The SUV pulled over on a street a block from their home. She turned off the lights, and the pair sat in dark silence. They were both well trained. That made it easier. There was no need to explain what she was doing. She unsheathed the knife on her leg, as Gene pulled out his gun, checking the safety.

“Try not to shoot any furniture this time,” she joked, trying to lighten the thick tension between them.

He laughed quietly, it sounded almost nervous. Neither knew what waited for them in the house. Her team had rules. No one knew where the others lived. In case someone was caught, the others would be safe. But, that didn’t mean his employer didn’t know. Plus, she knew her girls were good at research. As if sensing the questioning thoughts, Gene finally spoke.

“I was with a new team. I didn’t know any of them. So, they know nothing about me, except what’s in my file. Since I was in hiding, the house is under a dummy corporation name. The paperwork has a lot of layers to work through. Not even my handler knows where I was staying.”

“If we had more time, I’d love to hear this story,” her words were quiet and sincere.

Together, they softly exited the vehicle. Adrenaline pumped through Calista. She followed Gene as he maneuvered through their neighbors’ yards and came up behind the home they had shared. It now looked different. What she thought would provide comfort and security during her retirement, was now full of lies and doubt.

There were no lights on, and Gene stopped, as they approached the sliding glass door on their back patio. “All my stuff is in the hotel room, I don’t have keys.”

She shook her head. Neither did she. Quickly, her knife was shoved back into its sheath. She reached up, pulling the bobby pins from the bun holding her hair up. Long brown tresses tumbled down, and she bent the pins, molding them into picks. Her finger nails scraped off the silicone coating the ends.

Brushing past Gene, she bent over, using the pins to pick the lock. A little part of her realized the weirdness of doing this in front of her husband, who until two hours ago, hadn’t known she could do this. Then again, he apparently had skills she was unaware of as well.

Quickly, she had the handle unlocked and the door opened. Striding into the familiar kitchen, it struck her that this may be the last time she was here. She couldn’t stop and reminisce though. They cleared the house. No one was lying in wait there to kill them. Calista plopped down on their bed, huffing out a breath in exasperation. Gene sat down next to her. Neither looked at the other. Finally, she broke the silence.

“I was raised in Greece. By my Uncle Ned. My father had been the head of a Greek crime family, basically their version of a mafia. After he was shot in his nightclub, my uncle took over. I saw a lot of things I wish I hadn’t. When I grew up, I was an expert in hand to hand, several forms of karate, knives and guns. They used to call me Little Artemis. I had been trained to hunt, and my uncle thought I would work for him. Instead of becoming the hand he used to kill, I took out my uncle. I left the golden arrow pin he had given me when I turned eighteen. He was a bad man. I had seen him order the murders of families, kids, people who didn’t deserve it. After I got away and no one knew I had done it, I kept going. I found some of his business associates, and took care of them too. In and out. Leaving a pin each time. It started as a way to let others know, that I was coming, to make them pay. It ended up turning into a job.”

She paused, looking at her hands. They had taken many lives, but only bad men. Only people who truly were despicable. It had been many years since she sat and reflected on the beginning, how she started this line of work.

“I killed the brother of a cartel leader I was sent to take down. Now, even a year later, there’s contracts out there on my head. I’ve been in hiding. I have a CIA handler. He told me this job seemed fishy, but I took it anyway. I was restless, needed the action.”

“I know.”

His brown eyes darkened, eyeing her suspiciously.

She continued. “My team gave me a brief run down on the roof. They said someone contacted them to take you out and me, if I failed. They didn’t think twice, since I never fail. It was a set up. By who though?”

“The CIA. It has to be. They hired you, and gave me the mission to catch you. Bendez. Ricardo Bendez. He must have offered a price that someone in the CIA couldn’t resist. That means there’s a dirty agent in the company, somewhere high enough up there to get me assigned a mission, and get you the job.”

Calista looked at Gene, truly looked at him, in a way she never had before. The worry lines on his face seemed enhanced. “I’m sorry. I never intended for you to find out who I was,” she said. It was the truth, and he deserved to hear it.

“Me either. I thought it would be a quick cover, in and out, never that it would have lasted a year.” She pulled back, her face twisted up in ire.

“You planned to just leave? Did any of it matter to you? It did to me. It started as a way to get the heat off, when the CIA got close to me. But over the last year, I’ve fallen in love with you.” She shot to her feet, standing in front of him. Hands on her hips, she glared. If only looks could kill. He reached out, taking her hand.

“I think I did too,” his eyes glistened, as if he was going to cry. She almost laughed at the idea of this big strong agent, crying. “It hit me, when you shoved me out of that bullet’s path.” He pulled her closer, leaning his head on her stomach, arms wrapping around her legs. She placed her hands on his head, fingers twisting into his dark hair.

“This sure is a mess,” she whispered.

Gene leaned back on the bed, taking her with him, her body on top of his. She spread her legs, straddling him. Her core heated, pulsating in between her thighs. Her body rocked, moving on its own accord. Gene’s hands gripped her waist.

His cock hardened beneath her. She closed her eyes and allowed her emotions and body to take control. Her fingers crept under the tight, dark shirt. She splayed them out, feeling his entire chest as he moved. The chest hair tickled her skin, her fingertips burning hot, the muscles of his body tight underneath.

His fingers squeezed as they roamed, experiencing her body. He reached under her clothing, shoving her bra aside. Fingers pinched her nipples, creating a coil inside of her. Calista bucked her hips, sliding up and down his groin. With a fierce growl, Gene launched up, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her body tight against him. He tugged, pulling at her shirt, trying to rip it up over her head, her arms going up. Instead of completely removing it, he wrapped the material around her wrists. He quickly twisted, pressing her body into the mattress as he lowered himself on top of her.
“Can you still follow directions, Artemis?” He whispered into her ear as his lips kissed her neck. She moaned, unable to find the words to speak. For some reason, the use of her name now, drove her wild with lust. “Don’t move those arms.”

The urge to touch him, and wrap them around her husband was hard to resist, but she did. His mouth trailed kisses down her neck, over her chest. Teeth clamped down on hardened nubs, and electricity shot through every nerve of her body. Her breathing quickened, heart racing. Gene sat up, shredding his shirt. Quickly he undid the pants he wore, setting his gun next to them on the mattress. Shoving down his boxers, Calista licked her lips at the thick cock that sprung free.

Getting off the bed, he dropped the clothes to the floor, crawling back to onto his knees, leering above her. He pulled at her pants, and she felt herself get wet. His muscled arms flexed as he tugged on the offending material. She lifted her hips, allowing him to pull the pants off her. The groan that escaped his mouth, caused her to dampen even more. The bedroom was the one place they truly knew each other, and she was anxious, needed to feel him inside of her. It was the only thing that would make any sense right now. She moaned, looking at him.

“Please, I need you,” she stammered, almost begging.

Rough hands moved up her body, squeezing on her breasts, then back down, to her waiting pussy. Two fingers slid down the moist slit.

“So wet for me, wife.” His tone was part anger, part sexual. He inserted his digits inside of her. She closed her eyes, almost mewing at the feel. Her walls clamped down, as he wiggled inside of her. “So dripping wet and ready, my little liar.”

She didn’t answer, instead, chose to lose herself in the blissful feeling of her husband touching her. Her mind couldn’t handle the fuck up that was their lives at the moment. His fingers left her, and shivered with pleasure, trying to reach out to him. Her fingers grabbed at his thick shoulder, and he froze. She looked down, seeing his face almost planted between her thighs. Anger flashed in his brown eyes.

“I said don’t move. Now you need to pay the consequences.” He pulled back from her heated core, and she cried out in protest, her arms flying back over her head. Her hips shifted, trying to get back close to his face. Gene shook his head no, pulling back. He grabbed her waist, turning her slightly to the side. With fingers spread wide, he spanked her ass hard, leaving a red welt.

“Have you been a naughty assassin?” His question stopped her breath a moment. The contact sent tingles straight to her core. She cried out, her clit throbbing, aching for more.

“Please, Gene,” she sighed.

“Grayson,” he said. “That’s my real name. Say it. I want to hear you call out the correct name this time.” His tone was demanding.

Her eyes popped open, and she glared at him in anger, which was quickly diffused as his mouth latched onto her clit. He couldn’t look away from her. With hands above her head, she called out for him.

“More, Grayson, I need more.” The name seemed so natural, rolling from her mouth as his tongue danced and twirled across her needy bud. She let go of the betrayal, her sexual desires taking hold.

Hips thrust to meet his mouth, as he pulled back a little. His warm breath caressed the skin on her thighs. Inserting two fingers, he bent them slightly, reaching the special part of her that would be the undoing of her tightly coiled excitement. Combined with the assault of his tongue, she moaned and squirmed, until finally he gave her the relief needed. As if a thread snapped, her orgasm fell upon her, a wave crashing over and over, completely drowning her in desire. Her insides clamped down, holding him between her legs.

 Gene, Grayson, whoever the hell this man was, knew how to provide her with the satisfaction her body and mind needed. He moved up her body, crawling to cover her sweat slicked skin with his. He stared down, as she peeled her eyes open. Without thought, she nodded, granting permission to his hardened shaft, poised at her entrance. Taking that as a yes, he thrust deeply into her, filling her very soul with the assurance that everything would be alright. He pinned her bound wrists to the bed as hips thrust in and out. Each stroke burned away a layer of the mixed emotions she held tightly to, as if a shield protecting her from being hurt anymore by this man.

He latched onto her mouth as a fiery passionate kiss between them stole her breath. With every thrust, he brushed her core as it coiled in heat again. As he pressed in deep, hard against her clit, rotating his hips, she lost control. The flames of passion licked their heated skin, her orgasm tearing through her body. Calista cried out as she felt her husband spill his seed inside of her. His cock pulsated inside of her, and they both panted heavily. Her husband lay a sweat soaked forehead on hers, eyes closed.

Finally, she spoke. “Any other lies I should know about, Grayson?” she spit out sarcastically.

He laughed, rolling to the side, off of her body. Her pussy cried out at the loss of him inside of her, though she wasn't sure she could handle another orgasm. His fingertips traced the line of sweat dripping down her stomach, causing her to shiver.

“Well, I was never a fan of your cooking, but now that I’m aware of who you really are, Artemis,” he cocked an eyebrow at her, “I'm worried as to how you would react. And you’ll have to go back to calling me Gene. Unfortunately, I’m basically in witness protection, or whatever the CIA likes to call it, until I’m safe. So, I’m Gene again, I guess.”

She laughed, moving her stiff arms down from above her head. He quickly removed the shirt that bound her wrists together, pulling her tight against his body, and she curled into the familiar scent of her husband. Her mind ran in circles. Her team didn’t know where she lived, that was good. But what about him? Was someone going to come after them here? She was coming down from the high of adrenaline, quickly crashing. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to shake it off, but ended up falling asleep instead.