To Russia With Love (Countermeasure Series) (21 page)

Isn’t that what she had been doing? That and many other questions populated her mind as she moved off the bed to head out. She grabbed her purse and gathered her jacket from the chair. As she did so, a card fell on the floor.

Jessica picked it up and turned it over—Sean. The image of the gorgeous Irishman she had met at the airport brought a smile to her face. She tucked the card in her wallet as she made her way downstairs. Apartments were waiting to be viewed. Stephan would have to wait till later.

*****

Silence lingered in the car until Trevor’s questioning glance cut through the haze of her thoughts. “I’m worried about Jessica.”

Trevor took her hand in his and squeezed it. “She’ll be fine. She’s one tough cookie. Probably just off balance from the move.” As if knowing she needed something else to occupy her mind, he changed the subject. “So…did you get the codes from Nelson?”

She turned in her seat and watched Trevor as he drove. She loved watching his eyes tracking everything in front and behind him. Always vigilant. Always aware. She felt a ripple of mirth knowing the reaction he would have to her next comment. “Yes. The Hulk delivered on his promise.”

Trevor shot her a glance and all but growled, “Cassie….”

She burst out laughing. Catching her breath, she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes as she continued, “Anyway. To answer your question, yes, I have the codes. The house is located in Vyborg, a thirteenth-century city about two hours by train from St. Petersburg. Basically, once we’re settled my plan is to secure one-way train tickets that can be used on any given day. Just in case….” Unconsciously, her brow furrowed as her mind systematically ran through the E&E checklist.

“Cassie?”

“Huh?”

“Lost you there, Cassie girl.”

“Sorry. Was just going over everything in my head again.” She gave herself a mental shake. “Oh, Bob emailed late last night and said the meeting with Kostas is set for some time next week. He’ll contact us to let us know exactly when he’ll be stopping by to bring us a housewarming gift.” She tossed a saucy grin his way. “Hopefully some nice toys.”

“I’m sure you have everything worked out in that brilliant mind of yours. Looking forward to the toys. It’s always a big turn on seeing you armed and dangerous. Totally hot,” he grinned back at her in devilish amusement.

They cleared security without issues. Their passports were heavily stamped with visas from many countries, proof of business dealings abroad and added credibility to their excursion to Russia.

The business lounge offered comfort and amenities as they waited to board their flight. Trevor had his laptop open in seconds flat after they took their seats. “George sent me new transcripts. Got them while you were packing. Haven’t had time to review them yet.”

Cassandra glanced at him as she opened her own laptop. “Just let me know if you find anything I should be aware of.”

Trevor reached out and touched her face. “Do you have a headache, or is that frown caused by the speed of your thoughts crashing inside your skull?”

She laughed and shook her head. “Only you would come back with such a question. I am fine, really. Just crashing thoughts, as you put it.” Indeed, her thoughts were crashing—around Jessica. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear that her friend had fallen for Stephan in a bad way. She hadn’t mentioned it directly, but Cassandra had a gut instinct about it. She could read the signs, having lived that denial herself.

When their flight was called, they gathered their things and proceeded to the gate. As Cassandra led the way, Trevor observed her confident posture and the energy around her. She mesmerized him. She had since the day she walked into the NSA fuming and ready to take him down. Trevor smiled at the memory as he followed her onto the plane. He stowed their carry-ons and took his seat beside her for the long trip ahead of them.

They’d spent the whole week gathering the latest intelligence on Mikhailov and had learned enough of his mode of operation and digital fraud activities to have a good idea of how he intended to use the decrypter—a scary thought all on its own.

He leaned back in his seat and watched Cassandra looking out the small window at the landscape as they finally began taxiing. As usual, she appeared calm and collected. Yet he sensed that little familiar turbulence below the surface. He knew better. She was the duck that you see floating serenely on the water but whose little feet were paddling furiously out of sight.

During operations, he knew her mind kept going miles a minute, calculating, weighing, measuring, even when she had already planned everything to the last detail. He smiled softly at the memory of many other times they’d worked the leads on his parents’ disappearance and he’d seen that same focus and determination on her face. Each and every time, Cassandra had behaved exactly the same way—unsettled. And each time made him love her more, if that were even possible.

His eyes caressed her figure and lingered on her shoulder where she sported a souvenir from their last brush with death. She had another from her stunt with the CIA—an op gone bad, but it was the one on her shoulder that had the power to bring him to his knees—a gift from a psychopathic killer, and one that had been intended for him. Inhaling deeply, Trevor worried that they were headed straight into a rockier situation in Russia. He quickly dismissed that dark thought. Focus on the positive. That had always been his motto.

He reached for her hand as the plane accelerated for lift off. At his touch, she turned to face him, a smile finally curving her full lips. When the seatbelt lights went off, he lifted the arm that kept them apart, allowing Cassandra to snuggle closer, lean against him, and tuck her face in the hollow of his neck.

“I gather you don’t want to work right now, either?”

“Nope. Too comfy. Just want to stay right here like this.”

Trevor draped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer. He rested his head back on the seat and closed his eyes, just enjoying the moment. But his thoughts bounced to the last set of transcripts George had sent them. They still had to establish the course of action they would need to take based on visual surveillance of the location where Mikhailov’s developers worked and where his servers were housed. They would handle that once they were settled.

They were so close to achieving their goal he could almost taste it. It was a race against the clock, and they were both determined to win.

Surrender

T
HURSDAY NIGHTS WEREN’T AS BUSY as Fridays and weekends at Stephan’s favorite pub. The busy place transformed into an intimate environment, more suitable for the private conversation that was about to take place. Stephan stepped toward the back of the great room and selected the farthest table from the door. It was cozy, secluded, and away from the noisy bar.

He sat facing the entrance. He wanted to see her when she walked in. Although the last few days had somewhat solidified things in his mind, he was still unsure of the outcome of this little talk—things were sure to take a turn that night, regardless of the outcome.

The waitress popped in at his table for the second time, asking if he wanted something to drink. He waved her off again. He didn’t want a drink. He wanted his mind clear when the conversation took place.

Impatient, he flicked his wrist and looked at the time. Five past eight.
Is she going to stand me up?
His brows creased at the thought, but, as his eyes were drawn to the entrance, his insides twisted in knots.
She
had arrived.

She stepped further into the pub and, in that very moment, he knew he had made the right decision. Stephan watched her eyes casing the room, searching for him. When they collided with his, his heart rate accelerated, his breathing became deeper, and his groin tightened. A smile swept across her face and the ingrained confidence that had drawn him to her sparked in her eyes. He was doomed and he was fairly certain she knew it. The public place had been a smart choice and would ensure they dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s without succumbing to the deep pit of attraction their proximity created each and every time.

His gaze held hers as she crossed the room toward him. There was an inherent sensual quality to her walk that affected him like a well-aimed arrow, straight through his being.

He stood and pulled out a chair for her as she closed the distance between them. Before taking the chair, without a second of hesitation, she placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth. That simple gesture sent his pulse careening and left him momentarily speechless.

Once she was seated, he reclaimed his chair across from her. Their eyes locked and the air buzzed with electricity with that one look.

After a charged moment, she broke the silence. “Hello, Stephan. I have to admit, I was surprised to get your call. I never thought you would even keep my card after the incident with Terese. So…what’s this all about?”

Stephan studied Jessica, traced the line of her delicate neck, the curve of her lips with his eyes. She parted her lips as if his visual caress was somehow palpable to her. Just as she had done before.

There was no more denying that he wanted her. Stephan couldn’t fight the need to be around her, with her. He couldn’t avoid something that had already happened—his surrender to the emotions she dug from deep inside him.

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other day at lunch.”

Jessica sighed heavily and sat back in her chair. “You’re not the only one who should apologize. I reacted badly to the whole incident with Terese. Your lack of introduction between us, the red cape she waved in front of me loud and clear. You were right. I did behave childishly. Hopefully I didn’t cause any problems between you. That was never my intention.”

He frowned.
Is she dismissing me?
“No. What I mean is, Terese and I…we had an understanding.” Talking about Terese with Jessica felt wrong somehow. But if they were to move forward, he needed to clear the air.

Jessica raised an eyebrow at his choice of words. “Understanding? What type of understanding?” Then a knowing look covered her features. “Oh. Is that what they call it here?”

“Call
it
?”

“You know, ‘friends with benefits.’” Jessica used her fingers to reinforce the quotations around the words.

Stephan smiled, catching the implication, but the glint in his eyes showed he wasn’t quite light-hearted about it. “Yes. Terese and I agreed to see each other on those terms.”

A shadow of a frown briefly marred her brow and then disappeared as she schooled her features. “Why am I here?”

Stephan leaned over the table and took her hand in his, holding tight when she tried to pull back. Her breath hitched at his touch. He caressed her soft skin on the back of her hand with his thumb, and held her gaze. “I think you know why, Jessica. We’ve been trapped in this journey since the moment I left your house last year. It was only a matter of time before we encountered each other again. Isn’t that why you’re here in Dublin? Here with me now?”

Her eyes darkened. “I made no secret about my feeling for you, Stephan.”

“I know. You said so.”

“Enlighten me. Honestly, I’m not sure what you want from me. What are you trying to say?”

“Fuck, Jessica!” Stephan raked his fingers through his hair. “You know damn well I want you, too.”

Jessica’s eyes latched on to his and searched them. “Are you saying what I think you are?”

“Before we go any further, I want to establish a few guidelines.” To him they were more like rules of engagement.

“Guidelines? Such as?”

“We need to agree that when it ends, we will part ways as amicably—as Terese and I did.”

“You ended things with Terese?” Jessica’s eyes widened.

“I don’t date multiple women simultaneously, Jessica.”

A smile spread on her face. “I guess that’s a good thing. I don’t share well, either.” Her smile dimmed slightly when understanding set in. “Ah. You want us to be ‘friends with benefits.’”

Adrenaline shot through Jessica’s veins and her pulse raced out of control. When she stepped into the Brazen Head, she had expected the worst after his curt phone call. Her heart had ached for days after her encounter with Terese and his dismissal. Her pulse continued to race as she considered his words carefully. He was just trading partners. To him it was just sex. He wasn’t offering more. Definitely not what she wanted from him.

“Do you have any questions or anything to add?”

Jessica managed to reply through stiff lips, “Why would you have a termination clause for something that hasn’t even begun?”

“We both know that’s not true, Jessica.” He held her gaze and a flash of electricity speared her, proving his point. “I’ve been battling my reaction to you since the first time I set eyes on you.”

“If that’s the case, why did you run? Why did you leave that night? Why the distance these last few days? I’ve all but thrown myself at you!”

“Let’s be honest here. There’s a huge age gap between us. Terese thought I was your uncle for chrissakes.”