Undercover Texas, page 13
Erin held the carrier handle. Ethan ran over and looked inside. “He’s little. What’s his name?”
“Brandon.”
“I’m getting a baby sister soon,” Ethan said proudly. “I’m going to be the best big brother ever.”
“I’m sure you will be. She’s a lucky little girl.”
Ethan grinned. “Do you wanna see what my mommy brought? She made her extraspecial macaroni and cheese and cookies. We even brought stuff for s’mores.”
The boy held out his hand to Erin and she followed him inside the cabin. It was small, just two rooms, but she could see that Amanda had stocked up. A tin of cookies sat on the table. A box of food and fresh fruits and vegetables were in the refrigerator. Erin set Brandon’s carrier in the corner out of the way.
She looked around, and her eyes burned at the care a complete stranger had taken. She turned to the auburn-haired woman, whose hand was tucked into her husband’s.
“Thank you so much. You can’t know—”
Amanda reached out and patted Erin’s arm. “You’d be surprised how much I understand. Blake and I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but it wasn’t long ago that I didn’t know where I could turn to. This town became my haven. I hope it can become yours.”
Erin sent Hunter a sidelong glance. If she had to leave her world behind, a place like Carder would have been nice.
He gave her a small shake of his head, and she sighed. Not that his reaction surprised her. While she hadn’t developed friendships in Pensacola because of her work schedule, she’d hoped that someday she would be a part of a neighborhood where anyone could knock on her door asking for a cup of sugar or some hot chocolate and marshmallows and be welcome.
Now she wondered if even that small slice of life would be forbidden. Would she always be looking over her shoulder, searching the crowd for danger, being suspicious of every new person to come into her life?
For a split second she’d even wondered if Blake and Amanda Redmond could have ulterior motives. How did Hunter live this way?
She hated it.
Unfortunately, she’d also accepted that this would be her life.
“What does the Triple C look like?” Hunter asked Blake.
The sheriff let out a low whistle. “Burned to the ground. They razed the place and built a barn for the horse, but it’s gonna take time to rebuild. All that’s left is the surveillance equipment. Not that it helped much.”
Erin’s ears perked up. “Does it work?”
“Logan said he planned to replace it.”
“Do you think he’d care if I took a look? I might find something I can use.” She didn’t know how much money she’d have. She’d bet Logan had top-notch equipment Maybe she could put together a security system so she could sleep at night.
“Have at it,” Blake said. “I’m not even sure Logan will come back.”
Amanda cleared her throat. Ethan had leaned against Amanda, and his eyelids had gone heavy.
“We’d better head out,” Blake said. “Someone’s ready for bed.”
Amanda gave Erin a hug. “If you need anything, call me,” she whispered. “I learned the hard way that not asking for help when you need it causes much more trouble than staying silent.”
Hunter reached out his hand to Blake. “Thank you. We won’t be here long, but we appreciate the hospitality.”
“Anyone Logan trusts is okay by me,” Blake said. “His word means a lot in these parts.”
The Redmonds pulled away from the cabin, the dust stirring up. A red sunset burned over the horizon.
Erin leaned against the doorjamb and closed her eyes. “I don’t know if I can stay awake long enough for dinner,” she said. “Do you think there’s a bathtub in this place? I would love a hot soak.”
Hunter opened the bathroom door. “You’re in luck. A claw-foot tub. Someone set this place up for more than a couple of hunters.”
“Hop in. I’ll heat up dinner.”
After grabbing a nightshirt from the duffel, Erin searched under the sink. She rooted around and found some bath salts. Heaven.
Hot water poured from the faucet and she sprinkled the lavender crystals into the water. One dip of her toe, then her foot, and Erin sank down into the steaming heat.
She let out a long sigh, closed her eyes and faded beneath the water. For a few brief moments, she allowed the heat to melt the tension from her muscles. The sounds of the refrigerator and cabinet doors opening and closing filtered from outside.
She’d had more than one fantasy of Hunter joining her in a tub, candles burning all around and their entwined bodies sloshing water all over the floor. Just like in the movies.
Somewhere inside her, she hadn’t given up on that dream. But each time hope reignited in her heart, something beyond her control doused it.
She’d learned the day her parents died that life wasn’t fair. Why did she keep trying? Even her research attempted to circumvent Mother Nature. Was she a fool for trying to change anything?
“Have you turned into a prune yet?” Hunter called out.
A delighted giggle made her smile. Brandon was up. At least for the moment. As quick as she could, Erin dressed and exited the bathroom.
“Was it as good as you hoped?” he asked, setting a casserole dish on the table.
“Better.”
Hunter doled out a plate and handed Erin a serving. Then he put a smaller amount in a small plastic bowl. Amanda had even brought a baby spoon.
“Do you think half got into his stomach?” Hunter laughed after he’d tried to feed Brandon. “Because the other half is definitely either on his face or the floor.”
“I said mac and cheese was his favorite. Not that he necessarily ate it all.” Erin took another bite. She didn’t know what kind of cheese Amanda had used, but whatever it was made Erin’s mouth water. “I have to get this recipe,” she said.
“Well, I have to admit, Amanda Redmond makes my mom’s mac and cheese look pedestrian.” Hunter pushed his chair back from the table to keep Brandon from further wreaking havoc on their dinner.
“What kind did your mom make?”
“From a box. If we had the money to buy it.”
“What about your dad?”
Hunter looked down at Brandon with a heartbreaking expression. “I never knew him. Some guy my mom dated in high school. He left when she found out she was pregnant.” He looked up and met Erin’s gaze. “I promised myself I’d never do something like that. My own choices kept me from keeping that vow. I’m sorry.”
“Does your mom know about your job?” Erin asked.
“She died when I was sixteen. Too much work, not enough food or health care.”
“What did you do?”
Hunter shrugged. “Hung out on the streets until I turned eighteen. There was an army recruiting office across from one of the shelters. I got my G.E.D. and signed up. At least it was a steady paycheck. I found out I was good at it. The guys became my family. They had my back.”
“Like Logan. And Doc.”
“And General Miller. He hand-selected me. No one made me feel like I was really worth something until he did. He taught me I could do anything.”
“My parents gave me that gift before they died.”
With a look that bored into her soul, Hunter captured her gaze. “We’ve both lost. We’ve both overcome. I hadn’t realized.” Hunter rose and Brandon snuggled into his chest. “I assumed we were so different. From the moment we met on Santorini I wanted you, but I also recognized you were from a different stratosphere than me.”
Openmouthed, Erin couldn’t comprehend his words. “When you walked up to me, I thought you’d made the mistake.”
Hunter stepped toward her and cupped her cheek. “I didn’t make a mistake, Erin. You brought light into my life like I’d never known.”
Brandon’s heavy eyelids blinked again and again, then closed, despite just waking up. Her son was clearly exhausted.
“Let me get him ready for bed.”
While Hunter washed the dishes, she slipped Brandon into his pajamas and settled him into the playpen that Amanda had brought. Soon enough, their son was snoring away.
She bent over the side and pushed a lock of black hair from his forehead. “Good night, cutie. Mommy loves you.”
She stood, and a warm heat caressed her back. Hunter’s hands rested on her shoulders. He turned her into his arms and stared down at her.
“I probably shouldn’t kiss you,” he said. “We both know nothing can come of it.”
His eyes seduced her like molten chocolate, and she was so very tempted. She lifted her fingers to his lips. They parted under her touch. “You hurt me,” she said. “You shredded my heart when you left me alone. If I give in to these feelings, what will be left of me?”
He clasped her hand in his. “I can’t answer that. All I can tell you is I’ve been wanting to hold you since I left you in Santorini. Will you let me, Erin? Will you let me love you even though you know we’ll have to say goodbye?”
His hands rubbed her shoulders, and all of the scientific logic Erin had counted on all her life left her. For the first time since that island paradise, she let her heart rule her head.
She wrapped her arms around Hunter’s neck and pulled him down to her. “Love me, Hunter. I’m tired of denying what I feel. Until we have to say goodbye, love me.”
* * *
LEONA WALKED INTO TRACE Padgett’s office and threw down the latest watch list on his desk. “What’s the meaning of this?” She stabbed her finger at Hunter’s name. “A risk to national security? Suspect mental state. Who ordered this?”
“Ma’am—”
The patronization in his voice annoyed her to no end. “Don’t ma’am me, Trace. Explain yourself.”
“Terence Mahew remembered something else, ma’am. He said the man who contacted him said something about knowing Erin Jamison. I discovered Clay Griffin and Erin Jamison had an affair more than a year ago. Someone within this office tried to cover up the relationship.”
Leona closed her eyes. The jig was up. She’d hoped she’d plugged all the holes. Clearly she’d failed.
“So he slept with her. So what?”
She had to find out how much Padgett knew. And how much Kent knew.
“Hunter Graham has a lot of contacts. Erin Jamison began development of her prototype several years ago.” Trace pulled out his notebook. “Graham has made several trips to Florida over the past fourteen months. I think he’s been working on a payoff since he met her. If we don’t find him, Erin Jamison could end up dead, and her prototype in terrorists’ hands.”
Leona stood and tapped her finger to her forehead. Trace Padgett was very, very good. Too good.
“Where do you think Graham has gone?”
“The chatter is quiet. If I were Hunter, I wouldn’t stay in Florida. If I were going to do a meet, I’d go to Mexico. On the border of New Mexico or Arizona probably.”
“See what you can find out from border patrol. See if there’s any unusual activity.
Not bad, Trace. Not bad at all.
Leona left the room, her hands quivering.
This was not good.
Hunter was ignoring her calls. She had no idea where he was. The plans had gone to hell.
She picked up her secure phone and dialed a number. “We have a problem. Are the offshore accounts secure?”
“Of course,” her husband said. “I’m ready when you’re ready, my love.”
“If Hunter doesn’t call soon, we may be screwed.”
“He’ll call, Leona. He trusts you.”
“I hope so. Once he calls, we have to move fast. We have to end Hunter Graham once and for all.”
Chapter Nine
Hunter couldn’t believe the words coming from Erin’s lips.
“Love me,” she whispered.
How could he resist?
He folded his arms around her and took possession of her mouth in a way that had haunted his dreams for far too long.
She whimpered against his lips and he pulled back. “Did I hurt you?”
Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “Don’t stop. I’ve waited forever to feel this way again.”
“So have I, sweetheart, so have I.”
Unwilling to release her, Hunter walked her into the small bedroom. He closed them in and flipped on a small bedside lamp. The log walls were enveloped in a soft light, bathing her hair so it glimmered like strands of sunlight.
He thrust his fingers into the softness and captured her gaze. “Last chance, but please don’t ask me not to make love to you.”
“Make me forget, Hunter. Make me forget everything but you. At least for tonight.”
Hunter backed them against the edge of the bed and fell back, Erin sprawled on top of him. “Take what you want,” he murmured. “I’m all yours.”
She grinned and straddled his hips. He could feel her heat beneath the thin nightshirt. She squirmed on top of him, and his body surged into hardness.
“You want me,” Erin said. She bent over him, and the soft curves of her breasts pressed into his chest.
Hunter couldn’t wait to see her any longer. He lifted the long T-shirt over her head. He cupped her weight in his hand and kissed the soft arc, working his way down. His tongue flicked her hardened nipple, and Erin let out a small gasp.
Her hips ground against him. “Don’t make me wait. Not this time.”
He flipped her beneath him and nuzzled her neck. His jeans-covered leg slid between hers and he pressed against her.
She let out a soft groan and arched up. He’d forgotten how giving, how passionate, how open she was to his touch. “You are truly beautiful.”
“And you are too dressed,” Erin said softly. She flicked open one button, then the next and the next, easing his shirt off his shoulders. Hunter shrugged out of the garment. Erin’s fingers went to the button of his jeans. She scraped a knuckle down his zipper.
He couldn’t stop the low groan. “Don’t, or this will be over before we start.”
She stilled and within seconds, Hunter had shucked his pants. He settled between her thighs, his entire body hard; then he groaned.
“Condom,” he moaned.
“Please, tell me you have one.”
He shook his head. “I haven’t been with anyone since...” He glanced away. He hadn’t wanted anyone, not after Erin. He’d gone out with a couple of women, trying to forget, but those emerald eyes would not leave his memory.
Her eyes widened and she let her head fall back. “Me, either.”
Hunter moved to the side. “I won’t be careless with you again, Erin. If things were different...”
He didn’t finish the words. He’d love to have a family with Erin, to be with her always. He breathed in deeply, trying desperately to calm himself.
“What about the nightstand?” she whispered.
“You don’t think...”
He reached for the drawer and pulled out a brand-new box. The sight brought his body back to life. He grabbed a packet and rolled onto his back. “Will you?”
“My pleasure.”
She used Hunter’s body as her own personal playground, exploring each and every inch of skin. Nipping him with her teeth, letting her fingernails drag down his chest until he groaned with anticipation, she teased him more and more.
By the time she’d prepared him, Hunter writhed with want.
“That’s it. I have to have you,” he growled. In one fluid motion he sank inside her, and she gripped him, holding him close.
How long had he waited to feel this way again?
She wrapped her legs around him. Hunter’s heart thudded against his chest. She moved with him as if they’d never been apart.
The world fell away. There was only her, only him, only them.
Faster, harder, stronger, longer.
His body stretched tight, he plunged in one last time and shuddered. Her body quivered in response and she let out a long, slow sigh.
“Better than I remember,” she whispered. “Perfect.”
He tossed the condom in the trash and spooned her against his body, wrapping her safe and warm. She leaned her head back against him. “Thank you.”
He threaded their fingers together and held her close, his eyelids growing heavy. Her breathing evened out, but she didn’t move, didn’t pull away from him, she simply buried her hips closer and settled into a sound sleep.
Hunter sighed with contentment. He never wanted to move again. For tonight, for this moment, Erin belonged to him. They belonged together.
* * *
TERENCE COULDN’T FEEL HIS FACE. He rested his hand on the bandage. Perhaps that was for the best. He’d tried calling his mother. She hadn’t answered.
He had to get out of this place.
The weakness had dissipated, though he hadn’t let his jailers know. He’d had the training, he knew their games, their strategies. He just didn’t know what they really wanted. He’d received mixed signals.
The guy who’d brought him here would have been happy to kill him at any moment. The woman, too.
And yet they hadn’t.
If they’d wanted to get rid of him, all they’d have to do was hand him over to his clients. Terence had no doubt his mother wouldn’t have enough parts left to cremate.
Heavy footsteps sounded down the hall and headed his way. The steel door opened. The man entering held power. He was confident. Terence scooted up in bed. He had a bad feeling.
“Mr. Mahew, the worst our military has to offer.”
Terence scowled.
“Oh, you take offense? Too damn bad.” The man leaned over his bed. “I want to know everything you know, and I want to know now. This is your last chance.”
Terence shivered slightly. Something in the man’s cadence, something in his words didn’t sit right. He shifted away from the narrowed stare.
“Who hired you, Terence?”
“I told you, I don’t know. It was a cash job. Should have been easy money.”
“You knew Graham’s name.”
