Cross My Heart, page 10
“I’m okay.”
“And your injury?”
She thought back to the bullet that had skimmed her. “A graze.”
Serafina cocked her head to the side before she nodded. “I know of your family and I respect the hell out of both of your parents and you. But remember, you’re also part of my family now.” She pulled out a card and passed it over the table. “Anytime, day or night.”
Cyn took it. “Thank you. I don’t know how to repay this.”
“Call me if you find yourself unsure. Don’t make a rash decision in the heat of passion. I’m a good person to talk things through with.”
“Can I ask you something now?”
“Of course.” She leaned closer. “Is it a sex question? I love talking about sex.”
Cyn laughed, immediately feeling so much more at ease.
“No.” A flash of disappointment. “At least not this time. But it does involve a man.”
“Ahh, he fucked up, did he?”
“I told him about my job and all he said was ‘hell no’ to my face. No congratulations, nothing. Just a refusal. Before he tried to order me to stay in the country until he got back from his mission. Like his job is more important than mine.”
Just thinking about it, she seethed once more.
“Protective men are like that. He’ll learn. The real question is, are you going to let that slip of his words, because they will happen again, trust me, stop the future you want with this man?”
“How can I be with a man who sees what I do as something not as important as what he does?”
“I had similar problems with Taber when we were first together. He wanted to protect me and tended to forget I was an ATF agent, one damn good at her job. He tried making decisions for me about what I did, and it pissed me off. I came to learn he did it because he was scared he couldn’t be there to watch my back, not because he didn’t think I could handle myself. He trusted me, but not the people I was with.”
“That’s because I love your ass, it belongs to me, and I don’t trust those assholes you work with. You’re mine, angel.”
Cyn looked up as a handsome blond man walked to the table and bent to kiss the woman sitting with her.
“Taber, this is Cyn. She’s the woman that Cort mentioned. Cyn, this is Taber, Cort’s younger brother. Well, one of them.”
Cyn held out her hand. Holy crap this family just looks hot. For a bunch of what I’d consider silver foxes. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
His laugh eased her concern. “Taber, please.” He straddled a chair and took a long drink of Serafina’s beverage. “Still drink that crap, angel? Don’t know how you do it.”
“Be nice. I was telling Cyn here how she is now part of our family now.”
He pinned her with incredible blue eyes, almost as nice as Lucas’. Almost.
“She’s right. You are family, and we’re overprotective as well, so if you can’t get in touch with the others, call us.” His pointed look had her nodding in agreement without hesitation.
Her watch buzzed, and she checked the time. “Thank you, both of you. I have to get going to make sure I don’t miss my flight.”
They stood, and Serafina hugged her tight. “You’re going to be fucking fantastic.”
Taber drew her close next. “Knock ‘em dead, baby girl.”
She blinked back tears at the endearment, which was the one her father used all the time. “Thank you.”
With a smile for them, she grabbed her carry-on and left the bar area, heading to her flight and new life.
Perhaps at the moment she didn’t have Lucas in it with her, but she would give Serafina’s words some time to settle and make a decision after the fact. Rash wasn’t the way to go. Not when it came to her future love life.
Right now, she had to get to France, settle into her new life there. Then she could think about how to patch things up with Lucas.
How, not if.
She didn’t want to give up on him.
And I won’t.
* * * *
Slamming the phone to the countertop, Lucas swore.
“Where the fuck is she?” It had been two and a half months since he’d said his last stupid thing to her.
His friends had gone out, so no one answered him. He picked up the device and glared at it as if that would make it give up the secrets he sought.
None of his calls had made it through to Cyn, and it was driving him insane. Had she changed her number? Had something happened to her, and she needed him at her side?
“Dammit!”
He thrust his fingers through his hair, trying to wrestle his out-of-control emotions back into some semblance of calm. It wasn’t working, and the longer he went without being able to get to her, the worse his imagination was getting.
His phone rang, and he answered immediately. “Cyn?”
“It’s Killinger. You need to come in. I’ve already recalled Alberti and Trey.”
“On my way.”
He was moving even before he’d finished the call. He jogged out to his truck and slid behind the wheel. Snow fell but it didn’t matter, he was used to it. Music played as he drove, and he did his best to keep a clear head.
After being waved on by the guard at the gate, he parked and strode into the building he needed to be at. Alberti and Trey were a few steps ahead of him, and they waited.
“‘Sup?”
“Hey, you good?” Alberti asked.
Both of them knew how hard his relationship situation, or lack of one, had been on him. They weren’t bending over backward for him because they both, without hesitation, still reminded him this was all his fault, in no uncertain terms. But they were friends, so he knew they were worried.
“Right as rain.”
“Good, you fuck,” Trey chimed in. “Except it’s snowing out, not raining. So I’m taking that to mean you’re fucked.”
“After all these years you still can’t help using me and fucked in the same sentence. What am I going to do with you?”
Trey threw a punch that Lucas easily dodged. They were serious by the time they reached the door they’d been called to. Alberti knocked, and all three entered when called.
Their CO sat at his desk, his face tugged down in a frown. To his left Killinger stood, expression unreadable.
Whatever this was, it wasn’t going to be good.
“A while ago, a few months, we were hunting down Justin Bousaid.”
Lucas nodded. “He was one of the top players of the Westerners who were funding the Taliban training camps in Africa.”
“Right. That’s the fucker.”
“I thought he was caught.” Killinger stated what he was also thinking.
“He was. Brought down by Interpol.”
Interpol. His mind raced to Cyn. He struggled to keep his face blank.
“But?” Lucas pushed. There was something else, otherwise they wouldn’t have been called in.
“There were issues with the op. Two agents were hit, neither fatally, but it would have been worse if not for one of their newest hires, a Cynzia Cassano. She read the situation as wrong and called an audible that saved a shit ton of lives.”
Lucas’ blood burned. Hell, he’d not even known she’d been in danger on that op. Okay, he’d not even known she’d been on that op.
Killinger, Trey and Alberti all shot him a look. He tapped into the training he’d been given and didn’t allow a shred of the fury pushing through him, or the worry, to show.
“Not to be callous, sir, but what does this have to do with us?”
“I want each of you to be aware this is strictly a volunteer op.”
“I’ll do it.”
All four of them spoke at once, without hesitation. Their CO glanced at each of them.
“It’s more of the babysitting that you said you wouldn’t do again. And I get that, your skills are beyond what’s needed. However, we had a request that it was this group.”
“Who requested it, sir?” Killinger posed the question.
The door to the left opened, and Lucas saw a couple enter. The man was tall and fit with a commanding presence. The woman was stunning, and Lucas knew exactly who he was looking at.
Cyn’s parents.
The woman stepped forward, with her hands clasped loosely before her. “You know who I am?”
Her gaze had locked onto Lucas’, and he took a deep breath. “Yes, ma’am. Mrs. Cassano.”
“Actually,” she said without any inflection to her tone, “there is a military title before my name as well as Doctor. But that’s not my question. There are many Mrs. Cassanos in the world. I want to know if you know who I am. You know my daughter, and, if I’m not mistaken, you’re in love with her.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She shared a look with her husband, who gave a small nod. Then that unerring gaze was back on him.
“Are you capable of keeping your personal feelings out of the way and keeping my daughter safe?”
“No, ma’am. My personal feelings for your daughter will always be there. I can, however, swear that if I’m with her, no harm will come to her so long as there is a breath in my body.” He glanced to Cyn’s father. “I love your daughter and want to marry her. I know this isn’t the time or place for all of this but, I don’t want there to be any secrets about how I feel toward her.”
The man grunted and shrugged before stepping back to the doorway they’d come through. Moments later more people streamed in, and he realized that two of them were his own parents. Once the doors were closed, Lucas watched as his CO activated the process to make the room a SCIF, a sensitive compartmented information facility.
“Good,” his CO said. “Now that is out of the way, let’s get down to business. Director, perhaps you would like to talk about what Theta Corps would like with my men.”
Chapter Fourteen
Love is not love until love’s vulnerable.
– Theodore Roethke
“Oh my God, Brandon, stop!”
Cyn held up her hands like that was going to stop the spray of champagne aimed in her direction, soaking her clothing.
Their teammates were all laughing and encouraging him on a bit more. Trouble was, he seemed very excited to soak her with alcohol. They’d had a great week—nice takedowns and no traps that they’d walked into.
Although she had decided to go out and party with them, she was currently questioning that decision. They had a new case to take up tomorrow, but their boss had given them tonight.
The past two weeks had been hard for her. Cyn was ready to swear to anyone who would listen that Lucas was near her. He had a way of getting certain reactions out of her and damn if her body wasn’t responding like he was in close proximity.
She never saw him, didn’t hear his voice or even think she smelled the masculine musk of his skin.
That didn’t stop her thoughts or the wild turn her dreams had taken. She couldn’t explain how happy she was that she woke in a room alone, so she didn’t have to explain the numerous times his name had fallen from her lips or the times her fingers smelled like her pussy because she’d just gotten herself off due to a dream.
Not what she wanted to explain to the guys she worked with if they had managed to catch her dry humping a pillow calling out Lucas’ name.
Right now, however, she was covered in champagne and was around her friends. Time to stop thinking of the man who hadn’t wanted her to come here anyway.
With a smirk, she lunged and yanked the bottle from Brandon and turned it on him. It didn’t take long for him to be wet like she was. Those around them were laughing and snapping photos.
Setting the empty bottle on the counter, she wiped her hand down her face. “Okay, that may have been uncalled for.”
He blinked at her. “Ya think?”
“Oh, no, don’t get it wrong, my spraying you was definitely called for. I was talking about you spraying me with this. I mean, you just wasted some champagne.”
He didn’t look the slightest bit repentant. “There’s more. We’re in France, after all.”
She snorted. “Figures you’d have that response.”
A tremble went down her spine, and she stopped and spun a full circle, trying to ascertain where the feeling originated.
“Cyn?”
Not responding with anything other than holding up a hand, she turned again. This time much more slowly, and she made sure to check over everything. Her gaze continually drifted to the far corner.
“I’ll be back.”
Striding over the open space with far more confidence than she felt, she closed in on the corner and the figure huddled there. No, huddled was the not the right term. It was a man and he lounged.
Her skin burned with anticipation, and she frowned as she paused.
“Can I help you with something?”
“I sure as fuck hope so.”
There it was. That voice. The one that haunted her dreams, be it with her awake or asleep.
Lucas Hoch.
“Step into the light.”
Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him appear before her very eyes. Lucas was as handsome as ever, those intense blue eyes locked on her without the slightest waver.
“What are you doing here, Lucas? Why are you here, in France?”
“I’m on a job.”
Her gut twisted. “Of course you are. Am I breaking your cover?”
“I don’t care.” His expression grew tortured. “I fucking missed you, Cyn. Baby, I’m so sorry I was an asshole.”
The wall around her heart began to crack, and she struggled to shore it up. She wasn’t any match for the speed in which it crumbled.
“I’m sure this isn’t the time for you to want to talk.”
“Talk?” He gave one shake of his head. “I don’t fucking want to talk. I want to fuck you. Make you scream my name, make you come more than once. I want you to forget the time we weren’t together. I want you to never wish to be separated from me again and once we’re there, then we can talk.”
Damn, her body was completely on board. Then again, she wasn’t surprised, as horny as she’d been lately.
He slid closer an inch, still not touching her. “I want you tied to me for the rest of our lives.”
She swallowed.
“Do you get what I’m saying, Cynzia?”
“You want to keep me barefoot and pregnant?”
“I want you naked and in my bed. Barefoot and pregnant would be fine as well. I want you to tell the world you’re mine, and I’m yours.”
She shook her head. “Are you fucking proposing to me right now? Is that what this is?”
“No. I know better than that. I’m telling you what I want. When I propose, and you better fucking believe I will, it will be done without me in the corner and you smelling like champagne that another man sprayed on you.” He licked his lips. “I love you, Cyn. That’s the most important thing for you to take away from this right now. Go enjoy your party. I’ll find you after and we’ll talk.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Talk?”
“Yes, talk. I’m not ruled by my dick.” A shrug. “Most of the time.” Lucas smiled at her. “Go on, baby.”
He stepped back and she turned.
Why did he not touch me and why am I wanting to smile like a fool?
No one asked her about the guy in the corner, and she could have sworn his gaze was on her all night but he stayed there, not interfering. When the night was over she headed back to her place, keeping an eye on her phone, waiting for his call.
Cyn even went so far as to bring it into the bathroom with her as she showered. No luck.
Tugging on a long shirt, she sighed. I’ll wait to get dressed the rest of the way after he calls. A thought that vanished the second she stepped from the bathroom.
“I was close to joining you in there.”
She didn’t jump. Somehow, she’d known he was in there as the warmth she had around him had welcomed her the moment she’d stepped from the bathroom.
“Lucas.”
He tsked and pushed to his feet, towering over her. “Don’t be angry, baby.”
“I’m not.” And it was true, she had moved beyond her anger. The sorrow hadn’t left however.
“Let me hold you while we talk.” He led her back to the bed and tugged her up to lie upon him.
Cyn closed her eyes and just soaked him up. This, right here, was what she’d missed.
Lucas pressed his lips to the top of Cyn’s head. The rich scent of her conditioner flowed over him mixing with her body wash. She was the missing piece from his life, and he had to do this right.
That meant keeping his cock under control.
“I didn’t mean to diminish you becoming part of Interpol.” He tightened his arms around her. “I don’t seem to be all that good at showing you how proud I am of what you’re accomplishing, and I’m sorry. Because I am proud. So much so of all that you’ve done and will continue on doing.”
She stirred, but he wouldn’t loosen his hold. If anything he gripped harder, keeping her there.
“Let me finish.”
He breathed easier when she settled.
“It’s my nature to want to protect. I was raised that way and when I met you, it kicked into hyperdrive.” He closed his eyes and pushed his face into her damp hair. “I want to lock you up and keep anything close to dangerous away from you. Like across the world from you.”
She stiffened.
“I know, I know. That’s not the least bit logical but I can’t help how I feel. You’ve busted your ass, Cyn, to get to where you are, and I know this. I know how proud you are about what you’ve accomplished as well as how proud your family is.”
She pulled back. “How do you know that?”
“My story, Cyn. Wait.”
With a harrumph she lay against him once more.
“When you said Interpol, all I could see was you in dangerous situations. Not that I didn’t see that when you mentioned CIA, but you’d also said you just quit there.”
