Night Tide (38 page)

they! too! late,! but! everybody! and! his! brother! had! gotten! here!

before!them.!He!vowed!to!have!someone’s!head!on!a!pike!for!

that.!
To*get*beaten*by*a*rank*amateur…*Christ!*
!

!

It! rankled! him! that! Sanders! had! figured! out! Langford’s!

location! before! him.! More! concerning,! however,! were! the!

mercenaries!who’d!grabbed!up!the!couple.!They’d!conjectured!

that! Langford! had! hired! some! guns! to! help! him! go! after! the!

pair!who’d!planned!the!bombing!that!put!him!in!jail!most!of!his!

adult!life.!That!cop!getting!shot!had!been!their!first!break,!their!

first!inkling!that!the!Wilsons!had!been!hiding!in!plain!sight!all!

this! time,! not! up! in! Canada! like! some! people! thought.! But!

Langford!was!sitting!here!swearing!up!and!down!that!someone!

else!had!suckered!the!couple!into!the!job.!That!he’d!been!trying!

to!sweat!it!out!of!them!when!the!kidnap!team!had!blown!in!and!

snatched!them.!

!

He!had!a!pretty!good!idea!of!who!might!be!behind!it!even!

though!Langford!wasn’t!saying.!No!way!was!he!about!to!share!

that!hunch,!though.!For!now,!he!might!be!able!to!use!it!to!his!

advantage,! maybe! jump! a! step! ahead! of! everyone! else! for! a!

change.!He’d!better,!or!he!wouldn’t!be!able!to!deliver!squat!to!

his! “clients.”! And! he! was! determined! to! deliver.! What! they!

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were!willing!to!pay!meant!early!retirement.!No!more!worries.!

He!was!damned!if!he!was!going!to!end!up!his!career!broke!and!

bitter!with!nothing!to!show!for!years!of!service!to!the!agency—

to!his!country,!for!fuck’s!sake—save!a!lousy!pension.!!

!

The!other!wrench!in!the!works!was!this!ONI!gash.!Where!

the! hell! had! she! come! from?! She! was! obviously! clued! in.! The!

question!was!how!much!she!knew,!and!what!she!wanted.!Jesus,!

he!hated!surprises,!hated!it!when!someone!else!knew!as!much!

or! more! than! he! did.! Her! mere! presence! meant! his! own! intel!

had! fallen! short.! It! made! him! look! stupid.! The! one! thing! he!

decidedly!was!not!was!stupid.!Not!like!the!dumb!fucks!in!this!

room.! He! wasn’t! ending! up! like! them.! There! was! a! way! to!

salvage!this!situation.!There!was!always!a!way.!!

!

He! turned! to! another! agent,! pulled! him! aside! and!

murmured!some!instructions,!keeping!his!voice!low!enough!to!

prevent!others!from!hearing.!The!agent!nodded!and!walked!out!

the!front!door.!He!felt!instantly!better.!He!could!still!save!this!

play.!Langford!was!still!his!ace.!He!knew!he!could!convince!his!

partner!to!let!Langford!go.!They’d!just!have!to!keep!him!on!a!

tighter! leash! this! time.! He! could! definitely! save! this! play.! The!

thought! of! all! those! millions! in! an! off6shore! account! even!

started!to!make!him!smile.!

!

Until! his! agent! ran! back! inside! shouting,! “He’s! gone!!

Sanders!is!gone!”!

!

His! head! whipped! around,! sharp! eyes! taking! in! every!

expression!in!the!room,!until!he!focused!on!the!woman,!his!lip!

curling,!nostrils!flaring.!

*!*!*!*!*!

!

A!small!dark!sedan!pulled!up!out!front,!the!little!cloud!of!

dust! in! its! wake! slowly! catching! up! and! coating! the! rear!

bumper! and! trunk! before! the! door! opened.! My! index! finger!

lifted! off! the! barrel! of! the! pistol! and! twitched! toward! the!

trigger.!I!pressed!it!firmly!back!in!place.!
Breathe.
!Reyna!got!out!

and! stood! next! to! the! open! door! and! did! a! slow! pirouette,!

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scanning!the!surroundings!before!turning!to!the!cottage.!She’d!

traded!the!boots!for!a!pair!of!sandals.!!

!

I! lowered! the! pistol! and! set! it! on! the! table! with! shaking!

hands.!!

!

Reyna!marched!up!to!the!door,!mouth!set!in!a!determined!

line.! I! waited! for! her! knock! before! opening! it.! Relief! flashed!

across! her! face! when! she! looked! up! at! me,! but! it! vanished!

quickly,!replaced!by!a!small!frown!and!brows!that!threatened!

to!do!battle.!She!put!two!fingers!on!my!sternum!and!pushed.!

!

“That! was! the!
dumb
est,! most!
am
ateur! move! you! could!

poss
ibly!
make
! back! there.”! With! each! stressed! syllable,! she!

pushed!again,!forcing!me!back!into!the!room.!“Are!you!
try
ing!to!

get!yourself!
killed
?!
Damn
!it,!civvy!”!

!

Her!final!shove!was!hard!enough!to!knock!me!off!balance,!

and!I!fell!backwards!onto!the!couch.!She!was!on!top!of!me!in!a!

flash,!straddling!my!hips,!fingers!fumbling!with!my!belt,!mouth!

hot!on!mine,!lips!devouring!me,!tongue!darting!into!my!mouth.!

She!broke!the!kiss!with!a!moan!and!pressed!her!cheek!against!

my!face.!

!

“Reyna,!I—”!!

!

“Shut! up,”! she! whispered.! “God,! I’ve! been! thinking! about!

you!for!the!past!two!hours.!Wanting!you.!Don’t!say!a!word.!Just!

kiss!me,!damn!it.”!

!

I!took!her!face!in!my!hands!and!kissed!her,!gently!at!first,!

then!with!increasing!hunger!as!she!pressed!her!breasts!against!

my!chest!and!ground!her!hips!on!me.!We!tore!at!each!other’s!

clothes,!she!yanking!my!trousers!down!over!my!raised!hips!as!I!

pulled!her!T6shirt!over!her!breasts.!She!relinquished!her!arms!

long! enough! to! let! me! strip! off! the! shirt,! then! resumed! her!

efforts!on!my!pants.!I!kicked!off!my!shoes!to!help,!stroking!her!

face,!her!hair,!her!soft!rounded!shoulders.!She!stood!and!pulled!

my!cargo!pants!all!the!way!off.!I!sat!up,!stripped!off!my!shirt,!

and!wrapped!my!arms!around!her!waist,!drawing!her!close!and!

pressing! the! side! of! my! face! to! her! breast.! Her! heart!
kaH

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thumped
! loudly! in! my! ear,! strong! and! fast.! She! bent! and! I!

turned! my! mouth! up! to! meet! hers,! my! fingers! now! frantic! to!

unfasten!her!fatigues.!I!pulled!them!down!to!her!ankles!and!she!

stepped! out! of! them,! dressed! now! in! only! black! bra! and!

panties.!!

!

I! leaned! back! for! a! moment! to! savor! the! sight! of! her,! the!

curves! of! breasts! and! hips! and! ass,! hard! lean! muscles! under!

soft!smooth,!flawless!skin,!long!slender!fingers!resting!casually!

on!my!shoulder,!wings!of!dark!hair!framing!her!face.!My!breath!

caught.! I! reached! out! and! touched! her,! letting! my! fingertips!

trail! down! her! belly,! tracing! the! line! of! her! panties! down!

between! her! thighs.! The! fabric! was! damp! with! anticipation.!

With!a!single!motion,!I!hooked!my!fingers!into!the!waistband!

and! pulled! them! down! to! the! floor.! Putting! my! hands! on! her!

hips,!I!turned!her!around!and!traded!places,!gently!pushing!her!

down!on!the!couch,!kneeling!on!the!floor!next!to!her.!!

!

I! kissed! her! hard,! felt! her! hands! roaming! over! my!

shoulders,! arms,! back,! and! moved! my! lips! to! her! earlobe,! her!

throat,!kissing!my!way!down!to!her!pert!breast!until!I!sucked!

the!nipple!into!my!mouth.!She!gasped!as!I!rolled!it!gently!in!my!

mouth.!I!planted!little!kisses!down!her!belly,!stopping!to!tease!

her!navel!and!trace!the!outline!of!her!pubis!with!the!tip!of!my!

tongue.!My!face!hovered!over!her!center,!my!breath!hot!on!her!

sex.! She! cried! out! when! my! lips! closed! over! her! and! I! parted!

her!with!my!tongue.!

!

A! fever! raged! through! me,! setting! my! face,! my! flesh,! on!

fire.!I!wanted!her!as!much!as!she!said!she!wanted!me,!with!a!

surge! of! lust! and! desire! that! made! me! grow! almost! painfully!

hard! and! cleared! my! mind! of! anything! that! didn’t! have! to! do!

with!her,!the!scent!and!taste!of!her,!the!texture!of!her!skin!and!

her!hair,!the!heat!coming!off!her!body,!the!sound!of!her!rasping!

breath! and! tiny! moans! of! pleasure.! I! focused! on! that,! on!

bringing!her!to!the!brink,!pleasing!her!with!hands!and!lips!and!

tongue!until!she!twined!her!fingers!in!my!hair,!threw!her!legs!

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over!my!shoulders!and!shuddered!in!a!series!of!gasping!cries!of!

delight.!!

!

She!pulled!my!face!up!to!hers!and!kissed!me,!arms!around!

my! neck,! pulling! me! close,! and! inexorably! my! hardness! was!

drawn! into! her! wet! center! until! I! was! deep! inside! her.! We!

rocked!together!slowly,!until!the!tension!in!both!of!us!built!to!

the! point! of! explosion.! With! each! touch,! each! kiss,! we!

anticipated! each! other’s! needs,! desires,! finding! a! natural!

rhythm! with! no! awkwardness,! no! hesitation.! As! if! we’d! been!

lovers!for!years.!Yet!her!hands,!her!mouth,!her!body!took!me!

places!I’d!never!been!before.!!

!

Our!tempo!slowly!increased!until!all!that!energy,!the!pent6

up! desire! turned! combustible.! One! final! touch! sparked! a!

searing! flash! of! heat! and! light,! a! crackling! bolt! of! lightning!

followed!moments!later!by!the!slow!rolling!rumble!of!thunder!

that! went! on! and! on,! shaking! us! to! our! very! core.! The! sheer!

power! of! it! rendered! me! senseless,! turning! my! vision! black,!

shutting! out! all! outside! noise,! but! creating! an! explosion! of!

colors!inside!my!head!and!the!roar!of!some!gigantic!waterfall!

in!my!ears.!

!

I! lost! track! of! time! and! space.! When! Reyna’s! face! finally!

materialized! in! front! of! me,! her! eyes! shimmered! in! the! light!

and!a!shiny!trail!of!wetness!followed!the!line!of!her!nose!and!

disappeared!at!the!corner!of!her!mouth.!

!

“What’s!wrong?”!I!said.!

!

She! leaned! forward! and! kissed! me! lightly! on! the! lips.!

“Everything’s!right!for!once,!you!big!dope.!Can’t!you!tell!when!a!

girl!is!happy?”!

!

I!shifted!my!weight!onto!one!elbow,!chin!in!my!hand.!“So,!

that!wasn’t!just!a!reaction!to!getting!shot!at?”!

!

“You! mean! like! last! time?”! She! smiled! and! touched! my!

face.! “You! really! are! clueless,! aren’t! you?! I! wanted! you! even!

then.”!

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!

My! eyebrows! wrinkled! my! forehead! in! an! effort! to! climb!

up!to!my!hairline.!“You’re!kidding.!Then!why…?”!

!

“I!didn’t!know!you.!And!the!timing!wasn’t!good!for!me.!For!

either! of! us,! it! turned! out.”! One! corner! of! her! mouth! turned!

down.!“Are!you!okay!with!this?”!!

!

I!checked!in!with!my!feelings.!Surprisingly,!no!alarms!went!

off,!no!voices!implored!me!to!reconsider,!no!gremlins!tweaked!

my!sense!of!guilt.!

!

“I!am!very!okay!with!this,!Reyna.”!

!

Her! eyes! filled! with! concern.! “I’m! not! making! any!

promises,!you!know.”!!

!

I!put!my!finger!on!her!lips.!“Shh.!I’m!okay!with!whatever!

happens!with!us.!I!don’t!have!any!expectations.!But!just!so!you!

know,!that!meant!a!lot!more!to!me!than!simple!sex.”!

!

She!grinned.!“Yeah,!but!that!part!was!pretty!good,!too.”!!

!

I!laughed!for!the!first!time!in!what!felt!like!weeks.!

!

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!

!

Chapter&40&

!

!

Reyna!scooted!down!until!she!snuggled!into!me,!head!on!

my!chest,!my!arm!curled!around!her!shoulders.!We!lay!like!that!

until!our!breathing!slowed.!Our!bodies!cooled,!and!the!sheen!of!

perspiration!that!coated!us!dried,!leaving!a!salty!residue.!!

!

Her!eyelashes!fluttered,!the!slow!beats!of!butterfly!wings.!

She!peered!up!at!me.!

!

“Are!you!all!right?”!

!

She!wasn’t!asking!about!us!this!time.!

!

I!nodded.!“Maybe!I’m!not!supposed!to!be.!I!don’t!know.!A!

shrink!would!probably!have!a!field!day!with!me.!I’m!supposed!

to!feel!bad!about!shooting!people,!but!I!don’t.!I!wanted!to!kill!

those!bastards.”!

!

Her! fingers! touched! my! face! and! her! palm! rested! on! my!

cheek.! She! finally! swung! her! legs! over! the! edge! of! the! couch!

and!stood.!

!

“We!need!to!compare!notes,”!she!said.!“I!don’t!know!how!

much!time!we!have.”!

!

“Probably!a!good!idea.”!

!

“I’m!going!to!rinse!off!first.!Is!there!any!coffee!left?”!

!

“I’ll!make!a!fresh!pot.”!

!

She! leaned! over! and! kissed! me.! I! watched! her! walk! into!

the!bathroom,!my!heart!racing.!Drawing!a!deep!breath,!I!got!up!

to! make! more! coffee.! The! sound! of! water! running! in! the!

shower!stirred!my!imagination,!and!more,!I!realized.!Quietly,!I!

slipped!into!the!bathroom!and!stepped!into!the!tub!with!Reyna.!

I!wrapped!my!arms!around!her!and!cupped!her!soapy!breasts!

in!my!big!hands.!She!sighed!and!leaned!against!me.!I!bent!and!

kissed!her!neck,!one!hand!sliding!down!her!belly!between!her!

legs.!!

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