Chapter Ten

 

 

 

Out in the crowded street again, Daniel blended with the tourists. He’d taken one of the baseball caps and pulled it down over his forehead to shield his eyes. He pulled the collar of his jacket up around his neck. Walking with his head bent, he kept his eyes straight, holding the crowd in view. He didn’t want any surprises, not when they’d remained undetected since leaving Canberra this morning. Shit, was it only this morning that we left Canberra? As days went, this must’ve gone down as one of the shittiest ones he’d ever experienced, except for Beth. Just thinking her name had his cock hardening all over again. He could still taste her. Getting out of that room and away from her was the only option he’d had. Things were getting too complicated for comfort and he needed the space to get his head together. So did Beth.

Sure, the sex had been great. More than great. It had been so intense he’d nearly lost sight of the big picture. But sex wasn’t all that was happening here. He’d better focus solely on the job of protecting her, even if he had to make her hate him. And she might just do that by the time this was over, because he planned to keep her with him twenty-four-seven from now on. Once he got back to the hotel, they’d be joined at the hip. She would hate that but tough shit, she’d just have to live with it.

A small park came into view where there were several benches filled with people sitting down drinking and laughing together. Even though what they were doing was illegal, it was better than having a bunch of druggies shooting up in full view, so Daniel ignored them. He walked past a group of teenagers all wearing the uniform of sports logo pants, black T-shirts and woollen caps. How they tolerated those caps in the December heat was beyond him, but fashion made people do strange things. He thought about those spiky heels Beth wore to the club and how they showed off her amazing legs. Oh yeah, not all fashion was bad.

There was an empty bench at the rear of the park, facing the street. The light above the pathway that led there was out, although it was past four in the morning now and the sky was getting less dark. The glow from the shopfronts in the street made it fairly easy to see anyone who might approach him. He sat down, pulled out his mobile phone and punched in a speed dial number.

“Wyatt, where the fuck have you been?”

Interesting choice of words, considering what he’d just been doing. “Nice speaking to you too, Addison. You’re going to have to work on your greetings. You’ve said the same thing to me every day lately.”

“Don’t get smart with me, you prick. Do you realize what time it is?”

Late, too damn late. “Yeah, it’s about time I had some answers. You got any leads your end?”

“Jesus, Daniel, your timing’s impeccable, as usual. Nothing concrete. Will was following up on something, but he’s been MIA since this morning…yesterday morning now.”

He rubbed his brow with his free hand, dreading what he had to say next. “He’s dead.”

“What? What the fuck happened?” Daniel moved the phone away from his ear as the decibels increased fifty times over and waited for silence.

“He was getting me a car and we were supposed to meet, but someone got to him first.”

“Judas bloody priest! I assume you have a good reason for not calling it in.”

“I’ve been kind of busy making sure no one can track us. I’m calling it in now.”

“Where are you?”

There was only one answer he could give. “I can’t tell you that.”

“Bloody hell, Daniel…you need some backup. At least give me an idea of what area you’re in so we have some people on standby should you need them.”

And end up dead like Will? No way! “No deal, boss. We don’t know who the leak is yet, so it’s better if nobody knows. What happened to Will is proof of that. What was he onto, by the way?”

Addison’s hesitation was brief, but noticeable. “I’m not sure. He didn’t say. He didn’t even tell me he was getting you a car. It must have been tracked somehow, otherwise how did someone know where to find him?”

Daniel moved to the far edge of the bench and turned his face to the wall, pretending to inspect the graffiti. “So who had access to that info?”

“No one but you and me officially, but he might have told someone else. Did he have any CIs?”

“I know he had at least one confidential informant, but you know how it is. No one gives away their snitches.”

“Yeah, you’re right. So that leaves us with zip then. Back to square one.”

“Not necessarily. Beth contacted someone when we were in Canberra. No one was home and she didn’t leave a message, but it could be how we were made. I need to check it out.”

A sharp intake of breath came over the line. “Who did she contact?”

“A friend of her dead father. She calls him Uncle Jack.”

Dead space met that announcement.

It was probably a full minute before Addison replied, “Did she say anything else about him?”

“Not much, but I’ll be questioning her more. I’m not sure if this is anything, but I’ll check it out anyway.”

“It’s probably nothing. Are you sure you have time for this?”

What was on his boss’ mind? Didn’t he agree this was a lead? “I don’t have much more to go on so I have to start somewhere.”

“Okay, but keep me informed. You staying put now?”

Not on your life! “Probably not. Moving around gives us an edge. Staying where we are increases our chances of being found.”

“You’re still not going to tell me, are you? I could order you to, you know.”

“And I’d just have to disregard that one, boss. I’ll be in touch.”

He pressed the End button and leaned forward, staring at the phone. Something nagged him about that conversation, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Maybe he was just exhausted. Hell, he needed to get some sleep soon or he’d be no use to anyone. Maybe he should go and wake Beth so they could get settled into a new place in plenty of time for him to catch a power nap before his excursion tonight. That phone call had left him jumpy. He probably had no chance of sleep until he nutted it out in his mind. He stood, scanning the area as he rose. The same kids were seated near him, still drinking from their vodka bottles and laughing raucously. One couple had moved to the back wall and were going at it, their hands roaming feverishly, the moans getting louder. How could they be still standing considering the amount of spirits they’d consumed? Shrugging, he walked past them, pulled his cap down further, hunched his shoulders and headed back in the direction of the hotel.

 

* * * *

 

There was someone following her. She had to move or they’d catch up. The train carriage was empty as she ran through to the connecting door. Damn, the handle was stuck. Her hands were shaking as she rattled it back and forth and tried again. Nothing. Double damn. She kicked it near the bottom and slammed her fist onto the glass. She heard a click and tried it again. Thank God, it opened. She turned and saw the masked figure getting closer. She banged the door behind her and took off through the next carriage. With any luck the door would give him as much trouble as it had given her, allowing her more time to get away. The next door proved easier, but she wished she’d get to the guard’s section soon so she could get them to call the police. Her breathing was getting labored now as she continued to run without stopping. How many more carriages were there? She pushed her hair out of her face and stared along the train to see how far she had to run before she’d get to help. The heavy thud of her heartbeat moved from her chest to her head and back again when a hand reached out and touched her on the shoulder.

Her shrieks woke her as she bolted upright in the bed, grabbing her chest in a vain attempt to calm her thudding heart. She recoiled as she remembered the hand on her shoulder and turned to see if it was there. Nothing. It wasn’t real this time.

Shit, shit, shit!

She jumped out of the bed and wrapped her arms around her middle, drawing the flannel tightly against her shivering body as she paced the room.

I’m okay… It was just a dream.

She scurried into the bathroom and turned on the basin tap, shivering as the freezing water touched her skin and droplets fell in a slow stream down from her face to her breasts, causing her nipples to tighten and pucker.

Daniel. Just that one sensation brought back the memories of their explosive sex. Her skin burned with heat that expanded from her core to every sensitive cell in her body. Liquid pooled where she remembered the feel of him slamming inside her. Muscles weakened and she leaned forward to grab the edge of the sink. Throwing her head back, she drew in a deep, cleansing breath. Get it together, Beth!

Just what did she want from this relationship? She was tired of the mixed signals. One minute he was colder than an iceberg and the next they were fire, dancing together, getting under each other’s skins. He said that getting involved distracted him from doing his job. Maybe that was true, but did he really mean it when he said he’d like to see what happened after it was all over? She wanted to believe that, but her past history with everyone she cared about had made her more gun-shy than most. Could she trust him to stick around? More to the point, did she want to take the chance of hoping for something more, only to be shattered and alone again when he walked away? Her brain said probably not, but a tiny slither of hope in her heart wanted it to be true.

She was pathetic. She knew she should pull back, but in her current situation, she didn’t think she had the energy. She needed Daniel’s strength. If that meant taking whatever he had to give before it all ended, then so be it. She’d worry about the rest when the time came. She sat on the rickety chair, and remembered something her mother had said when she had been a little girl. ‘When the right one comes along, you don’t have to think about it. It just knocks you for six and you know nothing is ever going to be the same again.’

Oh, Mum, why aren’t you here now when I need you most? Her eyes stung as she tried to hold back the hot tears filling her eyes as she heard a key turn in the lock.

Daniel was back. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her pajama coat and turned away from the door.

 

Daniel froze as he closed the door. Beth sat stiffly upright on the edge of a chair, her back to him. At least he didn’t have to wake her up to get packed. The early morning light reflected on her mass of red curls, giving her an ethereal appearance. He caught a whiff of her scent—spring flowers and woman. He took a tentative step toward her, stopping when he heard a muffled sound coming from her direction.

“Beth?”

She sniffed again and wiped her eyes with her hand. Fuck. Another piece of that wall he’d built around his heart began to crumble. Aw hell…he couldn’t stand the thought that he’d hurt her. She didn’t resist as he gently pulled her closer and guided her head to his shoulder, kissing her furrowed brow. She tightened her arms around his waist as her tears fell silently onto his shirt. Her hot breath teased him through the damp material.

“I’m sorry. I’m getting your shirt all wet.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“No, you don’t understand. I was thinking of my mother and how much I miss her. I haven’t let myself think about her for ages, but you know, with all that’s been happening…I just wish she was here to talk to. She was always great at helping me sort out my problems.”

“I’m sorry you’re mother isn’t here for you, Beth. I can’t make you any promises for down the track, but I’m here, in this room with you, right now. You can lean on me all you want.”

She looked up at him with her beautiful face. There was gratitude there, but there was also need. She needed him right now and he couldn’t—wouldn’t—let her down. Damn all the promises he’d made to himself. Damn them all to hell. He could no longer fight the feelings he had for her and it frightened the bejesus out of him.

They could move locations later. Another hour wouldn’t matter.

He lowered his face to hers and brushed her soft lips with his. His erection was instantaneous and pressed painfully against his jeans. He wanted to keep control. He wanted to make this slow and tender, to give her pleasure so she could forget for a short time the crap they were going through. He shifted his body backward slightly so there was no contact other than his hands on her shoulders and his lips on hers, kissing her as if she was a fragile piece of porcelain.

 

Beth shook from the sweetness of his kiss. Her body reacted in every pore as goosebumps appeared, sending tingling sensations from the outside in. Now she knew what people meant when they described a visceral reaction. Every cell in her body clenched with need as she anticipated the feel of Daniel’s graceful hands and his magic mouth. She sighed in contentment as he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. He laid her gently down, not once breaking contact with her mouth. His kisses were intoxicating. The rush of endorphins so intense, the heat from her core spread to the top of her scalp. She would die if he didn’t touch her soon. Her breasts swelled and heaved as her nipples tightened painfully when she moved her legs together, rubbing against all of her sensitive areas. She arched her back, showing Daniel exactly what she wanted. She pulled away and placed her tongue in his ear, blowing her breath inside as she pleaded. “Please, Daniel… Please…”

Daniel muffled a groan. “Beth, you’re not playing fair. Let’s do this slowly. I promise it will be good. I want to give you pleasure.”

“You are giving me pleasure, but since you asked, I’ll wait…for now. You’re killing me, and when I can’t take any more, I intend to fight back.”

Daniel lightly skimmed his finger down the line of buttons on her pajama top. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll be ready for you. If your bones don’t melt first.”

At that gentle warning, Beth’s breathing hitched in an erratic frenzy. Anticipation grew as she waited for his next move. She didn’t have to wait long. He leaned forward once more and slid his fingers inside the elastic of her pajama pants. Before her next breath he’d removed the offending clothing with one swift movement and thrown them aside.

“Close your eyes and just feel…” he whispered.

“Daniel…” she pleaded.

He placed a finger over her swollen and sensitized lips. “Shh…no talking, either.”

She complied with a shudder as he removed his hand. She shivered when a rush of cool air from the overhead fan floated over her bare legs. She held her breath when he placed his mouth on her buttons, undoing them one by one with his teeth. The heat from his breath seared her skin, even though he kept his mouth inches away from her burning skin, driving her crazy with need. He tugged on the sides of her top, sliding them apart to bare her body to him. She arched her back once more and lifted her hips off the bed, sighing. He groaned.

“So beautiful…”

“Daniel…”

“Tell me what you want.”

“You told me not to talk.”

“I’ve changed my mind. Don’t forget to keep your eyes closed, but tell me your fantasies—what you makes you wet, what makes you shout and scream and lose control. It’s all a part of the pleasure.”

“Oh…I…”

He blew softly on one nipple. She didn’t think it could get any more erect, but she was wrong.

“Do you like that?”

“Ah…”

He blew on her other nipple and she sighed, aching with the need for him to be inside her.

“I guess you do,” he murmured, continuing the southward exploration of her body. She parted her legs when the heat reached her labia. He blew once along the length of her folds and she nearly bucked off the bed.

“Careful… I don’t want to tie you up…” He chuckled. “But then again, maybe that’s one of your fantasies?”

She nearly came right there at the notion of her body restrained, unable to move and open to him—of being used as his personal sex slave. Oh God! When did I get so kinky?

“I thought you wanted me to tell you?”

“Mmm…go ahead,” he said as he nuzzled her clitoris with his nose, inhaling deeply before swiping across her folds with his clever tongue.

“Daniel…” There was no breath left in her lungs.

“Yes?”

“I want…”

His wet and warm tongue continued its journey, he kissed and licked her skin down one leg to a sensitive patch behind her knee. “Yes…?”

She forced herself to breathe, amazed that she remembered how. “I want you!”

He lifted his head and met her eyes as she opened her lids. He smiled. “Not so fast, my love. All in good time.”

“Any more good time and I’ll explode.” She sat up and reached for him, searching for his mouth. “I’m sorry, Daniel, but I can’t wait.” She kissed him passionately.

Fire ignited as their mouths touched. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip, teasing her and inviting her to open for him. Invading her sweet warmth, he explored every crevice before thrusting in and out, simulating the dance she was burning for.

They lay back on the bed as the kiss continued. Daniel moved his hands upward to her breasts and squeezed gently. He skimmed his palms over her nipples, setting off a deep moan as she marveled at the sensations he created. He answered her with a primitive growl and he raised his body above hers. His cock gently rubbed against her entrance and slipped inside her, filling her completely.

He started moving slowly in…and…out, each time filling her more as her muscles clenched around his shaft, keeping him buried deep within her for just a second more each time. The tempo increased, and she could have sworn they were both floating above the bed. Her cries of ecstasy came loud and fast as she came apart in his arms. Wave after wave of sensation poured through her as he followed her to the final thrust. They collapsed together and he wrapped her in his arms, where she fell into a dreamless sleep for the first time since she’d woken up after the train crash.

 

* * * *

 

Daniel woke Beth a couple of hours later after packing up their gear and scouting the Yellow Pages for possible alternative locations. He hadn’t been able to sleep, but he hadn’t the heart to wake her before this. She slept so peacefully, with a damn sexy smile playing on her lips. It took all his control not to throw her on her back and screw her brains out again and again, but he’d already gone too far. He needed to switch the emotion chip off for now and keeping his hands to himself played a big part in the success of that operation. Fuck. It was bloody difficult, especially when she made those cute sighing noises when she stretched her long arms above her body. Shit. He shook his head. Fucking impossible.

Luckily Beth flew through her shower routine quickly, and they started on their way without further delay. They ended up leaving later than he’d planned originally, but time enough for him to get some sleep before the action started.

 

* * * *

 

The traffic across the Harbour Bridge was busy as usual, with the wire mesh fence obscuring the view of Circular Quay and The Rocks on the left and the coat hanger blocking the sight of the Opera House on the right. The mad scramble across lanes on the north side was no different to any other trip. But this trip wasn’t ordinary. The silence between them was a living thing. It grew more intense, thickening the atmosphere the longer they were in the car, with neither of them meeting each other’s eyes as the traffic whizzed by. Daniel tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the radio. It was late morning now and they had several hours to fill until he searched the offices tonight. He could think of lots of ways to fill in time, but unfortunately he needed rest more. If he couldn’t focus, he would be no good to either of them. Beth fidgeted in her seat and tilted her head upward, inspecting the roof of the car.

“Okay, so where are we going? I hope it’s not my place, because it’s a mess.”

Daniel suppressed a smile and kept his eyes on the road while he picked a brochure out of his pocket and threw it in her general direction. It was for a motel in Chatswood—one aimed at businessmen, offering Internet connections and a business center.

“All right. Another motel. So the plan for the rest of the day is?”

“Sleep.”

“Sleep? I can see you need some, but the Conference is only days away. Maybe I can do some snooping around?”

“I’m not convinced this is about the Conference. I think it’s more about you and what you saw on the train. Your father’s death is connected somehow. I don’t know how, but my gut feeling is that the Conference is just a distraction to throw us off track from the real issue.”

“Which is?”

“You saw someone on that train, someone who didn’t want to be seen. I just haven’t worked out how it ties into your father and his friend, but I will.”

“You’re betting a lot on gut feeling. Are you sure about this? I can’t believe Uncle Jack or my father have anything to do with what’s happening.”

Daniel turned off the highway as they approached Chatswood and its myriad of office blocks. “I want to talk to you more about your father and your Uncle Jack. But I’ve been running on adrenaline for the last few days, and I need some sleep. It may not tell us anything, but we’ve got to get farther than we are now.”

“I’ll tell you everything I know if it will help. And I can help tonight, too.”

Daniel smiled at her then. “I know you can, Beth, but we’ll talk about that later. For now, let’s get some rest.”

Daniel steered into the car park of the motel. It was a two story building with access via an internal staircase. The crisp, clean façade indicated a recent renovation. The design was a throwback to the seventies, with terracotta and semi-circular arches everywhere, but it would do for their purposes. He parked the car behind the main building and opened his door. “I’ll just be a minute. I phoned ahead and booked, so I just need to sign the registration and pick up the key.” He handed her the mobile phone. “Call me if you see anything strange. The keys are still in the ignition. Drive away as fast as you can if anyone suspicious approaches you.”

Beth clutched the phone in her hand, her fingers squeezing hard. “Do you think we were followed?”

“I didn’t see anyone, but we can’t afford to let down our guard.”

She tightened her grip even further, her knuckles now white. Daniel smiled at her again and winked. “I’m sure we’ll be okay here. I’m just being cautious. Don’t worry, Beth. We’ll be fine.”

“Okay, but hurry back.”

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I’ll be here.”

 

* * * *

 

What could she say about the room, other than it was a palace compared to last night’s dumpy surroundings. She sank onto the soft bed and lay back on the quilted spread. She inhaled the scent of clean sheets and smiled. Yes, this was much better. Funny how she’d taken the creature comforts for granted. These past few days she’d seen a few, but she’d done without them as well, and she knew which way she preferred it. No, ma’am, no more camping and no more sleazy hotels in the Cross. Thinking about the Cross reminded her that it hadn’t been all bad. They’d really burned up the sheets, but that was more to do with the heat of the moment than the ambience of the surroundings. She smiled wistfully. She wasn’t counting on it happening again in the near future. Daniel had barely spoken to her all morning, and even though on the surface he seemed the same, she sensed that he’d pulled back from her somehow. He was as considerate and as caring as usual, but it wasn’t the passionate man of last night who was in the bathroom next door washing up. This man was cool as a cucumber. All business. What did she expect? She’d warned herself that he was just doing a job and not to care too much. Lucky she hadn’t gone the whole hog and fallen in love with him—yet.

Daniel walked out of the bathroom dressed in only a pair of silky boxers. His chest was magnificent and Beth couldn’t help but ogle. He was drying his hair with a towel when he sat down next to her on the bed. He smelled of spice and pine, and man, and she could feel the heat radiating from his body. She grabbed the edges of the quilt beneath her hands and squeezed hard. He wasn’t making this easy.

He dropped his arms and tilted his face toward her, folding the towel as he spoke. “I want you to promise me you won’t leave the room while I’m asleep.”

“But…”

“No buts, Beth…promise me. If you leave this hotel, you put yourself in danger, and you know that. So what’s it to be?”

“You can’t expect me to stay cooped up here all day while you sleep.”

“It won’t be all day, just a few hours. Be reasonable, Beth.”

“What if I want to go see a movie? I’ll put on my disguise…”

“No way are you putting that outfit on again.”

She shivered as she remembered the one he was referring to. “Not that disguise. I can fix up another one.”

“You can’t leave the room. I won’t have you out of my sight.”

“You won’t? How are you going to stop me?”

“If I have to, I’ll tie you up.”

“You wouldn’t!” She blushed at the possibilities that scenario evoked.

“You’d be surprised what I might do.”

“Why don’t you want me out of your sight? You know I’ll be careful.”

“You’re my responsibility and I need to make sure you’ll be okay.”

“There’s more, isn’t there? You’re being overprotective for a reason. What is it?” A memory of a conversation she’d had with Kevin came back to her. She moved around to his side of the bed and faced him. “Is this anything to do with why you gave up fieldwork?”

His head popped up and his face flushed red. “Who told you that?” He shook his head. “Fucking Kevin. He had no right!”

Beth flinched, shuffling to the end of the bed, her back to Daniel. “Kevin mentioned there was an incident that was the catalyst for you taking the desk job. He said you would tell me if you wanted me to know. Obviously you don’t want to tell me. I’m sorry I brought it up. I was just trying to understand your motives here. I won’t mention it again.”

“Aw shit!” He stood beside her and touched her arm. “It’s not you. I don’t talk about this with anyone. I’m not trying to shut you out. It’s a painful time in my life and I’d just as soon forget it.”

His eyes were bloodshot and his eyelids drooped slightly from lack of sleep. She covered his hand with hers. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. We hardly know each other anyway.”

He turned her hand over and gently squeezed it. “I think we know each other pretty well, actually.”

Beth felt herself flush from head to toe. “Mmm…well, yeah, we know each other…in the biblical sense…”

“That’s not what I meant, Beth. You mean a lot to me. I care about you.”

“But you don’t trust me yet, and at the moment, we both really need to trust each other. Our lives depend on that.” She pulled her hand away and started walking

“Damn it, Beth, you know I care about you.”

She saw his pain-filled eyes. He blew out a breath and covered his face with his hands.

“Someone got killed because I didn’t do my job properly. Someone I cared about.”

She stepped toward him, itching to embrace him and take some of his pain, but he held himself stiffly, forming an invisible barrier that stopped her in her tracks. “Oh God, Daniel. I had no idea.”

“Of course you didn’t. I didn’t tell you. I don’t tell anyone.”

“What happened?”

“Her name was Lisa. I was assigned to protect her. She was going to testify against her former boss. He was involved in organized crime. We became close. I was distracted and they got to her. End of story.”

That explains a lot. Poor Daniel. Her heart ached as she thought about the guilt he must be living with, but he shouldn’t blame himself. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him, hoping he could feel how much it meant to her that he’d finally shared with her. “You know it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have predicted that would happen.”

“I’m not so sure about that. If I hadn’t been so wrapped up in her, I might have been able to save her.”

“That’s not the Daniel Wyatt I’ve seen. You’re focused, and you’re efficient…but you still care. You can’t make me believe it was your fault, but I know you don’t want to talk about it now. I’m glad you told me. It makes it clearer why you want us to stay together. I’ll try to do what you ask of me until this is over, but I can’t promise I’ll always agree.”

He held her tightly, leaving a featherlight kiss on the top of her head. “At least promise me you’ll stay in the room while I sleep. It’s important, Beth.”

She thought about it for a few seconds then answered him. “Okay, I promise. But I want to have access to the laptop so I can at least do some research.”

He smiled as he released her and pulled down the covers. “Fine. But no hacking.”

She straightened up. “I know what I’m doing. You’ve seen my work.”

“I know you’re good, but I don’t want to take the chance. Look what happened in Canberra.”

“I outwitted the bad guys and we escaped?”

“I’m serious, Beth. We don’t know for sure if it was the phone call or the computer that led them to us, and until we do, I don’t want to take any chances.”

“I remember your back door. I thought I’d have another gander at Peter’s appointment diary. I promise I won’t go into the NCA files.”

Daniel raised his eyes to the ceiling and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, he lay down on his side and dragged the covers up over his shoulders. “I know I’m going to regret this, but okay. Check out his Outlook appointments, but nothing more, all right?”

She squealed in delight and threw herself over him and hugged him tightly. “Thanks, Daniel. Your trust means more than you know.”

He laughed. “Hey, I could do with a little air here.”

She stood back “Sorry. Now you go to sleep and don’t worry about a thing.”

“Why am I not comforted by that statement?”

She slapped his ass through the bed covers. “Ha! You’ll keep.”

“Is that a promise?” His brown eyes were full of heat as he peered over the blankets.

She could feel the embarrassment starting again. This was ridiculous. They knew each other’s bodies particularly well by now. She should’ve been way past embarrassment but no…she still blushed at the slightest hint of anything sexual. No more. She’d face this head-on. She flashed him her sassiest smile, then ran her tongue along her bottom lip provocatively. “Oh yeah. You’d better rest up. You’re going to need your strength for later.”

Daily sex on demand. Sounds good to me.

She heard a muffled groan as he pulled the covers farther over his head. Cool. Have pleasant dreams, Daniel! Chuckling to herself, she walked over to the desk and set up the laptop, the wireless Internet connection a particular bonus. She wanted one when this was all over. If it ever ended, that was.

 

* * * *

 

After nearly two hours painstakingly checking over the previous year of appointments, Beth was exhausted. A slight ache had begun behind her eyes and she rubbed her forehead with her fingers to ease some of the tension.

Zip, zilch, nada—nothing had shown up. Nothing that made sense anyway. There were several regular appointments with people only identified by initials. One set more than the others—T.B. There was another couple with T.I. and a couple of times the meeting content was listed as B.H., T.B. and T.I. which meant nothing to her, but B.H. had been her father’s initials—Brian Hamilton. Could there be a connection? And who the hell were T.B. and T.I.? She massaged her neck and leaned back in the chair. Were they ever going to figure this out?

A pair of hands touched her shoulders and she nearly jumped off the chair. A warm breath whispered in her ear and set the goosebumps rising all over her body. “Relax. It’s only me.” Daniel massaged her tense muscles with an expertise that told of years of practice.

She groaned with pleasure as she slowly lowered her head to give him better access. Tingles spread over her skin. “Ah…that feels wonderful. Oh yeah…yes, right there. Oooh, that’s good. Keep it up and I’ll put you on my payroll.”

“It’ll cost you. My services are in great demand.”

She smiled up at him and winked. “Oh, I think you’ll be satisfied.”

Abruptly Daniel removed his fingers and crouched beside Beth to check out the laptop screen. “So what have you got?”

All business again. Okay, she could play it that way too.

“A series of initials with no explanations as to what or who they are. But they do occur with regularity.”

“T.B., T.I. and B.H. Do they mean anything to you?”

“Only B.H. Those are my father’s initials.”

“That’s not much to go on,” Daniel sighed. “I guess we go with Plan B then.”

“Plan B?”

Daniel flicked his index finger across the tip of his nose. “Honey, hold on to your hat. We’re in for a bumpy night.”

“You’re mixing up your movie quotes, Daniel. What the heck are you talking about?”

“What I’m saying is— Tonight we go and search Peter Wilson’s files.”

“Hack in, you mean?”

“No. We break in to his office.”