Chapter Ten
Summer opened her eyes slowly, blinking them to clear the fog in her brain. She was lying in her bed, dressed in a long T-shirt and panties, covers pulled up to her chin. As her mind sharpened everything clicked back into place—the Hausers, the visit to the hospital, her successful healing session. She remembered Troy helping her out to the car and her falling asleep on the way home. He must have carried her upstairs, undressed her, and tucked her into bed.
Warmth surged through her body. They had only known each other a short while, but already he had created a place in both her heart and her life. In just a few days he’d become her anchor, her stability—something very necessary to a healer. He provided a solid foundation that allowed her to sleep, to find that place in her head where she could regenerate her vitality.
Not that she couldn’t do it without him—she had for years. But her grandmother had told her repeatedly that finding a mate who was the other half of herself would make her stronger and sharpen her abilities. Who knew he’d come in such an attractive package or that the chemistry between them would be so instantaneous?
She smiled, allowing herself the luxury of lying wrapped in the covers for a while longer. She was just considering getting up when the door opened and Troy stuck his head in. Her breath caught at the sight of him—his very masculine face with its strong jaw, the dark coffee eyes that she could drown in, the powerful body that felt so right against hers.
“Good.” His devastating smile struck right in her heart. “I wasn’t sure if I should just let you sleep or try to wake you up.”
Summer pushed herself up in bed and patted the covers next to her. “I’m awake. Come sit by me.”
He sat beside her, wrapping one arm around her, placing soft kisses on her temple and cheek. “Do you feel okay? No aftereffects?”
She shook her head. “I rarely have any as long as I can go to sleep right away. I’m so drained that staying awake is difficult.”
“I worry that it takes so much out of you.” He stroked her hair. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Of course.” She turned her head and kissed his jaw. “Especially with you to take care of me.”
“I’m going to run a hot bubble bath for you.” He gave her a quick hug before swinging his legs off the bed. “Then I’m going to pamper the hell out of you.”
Summer laughed. “I could easily get used to this.”
“Good.” He bent to brush a quick kiss over her lips. “That’s what I want.”
“Since you’re being such a great caretaker, do you think I could have a cup of tea? It always helps to center me.”
“No problem. Let me just get the bath started.”
She heard the water running in the tub and the sounds of Troy rummaging in her bathroom cabinets to find what he needed.
“Stay in bed until I’m ready for you,” he called over his shoulder as he headed out of the room and downstairs.
Summer lay back on the pillows, eyes closed, smiling a secret smile as she listened to the sounds of activity. Yes, she definitely wanted to get used to this.
“I’ve got your tea, sugar.” Troy’s voice broke into her reverie. She opened her eyes and saw him standing there with a mug of steaming liquid. “I think the tub is a good place to drink it.” His eyes burned with desire. “That way I can heat you inside and out. Just stay there. I’ll be right back.”
Summer tossed back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting. The sound of running water cut off, and then Troy was back. He lifted her in his arms and carried her into the bathroom, now fragrant with steam from the tub. He set her on her feet long enough to strip away the T-shirt and panties, then lifted her and placed her gently in the bubbling water. Adjusting the bath pillow at the right angle so she could sit comfortably, he handed her the mug of tea.
“Just relax.” His voice was soothing. Hypnotic. “Sip your tea and let yourself drift.”
Kneeling beside the tub, he poured strawberry-scented bath gel into his palm and worked it into a lather. The fragrant aroma tickled her nostrils, and she inhaled its familiarity. With gentle strokes, he urged her to lean forward and moved his fingers over her shoulders and massaged her neck. Summer sipped at the tea, falling into the gentle rhythm of his hands. When one of his large hands moved over her breasts, her nerves woke up and jolted her from her lethargy.
“What are you doing?”
His laugh tickled her senses. “Making sure you relax.”
She arched into his touch. “I’m not sure this is the way to make that happen.”
“Just leave it to me. You’ll see how relaxed you are when I’m finished.” Troy’s voice was low and warm against her ear. “Your breasts are gorgeous. I love touching them, cupping them in my palms, feeling the weight of them.”
“Ohhh.” She exhaled slowly as he tweaked first one nipple then the other. When he raked his nails lightly across the pebbled tips, she felt it clear down to the soles of her feet. She squeezed her legs together, her thighs slippery in the water.
“Feel good, sugar?” He leaned a little closer and nipped her earlobe, then traced the shell with the tip of his tongue.
“Mmm-hmm.” Good didn’t begin to describe it. Her body reacted as if someone turned a furnace on deep in her belly, and the tendrils of heat were curling slowly but powerfully through her body.
Troy took the empty mug from her lax fingers, and she closed her eyes, letting the feeling of sensuality spread through every muscle and nerve. He kneaded her breasts with his strong fingers and massaged the fragrant soap into her skin. One hand slid behind her, cradling her against his arm as the other moved down over her tummy. Pausing at her navel, he traced the whorls with the tip of his finger.
“I love to run my tongue over this.” His warm voice was deep and seductive. “Maybe when I lift you from the tub, I’ll lick all the water from it before I dry you off.”
A delicious shiver raced over her skin.
His touch was light, feathery, as his busy fingers slipped lower to find her swollen lips. Gently, he pinched her clit, and it popped out of its hood, begging for his touch. He stroked back and forth across the tip, stopping now and then to squeeze it between his strong fingers. Summer was sure her inner walls were slick with her juices by now. As Troy dipped his fingers into her, she almost felt as if she were separating from her body. She floated in a fog of eroticism while her body clenched with hot need.
Troy’s touch was so light she wanted to scream at him to press harder and deeper. She tightened her thighs around his wrist and hand and braced herself as she rode his fingers.
“Easy, baby,” he soothed. “Don’t rush it. Just let it happen. Just keep your eyes closed. Think of yourself naked in this tub, your nipples covered with bubbles, your skin warm from the water and my hand. Now visualize your legs spread wide open for me, your slick juices mixing with the water so you’re wetter than wet. Can you feel your hot little clit pulsing from my touch?”
As if to emphasize his words, he moved his hand and squeezed the little nub between two strong fingers. Summer jerked, her hips lifting in response.
“Yeah, that’s it. Think of my mouth on this, sucking hard on it, grazing it with my teeth. Imagine my tongue stroking you the way my fingers are right now.” He dragged his fingers the length of her and back, then thrust them inside her again.
Summer’s entire body was on fire now, writhing in the water, moans of pleasure bursting form her lips. Her hips jerked against Troy’s touch, his invading fingers rasping against her sensitive walls.
One large hand cupped her head, turning it toward him, his mouth taking hers in a hot, greedy, possessive kiss. The tongue that could do such magical things to her stroked into her mouth, touching every corner like a dancing flame. As the kiss deepened, his clever fingers moved faster inside her, and his thumb worked her clit.
The orgasm bubbled up from deep inside her, gathering intensity until it burst throughout her body and she shook with the tremors. She rode his hand as the intensity of the spasms increased.
“That’s it,” he encouraged, tearing his mouth from hers. “Ride me, sugar. Pretend it’s my cock inside you. Let go. Yeah, just like that.”
Summer had no idea how long the shudders racked her body. She was barely aware of Troy’s fingers stroking her inside and out as she slowly relaxed from the sensual whirlwind. At last she was still, every muscle lax and loose, the intense craving satisfied for the moment.
Troy nipped her shoulder. “I love watching you come. You’re just so responsive. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of making love with you.”
Languidly, she let her head drop back against the bath pillow, smiling. “I certainly hope not.”
“Feeling better?”
“If I felt any better, it would be illegal. I think you should prescribe this treatment every time I do a healing.”
His laugh was soft, rolling over her like a caress. “I can get on board with that.”
She frowned. “But you didn’t—”
“This wasn’t about me. And don’t you worry. You’ll have plenty of time to make it up to me. I promise.” He lifted her from the tub and stood her on the bath mat, reaching down to let the water out. “Let’s get you dried off and see what we want to do for dinner. I vote for pizza.”
“Sounds good to me.” She was boneless as he wrapped a towel around her and carried her back into the bedroom. “Also, I need about an hour to check my emails and pay some attention to the job that actually pays me.”
“Later,” he told her and winked. “Maybe much later.”
Kurt Olberman chewed on the end of his ever-present cigar, swiveled his chair, and looked out through the big picture window at the grounds of his estate. It was a view he could enjoy that gave him great pleasure. The vastness of the property, the quality of the security, the furnishings, and the other additions to the property were constant reminders of his extreme wealth and the power he controlled.
Now he looked forward to controlling even more. And to accumulating more wealth than he had ever been able to imagine. Turning back to his desk, he clicked on an icon on his computer screen and opened the file Reid McFadden had sent. He had already watched it several times, but he never tired of seeing it. Here was an opportunity that didn’t come along too often—the chance to sell a rare commodity for any price he set.
The trick would be in convincing the woman to use her gift as he wished once he had her under his control. Well, no matter. If she refused he’d simply get rid of her and look for another one. Only he’d heard so much about this one, and how extensive her gift was, he didn’t want to settle for second best.
Picking up his cell phone, he punched the speed dial for McFadden.
The man answered at once. “I’m here, boss. You’ve got the proof you wanted. She’s the real deal.”
“Are you sure that Hauser woman will follow your orders?” he asked. “It would throw a hell of a monkey wrench into things if she got greedy and tried to transfer all the money at once. The bank would insist on recording it for the IRS, they’d come in asking a lot of questions, and this whole operation would be fucked.”
“I’ve got her under control,” McFadden assured him. “So where do we go from here?”
“You need to bring Summer Cahill here, of course. But taking her won’t be as easy as I’d hoped,” Olberman said. “At least not based on your reports. They are accurate, right?”
“Completely.”
“And you’re sure Troy Arsenault is still with her?”
“Glued to her like a barnacle.”
“Any regular visitors I should know about?” Olberman asked.
“Two couples that they both know. They don’t show up too often, but I’ll check them out the next time. If I can get pictures of them I’ll send them off to you.”
“That situation will need to be scouted very carefully, Reid. And you can’t afford to raise any suspicions.”
“I know,” McFadden assured him. “This isn’t my first rodeo, remember?”
Olberman grunted. “It’s possible that now the media’s lost interest in her for the time being, and her stalker’s been dealt with, she may be at home by herself now and then. We don’t know how long this Arsenault is staying, but in case she’s there alone at any time, I’ve arranged for some equipment to help you. I promise you she’s now got a state-of-the-art security system you’ll have to bypass. I’ve reached out to a local contact for this.”
“Okay. I’ll notify the front desk I’m expecting a delivery.”
“Fine. Here’s what I want you to do next: first of all, you need to scout out the situation with her in great detail. But do it carefully. You can’t afford to raise suspicion.”
Reid snorted. “Those two things almost cancel each other out.”
“Not if you do this right. You and Bonner rent a couple of extra cars at different agencies and alternate using them. And mix it up. A van, an SUV, you know.”
He could almost see Reid frowning. “Why do that?”
“Because now that the media has dispersed, any strange car in the neighborhood will stick out like a sore thumb if it’s seen too many times. Right?”
“Yeah.” Olberman heard the grudging tone in the answer. “Okay. Then what?”
“You need to discover a pattern. If Arsenault is still staying there, it’s important to learn when they leave the house. If they do it together. How often. Don’t troll the area on any regular schedule. I wouldn’t put it past Arsenault to still be keeping a lookout for strangers, even though the media and the mob it drags along have moved on to something else.”
“We could even pull into a driveway down the block or the street now and then,” McFadden suggested. “Knock on the door and ask directions to some nearby street. Throw them offtrack. Obviously, we can’t just hang out until she comes outside alone and snatch her.”
“I’m glad you see that.” Olberman paused a moment, studying the cigar in his hand. “I’m leaving a lot of the decisions on this up to you, Reid. You’re my eyes and ears on-site, so I have to rely on you.”
“I won’t let you down.”
“Good, good. All right, check in tonight and let me know how it’s going.”
Olberman disconnected the call. He had his own work to do for this little project. The first thing he’d do was get an in-depth report on the Phoenix Agency and Troy Arsenault in particular. His earlier reports on the woman hadn’t indicated any relationship that would include a man staying with her. Everything told him she was a loner, not even that close to her family. When the first report came in about Arsenault, he’d assumed the man was staying with her as protection against the most recent mob-and-media uprising.
Vivian had procured a basic report on Phoenix, but they didn’t appear at first glance to be anything more than your average ex-military security agency. He needed to dig deeper. If they turned out to be more complex, he’d have to rethink how he handled the entire situation. And probably have to send in a special team to grab the woman. Reid was good, but stealth and subtlety weren’t in his vocabulary. And Bonner was just good for scut work.
He pressed the button on his intercom.
Vivian answered him at once. “Yes, Mr. Olberman?”
“Could you please come in here for a few minutes? I have a chore for you that’s going to require a lot of detail work.”
“Of course. Right away.”
Olberman sat back in his chair, his master plan already swirling through his brain. On his cell phone, he had a list of outrageously wealthy sheikhs, kings, and global executives who had someone in their family in great need of a healer. All other forms of medicine had failed. When Olberman had contacted them, they’d eagerly agreed to pay any price if this woman could accomplish a miracle.
Olberman smiled. There was nothing he couldn’t achieve. This would be one more feather in his very large cap.
Summer leaned back in the kitchen chair and licked a dab of pizza sauce from her lip. When Faith had called to see how she was and ask if it was okay if they came by and brought pizza, she hadn’t been sure whether she really wanted the company. But thanks to Troy and his magical ministrations, she felt much better than she usually did. Besides, he told her, the Romeos had asked to tag along. There was some agency business they all needed to review, and this seemed to be the best way to do it.
Now she looked around the table, and a pleasant feeling of warmth blossomed at the presence of friends. Yes, friends. She had known Faith for what seemed forever, and Mark had simply accepted her as part of Faith’s life. But now she also had Dan and Mia.
And Troy.
Wonderful, amazing, incredible, sexy, caring Troy. The relationship she’d been so sure she’d never find had just dropped in her lap and totally enriched her life.
“So what’s the update?” Troy asked Dan. “You talked to Mike and Rick?”
The other man nodded. “Kelly’s training four security dogs for corporate bigwigs, and Rick’s checking their security systems.” He scrolled through the tablet in front of him for his notes. “Two of them have business in Venezuela, one in Argentina, and one in Greece. With the current instability in those countries, our clients want to be sure they are well protected.”
“The dogs will go with them?” Summer was curious about that.
Dan nodded. “They’re trained to sniff out bombs and arms and to attack on command. Some of these countries may look warm and welcoming, but beneath the surface it’s a different story.”
Mark leaned forward in his chair. “What about Mike?”
Dan continued scrolling through his notes. “He and Kat are in Canada. Kidnapping of a high-profile oil exec’s daughter. With Kat’s remote viewing skill, they’ve narrowed the place where the daughter’s been hidden to a five-square-mile area. Now they’re working on pinpointing the exact spot and scoping out the situation.”
“Does he need help?” Mark asked.
Dan shook his head. “Not yet, but he’s asked for us to be on standby. I also called Ed and told him to be ready, if and when we needed him.”
“Ed is Dan’s brother,” Troy explained to Summer. “Ed and Mike are the agency flyboys. When Kat’s sister and her boss were kidnapped in Mexico, Kat used her remote viewing to pinpoint where they were, and Ed flew us to the spot in a stealth helicopter.”
“Were you able to get them out safely?” Summer wanted to know.
Dan gave her a lopsided grin. “We always do.”
It was interesting for her to let the conversation flow around her and pick out bits and pieces of it. She certainly had more than a nodding acquaintance with the local police, especially in the form of Sergeant Frank Hurley. But what Phoenix did reached a level of sophistication far beyond anything she had knowledge of. She was still amazed at how quickly they’d identified her stalker, at the security they’d set up for her, and the speed with which it had been accomplished.
She stole a glance at Troy. There was something so solid, so secure about him. For the first time in years, despite the chaos her life had been in recently, she felt safe. Settled. And cared for.
Her reverie was interrupted by Dan’s next words. “So, Troy? What do you recommend? Leave someone here? More than one someone?”
Leave someone? Here?
Summer cleared her throat. “Excuse me. Did I hear you say—”
Troy interrupted her, his hand closing over hers. “That’s not gonna fly, guys. I’m staying. Period.”
Mia and Faith smiled as Dan and Mark exchanged looks.
“So,” Dan said at last. “It’s like that?”
Troy nodded. “It’s just like that.”
Summer frowned. “I must have taken a short mental vacation here. Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”
Troy lifted her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Dan just got another text from Mike in Canada. We’re pulling together the team for a full-out assault.”
“We have the location of the kidnap victim,” Mark added, “and a reading of the scene and surrounding area. Time to go in and get the victim out. In one piece. And this one is so high-profile we’ll do it ourselves.”
“And Troy says he’s not going,” she guessed.
“They don’t need me.” He lifted his hand and tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. “With Ed, they’ll have five people. Rick’s the sniper, so he’s key. I’m just the medic who patches people up.”
“That’s not true.” She tried to bat his hand away. “You’re a SEAL, and I know what kind of skill set that means. I’m not stupid. And my crisis here has passed, so there’s no need for you to hang around when you’re needed elsewhere.”
She did her best to keep her voice calm and reasonable, even as her stomach clenched with the tiniest spasms of fear. The media was gone, the mob had disappeared, and her stalker was dealt with. What did she still have to be afraid of?
“I’m not leaving,” Troy said in a voice that left no room to doubt his meaning. “I’ve had this damn itchy feeling along the back of my neck since we went to the hospital today, and it won’t go away.”
Dan studied him. “Well, in an agency that certainly believes in psychic gifts of any kind—and even has a de facto Psi department—I’m not about to discount that. You think there’s still some danger out there?”
Troy shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but I get the feeling something’s wrong. Something we haven’t even dealt with yet.”
“Another threat of some kind?” Mia asked.
“Another something, that’s for sure. And it revolves around Summer. So I’m not leaving. I also want to leave the cameras up around the house. No one can see them, and every time a car goes down the street it trips the beam to take a picture. I’d say better safe than sorry.”
Mark nodded his approval. “I’d do the same thing. No problem.”
Summer looked at him. “But there’s absolutely nothing else going on in my life right now. Except you.” She blushed when she realized how that might sound. “I mean—”
“It’s okay.” Faith grinned. “We understand.”
Understand what?
“What I do know,” Troy continued as if no one else had spoken, “is I’m not comfortable leaving someone else here with Summer.” He draped his arm possessively across the back of her chair, long fingers squeezing her shoulder.
Summer caught a look passing between the two women again.
“What?” she asked. “What am I missing here?”
Faith laughed. “Nothing, Summer. It’s just this thing all the Phoenix men seem to have. When they meet the woman with whom they have a special connection, they get all macho and protective.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Special connection?”
She looked at Troy, surprised to see a dull flush creeping up his face. “What? What’s that all about? What do they mean by that?” Little butterflies of anticipation danced in her stomach. She wasn’t even sure herself about the situation. Was what she and Troy felt just something that had blossomed in the ramped-up atmosphere of danger? Everything had happened so fast. Now that the situation was resolved, would this somehow fade away despite his previous intimations?
He kissed her temple—a very proprietary kiss, she noted.
“We’ll discuss it later. Meanwhile, let’s get back to business.” He looked at his two partners. “But unless you can’t do this without me, I need to stay here. Not someone else, although we have great people we tap when we need them. But me. Just me. Anyone got a problem with that?”
Both men shook their heads.
“I trust your instincts,” Dan told him. “We’ll leave things the way they are.”
They went back to work on the rescue plan, using their tablets and cell phones, coordinating what they’d now tagged Operation Wild Goose, for the Canadian geese that nested near where the victim was being held. Summer was captivated with the process, even more so as both Faith and Mia gave their input.
“I’m listing the key components of this,” Mia broke in one time. “If I can wipe everything from my mind when we get home, maybe I can see something that will help.”
It was blatantly obvious that the women had become a very integral part of the agency.
Faith grinned when she caught Summer’s fascination. “What we said before is true. All the wives use their psychic abilities as best they can for any given situation. Not all contracts require them, but sometimes, like now, they can become integral to the event.”
Mark looked across the table at Faith. “Can you keep your mind clear for the next seventy-two hours?”
She nodded. “No problem. I’m not behind on my deadlines, so I’ll be ready if you need me.”
Summer knew Faith and Mark shared a telepathic communication. She was aware that when Mark was a prisoner of terrorists in the Peruvian jungle, it was not only his ability to communicate with Faith that kept him sane but also what led to his rescue. This was the first time she’d ever seen them deliberately put it in play.
“So does that mean,” she asked slowly, “that if the guys get into a situation where normal communication methods can’t be used, you and Mark provide the link?”
Faith nodded. “It’s really helped a couple of times when electronic communications were blocked for one reason or another.”
Mark read a text message on his screen and punched in an answer. “Rick’s all set. I told him we didn’t need Kelly and Xena this time, though.”
“Okay, then.” Dan nodded his agreement, tapped a message onto his cell phone, and hit the Send key. “Ed’s on his way. We’re wheels-up in two hours, boys and girls. Let’s go home and pack our goody bags.”
After they left, Summer cleaned up the dishes while Troy triple-locked the front door and checked all the security settings. When he came back into the kitchen, she pointed to a chair at the table.
“You. Sit there.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Getting a little bossy, are we?”
“If I have to.”
She leaned against the counter, arms folded over her chest. “I have a question.”
He grinned. “And I’ll be happy to answer it, sugar. Ask away.”
“What did you mean before about a ‘special connection’? What did everyone else mean?”
His face sobered. He patted his knee, indicating she should sit there.
“I’m not answering until I have you in my lap,” he insisted.
Summer eased her way over and perched tentatively on one thigh. Troy’s strong arms came around her to hold her close to his body.
“It’s been kind of a ‘thing’ in the agency with each of us. Mark and Faith already knew each other, but for the rest of us, the women we’ve met and fallen hard for had a psychic gift, one that we’re convinced made the relationships stronger. In their hearts, Dan and Mike and Rick knew almost at once they’d met the woman for them. I was the odd man out. Until now.”
Summer lifted an eyebrow, waiting silently for him to continue.
“Remember our little discussion about where we go from here?” he asked. “I said at the time this wasn’t just about sex. That’s still the truth.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Just like my partners, I know I’ve found that special connection with you, Summer. I hope you feel it, too, because I have no intention of walking out of your life.”
She cleared her throat. Expressing her emotions wasn’t something she’d ever been very good at. “You said when all this was behind us, we’d talk about where we go from here. Is that what you mean by ‘special connection’?”
He nodded and cuddled her closer to him. “Like I said when we were alone, I’m in this for the long haul, sugar. We’ll take it as slow as you need to, but I’m not going away.” He paused. “How about you?”
She wound her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his body. “I think I’m still getting used to this. I’ve never had good luck with relationships before. Most men find me . . . odd.”
Troy turned her head to face him. “Most men aren’t me. And they don’t have an appreciation for who and what you are. But I’m sure glad they left the door wide open for me.”
“Me too.” She grinned. “I’m not going away, either.” A sobering thought wiped away her smile. “Do you really think we haven’t seen the last of this business? Is that what’s bothering you?”
He frowned. “Not exactly. I think whatever is tweaking my Spidey sense is a result of all this but still something totally different. I just wish I could put my finger on it.”
“While you’re puzzling it out, I’m going to log in some time on my computer and catch up with my clients. Then I think I’d like a glass of wine.”
“I put your favorite Riesling in the fridge to chill earlier,” he told her.
“I love a man who thinks ahead. Be still my heart.”
He teased her lips with his. “If you’re really good, I’ll show you some more of my skills later.” He studied her face. “If you’re tired, we can just hit the sheets early. You can sleep, and I’ll read. You had a draining afternoon.”
“And then some,” she reminded him. Warmth flooded through her and crept up her cheeks. “But I think I can drum up a little more energy,” she teased.
The kiss he gave her was brief but scorching nevertheless. “Then prepare to be overwhelmed.”