Jay saw the light return to Kate’s eyes, and her heart lifted. “They said you were distraught over my death, and that was part of the reason you committed suicide.”
“Oh, Jay. Never. Never, you hear me?” She shook Jay’s shoulders lightly.
Jay nodded, glad to have her instincts confirmed.
“You know I would never kill myself. Suicide is a selfish, cowardly act—to do that would have dishonored your memory.”
“I know, but—oh, Kate.” Jay’s body continued to tremble, and Kate wrapped her in a warm embrace. In a hollow voice, Jay said, “When I heard that you were dead, the pain was unbearable. I thought I could almost understand why you would’ve taken your life rather than live with the suffering.”
“Oh, baby.” Kate pulled Jay into her lap and rocked her.
Neither one of them had any idea how long they sat there like that, trying to comprehend what was happening.
Eventually, Jay shifted her weight subtly. The new position sent shockwaves through Kate. The feel of Jay’s body against hers rekindled a fire that Kate had thought permanently extinguished. She closed her eyes as a wave of pure desire swamped her senses. She pressed her lips to the hollow of Jay’s throat, then the side of her neck, and finally the sensitive edges of her ear.
Jay gasped, a desperate moan escaping her lips. “I’ve missed you so much.” She threw her head back to give Kate better access.
The sight of Jay’s head thrown back, the sounds of her need, drove Kate’s hunger to a fever pitch. Her body began to shake with the effort of reining herself in. For a fleeting moment, she didn’t want to control the passion—she wanted to ravish Jay with abandon—but the scars of loss and grief were still too raw. She wondered if they always would be.
Softly, Kate ran her tongue and lips along Jay’s pulse point, nipping and licking as she went. This time when Jay trembled, she knew it wasn’t
The Value of Valor
from fear. Gently, she lay Jay down on the sand, her mouth seeking the warmth of tender skin, her mind urging restraint even as her body demanded her lover.
Deftly, she removed Jay’s shirt and bra, her lips craving the taste of sweet breasts and tender nipples. She sighed with joy as she felt the softness turn hard under the ministrations of her tongue and mouth.
When Jay’s hips rose in supplication, Kate’s fingers answered the call, dipping inside her lover’s shorts to explore exquisite folds and crevices that were uniquely Jay.
Within seconds, Jay levitated off the sand, her cries of relief and release rising and falling with the crashing waves.
As Jay recovered, Kate lay there, trying to reconcile what had just happened with her need to protect her grieving heart.
Before she could say a word, Jay reversed their positions, her mouth and hands desperate to touch, taste, and tantalize. Kate gasped, her body compelled to respond to this woman who meant more than anything in the world to her.
Jay licked the ocean salt from Kate’s cleavage, her shaking hands finding and releasing the clasp at the back of Kate’s bikini. She couldn’t ever remember feeling a greater sense of urgency.
Jay’s fingers played over her lover’s hardened nipples, thumbs and forefingers lightly pinching the sensitive skin. Her teeth grazed the flesh on Kate’s abdomen and pelvis, each point of contact eliciting a sensual moan that further fed her need to bring pleasure. Her senses were on overload, her emotions raw.
Jay ran her tongue up the inside of the long, muscular legs she loved so much, pausing to nip at particularly sensitive spots.
“Please, Jay. I need you so much,” Kate sobbed, in spite of herself.
The plea was all that was necessary to end the sweet torture. Jay’s mouth hovered over Kate’s center as she removed her bikini bottom. She slid her hands under Kate’s buttocks and lifted her legs over her shoulders, inhaling deeply her lover’s musky scent. Tears of gratitude coursed down her face, mingling with Kate’s wetness as she pressed the tip of her tongue against her clitoris.
Kate shuddered with pleasure at the delicate touch. “Jay,” she beseeched.
Jay filled Kate with her tongue, stroking, licking, and sucking until Kate’s scream pierced the air, her body growing rigid as the orgasm ripped through her.
When it was over, she pulled Jay on top of her, wrapping long arms around her and rocking them both as they cried.
Lynn Ames
Bright lights shone through Barbara’s swollen eyelids. Her head pounded and her whole body ached—she was fairly sure she had several broken ribs and a concussion. Briefly, she wondered if she might have ruptured her spleen. She could smell the scent of her own fear, but she hoped she was hiding it well. They had her sitting upright in a straight-backed chair with her hands secured behind her back and her legs shackled to the chair; the handcuffs were cutting into her wrists.
“I’m going to ask you one more time, Dr. Jones. Where is Katherine Kyle? Don’t tell me you don’t know—that’s a lie.” The Viper loomed over Barbara, his face a mask of menace.
Her nostrils flared with fear, but Barbara was determined to protect her friend and buy herself time. “What makes you think I would know anything? Katherine Kyle is a patient of mine, that’s all. Even if I did know, which I don’t, I wouldn’t tell you. Look, I don’t even know what it is you want with her.”
“Let’s review the facts, shall we, Doctor? You attended Ms. Kyle’s funeral; ran out of there like someone had set your shoes on fire; made a mad dash for the airport without any luggage; boarded a plane for Denver, which coincidentally just happens to be the last place Kyle’s ATM card was used; checked into a hotel; and checked out forty-five minutes later to catch a flight home. Rather odd behavior, wouldn’t you say? Why would you do that?”
“I told Gonzo over there—I had a patient in Denver who needed to be seen. It took less time than I anticipated, and I was able to get back home instead of staying overnight. I didn’t want to miss Ms. Kyle’s funeral, so I made it through the service before having to run, literally. What part of this doesn’t make sense to you?”
“It would all make sense to me, Doctor, if it were true.” He leaned over her so that his hot breath was on her face. “But it’s not. You know it and I know it. We will get the truth, Doctor. It’s just a question of how painful the process will be for you.” He emphasized the point by slamming her jaw with his open hand.
Barbara’s ears rang painfully; she wondered if her hearing would be permanently damaged.
Assuming I ever make it out of here alive.
She shot him her best hateful glare and spit out some blood. “I’m going to say this very slowly—I…don’t…know…where…Katherine…Kyle…is.”
“Get me the sodium pentothal,” the Viper ordered, preparing her arm for the injection.
“Truth serum is great,” Barbara offered as her pulse quickened and her heart turned over, “assuming there’s something to divulge. In this instance, since I don’t know anything, you’re wasting your time.”
The Value of Valor
“We’ll just see about that, won’t we?” He took the syringe Steven handed him and jabbed it into her vein.
She clenched her jaw shut to keep from screaming, all the while running through in her mind things she might divulge if she were not careful. Truth serum was a misnomer—as a doctor, she knew that. While the drug would act in a manner similar to forcing her to consume four or five alcoholic drinks, it would not necessarily result in her telling the truth. It would merely significantly lower her inhibitions. Did she know anything that would help them? Yes. If they asked the right question, would the drug loosen her tongue enough for her to tell them about Peter? It was a distinct possibility. She prayed she wouldn’t endanger him—he was Kate’s only ally.
“We’ll be back in a minute,” the Viper called, as he and the others left the room.
Barbara let her head fall forward as she groaned, praying she had the strength to fight the drug, hoping more than anything that Peter would come charging through the door.
Max and Peter sat in the living room of the new, fully furnished condo rented under the alias Walter Iso.
“Now you know everything I know.”
“Damn, boss. You always seem to wind up in the middle of the fun.
My life seems downright boring compared to yours.”
“Any time you want to join me in the consulting business, just say the word,” Peter offered. He was glad beyond measure to have a trusted ally on his side.
“Thanks,” Max laughed, “I think I’ll stick with boring for a while longer.”
“That’s what I figured.”
“Where do you want to start?” Max asked.
“The way I see it, we’ve got three items that need immediate attention.”
“Find Barbara,” Max said.
“That’s number one on my list at the moment,” Peter agreed. “We also need to pay a visit to the mysterious Dr. Englert. Maybe we can find something out on that end.”
“I imagine the third thing is keeping Kate safe.”
“Right.”
Max thought for a minute. “I could call a buddy of mine at the Albany County Airport. He’s a controller there—if whoever took Barbara got her out on a private plane as you suspect, he’d be able to help us.”
Lynn Ames
Peter nodded. “He could tell us if any private planes took off in our time frame.”
“Yes, and where they were headed. If you’re right in your hunch that they brought her here to D.C., he could confirm that. He could also give us the plane’s call number and who it’s registered to.”
“Good thinking. Get on it. While you’re doing that, I’m going to check in with my guy on the ground in New Zealand and make sure the package got delivered safely.”
Max smiled. “I do love a happy ending. I can’t imagine Kate’s face when she sees Jay.”
“I can.” Peter smiled just thinking about it.
Jay was sleeping peacefully, sprawled across the bed in the cottage where they had retreated to have some privacy. Kate wanted to nap, too, but she was too afraid that she would wake and Jay would be gone.
Kate rolled over and cupped Jay’s breast with shaking fingers; tears leaked slowly out of her eyes. She couldn’t keep herself from wanting her lover, but she was terrified of making herself vulnerable again. The agony of losing Jay was still so fresh. She knew her heart couldn’t stand going through that again.
Jay stirred, rolling over to face Kate, her fingers finding Kate’s silky hair. She sighed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“What is it, sweetheart?” Jay asked again, still in a state of semi-shock. Kate was really lying here with her. She closed her eyes and savored the moment.
Kate merely shook her head, unable to put words to the confusion she was feeling. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes tightly, but the panic stayed with her.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Jay whispered, “being here, together like this.” Slowly, carefully, she traced the outline of Kate’s strong face, first with her fingertips, then with her mouth. To feel those familiar features, to look into her lover’s eyes—it was almost too much.
Kate’s mind screamed for her to turn away—to run—but she couldn’t. Her body craved Jay’s touch.
Jay continued her reverent exploration, trailing gentle fingers down Kate’s neck and along the planes of her collarbone, again leaving kisses in the wake of her touch. When she came to Kate’s breasts, Jay rubbed her cheek against the softness before licking and biting the salty skin, reveling in, and moaning softly at, the exquisite taste.
Jay sighed. “To be able to be with you like this again…” Her voice failed her as she buried her face in Kate’s soft skin. How could she
The Value of Valor
possibly convey everything Kate meant to her, what it felt like to be able to make love?
With her hands and mouth, she worshipped Kate, leaving no millimeter of skin unloved, until at last she arrived at her center. Jay’s hands shook slightly and her lips quivered as she brushed her thumbs and tongue over the sensitive folds. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, losing herself in the tastes and sensations that she had thought she’d never experience again.
Kate tried to resist the pull of her body—tried not to accept the love Jay was offering, but it was impossible. She surrendered to her need.
As Jay felt the first wave of Kate’s orgasm, her heart overflowed with joy and gratitude. “There are no words to tell you how much I love you, Kate,” she managed to say through her tears.
“You just did,” Kate said in a choked whisper, as she pulled Jay up into a tender embrace. “You just did.” Despite her best intentions, Kate felt her eyelids grow heavy. She fell into a fitful sleep.
Lynn Ames
CHAPTER NINETEEN
arbara felt disconnected from her body. She tried her best to stay B focused. She blinked slowly, her swollen eyelids making the process more difficult.
“All right, Dr. Jones, let’s try this again, shall we? How are you feeling?”
“Happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve been drunk. In fact, I can’t ever remember feeling quite this tipsy.”
Oh, boy. I’m in trouble.
“That’s good. We want you to be happy. In fact, we’d like to share that euphoria with you.”
“That’s a laugh.”
“No, we truly would. You know, we admire you—you’re a gutsy lady.”
“Yeah?”
“That’s right. Not many women would stand up to us the way you have. You’ve got moxie.”
She giggled. “That’s what Peter always says.”
The Viper appeared instantly alert. “Peter?”
Barbara nodded. “Mmm hmm,” she said dreamily.
“Is he your boyfriend?”
“Who? Peter?” She laughed. “Not by a long shot.”
“Is he Kate’s boyfriend?”
This made Barbara laugh even harder. “Good heavens, no. Kate likes girls. Well, one girl in particular, but she’s gone now.”
“Jamison Parker?”
“Yes. Poor Jay. Poor Kate.”
“She’s lucky that she’s got friends like you and Peter to rely on.”
Barbara nodded. “We’re all lucky to have one another.”
“Sort of like the three musketeers, eh? All for one and one for all?”
“Yep, that’s us.”
“You’d do anything for each other, wouldn’t you?”
“Sure, that’s what friends do.”