Texas Stand-Off: The Omega Team Novella (Kindle Worlds Novella) (11 page)

“I’ll be ready in five minutes.”

“Good.” He hesitated a moment, his eyes drawn to her beauty. She was so graceful, yet capable. Fragile, yet so strong it took his breath away. “And don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”

“As I will keep you safe. We’ll be partners.” Taz kept her back to him.

“No. I’m in charge. You’ll do what I say, when I say. Am I making myself clear?” With hands on his hips, he waited for her response. How was he going to endure this? All he wanted to do was tackle her to the bed and make love to her until he was satisfied–how long that would take he didn’t know.

“Diamond. Glass. Something.” She zipped up her small bag of belongings.

“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘crystal’.” He held his hand out for the bag, at least he could be a gentleman.

“Don’t treat me like a woman, Deacon. Think of me as a man.” She stepped around him and headed for the door.

Deacon rolled his eyes, letting his hand drop. “Ask me to do the impossible. My cock has been buried deep inside of you, I could never forget you’re a woman.”

“Try,” she called over her shoulder. “It will be easy. I won’t be throwing myself at you anymore.”

“Oh, really?” Deacon snarled, right behind her. “Making love to a cripple wasn’t your thing?”

Taz stopped so suddenly, he crashed into her. He put out his hands to steady her, but she moved back. “Don’t touch me. And no, you’re wrong–as usual.” She glared at him, refusing to allow her body to respond to his magnetic pull. “I still want you. You’re amazing.” Despite their differences, she refused to let him think bad of himself. “I just don’t want to have sex with someone who doesn’t respect me and doesn’t really want me. You’ve stupidly deprived yourself of intimacy for so long, you would’ve had sex with anyone who threw themselves at you.”

Her impassioned pronouncement stunned him. She turned and walked away quickly before he could form a response. “Now, wait a minute…” Deacon cursed as his phone buzzed. It was Grey, he couldn’t afford to ignore the call. “Jones.” He started walking again, following the infuriating bit of femininity as she headed toward the garage. Deacon could see she was waiting for him outside. Did she really mean those things she said? “What’s up?” 

“Are you on the road?”

“Fixin’ to be.”

“The stand-off has gone from bad to worse. We’ve found out the kid has diabetes. He can only go without his medication for a few days or he might lapse into a diabetic coma.”

“Shit, we’re on our way. You’ll have blueprints, directions, instructions waiting for me?”

“Yea, I’ll be sending you an email. The Governor is going to pull everyone else back as soon as you’re in place, but we have until tomorrow to get our act together. Call me when you hit Dallas and I’ll tell you where Athena has reservations for you. One room or two?”

“Two,” he answered, then thought better of it. “Hell, no. One. We need to resolve some shit and I need to keep a close eye on her.”

Grey laughed. “Sounds like you two are well on your way to becoming another Tony and Ziva.”

“I don’t know who that is,” he lied. He knew how much his friend loved NCIS. “Let’s just say we’re sparring at the moment.”

“I love to spar with Athena,” Grey sighed. “All right, I’ll let you go. Drive safe.”

“Will do.” Deacon pocketed his phone. As he approached Taz, he saw she was watching an eagle sailing on an air current overhead. “Majestic sight, isn’t it?” He’d decided some type of truce was warranted. They had a job to do, and he had to come to terms with it. He couldn’t let his attraction for her get in the way. Accomplishing the mission had to be job one, but keeping her alive and well ran a close second. And this was exactly why he didn’t want to work with a woman, especially one he had feelings for. He inwardly groaned–the enormity of his mental admission shook the very bedrock of his world. “I wonder what we look like from his vantage point.”

“Small and insignificant,” she whispered, not really intending for him to hear. “Was that Grey on the phone?”

“Yes, he’s making arrangements for us. He’ll be feeding us information all along.” Deacon led her to another part of the garage, opening the door for her to walk through. “After you.” She gave him a faint smile and he speculated about her choice of words. Did she feel small and insignificant? “Do you have any family left in Russia?”

“No, my parents were only children and so was I.” She was surprised to find he drove a big black pickup truck. “I imagined you driving a sports car. Are you a cowboy?”

“Did you see any cows anywhere on my place?” He opened the back passenger door of the double cab dually. “Most Texans wear boots, and a hat sometimes, they might even have a horse. That doesn’t make them a cowboy.”

“When I was a small child I would spend the summers with my grandmother. I loved her very much, she lived in a small rural village and I helped her all I could. She was sick a lot of the time, so I took great pride in taking care of her. Every morning, it was my job to get up early and let the cows out of their pens so the town cowboy could collect them all and herd them into the foothills to graze. He’d bring them back every evening and I would put them up for the night. He didn’t wear a hat or boots,” she said as she climbed into the front and fastened her seat belt. When he was settled into the seat next to her, she was very conscious of his size and the memories of what it felt like to be under him in bed made her quiver. She crossed her legs to try and ease the ache in her core.

He started the engine and opened the garage door, driving out into the afternoon sun. “Clothes do not make the man, but that was a sweet story. I never knew any of my grandparents,” he drawled, his mind still dwelling on the fact she felt insignificant. “Do you have a lot of friends here in the states?”

“No.”

When she didn’t elaborate but continued to look out the window, he decided to take a different approach. “How did you end up in Austin?”

The view from her window was worth seeing. For several miles the drive leading from the Eagle’s Nest bordered the river and she enjoyed watching the glint of the sun’s rays on the water. “I came for Austin City Limits and decided to stay awhile.” As much as she was entranced by the passing scenery, she got far more pleasure from sneaking glimpses at Deacon Jones. He was dressed in black jeans and a tight, black button up shirt. He didn’t wear a cowboy hat or boots, but he was certainly all man. Again she cut her glance toward him–this time he was looking back and she jumped a little.     

“I see you giving me that side-eye sass,” he teased, needing to see her smile. “Who did you see at the festival?” She blushed prettily and his felt his cock twitch.

“Asleep at the Wheel, Billy Idol and Foo Fighters.” She named some of the featured performers. “Were you there?” Taz liked to think they might have passed like ships in the night during the gigantic world-famous Austin celebration.

“Classic. But, no.” He shook his head. “Crowds just aren’t my thing.”

“Do you have lots of friends here?”

Ah, she was turning the tables on him. “A few.” He could see her fingers tightly laced together. “Nervous?”

“No.” She let her hands flutter apart. “A little.”

“I’ll take care of you. You don’t have to be afraid.” Deacon couldn’t resist, he reached over and clasped her hand, easing it down on the console between them.

“Oh, I’m not afraid of our mission,” she assured him, trying to ease her hand out of his grasp. “Tell me about your friends.”

Deacon just tightened his grip, caressing her palm with his thumb. “All right. If you’ll tell me what’s given you the jitters.”

“Jitters. That’s an odd word.”

“You know what I mean. Don’t play games with me, Levin.”

Somehow him addressing her by her last name made her feel better. “Last night was…intense. I don’t really know how to act around you now. You’re only the second man I’ve been with and the first man that I slept in his bed all night. And today, you are so different. I don’t know what to expect from you.”

Wow. Well, now he had his answer. “How do you want me to be?” 

She shook her head, turning her head to look out the window again. “I don’t know.”

“I’ll tell you one thing. What you said earlier about me having sex with you just because you were handy and willing was a crock of shit. Do you really think I’m amazing in bed?”

Taz could hear the smile in his voice without seeing it. She smiled too, but kept her face from his view. “Yea. But I don’t have a whole lot of experience. Remember?”

Deacon laughed. “Oh, burn!”

Her head whirled around to give him a quizzical look.

“You said something witty and slightly disparaging to me,” he explained and she nodded, which made him laugh again. “You’re cute.”

She shook her head. “Tell me about your friends.” As he began to speak, he kept her hand in his. She hoped he couldn’t tell her heart was racing.

“Apart from the Omega Team, I’ve met some folks who live in the area. Logan Gray is the Fire Chief and I volunteer when I can. I joined because of Maverick Sawyer, our paths crossed in Afghanistan a few times. He’s a good guy. I’ve also met one of my neighbors across the river by the name of Micah Wolfe. I don’t know him well, but I volunteered with him down at the Angel House homeless shelter in Austin.”

“So, you are a philanthropist of sorts?”

He chuckled. “Not hardly. I just know how it is to need a helping hand.” For some reason he decided to open up, to talk to her of things he’d never told anyone else. “After I lost my leg, I thought my life was over. My wife left me. I spent months and months in rehab, learning how to get along on a prosthesis. I almost gave up. If it hadn’t been for a woman named Cady McCoy, I don’t know if I would’ve made it. She’s a physical therapist. She put me through the wringer and got me on my feet–or should I say my foot.” Taz squeezed his hand at that and he squeezed back. “Through her I met a lot of good people–her husband Joseph and his brothers. They introduced me to a friend of theirs, Cassie Cartwright, who was in a wheelchair at the time. I learned a lot from her about hope and how to deal with pain. She’s better now, though. She had an operation to remove a piece of shrapnel. Joseph and his friend Beau LeBlanc sponsor an area rodeo for handicapped kids and I got involved with that, helping design some rides and prizes for the children.”

“Does that have anything to do with those toy Jeeps and motorcycles I saw in your shed?”

He smiled. “You’re such a snoop, but yes, it does. I love to take these ride-on toys and adjust them so a child can use them for physical therapy and not even know it. They just think they’re having a good time when in actuality they’re exercising muscles and repeating movements to make them stronger. One little girl, Chelsea, has a problem holding her head up. So, I changed the gas pedal’s location from the floorboard of her little car to a flexible panel behind her head. If she leans her head back with pressure, her car will go.”

“That’s ingenious, Deacon!”

“You should’ve seen her smile. There’s another child, a little boy, called Jeremy who can’t walk or stand without help. But if he holds onto the steering wheel and pulls himself up, his fire truck will move forward.”

“I think what you’re doing is wonderful. I wish I could put down roots and make friends.”

Her voice trailed off and Deacon didn’t prompt her for more. He was too busy thinking. ‘What if’s’ were barreling through his head like a herd of wild horses.

When she heard the sound of the blinker, Taz realized they’d hit the interstate in Austin. “Move to the right hand lane. There’s been a rash of rock-throwing incidents. The last news report I heard said they’d discovered some of the bricks are being thrown from opposing lanes instead of just from overhead.”

“Yea, I heard about that. Micah Wolfe has been helping the governor’s task force trying to find out who’s doing this. There’s been over fifty cases in the last eight months.”

“Well, I’ve only been here since October. Hopefully they’ll catch the maniac soon.” He’d relaxed his grip, so she took her hand back on the premise of changing the angle of the A/C vent. “I’ll probably be gone by then. I was telling Athena I’ll be leaving soon. I’m thinking of seeing the mountains out west.”

Deacon frowned. “If you don’t join up with the Omega Team, what will you do?”

“I don’t know. Change my name, stop in some sleepy little town in the northwest, maybe take up writing.” The thought was so boring, she almost yawned.

“Somehow, I can’t see you finding a life like that very satisfying.”

He was probably right, but she didn’t have to say so. “How could you know what satisfies me?” As soon as the words left her lips, Taz flamed. Even she with her limited understanding of English grasped the unintended innuendo.

“I’d say I’m an expert on what satisfies you, Levin. And since we’re sharing a room tonight, I’ll prove my point.”

“We’re sharing a room?”

“Damn straight.” He gave her a wicked grin. “I need more time, one night with you wasn’t enough to satisfy me.”  

By the time they reached Burkburnett, Taz was fit to be tied. She knew that phrase because Athena used it all the time. Sometimes Grey did things just to see how far he could push her. She’d also learned from Athena that those times when they ‘pushed each other’s buttons’ sometimes led to great ‘make-up sex’. If she and Deacon were intimate tonight, it would definitely fall into that category.

After he’d informed her they would be sharing a room, she’d been speechless. The idea of being with him again had her body vibrating with anticipation. Her heart and her mind were much more hesitant. She could easily become addicted to this man, walking away from him would be difficult.

And then Grey had called and she witnessed firsthand the concept of another phrase– ‘the shit hit the fan’. “Do I take orders from you or from Grey?” she asked again.  

“Me.”

“And who do you take orders from?” she pushed, which probably wasn’t wise. The only answer she got was a low rumbly growl. “I don’t see the problem. Grey thinks this is a good plan.”

“I don’t. It’s too dangerous. If anyone is going onto the ranch with the medicine for that child, it will be me–not you.”

Taz threw up her hands. “The idea is that I don’t look as threatening as you.” She gestured toward his big body.

“Exactly. Those men at the Ainsley ranch aren’t playing with a full deck. If you think I’m going to let you walk into that place unprotected, you’re off your rocker. We’ll come up with a better plan.”

“I don’t know about decks and rockers, but you wouldn’t know a good plan if it bit you…” Instead of finishing the sentence she let out a frustrated growl of her own. 

Deacon’s mouth flew open and his eye brows raised. A surprised laugh erupted from his lips. “Did you say what I thought you just said? I think I’ll show you tonight what a little nip on the ass feels like.”

“Would you do that?” she muttered with disbelief. She knew she should be angry, but that wasn’t the emotion she was feeling at the moment.

“In a heartbeat, honey.” He slowed down and pulled into a small motel. “Wait here. I’ll get the key.”

“I’m hungry,” she announced as he started to get out. “How about if I walk across the street?” She pointed to a small restaurant with a huge plastic cow standing outside. “I could buy some hamburgers to go and meet you back here.”

“Just wait for me and I’ll go with you,” he ordered. “You don’t need to be wandering around on your own.”

She pressed her lips together. He didn’t think she was capable of crossing the street on her own. Well, they’d just see about that– She unbuckled her seat belt, opened the door and slipped out of the truck. By the time he got back, she’d have their dinner.

A few minutes later… Deacon slipped the keycard into his front pocket. He hadn’t realized he was hungry until Taz mentioned it. With a smile, he patted his stomach. He had two appetites to satisfy tonight. Check-in took longer than he’d anticipated. There’d been only one clerk and she’d been dealing with a couple who insisted on twin beds. He sure as hell felt sorry for that poor guy married to a woman who had to have her ‘space’.

As he walked toward the automatic doors, he vowed to talk some sense into Grey. He’d set up a meeting for Deacon and Taz to meet with the little boy’s parents first thing in the morning and hopefully they’d have a plan to get onto the Ainsley property by afternoon. Rice and Burgess were making more demands, so they hadn’t yet received the green light. But the suggestion that Natasha be the one to take the risk was totally unacceptable to him.

Exiting the motel lobby, he headed to his truck. Glancing in the window, he saw an empty cab. “Well, hell.” He looked around and caught sight of her, hurrying across the road with two white bags in her hands. “I thought I told you to stay put!”

The smile on her pretty face faded a bit. “I just wanted to help. I got jalapenos on our burgers!” Holding up the sacks, she gave him a hopeful look.

“That’s not the point,” he said, climbing behind the wheel. “I need to be able to trust you. Get in.”

Taz was disappointed–in herself and in him too. “I’m sorry. This was such a simple thing. We have to make quick decisions and my judgment is good. Sometimes plans have to change.”

Yes, he knew plans could change. He was battling with that very thing. “Yea, my plan is to spank your sassy little butt so you’ll remember what I tell you next time.”

His suggestion made her gasp–partly in shock and partly with arousal. “You wouldn’t dare.” Her eyes grew wide and her heart began to palpitate.

“Oh, yea, babe. I dare. You can take that to the bank.”

Deacon’s long mane of golden blond hair reminded Taz of a lion. She swallowed, liking the comparison very much. “I think I’d rather go to our room than the bank.”

He broke the tension by laughing. “This time I agree with your logic.” He eased the truck across the parking lot to a stop in front of the room. “This place isn’t fancy, just your run of the mill motel. Here, give me the food, I’ll carry it and I’ll get the luggage in if you want to freshen up.”

They’d been on the road for a while, a shower would feel nice. “This part of Texas is so much different than the central area where you’re from, Deacon.”

“Yep, you’re right.” He opened the door and out of habit quickly checked the room. “North Texas is flat. It blends right in with Oklahoma and Kansas. We’re right smack dab in Hurricane Alley here.” At her questioning expression, he explained. “They call this area and up north through Kansas ‘tornado alley’ because many tornadoes form and move through this corridor of land.”

“Yes, I’ve seen The Wizard of OZ.”

“Me too, but I don’t think the Tin Man or the Cowardly Lion are going to be much help.” Deacon noticed she was chewing her lip, deep in thought. “Make yourself comfortable.” He set the restaurant bags on a small round table. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” He was right. She’d stayed in several places like this and they all looked the same. Standard layout. Drab colors. The only interesting thing was a large painting over the bed of the Alamo. She’d liked that movie even though it was sad.

One bed. She stared, anticipating sharing it with Deacon. Was this wise? He wouldn’t change his mind, no matter how well she performed on this mission. His ingrained convictions were stronger than any proof of her abilities she could provide. As she envisioned Deacon lounging on the bed, hands behind his head, muscles rippling–she licked her lips. The years stretching before her might be lonely, she had no idea what they held. This uncertainty made her want to grab every bit of happiness she could–and being with Deacon made her happy.

With that awareness, she hurried to get cleaned up, and as she’d heard so often in the movies, – ‘slip into something more comfortable’.

When Deacon returned to the room, he heard the shower running. He contemplated joining her, but the idea of standing in the bright light, naked, in his prosthesis didn’t appeal to him. At home, he had a teak bench to sit on to shower–God! –he hated being handicapped. To give Taz credit, she’d restored his confidence to a degree. If they were together any length of time, he’d probably lose all of his insecurity.

Lucky for him, she’d come along. He smiled, not missing the irony. She wasn’t a ‘devil in disguise’, as he’d first thought. The woman was an angel of mercy.

When he heard the water cut off, he yelled. “Hurry up! The food’s getting cold!”

Inside the bathroom, Taz spun in a circle, grabbing a towel to fluff her hair. Despite her desire to dress provocatively, she realized she’d brought absolutely nothing sexy with her. The best she could do was a pink knee-length sleep shirt with ‘and though she be little, SHE IS FIERCE’ on it in bold silver letters. She didn’t even have any makeup with her, not that she ever wore much. “Oh well, this will have to do.”

When the door opened and Taz walked out, Deacon almost dropped the soda he’d been raising to his mouth. “Damn, girl. You’re as cute as a speckled pup.” The message emblazoned across her impressive chest didn’t escape him. “You didn’t buy that shirt for yourself, did you?”

“Athena bought it for me when I stayed with her while we wrapped up a burglary ring case.” She tugged on the hem, wishing it were a bit longer. “I didn’t have anything else to wear.”

“No, no, it’s perfect.” He held out a chair for her. “I think you’re beautiful.” Deacon had never been good at romance, but compliments for Natasha came easily to his lips.

“Thank you.” She settled in her chair, reaching for a napkin to spread over her lap. “I think I’m more comfortable with you when you’re sniping at me.”

“I don’t snipe. I coach. I teach.” He opened the sacks. “Which one’s mine?”

“They’re alike. I saw a jar of jalapenos in your pantry, so I thought you’d like them. No onions, though.” She took a deep breath and just said what she was thinking. “I thought our kisses would taste better without onions.”

Desire just swamped Deacon like a flashflood. “Sometimes you say the darndest things, Levin.” He considered skipping the burger and just feasting on her. “If I didn’t need my strength for sex, I’d just dine on you.”

“I can wait,” she added placidly and he chuckled.

A ding on his phone let Deacon know he had an email. Taking a bite, he held it up to look. “Grey.” He touched the screen to open the message. As he ate, he looked through what he’d been sent. “Hell.” He let out a breath. “I’ll let you look at these in a bit. He’s sent maps, pictures and information available on all the people involved. He’s still insisting you be the one to go in, but I disagree. We’ll have to study these and plan some kind of exit strategy. We’ve got to get the little boy out and to do that, this is going to have to come to an end. I don’t see any other way.”

She ate silently and waited her turn. When he gave her his phone, she read everything carefully. “We need to know how the interior of the house is laid out.”

“I doubt there’s blueprints available on file anywhere. Who knows? The old man might have built it himself.”

Taz nodded. “We should talk to the neighbors, maybe they could tell us.”

“Good idea,” Deacon conceded. He watched her face as she focused–damn, her lips were plump and sweet. He picked up his napkin and wiped his hands and mouth. “You know I find smart to be mighty sexy.”

To his ever-loving surprise, she handed him back his phone, gave him a saucy wink and smiled. “Me too.”

With a low snarl of erotic intent, Deacon slowly stood. “You about finished?”

“No…” she teased, so glad she recalled a piece of appropriate sexual banter, “but I’m ready for dessert.” Taz had waited a long time to be able to say that to someone.

When she looked up at him with those big doe eyes and that sexy little grin, he knew she had him wrapped around her little finger and wasn’t even aware of it. With deliberate moves, he began to unbutton his shirt, taking his time to move around the table and toward her.

Watching him approach, she knew what a cornered gazelle felt like being stalked by a hungry lion. She stood, her breath coming fast and shallow. Words were unnecessary, so she nervously licked her lips.

“Here, let me do that for you.” With one fell swoop, he clasped her hands and walked her backwards into the wall, holding his arms high, pressing his palms to the wall while still holding her hands captive.

Taz felt herself go liquid against him, gasping as he bent his head, doing exactly as he’d said–using his own tongue to caress her lips. She felt her knees give way. There was no moving, though–for his body anchored hers firmly in place. Licking over her mouth, he pressed, demanding she open to him. With a whimper of acquiescence, her lips parted so his tongue could gain entrance. And when it did, he groaned his pleasure.

Open-mouth kisses–hot–wet. She pushed her breasts into his chest, wishing there was no barrier between them. Stealing her breath, he gave it back, taking little bites at her lips, before capturing her tongue and sucking on it.

Taz went on tiptoe, she felt like her clit was on fire. Desperate to be closer, she pushed her hips against his, opening her legs wide enough to allow him to thrust his knee between them. When she felt the hard flesh of his thigh rub against her greedy sex, she bumped forward riding his leg. The friction felt so good she thought she might pass out.

Deacon braced himself, making damn sure he didn’t lose his balance. His little doll was finding her pleasure by scrubbing that sweet pussy on his leg and he wasn’t about to ask her to stop. Dragging his mouth from hers, he let his lips slide to her neck–sucking and biting the soft flesh. “That’s right baby, hump my leg, it feels so good.”

Oh, God. She was behaving badly, but she couldn’t help it. “Give me your eyes,” she whispered. When he did, his flashed, heating her more. She shattered in a million pieces. “Deacon!”

“I need to see you, touch you.” He let his hands find the hem of her shirt. Pulling it up and off, he feasted his eyes on her naked tits. “I’m going to eat you alive, sugar.” With both hands, he grasped the top edge of her panties and ripped, the tiny fragment of lace giving way.

“Deacon!” She didn’t protest, instead she began pushing his shirt off his shoulders and peppering his skin with kisses. Accomplishing that task, she set to work on his belt and the button of his fly, working feverishly to find his naked flesh. All the while, he was cupping and molding her breasts, milking the nipples and tasting her lips. Her fingers trembled, her heart beating as fast as the flutter of hummingbird wings.