Beyond the Call of Duty (10 page)

The world went mad, and she held tightly to Gabe. He was the rock she could hold on to, the only one she could count on, as her body whirled with pleasure.

When it finally ended, she could feel the soothing heat of his big hand moving from the back of her head, down her spine and over her hips. She curled into him, letting her eyes open, and looked up at him.

His eyes were closed, the long thick lashes resting against his cheeks. His lips were parted as he caught his own breath. He was smiling in the muted light that shone through the blanket.

“Was that enough?” she whispered, bringing her hand up to rub the sweat off his forehead.

He opened his eyes and smiled down at her. He seemed to have problems answering her, letting her know exactly what he meant when he said he wanted more.

“Ten more minutes you two, then we can get you out of that smothering blanket,” Molly said.

Lexi squeaked in reply, moving off Gabe and quickly trying to find and fix her clothing. He was finished first and reached over, calmly fastening her bra and helping her button her shirt before finding her sweatpants and helping her pull them on.

“That’s two of my thongs you’ve ruined,” she hissed.

“Quit wearing them, and then I wouldn’t ruin them,” he whispered back.

“Where is it?”

“I’ve got it; it’s mine now, Lexi.”

“That’s not funny, Gabe. Give it back.”

He shook his head. “Later.”

He reached up and grabbed her head, dragging her down to where he could find her mouth. “You’re going to have some explaining to do,” he said with a laugh.

“Huh?”

“The smell? It smells like sex in here.”

She sniffed and then growled. “Great, I’ll never live this one down.”

“The things I won’t do for a lady in distress,” he said softly.

She stared down at him. A strange smell began to take up the air under the blanket. It grew harsher and less pleasant the stronger it grew.

“God, Gabe,” she growled, twisting her lips. “What crawled into you and died?”

“Well, you won’t have to worry about the smell of sex anymore,” he teased.

“Am I supposed to call you a hero?” she asked, waving her hand in front of her face, but the movement only seemed to make the smell worse, and she began to pry at the corner of the blanket, wanting fresh air.

“We’re almost there, Lexi,” Luke called out. “Just hang on a few more minutes.”

“I might be dead by then,” she growled but only loud enough for Gabe to hear.

He laughed, and she smacked him on the arm, drawing her shirt over her nose to try and filter some of the stench.

It seemed like hours before Luke opened the hatchback and pulled the blanket off them. Luke and Molly took a step back, waving their hands in front of their faces. They helped Lexi out, and she turned to help Gabe before following her two agents into the house.

Joe and Gerald were already in the kitchen waiting for them. “Jack took off. He said he’d call you, Lexi.”

She took a look at the kitchen. It held every imaginable gadget she could think of. “It looks like we’ve been dumped into the lap of luxury.”

“There’s a dishwasher,” Gerald said. He hated doing dishes.

Lexi picked up her purse, sitting in a jumble of packages Joe and Gerald had already carted in. Pulling out her .45, she checked the load before slamming the clip back into place and setting the safety. She clipped the holster to the back of her sweats and tightened the drawstrings to hold it in place.

“Have you checked this place out, or have you two been too enthralled by the dishwasher?”

“It’s been empty for weeks, Lexi,” Joe said, holding his hands up to stop her angry response. “We’ll go right now.”

“Take Molly and Luke with you. It’ll be easier for the four of you to clear.” She watched as her agents checked the room, hearing them making sure each closet, each storage space and every room was empty.

She felt Gabe move up behind her, his hand reaching for her .45. “Mind?” he asked as he slipped the snap on the holster.

“Just don’t take it off safety.”

He smiled as if she’d said something funny and slipped the clip from the weapon, setting it on the table. He hefted the weapon in his hand as if checking the weight and lifted it as if he were going to fire it, checking the sights. “Nice,” he said, replacing the clip and handing it back to her, butt first. “You any good with it?”

“Proficient,” she said with a smile, slipping it back in her holster. “I’ll show you my trophies some day.”

“It’s a big gun for someone as little as you.”

“You’d be surprised how many men back down when they see what I have.” She went over to the pile of packages, straightening it out and putting away the food while she waited for her agents to come back. There was a noise from upstairs, as if someone knocked something over, and she grabbed Gabe, shoving him behind her. She pulled her weapon and pointed it at the swinging door into the kitchen.

She only flipped the safety again when Joe and Gerald pushed through the doors. “Who’s the klutz?”

“Luke. He tripped over an ottoman in the master-bedroom suite,” Gerald said with a laugh. “I’m almost tempted to move in here myself, boss. This has to be the nicest safe house we’ve ever used. It’s even got cable television.”

“It’s clear?” she asked, watching both Joe and Gerald nod.

“There’s a Jacuzzi in the master bath, Lexi.”

She just waved her hand, returning to straightening out the mess her agents made by moving them. “Get it all out of your systems now, boys. It’s all business when Luke and Molly take off. One of you will be walking perimeter. I want the team Jack left with eyes on the front of the house at all times.”

“You got it, boss.”

Luke and Molly pushed into the kitchen, Luke still rubbing his shin. “You pushed me.”

“Luke, dammit, quit being such a fucking baby. You fell over a piece of furniture; you didn’t take a damn bullet. Now shut up about it.”

He glared at Molly. “It would just be nice one of these days if you admitted when you did something wrong, Molls, instead of blaming me for everything.”

“Honey, if I ever do something wrong, you’ll probably be dead, so shut the fuck up.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything more.

“Anything else we can do for you, boss, before we take off for the night?”

“No,” Lexi said quietly, “I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”

She watched as Luke and Molly left, ignoring their argument as they went out the back door.

“The house is secured,” Joe said. He barely looked up as he picked through the packages still left on the counter. “No coffee?”

Lexi went to a cupboard, pulled down a tin of coffee and the filters and pointed him at the coffee machine. “Damn, Joe, learn to use your eyes. I’m going to take a shower.” She glanced over at Gabe and noted his pallor. Grabbing his pills, she popped one out and handed it to him. “You should grab a nap, Gabe. That trip took a lot out of you.”

* * * *

He took the pill and grabbed a glass to get water out of the tap. He followed her up the stairs, seeing her turn into one of the rooms. He waited a minute, heard the shower turn on and went into the same room. He could feel the pain pill beginning to work, the drugs making him feel a bit woozy, so he sank down on the bed, curling up on the softness of the pillows.

He was only half-awake when she walked out of the bathroom, her skin glistening with gem-like water drops. She had a towel wrapped around her and another in her hand that she was using to squeeze out the water in her hair.

“Gabe, what are you doing in here?”

She moved quickly to the door, opening it to check the hallway before closing it again. She walked slowly to the bed. “Where else should I be?” he whispered and yawned, his hand barely covering his mouth. “I feel safe with you.”

She sighed. “You can’t be in here with me.” She ran her hands through his hair and over his stubbled cheeks. “Gabe, I’d love to keep you in here with me. I’d love nothing more than to cuddle up with you all night, but we can’t do that. Joe and Gerald will be checking on us tonight to make sure we’re safe.”

He pressed his lips into her palm and held her hand to his skin. “This way they only have to check one room.”

He was more than half-asleep, and he used her hand to tug her down beside him, moving her towel until he could find her naked breasts. He dropped his head down upon her breast, moving his lips over one pert nipple. “Gabe,” she began and then moaned. He nipped gently at her nipple with his teeth. “You’re impossible.”

“No,” he whispered. “I love you.”

* * * *

For a moment, Lexi felt as if all the blood drained from her, leaving her cold and trembling, then a rush of heat had her face flaming. “Y-you what?” she asked softly, not sure if she heard him right.

His only answer was a subdued snort followed by a long snore.

“Gabe?” she asked, pushing him gently so she could move out from under him. His hands held her still, and he curled even more up against her.

“W-What?” he mumbled, confused, gazing at her before closing his eyes again.

“Gabe, you have to get up.”

He groaned but refused to move.

“Dammit,” she growled. She struggled against him, leaving more of her towel under him and less on her still-damp body. “Gabe!”

He opened his eyes and stared at her, smiling into her face. He glanced down, his eyes growing wide as he saw her naked body curled into him. “Hmm, nice way to wake me up.” He moved his lips the few scant inches until he could take her nipple into his mouth, his warm breath causing tiny shivers up her spine.

She speared her hands into his hair, groaning in pleasure as he slid his hand down her body. “No, Gabe. You’ve got to let me up.”

“Why?” he groaned, poking his tongue at her hard nipple.

“They can’t find us like this. Let me up.”

“I don’t want to,” he moaned. He teased at her other nipple with his hand, ignoring her small gasp. “You don’t want me to, either.”

“I may not want you to, but you have to. Come on,” she urged, pressing against his shoulders.

* * * *

She’d have grabbed his head, but his teeth were doing incredibly sensual things to her nipples, and she was having a hard time holding onto her determination to stop him.

She finally took hold of his chin, pulling his face up to take his lips in hers. Kissing him made her even more anxious to touch him, to make him cum in her body or in her mouth or even in her hand. She heard him moan and felt him move between her thighs, his hard cock pressing against her bare loins. She moved her fingernails over his back and across his thighs and he pressed even harder against her.

His lips were hot and, even though he was still partially asleep, very nimble against her own. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, and the sound of his pleasure sent a thrill of bliss through her.

“Roll over, Gabe,” she managed to mumble between his heated kisses.

He rolled, but he hung on to her, parting her thighs so she was straddling him. When she finally managed to grab his hands and hold them in her own next to his head, she was panting, and the need to take him inside her was an almost unbearable ache.

She pushed herself off him and watched him roll to his side, grabbing the pillow his head had been on and pulling it into his arms to cuddle.

“Dammit, Gabe,” she whispered, breathing hard through her mouth. She went to the closet, opening it and pulling out a bathrobe amid the clothes left there. It was thick and warm, soaking up the few drops of water still left on her body.

He was asleep, his eyelashes thick and lying against his cheeks. His breath came from his parted lips, and his cheeks were flushed. He looked younger, even with the stubble of his whiskers dark on his cheeks. She pushed a lock of his hair off his forehead, smiling when he mumbled her name in his sleep.

He was dangerous. He was like a sleek predator, a shark in the turbulent waters of her life. He could take her under with one bite and leave her bleeding and alone. Jobless because of her personal relationship with him, he could leave her with nothing.

However, the hard part was, despite her feelings, especially hearing the words he spoke earlier, she couldn’t walk away.

She sighed again and sank down next to him on the mattress. “I love you, too, Gabe,” she breathed against his cheek. “I’ll just never be able to tell you.”

Chapter Eight

The room was dark when Gabe woke. He could still smell the sweet scent she wore on her wet skin, but he was alone now. He rolled across the bed, his arm outstretched, his fingers searching for Lexi.

He sighed heavily, breathing deeply, letting her scent infuse his senses. He sat up and pushed the covers off his legs and, holding one arm over his stomach, got up and went in to the bathroom.

It smelled even more like Lexi in there, and he could see the towels hung neatly on the towel bar after her shower. He used the toilet, and then stood in front of the mirror over the sink, rasping his hand over the whiskers that were quickly turning into an unruly beard.