it sluicing off Carly’s body and remembered the feel of being inside her last night. Trey remembered the taste of her, the scent of her. He had to physically shake his head to rid himself of the memories.
The voice inside, his own this time instead of Matt’s, reminded him once again a distracted soldier was a dead soldier…accompanied by a dead civilian.
Damn it. Why did this Smith guy have to be such a ball-less bastard he would bring his wife along with him as cover for a meet with a terrorist?
Trey was going to have to get his mind fine-tuned again and fast. This was already a risky mission without the distraction of Carly. Add to that the fact Jimmy had been extracted right out from under the target’s nose and their chances for success plummeted. Every bad guy in the vicinity would be on high alert after last night’s escape. Every one in the area would be under suspicion. If only they could call off this meet, but that would only further alert the terrorist bastards.
Where the hell was Matt’s voice when he needed it? He could use a little encouragement and an update about now. Glancing at the bedside clock, Trey realized Carly had been in the shower for a very long time.
Certain they were still under surveillance, he chose his words carefully. “Baby? You okay in there?”
When she didn’t answer his heart leapt into his throat. Had they gotten to her? How? He’d checked the room the best he could, but knowing there were video cameras, he hadn’t been as thorough as he should have.
Trey grabbed the doorknob with a suddenly sweaty palm. It turned easily. He opened the door and peered through the steam.
“Baby?” He tried to keep the panic from his voice.
She didn’t answer and his pulse kicked into a higher gear.
With trepidation, he pulled open the shower curtain a few inches. Carly stood with both hands and her forehead pressed against the wall with the water hitting her in the back. She turned her head enough to look at him. “Is everything all right?”
He finally let himself breath freely again even though this wasn’t something he was prepared for. With all his agonizing about his own feelings, he’d barely considered Carly might be going through something herself.
Guilt overwhelmed him for invading what little privacy she had. The door hadn’t been locked because that was one of the rules he’d laid out for her on the flight over. He needed to be able to get to her at all times in case anything happened.
Oh, something had happened, all right. He’d had sex with her not once, but twice. Hot, passionate, emotional sex that broke every rule in this very serious game they were playing.
“I was just concerned about you. You okay?”
“Fine.” She paused and swallowed. “How much time do we have?”
“A while. Take all the time you need.” He reached out and ran a fingertip down the side of her face.
She nodded and he let the curtain drop back into place. It wasn’t until he’d closed the door behind him he heard the water stop.
They’d deal with this somehow later, but right now he had a meet to prepare for and she was going to have to find an outfit in a stripper’s suitcase that would be appropriate for an appointment with a terrorist. When exactly had this poor woman’s life become so complicated? Unfortunately, he knew the answer. It was right about the time Task Force Zeta had walked into her bar.
With a sigh, Trey opened John Smith’s laptop and was cruising around in the files when the bathroom door opened and Carly came out in a white robe and a burst of steam. He thought it best if he left her alone for a bit and tried to instead refresh his memory regarding the emails that had passed between Smith and the target. Though he found his eyes kept straying to watch her move about the room.
He wrestled his attention back to the laptop. The two men never came right out and named what this meet was about in any of their correspondence. That would make things trickier, but Trey knew from the research Matt had included in his folder Smith had been dealing small arms with some minor players in the terror world.
They also suspected Smith could get his hands on weapons-grade uranium if the incentive was high enough. Trey had a feeling that particular commodity was what this little rendezvous was about. If only he were here alone, things would be so much easier.
Trey thought he was doing a pretty good job of ignoring Carly and concentrating on the information until she threw the clothes in her hand to the floor with a huff.
“What the hell am I supposed to wear?” She turned and looked accusingly at him, as if it were his fault Candi hadn’t packed the proper clothing for a meeting with a terrorist.
He’d done a lot of undercover ops in his years with the team and never once had he gotten stressed out over choosing an outfit, but she was a woman. All woman. A really, really hot woman. He had first-hand experience and could definitely attest to that.
Laying the laptop on the bed, he walked over to the suitcase. After a moment of careful consideration and searching, he handed her a short black skirt and one of John Smith’s white button-down collared dress shirts. Now for the shoes…
His eyes landed briefly on the heels she’d worn last night. Those held way too many memories for both of them. He didn’t need further distraction during this meeting. There must be another pair in there somewhere. Candi was a stripper. Shouldn’t she have packed more than that one pair of high heels? When he didn’t find another pair and boy did he try, he picked up the ones on the floor and thrust them at her. “Here. Put all that on. You’ll look fine.”
She looked doubtfully down at the bundle he’d handed her and carried it all into the bathroom. When she emerged again, she was looking pretty damn hot in the outfit he’d picked. She wasn’t supposed to look hot. He’d given her the white men’s shirt to cover her up, but somehow she made the damn thing look sexy.
All he needed was for the target to take a fancy to Carly. Then Trey would be forced to kill him with his bare hands. That might get him into trouble though since they needed the man alive. He considered that for about a second and then decided if the scum touched Carly, he’d still kill him.
His contemplation of the possible ramifications of going against a direct order and killing the one person this entire operation hinged upon was interrupted by Matt’s voice. “Our goose has flown the coop, Trey.”
“What?” Trey asked Matt, but looked at Carly when he said it in case surveillance was still in place.
She frowned at him. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Oh, I thought you did. Sorry.”
Matt continued. “You heard me right. Elvis has left the building. Packed up, took most of his goons and pulled away in a big limo about ten minutes ago.”
Just when Trey was deciding what to do with this information, the phone on the nightstand next to the bed rang. He shot Carly a look he hoped told her to be ready for anything and then answered it. Trey put the receiver to the ear with the implant so Matt could record the conversation.
“Hello, my friend.” The voice coming through the phone line sounded smooth, too smooth. The kind of voice that made you immediately suspicious.
“Hello. It’s nice to speak with you.” Years of training kept Trey’s voice sounding calm.
“Yes, yes. You too. I trust you had a good night?” Did the bastard sound smug?
“Yes, thank you. The room is lovely. My wife and I are enjoying it very much.” He swallowed hard and glanced at Carly, regretting all over again the bastards had seen them together.
“I’m sure you are.” There it was again, an amused, knowing lilt to the bastard’s voice.
Trey had no doubt the target had a video copy of his and Carly’s bedroom escapades in his slimy hand. He hoped that was all he held in his hand at the moment. The thought of him taking physical pleasure while watching Carly on tape had Trey mad enough to spit.
The target continued. “I must apologize, my friend.”
You’re no friend of mine
. “Oh? Apologize for what?”
“I was called away suddenly. I’m not sure for how long I’ll need to be away.”
The coward was running scared. Jimmy disappearing without a trace had made him nervous, made him realize he was not untouchable. It was probably bad for the successful continuance of the mission, but somehow Trey was taking great satisfaction from it.
The fleeing bastard went on talking. “I’ll not be able to make our meeting this morning. I’m afraid you traveled all this way for nothing. However, please stay and enjoy the room for as long as you and your beautiful wife wish. Order whatever you please from the hotel and whenever you are ready to leave, contact the front desk. They will arrange transportation to the airport.”
Yeah, like he was going to get into his limo with that armed bruiser again now the target was suspicious. He wished the guy would stop talking so they could get the hell out of there. In particular, Trey really wanted him to stop referring to Carly.
“That is very kind of you. My wife and I appreciate it. Will I be hearing from you again soon?”
Come on. Give me something, you schmuck.
“Yes, my friend. I’ll be in touch as soon as I’m settled. I look forward to doing business with you in the very near future.”
“I look forward to it also. Have a good day.” Trey was starting to get itchy. His eyes strayed to the open suitcase and the clothes all over the floor.
“You too, my friend.” The line went dead.
“Pack the bag, sweetheart. We’re going home.” Trey hung up the phone and grabbed the laptop.
Carly’s eyes opened wide, but she didn’t question him and did what she was told, obviously as anxious to get the hell out of there as he was. She packed the clothes into the suitcase so fast, he’d barely gotten the laptop put away and the toiletries from the bathroom and she was finished. She only stopped long enough to rip off the skin-tight skirt and pull a pair of leather pants out of the suitcase. Good idea. All she’d have to do was kick off those shoes. Much easier to run in pants should bullets start to fly. Though with neither of them in body armor, he really hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
He swallowed and tried not to stare at her ass in the thong as she yanked on the pants right there next to the suitcase. That was another clue Carly was as anxious to get out of there as he was. She’d dropped her skirt while standing in front of him without batting an eye.
In record time, Carly was changed and zipping the suitcase. Impressed, relieved and feeling so many other things he couldn’t begin to put a name to them all, he grabbed the bag and the laptop. Opening the door, he took one last look around the room and gratefully left.
When the elevator doors opened into the lobby, Trey took Carly’s hand and led her out onto the sidewalk without looking left or right. Making eye contact with an employee might inspire them to try and help them. There was nothing Trey wanted from any employee of the target’s hotel.
Outside, he could feel the anxiety radiating off Carly and kept a tight hold on her hand so she wouldn’t sprint down the road, heels and all. He couldn’t blame her. He wouldn’t breath freely again until they were landing on US soil, but every step away from the hotel lightened the feeling of his burden, that burden being getting Carly home safely.
They walked silently for about a block before he stopped them in front of none other than a McDonald’s. Quintessential American fast food in the middle of Kosovo. Go figure.