Rogue Diamond (31 page)

Perhaps she should put some distance between herself and this man she hadn't trusted. She knew she couldn't trust herself to stay out of his arms if she saw him again.

The burly Mexican man
si
ghed. There was no way he could tell Nick she had refused to see him. He would
be a wild man! "Por favor, seno
rita. Go in there. He is injured."

"Injured? Hurt? How?"

"He was shot."

"Shot?" The image of Nick clutching his ribs and staggering down a narrow Mexican street flashed through her head. "I knew it! Those who live by the gun, die by it! I knew he was doing dangerous stuff. That's what you get when you're involved with ill
egal activities! Oh, damn,
Jose
! Here I am rattling on—how is he?"

"He'll be okay. Just a shoulder wound. But he's weak."

"You're right. I should see him. I want to give him a piece of my mind."

Jose
held out the key. "Two-seventeen. Upstairs."

Alex snatched the key and flew up the out
si
de staircase. She stopped for a moment to lean over the rail and call "Thank you,
Jose
!"

She waved and
Jose
ducked. Damn woman! Despite all his careful efforts to remain incognito, to hide the injured Nick and slip this woman in to see him, she now blew any cover he thought he had!
Jose
immediately moved the van to an obscure location and continued his vigilance. Tomorrow they would be gone and he could sleep.

Alex burst into the room. The two days
si
nce they'd seen each other seemed like two years. Emotions flashed in their eyes—fury, irritation, pas
si
on, lov
e—who could know which was domi
nant in that split second? Certainly not Alex. Maybe she felt all of those and more. Her indigo eyes flared then caressed Nick's entire length as he lay stretched out on the bed. She wanted to touch him, all of him but stood there drinking in his masculinity, just
staring. He sat shirtless, lean
ing almost casually against the headboard of the bed, the white bandage on
his shoulder contras
t
ing with his bronzed skin. Her eyes went to that bandage and she swallowed hard. Damn him, anyway! How could he get himself so hurt? It was crazy, but that injury made her mad!

"Nick—"

Nick's alert dark eyes darted over Alex. Her blond hair spil
led rebelliously
around her shoulders
, her
lacy
dress was twisted and some
what frumpy. God! She was a beauty! He
si
ghed and the breath seemed to come from deep within his soul. A
fter all his fretting and worry
ing, here she was, safe and all in one gorgeous piece. He wanted to grab her and cuddle her gently and spank her,
all
at the same time! They began speaking, but not to each other.

"Alex—"

"Nick, how did this happen?"

"Alex, I have been worried
si
ck about you. Why did you leave like that? I told you to wait."

"You shaved your mustache! Just like
Jose
! Why?"

"I had to see you tonight, Alex. Had to know that you were safe."

"Did you have to follow me? Scare me half to death? Inspect my mail?"

"That was a damn-fool thing you did, leaving by yourself."

"How can you say I'm foolish? Look at you! All shot up!"

"Traveling alone across Mexico is bad enough. But getting involved with that ring in Jessup was dumb!"

"Speaking
of dumb, if you hadn't been in
volved with illegal smuggling, you never would have gotten shot!"

"Alex, those people are dangerous. And now that you've seen them and can identify them, you're in even greater danger."

"So we can hide out together? Is that what you're suggesting?" She smiled devilishly. "You should have seen me in action, Nick. You, of all people, would have been proud. I had a pretty good story going with them. I can lie almost as good as you can."

"I've never been so scared in my life! I should have gone aft
er you! Made you come back! Dam
mit, woman, when you got into that camper, I almost came unglued!"

She looked at him askance. "How did you know that?"

"I was watching your every move!"

"How?"

"I
. . . can’t reveal
."

"Oh, so the devil has ways and means! If you were watching, why didn't you come on out and help me? I needed a fake husband anyway. I had to invent a story about where he was and why he wasn't with me. Pretty good, too, if I do say so myself."

"That's the problem. You were doing so well by yourself, the d
eci
si
on was made to let you con
tinue. Anyway, we'd never been all the way through their system, like you were. But that doesn't mean I was at ease with you getting so close to them. You were in too much danger."

"How could you let me go through all that hell? You knew Jenni wasn't there."

"It wasn't entirely my
deci
si
on." His eyes soft
ened. "But now we have them, Alex. Every stop you made. It's all on film."

"Nick, I don't know what you're talking about. Why would you take pictures?"

"That's the trouble. We've been talking too much. Come here, Alex." He voice
was
low
and thick
.

Drawn by a
power greater than her com
mon sense, Alex slid next to him on the bed. She
kissed him and
ran her hand across the
si
zzling skin of his bare chest, relishing the
touch of his banded
muscles. "Oh, Nick, I've missed you so. This illegal stuff you're mixed up with has to stop! I love you too much to stand back and watch you
risk your neck like this. What if you'd been caught? Or killed?"

His lips care
ssed her cheek and found her ea
ger, pouting lips. "I think I am caught, mi vida. In your loving trap." His
fierce
kiss halted further conversation.

"Nick, I can't deny my love for you. It goes beyond anything I can control."

"Alex, mi vida, you set me on fire."

"I want to love you, Nick, but not like this.
I can’t stand to see you i
njured.
And h
iding from the law in some
sleazy
motel on the edge of town."

"Alex, my sweet, naive darling. Don't you know whose
si
de I'm on by now? I'm with you, always have been."

"Nick, I'm no good at this Bonnie and Clyde stuff. It's good for jokes, but not in real life. I can't
stand the thought of you hiding out or risking your neck. I want you safe with me."

"I'm not hiding
from the law, Alex." He chuck
led low. "I'm trying to lay low in case some of my recent clients hold a grudge."

"What do you mean? They're after you from Mexico?"

"Maybe. You never know, when you've been playing both
si
des against the middle, like we have."

"Both
si
des? You mean you haven't been doing anything illegal?" She puzzled over his words. "But the birds—that was illegal. And the guns. That had to be, especially with this injury you have. Furthermo
re, why are we here, if not hid
ing out?"

"I can see I have a lot of explaining to do."

"Apparently, you do."

In the darkness of the motel room, with his good arm securely around Alex, Nick began: "For your safety, I couldn't tell you much.
Jose
and I are working as undercover agents for a special
joint
force of our governments. We infiltrated smuggling rings to detect various schemes. Both countries are lo
si
ng millions
of dollars each year in contra
band. We attempted to put a stop to it. But, damn, I'm afraid it's like a finger in the dike.
We nabbed a few, but the baby ring is the crowning jewel.
Now our sting operation is finished."

Strangely, Alex started to laugh. She felt slightly delirious, even giddy in her relief. "I don't know whether to be angry that you didn't
trust me eno
ugh to tell me or completely re
lieved that I haven't fallen in love with an outlaw trying to hide from the law."

"It wasn't a
matter of trust, Alex. I was in
structed to tell
no one.
Jose
was even forbid
den to tell his wife
details, only that it was impor
tant. It's difficult when your bu
si
ness supersedes your personal li
fe. I could only hope that some
day you'd understand why I wasn't totally honest with you. I felt helpless when I could see you slipping away from me. There wasn't a damn thing I could do about it, either. Nothing short of restraining you, and believe me, I con
si
dered it."

"You can restrain me now." She nuzzled his chest tea
si
ngly. "In spite of everything, Nick, I did trust you. Because I loved you so. Now, I love you even more
, if that’s possible
."

He caressed her lips with his, tenderly relishing their taste. "I love you, too, Alex. . . ."He admitted it gruffly, almost reluctantly, then pressed their bodies together, seeking complete absolution in the closeness.

"Hold me, Nick. Don't ever let me go."

"All night long," he mumbled sleepily, and kissed her hair.

"Not just tonight. Forever."

"Forever."

"Nick? I want ..." Her finger erotically traced his upper lip.

"Tomorrow, darling."

"Nick, I want you to let your mustache grow back again."

"Later, darling. Go to sleep."

Alex smiled
happily and drifted in content
ment. Her beloved had returned to her. For how long, she didn't know, but right now she didn't care. She only knew he was here with her, and had vowed his love. To Alex, his love was all that mattered. She memorized the gruff way he said it.
I love you . . . Alex . . .
forever
.

They were awakened early the next morning by a loud pounding. Nick rose stiffly and spoke earnestly to
Jose
through a small opening in the door. With a grateful nod, he accepted two steaming cups of coffee. He took a deep breath and turned back to the still-snoozing Alex. An increased flow of adrenaline pumped in his veins. The flush of excitement accelerated his brain. His blood q
uickened. The wheels were in mo
tion. The whole thing was coming down
.
The circus tent would fold today
.

"Get up, Alex. Here's coffee. We have a busy day ahead
.
"

"What time is
it?" she groaned through kiss-
swollen lips and buried her face in the pillow.

He set the coffee cups on the bed
si
de table and braced
his head and chest over her
. "Alex." His voice was unusually gentle. "Turn over. I have something very important to tell you."

She lay perfectly still and mumbled, "Tell me you love me, Nick. And that we won't go on meeting like this in motels."

"I love you, Alex. I promise we won't continue to meet in cheap motels. Now, come on ... I think we've found Jenni."

Alex's heart froze. A chill ran through her entire body, followed by a flash of fire. There was a touch of exhilaration, a moment of depres
si
on. Her flesh went hot then cold. Her feelings soared then plummeted. She wanted to cry out, to shout for joy.

She'd been th
rough this expectancy and build
ing of hopes so many times before, she steeled herself. The pain of disappointment was doubled, tripled, when anticipation was high. She refused to believ
e it, to build up false expecta
tions. Yet Nick had never said those words:
I think we've found her.

She flipped over, her indigo eyes round and full. "Nick?"

He nodded
si
lently. "We think she's in Ohio."

"Ohio?
All the way to Ohio?
" Was it pos
si
ble? Alex swallowed hard and closed her eyes, trying to force back the gush of hot tears that burned the in
si
des of her lids. "You . . . you
've found her?" Did she dare be
lieve it?