CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“I warned you this might be awkward.” Winters gave a reassuring laugh and winked. Anything to help bring her out of her shell. He needed his Mia back. Not the silent, stone-cold Jane Doe who’d ridden in the car with him the last hundred or so miles. No, he wanted the spitfire, crazed woman who’d run them off the road and tried again and again to nail him in the balls.
She turned to him and gave a placating, unsure-of-her-survival smile.
“No one’s asking anything of you. This is just my reality. And like I said, it’s also the safest place to keep you until all of this is sorted out. My two worlds collided. Work and non-work.” He shook her hand with a slight swing. “There’s nothing to overthink. Can you shake off the nerves?”
He was hot again with a pleasantly uncomfortable, terribly unfamiliar feeling that had him questioning his judgment. Fuck it. He squeezed her hand with more want than comfort. He’d been squeezing that hand over and over since they’d gotten out of the car. He couldn’t help it.
“It’s simple. Everything collided back on that exit ramp. And in that motel room.” His heartbeat galloped. Was that trepidation or lust? “I don’t know what to tell you. And you haven’t said much. So let’s start simple. Do you want me to let go of your hand?”
His heart thumped in his chest. Once. Twice. If she didn’t respond soon, he’d punch out of this conversation with more than a little wounded pride.
“No.” She shook her head.
He didn’t care if she looked like she was going to puke. He wasn’t letting go of her hand. Someone would have to put crosshairs on him before he would break away. Even then, the move would be duck and cover, not catch and release. She was here, safe from the world, and until he knew what to do with her, that was where he wanted her.
“Outstanding. I wasn’t in the mood to let go.” His thumb caressed her tight grip.
It would’ve been easy to hand Clara to his mother, drag Mia to his room, and tear her clothes off her. But it wouldn’t have been right. Besides the absurd awkwardness, his first responsibility was to Clara. He wasn’t about to pawn her off whenever the mood struck. And the mood was always striking where Mia was concerned.
They walked down the hallway and up the stairs, grabbing the clean clothes, a sweatshirt, and flip-flops that Judith had laid out as promised.
Mia looked at him, the most interest he’d seen all day. “I’m going to change now.”
“Anything you want.” Guess he’d have to let her go.
He directed her to the bathroom. After a while, she came out squeaky clean, freshly clothed. The woman squared up quick. Over her shoulder, he saw her clothes stuffed in the trash can. Bet slamming those in the bucket was like scoring the winning basket of a championship game.
He took her hand and led her up the stairs. “So you saw that bathroom.”
“Check.”
“Here’s the toy room.”
They walked into an ice-cold room, only illuminated by a few computer screens. No windows. No furniture. Only shelves with his workstation in the middle.
“Toy room?”
“Grown up toys. Though not the kind that you may think of.” He gave her a devilish grin. “Tools of the trade. Gadgets and gear. This is a tiny listening device. This one looks like a pack of gum, but push two pieces together, and you’ve got a slow burning smoke. Nothing explosive though. All show. I try to keep the C4 far away from the baby.”
She laughed, acting less tense. “Makes sense.”
“This one’s pretty cool. It can make anything safe to drink. And this thing appears to be an outlet cover, but it has a high res camera. Motion activated.”
“You’re a kid in the candy store.”
He shrugged, knowing he shouldn’t show her anything in the room. Covert wasn’t covert if others knew what secret weapons were available. But he wanted to distract her. Hell, he wanted to impress her. Again?
“Now this one.” He peeled a microscopic translucent piece of fabric off wax paper and pressed it to her arm. “The material is a bio-agent. Soon as it comes into contact with your skin, it’ll begin to destroy itself. It’s a tracker. If activated, it’s like a homing beacon.”
“I can’t see it anymore.”
“That’s the point. The enemy can’t remove what they don’t see.”
“Oh.” She giggled, inspecting the near invisible patch.
“That’s funny?”
“No. It’s just all I need for work is my DSM-IV, and you need spy equipment.” She shivered. “Why’s it so cold in here?”
“I like my gadgets, guns, and vehicles a precise sixty-six degrees. I work better when it’s chilly. But you both have to be cold. Resuming our tour…” He walked them into the hall and pointed toward the doors. “There’s my room, across from Clara’s nursery.”
Mia paused at the baby’s room and stared at the lilac colored walls and bright white furniture. It was unlike the hardy décor of the rest of the house. Dark furniture. Thick leather. Heavy carpets. The nursery was as bright and carefree as Clara’s smile. It suited the happy baby. He’d made sure that it was perfect for a precious girl. He would’ve made the walls out of cotton candy and hung twinkle, twinkle lights from the ceiling if he could’ve.
“Guest room. Guest room, again. You can stay here, if you want. It’s got a gorgeous view of the lake out back, and it has its own bathroom. There’s a Jacuzzi tub in my room. Feel free to use that if you want. Lots of whirling, jetting bubbles I hear chicks might like.”
“You hear, huh?”
“Yup.”
“Never had one of your lady friends compliment you on it?” She raised an eyebrow. “Or witness for yourself?”
“Sorry to disappoint. You’re the only woman to step foot in this house who’s not a blood relation.”
He studied her for a second. His skin crawled with the need for her to stay with him, in his bedroom, in his bed. He longed to feel her skin against his again, to watch her sleep-heavy eyes flutter closed while she lay naked against him. But after ignoring him all day, he wasn’t nearing that hope without much more serious consideration.
“Okay, then. A hot tub soak sounds amazing. Your house is gorgeous. Colby, thanks for taking care of me through all of this,” she whispered.
He blew out. There it was again, that indescribable emotion that hit him under the collar and deep in the gut. It was a variation on adrenaline, nothing like a headache, and closer to heartburn.
“You need to relax. Do whatever it takes, all right?”
“I will. But I’d be just fine on a couch with some fast food. I hate that I’m burdening your family. I’ll be out of your hair the moment you think it’s safe.”
Mild disappointment pecked at the thought of her not wanting him. Hell, not mild. Not by a click or two. They were short, slicing stabs of irritation. He wanted her jonesing for him like he was sweating for her. Pure need mixed with something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Enjoyment. Or infatuation? Whatever that sensation was, it was more than welcome and had nothing to do with his couch or sending her packing the second the all-clear rang out.
The ring of his cell phone interrupted the cacophony of thoughts. Phone calls were once in a blue moon. Only when it was a member of Titan or his mother. Without missing a beat, Mia reached over and lifted Clara from him, freeing both his hands in an instant. With a quick nod of thanks, he answered the phone in a curt manner that could sand plaster, then walked to a nearby window.
“I’m glad you finally got your ass back home. Took you long enough,” Jared said.
“Really not in the mood for it, boss man. What did you learn about our client?”
“They’re legit and made contact through our CIA friend. That NOC list is heavy-duty. They’ll keep those operatives’ identities safe. You just have to bring it in.”
“Heavy-duty? I could’ve told you it’s hot. I’ll bring it over this afternoon. We have to talk about securing Mia Kensington’s safety. The men after her and that disk are making some risky moves. It’s not going to stop.”
He didn’t want Mia to hear him, and she wasn’t paying attention to him. She had Clara close to her face, pointing out another window. The baby pulled at her hair, and Mia encouraged her in whispers, talking to Clara, tapping on the window to show her a bird. Or tree. Or something.
“Jared, I have to call you back.”
He holstered the phone without waiting for a response and moved to Mia, threaded his fingers into her hair, and pressed his lips to her now agape mouth. She closed her lips onto his, and the intensity shot straight to his groin.
Hell, he couldn’t help himself. His woman and his baby. It looked right. It felt right. Like it might have been if he had a normal life, and he wasn’t a man who went to work strapped to the hilt like a warrior, and she wasn’t a job gone rogue that he’d brought home.
He could kiss her all day long. Her plump lips fulfilled him. The kiss washed away the pining that ate at him when he didn’t touch her. Thank God she kissed him back. He’d be completely messed up in the head if she didn’t.
With his eyes still open, he stared at her, so close, so beautiful. Hers were closed, and he absorbed her warmth as she teased over his lips. His heart beat faster when she relaxed, molding into him while still holding his baby. Clara played with her hair with uncoordinated jerks, and Mia didn’t stop her. It was picture perfect. Straight out of a Disneyland fairy tale. He couldn’t have closed his eyes if he wanted to.
He pressed his forehead against hers. “I don’t want you to stay in the guest room.”
“And I don’t want to.” She locked eyes with him, and his gut tightened.
“I’m not asking you to play family. I get it. You don’t do family. And I… can’t. But I also can’t see you across the room and not want to hold you. You’re a crazy woman for even suggesting the couch.” He grazed a finger down her cheek. “I can’t sleep in the same house as you and not hold your sweet-ass body to mine.”
Actually, he wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing she was anywhere else in the world. He needed her under his roof, under his watch. While this job was a go, he would make sure she was by his side.
Weighty seconds ticked by. Each heavy lungful of air burned in his chest, and his heart felt thick. After she ignored him all day and played down every attempt at his strained subtleties, he should have been apprehensive about bearing it all. But he wasn’t. It was a simple and basic need. Her with him.
“Lunch is ready. I’ll heat up a bottle,” Judith called up from the kitchen.
Rich smells drifted down the hallway. The spice and grease of fried chicken. The doughy aroma of biscuits fresh from the oven.
Mia smiled, tranquil as his lake at sunrise. Nothing stirred. No hesitations. Only a calm, peaceful serenity. It was a small miracle. He’d have to start all over if she freaked out on him.
“Are you hungry, Colby?”
“Starved.” In more ways than one, but that wasn’t important.
“Me, too. Let’s go.” Still carrying the baby on her hip, she laced her hand in his, and pulled him down the stairs and into the kitchen.
***
It didn’t go unnoticed by his mother that Mia walked in with the baby on her hip. Her stomach swirled at the woman’s barely raised eyebrows and dawning realization of her and Colby’s questionable circumstances. His mother didn’t say anything to her or, as far as Mia could tell, to Colby.
Plates heaped high with food sat on the table. The spread should have been displayed on a cooking show. Picture perfect, and she was much hungrier than she realized. Famished, really.
The bottle warmer buzzed on the counter. Judith grabbed it, tested the bottle on the inside of her wrist while eyeing Mia. “You must be starved. But you’re more than welcome to feed her if you want.”
Mia’s cheeks heated at the offer. “I don’t know the first thing about feeding a baby.” That, and she was sure the baby in her arms would call her bluff and jump if Mia so much as moved.
“It’s simple. She does all the work. Just hold her like this.” Judith moved Clara into a cradle in Mia’s arms and passed her the bottle. “And hold the bottle upright like this. Support her head. She’ll stop when she’s done.”
Mia looked at Colby. He smiled, encouraging her. All right, maybe holding Clara wasn’t like snuggling an escape artist.
Big, bright eyes blinked. Fat cheeks plumped then caved with each suck. Clara was mesmerizing. Enchanting. She made Mia believe in familial happiness for a flash. This was why women spoke incessantly about the biological clock screaming in their heads. She had read about it. Studied it. But before now, it didn’t click. Sugary innocence and unadulterated trust stared up at her, threatening to thaw one of her dark fears. Family. Children. Parents.
“Look at you.” Colby came up behind her and leaned on the chair. His presence made her nervous. What if he didn’t want her to do this? What if he did?
He massaged the anxious knots in her shoulders. In an instant, the hefty weight of concern washed away with his meaningful caress. “Clara’s addictive. Watch out for that, doll. I hate to grab my food to go, but I have to head to work.”
He filled a plastic container. Watching him make his lunch made her laugh. Big, bad, tough Colby Winters—in real life, he was a baby-toting, brown-bag lunch packing, family man. Despite his lean muscles and hard-edged face, he was an honest man, trying to fix the world one tear gas grenade at a time.
“It’s easy to see why. She’s perfect, Colby. You’re a lucky man.”
Lucky. Happy. Warm.
It wasn’t that she didn’t think those things of herself. She was just different. Family was a foreign concept. Long ago, she allowed hers to fade to black in her memory.
Her childhood had been regimented. But even that description was an understatement. Her father had preferred to be called The Colonel. Her mother’s indifference to The Colonel’s rules and regulations came in the form of pills and booze. She never stood up for Mia, even when The Colonel put a knife to her throat to teach her a lesson or spanked her with a belt until she vomited. Welts branded her for days.
Mia shook her head. No need to go down memory lane. No need to remind herself why family life didn’t work for her. All her pain was channeled to help others. Mia specialized in military families and soldiers who came home from hell. It was all in hopes that, one day, she could help a young girl avoid a home life like the one she had suffered through.
But for now, for this simple moment, she appreciated family time with Judith, Colby, and Clara.
She’d also savor the handsome man who proved so interested in being her hero. No matter where they were, or what they were doing, Colby made her blood rush at a feverish pace, crashing through her body like a stock car race. When he looked at her with those dark-as-night eyes, she felt stronger and more desirable than she thought possible. And when he didn’t look at her, heck, when he wasn’t in the room, the mere thought of Colby made her shiver with wanton need.
He placed a disposable cell phone in front of her. “And you, beautiful… I’ll call you later. Burner phone. Another fun toy. If you have to call someone to let them know you’re safe on your vacation, use this one. If you need to talk to me, I’m the first number programmed in.”
Colby placed a kiss on her lips that took her breath away, stilling all the concern and apprehension she felt in his home, with his baby. And in its place, she relished the bold attraction that bloomed. She was too overcome, and slightly embarrassed, at the casual intensity of his kiss to see if Judith saw them.
Clara finished her bottle, and her sleepy eyes hung heavy. Colby scooped her out of Mia’s arms and placed her up against his shoulder. The baby wore a pink flower onesie and matching footed pants with ruffles on the bottom. She was a stark contrast to Colby’s combat boots, dark camo pants, and ass-kicker shirt.
Mia knew he wore his Glock tucked into a holster under his shirt and saw the tactical knife secured against his calf. Both weapons were secure and safe from the curious reach of the baby.
He burped Clara, his huge hand spanning the width of the sleeping baby, and left the kitchen. As he bounded into the kitchen again, he flipped on the switch for the baby monitor sitting on the counter. Mia listened to the last few notes of the mobile play a lullaby as he waved good-bye to her and his mom, grabbed his keys, and walked toward the garage door.