TANNER QUICKLY PULLED into a truck stop and drove to the back of the lot, where the cache of eighteen-wheelers would give them a decent bit of cover.
“We need to get another rental.”
Without further explanation on his part, Mia pulled out her phone. “I’m on it.”
A thought struck. “Here,” he said, tossing her his cell. “Use mine.”
She frowned, but wonder of wonders, she didn’t argue.
Tanner locked her inside with their precious cargo, then dropped to his knees and began feeling around underneath the car. He hit pay dirt behind the right back passenger tire, tucked high in the wheel well. The bumpers wouldn’t have worked—too much plastic.
With a grim smile, he tapped on the window, showed the device to Mia, then turned and stuck it underneath a nearby transfer truck. With any luck, this guy would roll out in a few minutes and lay a false trail. In the interim, a new car and a different route away from the interstate was going to be in order. It would slow them down for a bit, but they should still make Nashville this evening as planned. A droll smile touched his lips.
Contrary to what Mia thought, he did have a plan. It was just more fun to leave her in the dark about it.
But leaving her alone in the dark was a completely different matter, particularly when he could hear the soft breath breezing between her lips, the slide of her hair over the pillow, soft murmurs in her sleep. And that little nightie thing she’d been wearing? What in sweet hell had he ever done to deserve that sort of torment?
Obviously she hadn’t realized she was going to be sharing a room with her security agent. Otherwise he was certain she would have packed something that covered more of her body than the silky scrap of pale pink fabric and lace he’d gotten a peek of last night when she’d shimmied quickly out of her robe and launched herself beneath the covers. It had reminded him of those old vaudeville shows where the virgin heroine had cowered under the covers while the evil villain menacingly stroked his mustache.
As if he hadn’t seen it all before.
He’d chuckled and she’d glared. Good times.
Furthermore, though she’d always held a special attraction for him, something about seeing her again had made him unbelievably hyper-aware of her. The shape of her mouth, the ripeness of her breasts, the lush curve of her hip and her ass… Damn, how he wanted to get his hands on it, to feel it beneath his palms. He was constantly, hammeringly aware of her, could practically feel her in his blood…and most of that was pooled south of his brain.
Logic told him it was natural, that it was just a byproduct of a.) not being laid recently and b.) being with an extremely sexy woman with whom he shared a spectacularly carnal past. But if he’d had a dollar for every time his gaze had slid to the backpack and imagined the little statue contained within… Impossible.
Tanner was familiar with being horny. He’d been tapping cheerleaders since junior high—the sight of a pair of pom-poms still gave him a little thrill—and he’d furthered his sexual expertise during his teenage years courtesy of a friend’s father’s extensive porn library. What could he say? Tanner thought with a grin. He was a visual learner.
At any rate, he’d been everything from mildly horny to desperately-in-need-of-an-orgasm and yet the level of lust which was currently plaguing him was an altogether new experience. He didn’t believe for a minute that it had anything to do with Moe Dick—no matter how often his gaze was drawn to the backpack—and had found himself shocked to learn that Mia did. How bizarre that someone so sensible could buy into what was obviously brought about by the mighty power of suggestion.
As if this wrestling with the all-consuming attraction wasn’t enough, he had to deal with the knowledge that she’d witnessed one of his mortifying nightmares. Considering he hadn’t had a single night since the incident without one, he knew it was inevitable. But having her see it? Damn. His cheeks burned with remembered humiliation.
And this had been a particularly bad one, one that brought up an image he hadn’t realized had been stored in his head. So much death. So many little bodies. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, forcing the images back. He’d actually been so shaken up, he’d been sick to his stomach. She had to have heard that, too, and yet thankfully—blessedly—when he’d returned to the bedroom, she’d turned away from the door, giving him a bit of privacy. Not many women would have been so intuitive, would have known that he’d needed that small reprieve. But she had and, as further testament to her character, she hadn’t asked the first question.
Tanner slid back into the car and turned to look at her. “Where are we going?”
She quickly rattled off directions and he aimed the sedan in the appropriate direction. “They’ve only got one car left,” she said, a curious note of humor in her voice that put him instantly on guard.
“Oh?”
“I told them to hold it. At this point, I don’t think we can a-afford to be p-picky.” She clamped her lips together, presumably to keep from smiling.
Dread ballooned in his gut. “What is it?”
She fiddled with the end of her braid. “Oh, you’ll see.”
And he did, a moment later. His eyes widened and he swore hotly. “A Smart car? Seriously? That’s all they’ve got left?”
“Yes.” And then she howled with laughter.
Tanner offered a friendly wave to the staff as he wheeled through the parking lot, then shot back out into traffic. “We’ll find another one.”
Her mouth fell open. “What? Are you serious? I knew you wouldn’t like it, but I didn’t think you’d be such a snob.”
“It’s not a matter of being a snob, it’s a matter of being comfortable. I am six-six. You are what? Five-two, Five-three?”
“I’m five-five actually,” she said primly, tilting her adorable nose up into the air.
“Bullshit. Maybe in those god-awful heels.” He spied a Chevrolet dealership ahead on the right and prayed they’d have a rental department. “The point is, I don’t intend to spend the next eighteen to twenty hours with my knees up to my ears just because you think it’s funny.”
“That may be true, but you wouldn’t be caught dead in a Smart car even if you only had to drive it across the street. Its small size impugns your masculinity.”
Tanner chuckled under his breath and slid her a look. “There is very damned little that impugns my masculinity.”
Something shifted in her gaze, melted. She swallowed. “That secure, are you?”
He nodded once. “Damn straight.”
“So how many gay friends do you have?”
“Two,” he answered truthfully. Ruthie and Marge were a wonderful couple, two of the nicest lesbians anyone could ever meet. And he suspected the office manager at Ranger Security didn’t bat for his team, either, but he seemed like a fine enough fellow. To each his own, was Tanner’s motto. It didn’t make him any less hetero.
Seemingly stumped, she hummed under her breath. “So what kind of car are you going to get?”
“One with ample legroom.” His gaze slid over her short, curvy frame and a bolt of heat landed in his groin. “That’s something a midget like you doesn’t have to worry about.”
“I don’t mind being short,” she said, eyeing the new model cars as they pulled through the lot to the rental department.
He laughed and quirked a sardonic brow. “So you wear the heels because they’re so comfortable?” he drawled.
She rolled her head toward him and gave him a smile that put him in mind of crisp white sheets, hot oil and a rainy afternoon. “I wear them because they make me feel sexy.”
His tongue suddenly felt too thick for his mouth and he struggled to swallow. “That’s a good enough reason, I suppose.”
He mentally stripped her down to the heels, then redressed her in the little gown she had on last night. Creamy thighs, mouthwatering cleavage, the hint of a pearled nipple behind satin.
He went hard.
She grinned and arched a knowing brow. “Do you need a minute?”
She was evil. Purely, utterly evil.
Pity he found that so damned attractive.
He cupped the back of her neck with his hand and drew her forward, then hungrily attached his mouth to hers. She tasted like maple syrup and coffee, like cool rain after too many years in the desert, like anticipation and redemption. A low moan signaled her surrender—the sweetest thing he’d tasted so far—and she tunneled her fingers into his hair and pressed herself against him.
His entire body vibrated with need as her tongue tangled around his, an unspeakably wonderful seek and retreat that he wanted to mimic with another body part below his waist, one that was in serious danger of popping above of the waistband of his jeans. He was breathing her in, absorbing her essence, savoring the feel of her against his mouth. Her lips were full and sensual, the upper a little plumper on one side, which gave the impression that she was always enjoying a private joke. A provocative imperfection he’d once heard her lament, but he adored it.
Breathing heavily, she tore her mouth from his. “Who’s watching?” she gasped brokenly.
“The salespeople, I imagine.” He nuzzled her cheek with his nose. He could smell her lotion, something fruity and sweet. God, he could just eat her up. She was luscious. Perfect.
She blinked drunkenly up at him, then her muddled gaze turned into a glare. “B-but I was following your lead.”
He chewed the inside of his cheek. “Yes, you were. Without direction and quite brilliantly, I might add. I’m so proud of you.”
With a disgusted grunt, she shoved hard at his chest. “Idiot,” she growled. “You scared me half to death. I was afraid they’d somehow found us again already.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth and he lowered his voice. “I’m glad I was able to take your mind off it for a minute.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re a real piece of work, Tanner, you know that?”
“Yes.” He wraggled his brows. “A masterpiece.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of a piece of—”
“Hey,” he interrupted, feigning a wounded look. “No need for name-calling. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”
Her eyes widened. “On myself? You’re the one I’m angry with!”
“Possibly. But not all of that anger’s for me.” He studied her thoughtfully for a moment and it unnerved her to the point she looked away. A deep blush stained her cheeks. “I think you’re mad at yourself because you enjoyed it a whole lot more than you wanted to.”
And with that parting comment, he snagged the backpack and climbed from the car. While she was fuming, he put in a quick call to Ranger Security. He needed a little more information on Mia’s erstwhile sire and he didn’t want to humiliate her by making her listen to him while he asked for it.
Bastard, Tanner thought. If he was behind any part of this, Tanner fully intended to give the man a thrashing he wouldn’t forget. He’d seen the tightness appear around her mouth when he’d asked if her father would consort with Ramirez, the shame in her eyes as she’d unwillingly shared the kind of person he was. Her father had hurt her and for that reason alone, he’d like to kick his ass.
Somebody needed to for what the man had done to his daughter, that was for damned sure. And Tanner was more than happy to do the job.
THE DAMNED KNOW-IT-ALL, Mia thought, as she waited for her personal mercury to cool. She hadn’t remembered him being so perceptive. Was it an acquired skill? she wondered, or had she just been too much in love with him to notice the last time around?
Though she thought her acting skills were improving, she knew they wouldn’t carry her so far as to pretend that his kiss—hell, simply being around him—wasn’t affecting her. It was.
Oh, how it was.
Her toes had been curling to the point she’d almost developed cramps and the hot zing of need pinging in her womb to the tune of what she suspected was his heartbeat was making her squirm in her seat like a grounded toddler forced to sit in the naughty chair. She didn’t know what sort of cologne he was wearing, but it was absolutely driving her crazy. It made her want to suck him up like a Slurpee. Her breasts ached behind her bra and the hot, muddled sensation camping low in her belly seemed to intensify with every agitated breath.
And looking at him only made things worse. The shape of those full, sculpted lips, the lean slope of his cheek, the firm edge of his jaw and even the side of his neck—a place she’d love to lean over and kiss just below his ear—taunted her with every glimpse.
And when he looked at her dead-on? Despite repeated exposure, she was never quite prepared for the combination of need and reluctant, bittersweet affection that slammed into her. It left her breathless and light-headed. The desire she could justify. Between his naturally potent sexual appeal and Moe exerting his significant influence, it was no wonder that she found herself locked in a state of practically debilitating lust.
But those softer emotions? The ones that made her heart give a pathetic little jump, her resolve melt, her lips curl of their own volition…those, she knew, were trouble.
Tanner snapped his phone shut and rounded the hood, then opened her door. She hadn’t been waiting on him to do it—she just hadn’t gathered her wits about her enough to exit on her own power. While other women might object to such an old-fashioned gesture, Mia had to admit that she wasn’t one of them. She appreciated the courtesy and took it as a sign of respect rather than an insult to her gender.
In relatively short order, he’d arranged to have the other car returned to the proper rental company and procured a replacement, a crossover SUV with enough legroom for comfort and pickup speed to disappear quickly if needed. She’d listened as he’d made the call to Ranger Security and briefed them on the changes to their situation and found herself reluctantly impressed with his performance.
Not that she shouldn’t have been. Tanner had always been more than competent. He had a keen brain behind all that masculine beauty and brawn, and a dedication of purpose that had surpassed so many of their contemporaries. It had been part of what had drawn her to him from the start. She’d appreciated his drive, his ambition, his desire to not just inhabit the world in which he lived, but to try and better it. It was an admirable quality, one of many.
“Okay,” Tanner said, as slipped his phone back into the holder at his waist. “New plan. I know that the original arrangement involved keeping your PA and head of security in the loop, but in light of Ackerman’s obvious involvement and resulting breach, we’re not going to do that.”
Mia absorbed that. “You don’t want me to check in?”
“Yes, I do. We need to keep up with any new developments on their end, but I don’t want you to disclose our location. We’re going to pick up a few disposable phones so that you can contact them. But if they need to contact you, then whatever information they need to share will be routed through Ranger Security directly to me.”
Her head whirled. “Why?”
“Because if Ackerman knew where you were staying, then it’s possible that he has your cell-phone number. And if he’s in bed with Ramirez, then Ramirez has the resources to trace your whereabouts through the phone. Have you made or taken any calls?”
“No,” Mia said, shaken. Well, that explained why he’d wanted her to use his phone instead of hers to find the rental agency.
“Good,” Tanner said with a nod. “Turn it off.”
Feeling strangely numb, she did.
Tanner started to say something, then hesitated a moment. “Listen, if you’ll give me the numbers, I can call the office and have them forward your temporary emergency contact information to anyone you would want to have it.”
She looked up and blinked, not following.
He released a small sigh. “Like Harlan,” he said, the words seemingly pulled out of him. “Or your mother.”
A little pinch of pain squeezed her heart at the casual reference to her mom. “I won’t hear from Harlan,” she said. No doubt her efficient ex had already packed up whatever belongings she had at his apartment and for warded them to Savannah. She had to clear her throat. “And I, um… I lost my mother three years ago. Ovarian cancer.”
She watched the shock register on his face. He winced with regret and reached over to grab her hand. “I’m so sorry, Mia. I remember you were very close to her.”
Her mom had been her best friend and her rock, her faithful cheerleader and her confidante. While she’d had several friends whose mothers drove them insane, Mia had never been able to relate to their relationships. Though her mother had never remarried, being Mia’s mother hadn’t become the thing that defined her. Jane Hawthorne had had lots of interests, a host of friends and a busy career that begged for her time and she’d balanced them beautifully. Mia had always known that she came first, but without the guilt or resentment brought about by the divorce. Her mother had been a strong woman, a force of nature and the world was most definitely a much bleaker place without her in it.
“Thank you,” she said, for lack of anything better. “I miss her.”
He squeezed her hand again, but to her pleasure, he didn’t release it. A shadow suddenly moved behind his eyes and she watched a weariness settle along his jaw. “Death’s a bitch.”
He’d certainly seen his share of that, Mia knew and something about the grim tone of his voice made her ache for him. Between the nature of his career and the nightmare she’d witnessed last night, she knew Tanner was carrying around his own grief demons, as well. There was a brief instance of perfect understanding between them in that moment and, for whatever reason, it united them in a present that lacked the clutter of the past.
To her chagrin, the thought was as comforting as it was terrifying.