Shaking her head, Riley snickered to herself. Whatever motivated members to visit, nearly irresistible backsides just begging to be squeezed, drool-worthy hunks flexing their toned muscles, or the more versatile athletes heading up the wall with no more than a pair of tight shorts to cover their endowments, she wouldn't argue in the least. Besides, she had her own man to ogle.
Her gaze automatically picked Spoon out of the crowd, the muscles of his arms bunching out as he lifted free weights. Licking her lips, she took in the sight, savoring every second of the powerful, masculine, toned body on display.
Yummy looks, sweet disposition, and caring heart. With all those attributes, Spoon began slowly to slip into the category of hero in the romance novel called her life.
Chapter 13
Spoon grinned as he watched Riley sit at the computer desk, making silly faces as she struggled with her writing. Stretched out on the couch, he simply relaxed, enjoying the pretty scenery while considering a short nap.
He'd called earlier with an offer of a date.
She had reluctantly declined, citing her need to write today as she had already put it off way too much already and quickly added, "Besides the voices are talking today. I have to take advantage of that."
Not willing to give up, he'd changed tactics, tossing out a proposition that he pick up food and bring it to her place so they could share lunch together. As a bonus, he would walk Achilles and keep him entertained, giving Riley free time to focus solely on her latest manuscript. She'd jumped on that suggestion.
They had already devoured the rotisserie chicken dinners he'd brought, cleaned up the mess, and carried the kitchen trash to the receptacle out back lest an opportunistic canine discover the remains. Achilles had lumbered along the walking trail before finding the appropriate spot to do his business, then picked up the pace back to the apartment where the air conditioner battled the hot and humid day to keep the small area temperate. Upon returning, the gigantic dog had flopped down on his extra-large bed, ate his treat, and stretched out to sleep.
Spoon glanced down at Achilles who snored to beat anyone he'd ever met. With a shake of his head, he couldn't help but see the humor in the big lug. While not fat, he carried more weight than when found, his ribs now only slightly noticeable beneath his tan-colored skin. Fast progress in a few short days.
A feminine growl caught his attention.
"What's wrong?"
She maintained her attention on the computer screen. "I'm stuck."
"Computer lock up? I can help with that."
She shook her head. "No. I'm stuck on this scene."
Standing up, he walked to her side, quickly reading the words over her shoulder. "Action?"
Her green eyes looked at him. "Yes, which I struggle with anyway. The hero is supposed to sneak in and rescue the heroine, but I can't seem to figure out how."
Intrigued, he leaned closer, bracing his palms on the desk. "Can I see?"
"Sure." With a nod, she stood up, relinquishing her chair for him. "I'm going to get a drink while you do."
"Go for it." He promptly sat down and scrolled up, taking in the chapter's contents thus far.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
She set up the scene nicely with description and enough details to give the reader an accurate image. "I think I see your issue."
Riley sauntered over to squat at his side. "Really?"
"Yep. The hero is by himself, correct?"
"Yes. I thought he needed to distract the guards to allow himself access to the place where his heroine is being held." She pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Swiveling the chair, Spoon looked down at her. "Ah, but in causing that big distraction, it would put all the guards and everyone else on notice that something was up. Wouldn't it be much easier to use stealth, sneak in, and rescue the damsel in distress without clueing in the whole band of bad guys that he's there?"
She tilted her head this way and that as if puzzling over his line of thinking.
"If the guards are worth their salt, they'll realize the distraction is just that. While it may give him a momentary reprieve to get in, it also ensures he's going to have a firefight to get out. Being alone with her in tow, it's not going to work. Stealth works better. With luck, he can sneak in and out, avoiding a gun battle entirely."
She tapped her chin with a finger then beamed at him. "That's brilliant!" Impulsively, she threw her arms around his neck.
Spoon caught her enthusiastic bounce, holding her tight for a second before dipping his head for a quick kiss.
"Thank you!" She rubbed her nose against his.
Chuckling, he pressed his lips to her forehead once more. "You're very welcome." Her joyous reaction and sheer happiness sent a surge of longing and pride zinging through him. As much as he wanted her, he beat the thought aside, unwilling to risk unsettling her once more. Patience and time won the day every time.
Her hand tugged a drawer open, pulled out a pad of scratch paper, headed to the nearby couch, and jotted down a few notes. Finished, she stared over at him, her head tilting in question.
"You said if my computer froze you could fix it?"
He nodded, reclining back in the comfortable office chair, twiddling his fingers on his jean-clad lap. "I'm good with computers."
"How good?"
"Masters in computer science and software design."
"Wow." Her eyes widened in amazement.
Noting the obvious surprise, he opted to tack on another juicy tidbit. "Not to mention I was a decent teenage hacker in my day."
She blinked as her mouth fell open. "Oh, my. You must be a genius."
"Not even." A snort followed. "I just happen to know a few tricks is all."
"Few tricks? I know a few tricks and can't even get the silly machine to save in the correct format half the time." Setting the pen aside, she shook her head. "I would never have guessed…"
His eyebrows arched. "Thought me to be all brawn and no brains?"
Riley's cheeks stained crimson. "No! Not at all!" She threw her hands up in the air. "You have to be smart in whatever you do. I just didn't expect the computer expertise to go along with it." Leveling her gaze at him, she sucked in a breath. "Heck, any software company would love to hire you."
Shrugging, he rested his elbows on his knees. "I like my job." The topic lay before him while the timing seemed right. Perhaps if he divulged more about himself and his occupation, Riley would thaw a bit more, using the information to solidify her lingering concerns about him. When he got down to it, he trusted her. She showed herself when confiding about her senator father and his manipulative schemes, all potent ammunition if someone chose to turn it against the family. She might have grown on him quickly, but her tap root lodged deep.
"I know you have questions about what I do. Maybe it's time I cleared some of them up."
Her head jerked up from the pad in her hands. "I would like that. That is, if you're ready to tell me. I realize that some things are classified and confidential and I have no right to them, but…"
Spoon walked over to lay a finger on her lips, stilling her rambling speech. "I'm not breaking any national secrets, well, not too many anyway. You just have to keep everything to yourself. Lives depend on it. Okay?"
At her nod, he gracefully plunked down beside her. She twisted around, one bent leg on the cushion, as to have a direct bead on him.
"I'm a Wind Warrior."
She continued to look at him with focused interest.
"We're an elite team of ex-military personnel who contract jobs with the federal government to go after nests of vipers that need to vanish, but the regular forces can't stain their hands with."
"Like a mercenary?" Her quiet words held no judgment.
"You could call us that, I suppose, with a few caveats. We don't work for the highest bidder as the US government is our only client. And, according to the federal government, we don't exist. Very few even know of our existence. A high ranking official pushes the missions down to our leader, who goes over each with a fine toothed comb. He doesn't accept them all and each of us can bow out at any time, no questions asked."
"Sounds like a good boss to have."
He thought of Night for a moment. "Definitely. He won't ask us to do anything he's not willing to do. Hell, he goes on almost every mission, too. Right there in the trenches beside us."
"It sounds awfully dangerous. What if you get injured or worse?" Green eyes flickered with worry.
"Government policy is to never negotiate for hostages. Injuries can be tended anywhere since we carry a dozen or so identification cards that will satisfy even the most skeptical hospital guard or airline security. If someone falls in the line of duty…" He scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Luckily, that hasn't happened yet, but then the team would go into recovery mode."
She sucked in a breath. "You travel the world?"
He shook his head. "We haven't thus far. Our boss prefers to stick in North America. Plenty of bad guys here and the assignments are much shorter than if we were stuck in the Middle East for a year or longer. The shorter missions keep us fresh and we get home to our friends and family sooner and more often, which is a huge perk over active military duty."
For a long moment Riley remained quiet, her gaze shifting to the computer, Achilles, then back to him. He could almost see the hamster wheel in her brain attempting to process all the sensitive data he gave her.
"I take it you have some advanced military training in your background?"
"Green Beret, in my case. The others are a mix of Navy Seals, Green Berets, and a Recon Force Marine."
Her eyes grew like saucers. "No wonder you're built like a delicious tank."
He couldn't help but grin at her description.
"Your friend at the gym…?"
"Loco. He's the Marine in the group."
"That's why you guys receive so much attention when you show up. The women can't stare enough at the drop dead gorgeous bodies before their eyes, and the men can't believe how effortlessly you climb the wall and the skill levels you both show while sparring in martial arts."
"You know this how?"
She rolled her eyes. "I have eyes and ears. People talk. Sometimes to me. Sometimes to others or even themselves. I have a lot of downtime to do nothing more than eavesdrop on conversations." Her small hand rested on his thigh. "It all makes sense now. I knew you had something to do with security after seeing your shoulder harness in place. Being raised with a full detail that followed my father around at every campaign stop, I had ample exposure to such men. Always packing."
A slow grin appeared on his face. Unable to resist, he threw out the blatant innuendo. "Locked and loaded."
"Literally? Or figuratively?"
Leaning forward, he whispered to her. "Both."
"Oh, boy." Her face pinkened, but she made no move to retreat. Instead, she scooted closer, balancing herself on her knees, her hands planted on his lower thigh. Lifting up, her lips brushed over his, teasingly, then with more gusto.
Reining in his straining urges, he allowed Riley to control this round of affection, willing to give her all she wanted as long as she made the first move. Let her confidence grow while she played to her heart's content, aware and content with the realization that he would take a submissive stance this time.
Several intense kisses later, she pulled back, her lips slightly swollen and eyes hooded with sensual need. "Oh, my."
Steeling himself, Spoon ignored the demanding ache in his groin, hoping the obvious consequential bulge would deflate fairly soon.
It better. I hate cold showers.
As much as he wanted to carry her off to the bedroom, lay her out before him, and taste every inch of her delectable body, the timing wasn't right. He knew it in his head and gut, no matter that his persistent erection disagreed wholeheartedly.
Just as she angled toward him again, a slobbery mouth nudged in between their bodies, leaving a string of drool over both of them. Riley sat back on her heels, a wide smile on her face.
"Jealous puppy." Her small hands ruffled his ears.
Spoon patted the nearly two hundred pound interloper, not the least bit upset with the interruption. Let Riley tempt and tease for now, making her all the more ready for their time down the road. A time when she would not only initiate their consummation but will revel in passionate pleasure.
Glancing over, he realized the problem. Achilles' food bowl in the kitchen had been licked clean. "Hungry puppy."
"Oh." Riley jumped up and headed directly to remedy the issue, the dog right on her heels.
Watching the sway of her hips, Spoon set his back teeth and recited a few multiplication tables in his mind. When that failed, he sighed in resignation of the apparent cold shower in his near future.
Chapter 14
A chiming pulled Riley from her slowly evolving manuscript. With a grumble, she picked up her cell phone, checked the caller ID, then released a huge sigh. Not the person she wanted to speak to, now or later.
Forcing a smile into her voice, she answered. "Hello, Father."
"Riley." His deep voice carried authority and command, instantly putting her on the defensive. "I'll be in your city on Tuesday. We're holding a campaign rally at the Main Hotel. I expect you to attend and show your support. I'll find a few minutes after my speech to speak with you."
"But, I have to work Tuesday." Nice of him to give her a week's notice.
At least that will give Spoon more time to return from the assignment he left for last evening. She had begun to cringe when his phone rang, dreading the word that he would be leaving again only to return who knew when. As much as she enjoyed her alone time, she found hanging out with Spoon fun and addictive. In all honesty she missed him as soon as he left.
"Nonsense!" His voice gained a few decibels. "It's at six pm. You won't be working then."
She squirmed in her seat. Achilles ambled over, resting his large head on her lap, black eyes looking up at her as if he understood how much Senator Bordeaux upset her.