In Bed with the Enemy (12 page)

The blood in Cole's veins ran cold as he thought of what might have happened to her. “How did this Jorge character get you out of it?” he asked, not at all sure he wanted to know.

She smiled. “He told them I was a missionary from another village on the other side of Tierra del Loro,
and that we were there to beg them for food to give to the orphans.”

“And they went for the story?” Cole asked, touching the bruise on her chin with his finger.

“Well, not at first,” she admitted. “They pulled us out of the Jeep and demanded to know how we knew there would be food in that village.” She shook her head. “But Jorge told them we were going from village to village begging for anything that could be spared to feed hungry children. Then he pledged his allegiance to someone named Gonzalez and El Jefé, and damned the current government. That's when they let us take a couple of boxes of vegetables and escorted us to the road leading away from the village.”

“If it was that easy, how did you get the bruise on your chin and the scrape on your forehead?” When she hesitated, Cole held his breath. He didn't think he was going to like her explanation.

“As we were leaving, Gonzalez showed up.”

Cole's heart nearly stopped. Gonzalez was a murderous, vindictive little punk, who had proven in the past he had no regard for human life. “What happened then?”

“Gonzalez started screaming at the men who had let us go and ordered them to stop us.” She shivered against him. “That's when Jorge floored the Jeep and tried to outrun them.”

Cole swallowed hard. “Tried?”

She nodded. “One of the tires blew when he hit a pothole. That's when we had to abandon the car and start out through the jungle on foot.”

“Dear God, Elise, if I'd known that—”

She placed her finger to his lips. “It turned out all right, even though I stumbled over a vine in the path and fell face first into a tree.” Smiling, she added, “Jorge knew where we were and how to get back to civilization.”

Hugging her, Cole thought about how close he really had come to losing her. “Sweetheart, I know all this must make perfect sense to you, but I still don't understand. What the hell do vegetables for starving children have to do with gun smuggling?”

“I almost forgot about the best part,” she said, leaning back to look at him. “I've got enough evidence to bring in a surveillance team to monitor John Valente and two of his companies.”

Cole grinned. Nothing would please him more than seeing John Valente brought down and the Mercado crime family weakened beyond repair. “I figured it was Valente after it was obvious someone was setting Mercado up. What have you got on him?”

“When Carmine Mercado died, he left Frank Del Brio in charge of the mob. That's when Del Brio gained control of Mercado Trucking and Superior Produce. Then he died and John Valente took over.”

Cole smiled patiently. “I know that much, sweetheart. But how does that tie in with the gun smuggling?”

Her eyes lit with excitement as she explained. “Superior Produce has been shipping fruits and vegetables to Mezcaya via Mercado Trucking.”

“Let me guess,” he said, laughing. “They've been hauling more than bananas and cabbages.”

Nodding, she grinned back at him. “The weapons were hidden behind a facade of boxes filled with pro
duce. When Jorge and I arrived in that village, El Jefé guerillas had just finished removing boxes of fruit from a Mercado truck and had just started unloading crates of M16s, handheld rocket launchers and enough ammunition to blow up Fort Knox.”

“And you saw all of this?” he asked, glad to hear the end of this damnable case was in sight.

“Actually, I not only watched them, I took pictures of them,” she said, her expression smug.

“So what do you think they'll get Valente on?”

“I know for certain they'll get him on money laundering, because he and Mannie Ferrar have been claiming more in produce sales than what's been shipped to Mezcaya,” she answered confidently. “That's the way they've covered the money from the sale of the weapons. Then Mannie's been writing off huge amounts of spoilage as a way to clean up the money.” She grinned. “I don't know what will happen when the surveillance team moves in to gather evidence on the gun-smuggling end of it. They may find enough to lock up Valente and his henchmen and throw away the key.”

“Wouldn't hurt my feelings if they did,” Cole said, laughing.

“Mine, either,” she agreed.

They sat for several long minutes, content to be in each other's arms again.

“Damn!” he said suddenly.

“What's wrong, darling?”

“I hope I'm wrong, but I think that blood in the warehouse might be Mercado's.” Cole tried to think when he'd last seen the man. “He hasn't been around since just before you disappeared.”

“I hope you're wrong, too, Cole.” She looked worried. “I like Ricky.”

“Oh, do you, now?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded. “I think he was the nicest anyone's ever been when I had to inform them that I was seizing their assets.”

He grunted. “I have an opinion of that.”

“Of the way I handled his case?” she asked, frowning.

He cupped her satiny cheek with his hand. “Sweetheart, I'm really proud of you. You're a hell of an agent, and I think you handled Mercado just fine.” He smiled. “Only from now on, we'll work these cases together, not separately.”

“But I didn't think you shared your investigations with anyone,” she said. “And especially not a female operative.”

“You aren't just anyone, Elise. I've waited for you all my life. You're the woman I love with all my heart and soul. Please don't go off like that again without telling me where you'll be and what you'll be doing. If something happened to you, I don't think I'd be able to go on.”

Elise met his steady gaze and the truth of his words reflected in his hazel eyes took her breath. Cole really did love her, but he also respected and accepted her as his peer.

“I love you, too, Cole Yardley,” she said, pressing a kiss to his firm lips. “And I promise never to go off like that again without telling you in person—not in a note.”

“Fair enough.” He kissed the sensitive hollow be
hind her ear. “So you love me, even when I'm a caveman?”

A shiver of pure pleasure skipped along every nerve in her body. “Oh, I don't think of you as a caveman anymore.”

“You don't?” He acted as if he intended to throw her over his shoulder. “Not even when I take you to my cave and ravage your delightful body?”

She laughed and kissed him again. “Well, maybe there are times when I like having you turn into Caveman Cole.”

When she started to draw back, he held her to him and tracing her mouth with his tongue, coaxed her to open for him. His taste, the feel of him teasing her with strokes that mimicked a more intimate union, quickly sent heat coursing through her and created an empty ache of need deep in her lower belly.

“Marry me, Elise.”

“What?” She wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly.

“I just asked you to marry me, sweetheart,” he said, his expression serious.

She wasn't sure it was the right time to tell him that she had a feeling she might have gotten pregnant the night the condom broke, but if they made their relationship work, it had to be based on complete honesty. And starting out a marriage with a baby on the way was something he needed to know about before they ever started making plans.

“Cole, I…think there's something we need to talk about first,” she said cautiously.

He shook his head. “Beyond telling you that I intend to transfer from the Vegas office to one close to
yours in Virginia, I'm not talking to you about anything until you give me a firm yes.”

“But—”

“If you don't say yes, I swear I'll go caveman right here and now,” he said, his expression filled with promise.

“You wouldn't,” she said, looking around.

“Try me.” His grin left no doubt he meant what he said.

“Oh, all right,” she said hastily. “Yes, I'll marry you. But I need to tell you—”

Her words were cut off when his mouth came down on hers in a kiss so tender, so loving that it brought tears to her eyes.

“Elise, I promise I'll protect and take care of you for the rest of my life,” he said passionately. “Now, what is it you think we need to talk about?”

Taking a deep breath, her words came out in a rush. “I think I might be pregnant.”

Time seemed to freeze as he stared at her for what seemed an eternity before he finally gave her a smile that melted her insides. “Do you have any idea how much it would mean to me if you are carrying my baby?”

“I'm guessing a lot?” she said, smiling back.

“Sweetheart, I'd be the happiest man alive.” He tightened his arms around her, then immediately loosened his hold. His eyes wide, he asked, “Are you all right? I didn't hurt you, did I?”

She couldn't help it, she laughed out loud. “Pregnant doesn't mean fragile, Cole.” Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “If I am pregnant, are you going to
be one of those men who hovers over the woman for nine months?”

His smile was unrepentant. “Probably.” Taking her hand in his, he rose to his feet, then pulled her up to stand next to him. “Come on, we have a few things we need to take care of.”

“And they would be?”

He supported her elbow as they descended the steps of the gazebo. “We have to go to the courthouse and apply for a marriage license, then visit the jewelry store for a ring and—”

“Two rings,” she said, allowing him to lead her up the path toward the inn.

He stopped to give her a quick kiss. “Okay, two rings.”

“I want everyone to know you're my husband,” she said, smiling at him.

Shaking his head, he swung her up into his arms. “There won't be any doubt of that.”

“I can walk,” she said, putting her arms around his wide shoulders. He carried her through the inn's lobby and over to the elevator. “I thought you said we're going to the courthouse,” she commented.

“Not before I take the woman I love upstairs to my cave,” he said, stepping into the elevator.

Laughing, she nibbled on his ear. “I love you, Caveman Cole.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart,” he said, stepping out into the hall. “And when I get you to my cave, I'm going to show you just how much.”

One week later.

W
hen the alarm went off, Elise quickly hit the button, and slipping from her new husband's loving arms, tiptoed into the bathroom. She'd purposely gotten up an hour ahead of him in order to use the home-pregnancy test she'd purchased yesterday at the Mission Creek Pharmacy.

Following the instructions, she anxiously awaited the results. When the positive symbol on the test stick appeared, then became more vivid with each passing second, her heart skipped a beat.

“I'm pregnant,” she whispered. “I really am going to have a baby.”

She placed her hand over her flat stomach and clamped her teeth down on her lower lip to keep a
nervous giggle from escaping. Cole was going to be impossible to live with for the next nine months. He was going to hover and fuss and drive her completely nuts.

Elise grinned. And she was going to love every minute of it.

But first she had to tell him he was going to be a daddy. And she knew exactly how she wanted to do that.

She dropped the test stick into the wastebasket, then opened the door and tiptoed back into the bedroom. When she slipped into bed beside Cole, he put his arm over her and pulled her close.

“Why did you set the alarm for such a god-awful hour, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice rough with sleep. “You never get up this early. Are you all right?”

“I couldn't be better.” Snuggling against him, she kissed his bare shoulder. “I had something I needed to do.”

He raised his head from the pillow to look across at the digital clock on the nightstand, then down at her. “At five in the morning?”

She nodded as she ran her hands from his wide shoulders, down his chest to his stomach and beyond. “I wanted to send my husband off to fight the bad guys with a smile this morning.”

He grinned as he caught her hands in his. “If you keep doing what you're doing, I'll be smiling all right. But I won't be leaving.”

“Well, we have an hour. I suppose we could…” She let her voice trail off suggestively.

“You do have a point,” he said, lowering his lips to hers. “We could…”

He kissed her tenderly, and for the next hour he proceeded to show her just how he thought they should spend the time.

 

Lying in her husband's arms after being thoroughly loved, Elise felt like the luckiest woman alive. She had the love of a wonderful man, a baby on the way and the promise of a bright future ahead of them.

“Cole?”

“Hmm?”

“Could I ask you a question?”

When he opened his eyes, the love shining in the hazel depths caused her to catch her breath. “Remember, sweetheart, no more secrets. You can ask, or tell me, anything, anytime.”

“All right.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she smiled. “What would you like to have, Caveman? A boy, or a girl?”

“I really don't have a preference,” he said, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “If we find out you are pregnant, I'll be happy as long as you and the baby are both okay.”

“But what if I'm
already
pregnant?” she asked, waiting for him to catch on.

His answering grin caused her heart to skip a beat. “Why do you think I stopped using protection as soon as we got married? I want to have a baby with you, sweetheart.”

Smiling, she kissed his shoulder. “Darling, did you really listen to what I asked you?”

He frowned. “You asked how I'd feel if you had
already become…pregnant.” His confused expression suddenly changed to one of dismay. “Already? As in, you are? You mean when the condom broke—”

“Yes, darling.” She laughed. “That's why I set the alarm. I took one of those home tests this morning. You're going to be a daddy next spring.”

He sat straight up in bed to stare down at her. “My God, Elise. How could you let me make love to you the way I just did. I wasn't nearly as gentle as I should have been.”

She sat up beside him. “Relax, Cole. You weren't rough.”

“I know, but I didn't hold anything back, either.” A muscle jumped along his lean jaw. “What if I hurt you or the baby?” He paled immediately. “How do you feel? Are you sure you're all right?”

Laughing, she reached out to cup his cheek with her palm. “If you don't run me crazy with your hovering, you're really going to be cute for the next nine months, Caveman.”

“Elise, this is no time for jokes,” he said, shaking his head.

“Cole, we went over this last week,” she said patiently. She realized much of his concern was due to his own mother having died from hemorrhaging after a miscarriage. “I'm not fragile, nor am I delicate. I'm pregnant!”

“Yes, but what about the long hours you put in at work,” he said, looking worried. “You'll need to get plenty of rest.”

Loving him more than she'd ever dreamed possible, she wrapped her arms around him. “That's already covered. I've decided to take a job with the
Bureau that doesn't require traveling. Then after the baby is born, I'm going to take a leave of absence.”

“Elise, I don't want you feeling like I'm pressuring you, but I can't say I'm sorry to hear you won't be out in the field again,” he said, sounding relieved. He held her close and kissed the top of her head. “How long are you going to take off?”

“I don't know,” she answered, pressing her lips to his chest. “Depending on how I feel after the baby comes, I may not go back.”

“That will be your decision, Elise. All I want is your happiness, and I'll do my best not to influence you one way or the other.” He lowered her to the mattress, then leaned over her. “But I want you to know it won't bother me one damn bit if you do stay home to keep the cave swept out and raise our little cavelings.” He brushed her lips with his. “By the way, how many cavelings are we talking about?”

She thought for a moment. “I think I'd like to have at least four.”

“Okay,” he said slowly. “As soon as my transfer comes through, and I get settled into the office in Virginia, we'll have to go shopping.”

“For what?” she asked, puzzled. Unless they'd be looking for baby furniture, she didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

“Sweetheart, if we're going to have all those cavelings, we're going to need a fairly good-size cave,” he said, grinning. “Preferably one with a garden and a gazebo with a swing.”

She grinned back at him. “I'd like that, too.”

His expression turned serious. “I love you more than you'll ever know, sweetheart.”

Happier than she'd been in her entire twenty-seven years, she kissed him until they both gasped for air. “And I love you, Caveman.”