The Monte Carlo Affair: Across A Crowded Room (IATO Series Book 2) (11 page)

She started to speak as he released her mouth, but something in his expression silenced her. He stared a warning at her. She held her breath and waited frozen in place.

Jason looked frightened—of her and for her. He paused long enough for his purpose. He looked to her for approval, confirmation that she understood what this meant.

She froze. He moved his fingers inside her, coaxing her. Her pupils clouded, he waited for her to stop him. To both her surprise and his immense relief, she didn’t.

Drowning in him, recognizing her last chance to stop the insanity, Emily took a deep breath as she opened, arching into him. He never looked away from her face, watching her expression as she lifted. He plunged through her folds and she felt him push fully into her. He buried himself in her to the hilt, balls against her bottom.

This was where she always wanted him to be. Maybe not here, in a public garden, but with her, buried in her. She felt full, complete, alive, for the first time in three years. And at the same time, she was scared to death.

* * * *

It was only supposed to seem real. Had Jason taken this pretense a step too far? What excuse did he have for going over the edge?

He wanted this more than anything. He wanted her. He was so close to uncovering Avery’s killer, the aching guilt didn’t weigh so heavily on his heart. He believed he could face Emily now without the constant feeling of culpability. At this point, he didn’t even care how he got her—just as long as he claimed her. He would keep her anyway he could. When this was over, they’d straighten out all the rest. Jason couldn’t hold back. He didn’t want to hold back anymore. He loved her—she had to feel it—sense it.

When he’d returned and saw the guards approaching her hiding place, he panicked. What if they discovered her out here? They could both be exposed. She could be killed. The world would be subjected to the horror of terrorism beyond belief. So much was at stake, he’d hardly had a moment to think. The guards needed to believe Emily and Jason had been out here working themselves up to this point, slowly, over the time they’d been missing.

Anticipating where they’d be by now, put Jason right where he’d wanted to be.

* * * *

Although she’d been physically ready, she was caught completely by surprise at her own desire and confused by his. This wasn’t part of the arrangement. She didn’t believe the attraction he demonstrated to her was anything but physical. They’d spent years with each other, and the only time he’d ever showed any interest in her was when she threw herself at him.

What was she doing? She wanted him. That cool, reserved act she’d taken toward him over the last three years may have fooled him before, but she was going to have to do something pretty damned spectacular to play this down in the future if it didn’t work out between them this time.

Her embarrassment increased as she felt the spasms of a climax approaching. She knew he felt them too. She glanced over his shoulder just in time to see the guards.

“They’re Mosel’s men,” he noted.

“Yes.” She realized they’d been the ones who previously searched the garden. The conflict rose. Between the danger and her embarrassment, she didn’t know whether dying here would be better than facing embarrassment of their report to Mosel. “Oh, no! I’m going to look like such a slut.”

She knew she was supposed to be an experienced woman in this role, but she didn’t want to get caught up in all that with Mosel. Something about the intense way he glared at her scared her.

More important, she needed to worry about the danger. She didn’t see Kincaid, but she couldn’t take any chances. She had to make sure Jason didn’t look up.

As the guards stepped into their section of the garden, Jason felt her clench with tension as she nodded her assent. He picked up the tempo, and groaned against her neck, becoming increasingly unable to contain himself.

Then, meeting her determined gaze, he looked at her questioningly. She tried stifling the threatening moans by biting down on her bottom lip. She moved in unison with him, her head pressed into his forehead, then searched to take his mouth in hers. They maintained a momentum she was unwilling and unable to stop, caught in fear and the animal drive of the ultimate passion.

As her internal spasms clenched him with her approaching climax, he wisely nudged her lips gently with his. He brought his mouth down over hers, sucking the very breath out of her to prevent her inevitable scream of ecstasy.

Although her inner embarrassment was fully complete, she was reluctant to sacrifice the moment. This was what they missed the last time—she had him all now.

Emily tensed as the men aimed their flashlights on them. She squirmed a little beneath Jason, knowing he deliberately exposed her. But he held her firmly in place, and she held his head and his attention to her breast. She bit down on his shoulder as she held his head close to her. She wasn’t going to let him turn at the distraction if Kincaid was anywhere around.

“Get lost,” was all he grumbled at the two guards. They made some insulting remark in French about getting a room, and what Emily thought sounded like “sharing a little of that ripe something or other.”

She knew what they meant and flinched at the thought. Then, to make matters worse, they made sure to observe the couple closely with their flashlights, as if identifying her private parts later might become a necessity.

Jason growled something insulting back in French, never missing a stroke.

Eventually, the two voyeurs walked off, chuckling, amused at catching a couple of guests, someone of Jason’s ilk, with his pants down. Literally.

With the guards moving on and no Kincaid in sight, the imminent danger passed them by. She sighed in relief, expecting Jason to jump up. Instead, Jason paused, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her gently. With a whispered apology, he proceeded pumping, continuing the pace, deeper, harder, faster. He brought her back up to a frenzied peak. The tingling inside her resumed to heated volcanic pressure as he brought her to another orgasm and finally gave in to his own release, spilling into her. He collapsed, as visibly relieved as she was, in more ways than one.

She noted how he gathered her gently against him as he rolled her to the side to avoid crushing her beneath his full weight.

“You did fine. Now the sooner we get you out of the country, the better. It’ll be too dangerous for you here if your infatuated new boss discovers the information has been compromised.”

She nodded. Tension and horror slowly replaced the boneless sensation of the post-coital repose. Reality seeped in. Emily was mortified. As her head cleared, the scene that replayed in her mind became a fancy. Yes, it had happened, but it wasn’t real—it was an act—a farce.

Crying wasn’t an option. She wanted to believe the reality of his desire. But she’d only be fooling herself. She believed he had never wanted her, never would. And yet, he was the only man she ever wanted, the only one who completely satisfied her.

Tonight she took advantage of another opportunity to be with the one man she could never have, the one who rejected her repeatedly three years ago. A professional now, she would not cry, even though she hadn’t bargained for this. She bit her lip to keep the threatening tears at bay.

* * * *

She tensed in his arms. Jason shifted his weight to one side, his face burrowed in her neck, her hair tickled his nose—it always did whenever they were close. Her hair seemed to reach out and grab him whenever he was within striking distance.

Adrenaline shot, lust assuaged, he was afraid to look at her. She’d grown very stiff as she stilled against him. Her reaction frightened him. He wanted to groan. Could his timing be any worse? So far, their sexual encounters were now screwed up, two for two. He might have had the presence of mind not to relax his full weight on her afterwards, but nothing stopped him from taking advantage of her when he had the chance. She was so delicate, and yet so responsive
.

He couldn’t move. Between the combination of fear, lust, and apprehension, his emotions were shot.
God, we’re like gas and flame—instant combustion.

He gulped in her scent.

What was it about her that made him so crazy? She would be wondering about his reputation. His seduction techniques needed vast improvement with her, anyway. No woman would forgive a man for something like this. What could he say?

He finally moved off her, thoughtfully and efficiently, pulling her tattered dress up and down as he did. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but after all these years and without the arrest of Avery’s murderer, and this debauchery of a plan tonight. Hell, the timing wasn’t quite right, yet. But soon, soon he’d be able to put everything in order.

When the time came, he hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

Straightening himself out, at least his voice sounded composed. “If we eventually need an alibi, we have it, and the guards as witnesses. It’ll give us the time we need to both get out of town, safely. For effect, it needed to be real.” Jason justified their actions with that simple statement.

“Em, it was real—” But he stopped himself. Instead, Jason continued, holding his hand out to help her up. ”Sorry I didn’t have time to warn you and then,” he appeared ashamed, “well, I’m embarrassed to admit I was too far gone to stop. I want to assure you, I’m healthy.

* * * *

Healthy?
She didn’t think she could talk. He acted so matter of fact.
What the hell does that mean? Oh yes, right, of course, he would be assuring me he’s free from STDs
.

He wasn’t thinking she could possibly be infected. The damn man was her boss, he knew she had no sex life.
Get a load of him. Of course he has! Well, thank goodness he’s healthy!

Actually, right now, she wished him dead. Death would be preferable to facing him. Although her death would make it easier than facing the world.

“You have nothing to worry abo—” Then he stopped, choking over his next words. “Emily, are you using birth control?”

She started to nod her response to Jason like an imbecile, not knowing what to say and increasingly terrified she would burst into tears, but she stopped when she realized what he had asked. Her insides ached with emptiness worse than any hunger. Emily thought if she opened her mouth, she would cry.
Must be hormones or postcoital shock—if there’s such a thing?

So she didn’t respond.

He looked down the path where the guards had moved on. “Emily, I’m truly sorry. That situation came out of nowhere, but it more than likely saved our lives. I know it wasn’t part of the plan, but making it real was the only way. They had to think we’d been here a while working up to this. I’m sorry if I took you too fast. Please say something.”

Her mind stuck on “birth control.” Why would she be on birth control? Jason, of all people, knew she wasn’t dating. He was in the agency. Hell, when would she have time to develop relationships—even if she’d had the inclination? She’d just had her first orgasm, no, make that second orgasm, in three years. There had been Mosel.

She kept her head down, unable to focus just yet. Nothing she thought escaped her mouth.
Sorry, again? Where had she heard that before?

Damn, she didn’t want him to be sorry.
For a moment, they’d had each other the way she wanted. If nothing else, it was real for her.

Her voice sounded strangled even to her, while she struggled to sound reassuring. “Please, I’m hardly innocent. I knew what I was getting into with this assignment. This is scarcely the melodrama you’re making it out to be. Bodies react sometimes with a mind of their own. Think nothing of it. I understand. We barely had time to think. I appreciate your concern for my welfare.”

“Wait!”
Jason tensed. “What’s this crap about ‘bodies’?”

“Playing big brother again? Don’t you think that’s a bit inappropriate under the circumstances?”

He bristled as he grabbed her by the arms. Maybe there was more to this for him as well. “Tell me you don’t go around making a habit of following through with everything your body reacts to, please!”

“In response to your distasteful question, of course I don’t. How rude!”

“You weren’t acting, you couldn’t have been. No one’s that good.”

“I’m reassuring you, I’m fine. We are, after all, intimately familiar with one another.”

He winced. That was a low blow, but she couldn’t help striking out. She held up her hand to stop him when he tried to touch her. He tried to straighten out her dress, his help annoying her more than his words. She shrugged him off, slapping at his hands.

Emily turned cool and efficient. Not an easy task, while she was feeling all rumpled, torn, and broken inside. Outwardly composed, she changed the subject. “Did you accomplish your objective?”

“Sure, right before I saw those goons come out to the garden and panicked.”

“Good.” If the mission were compromised, millions could die. With the false information imbedded on the chip she exchanged for the original and the information on the original confiscated, the terrorists would be misled by the technology. She felt better knowing that part of the operation was accomplished.

“What are you thinking? Talk to me, please.” Jason seemed concerned.