In His Sights (Stealth Series Book 2) Page 9

  He could only imagine what she would say when she learned they were being attacked on all fronts. Rather than being a safe haven, he was only bringing more danger into her life. In fact, if it hadn’t been for his enemies and their attack on his life, Mindy and Anya may well have stayed in the city. They could’ve just gone on living their life... and eventually heard the news about Daniel.

  The thought of her brother’s death made his entire body clench.

  Every bad thing in Mindy and Anya’s life was because of him.

  If they ever found out the truth, they would hate him. And he wouldn’t blame them.

  He was struck by the irony in his situation. On one hand, he wanted to tell her who had been stalking them in the city so she could stop thinking someone was after her. And then on the other hand, he was keeping far worse secrets, though he would have liked to think that the secrets he kept were saving her from heartbreak.

  But was he really saving her? Was it within his right to keep the truth from her? Or was all of this a feeble attempt to save himself from having to face the consequences from his own series of mistakes?

  “You are lying to me. I know when something is wrong.” Mindy squeezed his hands and gave him a sweet smile. “I hope you know you can tell me anything.”

  He jerked. She couldn’t have known what he was thinking—he had a better poker face than that—and yet it was like she could read him. He both hated and loved that about her. Few people in this world seemed to have the ability of really being able to know him just by looking into his eyes, and the fact she seemed able to do so terrified him.

  He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, unsure of exactly what he should say. He hadn’t been this big a mess in a long time. He liked it when his life was cut-and-dried, logical, linear. And yet, here he was, befuddled by the beautiful woman standing between his legs.

  “I know there’s something going on here that you aren’t telling me, and I know it’s about a woman.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, nervous. “I get that relationships can’t always be categorized as boyfriend and girlfriend or whatever, but if you’re dating somebody, that’s okay. I’m cool with it.”

  Oh, hell. Here he had thought she had seen right through him, but what she was really worried about was whether or not he was emotionally available. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or even more concerned.

  “I... No... The woman on the phone, that was my sister. She just had some new information about what happened back there and the picture I took.”

  Mindy relaxed visibly and let out a long sigh. Her hand loosened in his, but she didn’t let go. “Oh,” she giggled, sounding slightly embarrassed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I guess I just have been hurt by so many guys I always assume the worst.”

  “Are you telling me you’re a train wreck when it comes to relationships?” He laughed, glad to take some of the pressure off him and all of his thoughts.

  “Hey, if—and I’m not admitting that I am—but, if I am, it’s because of the men I’ve been in relationships with.” She paused. “There’s been more than one ex who had calls like the one you just had. I would be stupid to fall into the same trap. I like to think I’ve learned a thing or two.”

  “Wouldn’t we all like to think we’ve learned our lessons? That we will never be hurt again?” he said, but as he spoke he stared out the windows into the steadily darkening sky.

  “So, I guess I’m not the only one who’s a bit of a train wreck.” She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair.

  The simple action made his breath catch in his throat. He’d forgotten how good it felt to have someone’s fingers twist in his hair. His pulse quickened as she cupped his face with her other hand. “Jarrod, I want you to know that I’m grateful—for everything. You’ve done so much for me and Anya. And, I promise, no matter what happens, just as you have saved us from getting hurt, I will do my best to keep from hurting you.”

  Just when he had thought he couldn’t feel any more at odds with himself, she had to go and say something so tremendously sweet, and soul crushing. It wouldn’t have hurt so much if for just a split second he had thought she hadn’t meant it, but from the depth in her gaze and the soft lilt of her words, he knew she meant every syllable.

  A flood of thoughts of morality and desire moved through him, and in its wake were dreams of what could be.

  He stood up and wrapped her in his arms. This woman, this beautiful person, could be his future. She could be his everything.

  He pressed his lips against hers. They were as sweet and all-encompassing as the woman they belonged to. And, as he ran his tongue over their curves, he noted that she still tasted of champagne, and it didn’t escape him that its flavor was the epitome of the woman it belonged to. She was refined but complex, full of secrets but then whispering of unarguable truths, and beneath it all there was a sweetness that spoke to years spent perfecting itself. Like the flavor on her lips, she was true perfection.

  And damn, he wanted her.

  All of her.

  If she was a bottle of champagne, he would taste her every drop.

  Hell, champagne or not, he would savor every bit of her and their time together.

  She took a breath, breaking their kiss without moving her lips away from his. “Jarrod... What about Anya?”

  “She’s down for the count.”

  She sighed.

  He expected her to tell him that this was wrong, ill-fated, even out of line perhaps, but instead she looked up at him, her eyes vibrant. “Take me to the back,” she whispered. Her breath brushed his lips. “I want to feel you, all of you.”

  He was instantly hard, in fact, painfully so. He ached to take her here, now, on the floor, on the counter. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t wait.

  He lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the back bedroom of the plane. She shifted her hips, rounding herself against him and making him impossibly harder. He would have to slow her down, no matter how badly he wanted to rip off her clothes and show her exactly how she made him feel.

  Thankfully, the flight attendant had disappeared long ago, but he still checked over his shoulder one more time as he stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind them. For the next hour, or as long as Anya was napping, Mindy was all his.

  She ran her fingers through his hair, wrapping it around her fingers and giving it a pull as she took his lips with hers, the action commanding, even aggressive, and one hell of a turn-on.

  He moaned into her mouth, and she rocked against him.

  Laying her down on the bed, he moved down between her legs. Rubbing his hand over her, he moved his other hand down her leg and pulled off her shoes. He hadn’t noticed until now how red they were, almost like a candy apple...the same color her lips had been when he’d first seen her at the meeting. He dropped the shoes to the floor with a thump and moved to take off her pants.

  Covering her was a thin layer of pink lace and nothing more. As badly as he wanted to rip them open and take her, he forced himself to slow down, to take pleasure in unwrapping the gift that she was.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said, leaning back and taking in the sight of her half-naked body.

  “You haven’t seen all of me,” she said with a self-deprecating chuckle. “Just wait until you see how my jelly rolls.” She put her hands on her stomach.

  Sure, she wasn’t a size two, but that didn’t matter to him. If anything, he was glad she wasn’t. He wanted a woman who was true to herself, true to the needs of her body, and true in her choice of giving her heart and body to him. He wanted her for her and not some stereotype of perfection that was thrust upon them by the world.

  In his eyes, regardless of what she thought, she was perfect.

  He undid her buttons, revealing a bra exactly the same color as her panties. She had
to have planned that, which meant one of two things, either she was the kind of woman who needed to control her life to such an extent that she always wore matching underwear, or she had hoped that things would advance to where they were right now.

  “My, Ms. Kohl,” he said with a shocked laugh, “were you planning on taking advantage of me?”

  She giggled. “You wish.”

  “Then what is this?” He ran his fingers over the edge of her bra, grazing her nipple with his fingertip ever so lightly.

  She moved into his touch. “So, you think just because a woman wears sexy underwear she must be planning on bedding a man? Sir, you are the one who has problems. Can’t a woman just want to feel sexy?”

  He laughed. Damn, this woman was a challenge, and he loved every second he spent with her that much more for it. “My apologies. I guess I just hoped—”

  “That I wanted you?” she said, finishing his sentence.

  “A man can wish.”

  “Do you really need to wish?” She sat up on her elbow and kissed him as her hand slid down and took hold of him. “I’ve wanted you since the first moment I laid eyes on you at that meeting.”

  If he was to be honest with himself, he had wanted her even before that, a longing that started when he became acquainted with her file. Hell, maybe seeing her face was the real reason he had made sure he infiltrated her meeting with the Riksdag all in the name of the CIA.

  There were just a handful of moments in his life when he felt there was something that was meant to be, almost fated. Meeting her and finding himself between her thighs was one of them. Though he didn’t know how this thing would go, there was no question in his mind that this place—and with her—was exactly where he was supposed to find himself.

  He silently thanked the Fates.

  His prayer was met with the sound of a twisting door handle and the bang of a locked door that was trying to be forced open.

  “Anta,” Anya said, her voice muffled only slightly by the thin plastic door. “Anta, I hungry.”

  Mindy sighed, letting go of him and rolling out from underneath before slipping her pants back on. “One minute, sweetheart. I’m on my way.” She gave his shoulder an apologetic squeeze.

  Jarrod flopped down on the bed as a surge of adrenaline coursed through him thanks to the guilt and fear of being caught.

  He was sure the Fates were laughing at his pain. Hopefully, he and Mindy would get the chance to have the last laugh.

  Chapter Eleven

  It was nearly midnight when the plane touched down on the tarmac. The asphalt was bumpy and little more than a farmer’s field with a strip of asphalt, even though it was the private airfield. After they came to a stop, Anya unclipped her belt and ran toward the cockpit and the pilot. “We here?” she called, her voice so high and full of excitement that Jarrod couldn’t help smiling.

  “Yep, baby girl, we are here.” Jarrod stood up and took her by the hand as she toddled from one foot to the other before tumbling to the floor. He helped her up and held out his hand to Mindy.

  She looked tired. Her eyes were dark and her hair was falling loose from the clip she had put it up with. She tried to force it to submit as they made their way down the stairs.

  There was a black sedan waiting for them and it took them straight to the ranch. As they got out of the car, Zoey stepped outside the main house and waved.

  “How was your flight?” she asked.

  Mindy flashed Jarrod a guilty smile. “It was good, but it got a little rough about midflight.”

  He checked his laugh. Zoey would already be looking for something in their relationship to pick apart, and he didn’t want to even hint about what had happened—or rather, hadn’t happened—back on the flight.

  He didn’t need Zoey questioning his judgment. He was the head of both the family and the STEALTH team, even if Zoey constantly took it upon herself to put him to the test. Though she was his junior, she always seemed to be at odds with him, like somehow it was his fault that she was the youngest.

  In a way, Mindy was a bit like Zoey. They were both incredibly strong willed and among the most determined women he had ever met. Hopefully, they would get along.

  And hopefully his secret role in Mindy’s life wouldn’t yet come to light and put their budding relationship in jeopardy.

  Zoey opened the back door to the car. “Hiya, little one,” she said, giving Anya a high five as Jarrod got her out of her car seat. She introduced herself to Mindy with a handshake. So far, so good.

  Anya wiggled in his arms as Zoey stretched her arms to take the girl. Anya, the girl to whom few were considered strangers, pushed him and motioned for him to let her down. She made her way over to Zoey and wrapped herself around her legs in the smallest bear hug he’d ever seen.

  Zoey laughed as she hugged the girl. She motioned them inside. “We have everything ready for you guys. We don’t have much in the way of furnishings in the house, but what we do have is yours. So make yourselves comfortable,” she said, giving Mindy a little nod.

  Maybe his sister had grown up a bit since he had last seen her. Or maybe she was feeling the weight of Trish’s loss. Trish had always been the glue that had held the family together and the one to call Jarrod and Zoey to the table when they were at each other’s throats.

  However, he would do anything for Zoey and she the same for him. And, if anything, her constant pressure had only forced him to work that much harder and for that, they had all benefited.

  Mindy took Anya by the hand, pulling her from Zoey’s legs and lifting her into her arms. “This little one got a nap, but it is well past her bedtime. Is there anywhere specifically that you would like for her to sleep?” Mindy smiled.

  Zoey pointed up the stairs. “Up there, third door down the hall. I made up a bed for both of you. There’s an attached bathroom with everything you need to wash up.”

  Wow, his sister really had thought of everything.

  With a thank-you, Mindy and Anya made their way upstairs. As soon as they turned the corner to the hall and were out of view, Zoey turned on him. “How much does she know? Did you tell her about STEALTH?”

  “I haven’t told her about us—or anything else. I was hoping that we could get this all sorted with the Riksdag first. I don’t want to overwhelm her with everything all at one time.”

  “That’s a cop-out and you know it. You aren’t giving this woman enough credit. She is going to figure out what’s going on, and then where will you be?” Zoey shook her head. “She has an MBA from Brown—graduating first in her class. She is the type who is going to question the world around her.”

  “You’re right, but what we do shouldn’t be on her radar...unless she learns the truth about the kidnapper.”

  “I’m taking it that you didn’t mention his identity to her on the flight?”

  He gave her an exasperated look. “Why are you drilling me before I’m even in the house? Can’t this wait until morning?”

  “You are seriously going to come at me just because I want a little information? I’m helping you, remember?” Zoey rebuked.

  He sighed. “Sorry, I’m just tired. It’s been a hellish couple of days.”

  “Apology accepted.” Zoey started upstairs, Jarrod close on her heels. “And for now, I’ll let Chad and Trevor know where we stand.”

  “How is Chad doing?” Jarrod asked.

  Zoey waved him off. “He’s fine. You know Chad—he’s tougher than nails and the wound wasn’t too bad.”

  “Sounds like he got lucky,” Jarrod said, giving a relieved sigh.

  He considered telling Mindy the truth about who he and his family were—it wasn’t too late to share some of the truths about STEALTH and his role in her life. But he feared opening up. She was smart. She was going to ask questions, and those questions would only lead to catastrophe.

  For now, al
l he could do was avert disaster and keep anyone else from getting shot. If his family came under fire again, he doubted they would be lucky enough to stay alive.

  * * *

  MINDY ROLLED OVER in the bed and glanced at the clock. It was early but sunlight was starting to creep in. Her body, still on New York time, screamed for her to rise and get to the business of her day. Without a doubt, she had probably missed at least a few hundred emails, most of them urgent, thanks to the loss of her phone.

  No wonder she hadn’t missed the dang thing.

  Getting up, she was careful to not rustle too much. Anya was still asleep on the bed beside her. It had been a long, fitful night for them both. Sleeping next to a child was a bit like sharing a bed with a fish out of water. Anya, though she had been completely asleep, flipped and flung her body around in her ever-pressing need to get comfortable.

  As Mindy slipped from the room, her lower back pinged where Anya’s wayward foot had found her a few hours earlier. Coffee. Ibuprofen. Phone. And back to work. Just because she had been out of the loop for the last few days didn’t mean that the world had stopped. And with Daniel being MIA, she could only imagine the state of things at H&K. There had to be someone available to run the ship.

  She made her way down the hall, walking by an open bedroom door. Inside, Jarrod was asleep. He was sprawled out on the bed, taking up nearly the entire thing, and he reminded her of her fight for space with the little fish. He was definitely a man who spent most of his nights alone in his bed. The thought made her smile.

  For a second, she considered going into his room, getting into bed with him and finishing what they had started last night, but instead she simply closed his door. What had happened last night on the plane, while fun, had been a bad idea. With sharing bodies came sharing hearts, and hers was already a hot mess.

  She needed to get her life back in order and under control before she would be ready to open herself up to what a physical relationship would entail. Even before the last few days, starting a relationship would have been questionable at best. Now, thoughts of starting a relationship were completely asinine.