Caught in the Crosshair (17 page)

Her hips, those taut little hips, wriggled him deeper inside and nearly obliterated his self-control, lighting a fire so huge that to try to describe it would be as useless as calling a tsunami a little wave.

Slow down
.

Her brown-gold eyes were enormous, incredible, and smoldered with sensuality.

“Don’t stop.”

“Oh, it’s too late for that.” Because her body, the perfect fit to his, the way her hips beckoned him deeper inside, the throaty moans stringing together to form one long sexy groan, combined until all his control was obliterated.

Her gaze didn’t budge from his when she said, “More.”

He plunged deep inside her again and again, slowly at first, until blasts of electricity and heat rocketed through him. Her hands clutched at his chest desperately, tugging and clinging, pulling him into her deeper and deeper as their bodies molded into one solid union of absolute rapture.

His heart pounded, his breath jagged, he stayed inside her, thrusting and surging until her body finished its quivering pyramid of pleasure. Bliss. Sensation. Her every last muscle spasm pulsed and strained until she relaxed. Exhausted.

Then, and only then, did he allow his own thundering, aching body to release in an explosion of sensual pleasure until his body was an absolute battlefield of electricity and impulse.

He collapsed on top of her, never wanting to break apart.

***

Jaden’s body still glistened when he returned with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

Lauren sat curled up next to him. She took a grape off the plate he’d brought her before he disappeared into the shower, and she lightly brushed it against his lips. His tongue, soft and slow, glided across his mouth following the tiny, round fruit. The hungry look in his eyes revealed he wanted so much more than the food on his plate. His hand slipped inside the covers and moved up her thighs.

“Not yet. Food first.” Oh, but she wanted his hand to keep going, as she thought about all the pleasures those hands could bring. Had brought. The complete ecstasy they’d brought her to as they worked absolute magic on her body.

The corners of his mouth turned down as his chin wrinkled. He picked up a carrot, tossing it in his mouth, looking resigned to the fact he’d have to eat all his vegetables before he could get any
dessert.

Lauren straightened, picked up the fork, and fed him another bite of fruit.

When his plate was clean, he disappeared into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a bottled water and pain medication. She took the pills and tugged at his towel. She’d waited long enough. The insides of her thighs burned when she was this close to him. He was right next to her. The perfect specimen of a man. All she could look at was his perfectly tuned abs. Tight, muscled, but surprisingly warm, soft to the touch.

She slid open the covers, and he slipped in beside her. Their lips were no more than an inch apart. He’d brushed his teeth and still smelled fresh, like peppermint.

Within a few moments, he’d sheathed himself and slid inside her. He made love to her slowly this time. His touch was gentle. His fit was perfect.

Hours later, she woke to a quiet room.

After rinsing off in the shower and securing her bathrobe, she settled into one of the chairs in the sitting area. Jaden’s watch on the coffee table said it was eight o’clock, but it felt later. The rest and food had her almost feeling human again. The bumps and bruises on her body reminded otherwise.

A minute later Jaden slipped in the door.

“You’re up. Brought coffee.”

“How is it that you’re always reading my mind?” Lauren stretched as he set the plastic cups on the table in front of her.

The statement brought a smile to his lips.

“We can leave soon to see your brother.” Jaden shifted his gaze, looking at her as if he were searching for some kind of answer in her eyes. He didn’t seem ready to reveal the question as he eased onto the chair across from her. “Brought cream and sugar. Wasn’t sure.”

Right. Not in the file. How else could he know? Funny. He probably knew every inch of her body by now. Every curve. Every dimple.

Her mind was a different story altogether. He had no idea what she liked outside of bed, and she should feel embarrassed having slept with someone who knew so little about her. Except
this
, what was happening between them, felt as natural as breathing. She couldn’t regret the best sex she’d ever had. The way she felt beautiful and sensual when she stripped off her clothes. How right she felt wrapped in his arms. Intimacy couldn’t be learned in a relationship. Everything else could.

Couldn’t it?

She almost laughed out loud.
Relationship?
Jaden hadn’t made any promises.
For now.
The words echoed in her head.

“I like both.” As she spooned two teaspoons of sugar followed by cream into her coffee, it occurred to Lauren she didn’t know much about Jaden either.
Did he trust her enough to say his real name?
“You never did say who you really are.”

“Nope. Why? Is it important?”

“It is to me.”

“This is who I am. You know
me
.” He started to sound angry.

“Jaden, look, I’ve never felt like this before. I know I have feelings for you, but how would this work exactly?”

He rolled his shoulders. “We can figure it out.”

“How?”

Taking a second, he crossed to her and got down on his knees in front of her. “I want to say I don’t care what happens. All I know now is I don’t want to lose you. I want to promise I’ll always be there …”

Wanting to make a commitment wasn’t the same thing as doing it. “But?”

He kissed her forehead. “My life is complicated. I’m not sure it works like that for someone in my line of work. There’s a lot for us to think through.”

“I’m falling for you, Jaden. But I don’t even know who you are.” She stood up, and strengthened the tie on her robe. “Forget it. We can talk about it later. I need to see my brother.”

Jaden stood, his expression darkened with hurt.

Damn his blue eyes. The pain. They had Lauren wanting to reach out to him and tell him everything would be okay. She finally understood how conflicted he was at making promises he wasn’t sure he could keep. “You said they’re expecting us soon, right? Have you checked in this morning?”

“There’s been no change in his condition. I’ll take you to the hospital after I go to the drugstore. We need to change your appearance first.”

***

Damn.

Tell her you love her. Tell her everything will magically work out.

He couldn’t look into her eyes and lie to her. Oh, those eyes. They were the brown-gold equivalent of the North Star, bold and bright, lighting the way to his mind’s salvation. They radiated acceptance, an emotion as foreign to him as kindness. Yet he still couldn’t find his footing on the path that would take him there.

Jaden was a soldier. His world had order. He traveled most of the year. His work was dangerous. It could put her in the line of fire. Loose thread.

A woman like Lauren deserved more.

Chapter Fourteen

Based on the text Jaden received at the store, Helena was camping on the island. Waiting. He couldn’t reach Gage.

He punched in Gunner’s number as soon as he stepped outside. Jaden wanted to speak to him without Lauren around. “They got to the asset’s place before us. It was completely ransacked,” Jaden said quickly.

“Not unexpected.”

“The way they tore the place up, I’d say they were sending a message. Someone’s angry. A threat. Could be for Max.”

“They’ve done their homework.”

“You hear from Gage yet?” Jaden asked, frustrated that it had already been a month since Tim’s death and they were still without any leads on the shooter.

A deep sigh came through the line. “No.”

“Where does that leave us?”

“I’m afraid we can’t do much of anything until we receive more data,” Gunner said. “It’s a watch and wait.”

“You got anyone from the agency on the job?”

“Helena, of course. Gage. Me and you. I want to keep this one under the radar and off the books.”

“Good call. Wish we could contact Helena.”

“She hasn’t surfaced yet. Neither has Gage. With communication equipment being compromised, I won’t reach out.”

“She’ll show up,” Jaden said. “They were ready for us on the beach. They found me and Lauren at the seaside condo. Her townhouse has been ransacked, and we had a tail not long after we touched ground.”
How did they anticipate his every move?
Unless the cartel had unlimited resources watching every possibility, they were getting information from someone about his and Lauren’s whereabouts. The new leader, whoever he was, had raised the stakes. “We can’t be too careful. Any word on the brother?” Jaden finally asked.

“The doctor’s hopeful.”

Jaden needed to know what he was about to walk Lauren into. “Is he conscious?”

“Unfortunately no.”

Damn. Jaden would’ve liked to ask Max a few questions. “How bad does it look?”

“You saw the facial lacerations and swelling. His ribs are broken. They’re running tests to determine whether or not there’s internal organ damage or bleeding. They beat him within an inch of his life.”

“Doesn’t sound like an ordinary kidnapping, does it?” Someone was pissed.

***

Jaden returned from the drugstore with a bag full of supplies. Lauren’s russet locks would be dyed black. Jet black. Blacker than night. This would be difficult for him because he loved her long curly hair. The way waves cascaded over her shoulders. The waves had to go.

He urged her toward the kitchen in his small rented one-bedroom apartment. With her there, he realized how empty the place had been before. The feeling had no connection to the sparse decorations. It wasn’t warm, like the feeling he had whenever he was near Lauren. Then again, it wasn’t meant to be. This place served a purpose, he reminded himself. Anything else would be a distraction.

Lauren blinked up at him from the sink where he washed her hair. He pulled scissors from the bag of supplies and cut her tresses up to her jaw line.

He somehow thought she’d look different to him. She didn’t. Her pink lips were just as full. Her brown eyes just as beautiful. He washed the black color rinse in her hair, and the gold flecks in her eyes stood out even more than usual. His body reacted instantly, growing hard.

“This should do the trick,” he said as he gently toweled her hair.

“I’m almost afraid to look,” she said, and winced.

“Why?”

“I’m afraid I’ll be staring at a stranger.”

“You look beautiful.”

“But different?”

“Yes. And it’s a good thing in this case. I don’t think anyone will recognize you,” he said with a reassuring kiss on her forehead.

“I guess that’s positive.”

“It is when bad guys are chasing you.”

“And what about you?”

“I’ll throw on a helmet and sunglasses.”

“Why do you really think they broke into my apartment? Would they really do all that just for a little money?”

Jaden didn’t want to say the place was far too torn apart for them to be looking for money. They wanted something badly. He hoped for her sake it was information about Max. And yet, his gut told him something was wrong with the picture. Why ransack her place? Why tear it up to that degree?

There was more to it. His mind wound back to it being a threat. But why tip their hand if they weren’t looking for something specific?

This wasn’t the right time to share information. “They’ll do anything for a dollar.”

“Any word on my brother?” she asked.

“You already know he’s pretty banged up. The important thing to remember is he’ll be fine.”

Lauren flinched. “He’s safe now, right? You don’t think they’ll get to him, do you? They keep finding us. They seem determined.”

“I doubt it. More than one agency’s involved in his protection. All bases are covered. Every possible precaution has been taken. I’m more concerned about your safety right now.”

“Do you trust Gunner?”

“Yes.” Jaden paused thoughtfully. He believed in Lauren too.

“He seemed nice enough. Your training teach you who you can trust? Because I can’t tell the good from the bad.”

“When you’ve been doing this as long as I have, you get a sense about people,” he said defensively.

“And what about me? Did your ‘senses’ tell you to trust me when we first met?”

“Yes.”

A smile she couldn’t suppress spread. “And yet you didn’t.”

“I told you. I made a mistake once. You don’t forget being wrong in this business.”

She pressed a finger lightly to his shoulder. “Screwing up in my business means a supplier doesn’t get paid on time. People get upset, but no one dies.”

He didn’t respond.

“You ever think about changing your line of work?” she asked, looking pensive.

“No. Not until recently.”

“Because you got shot?”

He shook his head. “I —” His cell phone buzzed before he could finish his sentence. He shot a look of apology. “I better get this.”

“Gunner?”

He nodded as Lauren sucked in a breath.

“Everything okay?” Jaden asked into the phone.

***

Lauren held her breath waiting for news. Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs. Her gaze was glued to Jaden’s face, searching for any sign, a muscle twitch, which might indicate bad news.

His nod helped her fried stomach turn down a notch below panic. Jaden, as though sensing her fear, moved next to her. His arm looped her waist reassuringly. She felt herself pulled tightly to him, close enough to hear Gunner’s words. Her body pressed against his, close enough to feel his heartbeat. Her face rested on his chest, close enough to smell his musky, male scent.

“The security team is expecting you both. It should be safe. Move quickly.”

Thank God, he wasn’t calling with bad news.

As Jaden closed the phone, she felt a tender kiss press to her forehead.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Let’s go,” she said. Of course, she wanted to see Max, but a part of her feared she wouldn’t want to leave him. Now that she had her brother back, she couldn’t imagine wanting to let him go again.

A thought haunted her. Soon he would disappear into a new identity, and she’d never see him. Ever.

It would be for his own good. He would finally pick up the shattered pieces of his life and live anew. This was all she’d ever hoped for him. The worst part was she wouldn’t be around to see it. Everything in her life had changed.

This was going to be very good for Max, she repeated. She’d remind herself a thousand times if she had to in order to make it sink in, hoping it could dull the pain of losing him again.

Jaden seemed to be waiting for her signal. She looked up at him and smiled. Having him there beside her, she knew she could face anything. “Thanks for everything you’ve done for me and my family.”

She needed to force her thoughts away from the feeling of comfort she felt being this close to Jaden. She’d never experienced the sensation of a man having her back before. Or, being able to count on any other human being.

But then, Jaden wasn’t like anyone she’d ever met.

The crook in his smile was devastating. Her stomach gave a little flip. She glanced away for a second.

“Let’s finish disguising you, so we can get going,” he said, handing her a pair of oversized sunglasses from the bag.

Lauren couldn’t imagine facing this situation alone. Max had gotten himself in real trouble. She hadn’t taken his calls. Shame and guilt filled her, twisting her insides.

“It’s not your fault,” Jaden said, his arm reassuringly wrapping around her, pulling her close to him.

Guilt wouldn’t stop her from visiting her brother. Fear couldn’t hold her back. Lauren wanted desperately to see Max. She needed to know he’d be okay. To see it with her own eyes. Even if it put her in more danger. She’d let him down once. She wouldn’t do it again.

“I was selfish. Protecting myself instead of caring for him when I could’ve helped. Maybe I could’ve prevented all this.”

“You didn’t know he was clean. You couldn’t possibly have known how this situation would’ve turned out. He did this to himself.”

“You must think I’m terribly selfish. With all that you went through with your brother. I’m sure you’d trade your life for the chance to see him one more time. I can tell how much you love him.”

“I’d give anything for the chance to save my brother. But this isn’t the same situation. Your brother’s a grown man. Besides, taught me a lesson.” Jaden paused. “His name was Bobby. You didn’t know that.”

Was Jaden opening up to her?

Pain darkened his blue eyes.

“No. I didn’t,” she said quietly, reverently.

“When someone’s determined to destroy their life, you can’t stop them. You were right to protect yourself.” Jaden spoke with the conviction of a man who knew what he was talking about.

“I guess.”

“You should get dressed,” Jaden said. The subject closed.

She didn’t argue because she wanted to get to the hospital as soon as she could. Besides, she could see it had taken a lot for Jaden to open up.

Are you determined to punish yourself? To be alone forever?

When this was all over, would he vanish as quickly as he’d appeared?