“Why didn’t you use this way to get in?” Collin asked as he followed her down the slight incline.
“Though I know the way in from the closet, I haven’t found a button or lever on the outside.” They emerged from a small alcove outside the Main Sector. Security lights lit the ground in spots, while the full moon brightened the sky to an eerie gray.
“I bet you drove Theo nuts disappearing whenever you wanted.” He placed his arm across her waist and held her back as he looked around. The woods surrounding the Main Sector were about twenty yards away, giving the cameras on the walls a clear view. “Wait.”
Even having Collin touching her through layers of clothes had her heart racing more than their near capture. Eyes narrow and cold, he still held the sword in his other hand. The velvet had fallen from the blade and the sight gave him a medieval appearance, especially with his black clothes and ferocious look.
“Unless they caught it in the last eight years, there’s a small three-foot wide area the cameras don’t cover.” Regretfully she moved along the wall. Touching him would have to wait. “There. See the two sweet gum trees twined together like lovers?”
“Yeah.”
She imagined he didn’t miss anything. “From the wall to the area around the tree is the cameras’ blind spot.”
“Good. I left a car on the road east of here.” He charged into the woods.
As she followed him, the moonlight flickered in and out of the trees. Everything felt weird, surreal. She’d sealed her fate. If Theo had any doubts the OS had taken her by force before, no matter how true it had been, he would certainly know she betrayed him this time. No turning back. She looked at the man leading the way. His broad shoulders moved with each slice, the thick humidity not slowing him down.
She grinned. Feeling light and carefree, her smile widened. She enjoyed working alongside Collin. The sensation was weird and wonderful. Would it last? If Theo had anything to do with it, no.
Then Olivia remembered Marie had said something about a secret weapon. What was Theo up to?
C
ollin pulled up in front of the small cabin he’d rented under a false name in the Smoky Mountains. The woman next to him examined the surrounding area with a suspicious eye, probably expecting him to give her back to The Circle.
“I still say we would be safer at the OS headquarters.” She stepped out of the midsized car and headed toward the front door.
“Headquarters is in lockdown. No one can get in or out during the next forty-eight hours.”
He had many reasons and one was to make sure that Theo didn’t try anything crazier than he already had. Rex would take care of their people in Atlanta, while Collin made his next move from Tennessee. That was the agreement he and Rex had made when they met at a rest stop near the Tennessee border. Plus knowing that the sword was with Rex and in a safe place, Collin could plan his next step to take over The Circle.
“Do you plan to hide out in the mountains and let Rex do your dirty work?” she asked, arms crossed as she glared at him. “I hate wildlife. I want the city where I can take a decent bubble bath and a decent meal.”
Who yanked her britches and tied them in a knot?
He shook his head as he lifted a box and duffle bag from the trunk. One glance at her and he concentrated on navigating the steps to the front porch. The pink in her cheeks and her eyes shiny with anger only made her more beautiful.
His body tightened and ached to find relief in that hot body of hers. Hard to believe it had been less than two weeks since they had made love. Hell, he had a hard time believing she’d only come into his life less than six months ago. She’d become an important part.
As she stood next to him, he inhaled the scent that was all Olivia—sweetness and tart rolled together. It was time for him to pull back and chill. The thought of letting her get too close scared the shit out of him. She would know he wanted her and how she affected him. And she was trained to use every advantage.
After unlocking the door, they walked into the living room and paused to take in the sight through the wide glass panes. The dusky mountains in the distance and the tree-filled valley below them were breathtaking. They could pretend they were alone in the world with such a view.
“There’s only one bedroom. I’ll take the couch.” He nodded to the brown leather sofa sitting in front of the large flat-screen television and fireplace.
“Fine!” She slammed the bedroom door behind her.
What was that about?
He shrugged and dropped the box on the kitchen countertop, then the duffle bag behind the couch before returning to the car for more supplies. He wasn’t sure what her problem was but he knew the next week was going to be interesting. He needed to keep his mind on preparing his final plan of attack against Theo, but there was no way he could keep his hands off Theo’s ex-mistress.
U
nsure of why she let the man get to her, she pulled out the snub-nose revolver she’d stolen out of his supplies. He was crazy if he thought she would go weaponless for long. Then again, she hadn’t been completely unarmed. She lifted her shirt and pulled out the wicked-looking knife from its scabbard attached and tucked into her pants. A. J. had provided the weapon. Knives were silent killers if used correctly.
She hoped A. J. survived whatever Theo planned for her. But maybe her new friend had talked her way out of the situation. Although unpredictable, Theo’s ego got in his way and he often thought his people too afraid to betray him. Besides, just like Olivia, A. J. understood the risks.
She hid the knife and scabbard under the mattress. Then she checked the gun. Yep, fully loaded. What was the use of having a gun if it wasn’t loaded?
Looking around, she decided staying in the mountains might be rather nice after all. The large bathroom had a shower and a Jacuzzi wide enough for two. Thoughts of making love with Collin in the midst of mounds and mounds of bubbles flushed her face.
She turned away and was happy to see another door leading to a wraparound porch. Good. What a relief to see another way out of the cabin besides the front door.
A knock on her bedroom door had her reaching for the gun where she’d left it on the nightstand. She shook her head. Like Theo and his cronies would knock before breaking down the door. Time to get a grip on her nerves. After she checked the safety, she slipped the gun beneath a pillow.
“Do you want a sandwich?” Collin asked through the door.
“I’ll be right out.” She stared at herself in the mirror. When she’d broken into Theo’s dressing room at two this morning, she’d never expected to find herself two hundred plus miles away and in need of a brush. Her hair stuck out of her ponytail and framed her face like a frizzy cap. What little makeup she’d worn—hard to believe it was less than twelve hours ago—to the meeting with Theo had sweated off during their run through the wilderness. “Go ahead and eat without me. I’m going to clean up first.”
There was silence and then she heard, “Okay,” and footsteps moved away from the door.
A strange feeling of loneliness came over her. She wanted to open the door and ask him to join her, to touch the hard warm surfaces of his body, to taste the musky favor of his skin again. What was it about this man that made her want more than she ever wanted? More than she deserved?
An ache poured over her body. Every scratch and bruise shouted its mistreatment. Time in the Jacuzzi would do the trick.
She cranked up the flow of water and stripped. As soon as water reached a reasonable level, she climbed in and added bubbles. Once the bubbles reached her chin as she leaned back, she shut it off and turned on the jets, closing her eyes and enjoying the massage.
“Shit, this is almost as good as a man,” she said to herself. Bending a knee, one jet hit the spot on her hip where she’d slammed into the wall trying to reach Theo’s window.
“I hope to God not.”
“Christ!” The water sloshed over the side and a slow spread of dark blue ran along his pant leg. He lifted the material a little to see the damage, wiping at the wetness. She leaned back again. “You deserve it for scaring me like that,” she teased.
Resting one hand on the tub near her head, he leaned in almost nose to nose. “Do I really scare you?” His dark eyes flared as he looked down.
She was sure he received a nice how-do-you-do from her taut nipples peeking out of the bubbles and she couldn’t resist inhaling deep to see how he would react. When his gaze lifted, her breath left her. The heavy lidded look he gave her would’ve brought a moistness between her legs if she hadn’t already been sitting in water.
“Oh, hell, yeah.” She tilted her head up and met his lips. No tenderness wanted or given as she immersed herself in the kiss. Just pure carnal pleasure as she took his tongue into her mouth.
His hand covered one breast, squeezing and releasing the fullness as a callused thumb rubbed the nipple. Their lips separated, giving each other time to breathe. His forehead rested against hers as they watched his hand massage her breast.
Unable to hold back any more, she rose to her knees, water pouring off her. Taking her time, she pressed a few quick kisses to his neck and unbuttoned his shirt with a slow pull and tuck, working her way down. Before she reached the last button he stood and jerked it off. In seconds, he was naked and climbing into the water with her.
His hands clasped her rib cage and lifted her, placing her on her knees above his lap. Considering she was no featherweight, his actions revved her engines into high gear. The play of muscles across his upper arms and chest stretching and bunching sent shivers of delight straight to the area where his cock sought entrance. With a shift of her hips, he slid in, long and hard. She sighed. He chuckled and thrust. He felt so wonderful, filling her with pure heat.
The slow, easy pace building with each rise and fall of her hips gave her time to examine his handsome face. In fact, they watched each other as she rode him, immersed in each other’s pleasure. His eyes glittered with an emotion she didn’t recognize but quickly found herself in his arms and out of the water.
“Damn! We’ll do slow and gentle later,” he groaned in her ear as he slapped her back to the wall and thrust faster.
Around his back she crossed her ankles and twined her arms around his neck, holding on with all her might. Her breath came in pants with each thrust. The cords along his neck stood out as he strained to bring her to a climax with him. His big hands hooked under her arms and lifted until her breasts were even with his mouth. He sucked a nipple into his mouth and bit.
That was the final push she needed. “Aww! Collin!”
Her fingers clasped his head to her as her body bowed. She went limp and he shoved into her for the last time. His long groan brought a smile to her face.
Her arms tightened on his neck when he moved back with her still in his arms and walked into the bedroom. He leaned over and yanked off the bedspread and dropped her on the mattress. Before she could complain of the cool sheets, his heated body was on top of her and he plunged into her again.
“Oh, my.” Wide-eyed, she stared up into those amber eyes she found so fascinating. “You’re still hard.”
“A little trick I learned in Bangkok.” He kissed her and then pulled back a little. “Now we do gentle.”
She gasped when he sucked in a nipple and tugged at the tender flesh. His big masculine hands skimmed over her sides to the flare of her hips as he spread kisses down her torso until he reached the place she wanted his expertise again. When his mouth covered what actually throbbed for his touch, she opened her mouth and sighed. He licked and nipped at the hard knot. She groaned. The man was an expert.
He shifted his shoulders until her legs dangled over them. Every swirl of his tongue brought an answering thrust of her groin. He acted as if he planned to feast on her all day. When he thrust two fingers into her, she bowed her back and shouted his name. As she climaxed, he moved over her and eased into her warmth. His thrusts were slow and measured as if they had all the time in the world. Before she realized it, her body responded with another intense climax.
By the time he’d finished with her, she was so weak she couldn’t protest when he moved away.
He walked into the bathroom. The jets stopped and then she heard the gurgling of water draining from the tub. A moment later he returned, strutting to the bed, heavy cock swaying, and pulled a sheet over her before he slipped in beside her. With one arm, he drew her body into his, arranging her head on his arm. She smiled.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’ve never felt so weak afterwards.” With her eyes closed, she inhaled the scent of sex and Collin and smiled again.
“Good” was all he said before she fell asleep.
C
ollin brushed the back of his finger down her soft cheek. Though sound asleep, she puffed out sighs each time he touched her. It was charming.
Instead of the dangerously beautiful femme fatale he’d met on an airplane in Seattle, she looked like a pretty twenty-something woman sleeping in his arms. So much more treacherous and lethal to his plans and heart.
Olivia whimpered.
He kissed her forehead. “Shh, I’ll take care of you. You have nothing to worry about.”
She sighed.
Yeah, completely dangerous. He leaned over and checked under the mattress for his gun. Earlier, he’d found her stash of weapons and couldn’t help but be proud of her initiative in protecting herself. Hugging her to his body, he fell asleep too.
“R
ex, I don’t give a flying fuck what you think about the plan. Tell me what you heard. Time is about to run out and I need to dump this phone.”
Olivia stood near the corner of the cabin’s wraparound porch listening to Collin’s conversation on a disposable cell phone he’d obviously picked up while in Pigeon Forge. The cell would be used one time and then broken into a hundred pieces, a standard procedure for any operative. He’d snuck out to make his call and she’d guessed he was making plans without her. And she was right.
“Secret weapon? I heard something about that but nothing definite. Did they give you any details?” He stopped his pacing and stared blindly into the lightning bug–filled evening. “No? Then it’s probably a bluff.”
With eyebrows raised, he held the phone away for a moment. Rex’s deep timbre reached her ears as he yelled. Then Collin said in an even tone, “Settle down. I’ll call you tomorrow night. Make sure everyone’s in place at the time we decided.” He chuckled. “No. She hasn’t been a problem.” Another chuckle. “For God’s sake, maybe your problem is you haven’t gotten any in a long time. Rex?”
He glared down at the phone and then placed it to his ear again. “Rex?”
He chortled and dropped the cell phone on the porch and stepped on it. The sound of cracking plastic echoed in the quiet night. Once he picked it up, he started taking it apart, slamming it against the rail a couple times to break the more stubborn parts.
Then he glanced at the trees beyond. “Olivia, do you have any idea what Theo’s secret weapon is?”
Crap! Of course, he would know she was eavesdropping. She was beginning to feel like a klutz around him. What she’d always heard was correct; love made a person an idiot. Hell, she’d even slept soundly last night. She wasn’t even sure if she had any of her usual nightmares.
The last six nights had been magical with Collin. He’d been a giving lover and careful to make sure she climaxed twice as many times as he did. She wished . . . no, wishes never came true for people like her.
She tightened the cloth tie on his robe. The few times they went into town, they’d picked up a few items of clothing, underwear, and other essentials for her, but she preferred to wear his robe in the evenings after they made love. Inside she cringed with that thought. It was just sex, really good sex with Collin; she couldn’t forget that.
Toe-to-toe, she rested her hands on his chest. Oh, my, he felt so good. That was part of her problem. She only had to be in touching range for all sense to leave her, and each time they made love she thought she would finally have enough of him, but her need only grew. Her brain had become mush. Her killer instincts nil.
She tilted her head and rubbed her cheek against his hand as he caressed her neck. Then he slipped the robe off her shoulders and continued to caress her as the night air and his touch brought her to a fevered pitch. There was decadence to her being naked outside while he was clothed. She didn’t care. She was becoming obsessed with him and she’d worry about it later.
His hands returned to her shoulders and pressed. She slowly went to her knees. During her descent she unsnapped and unzipped his jeans. His hard penis fell easily into her hands. Wrapping both hands around him, she licked the sensitive knob, causing Collin to groan with pleasure. Her mouth took him inside as she flicked the slit with her tongue. She squeezed with one hand and fondled his sac with the other. Then she lowered her mouth further and then pulled back, building the rhythm he hinted at with every groan and thrust of his hips, not sure how much longer she could wait until she had what she lovingly sucked between her legs instead of her lips.
“Fuck, Olivia,” he moaned.
She moved her mouth off him but continued massaging his length. “Oh, yeah, you better,” she said and grinned up at him.
When he grabbed two handfuls of her hair, she thought he would lead her mouth back to his cock. Instead, he brought her to her feet. “You’re really something, you know that?” Then he took her mouth.
Knowing he tasted himself on her tongue almost sent her to her knees again. His mouth left hers to dip to one taut nipple. He sucked so hard the burn bowed her body and she rubbed herself against his rough denim clad leg. Just as he switched to her other breast, they heard the crack of a stick breaking. They froze and then dropped flat to the porch, making their bodies as small as possible, less of a target.
She pointed to the direction the sound came from and then held up the palm of her hand in question. He nodded and then tipped his head toward the door hidden in the shadows. Without wasting a second, she crawled away as he stayed close behind.
C
ollin watched her deliciously naked peach-shaped butt wag its way toward the side door. Until his dying day, he’d never need pharmaceutical help in maintaining a hard-on. All he would need to do was remember that sight. At least he had the presence of mind to zip up his pants.
The first gunshot missed him by four inches, spraying splinters into his face and arms. Scrambling for the door, they fell inside the cabin with another round of gun fire and flying fragments.
“Get your clothes on and we’ll leave through the bedroom window.” He glanced to see if she was following orders, and she’d already pulled on a thong and jeans. Every move had her breasts swaying and jiggling. When his cock began to fill, he turned away. Fuck! He had to keep his mind on getting away. “Don’t forget the Beretta Sub-Compact and your knife.”
His grin widened when he heard her gasp behind him. So she’d thought he hadn’t noticed the missing Beretta or that she possessed a wicked-looking knife. After buttoning up his shirt and snapping his pants, he turned back to her. She was dressed, hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“Here.” He tossed a small backpack to her. “Throw in what you believe will be useful in the woods.”
She threw it down. “No way! We need to leave in the car. I’m not a Girl Scout and I don’t do the outdoors for anybody.” When she turned to glare at him, her eyes widened and she grabbed his arm. “Shit! You’re bleeding.” She snatched a handful of tissues from the bathroom counter and dabbed at his cheek.
Pulling away from her unusual feminine hovering, he nodded to where gunshots continued to take chunks out of the outside walls.
“You know we’re sitting ducks here and will certainly be in the car. Through the woods is the best way to shake them.” He strapped his other Beretta to an ankle and then clipped on a sling to a lightweight MP5 submachine gun, pulling it over his head and under one arm.
She shook her head. “You do understand that’s not just a couple miles of woods like behind the Main Sector? That’s miles and miles of wilderness. People have been known to disappear and never be seen again. I refuse . . .”
Before she could persist with her complaining a loud crack and then tinkling of broken glass warned them that someone was coming in.
Shots were fired into the bedroom and they ducked behind the bed. He heard movement a few feet behind him and he turned as a dark figure jumped. Without a second to waste, he fired and the power of the submachine gun flipped the body in the air and away from him. Then he heard another intruder and looked over to Olivia.
It looked as if she was hugging the dark dressed man, but when the other gunman slipped to the floor, Collin caught the flash of a red-coated blade. She’d stabbed the man in the back, probably straight into his kidney. The shock to the man’s body would paralyze him until they could make their escape, unless she decided to slit his throat.
She never ceased to amaze him.
They turned out the lights and waited for a few minutes, listening to the continued gunfire outside while the man at Olivia’s feet whimpered.
“Slit his throat,” Collin commanded.
“No,” she simply said and opened the window, crawling out.
If he didn’t know better, he would say she looked a little pale. Was the thought of taking a man’s life up close too much for the sexy assassin? Interesting. Another layer of the most fascinating and deadly woman he’d ever met.