Capturing Kate (7 page)

She felt her heartbeat accelerate. “No? I… don’t?” She swayed in her spot, wanting to lean into him. The truth was that she wanted his hands on her body, all over. She actually wanted to feel his palm slap down on her ass, then rub. She was curious and turned on all at once. She felt her face turn hot and red. Could he see what she was thinking?

A smile pulled at his lips. “Good. So do what I said.” He was so close now that their faces were inches apart and she felt his breath on her cheek. She blinked.

“But I’m putting the sheet over my—body.” She broke the gaze. “While you do whatever.”

“You do what you want with that sheet as long as I have access to your leg.”

He stepped back and the moment was broken; he was back in professional mode, and when he turned his back to pick up his supplies from the bag, she shucked the sweats and quickly got onto the bed, and pulled the sheet over her body from thighs to stomach, shuddering at the cool sheets under her ass. Being naked felt sensuous, and part of her—a part that was getting obviously moist—wanted him so badly she could scream.

But when he came over he was all business. “I’m going to need you on your stomach again. Okay. Lift up your knee so I can get the towel under it.” He helped her adjust and shift, somehow keeping the sheet over her. And despite her anger and arguments earlier, what she wanted now was for the sheet to float away and for him to be on top of her, skin on skin.

So lost was she in her imagination that she flinched when she felt fingers on her calf.

“Hurt?”

She flushed into the pillow. “Um, a little. You mostly startled me.”

The smell of antiseptic hit her before the next touch and she jerked again. His voice was easy. “Steady. Just cleaning the area. No signs of infection. It’s already sealing up. Just to be on the safe side, I’m going to give you a shot of penicillin.”

“Why?” She pushed up onto her arms.

“To make sure. Infection risk is highest on day two and three after an injury. You tore it up with your toenail and got car gunk in there. I just want to make sure you don’t get an infection.”

“Isn’t penicillin old school?”

“No. Are you allergic to any medications?”

He pulled a wrapped syringe from his bag.

“Where the hell do you get syringes loaded with medicine?” Her voice was accusatory. “I’m allergic to dicks.”

He laughed. “That’s too bad for you. Here it goes. One second. Done.”

She barely felt the needle.

He wiped her leg again. “In the back section at Walgreens. You have to give the right wink and hand signal to the clerk. There’s also a wine bar.”

She snorted. “Whatever. Is that like the freshman class kit for FBI?”

“More like the graduate level bag.” He put on more gauze. “Sit up now and let me check your wrists.”

“I’m not an invalid.” But she sat, blinking at the change in elevation, and tentatively moved her leg, once and again. She pulled the sheet to stay over her chest.

“That’s not what you claimed a minute ago when I threatened to spank you.” He raised one eyebrow.

“Well, of course. I mean, in that instant I
was
an invalid, Sloan. These things come and go.” She waved her hand, and he grabbed it, turned it over to examine the marks. “You have to respect the emotional flow.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Healing nicely.” He took the other one. “Good. And I’m glad you have your sense of humor.” But he didn’t let go; he stayed holding her hands in his, until she met his eyes.

“Kate.”

“Yes?” Her voice came out soft.

“This is going to be all right. I promise you.” His voice was low but empathic. “I will get you through this.” His eyes held hers, the light tracing the edge of his face like a touch. “I’m sorry you got hurt. Nobody wanted that, okay? When we started the sting, we never imagined you’d get caught up in this. This will get better.”

She nodded, swallowed. “It’s scary and surreal.”

“I know.”

His lips were looked so soft and firm at once. Without thinking, she reached up and brushed across his mouth with a finger, and traced it down the stubble at his jaw. “Sloan?” she whispered, excited by the way his muscles stiffened under her touch, the way he leaned into her, his eyes darkening with passion. He wanted her too, and he’d wanted her back in the coffee shop, she was sure of it, just as badly as she wanted him.

“Kate.” His voice was gruff. But their faces were closer, his breath mixing with hers in the cool air of the cabin. “I’m responsible for you.”

In response, she pushed forward until her mouth barely brushed his and let her tongue flick at his lower lip, and he groaned, a sharp burst of sound before his hands were on the sides of her face.

“Fuck,” he swore, and then he was kissing her in earnest, pulling her into his embrace and exploring her mouth with his tongue, breaking off to nip her neck, then taking her mouth again in a kiss so deep and profound that it left her breathless. She grabbed at his shoulders, then put her hands in his hair, then ran her palms down his arms, squeezing his muscles. His body was coiled with tension and she could feel the passion coming through his touch, through his breath. The sheet slithered down her body, and her nipples pebbled in the cool air. She moaned into his mouth for just a second before he pulled back and put his dark head to her chest, his tongue flicking at her taut skin.

“Sloan, oh, God, yes,” she whispered, running her fingers through his hair. When he nipped her gently, she could barely handle the arousal. “Please.” It was all she could manage. She shifted her hips and reached out one hand to touch his hard thigh, wanting more, needing more of him.

He pulled away suddenly, leaving her wide-eyed with surprise and disappointment. “We can’t.”

She wiped her mouth, her hand trembling. His eyes glittered and she saw the evidence of his arousal in his jeans. “But…”

He stood up. “Kate, I’m sorry. I would be taking advantage. You need my protection now, not—this.”

She felt tears well up in her eyes. “But—”

“This won’t happen again.” He shook his head and took a breath. “You go ahead and get dressed. I’ll put my gear away. Then we’ll talk.”

Again he turned his back, giving her privacy, and she put the sweats on, watching him the entire time to see if he’d look, but he didn’t. She wiped her face, touched her lips. That kiss! How could he just… stop? She wanted to talk about it, but didn’t know what to say, or how to say it. She looked at her wrists, then at the ripped wrappers on the table. “So what… what do we do now?”

“I’m going to get in touch with my other team member, Mason. I don’t think we can drive out yet. The roads are still washed out in the area from the rain, and the bridge got flooded. The main cell tower is down. It’s safer to stay here for another few days. Once we get out, I can bring you to a different location that’s more… professional.” He glanced around them.

Kate flushed. “Okay. Um, how are you going to contact him? Do you have implants in your heads that allow you to communicate without Wi-Fi?” She wanted the passion back, but if he didn’t want to pursue that, there was nothing else to do but cope. Maybe joking around would help—at least it would cheer her up.

“That day is closer than you think,” he responded, giving her a grin. “But no. My cell phone has… features, let’s say, that aren’t available to the general public. I can’t get back to my place in town right now, but I have a secure computer in my bag. I was able to grab a few things after Connor called me to say that he needed a place for you. Plus, I have equipment stored here.”

“Oh, because all
family cabins
,” she made air quotes, “have spy equipment lying around. I assume you also have guns and ammo? And by the way, why do you have bondage cuffs? Is that part of the freshman level kit, too?”

“That’s for the advanced level students, Kate. Master class.” He raised one eyebrow and she flushed, nervous suddenly at the look in his eye. He’d told her that nothing would happen between them again, but that’s not what his body language was saying. “Stay here.” He went to the door.

“Sloan.” She panicked. “Where are you going?”

“Getting supplies. I’ll be back. Ten minutes.”

“It’s still raining.”

“I won’t be too long. Try to relax and think about Ella’s comment. I have a feeling that’s going to be useful for us. See if you can come up with anything.” He paused at the door, then turned back and handed her a notebook and pen from a small cabinet near the entry. “My bag’s locked, so don’t try to get into it.” And he disappeared into the driving silver pouring from the sky. She watched, peering as he disappeared into the woods at the back of the cabin, and a feeling of deep unease had her shivering from more than the cold. He had equipment hidden out there somewhere? Where, in some weird bunker?

She swallowed, half-tempted to follow, but the immediate realization of that futility hit her. Who really cared where he hid his stuff? She was either safe with him or she was not, and knowing his hidey-hole wouldn’t give her leverage. If it really mattered, he’d have tied her up again. Or gone in secret. She bit her lip, eyed his bag on the floor. It did have a small and powerful lock on the end; a zipper style she’d never seen. Not new age-y or anything, just—sturdy. Expensive. Hard to get into. She walked up and touched the fabric, and it felt slippery and plastic as well as cloth-like and almost metallic. She wouldn’t be surprised to learn it was bulletproof or something.

When the door opened again, she screamed. “You scared me.”

“There’s nobody but us for miles, Kate. This is very secluded.” He had another bag like the first. He looked at her position close to his duffel. “Curious?”

“I set this place up with equipment before I even started the job in town. I have another place, too. I figured I might need a safe hideout and it’s better to be over-prepared than under.” He unlocked the new bag, hands fast, and removed a computer and cable, and a black box that connected between them. “This is my secure line.”

“What, you have a secret antenna or a cable underground? Satellite links? Magic?”

He just smiled. “Something. Yeah.”

“You’d tell me but then you’d—” She broke off, feeling cold.

“Kate?” He was on his feet. “You’re pale. Sit down.” He put her in a chair. “Breathe. What happened?”

“I was joking but it wasn’t a joke. It was the same thing I said in the coffee shop.” She sucked in air but the air was thin and pale, devoid of oxygen, and she sucked harder, faster.

“You’re okay. I’m not going to hurt you. This is going to be fine.”

“No! It’s not! That man was going to kill me! I believed it. I believed it, Sloan. It was real. To me, it was
real.
” Now the air was gone. She was in a vacuum, her lungs were dry, flat. The world spun. Panic surged, as strong as that moment when the trunk slammed, and the sound reverberated in her chest, echoing in her brain, shots of a gun. She sank down into the chair, unable to hear for the crashing in her ears.

“No. Deep breaths. Slow.” He put a hand on her knee, one on her chest. “In and out. Yeah. Slowly. Look at my eyes. You can trust me.”

She raised her gaze and he was there, waiting, his eyes even, steady. “Yeah, Katie, just keep looking. Breathe in, out. I’m going to take care of you now. It’s all right.”

He murmured to her, as though he were enticing a squirrel, calming a wild horse, talking down a tornado, until she felt the panic retreat, a tide going back out, although it lurked there, ready to advance again on its own celestial timetable, a pull over which she had no control.

When she finally found air, she touched his cheek, found that supportive, put her other hand on his face, too. “Sloan.” She leaned in. “I need. I—” She shook her head, and there it was again, pushing away the concern like a curtain: His passion, his need. He wanted her, too, she knew it. His hand, high on her abdomen, fingers pressing her chest between her breasts, was burning into her. He leaned in for a second, but then he pulled away.

“Drink some water. It was a panic attack.” He handed her a bottle.

She stopped spinning. “That came out of nowhere. I—God. I hope that doesn’t happen again.”

“It will happen again, and again. I’m sorry.” His words were clipped. “This kind of trauma won’t fade fast, Kate. Things I say or do are going to trigger it, and we’ll deal as best we can.” He looked almost angry.

She wiped her eyes. “I can tell it won’t fade quickly.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Once we get out of here, you’re going to find a therapist,” he said, and it didn’t sound like a suggestion.

“But right now?”

“You’re going to sit there and relax,” he ordered, “and drink that water. I’m going to set up a secure hack-proof connection to my team and figure out what we need to do next.”

“I don’t think drinking water is enough to keep my mind occupied.” She tried a small smile. “Do you happen to have the full box set of
Game of Thrones
in here somewhere, and a big-screen TV?”

He laughed, the tension draining from his eyes. “Sure. Right behind the Jacuzzi and the trampoline. Go crazy.”

She giggled, relieved to break the anxiety. “Maybe I’ll write.” She got up, legs only a little shaky, and retrieved the notebook and pen. “Clear my head. This can be my journal.”

She sat back down, opened to the first page. “Thoughts from Captivity. Diary of a Prisoner. Day Two.”

He jerked his head up, his face taut. “Kate, I—”

“I’m joking.” Her voice was sharp. “Okay?”

“I told you this is temporary.”

“Yes, I know you did.” She shook her head. “Let me deal in my own way.”

“Fine.” He swallowed.

“Fine.”

She didn’t know what to write, so she doodled; swirling lines and flowers merged together in graffiti of blue. She drew a heart and another one, then a third, upside down. Hearts.
Follow your heart.
Ella!
She gasped, thinking of that piece of paper and her own heart pounded. Sloan looked over, expressive, and she shook her head. “Just thinking.”

“All right.” He was already pulled back into his computer, typing rapidly. “I’m in. Yeah.” The sound of satisfaction in his voice made her smile.