Simply The Best

Simply the Best Denyse Bridger (c) 2006 ISBN 1-59578-264-8

Simply the Best Denyse Bridger Published 2006 ISBN 1-59578-264-8 Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © 2006, Denyse Bridger. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Manufactured in the United States of America Liquid Silver Books http://LSbooks.com Email: [email protected] Editor Vikky Bertling Cover Artist April Martinez This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Chapter 1 Music blared, drowning the cacophony of voices that crowded the Silver Dollar, an old- fashioned, turn-of-the-century saloon located along the southern coast area of California. It was a typical Friday night, with little room to move around, and perhaps more importantly, to think too much. Kaylee Masterson strolled among the restless throng of people until she found a small table that was unoccupied; it was ideally located—in the darkest corner of the bustling bar. She could see the patrons and, to her personal delight, the bar’s owner. The traditional tall, dark, and handsome hero that most women dream about, this man embodied strength and masculinity. He was over six feet tall, had short coffee-brown hair and deep, dark eyes. His shoulders were broad and strong, his chest smoothly contoured, hips narrow, and long legs were toned and athletic. He dressed casually most of the time, simple t-shirts, and jeans that showcased his tight ass. Kaylee had never spoken to him, and she adored him. From the safety of distance. There was an air of mystery and danger surrounding him, and that added yet another layer to his complex allure. Tending bar, he laughed with easy charm and grace at the banter tossed his way from the many women in the place. A tiny twitch of resentment surfaced inside her when she noted that, and she silently ridiculed herself for the foolishness of the emotion. She’d been coming here for weeks on end, always staying in the background, forever watching the man she’d come to admire and wonder about. Though not once in those weeks had she dared to risk exposing herself by talking to him. She knew his name was Max Richmonte, and that he frequently disappeared for days at a time. So far, his longest absence, that she knew of, amounted to ten days. Instinctively she knew there were longer periods when he became a non-existent entity, but she couldn’t figure out why. It hardly mattered. Knowing nothing of real value about him remained convenient. Still… it wasn’t always easy to ignore the way her body responded to his presence, even if they hadn’t exchanged a word. By the time she left she’d be so wet with wanting him that walking would be uncomfortable, and her nipples were already so tight it felt like they might simply pop from the near pain of being hard and thrusting against her blouse all night. Every part of her was aching with longing. For a stranger. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. Part of her was drawn for reasons she didn’t want to analyze too closely. She had chosen the Silver Dollar after a lengthy search for a perfect place to blend into obscurity, so far it had worked wonderfully well. The last thing she needed was to become too involved. Satisfied that she was going unnoticed, Kaylee took out the small notebook she carried, and began to write. The music continued to boom, and the voices around her slowly faded into the background of her thoughts. **** “She’s here again,” Kevin pointed to the far corner, pulling Tommy’s attention from the pretty redhead who’d been flirting with him for most of the past hour.

“Who’s here again, Johnston? ” Tommy drawled, his utter lack of interest apparent in the amused tone of his voice. “The girl at the back table,” Kevin insisted, and punched the Southerner lightly in the arm to make him actually look. “She’s been coming in for weeks, and she never drinks much, just watches everyone, and writes.” Tommy finally dragged his eyes from the girl at the bar and peered intently through the shifting crowd. He saw the woman Kevin was curious about, and he did an automatic appraisal of her. She looked to be about thirty years old, had sandy hair, cut into a shaggy fall that draped her shoulders in soft waves and spilled down her back; her face, while pretty, was unremarkable. She wore a heavy silver watch on her right wrist, there was no sign of a wedding ring, and her glasses were antique- gold rimmed, the design very fashionable. Johnston had been right about her activity, as well; she was writing diligently in a notebook, her expression thoughtful. She was also squirming in her chair, crossing her legs and uncrossing them repeatedly. It didn’ t require great powers of observation to spot the clear outline of her nipples pressing against the satiny shirt she wore. She was even caressing her tits periodically, though the action appeared totally unconscious. She didn’t have “fuck me” stamped on he r forehead, but it was the impression she gave anyway. “What do you think she’s writing about?” Kevin wondered, now that he knew Tommy was watching the woman. “I think I’ll go ask.” Tommy grinned. His curiosity wasn’t the only thing she’d roused. Before Kevin could object in any way, Tommy was on his feet and making his way through the crowd. **** Writing the last of the notes she wanted to take that night, Kaylee closed the leatherbound book just as she felt the intensity of someone’s intent interest in her activity. Her skin tingled and a warning chill crept up her spine. She knew before she lifted her eyes to his that she’d been spotted. Relief and dread combined in the second she met and held the sharp, inquisitive hazel gaze with hers, then he smiled and she relaxed the tiniest bit. She knew this man was a friend of Max Richmonte’s, but at least it wasn’t Max himself who’d discovered her hiding in the corner of his bar. “Ma’am, ” he tilted his head in greeting and gestured, asking politely if he could sit with her. Kaylee nodded, her nerves jangling anew. “I’m Tommy Donovan, ” he said with a smile that would have dazzled almost any woman he bestowed it upon. In this case it earned him no responding warmth. “Kaylee,” she replied. “I was just leaving, Tommy,” she used the name awkwardly and began to stand, suddenly eager to leave. A firm hand on her wrist startled and annoyed her in equal measure. She pulled her hand back and eyed him with mild irritation. “I’m not interested,” she stated, tone cold. Before he could prevent her escape a second time, she spun on her heel and left. Tommy fingered the notebook that had been left behind on the table top. Curious, he cracked the cover and saw the name inside, Kaylee Masterson; there was an address

printed neatly under the name. When he flipped a few pages he saw that it was simply a volume of notes and ideas, labeled in various ways that made him suspect it was the blueprint for a novel of some kind. He waited for several minutes to see if she’d return for the book, realized she wouldn’t be back that night, and picked it up when he went to rejoin Kevin. “Didn’t take you long to get rid of her,” Johnston noted as Tommy slid back into his seat. “I didn’t mean to get rid of her,” Tommy said honestly. “Guess you’re not her type,” Kevin grinned. He was thoughtful for a moment, then added, “Maybe Max is. She was looking at him all night.” Tommy’s eyebrows rose. “I mean, she wasn’t bein’ obvious about it, but she didn’t miss a thing that was goin’ on at the bar,” Kevin went on. “Maybe the boss knows her,” Tommy suggested, though he was fairly certain none of them knew her. “She give you that?” Kevin queried, noticing the book resting beneath his partner’s elbow on the table. “Nope.” “Let me have a look,” Kevin said and tried to pry the volume out from under Tommy’s arm. “Not your business, Johnston, ” Tommy smiled. “It’s not yours either,” Kevin objected, “but you looked.” “Yeah, I did,” the other man agreed. “And now I’m gonna leave this in Max’s office in case she comes back for it.” **** Kaylee paced her living room, her mood flip- flopping between fury and despair as she considered what had happened to the precious notebook she carried with her each week to the Silver Dollar. In her desperation to flee from Tommy, she’d been careless. The book must have been left on the table. What if he read it? That thought had kept her in turmoil ever since she’d gotten home and discovered the book wasn’t with her. It crossed her mind to call the bar and see if it was there, but that might mean speaking to Max Richmonte, and possibly telling him precisely what she was looking for. Most people, once they opened a book, were inclined by natural curiosity to see what it contained. She did not want Max Richmonte reading her notebook. He’d think she was certifiable if he ever saw the contents of the book. And Kaylee wasn’t prepared to explain herself to him, or anyone else for that matter. Sighing heavily, she chose to leave it for the moment and decide in the morning what would be easier; going to the Silver Dollar and asking for the book in person. Or calling. **** “Richmonte.” Kaylee swallowed her heart, which felt firmly lodged in the region of her throat, and

tried to keep her voice steady when she answered the distracted, softly masculine voice on the other end of the phone line. “Mr. Richmonte,” she forced the name past her lips and closed her eyes, grateful he couldn’t see her. “My name is Kaylee Masterson, and I think I may have left something at your bar last night. A notebook,” she clarified instantly. “Leather bound, burgundy. ” There was a pause, and she could almost see him smiling. “Yeah, it’s here in my office, Mrs. Masterson. ” “I’m not married, Mr. Richmonte,” she replied. “It’s just Kaylee.” “Would you like to stop by and pick up your book, Kaylee?” he asked smoothly. “I’ll be in the office most of the day. The bar’s not open until this evening. ” “Thank you, Mr. Richmonte,” she replied, trying to keep the tremor from her voice. “It’s Max, ” he laughed. “I’ll leave the door open. Just come in. ” The line clicked, going silent. Kaylee slowly dropped the receiver back into its cradle, then slumped into a chair. “Shit!” she muttered vehemently. The last thing she wanted to do was meet this man face to face. It was pretty much unavoidable now. She stood and walked into her bedroom, chewing her bottom lip as she faced herself in the mirror on the wardrobe door. Ordinary in every way, she silently jeered at her reflection. Mousy brown hair that was inching toward her waist, colorless grey eyes, and she needed to lose about fifteen pounds to be what she considered the right weight. Her face was smooth, but as unremarkable as the rest of her. She’d never been beautiful, and she’d long since stopped wishing it could be different. The only time her physical appearance pained her these days was when she looked at the man who was as perfect as she was not; Max Richmonte was drop-dead gorgeous. The kind of man who never noticed women like her because of all the beautiful creatures who surrounded him on a daily basis. She thought about him for a moment more, permitted the warm brown of his eyes to swim before her mind’s eye. Between her thighs, an increasingly familiar pulse woke and she felt herself getting wet as her internal muscles clenched with hungry longing. She wanted Max Richmonte with an intensity that was almost frightening. Looking into his dark eyes she was almost choked by the sudden image of him gloriously naked, his cock rigid, the swollen head dripping pearlescent beads for her to lick away as she knelt in front of him. Her knees wobbled dangerously, and she swallowed the lump of excitement that had leapt into her throat “Let’s just get this over with, ” she snarled into the silence of her room. She whirled away from the mirror and grabbed her purse off the end of the bed. **** Max heard the knock at his office door and glanced absently in that general direction. He’d been expecting the woman who’d left the notebook, and barely noticed her when he gestured for her to come in. Most of his attention was focused on the computer screen in front of him; and the accounting program that was supposed to make things so much easier for him was doing precisely the opposite. He’d gotten through the book work quicker when he was doing it on paper. Marg might be able to use this particular method, but it was causing him no small number of headaches. “Mr. Richmonte?” “Yeah, ” he answered with a slight smile, glancing in her direction again. “Your book

is on the table,” he pointed to the coffee table in front of the couch. “Thank you, ” Kaylee’s voice held noticeable irony, and he finally turned to really look at her when he caught the nuance. “I’m sorry, ” he murmured, and rose to an impressive six feet three inches. He extended his hand and waited for her to complete the few steps that would put her in front of his desk. “I’m Max Richmonte,” he told her. “You must be Kaylee Masterson? ” Kaylee took his hand and tried not to stare at him. It wasn’t easy when every instinct she possessed wanted to do nothing other than absorb his very presence. And a whole lot more… some wild inner voice cackled. “Yes, I am,” she replied, forcing her voice to an even cadence. Her gaze darted to the offending computer screen and she grinned, the response involuntary. Having something innate to focus on restored her shaken equilibrium, and she grabbed it like a lifeline. “Having problems with the book-keeping? ” Max laughed ruefully and nodded. “Yeah, I used to do a whole lot better when I was writing it all down, ” he stated. “You’re probably complicating it more than is necessary, ” she told him, her eyes glancing over the formatted ledger. “I use this system myself, and there are ways to make it a whole lot more user friendly, ” she assured him. “User friendly sounds great about now, ” he informed her with dry humor. “Would you like for me to have a look at it for you? ” she asked, uncertainty creeping into her tone. “Absolutely, ” Max was more than happy to step aside and offer her his chair. When she sat down and started rearranging things with smooth, familiar keystrokes, he rapidly saw the simplicity of her approach to the program. She pointed out a few things as she went, asked relatively few questions, and had everything organized for him within the hour. Standing at her back, looking down, Max had an enjoyable view of her cleavage. She had on a pretty, soft sweater with a scooping neckline. Under it was a low-cut, lacy bra that seemed just about inadequate to contain her luscious curves. His fingertips tingled, and he smiled inwardly at how aroused he was getting as he considered the possibility of persuading her to enjoy a couple of hours naked in his office before he opened the bar and she went back to whatever it was she did. From what he’d observed so far, Kaylee Masterson had a gorgeous set of tits, a beautifully rounded ass, and a pair of legs that would feel fabulous wrapped around him. “If you use the shortcuts I’ve created, you should find it very user friendly now. ” Her voice jolted him, but he recovered instantly and peered at the screen she was pointing to. “That’s amazing, ” Max marveled at the page in front of him now when he took the seat she’d just vacated. “Glad to be of help,” she smiled. “You can use the same forms each month when you do your bookkeeping. Just remember to save the new files under their proper month names. I’ve lost a few months of the year myself forgetting to do that!” A glance at her watch told her she’d lingered a lot longer than she’d meant to, and she went to retrieve her book from the table. “Thanks for holding onto this for me, Mr. Richmonte,” she said when she had the volume safely in her hands again. “It’s Max, ” he said instantly, leaning back in his chair to look at her.

Kaylee Masterson was a pretty woman, he mused. Not stunning the way Marg was, but very lovely. Marg Peters had been friend, partner, and lover to Max over the long years they’d known each other, but the love they shared had never grown into real passion, it remained solid friendship. One of the few things that was constant in his life. Kaylee intrigued him, without his quite knowing why. Her hair was soft, light golden brown, and her eyes were the color of stormy skies. And she had a pleasantly contoured face that gave away every thought she had when you looked closely at her. She was attracted to him, he knew, and very uncomfortable with the emotions it stirred. “I’d like to take you out to dinner, Ms. Masterson, ” he said. “To thank you for your help with this,” he added immediately when he saw the automatic refusal begin in her pale eyes. “That’s very generous of you, Mr… Max, ” she smiled. “But not necessary. ” “That isn’t why I asked,” he pointed out gently. “Thank you anyway, ” she responded quickly. “It was nice to meet you, Max, ” she continued, heading determinedly for the door to his office. “Good luck with the bookkeeping, ” she added, unable to resist the mild teasing. “Yeah, ” Max muttered to the empty air when she was gone seconds later. Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked at the computer again, and decided it was time to have a drink. He mentally added sexual frustration to his others of the moment and almost growled at the air as he stalked to the bar for a beer.

Chapter 2 The following week passed by in a blur of motion and business for Kaylee. She found her mind wandering back to the meeting with Max Richmonte much too often in those hectic days, too. Each time, her anger grew deeper. She’d made a total ass of herself bolting from his office. She was convinced he thought so, as well. She looked at the computer screen and the words that filled it. All the thoughts and forbidden fantasies she’d had about the man since she’d first spotted him walking along the beach a few months earlier. She’d been close enough to see the darkness of his eyes, and the casual mischie f that frequently radiated from his smile. She’d been captivated in a heartbeat. It hadn’t taken long to find out who he was and that he owned the unique bar on the beach. That had made it so very easy to watch him, and indulge her imagination. Max Richmonte had been just what her soul needed, and now it had all been ruined by meeting him. By feeling the intensity of his presence in a way that would no longer permit her to separate herself from him on an emotional level. She needed to stay away from him. To regain what she’d lost by being face to face with him. By talking to him. By discovering he was so many of the things she’d pretended he would be. “Damn!!!” she snarled in impotent fury. She blanked the screen and rose, stalking away from the computer. **** “She’s not here again this week.” Max glanced at Kevin when he leaned on the bartop and grinned. “Who?” “The girl with the notebook,” Kevin continued to smile, enjoying Max’s annoyance. “Kaylee.” “Kaylee?” Max repeated. Tommy had to have told him her name, Max hadn’t. “What’s she like?” “Johnston, don’t you have a life?” Max asked with a wry grimace that was supposed to pass for a smile. “Hey,” Kevin managed to look appropriately affronted, then his grin slid back into place. “I’m just making polite conversation. ” “Well, make it somewhere else,” Max advised softly. The last thing he wanted Kevin to know was that he’d been wondering about Kaylee Masterson himself tonight, unconsciously watching the door to see if she’d turn up. By midnight, he knew she wouldn’t be putting in an appearance. He was disappointed, and surprised by the reaction. **** Two more weeks passed before Kaylee gave in to the need to be in the same room with him again. She approached the Silver Dollar with something akin to dread creating

ice in her veins. Amid the tremors of apprehension was a stronger surge of excitement, a growing thrill of anticipation. It died quickly when she was inside the busy bar and Max Richmonte was nowhere to be seen. She sat at a table the instant it was vacant, and her eyes wandered, drinking in the familiar atmosphere, faintly amused that she could actually pinpoint a few of the regulars. “Long time, no see.” Startled, she looked up into a pair of smiling blue eyes. Her gaze flitted over the stranger, and she couldn’t resist a smile when he sat down and grinned at her. Soft, curling dark hair framed a pleasantly attractive face. He was slight in build, but she sensed a sharp, alert mind that missed very little. His accent was pure New York, and his charm endearing. Her surprise rose further when a soft Southern drawl announced the arrival of Tommy, the man who’d found her notebook. This time, thankfully, she’d decided to make her notes mentally and get things on paper later, when she was safely in the privacy of her home. “Johnston, are you botherin’ the lady? She’s barely had time to sit down. ” “He’s not,” Kaylee interjected immediately, laughing at the sardonic looks that passed between the two men. In spite of the surface antagonism, she sensed trust, and warmth. “Would you like to join us? It’s Tommy, isn’t it?” she asked, only a tiny trace of question in her voice. “Yes, ma’am, ” he answered, “and thank you. ” He sat down and within a few minutes a waitress was at their table. **** Kaylee had begun the evening uneasy and jittery, as it wore on, she forgot almost entirely about her reason for coming to the bar. Kevin and Tommy kept her entertained, often deliberately, occasionally unintentionally. She was enamored of both men, in different ways, when the night waned. The Silver Dollar was closed late into the night, and she was still enjoying her companions’ banter when the door to the bar opened and Max walked in. Her smile froze, the reaction beyond her control. Tommy glanced over his shoulder and nodded briefly. “Hi, Boss! How was your date?” Max tossed him a sour look and continued around the bar. He selected a beer, opened it, then leaned on the counter. “Nice to see you again, Ms. Masterson, ” he observed softly. “Thank you, ” she replied, tone cooler than she’d meant. It was impossible not to notice the amused surprise that passed between Kevin and Tommy, though. She finished the Club Soda she’d been drinking and turned to the two men she’d been laughing with most of the night. “Thanks for a terrific evening, ” she said, genuine warmth in her voice now, a direct contrast to when she spoke to Max. “I had a great time.” “Can I take you home?” Kevin asked, winking. “Another time, maybe,” she answered with a grin and impulsively leaned over to kiss his cheek. She did the same to Tommy and waved to Max as she exited the bar at a near run. “That’s one hell of an effect you have on the lady, ” Tommy noted quietly when the door had banged solidly into place again. “I’ve noticed,” Max retorted dryly. His mood had darkened considerably in the few

minutes he’d been back, and he took his beer then headed for his office. “Twice in one night,” Kevin quipped softly. “No wonder he’s in a bad mood.” Under other circumstances, Tommy might have made some scathing remark in response to the unnecessary observation; tonight, he merely nodded his agreement and they closed up the bar shortly after. Max didn’t come out of his office again while they were there. **** In spite of the growing need to see Max Richmonte, Kaylee stayed away from the Silver Dollar, for a number of weeks. She worked, dreamed of him far too often, and fumed to herself over every possible stupidity she could assign to her behavior the last night she’d seen him. It wasn’t hard, she had a fertile imaginatio n when it came to her own short-comings. Her one consolation was her work, and she threw herself into it with a vengeance. And succeeded in completing her latest project weeks ahead of schedule, which would delight the client she was working for. As a reward to herself, she decided to relax for the night. Soft music flooded her rented beach house, there was a low fire crackling in the fireplace, and the place was lit with candles and incense. She wanted nothing more than to simply relax and recharge. After a long, luxuriating bath, she slid a sheer, pure silk gown over her head and returned to the soothing atmosphere of the living room. She hadn’t had time to sit when there was a knock at her door. Frowning, she resisted a string of profanities and went to answer the persistent tapping. She opened the door a moment later and her heart missed a beat. Looking up into Max Richmonte’s dark gaze was the last thing she needed in her quest for comfort. “What are you doing here?” She winced as soon as the shaken words escaped her lips. “I’m sorry, Mr. Richmonte,” she apologized softly. “I wasn’t expecting you. ” His gaze traveled over her, discreetly, but missing nothing. “Am I interrupting something, Ms. Masterson? ” he wondered, his look darting into the softly lit room behind her. “No,” she replied honestly, the response automatic. Her wrap hadn’t been belted, and she’d forgotten for a moment that her nightgown was almost transparent in texture. She took a moment to tie the belt, then looked up at him again. “Would yo u like to come in?” She held the door and he walked past her. She stared for a moment, then slammed the door and followed him into the room. She turned on the overheard lights as she entered the area, and the illusion of seductive intimacy vanished. “This is a lovely place,” he noted. “I was in charge of the renovations,” she explained, “then Roger Gilmore, the owner, had to go to Europe as they were being finished, and told me to stay here for the summer if I wanted to enjoy the place.” “You’re an architect?” “Sometimes,” she smiled. “Most of what I tend to do is a combination of architectural design and interior design. What do you think?” she asked, sincerely interested in his answer. The beach house looked more like a log cabin now than it did a modern beach house, and most of the rooms opened into the spacious living room. There were almost no walls to speak of anymore, simply decorative brass railings to separate the rooms into distinct

areas apart from the central room. The lighting was recessed and when it wasn’t in use, the fixtures retracted into the ceiling. Light maple and pine tones were the dominant theme in all the areas, making the overall appearance one of rich, warm wooden splendor. Max loved the look and feel of the place. “It’s great,” he stated with real appreciation. “Makes me wonder what your home looks like,” he noted with a grin. “Similar to this,” she confessed around a low laugh. “I have a two-story house, designed somewhat like this. The top level extends halfway over the main one, and the floor is mirrored from the ground level, and see-through in the upper bedroom. As long as you don’t suffer from vertigo or acrophobia, it’s a really neat concept.” Max’s eyebrow rose and he laughed with her. “What are you here for, Mr…” she hesitated when he tossed her a pointed look, then she relented. “Why are you here, Max? I doubt it was to discuss architecture or house design. ” He wasn’t totally certain himself why he’d sought her company. He’d told himself numerous times that it was sexual curiosity, that he wanted to sleep with her, nothing more. But Max wasn’t a man to lie, especially to himself, and he knew there was something about Kaylee Masterson that had gotten under his skin. He wanted her, yes, but it was more than that. He simply hadn’ t discovered yet what it was he hoped to find in her. When he’d decided, on impulse, to come over to her house, he sure as hell hadn’t expected to find her draped in gauzy silk and standing in surroundings that made him think even more seriously about seducing her. “I was going to ask if you’d like to give me a hand with my book-keeping, ” he said, grabbing at the first remotely plausible thing that came into his mind. She peered intently at him, measuring the truth in his words and finding none. Her nerves were screaming at her to get him out of the house before he really knew how deeply attracted to him she was. He suspected, she could feel that much, but he had no way of knowing how much of her time was preoccupied with every aspect of him. She didn’t want him to know. “How did you find me, Mr. Richmonte?” There it was again, Max thought, that smooth shift back to formality any time he made the slightest gesture of interest. “Tommy remembered seeing your address in the notebook,” he offered, dodging the question without thinking. It was possible enough to be the truth, though, and she accepted it as such. What else had Tommy seen in the book? She wondered, agitation becoming a tangible kind of panicked pain within her. “I’m not really an accountant,” she offered with a weak smile. “Maybe you’d better consult someone who does know what they’re doing.” He nodded, his gaze still wandering over the house, and the woman who occupied it. “I don’t mean to be rude, Mr. Richmonte,” she began quietly. “But, if that’s all you wanted, I would like to be alone tonight.” “Would you have dinner with me tomorrow night?” he asked, curious about her reaction more than her response. There it was, the near terror in her pale eyes as she considered his invitation, and her desire to accept it. The light grey of her gaze clouded, then the set of her jaw gave him his answer a moment before she politely declined, for the

second time. “What are you afraid of, Kaylee?” he questioned, refusing to be put off this time. “Nothing,” she retur ned firmly. “I simply don’t want to see you socially, Max. ” “Because you’re afraid you might actually like me?” He grinned, and one eyebrow rose. “Or is it something a little more basic that’s scaring you? ” “There’s that word again,” she stated, voice little more than a whisper between them. “I am not afraid of you, Max Richmonte,” she asserted. “If you require some kind of proof, feel free to stay for awhile.” “Thanks,” he grinned. “I’d like to.” She groaned inwardly, but pasted a smile on her face and sho wed him fully into the living room. He dropped his tall, lean frame into a comfortable chair and looked up at her, that devastating smile coming into full play over his stunning features. “How about a movie?” She shook her head. “Do you like old radio shows?” Max’s surprise brought a rush of sweet, feminine giggles from her and he watched her cross the room and switch the sound system over to tapes. She popped in a cassette, handed him a huge bowl of popcorn, and poured two glasses of red wine. She handed one to him, then dimmed the lighting again before settling on the couch adjacent to his seat in the armchair. Max gave the old audio program half his attention, the other half was focused on the woman sitting a couple of feet away. She’d set aside the wine glass and was listening, her eyes closed. Her wrap had fallen open and he was drinking in the view of her breasts encased in the filmy silk and lace bodice of her gown. Her nipples were a dark shadow, and he watched them harden as he stared at her, as though her body was in perfect synch with his desire to touch her. He left his chair, silent and graceful, and reseated himself next to her on the sofa. Her eyes opened and she looked at him, her breath a soft rush of air between them. Max leaned into her, his lips finding hers as he pulled her close to him. His tongue slipped into the wine-tainted warmth of her mouth, drawing her into the kiss, deepening it to something exquisitely erotic as he tasted and teased her. One hand held her head, the other glided over her until his fingers found the softness of her breast, and he began to stroke and caress, his fingers circling the taut nipple continuously. Kaylee moaned softly when he began to squeeze her breast, and the sound mutated into a gasp of pleasure when he ended their kiss and both his hands caressed her, and tugged at her sensitive nipples. Max slid the wrap off her shoulders and slowly peeled away the clingy material that covered her skin. When her breasts were bared, he touched her again, shuddering at the intense hunger the feel of her soft tits in his hands was creating. He caught one of her dark buds in his teeth and nibbled, making her tremble and whisper his name. He licked at her nipples repeatedly, first one then the other, sucking intently, then hardly touching her. She was breathing so fast after a few minutes that he wondered if she was going to faint. “Kaylee? Are you all right, honey? ” She nodded, and her passion bright eyes locked with his. “Why are you here, Max? ” “I want you, baby, isn’t that obvious?” His voice was rough with need, but gentle, too. “You could have any woman you wanted,” she murmured. “You’re amazing. Why

do you want me?” Max laughed softly at her perplexity in her tone. “When was the last time you really looked at yourself, Kaylee? Jesus, baby! You’re the kind of beautiful most men lust after.” “Don’t be ridiculous.” His smile was indulgent. “Ridiculous? I’ve been called a helluva lot of things, but that one’s a first in this situation. ” “And what, precisely, do you think this situation is?” “Well.” He smiled, one eyebrow quirked in teasing humor. “I’m hoping this situation is about to evolve into you… me… and all kinds of wonderful…” To make his point, one hand disappeared under her gown and she tensed slightly, eyes wide with combined anticipation and a shade of uncertainty. “I don’t think I want this to happen like this, Max. ” Max’s other hand slid behind her back and he eased her toward him. He lifted her and turned, settling into the sofa cushions as he put her astride his hips. Her fingers curled over his shoulders and she looked down at herself, the reaction unconscious. She bit her bottom lip at the sight; her naked breasts dangling before him, his hands barely visible beneath the sheer silk of her gown. He was stroking her thighs now, his caress slow and seductive. “Tell me what you want, honey. ” She shook her head and he bent to take a nipple between his lips. He opened his mouth wider and she gasped loudly when he began to suck the entire peak of her breast, his tongue flicking furiously at the pebble hard point. Her body convulsed a moment later when the sensation of his mouth on her was overshadowed by the dizzying pleasure of his fingers buried in the tight channel between her legs. “Tell me what you want, Max, ” she repeated his words, and he saw the surge of power and challenge in her eyes when he lifted his head and locked his gaze with hers. “What I want?” His voice was a textured, gravelly purr of sensuous hunger. “What I want, Kaylee Masterson, is to fuck you unt il you can’t walk without thinking about what it felt like to have my cock so far inside you that you want to scream.” Passion lit in her eyes and he could see how turned on she was by his words. He let them keep coming. “I want to shove my dick into your dripping little pussy, over and over again, baby. ” He was punctuating every syllable with his hand, his fingers moving in and out of her tight heat, the sounds slick and wet, so exciting he wondered if he’d be able to exert any real control over his lust. “What then? ” She was fucking his fingers now, her hips meeting him thrust for thrust. He knew she was close to an amazing, intense orgasm. He also knew that she didn’t give a damn what he said, as long as he kept on talking, probably telling her things no man had ever uttered to her. “Then, ” he let his fingers slip free of her, and began to stroke her wet slit, his thumb slowly caressing her pulsing clit. “I want you to suck me, Kaylee. I want my cock in your mouth, honey, and your finger up my ass. Do you think you can do that for me, baby? Make me so crazy I lose control. ” She shuddered as she came, suddenly and so violently she almost fell off the sofa. Her choking moan muffled as she leaned forward, her head against his, foreheads touching. Max didn’t give her much time to recover, he moved again, sitting her on the

sofa cushions. He stood up, unsnapped and unzipped his jeans, and hissed in relief at the easing of the pressure in his crotch. He shed his clothes quickly and smiled at the appreciation in her eyes when she took a long look at him. “You’re as gorgeous as I knew you’d be, Max, ” she told him, voice husky and seductive. “Spread your legs for me, Kaylee,” he directed, enjoying the sexy image she presented to him, with her silky gown draped around her, her beautiful tits with their jutting peaks begging for his mouth again. She started to stand, no doubt to remove the gown, but he shook his head. “Leave it, honey. ” She grinned at him and pulled the material up around her waist like a cloud of shimmering gauze. When she spread her legs wide and parted her folds to his hungry gaze, Max’s hand closed on his cock and he started to stroke his rigid length as he walked toward her. She was caressing herself, her middle finger slipping in and out of the wet tunnel between her thighs, the sound soft and slick, making the head of his cock weep an oozing bead. Kaylee smiled and pushed herself off the sofa. He stopped and she knelt in front of him. Max’s breath escaped him as a hiss of sound when her tongue licked the swollen head of his cock, flicking rapidly at the tiny slit as it continued to spill droplets of moisture that she eagerly lapped up. She pushed his hands away and his knees shook when she began to massage between his thighs, squeezing carefully, rubbing with precise gentleness. Her wet finger, sticky with her own orgasm, stroked the sensitive strip behind his balls, slowly making her way to the tight hole that was her target zone. Max groaned softly and his hands tangled in her hair, holding her while he pushed his cock deeper into her mouth. She started sucking and his heart pounded so loudly that he wondered if she could actually hear it. Her finger was probing delicately and Max was sure his legs were going to give out if she penetrated him. He was willing to risk it, he decided, and spread his legs wider, using the shift in position to anchor him to the floor. The pressure of her mouth was an exquisite torture, and her tongue was twirling around the throbbing head of his dick, finding the spots tha t made him tremble, lingering over them until he was gasping and pushing deeper into her throat. She opened her mouth wider, took him in as far as she could, and sucked harder. Her finger slid into him, the sensation electric as it shot unbelievable pleasure to every nerve ending he possessed. He felt like he was going to explode, not just in her throat but into about a million flames of pure, unadulterated ecstasy. Fighting down the orgasm that was about to burst from him, Max pulled her away. He shivered when her finger slipped free of him and she stared in surprise from her position on the floor. “I want to be buried to the hilt in your pussy when I come, baby, ” he told her, barely recognizing the rasp of his voice. Before she could reply, the sound of his cellphone ringing brought reality crashing back. The stereo had gone silent without notice, and the sudden stillness in the room was shocking. Max was furious, but he also knew he had to take the call. If it hadn’t been important, the phone wouldn’t be ringing. He looked at her, saw the dazed glimmer of thwarted desire in her smoky eyes and wondered if he’d be able to make this right with her. He grabbed his jeans and dug his phone from a pocket.

“Richmonte!” His voice was still rough, but it went unnotic ed by the man on the other end of the line. He listened closely, murmuring a monosyllabic reply when one was necessary. “Can’t this wait a couple of hours?” His frustration grew as he listened again. He snapped the phone shut a few moments later, and tossed it onto the pile that was his clothes. “You have to go,” Kaylee said simply. “Yeah, it can’t wait,” he replied, tone apologetic. “I don’t want to go, Kaylee.” “Then don’t.” “I have to.” “Why? ” “I’ll explain everything when I see you again. I promise.” “When will that be?” Max looked at her. At the disheveled, sexy picture she was, all but naked at his feet. His cock was still hard and jutting, and he wanted nothing more than to finish what they’d started. She seemed to know what he was thinking, too. She smiled and his eyes locked on the movement of her hands as she started squeezing her breasts and toying with her nipples. “Tell me again that you have to leave, Max, ” she said. She rose and he watched her wriggle the gown down over her hips then toss it aside. She turned her back to him, bent over the sofa and spread her legs, offering him the unimpeded view of her so wet and inviting. “Now tell me you don’t want to drive your dick into my pussy Max. I want you to. I want your cock so much it hurts.” Max’s entire body shook with reaction to her words and to the sight of her. “I don’t have protection with me, Kaylee.” He hadn’t planned this, much as he’d considered that it might happen. Kaylee made her mind function and her voice. “I haven’t been with anyone in years, Max. I’m clean and I’m on the pill.” “I’m clean, too, honey, ” he assured her. “Then shut up and shove your dick into my pussy, Max. ” He took the last couple of steps that put him at her back and with a quick thrust he was sheathed inside her. She cried out and pushed back, taking him deeper into her clutching heat. “All of you, Max, ” she gasped. “Fuck me hard, baby. ” Max’s eyes closed for a moment as he dragged in air. He’d never said the kind of things he’d said to Kaylee to any other woman. Had never heard any lover ask for him with so much demand. He loved her for it, for her total lack of inhibition. “You’re so fucking tight, honey. You feel incredible.” He said the words as he pulled out and drove deep again, reveling in the molten heat of her body as her muscles clenched and rippled around the thick, throbbing length of his cock. He pulled free of her again and glanced down. His dick was glistening in the soft lights and he suddenly wanted her to see it, to watch as he drove into her. He turned her to face him and sat her on the edge of the sofa, then he knelt between her legs. “Lean back, so you can see us,” he requested, and she shifted until she was able to watch. He slid into her again, and his eyes never left her as she pushed herself forward, her hips angling closer to the sofa’s edge, giving her a clear view of his cock sliding in and out of her, getting wetter and

wetter with every thrust. “Yes, Max! Like that!” He’d hit the right spot, and she was writhing and sweating as another climax hit her, and her body clutched him so tight he almost lost it with her. But, he was determined to leave her with a memory that would make her forget anyone but him. “Play with your tits for me, baby. ” She did, her hands rough with her desperate passion. She tugged so hard on her nipples he wondered if she felt pain rather than pleasure, then the thought vanished when her head fell back and she moaned long and loud. “Faster, Max. Hard and fast.” He pulled her off the sofa and sat back, still on his knees. Her legs hit the floor on either side of him and she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and claimed his mouth in a kiss that threatened their ability to breathe. She rocked in his lap, and his hands on her hips kept her bouncing on him, her breasts rubbing sensuously against his chest. As the roar in his ears grew to a fevered pitch, Max drove into her again, buried fully in her as the first pulse of his orgasm surged through him and flooded into her. Her arms tightened around his neck and her inner walls convulsed around his cock, her muscles rippling, drawing out every drop he had to give. “You’re amazing,” Kaylee whispered. “You’re pretty fucking amazing yourself, lady, ” he laughed. “Do you really have to go?” He sighed, the sound heavy with reluctance. “Yeah, I do.” She nodded and eased away, her grin shaky when their bodies separated and a silvery thread of sticky moisture leaked free and stained her thighs. Pearly drops beaded in her pubic hair and she touched herself, then brought the essence to her lips and tasted it. Max felt a prickle of renewed lust spark in his groin. It was surprising, given the explosive level of their passion only minutes earlier. “How about a shower?” He laughed. “If I shower with you, I’ll never get out of here tonight.” “Max?” Her tone was sweet, persuasive, and he was immediately suspicious. “Yeah? ” “How would you like to fuck me with your tongue?” He groaned. “Save it for tomorrow, Kaylee,” he pleaded. “I promise you, baby, I’ll be more than happy to indulge any fantasy your imagination can create.” “Tomorrow?” He stood up, had to grab the chair for a minute as his legs almost buckled, and she continued to look at him. “C’mon, let’s have that shower.” By the time they returned to the living room twenty minutes later, most of the playfulness had left her mood. She was serious and withdrawn. He hated it. But, he did have to leave. “I’ll be back as quick as I can, Kaylee.” He was dressed again, and she was wrapped in a thick, velvet robe. She nodded. “Sure.” He drew her into his arms and kissed her deeply, his lips lingering for long minutes. When the kiss ended, he held her close, hugging her tight to him. “Drop by the bar around lunch time if you’re free, and we’ll have that dinner before coming back here.”

“I thought I’d already turned down your invitation to dinner.” Max grinned. “That was before you let me stay. ” “And you think that changes things somehow?” she queried, humor in her voice and eyes. “Doesn’t it?” he countered, sure again of himself. “I’ll think about it,” she conceded. “Good. See you tomorrow, ” he headed for his car, waving back at her as she stood in the doorway, shaking her head. For a long time after Max had left, Kaylee sat in the darkness, torn between the very real pleasure of having given in to her wilder side and being his lover, and the more realistic part of her soul that was very certain she’d destroyed some innate part of who she had always been. There was no neutral ground, and she was still pondering the ambivalence she felt when she went to bed. Deep inside her, she knew Max Richmonte had the power to change a great deal about her. If she let it happen. **** Parked outside the Silver Dollar, Kaylee wondered if she should go in, or leave without Max ever knowing she’d come to meet him. Leaving would be the easier of the two options before her; but she knew she’d only have to explain to him later, because he would come looking for her, of that she was certain. He’d already proven he was as tenacious as he was handsome. In the light of day, their sex was taking on the feel of an erotic dream, something that wasn’t quite real. She blushed scarlet every time she recalled the things they’d said to each other. Especially the things she’d said to him. The memory of her voice, ragged with need, whispering desperately “I want your cock so much it hurts…” Pushing away the recollection, she sighed heavily and gave in to what her heart wanted anyway. Kaylee glanced around as she walked up to the bar; none of the faces she’d expected to see were there. A tiny knot of tension began in her stomach and she forced a smile when the pretty blonde bartender stopped in front of her. “I’m supposed to meet Max Richmonte for lunch, ” Kaylee said quietly. “Are you Kaylee Masterson? ” the bartender asked. She nodded. “Max left this for you, ” she said and handed over an envelope. She was gone a moment later, busy with a new customer. Kaylee stared at the envelope, a mixture of anger and uneasiness churning in the pit of her stomach. She turned and headed back to her car, needing to open the missive with no one watching. The note was succinct enough: Kaylee, Had to make an unexpected business trip. Will call when I get back. See you soon. Max “I don’t think so, Mr. Richmonte,” she murmured softly. She folded the note and put it in her briefcase, then left the Silver Dollar.

Chapter 3 Almost a month later, Max approached the beach house. He wasn’t expecting a warm welcome, but was compelled to see her again. He’d been so preoccupied with Kaylee Masterson since he’d left her that he’d almost gotten himself and Tommy killed. It was disturbing, but it also told him just how deeply he felt about her. Kaylee answered the door, her surprise quickly suppressed behind cool indifference. “Can I come in? ” he asked. “Certainly,” she stepped aside and let him pass. She followed him into the living room and watched as he looked around, taking in the packed boxes that were piled at one side of the hallway. “You’re leaving,” he said, tone flat. “I told you I was only here temporarily.” She was due to leave in about an hour. “Janelle said you hadn’t stopped by or called the bar,” he observed. “Would you like a drink, Max? ” she asked. There was no reason not to be polite, since she wouldn’t be seeing him again. “Yeah, beer’s fine,” he told her. “Are we still on for dinner?” She smiled and handed him a beer from the small ‘fridge behind the bar. “I’m afraid not,” she answered. “I’m on my way home.” She paused, and her smile widened. “I have to admit, I admire your nerve.” “Why’s that?” “You asked me to have dinner with you a month ago, and now you’re here to find out if it’s still on. That takes a whole lot of nerve, or almost no brains. And I know you’re not deficient in the brain department.” Anymore than you’re deficient in other areas, her mind concluded with a quick, appraising glance at his undeniably magnificent body. Everything about Max screamed sensuality and self-confidence. His dark eyes were shrewd and missed no detail, however small. His chiseled good looks were the stuff of romance novels, and his physique was clear evidence that he spent hours working out. His smile was open and friendly, his lips full and enticing. His dark brown hair was cut stylishly short, the ends curling slightly at his neck. At the moment, dressed in black jeans, black t-shirt, and a lightweight leather jacket, he was the image of a dark dream. Max smiled, and went to sit down. There was a small box on the coffee table and the words on the top page of many caught his attention. “What’s this?” he asked, picking up the page and glancing at the ones under it. SIMPLY THE BEST by Vicki Storme, he read. “A book?” he questioned as he realized it was, in fact, a manuscript, typeset and ready to be delivered. “Something I’ve been working on this summer,” she said, vaguely uneasy. She should have packed the bloody box and stored it in her case. It had to be picked up by an office courier, though, so she’d left it for a final look. The last person she wanted looking too closely at it was this man. “Would you mind closing the box, Max? ” she requested, and pretended she didn’t notice the quiver in her voice. “What is it?” he wondered, genuinely curious. “It’s an erotic novel,” she finally relented and gave him the reply he wanted. “It will be published next year if the editor likes the final draft.”

Max’s interest was piqued and he flipped a few pages, scanning them briefly. “What’s it about?” he asked when he saw the tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. The silence seemed to deepen as she debated an answer, then she shrugged, the gesture suddenly very casual. “You, ” she informed him, her voice very soft, almost breathless. “It’s about you, Mr. Richmonte.” Max stared, unable to form any kind of reply as she watched him, her smile growing. “Me?” He grinned at her burst of laughter. “That’s why you were at the bar so much, making notes?” “Watching my inspiration, ” she commented. Now that he knew, the secrecy didn’t seem like a thing that had ever been necessary. “You’re the kind of guy who could inspire a great number of fantasies, Max Richmonte. I know, I’ve already lived a couple with you, remember?” “I haven’t been able to think about much else since the night I left here,” he replied with total honesty. “Max, this really isn’t going to work. I don’t even know why you left. Business. That could mean a lot of things.” “I work for a division of National Security, Kaylee. Unofficially. We’re a three- man team. Tommy’s the pilot. Kevin is the computer genius. And I’m the sniper. Sometimes I bring in a couple of other specialists. Marg Peters and T.J. Windsor. Marg is my bar manager, but she’s also ex-MI-5. Her field is linguistics. T.J. is just plain lethal in hand to hand combat, as well as exotic weaponry. ” She swallowed, hard. “That’s unbelievable.” “It doesn’t leave much room for a life,” he admitted. “Which is why I’ve just taken myself out of the game. I want a life with you. I knew that when I left here. Now that I’m looking at you again, I know it was the right decision. ” “That’s all there is to it?” She shook her head. “It can’t be that easy, Max. ” “It is for me,” he declared, utterly serious. “I want to be with you, honey. I want us to see where this leads. I’m hoping for a future. I haven’t done that in years.” “I don’t know, Max. This is a lot to take in.” Her face was pale and there was fear in her eyes, not the fire he wanted to see there. “I want you, Kaylee. And,” he paused, watching her closely, “I think you want me, too.” “I don’t know what I want,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “All of you, Max,” he said close to her ear when he went to stand in front of her. “Fuck me hard, baby.” She remembered the words, and everything else about that incredible night. “I want to fuck you again, baby, ” he assured her, his eyes serious. “I want to spend the rest of my life filling you with my dick, my fingers, my tongue. I want to suck your clit and kiss your pussy, and fuck your gorgeous tits. In the middle of the god-damn mission the only thing I could think about was getting inside you again. Every time I thought about that night I got a hard on that made me crazy. ” She was struggling for breath, and his hands tugged open her blouse and he peeled down the cups of her bra, exposing her pebbled nipples. “You’re wet just thinking about how good I’m gonna make

you feel, aren’t you, baby. ” She pushed him away and stepped back, her chest heaving. It was insane. The whole situation was god-damn crazy. Just like the wild things Max’s presence was doing to her heart. He was right, she was wet with excitement. The thought of Max naked and lusting for her was so thrilling that she was willing to toss her resolve about not seeing him again. She nodded, her smile sliding into place. “You want to fuck me again, sweetheart,” she repeated. “Then sit down and I’ll be right back.” Intrigued, Max did as she asked and watched her vanish into the bedroom. She came out about fifteen minutes later and when he got a good look at her, his cock reacted instantly. “Let’s see what you’ve got, honey, ” he drawled softly, totally focused on the sexy creature in front of him. She was dazzling in a streetwalking whore kind of way, decked out in a mini skirt that barely concealed the luscious curves of her body, and a midriff baring tank top that was covering a skimpy push- up bra. She wore high heels, flaming red in color, to accentuate the black fishnet stockings. So far, he was entranced by a vision of scarlet and black. Her thick, sandy hair, almost waist length and flowing in silken waves, was caught in a loose ponytail. At the moment, she was standing before him, legs apart, and her hands were doing a sensuous glide over her hips and upward. “I think you know what I’ve got, sweetheart,” she murmured, smiling with pleasure. She reached the satiny tank top and enjoyed the ripple of the smooth material as she continued upward until she had her breasts cupped in her palms. The sensation of his eyes locked on her, and the audible rasp in his breath, became secondary to the illicit thrill of her own actions. She squeezed gently, pressing the firm mounds together as she arched her back and hissed in response to the touch. She moved her hands slowly, stroking over and over as her fingers brushed and molded the sensitive swells of her flesh. Her nipples were hard, straining against the lacy film of her bra, and she tugged on them until a quick glance down showed her they were pebbled and thrusting visibly. She shivered and one hand fondled and squeezed each breast in turn as her other hand drifted downward again. She swayed casually and bent forward to give him an enticing view of dangling tits as she started to tug the skirt upward. She straightened, and smiled at his rapt attention. His hand moved to the bulging front of his pants matching her action as she rubbed the strip of crimson lace that was her panties. Her long fingers dipped between her thighs, and the wetness there made her laugh softly. “You were right, Max, ” she said with a smile. “Wet.” “How wet?” “Dripping for you, baby, ” she answered. “Let’s see what your cock thinks.” “My cock thinks you’re too fucking beautiful to be believed, honey. ” To illustrate his point, he opened his jeans and tugged them down, freeing his erection. He stroked the hard length several times, smiling at her. “And my dick wants your tight little pussy… bad.” Laughing, she drew her hand up again, pressing firmly against her clit, then delving inside the lace strip of her panties until she was thrusting her hips in a steady rhythm. “Talk to me, Max. ” “Finger yourself, baby, ” he said. “Imagine it’s my tongue, licking up all that sweet cream you’re makin’.”

She closed her eyes and slid her middle finger into her pulsing heat, quickly picking up the slick moisture of her arousal and pulling out to find the hypersensitive bud between her swollen folds. “That’s it, Kaylee,” Max’s voice encouraged. “Rub your clit until you can’t take it anymore.” She began to flick rapidly at it, and the tension started to build into almost unbearable pleasure. Her panting breaths became a low scream a moment later when a blistering climax shuddered through her. Her legs threatened to buckle, and she let herself fall onto the soft carpet, her knees cushioned by the thick pile. Kaylee opened her eyes and looked at him. Staring at her, his dazzling dark eyes blazed with fire. Spreading her thighs, Kaylee tugged off the shoes and tossed them aside. She pulled the tank top over her head and dropped it into a gleaming heap. Unbuttoning her skirt, she wriggled it over her hips and down the length of her legs then discarded it. She shivered slightly as the cool air touched her bare skin. Bringing her hands back to her breasts, Kaylee stroked them with soft caresses, pushing down the lacy cups to reveal her dark, engorged nipples. She tugged at them, brought them to harder peaks before putting her fingers in her mouth and moistening them so she could trace wet circles around the rigid points. She repeated the caresses until her nipples glistened with her own saliva, then she started to pull gently on them, moaning softly. “How long are you going to play? ” She went on with her stroking, moving from her breasts to her clit, then back again. “Why? ” she whispered hoarsely. “Do you want to play, too, darling?” He nodded. “What would you like me to do?” “Well,” she sat on the coffee table and leaned back, her legs spread wide. “After you suck on my tits for awhile, how about putting your tongue right about here,” she suggested, her fingers rubbing the strip of lace between her legs. He grinned and rose. He had his clothes completely off in seconds, then he dropped quickly to his knees in front of her. She sat up straighter and unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor. He immediately took her breasts in his hands and began to suckle first one ripe nipple, then the other, as she sighed softly. Spears of exquisite pleasure darted along her nerve-endings, and she felt the betraying tightness begin in the pit of her stomach as he tugged carefully on the tip of one breast, then began to lave the entire dark nipple with his tongue, lavishing attention on both aching nipples in turn. When he finally drew back, she was shaking, and he drew her legs together long enough to pull the lacy panties down to her ankles and off, then he spread her thighs wide again. She looked down as he sat in front of her and leaned close, the tip of his tongue barely touching her as she thrust her hips forward. Her breaths were shallow and quick as she watched him move closer the second time and the stroke of his tongue, moving from her clit to the weeping channel between her legs, made her moan loudly. She caught a handful of thick, dark hair in her fingers and pressed him closer as he started to lick in earnest, his tongue burrowing into her, then gliding over the quivering folds of her flesh. When he started sucking on her clit, she thought she’d faint, and in seconds, her body spasming against him, the sudden, intense climax making her cry out. Her free hand was working the nipple of one breast, and she pinched the trapped tip between her fingers and triggered a second wave of euphoria. He lifted her off the table as he sat back then lowered her onto his throbbing cock.

She moaned weakly as he held her hips and started to rock her into a rhythm that was rough and desperate. She recovered enough to put her arms around his neck, then she changed her mind and pulled out of his embrace. Annoyance sparked in his mood for a moment, then vanished when she smiled. “Lie on your back.” He stretched out and bit his bottom lip when she took him deep into her again as she settled over his hips. She guided his hands to her breasts and he started squeezing and stroking as she rose and fell over him, her internal muscles rippling over the pulsing length of his dick buried deep in her. After minutes that felt eternal, she slowed her movement, then stopped. He looked at her, waiting. She rose, watching as he slid free of her body, his cock wet with her moisture. When she settled on her back and drew her legs up, arms holding them to her sides, he laughed and nodded. “Fuck me, Max. ” His entrance was sudden and hard as he pounded into her with brutal force, giving her the ride she wanted. He held her head between his hands and they stared at each other as his body moved in an intense, furious rhythm. Her legs wrapped around his waist, the fishnet stockings adding another layer of sensation to their writhing bodies, until her spine arched upward as they finally found release in almost the same instant. When they could breathe again, Max kissed the top of her head where she was curled into his side. “Kaylee?” “Mmmm?” “Do you think we could move this into the bedroom?” She burst into laughter and sat up, staring down into his sparkling brown eyes. “God! What a romantic.” “To hell with romantic, honey. I like getting laid on the floor just as much as the next guy, but I don’t want to sleep he re!” Shaking her head, she stood and reached for his hand. He rose in a motion so graceful she was reminded again of precisely how dangerous he was. They had a lot to talk about if they were going to try and turn an affair into a relationship that might last. “You look awfully serious,” Max observed a short while later. They’d showered and were now tucked in the huge bed that dominated the master bedroom area of the beach house. “We have to talk, Max. ” “Tomorrow, Kaylee.” He spoke the words softly, making it a request. She nodded after several moments of consideration, and he smiled. “By the way, are you gonna let me read your book?” “My book?” She laughed. “Why read it? You’re the star of it.” “How good am I in this book of yours?” he asked with a grin. “Not nearly as good as you are in real life.” “I’d still like to see it.” “Fine,” she murmured. “But not until I do some rewrites.” “Rewrites?” “Yeah. ” She nodded, then laughed. “I’ll be doing them tomorrow, after I complete some new research tonight.” “I’m all yours, baby! ”

“My thoughts exactly,” she murmured, her hand gliding across the smooth contours of his chest and downward… **** Somewhere near dawn, Max woke her, whispering softly in her ear, wildly erotic suggestions as to how they could spend the day. She rolled onto her back and stared up at him. “You’re insatiable, Max Richmonte,” she murmured quietly. “You’re not being fair, baby, ” he replied with a grin. “It’s been at least four hours.” “Four hours, Max! The way you’re behaving you’d think it had been forever.” “It’s you, Kaylee,” he told her, expression solemn with false seriousness. “You make me so hard and horny I can’t get enough of you. ” He grabbed her hand and drew it down to his erection, shivering almost imperceptibly when her fingers cur led around his rigid length and she started to pull in gentle strokes of motion. “Jesus, baby! Everything you do feels so fucking good.” “What would you like me to do, Max? ” He could hear the smile in her voice and he grinned up at her when she threw aside the bedclothes and climbed across his thighs. His cock was still held reverently in her hands, her thumb brushing over the sensitive head so lightly he could barely feel the touch. “Anything you want to,” he replied. “Tell me,” she coaxed, now thoroughly caught in the game they’d fallen into. He knew she loved to hear him say things to her that made her blush, but turned her on so much her embarrassment died in the face of her excitement. “Do you want me to stick your beautiful hard dick into my pussy? Maybe you’d rather have me to suck you until you come in my throat? Or would you rather fuck my tits?” She bent forward and nestled his cock between her full breasts, squeezing until he was sheathed between her warm mounds, her nipples puckering against his skin. She licked at the tiny bead that had formed on his dick, and his hips rose slightly, pushing the head of his cock closer to her mouth. “You haven’t answered me, Max, ” she pointed out after he’d thrust several times, and each time she’d managed to get her tongue on his weeping head. Max pulled her upward until she was lying on top of him, her legs on other side of his hips. She drew herself up from his chest without actually sitting, and Max’s hands closed over her breasts, caressing and squeezing. Kaylee moved higher and kissed him, her tongue exploring his mouth with hungry need. When she eased back, she got a firm hold on the headboard and let her breasts dangle in front of his face. Max eagerly grasped the silken bounty being offered and quickly cove red one of her nipples, his teeth gentle as he suckled and licked. Her back arched and he held her tits so that he could move from one rosy peak to the other, over and over, sucking and biting softly, then licking until her nipples glistened. “Max…” It was a low moan of near pain, and he released her, allowing her to sit up. She stared down at him, and Max’s heart hammered in his chest when he saw the dazed desire in her eyes. She was gasping for breath, and her skin was flushed with passion. Sandy hair spilled over her shoulders, and the smolder in her smoky grey eyes lit an answering fire

in his groin. Max took her hands and kissed her palms then placed them over her heaving breasts. “I love watching you play with your tits, Kaylee,” he told her. She was caressing the undersides of her breasts, her thumbs flicking over her wet nipples, and her eyes never lost their lock with his lusting gaze. “What else do you love, Max? ” She was rolling the points of her nipples between her thumbs and forefingers, creating a sensation that was part pain and part pleasure. Max smiled. “I love you, baby. ” She shivered at his words. “I love the way you look when I’m inside you, the way you sound when I’m fucking you. I love the way you smell, and the way you whisper my name like a prayer. I love the taste of your lips, and the softness of your skin. I love the taste of your tits, and your pussy when you’re turned on.” She closed her eyes on a gasp, and he shook her just enough to make her open them again. “And,” he waited until he had her rapt attention again, “I really love the way your tight, wet pussy feels around my dick.” As he said it, he guided his cock to her slick opening then pulled her down over him, groaning at the incredible feel of her muscles clenching, taking him deeper into her. Her spine curled and she started moving, rising and falling over him, her body clutching so tight around him that he shuddered. “Come on, baby, ride me harder than that,” he directed, his hips pushing up as she drove down with renewed urgency. Max took her hands in his and their fingers entwined, holding on as they moved together. Kaylee’s eyes were closed and her expression was soft with pleasure. Max loved the way she looked at that moment, lost in abandonment, her lush tits bouncing with every shared motion of their lusting bodies, her pussy pulling on his cock like no woman he’d ever known before. Her movement was getting frantic now and he knew she was hovering on the edge of an intense climax. As his own release burned hotter, Max grasped her hips and held her tight as he thrust upward, buried completely inside her when the first rush of his orgasm burst from him. Her head fell back and her lips parted on a low, moaning scream as her entire body rippled and shook with the force of her own climax. He held her firmly to prevent her falling over, and dragged air into his lungs as her inner walls continued to pulsate around his spent cock. It took a long time before either of them could breathe without gasping, and Kaylee stared down at him when she was finally able to think past the tremors of bliss that were still radiating from both their bodies. “If we keep doing this, Max, ” she whispered. “I’m not going to be able to stand up, let alone walk.” “So stay where you are, baby, ” he suggested softly, and laughed at the roll of her eyes. “My cock feels right at home in your pussy. ” Scarlet stained her face and she shook her head. “Christ, Max! ” He pulled her down into a slow, wet, sensuous kiss, his hands already smoothing the supple length of her back, then curving over her ass before moving to rub her breasts. “Enough, ” she pleaded after his mouth left hers. “I’m taking a shower, then we really do need to talk.” When it looked like he’d start persuading her to forget her current plan, she climbed off him, biting back a moan when their bodies separated. “Stay, Max! ” She shrieked when he started to leave the bed with her. His laughter chased her into the bathroom, and minutes later the sound of running water told him she was in the shower.

**** “I have a meeting this afternoon, Max, ” she told him a short while later, after he’d had his turn in the shower and had returned to the bedroom. “That still gives us the rest of the morning, ” he leered. Kaylee shook her head in wonder. “I’m going to the kitchen now, ” she informed him, laughter in her voice. “If you’d like breakfast, feel free to join me.” He watched her leave, then went to locate his clothes in the living room. When he’d hauled on his pants, he joined her in the kitchen. She was sitting at the table, staring out over the stone patio, bathed in morning sunlight. She took his breath away she was so radiantly beautiful. She wore a pale silvery grey, off the shoulder t-shirt, and a lightweight black cotton skirt that seemed to contain yards upon yards of material. She was barefoot, and wore no makeup. “I made coffee,” she told him when she glanced over at him. “Do you want something to eat?” He resisted the words that sprang to his lips and shook his head instead, going for the coffeepot. He poured a mug and joined her at the small table. “Have I told you this morning how beautiful you are, Kaylee?” “Every time you look at me, Max, ” she replied with a smile. His eyes did a quick, appreciative perusal of her, and he was filled with more happiness than he’d ever felt. Happiness, and undeniable desire, even now. Between his thighs, his cock stirred with roused passion. “Kaylee?” She heard the rasp of longing, and it thrilled and stunned her in equal measure. She would never in a thousand years have believed she could inspire so much lust in this particular man. She shivered at the rich, husky timbre of his voice, and her nipples hardened instantly, pebbled points suddenly pressing painfully against the silky fabric of her t-shirt. “Yes, Max? ” “Tell me you love me.” She smiled, her heart so full she thought she’d cry. “I love you, Max. ” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and Max knew she meant the words from her soul. “Have you ever loved anyone else?” “Not like this,” she answered. “I was married for a couple of years straight out of high school. I haven’t seen him in a long, long time. I can count on one hand the number of lovers I’ve had, with fingers to spare. I’ve never done or said to anyone the things that we’ve shared.” “Neither have I, baby, ” he responded, his eyes dropping from her stare to her cleavage. “Show me your tits, Kaylee.” She tugged at the shoulders of her shirt, dragging them lower, then she peeled the soft, clingy fabric of her shirt off her breasts. She wore nothing under the shirt, and her nipples tingled when the cool, conditioned air whispered over her skin. She stood, put the coffee mugs on the counter, then turned to look at him. His hungry gaze was fastened on her breasts, and she smiled, thrilled at the heat that was pulsing between them again. She reached under her skirt and dragged her lacy panties down, stepped out of them, then sat on the table directly in front of him.

Max spread her legs wide and pulled her toward him as his mouth descended on her, his tongue burrowing into her moist slit, drinking in the taste of her. He licked hungrily, savoring the tang of her arousal as the tip of his tongue flicked at her throbbing clit, then moved lower to dip into her weeping channel. Her hands on the back of his neck pressed him closer and he caught her clit between his lips and began to suck hard, maintaining the pressure when she started to moan and her grip on his head tightened. Her hips bucked upward as the orgasm ripped through her and she cried out his name, half scream half plea. He didn’t let up, and her body began to writhe again as the second climax struck and left her limp and twitching moments later. He finally drew back and looked at her, her legs spread in front of him, her pussy still contracting as he watched. She collapsed on the tabletop and tried to breathe. “Are you still with me, Kaylee?” She moaned. “Can you stand up, honey? ” Kaylee slowly stood on shaking legs and he turned her so her back was facing him, hiked her skirt up around her waist and bent her ove r the table. She braced her hands on the tabletop and Max rubbed her ass, his fingers stroking down the smooth cleft before sliding into her. He eased apart her cheeks until he could see her tight hole. He leaned forward, touched the delicate opening with his tongue and blew a soft draught of air. She gasped and squirmed a little. He licked her again, slowly, exploring the sensation before he slid his tongue the smallest bit into her. “Max!” It was a choked, hoarse whisper. “Yeah? ” The only sound that escaped her was a breathy whimper. “Say it, baby, ” he coaxed, slipping a couple of fingers in her slick pussy, then pulling them out. “I want you, Max. Please.” “What do you want, exactly? ” He was unzipping his jeans and pulling them off as he rose. He tossed them aside and reached around to squeeze her tits, his fingers pinching her engorged nipples and tugging them. “What do you want, baby? ” “I want you inside me, Max. ” “You can do better than that, baby, ” he teased. “I know you can. ” “Fuck me, Max! ” She almost screamed it at him. “Put your beautiful cock into my pussy and fuck me as hard as you can. ” He slid into her as she spoke and groaned softly at the feel of her body, like liquid flame surrounding him, taking him deeper as she pushed her ass back into him. He started a rapid, hard rhythm, pounding into her while she clung to the table. “You feel so good, Kaylee,” he told her, exciting her more, “like you were made for me, baby. You’re so tight and greedy for my dick I can hardly stand it.” She bent lower, thrusting her ass up and spreading her legs more. “Harder, Max. I want you to stretch me wide open. ” She was shaking like a leaf and when he pulled out and drove back into her, she stiffened and he knew he’d hit the spot she’d wanted him to find. “Oh, Max, yes. Like that, honey. Just like that…” Max put his arms around her, one of his palms flat on her stomach as his other hand burrowed into her nest of pubic hair and found her clit, pulsing and swollen between her wet folds. He held the tiny bud between his fingers and squeezed with exquisite

gentleness. This time she did scream, a raw sound of triumph and sweet agony as the walls of her pussy tightened and shook around his throbbing cock. He closed his eyes and moved faster, his entire body drowning in the waves of wetness pouring from her as he pounded into her. The fire grew to an inferno and suddenly he exploded violently, pouring his seed into her in gushing spurts that felt like they’d never cease. **** “I meant what I said last night, Kaylee,” Max told her when they were actually eating breakfast at the table. “I want us to have a future.” She nodded, considering his words and her own before she answered. “I know you meant what you said, Max. But, I’m really finding it hard to accept that you can walk away from what you do.” “I retired from Naval Intelligence years ago,” he told her. “My former commander contacted me a few years ago and asked me if I’d run a few missions for his department. There was nothing in my life to stop me, so I accepted. I brought Tommy and Kevin in when I needed backup, and we’ve been working for Carter Baldwin even since. All unofficial, in the event that we never came home, or were captured. The government could deny any knowledge of the unit.” “You’re a mercenary, ” she realized, eyes wide. He nodded, and waited for her to process the truth. “What if he asks you to go on these missions again? ” Max pushed his dishes aside and leaned closer, his coffee mug held between his hands to prevent her seeing that he was shaking ever so slightly. “Kaylee, I almost didn’t come back this time.” She paled, and fought down the sudden urge to retch as terror twisted in her stomach. “Why? ” She was afraid of his answer. He could read it in her eyes. “I was distracted,” he admitted. Ice trickled down her spine in imaginary rivulets. “By what?” “By the fact that I’d fallen in love the night before I left here,” he replied after a lengthy hesitation. He met her eyes, now huge with fright. “I wasn’t kidding when I told you all I could think about was you, Kaylee. I didn’t say that to turn you on, honey. It was the truth. While I was in the hills of Afghanistan my god-damned dick was so focused on you that I just about took a bullet. Tommy is the reason I’m still breathing. ” “I think I’m going to be sick, Max, ” she whispered, her eyes frantically avoiding him now. “Kaylee!” He grabbed her arms when she stood up and would have run from him. “It’s okay, honey. Really. ” “No, it’s not, Max! ” She almost shouted the words. “You’ve just told me you almost got killed because of me. How can that be okay? ” “It’s okay because it didn’t happen. And it won’t happen, because I’m out of the game now. I’m the owner of a bar, honey. Nothing more.” He kissed her forehead, and smiled. “I want to keep it that way. Just as long as you’re willing to give me a chance to show you how much I love you. How much I want to be with you. ” Kaylee stepped into his arms and held tight to him, her fear slowly ebbing with the steady beat of his heart next to her ear. Max’s hands stroked the length of her back and he

hugged her to him with a sigh. “I do love you, Kaylee.” “I love you, too,” she responded. “I just don’t know if it’ll be enough. ” “Enough for what?” She stared up at him, fully aware of the anger she’d incited. “Max, I’m an interior designer, and a wannabe writer. You’re used to dodging bullets and romancing women who look like they just walked off the pages of Playboy magazine. You think this is what you want, but what if it isn’t? What if a quiet, ordinary life gets boring after awhile? What if I get boring to you? I don’t think I could survive losing you. I know I couldn’t,” she revised in the next instant. “All I’m asking is that you let me prove that I don’t want anything or anyone but you, baby. ” When she eased free of his embrace, he let her go, despite wanting to hang onto her until she was as certain as he was about their chance at a life together. “I need some time to think about all this, Max, ” she said after a long pause. He nodded. “I understand, Kaylee.” He smiled and picked up his jacket as they walked through the living room to the front door. He opened the door, but before he left he turned and pulled her into his arms, his lips closing over hers in a slow, hot kiss that held promises he was fully intending to make good on. “When you take care of your meeting, come to the bar and we’ll go out for dinner,” he suggested. She laughed softly. “I have to finish rewrites this afternoon, ” she reminded him. “And, I have about two days to find a new place to stay. The owner of this house is due back by the weekend.” “Stay with me,” he offered, his grin mutating into a leer. “We’ll talk about this later,” she admonished, but the words were a lot less severe than she’d planned when his hand cupped one of her breasts and caressed leisurely. “Stop it, Max!” She swatted his hand away and glared at him. “Are you always like this?” “Only with you, baby, ” he grinned and tugged her hardened nipple playfully. When she opened her mouth to object, he kissed her lips lightly. “See you later,” he added as he headed for his car.

Chapter 4 It was nearing eight o’clock when Kaylee pulled into the parking lot outside the Silver Dollar Saloon. As usual, the place was packed. She darted inside and made her way through the crowd, past people dancing and the busy tables. Max wasn’t at the bar, and her heart sank. She spotted Tommy a moment later, with a pretty redhead on his arm, and made her way to his side. “Hey, nice to see you again, ” Tommy greeted her. “Where’s Max? ” If he was surprised, there was no indication of it in his eyes and he pointed toward a corridor at the back to the bar’s main room. “His office is the first door on the right down that hall.” Tommy grinned. “Has he been expecting you, Kaylee?” Startled, she nodded. “Yeah, I’m late. Why?” “Explains his bad mood, darlin’,” Tommy answered with a laugh. “That’s all. ” “Great! Max in a bad mood. I’ll bet that’s fun, ” she muttered as she headed for the owner’s office. She knocked once and opened the door. Max was at the window that overlooked the main floor of the bar, a drink in his hand. He turned the moment the door swung inward, and the annoyance melted from his handsome features instantly. “I know I’m late,” she offered as she crossed the room and stepped into his arms, hugging him close. “I thought you’d changed your mind,” he confessed, after he’d kissed her with a thoroughness that left her gasping for breath. “No, I got caught up in the rewrites, and my meeting was delayed, so I’ve come directly from that.” She left his arms and pulled off her blazer, tossing it into a chair then perching on the edge of his desk. Max downed his drink and peered at her, his eyes glittering with amusement. “You went to a meeting in that outfit?” It was the same thing she’d worn that morning, except of course now she was wearing shoes, and had her underwear on again. She looked down at the silver t-shirt and groaned. Her nipples were thrusting so snugly to the clingy material that every puckered detail was clearly visible. “Jesus, Max!” She hissed and folded her arms across her chest. “That’s your fault. I don’t usually go around looking like I’m going to burst out of my shirt.” “My fault,” he repeated. “I think I like that.” “Somehow, you would,” she retorted with a grin. “Are we still going out for dinner?” “We could stay in, ” he noted, his eyes still gazing at the expanse of creamy skin that was exposed by the neckline of her t-shirt. Kaylee shook her head. “Oh, no. If we stay in, I’ll never get to have dinner!” She dodged away from him when he reached for her, but Max was quicker. He pulled her back to his chest and held her, his arms wrapped around her waist. She looked up over her shoulder and he bent to kiss her, the caress soft and loving. When he released her lips, his mouth moved to the curve of her shoulder, finding the smooth, sensitive hollow near her collarbone. He stroked with his tongue and she murmured a sigh of pleasure and tilted her head to give him easier access to the spot. His hands rose and

covered her breasts, massaging firmly, his fingertips teasing the pebbled points of her nipples. “I’ve been thinking about this all day, ” he whispered as he hooked his fingers in the top of her t-shirt and tugged it down to expose the lush, rounded swells of her breasts. A knock at the door made him curse under his breath, but he pulled Kaylee’s shirt back up and gave her a hungry kiss before he called out a curt, “come in. ” The woman who entered was so lovely that Kaylee stared at her. Tall, willowy slender, with shoulder length black hair and dazzling blue eyes, she was easily the most beautiful woman Kaylee had ever seen. Her skin was ivory pale, and there was a tilt to her smile that made her appear to be mysteriously coy and flirtatious. “I’ll only keep you a minute, Max, ” she assured him, dismissing Kaylee with a cursory glance. “I need you to sign for a delivery. ” “Marg, ” he took the clipboard from her and drew her attention to the other woman in the room. “This is Kaylee Masterson. Honey, this is Marg Peters, my manager, and an old friend.” Marg’s smile became much more genuine and she extended her hand to Kaylee. “I’m sorry, ” she apologized. “I didn’t realize you were the woman Max has been talking about all day. ” Kaylee looked at him in surprise and he laughed, but didn’t comment. “It’s nice to meet you, ” Kaylee said to her. “I hope we can get to know each other.” “I’d like that,” Marg replied, and her tone was wholly sincere. “Very much. But,” she laughed and took back the invoices that now had Max’s signature on them, “I have a bar to run tonight. The boss has a special date,” she added with a wink at Kaylee. “Have fun, kids!” “Wow!” Max chuckled softly. “That’s the reaction most people have to her.” Kaylee’s eyes sought his and she bit her bottom lip for a few seconds, pondering the query she wanted to make. Max dropped his pen onto the desktop and leaned back in his chair. “You want to ask if she’s ever been my lover.” Kaylee blushed crimson. Not trusting her voice, she nodded. “A long time ago, yes,” he admitted. “She’s been best friend, partner, lover, and enemy. Marg’s known me longer than anyone else in my life. I love her, but I’ve never been in love with her, Kaylee. Marg’s too damn much like me, and that’s never gonna change.” He stood again and approached her, smiling broadly. “Now, where were we…” “We were on our way out to dinner,” Kaylee managed to evade him this time and she grabbed her jacket out of the chair and turned to face him. He was pulling on his jacket, but his eyes were still raking over her with undeniable desire. “Who’s car are we taking?” “Mine,” she decided. She had no way of knowing how many drinks he’d had, but his dark eyes were gleaming. She didn’t dare ask if it was the alcohol or simple lust. “Do you know how to get to Lorenzo’s?” She was backing out of the parking lot now, swinging her Honda 2000 onto the road. “I know it. There’s a long wait list for that place.” “I’ve got a reservation made,” he assured her. “Why the dark glass?” He asked, indicating her windows.

“Light sensitive eyes,” she explained. “At least this way I have half a chance of not going blind from the glare of the sun. ” “Good,” he declared. “That means no on can see in.” Suspicious, she spared a glance in his direction. “What the hell are you up to, Max? ” He leaned over and kissed her bare shoulder, while one hand snaked to the front of her shirt and pulled slowly downward. Kaylee’s eyes left the road for an instant to look at herself, and she groaned in combined frustration and exasperation. Max’s fingers were brushing so softly over her naked skin that she felt like he was lighting invisible fires in her blood, flames that were shooting outward to encompass her entire body. When he took her hand from the steering wheel and leaned over to kiss her distended nipple, she shuddered, shocked by the intense hunger that rocketed through her. “Max, ” she gasped. “If you keep doing things like that I’m going to run us off the road.” “Are you wet for me, honey? ” His whispered the words into her ear as he kissed her shoulder again. He let her hand return to the wheel, but continued to caress her bared breast, his fingers fondling with such gentleness that she was getting dizzy, and tears were forming in her eyes against her best efforts to hold them back. Too much sensation and emotion, a distant part of her brain analyzed. She simply wasn’t used to this kind of intensity in her life. He’d barely touched her and she was already edging toward a powerful climax, she could feel the heat and tension building between her legs, the pulses of reaction getting stronger and faster. “Max, ” she whispered, not daring to look at him. “Please, stop.” There was something almost desperate in her voice, and Max looked closely at her. He said nothing but pulled her shirt into place and eased back into his seat. “I’m sorry, ” she said when the silence lengthened. “Kaylee,” Max touched her face with the backs of his fingers, then took her hand and brought it to his lips. She glanced over at him, and the bright shimmer of tears created a near pain in his chest. “I’m sorry, baby. I know this is all pretty fast, and intense. It’s amazing me, too.” “I want you, too, Max, ” she answered quietly. “But this is something I’ve got no experience with, this constant wanting to have you inside me. I can’t think about anything else.” She pulled off the road, shut down the engine, and turned to meet his direct stare. “At my meeting earlier, I was supposed to be part of a team presenting a new design for the company I work for. I spent most of the time sitting on my hands because I’d think about you and all I wanted to do was haul up my skirt and stick my fingers in my pussy. I can’t believe I’m even telling you this, because until I met you I wouldn’t have dreamed of saying things like that to any man!” Max smiled, but it wasn’t an expression that mocked her in any way. It was more self-deprecating, and amused. “You may find this hard to believe, given the way you were looking at me before we met, but I’m not like this with every woman, Kaylee. I’ve never told another woman the things I’ve told you. Not about me, and not about sex. I don’t usually spend my days with my dick in an uproar over any woman. ” She giggled, she couldn’t help it. And his grin was accompanied by a shake of his head. “I spent most of today at my desk,” he continued, laughing with her now. “Every

time I stood up I was embarrassed. I’d hear your voice in my ear, telling me to put my cock in your pussy and fuck you, and I’d get such a hard on I wasn’t decent. That’s why Marg’s running the bar today. She should be visiting her sister in L.A.” “This is unbelievable.” “Is it?” He countered, his eyes locked with hers. “Why? ” She smiled at his seriousness. “Maybe it isn’t,” she relented. “Maybe it’s just me who can’t believe it. I would never have believed the gorgeous hunk I was writing fa ntasies about would look at me and see something that made him want me that badly, too.” He shook his head, and his amazement was genuine. “Have you changed radically over the past few years, Kaylee?” “No.” “Then what kind of asshole were you married to?” His disdain was in no way feigned and she stared in surprise. “What?” “This idiot you took for a husband, was he blind, or just stupid?” “Max!” Max’s eyes slid over her, missing nothing, and when he locked his gaze on hers again, there was no mistaking the blatant hunger that lit his dark eyes. “Kaylee, you’re one of the sexiest women I’ve ever known, ” he told her with total honesty. “Everything about you is what most men fantasize about from the time they’re old enough to know that their dicks are for more than pissing. Kill me for it if you want to, but the first time I really looked at you what hit me was tits, ass, legs, and baby, I want your pussy. Pretty basic stuff. ” “Jamie didn’t make me feel sexy, ” she admitted. “He sure as hell didn’t want me the way you do, Max. ” “Then Jamie was a stupid little prick who didn’t know how lucky he was, honey. ” “How lucky was he, Max? ” He heard the catch in her voice and grinned when she twisted in her seat, then still holding his gaze, pulled her t-shirt front down, letting her breasts spill out of the silvery material. Her nipples were hard and puckered, the tips engorged and distended. She tugged on the rigid points, rolling them between her fingers. “Max? ” “What do you want me to do, baby? ” His voice was a rasp of sound, and he closed his hands on her breasts, squeezing firmly. “I love your tits, Kaylee,” he added. “I want you to watch me, Max, ” she told him in a shaky whisper. She squirmed in her seat and reached under her skirt, wriggling until her bikini panties were at her ankles, then off. She handed them to Max, and giggled nervously when he licked at the damp crotch. “Nice. I want the rest of it, baby, ” he said with a leering grin. Kaylee pretended to ignore him and she leaned back in her seat, hauled up her skirt and spread her legs as wide as she could in the confined space of the car. When the sound of her fingers diving into her wet pussy rippled the air, Max’s soft groan made her shiver violently. “Faster, baby, ” he murmured next to her ear as he traced circles around her nipples. “As if my cock is driving into you. ” She was so wet that every stroke of her fingers was clearly heard in the car. “That’s it, baby, ” he encouraged. He reached down, his fingers

brushing her damp curls then slipping between her dripping folds until he found the pulsating nub of her clit. He started flicking rapidly with his fingertip, and kissed her shoulder when her body began to tighten with tension. “Come for me, Kaylee,” he said, his finger moving faster. Her hips rose, pushing forward, and his name was mutating into a moan that threatened to become a scream. He pushed her hand aside and drove his own fingers into her pussy, his rhythm rapid and hard. “All the way, baby, ” he demanded as he fucked her with his hand. She did scream when her climax hit, and Max continued to move his fingers in and out of her, stroking her quivering inner walls with every motion. When her body started to relax, he eased free and sat back. “Has anybody ever seen you do that before?” She shook her head, still gasping for air. She laughed, unable to hold it back. “If Jamie saw me now he’d fall over,” she explained, shaking her head. She looked over at him, “Are we still going to Lorenzo’s, Max? ” He grinned. “Yeah, we’re going to have a quick dinner, then you’re coming home with me.” “I still have to pack my stuff and get out of Roger’s beach house.” “I’ll get Tommy and Kevin to pack your stuff if you need to be out tonight,” he informed her, his tone leaving no room for discussion. When she opened her mouth to object, he shook his head. “It’s that, or I’m going home with you and Roger Gilmore can find us going at it in his bed. Because one way or another, honey, I’m getting laid within the next couple of hours.” “That’s what I love most about you, Max, ” she quipped around her laughter. “You have such incredible restraint.” “Restraint, my ass,” he muttered. “I just about shot off in my pants.” “Max, can I have my underwear back?” “No,” he replied. “Now let’s get to this restaurant so I can take you home and fuck you properly. ” **** “I think we need to talk about what happens next, Max. ” Max smiled at her from across the table. “I thought I was pretty clear on that point,” he noted, lifting his glass and drinking. The dishes from their dinner had just been cleared, and he was enjoying Brandy, while Kaylee drank coffee. “Let me rephrase that,” Kaylee said, shifting a little in her seat. They were in a secluded alcove, surrounded by plants, with a floor to ceiling glass wall on one side, facing the ocean. Their table was horseshoe shaped, solid oak, with a high backed bench of the same shape. If they slid together to look out over the waves, they’d be in the deepest part of the opened-ended circle. She’d already warned Max to stay on his side, several times. “I work in San Francisco, most of the time. You live near San Diego. That’s not a quick run across town, it’s half of a rather large state. I like my job, Max. I don’t know if I want to leave it.” He put his glass on the table and considered her words. “I can open a bar anywhere, Kaylee. Do you want me to move to San Francisco?” “Does this feel like home to you, Max? ” “Yeah, it does. But not if it means giving up any chance of being with you on a steady basis.”

“I want this, Max, ” she assured him. “I really want this. But if something happens, I need to know I can still have a life that doesn’t have you in it. I know that’s not fair, but I’ve lost everything once before, and it’s not easy to pick up the pieces.” “I’m not your idiot husband, Kaylee,” he snapped. “I didn’t say you were, Max!” She reined in her annoyance. “But, losing you would be a lot harder than losing Jamie was, and I didn’t deal well with that, not for a long time.” He nodded, but his anger was still churning within the air around them. “I can’t promise you this will be perfect, Kaylee. I can’t promise you I won’t screw up. But I can promise you that I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. I’m not going to pretend I haven’t messed up relationships in the past. I have.” He took her hand and held it tightly as he looked her in the eye. “I have never wanted anyone the way I want you, Kaylee Masterson. And I have never made promises I didn’t keep. I’m yours, baby. For as long as you want me.” “What about your… other job?” Max leaned back in his seat and the anger in his eyes flared with new fury. “What about it?” “It’s dangerous.” “It’s deadly, ” he agreed. “But it’s also in the past.” “You’d give that up? For me?” “You’re the biggest part of the decision, Kaylee,” he admitted. “But you weren’t the only reason. I won’t lie to you to flatter you. The last mission was disastrous. It almost got me killed. Coming back to you, and trying to build some kind of life outside of the shadows and games of the intelligence field is what made the decision for me.” “I’m going to move my office to San Diego,” she decided. “We have a branch there. I can fly up to San Francisco when it’s necessary, but with computers and all the other tech shit we have in the office, my presence isn’t all that important.” He shook his head. “I don’t want you to give up anything for me, honey. ” She stared at him. “Why? Because only you can be selfless, Max? If we want to make this work, it’s going to take compromise on both sides.” “I want you to move in with me,” Max stated quietly. “Why don’t I rent…” “How many nights do you think you’d be spending alone, baby? ” He interrupted with a grin. “I’m assuming you might like some space of your own, Max. ” “What I’d like is to get out of here,” he replied, a delicious, wicked leer coming into his eyes and his voice. Kaylee’s nerve-endings leapt inside her, and her stomach twitched. “Why is it every conversation we have goes back to sex? ” “Is that what we’re back to, Kaylee?” He laughed and his eyes deliberately moved to her cleavage. “Yeah,” he continued when her nipples hardened as he watched, “we’re back to sex. Your tits are in total agreement,” he murmured, “and I’d bet your pussy is already getting wet.” She sighed, but there was no sense in denying it. He was right. “You’re impossible,” she whispered. He laughed and waved to their waitress. She arrived in seconds and her smile was

almost adoring when she handed Max the check and strolled away, hips swaying. “Did she give you her number?” Kaylee asked, the edge in her voice only partly sardonic humor. At the bar, it was unusual for a night to pass without Max acquiring phone numbers from hopeful women who thought he was hot and sexy. He glanced at the slip and nodded. “Come on, Kaylee. We’re leaving.” He stood, and she was struck all over again by what a stunning man he was. As they walked through the restaurant, Max held her hand and she was acutely aware of the female heads that turned to gaze at him as they passed. Max, on the other hand, seemed only to see her, and his smile each time their eyes met made her knees feel weak. “Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested when they’d left the restaurant. The beach was part of the property, and boardwalks ran behind the building and down to the crashing surf. Kaylee nodded and strolled with him, the silence comfortable and the air tangy with the scent of the ocean. There was full moon overhead, and the quiet was a blanket of tranquility that surrounded them and blocked out the rest of the world. “This is nice, Max. ” They were standing on the sandy beach, looking out over the moonlit waves that crashed onto the shore. Max was at her back, his arms wrapped around her. “It’s been a long time since I felt this much peace inside me, Kaylee.” There was a serenity in his tone that echoed the truth of his wo rds and she smiled. “Let’s go home, sweetheart,” she requested. “Which home are we going to, though? ” “Back to the beach house, I think,” she grinned. “It’s closer, and I’m anxious to get you naked.” She felt his laughter as much as heard it when it rumbled deep in his chest. “And you were criticizing me for having sex on the brain, ” he teased. “Well, what were you thinking about?” She challenged with a grin, turning to stare up at him. “Honestly?” She nodded. “Well,” he took her hands and started backing her into a dark cove nestled between two rock ledges, “I was thinking about a couple of things, actually. The fact that your underwear is in my pocket, and I’ve been wanting to get my cock into your pussy ever since you showed up at the bar. So,” he had her backed up against the rock wall now, and she was laughing softly. “I think I’ve waited long enough, don’t you? ” Kaylee untied the braided cord at the waist of her skirt, then slid it to the sand at her feet. She stepped out of the puddle of dark material, then pulled her t-shirt over her head and stood before Max. Moonlight kissed her pale skin with silver, turning her to alabaster in the glowing radiance. Her nipples were so tight they almost hurt, and she could feel the wetness between her thighs. Max grinned and took a long, appreciative look at her standing before him. She stepped closer and her fingers tugged open the snap on his jeans, and eased the zipper down. The backs of her fingers played over the rigid length of his cock, still straining the front of his briefs. “Max?”

“Mmmm?” “Take off your pants, baby. ” “Any particular reason? ” He was shedding his clothes as he asked, his eyes glittering with passion in the bright moonlight. “Yeah, ” she whispered, dropping to her knees in front of him, “I want to suck your cock before you fuck me.” His groan of pleasure turned into a gasp of reaction when she closed her mouth over his hard length and began to lick the sensitive, swollen head of his penis. Her hands cupped his ass and he had to grab the rock wall for support when she opened her mouth wider and took him deeper into her throat. He looked down, and his legs shook when he saw she’d taken almost his full length. When the pressure of her mouth intensified, she started moving her head, taking him in then pulling back as she sucked harder. His orgasm, so close all evening, began to tighten his balls and he touched the back of her head. “Jesus, Kaylee! If you want me inside you, then you’d better stop, baby. ” She eased away and held his cock in her hands, licking the weeping head lightly. She looked up at him. “What do you want, Max? Do you want to come in my throat, or in my pussy?” He pushed her head back to his groin and shuddered when she started sucking his throbbing cock with determined purpose. She reached between his legs and palmed his balls, massaging gently, tugging with exquisitely care as she rubbed and fingered him. Her tongue was flicking rapidly at the head of his dick, then she leaned close and took him deep into her throat, sucking furiously. His fingers tangled in the soft waves of her hair and he pushed his hips forward as the first spurt of his orgasm began to crest. He could feel her swallowing as he poured himself into her throat, and she kept sucking on him until the last tiny quiver of the intense climax slowly eased. The she sat back on the sand and smiled up at him. “I love the way you taste, Max, ” she informed him. He dropped to his knees in front of her, still shaking and dragging air into his lungs. She smiled and his gaze locked on her when she put her hand to her mouth, wet her fingertips and started tracing circles around her thrusting nipples. She tugged the hard points and squeezed her breasts, then let them go. She leaned back on the sand, spread her legs wide, and slid one of her middle fingers into her dripping pussy. She started slow, stroking her glistening slit with long, lazy glides, stopping to rub her clit, then snake back to bury her fingers into her slick channel. Her back arched, and her hand started to move quicker as her breaths turned to gasps. Her hips slid forward and she was flicking at her clit, rubbing faster with each second. Max’s name was a muffled moan when her entire body tensed and her climax hit. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are when you do that?” Kaylee fell back in the sand and stared up at the sparkling stars that dotted the night sky. For a few seconds she wondered if some of the bright dots of glitter were in her eyes. “I don’t think I can move, Max. ” His laughter rippled the air and she sighed. “C’mon, baby, ” he said, his hand coming to rest on her stomach as he bent to kiss her. “Let’s go home where we can continue this in more comfort.” “Continue this?” She was pulling on her skirt and shirt, watching him dress again.

“Max, I don’t know if I have the energy to keep doing this.” He zipped his jeans and drew her into his arms, kissing her long and hard. “I think I’ll be able to inspire you, ” he whispered, eyes gleaming with wicked humor. Kaylee grinned and they headed back to the parking lot.

Chapter 5 “What do we have here?” Kevin wondered, coming into the command center with a large manila envelope in his hands. One floor below the Silver Dollar Saloon bar area was a high tech series of rooms that housed a common rec area, computers, weapons, and even a couple of holding cells. There was a communications room, as well, usually manned by Marg Peters when Max and the team were on a mission. She was linked directly to a tiny corner of the Pentagon during the assignments, keeping Carter Baldwin informed of all that was happening as it occurred. Tommy muted the TV, rose from his sprawl on the leather sofa, and came to the table where Kevin dumped the contents of the blank envelope. He whistled and glanced at his friend. “Nice,” he commented, “but who is she and where’d these come from?” “I picked it up inside the door,” Kevin explained, looking closer at the woman in the photos. She was familiar… “This is Kaylee Masterson, isn’t it?” He concluded after a moment. Tommy took a second look. “Damned if it ain’t,” he laughed. “Think she’s tryin’ to get our attention?” “She’s got it,” Kevin grinned. “That and anything else she wants.” The grain of the pictures nagged at him, triggered tiny alarms in the back of his mind. They’d been taken from a distance, and the subject had no awareness of being watched. “Maybe they’re for Max,” he suggested with a laugh. Tommy flipped a few more pictures aside, and the eroticism increased with each image. Her naked abandon was both beautiful and disconcerting; the photos were too intimate to be pornographic, despite their explicit sexuality. She wasn’t alone, either. “Lord Almighty!” Tommy’s exclamation was tainted with shock and dismay. Halfway through the stack of photos, her lover’s identity was revealed. Max Richmonte was lying flat on his back, expression one of complete surrender to the woman positioned between his legs. Both men were still staring at them when Max himself came into the room, his smile self-satisfied and content. It was gone a minute later. “What…?” Max never finished the question. His gaze fell to the pictures scattered across the table and the pleasant warmth in his mood vanished, to be replaced by cold, relentless fear. A name from his recent past sprang to mind instantly. Warren Stadler, some inner instinct told him, despite the apparent lack of logic in it. Of all the men in his past, this was the one name that roared into the forefront of his mind. He spun on his heel, racing for the exit. Kevin and Tommy were armed and out the door after him. **** Kaylee wrapped the towel around her, tucked one end under her arm and wandered back into her bedroom, smiling happily. She had twenty minutes to get to this morning’s

meeting, and thirty before her scheduled presentation. It had been so very tempting to cancel it entirely and spend the day in bed with Max. She hugged herself tightly and sat on the edge of the mattress, body tingling with remembered passion. She brushed her hand over the pillow, caressing with the backs of her fingers the hollow that had cushioned Max’s head a short while earlier. She bent down and inhaled the scent of him that clung to the linen. Deep inside, her body quivered, stirring with reawakened need. The depth of that hunger surprised her. It had only been an hour since they’d left the bed, rumpled and sated, still shaken from the intensity of their passion. Yet, she was already aching for him again. She tugged the towel away and laughed when she saw her nipples puckered and jutting outward, their points hard and sensitive. Smiling, she settled back on the bed, her head nestled into Max’s pillow. She caressed her breasts, smoothing over soft skin and firm flesh repeatedly before she started tugging on her nipples. Max’s voice whispered in her ear; “I love watching you play with your tits, baby.” One hand continued to stroke and fondle her breasts while her other hand snaked across her stomach and burrowed into the nest of damp curls between her thighs. She spread her legs wide and pulled up her knees. Her pussy was wet and she was aching for Max’s cock. She twisted on her side and opened the drawer of the nightstand, pulling out a vibrator that had been purchased after she’d moved in and started writing her erotic book about Max. She laughed at the sight of it as she smoothed her fingers over the artificial penis. It wasn’t as beautiful, or as big, as Max’s dick, but it would have to do. “Max would love this,” she murmured to the air and slid the buzzing device deep into her slick channel. The touch of the vibration made her shive r. She closed her eyes as she settled on her back and started rubbing her clit, all the while driving the vibrator in and out of her clenching channel. As her orgasm started, Kaylee pushed the humming dildo as far into her pussy as it would go and her finger worked her clit faster. Within seconds, she was twitching and gasping in the throes of a wildly intense climax. She collapsed deeper into the softness of the mattress and lay panting for several minutes. Her hand rested on her stomach, and the vibrator continued to buzz deep inside her body, the quiver keeping her entire body tingling even as the tension dissipated in her muscles. Her smile deepened and she sighed softly. “God, Max, what the hell have you turned me into?” She pulled the vibrator free of her body, hissing as it slid out, shining with her wetness. She snapped it off and tossed it on the bed beside her as she sat up and pulled the towel back around her. She had to get dressed and out of the house. Max had told her he’d pick her up later, and they’d bring her things to his apartment, then go out to dinner. A sound in the living room made her rise to her feet. “Max?” “I’m afraid not, Ms. Masterson, ” a strange voice answered. She didn’t have time to do more than register the presence of another person in her house; a sharp pinprick pierced the skin of her neck, pain woke, then the room faded to black… **** Max’s car had barely come to a full halt before he was out and running toward her front door. His heart sank when he twisted the knob and the heavy oak panel swung inward. The silence that greeted him was deafening.

He slipped inside, gun held ready between his hands. When Kevin and Tommy entered behind him, weapons drawn, he motioned them in opposite directions, then headed for her bedroom. Her car was still in the driveway, and she should have been enroute to work, if not there already. He went into the bedroom, and his eyes flickered shut for an instant. The bed was as he’d left it; her clothes were carefully laid out at the foot amid the rumpled linen. His mind registered the vibrator, but passed over it. He went to the patio doors, glanced out to see if she was on the private strip of beach. As he’d expected, there was no one there. He turned, spotted the towel beside the bed and went to pick it up. It was still wet. Tommy and Kevin came into the room almost at the same time. “Nothing, sir,” Kevin reported. The phone beside the bed began to ring. **** When awareness returned, Kaylee wished it hadn’t. Terror rose in her throat, choked her, and she thought she was going to retch. Pain throbbed insistently in her temples, and she tried to move. Horror blended with her fear. She was shackled to a cold, narrow metal bed, the steel was icy next to her naked flesh. Unfamiliar hands stroked over her body, and a distant, unknown voice murmured in what she supposed was meant to be a soothing manner. The lulling purr frightened her further, and she twisted away, crying out when the hands at her back suddenly gripped her hair and yanked until she sobbed. “Shhh…” the stranger hushed with malevolent kindness. “You’ll be in enough pain before long, Ms. Masterson,” he informed her. “Why make it worse before then? I simply want you to be still and quiet while I make a call.” He pushed her hair aside and finally moved into her limited range of vision. “What do you want from me?” she gasped, panic creeping into her tone. “Nothing,” he smiled; then made a show of thoroughly appraising her body. “Not yet,” he amended, and laughed at the futile attempt she made to pull away. “Once I’ve had a chat with Commander Richmonte, we will get to know each other better. He seems to enjoy fucking you so much. ” Kaylee bit back another sob of terrorized rage. The pain was starting to spread. **** Max waited to see if the phone was going to stop ringing, or if a machine would intercept the call. It did, and his blood turned to ice when it was his name that echoed in the stillness of the house. “Commander Richmonte, surely you must be there by now?” Max grabbed up the phone that was beside the bed and activated it. “What do you want, Stadler?” he growled. “Very good, Commander,” the other man crowed with satisfaction. “You’ve put it together.” “If you wanted me, why didn’t you just come after me. She’s not part of it.” Laughter greeted his response, and his teeth clenched together in lethal fury.

“Actually, it’s not you or your woman I want, Max, ” Stadler told him with congenial forthrightness. “She’s not my woman! ” Even as he made the denial, some inner voice cringed at the lie. “Of course she is, Commander,” Stadler taunted softly. “You seem to forget, I was witness to your activities last night. You didn’t simply have sex with this woman, you made love to her. Repeatedly. You can’t get enough of her, and my guess is you’ll want her again very soon. ” “What do you want?” Max demanded. “Your handler, Commander,” Stadler replied, and for the first time, Max heard the chill of hatred in the other man’s voice. “I want Carter Baldwin. The deal is straightforward enough, give me Baldwin, and you can have this lovely lady back.” “How do I know she’s still alive?” It wasn’t a question that he wanted to consider, but it needed to be out in the open if he was going to figure out his next move. “Why don’t you speak with her, Max, ” Stadler offered with a snide chuckle. Max heard the slap, and the gasp of pain it elicited from her. He closed his eyes, shut out the tremor of raw anguish that knifed through him when Kaylee’s shaking voice whispered into the phone; “M- m- m- max…?” Amid the agony was a confusion that cut as deeply as her pain. The drone of a dial tone eventually penetrated his mind, and he punched the disconnect and threw the phone on the bed. “Commander?” He glanced at Tommy and Kevin, saw concern in both pairs of watchful eyes. “He has her.” The two men let him walk out ahead of them, then they followed, silence awkward as each of them considered the implications of what had happened. A civilian had just been dragged into their shadowy world; an innocent bystander who might not survive because she had the bad luck to be involved with a man who could get her killed by virtue of association. Max’s resignation didn’t matter a damn now. Reality was making it a joke. **** The afternoon sunshine bathed the beach in brilliant shades of beauty and light; Max Richmonte was immune for the first time. He glanced at his watch, cursed softly under his breath, and paced the warm sands. He rubbed a hand over his face, then moved his fingers to the back of his neck, noting unconsciously the knots of tension that were making his shoulders ache. The left one, already uncomfortable from his recent injury was a hot, throbbing blade of pain that simply didn’t want to be ignored or dulled by medication. “You killed his son last year in Iraq.” Baldwin’s vo ice, expected though his presence was, made Max whirl in surprise. “That doesn’t explain why it’s you he wants,” the Commander countered coldly. “Who the hell is this bastard?” “Aaron Shane. Warren Stadler is one of several aliases,” Baldwin began as they strolled along the edge of the water in a section of the beach that was all but deserted. “He’s a chemist/bio-engineer who used to work for the NSA. He specializes in exotic

chemical warfare, and he went missing six months ago, along with most of his work.” Carter stopped walking and looked Max squarely in the eyes when the younger man halted and waited for him to go on. “Near as we can figure, Max, he wants you as the secondary target in his vengeance game. The botched mission in Afghanistan was orchestrated by him. To what end, we’re not sure.” “None of this interests me,” Max informed him sharply. “I have a civilian hostage in the middle of this mess, and I want her back!” “What do you want from me?” “We’re going in, tonight,” Max told him bluntly. “If we can’t clean up quickly and with minimal fuss, you will help me.” The challenge was clear, but Baldwin merely nodded his acceptance of the arrangement. “Let me know if you need anything.” Max resisted a retort, and watched the Operations Director walk back to his waiting car. **** “Max, this isn’t a good idea,” Marg reasoned. The Commander ignored her as he waited for Kevin to unearth the information he needed. “Got it, Commander,” the slight New Yorker announced with a grin. “The call came from a factory warehouse about five miles from the beach house. It’s been shut down for the past two years. He didn’t even try to hide his location, ” he added as he swung around to face the team leader. “He wants me to go after her,” Max shrugged. “Which is precisely why…” “Marg, ” Max’s voice was cold with warning. “This isn’t up for discussion. ” “You’re just going to risk…” “No one is required to come along, ” Max forestalled her objection. “This is my personal business, I don’t expect any one of you to risk your lives for something that is solely my responsibility.” Tommy, slouched casually at the table, manipulating a pen along the course of his fingers with practiced dexterity, glanced up. “That mean you don’t want any help, Commander?” Max almost smiled, then shook his head. “I said no one was required to go,” he stated softly. “That doesn’t mean your help isn’t welcome.” “Count me in, sir,” T.J. Windsor said from the doorway he was leaning on. He’d arrived that morning, in response to a call from Baldwin. T.J. had been with Max’s team when it was first put into operation. He’d since retired, unless something came up that was personal, then his friendship with Max took priority. He wanted to offer what help he could to his former commanding officer. “Thanks.” “Max, ” Marg’s voice was quiet, filled with real concern. “You know we’re all behind you on this,” she told him. “I just want you to think before you go in. Don’t let your feelings for this woman interfere with your judgment.”

“This woman has a name,” Max replied. “It’s Kaylee Masterson. She’s an interior designer, Marg. I’ve barely had time to tell her what the hell my life has been about. And she’s being held hostage by a man who sees her as a pawn, or bait, or whatever the hell he wants to name it. She’s in danger because of me.” “She knew. ” “No, Marg, ” he denied instantly. “She didn’t. She didn’t really know a damn thing about me, but she trusted me anyway. ” **** “Commander,” Kevin’s voice was little more than a whisper breathing into the headsets of the elite team. They were closing in on the warehouse site, using darkness and silence as their only cover. The parking lot was inky black, and a single light burned deep within the bowels of the abandoned building that squatted in the middle of a large expanse of nothing. “He knows you’re coming, sir.” “I’m going in alone,” Max told them. “If I’m not out again in ten minutes, I want you to do whatever it takes to nail this son-of-a-bitch. Is that understood, people?” Tommy was listening to the exchange, unsurprised by Max’s decision. He was half a mile away from the warehouse, the chopper idling as he waited for the pick-up signal. T.J. was scanning the area for booby-traps, while Marg and Kevin shadowed the Commander. No one was happy when Max vanished into the gaping cavern of the warehouse loading bay; the summons was blatant, the bay doors thrown wide open. **** Max paced his progress by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, all senses attuned to the internal silence of the vast warehouse. He could feel his friends drawing closer, despite his orders. They were a highly trained team, but they all cared deeply about each other, and it made the occasional lapse in conformity unavoidable if one of them was in trouble. Lights blazed to life around him, making him blink rapidly for a few precious seconds. His eyes adjusted, and he shouldered his gun, fully prepared to walk into what might be a deadly ambush. His instincts were telling him he wasn’t going to die just yet; not until Stadler had what he really wanted. Only then would Max’s life be forfeit. “Do join me, Commander,” Stadler requested quietly, and a door swung open at the end of a long, brightly lit corridor. “Tell the others to remain where they are. If one of them enters the building, you and the lady will be dead before they can reach you. ” “Stand down, ” Max directed. “That is an order, people,” he added firmly. He pulled the receiver from his ear and stuffed it into a pocket; then checked the safety on his gun and holstered it. He raised his hands in an ageless gesture of compliance, then headed toward the open door that beckoned to him. He stepped into the room, and his gaze went instantly to the woman shackled to the narrow cot. Kaylee was naked, and struggling to free herself as pain visibly wracked her body. Her right ankle was twisted so badly, he thought for a few minutes that it was broken; if not, the sprain was severe enough to keep her down for awhile. Max called out to her, but she was incognizant of his arrival. There was a terror in her eyes that had very

little to do with her capture; and icy fear slithered up his spine. Despite his desire to go to her, caution and training kept him where he was, watchful and alert. “Kaylee?” “She can’t really hear you, Commander,” Stadler told him. Max glanced at the speaker, and held his temper in check. Stadler was unarmed, that was caveat enough; things weren’t quite what they appeared. His look scanned the stranger, trying to place him in some tangible reality, not this nightmare. Stadler/Shane was a tall, thin man; with wide, lifeless blue eyes; snow-white hair; and the graceful agility of a man much younger than Max knew him to be—it was in every minuscule motion he made. “What have you done to her?” He kept the concern from his voice, revealing nothing with the flat, lifeless tone. Stadler laughed. “Finding her was a rather fortunate bit of serendipity, wasn’t it? If I hadn’t spotted you getting into her car last night, I would never have known about her. Of course, if it hadn’t been for the incompetence of my aide in Afghanistan, none of this would have been necessary. Initially, I had planned to see if you’d be more receptive to turning him over after you’d suffered a substantial amount of discomfort yourself. Still, things may work out even better, in the long run. ” The man’s voice had the affable pleasantness of complete madness, and Max’s stomach twitched in warning. “Just what the hell is it you want from me?” Max drew his gun again, and pointed it directly at Stadler, sighting the center of his forehead with deliberate care. “Do be sensible, Commander,” Stadler suggested with bored indifference. “Kill me, and you’ll never have the anti-toxin she needs to survive.” Max’s hands never wavered, but his heart flipped wildly in his chest. “Explain that.” The other man shrugged expansively. “She’s been given a lethal dose of a new poison I’ve created. It works slowly, and the pain it causes is driving her quite mad even now. ” He glanced at Kaylee who was biting back screams, with only partial success. “I feel it only fair to warn you; if you attempt to ease her torment, the medication will speed the effect of the poison. She’ll have lucid moments, Commander. For a few seconds she may even be able to love you. It’ll pass quickly, I assure you. And, her pain will be worse with each lapse into awareness. My proposition is quite simple; I will give you the anti-toxin, and you will give me Carter Baldwin. ” “How long? ” Stadler smiled. “She has twenty- four hours—perhaps.” There was a pause, then laughter. “I’ll be in touch, Commander Richmonte.” The lights went out, and Max heard the slam of a door. Seconds later, the room erupted with life. Kevin and Marg burst in from one side, T.J. the other. The illumination from the hall flooded in, and Max went to Kaylee. The others poured out of the room and he knew they’d be searching the building. He hauled out his headset and summoned Tommy.

Chapter 6 The first few hours at the Silver Dollar’s underground center had everyone’s nerves scraped raw. Kaylee’s anguish was with each of them as her shrieks of horror, rage, and absolute agony reverberated throughout the command center. Max was alternately at her side, and pacing just outside the door of the room in which they’d placed her. She’d collapsed into a faint shortly after boarding the helicopter, and mercifully had stayed that way for the first half hour. Baldwin and a doctor had been waiting for them; the physician took blood from her, bandaged her ankle, and started to inject something into her arm. Max had almost broken the man’s wrist when he’d entered the room and discovered what was going on. Now, they waited. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” T.J. commented quietly, wincing at the terrified scream that pierced the otherwise somber mood of their headquarters. “Imagine how she feels,” Tommy snapped, unreasonably irritated by the remark. T.J. looked sharply at him, then decided it wasn’t worth the argument to toss a rejoinder at the pilot. Tommy was taking this almost as personally as Max. Kevin came out of the room, his hands scrubbing over his face as he went toward the coffee pot. “How is she?” He poured a mug, took a swallow, then turned back to meet Tommy’s eyes. “She’s going crazy, man, ” he answered softly. “Whatever she’s seeing”, it’s scarin’ the hell out of her. I think it’s almost as bad for the Commander.” **** …The sense of disconnection was growing, even as the pain that crushed her beneath its waves increased in ever-expanding floods of anguish and fear. The blackness had become muted, broken with fragmented flashes of pure, searing white light. As each blinding flare of luminescence dulled, a new reality rose to fill her vision. She fought it, and the ripping agony shredded her flesh from her bones… …Screaming, Kaylee tried to push away the restrictions that held her bound to this nightmare world in which she now lived. The attempt was futile, and she cried louder… …Max’s face came into focus, and relief made her head bow. He carried an ancient ceremonial sword, something that felt familiar, but she knew it didn’t belong with him. The thought spun away, as all thoughts presently did; shifting; changing face and meaning within the kaleidoscope of madness that held her prisoner… …Max’s laughter, macabre and twisted, contorted his handsome features and she scrambled back as he pointed a gun at her and fired. The haze of red torture blotted everything; one of her eyes refused to function, and she knew it was gone… …Low level chanting began in the distance, a mournful dirge that assaulted the ears and tormented the soul. Like everything else in the mirage, the beats of sound were physical in their power and strength, pounding relentlessly at her, defeating her… …Tommy Donovan stepped up behind Max. Kaylee tried vainly to reach him, and

discovered he wore the face of a devil the moment she touched him. Tommy’s taloned hands curled around her arms, yanked her closer, and she twisted free, ran… …The tomb was a welcome sight; in her mind it symbolized sanctuary. The intensity of the requiem spread outward, enveloped and pervaded all awareness. Stumbling, halfblind, she fell into the pitch-dark cavern. Ice kissed her flesh as she lay face down on the hard-packed dirt ground; and her shivers created tiny spasms of pain and misery in every recess and fiber of her being… …Beyond her limited range of sight, she heard them; Max, who wanted to kill her; and the monster who wore Tommy’s face. They pursued her, laughed at her feeble efforts to escape them. She silently ordered her limbs to work, and cursed savagely when she remained flat on her stomach, lifeless… …The world took on new dimensions seconds later. The tomb erupted with light and madness; she was lifted and placed on a sacrificial altar, then tied securely. Before she could orient herself to the whirling motion around her, and the malevolent threnody of unseen dead; Max rose above her, naked and glistening in the wild, erratic flames thrown from the torches. He wore the ritualistic paint of a primitive priest, and she suddenly knew that she was to be his sacrifice… …Kaylee’s shriek of terror made him laugh; and her body tore open as he took brutal possession of her… Max looked down at her, his skin crawling with apprehension as she thrashed helplessly against whatever phantoms were menacing her mind. She wore nothing but one of his t-shirts, and her endless waves of sandy hair were a wild tangle tossed all around her, twisting and pulling as she fought to tear out her own eyes. She’d managed to gouge a deep scratch into her right cheek, just below the outer corner of her eye, before he could grab and restrict her. While he held her, Marg had dressed the wound. It was going to leave a scar on an otherwise flawless face; something to remind her of what knowing him had cost her. Before he could brood too long on that unappealing thought, her gasping attempt to speak had his full attention. “Max…” He was at the bed instantly. Kaylee tried to touch him, and her smoke-colored eyes clouded with uncertain bewilderment when she couldn’t move. He unfastened the restraints, and gathered her carefully into his arms. For a few minutes, she clung to him. The sound of a throat being cleared made him look back. T.J. stood in the doorway, his expressive features revealing a myriad of emotions that were a reflection of Max’s turmoil. T.J. had lost his wife less than two years earlier to his violent past. This had to be ripping him apart inside. “Marg wants to speak to you, ” T.J. murmured. “Baldwin just called in. ” When Max was reluctant to move, T.J. came into the room. “I’ll stay with her, sir.” Max kissed her temple, and gently placed her back against the pillows. She was nearly unconscious again. He glanced back when he reached the door. T.J. was sitting in the chair next to the bedside, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned close to her. He brushed a caress across Kaylee’s forehead and spoke quietly to her, voice pitched low and soothing. “Hey, pretty lady, you’re going to pull through this, I promise.” T.J. Windsor was a striking man of contrasts. He was almost as tall as Max, but his skin was deeply tanned, his features angular and perfectly contoured. His ethnic origins

were a mystery even he couldn’t guess at, but his appearance had broken more than one heart before Carin Chase had come into his life. They’d had almost a year of happiness before she’d been kidnapped and killed. And T.J. had abandoned his retirement. Sometimes, Max wondered if he wasn’t back on active duty to get himself killed, too. At the moment he was too grateful to analyze it further. Satisfied that she was in safe hands, Max headed for the conference area of the base. **** “We’re not going to have time to wait for an anti- toxin, Max, ” Marg informed him hesitantly. “Baldwin’s lab technicians can’t even identify the compound, let alone find a counter-agent to neutralize it.” Before Max could absorb that, a wail of unbridled suffering shattered the cultivated control he’d built during the past ten minutes. “Tell him I want him over here,” he shot over his shoulder as he ran from the room. “She shouldn’t even be here,” Kevin noted once Max had vanished again. “Where should the Commander have taken her, Kev? ” Tommy snapped irritably. “Back to her house? Where he could lose her again.” Kevin’s pleasant features screwed into a scowl, and he glanced at Marg. When she remained silent, he turned his attention back to the unpredictable pilot. “We’re all assuming she’s going to survive this,” he answered with forced patience. “Once she does, how are we going to explain just what the hell it is we do here? The Commander’s just broken his own rule about outsiders being given access to this place.” “Max trusts her,” Marg interjected into the sudden tension. “Why don’t we let him decide what she knows?” “The Commander’s not exactly unbiased, is he?” “Have you ever known Max to be reckless in his judgments, Kevin?” Marg countered softly. He didn’t look convinced, but let it go. Anything else might get him killed in the atmosphere that was dominating the command center. **** An hour later, Max had stripped down to his jeans and was now on the bed with her. He wrapped his arms around the semi-conscious body nestled between his legs. Kaylee’s head was resting on his shoulder, and she was positioned so that Max’s legs draped over hers. Her hands were clasped in his, their arms crossed over her waist. T.J.’s expression was grim and shielded as he stared at them, and Max felt tremors rock through both him and Kaylee—fear- induced shudders that began in the beautiful woman and fanned outward. The first quiver of renewed awareness woke her and her eyes widened with the searing pain. Max felt the tension flooding through her and he met T.J.’s look, reading a terror the other man didn’t even attempt to disguise. “What’s she seeing?” T.J. murmured, deeply affected by her horror, despite not knowing her at all. Max’s hold on Kaylee tightened, and his head fell back against the wall at his back. The second shudder was stronger; she spasmed and her body arched outward,

dragging at Max’s desperate hold. But, it was the screams that unnerved them most. The poison was spreading, and each heartbeat moved it further into her mind, creating terrors and madness at which they could only guess. Her seductive, lilting voice didn’t remotely resemble that of the gentle woman Max knew; her shrieks were filled with a torment that went far beyond pain. She convulsed wildly as Max clung, helpless and filled with his own deeply profound and impotent rage. Max tried to shut out the terrible, rasping howls, but every tremor, even the tiniest spasm of pain, made him cling harder to the woman in his arms. He felt as though his worst nightmare was being played out before him, and nothing he could do would lessen the torture. Kaylee strained against him, her strength far greater than it should have been, and he countered it, knowing he was leaving bruises to mark the struggle. T.J. eventually left them, knowing there was nothing he could offer to either of them. Kaylee didn’t sound sane anymore, a small voice whispered. Max shut it out, unable to do anything else witho ut slipping over into his own kind of madness. This spurt of energy was swiftly wearing itself out, and he waited for the inevitable collapse. The pattern had been established quickly, but each time it grew more hideous, not less so. The night had grown as black as Max’s mood; the clouds rumbled ominously overhead, and the threat of rain grew more imminent. He closed his eyes, held her tighter, and some part of him reached outward, subconsciously seeking to draw strength from the storm swirling above them. The next time, her burst of frenzy didn’t burn out with the rapidity of previous eruptions. His grip loosened as the struggle grew to terrifying proportions. Kaylee was bucking and tearing away from him, her legs kicking even around the restriction of Max’s solid hold. Her voice had faded to a ripping sound, a gurgle of noise and hissing that spoke of an agony the Commander could only guess at. She’d screamed her throat raw, and if she somehow survived this, Max knew she wouldn’t be able to talk for days. His hold was slipping and Kaylee lurched wildly in his arms, finally loosening the death-grip Max had on her. Max’s grasp held, and she arched forward, straining away from him. Max recovered and he instantly hauled Kaylee back against his body, crooning soft, loving words as she continued to spasm and twitch against him. When her frenzied struggle ceased abruptly and she lay limp and spent against him, Max’s arms lost their steely dominance. For a panic-stricken instant he thought that she’d died; he was startled when she twisted into him, her breathing ragged and hoarse. She titled her head back to meet his gaze, and for a few seconds, Max saw her smile, then the first tear dropped onto his naked shoulder. Kaylee began to shake as sobs worked outward. “M- m- max…” It was the most beautiful sound in the world and Max’s heart dared to hope again. Her voice was barely recognizable, but this time it was faintly reminiscent of her. Sadler’s taunt murmured past his relief, reminded him that this was a superficial victory, nothing had changed: “She’ll have lucid moments, Commander. For a few seconds she may even be able to love you. It’ll pass quickly, I assure you. And, her pain will be worse with each lapse into awareness…” Max never had time to respond more than to tighten his arms. Kaylee fell back against him and was asleep, her body feverish and sweat-drenched, breaths hoarse and labored. For the moment, it was over. Weary, Max leaned back against the wall. The

reactive tremors of his own exhaustion tugged at his mind and he knew he shouldn’t allow sleep to take him. Some part of him couldn’t fight the tumult of emotions, and he sighed heavily, vision blurred with tears that wanted to fall. Alone, he gave himself the respite and his silent remorse filled a room that minutes earlier had reverberated with shrieks of agonized terror—the release was a balm to his grief, and he fell asleep despite his intentions not to. **** “How is she?” Max looked up, startled back to full consciousness by the quiet query. Carter Baldwin stood framed in the doorway, his entire manner uneasy. “Dying, ” Max answered bluntly. “What have your people come up with? ” “Nothing.” The honesty was torn from him by the sheer force of Max’s rage when he stared back at him. “She’s not like most of your women, ” the older man observed with a seriousness that might have been offensive, if it hadn’t been simple statement of fact. Max eyed him for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. “Who is she?” “Kaylee Masterson, ” Richmonte replied quietly. “A V.P. at Design Central in San Francisco.” Carter’s eyebrow rose, but he remained silent. “She trusted me.” Max’s eye flickered shut for an instant, then he sighed heavily. When he looked up again, Baldwin motioned to the other room, then walked away. Max untangled himself from the bed and the woman in it. He was going to retie the restraints, but stilled the action when T.J.’s voice intruded. “Every time you do that she gets worse, Commander,” he whispered. “He tied her up, maybe it confuses her.” “We can’t leave he r alone and free, T.J.” “You don’t have to, sir,” he replied with a smile. He flipped a switch on the phone, turned it to intercom, and sat in the chair again. Max’s hand rested on his shoulder for a moment, then he left the room. **** Max punched in the number that he’d memorized almost twelve hours earlier. Time, to his mind, had run out. Stadler had left the phone number where it would be found by one of the team; the meaning obvious. The chemist knew they didn’t stand a chance of developing an antidote to the designer poison he’d injected into Kaylee’s system. “Where and when, ” Max demanded curtly. “You agree to my terms, then? ” “This isn’t a social call,” the Commander snarled in annoyance. “One hour, Commander Richmonte. I’ll give you the coordinates at that time. While I fully expect you to be surrounded by your comrades; if any of them attempts to kill me, the Silver Dollar won’t be standing when you get back there.” The line went dead, and Max stood glowering at the phone for a moment, hands on his hips, rage radiating from every line of his body. “This had better work,” he muttered to no one in particular.

“Commander?” “T.J., what is it?” “Tell Mr. Baldwin I want to see him,” the reply was amused, and even with the walls between them, Max could see the other man’s smile.

Chapter 7 The first rays of the emerging sun were thin fingers of burnished gold that curled upward to reach beyond the ledge of the night’s dark horizon. The brilliance of the burning sun was almost painful as the first rounded slip of the fiery star crested the skyline. The blackness of night was receding rapidly, driven back by the powerful enchantress that was the sun. Red-gold glory painted the sky a new shade, fading blood against blossoming blue. The rays strengthened, gradua lly brightened to even more radiant yellow. All of that beauty was lost to Max Richmonte as he gazed blindly out the window. Minutes later, Max and his team pulled into the deserted parking lot on the edge of the docks. The side door of the van he and Marg had ridden in remained open, with Marg standing just outside it. Tommy moved to one side, Kevin the other once they’d left their jeep. T.J. had stayed with Kaylee; refusing to leave her alone, and tied with restraints. No one was dressed for combat; to anyone who might have seen them, they were more apt to assume the group was headed for the beach. Except Baldwin, who was still wearing most of his customary suit. The jacket and tie had been discarded, but his white shirt remained buttoned to the wrists. None of them carried weapons; and only Max wore a comm. unit. T.J. was on the other end of the link. Baldwin and Max walked a few paces closer to the waiting vehicle ahead of them. The windows were shaded, and the engine idle. Max knew Stadler was inside, though; he could sense the other man watching them. His suspicion was confirmed minutes later when the driver’s door opened, and Stadler stepped into view. “I believe this is what you’ve come for, Commander,” the chemist laughed and tossed a small vial to Max. Max caught it, then turned to hand it to Marg when she stopped next to him. Baldwin had supplied them with a small, state-of-the-art computer; Marg tipped a drop of the serum onto the plate and waited while the analyzer did the evaluation/comparison. The “probability of error” ratio was slim, but not definitive when the machine blipped its completion code. Max waited for her pronouncement. “It might be the anti- toxin, ” she informed him, worry and anxiety creating the tiniest of tremors in her normally steady voice. “It’s an unknown compound, Max, ” she went on softly. “That’s the best it can do.” Max nodded, and returned his attention to Stadler, who had waited patiently for them to discover what he’d obviously known all along. “You’ll have to take me on trust, Commander Richmonte,” Stadler smiled. “It is the anti-toxin, ” his smile deepened. “Though you have only my word for that, of course.” It was a judgment call, one that might cost a life. As choices went, he had none; she was dying anyway. “Get back to base, Marg. ” They waited again as she climbed into the van and drove out of the parking lot. “The computer’s not turning up any breach in security, Commander,” T.J.’s voice murmured into Max’s ear. “He may be bluffing.”

He may not, Max’s inner voice jeered. He stayed silent. “I’ve delivered my part of the bargain, Commander,” Stadler reminded him. “Now it’s your turn. ” Baldwin didn’t look at Max, he took a deep breath and walked toward the lunatic who’d once worked for him. He kept his hands spread wide in surrender, each step measured and careful. “Retreat, people,” Max ordered. Stadler withdrew a gun, and indicated the open warehouse door to the right. Still watchful, he nodded at Max. “I’ll be back for you, Commander Richmonte. When you expect it least.” “I’m counting on it,” Max replied, tone low and lethal. The three remaining men were still as stone during the brief minutes it took for Baldwin and Stadler to cross the lot and disappear into the building. “All right, spread out,” Max ordered, and they moved into action. **** Marg brought the anti-toxin into the room, syringe in hand, her expression more worried than T.J. would have preferred. He was used to this woman’s cool efficiency and dispassionate approach to anything; her visible trepidation was distinctly troubling. “Think he’s told the Commander the truth about that?” T.J. questioned when Marg sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at Kaylee Masterson. The pretty designer was barely conscious at the moment; a state she’d not been in seconds before. Her screams had diminished, not because her agony had decreased, but simply because there was nothing left of her voice. Only the scratch of raw nerves dragging across tortured vocal chords. “There’s no time to find out,” Marg finally answered, horror evident in the rough whisper. T.J. brushed a caress across Kaylee’s forehead, then climbed onto the bed with her, positioning himself at her back as he’d watched Max do. Marg glanced once at him, bit her bottom lip, then slowly injected the cloudy serum into Kaylee’s arm while T.J. held it steady. The reaction came swiftly. She bolted away from T.J., eyes wide, hair swirling in a wild chaos of sandy curls as she strained and pulled to be free. Unlike the seizures induced by the poison, the antidote burned its way through her system in brief, agonizing minutes. She fainted in T.J.’s arms; and he watched, awkward in his pose, as Marg sought for a pulse to tell them that they hadn’t just killed her. “She’s alive, T.J.,” the beautiful Intelligence Operative announced. “Her pulse is returning to normal. ” T.J. felt her waking, tears choking her with confused terror. She slid to one side and twisted enough to see him. He touched her cheek and smiled. “The Commander’s on his way, Kaylee,” the aviator said gently. “I’m Thomas Jason Windsor,” he added with a wink. “My friends call me T.J.” “T.J.?” she repeated, barely audible. “Do you remember Marg? ” He asked and eased carefully away from her. With his support gone, she was limp and he caught her again when she wo uld have fallen into the

wall. “I…f- fe-feel…s-s-s-sick…” It was a near moan, and T.J. scooped her off the bed then carried her into the nearby bathroom. Ten minutes later he hadn’t returned, and Marg went looking for them. She stood in the partially open doorway, leaning on the frame, her smile ironic. The shower was running, and T.J. was standing in the stall with Kaylee, fully dressed, while the water streamed over them. Max’s t-shirt was on the floor. Kaylee appeared oblivious to the stranger whose hands at her waist kept her standing; the spray poured over her, soothing and cleansing. **** “You don’t really think you’ll get out of this?” Baldwin proposed quietly. “On the contrary, Carter,” Stadler answered with a laugh. “I already have.” He took a small black remote from the pocket of his jacket. Baldwin knew this would be his only opportunity, and with a sharp twist of his wrist he activated the mechanism T.J. Windsor had given him. The aim was true; Stadler never saw it coming. The small spring- loaded device strapped to Carter’s right arm gave with a tiny ping of noise, and the surgical steel blade buried itself to the bolt-styled hilt in Sadler’s temple. He died instantly. As the body fell to the ground with a resounding thud, Baldwin retrieved the remote that skidded across the concrete floor to his feet. Pocketing the device, he turned to leave. Max Richmonte was standing just inside the door, his expression one of near comical surprise. Tommy slipped in from another entrance, and Kevin dropped lightly from an overhead grill. “He’s dead, Commander,” Tommy said after a cursory check on the body. “How?” Max asked. “You weren’t armed.” Baldwin smiled. He opened his sleeve fully, took off the tiny harness that banded his forearm, and tossed it to Max. “Tell T.J. I said ‘Thanks’.” He smiled. “Oh, you might want this, too,” he added, and tossed Max the remote that would have blown his saloon to pieces if it had been activated. “Let me know if you need a bomb squad, Max. ” Grinning, Max watched as the Director pulled out his cell phone and began making the calls that would obliterate any trace of the incident. **** “Where is she?” Marg indicated the room off their operations center. “T.J. is still with her, Max, ” she began by way of warning him about what to expect. He didn’t stop to listen and she went after him. She stumbled into his back when he halted in the open doorway. “He wouldn’t leave her,” she whispered. Kaylee was tucked beneath the sheets, curled into a tight ball. She was, mercifully,

asleep and peaceful. At her back, curved protectively around her, was T.J. He was wearing jeans, and nothing else; a pile of wet clothes had been dumped on the floor, Max’s pale blue t-shirt easily spotted among the other things. The aviator must have sensed them at the door, and he looked up. He didn’t move; Kaylee’s hands still clutched at his forearm where it draped over her and held her to his chest. Max curbed the flare of jealousy, dismissed it as surprise; he’d deal with that lie later, some inner voice mocked. He walked to the bed and sat on the chair, his eyes searching her face. “She’s going to be all right, Commander,” T.J. ventured softly. Max nodded. Kaylee’s eyes fluttered open, and a slow smile spread over her lovely features. “Max?” She didn’t relinquish her hold on T.J., but reached one hand out to touch Max. He caught her fingers and leaned over to kiss her forehead. She was asleep again before he pulled back. Max looked at his friend, and T.J. grinned at him. “Maybe you’d like to take my place, sir?” “Maybe I would,” Max replied with a slight smile. **** Silver Dollar Saloon Command Center-several days later… “How are you feeling?” Kevin asked when Kaylee hobbled into the command center, awkward with the cane she was still getting used to. She smiled. “Better,” she replied, voice hardly more than a husky whisper. Baldwin’s physician had been by earlier; the latest blood screen showed the poison was out of her system entirely. The prognosis for her voice wasn’t so positive; it was too early to tell, but she’d done some damage to her larynx and the roughness might never leave her voice completely. “Where’s Max? ” she questioned when she was seated next to T.J. on the couch. He smiled a greeting, and Kaylee felt the now- familiar flush of shyness wash over her. Of all of them, T.J. was the greatest mystery to her. He was gentle, sweet, and kind to her; yet his quietness made her feel like a timid schoolgirl. She suspected he knew it too, each time he caught her staring at him, and his handsome face split into a teasing grin. Kevin came into the room, and she pointed at the small photograph that was framed and sitting close to her elbow. “Your brother?” she asked. Kevin had been delightful company when the others were busy; he regaled her with the most outrageous stories, and she hung on every word—something that made the stories grow wilder as he got into them. They’d laughed themselves into headaches several times during the past few days. “Yeah, Danny, ” the pleasant computer wizard smiled. He’d been the most reluctant member of their elite team to accept her; now that he had, he was relaxed and protective of her. Once he’d spent some time with the lovely designer, the friendship seemed to fall into place naturally. As it had with the others. Marg and Kaylee had been spending a lot of time together, talking quietly, bonding in a way that excluded the men totally, even Max. “He’s like you, ” Kaylee murmured, then winked at the attractive New Yorker. “Adorable.”

“I’ll go along with that,” he grinned. Before he could launch into another tale—it took no prompting when Kaylee was his audience, they’d quickly discovered—Marg’s voice intruded. “Max’s down on the beach, with Baldwin, ” she supplied the answer to Kaylee’s initial enquiry. Kaylee’s glance went automatically to T.J., who smiled and nodded. He rose to his feet, and helped her to stand. Despite the warmth she extended to each of them, Kaylee had found something of a special intimacy with T.J., and the sentiment was mutual. If Max had been the type to be suspicious and jealous, he’d have had plenty of incitement watching the striking officer and Kaylee together. “That still don’t add up,” Tommy remarked dryly, once Kevin and Kaylee had left them. “Jealous, buddy? ” Kevin wisecracked. “Aren’t you? ” Tommy grinned. Kevin’s eyes rolled theatrically. **** “We have company, ” Baldwin observed when he spotted T.J. leading the team’s pretty guest toward them. Max glanced over his shoulder, his smile easy and happy. He’d been sitting in the sand, back braced against a support beam from the boardwalk over their heads. He stood and took Kaylee’s hand when she and T.J. reached them. T.J. nodded once in greeting, kissed Kaylee’s temple, then left. When she leaned into Max’s side and looked over at him, Carter smiled. “Max says you’re going to make a full recovery, Ms. Masterson, ” he said quietly. She glanced up at Max, then smiled at Baldwin. “Yes,” she whispered. “Max told me what you did, Mr. Baldwin. Thank you. ” He looked more intently at her, sorrow and gratitude both etched into his lean features. Without thought, his hand rose to the small bandage on her cheek, the mark that would forever be a reminder of this harrowing ordeal. His touch was a breath of air and tears formed in Kaylee’s eyes, then spilled over to trail tiny streaks across her face. He wiped away the warm wetness, and looked at Max when she stepped away from the Commander and into his arms. Max’s smile held only a hint of surprise, and Baldwin accepted her hug gratefully for several minutes. When she drew away, Max nodded at Baldwin and they began a slow walk back to where T.J. was waiting and watching. Baldwin lingered where he was, staring out at the thundering surf. The moisture that clung to his fingers drew his gaze and he lifted his hand, tasted the faint tang of salt. Innocent tears, he mused; it had been a long time since he’d tasted that bittersweet elixir.

Chapter 8 Max had left an hour earlier to go to Roger Gilmore’s beach house and pick up her things. She’d asked him to find a nearby house she could rent, and he had. But, he’d also asked her to stay with him for another week. He hadn’t been forthcoming about his reasons for wanting her to do so. Since she didn’t really want to leave the security of his arms, staying hadn’t been a difficult decision to make. Now, in his absence, she was drawing in courage for something she hadn’t as yet felt able to confront. The lighting in the bathroom was stark and unforgiving, exactly what was required for this particular undertaking. Kaylee stood in front of the mirror and slowly removed the bandage from her face. Her hands shook, and she had to still the quaking inside her several times before the task was finally accomplished. When she saw the angry gouge that furrowed the upper curve of her cheekbone and vanished into her hair, she winced. Kaylee had never been a woman preoccupied with beauty, her interests had always extended to things beyond the surface of her physical existence. She had taken her face for granted, and now it had changed, radically. It’s horrible and ugly, some internal demon taunted derisively. Max would certainly find it repugnant, she decided, her eyes brimming with tears. She wasn’t naive enough to think their relationship was based on anything as noble as their being kindred spirits. They’d spoken words of love, but nothing had put those tentative emotions to any real test. They were slowly finding the emotional bonds that made people close, but the truth remained—the powerful physical attraction they’d shared was their strongest bond. Max Richmonte was drop-dead-gorgeous, and to Kaylee’s mind, the most physically perfect man she’d ever known. Why would he want her now; scarred internally and externally? T.J. had told her what they’d witnessed when she was suffering from the effects of Stadler’s poison; the madness and the endless screams that had all but taken her voice. How could Max want a crazy woman, even if she had regained her sanity? A noise in the doorway made her spin and she tried to cover her face when she spotted Max watching her. As always, his sheer presence swept over her, woke every nerve ending in her body. She trembled, forcibly subdued the surge of awareness and longing for him. Max came into the bathroom and took her hands away from her face, staring intently at her. “How much do you hate me for that, I wonder?” he whispered, not looking at the scar they were discussing, but the misery that had filled her eyes again. “Hate you?” She was shocked. “I couldn’t hate you for anything, Max, ” she assured him, and swallowed hard as the watery haze in her eyes finally spilled over onto her cheeks. “How can you stand to look at me like this?” She voiced the haunting fear without conscious control of it, then tried to back away from him. He wouldn’t permit a retreat. Max touched her chin, forced her to look up at him when she would have chosen to see anything else. “You’re beautiful, Kaylee,” he murmured, with utter honesty. She took his breath

away, as she had from the moment he’d first looked up to find her in his office. Max wanted her as intensely as he had the first night he’d made love to her; his entire body was preoccupied with that compelling need. He’d slept beside her for several nights, afraid to leave her alone with her nightmares—she’d awakened more than once, sobbing and shivering with fright. He’d reassured and calmed her, all the while denying his desire to blot everything with the lust they shared so completely. His hands moved of their own volition, stroking evocatively from the curve of her waist upward, then smoothing over her beautiful, full breasts. She was still wearing nothing beneath his t-shirts, and with his thumbs he teased her nipples, hardened them into tight buds as she shuddered with pleasure in response to his touch. Her eyes closed, a tiny gasp escaping her before he closed his mouth over hers, the kiss a flagrant demand for the sensuality and passion that had burned so fiercely between them a week ago. It was a long time before he drew back and met the dazed smolder in her grey gaze. “You still want me…” It wasn’t quite a question, more an observation of wonder. Max laughed gently and nodded. “I’m surprised you have any doubts, Kaylee. Have you forgotten how many times we’ve made love in the short time we’ve been together? Baby, I want you. I want to hear you telling me to fuck you again. It’s what I dream about.” She tried to smile, to find that wonderful sense of freedom to say anything to him, but it eluded her. She was still too fragile. “What if I can’t?” “Can’t what? Talk to me, or make love with me?” “Max…” She paused, swallowed hard. “The way things were with us. It took everything I had to feel comfortable with that. Now I feel like the words would choke me.” She was uncomfortably aware of the rasp that was her voice now, and the swirl of pain and emotion was making it rougher still. “Then let me talk, Kaylee,” he murmured. “Let me tell you how much I want to kiss you, and touch you. How I want to suck these beautiful tits of yours until you can’t think about anything but how much you want my cock in your pussy. ” He was squeezing her breasts, kneading the firm swells with gentle pressure, his thumbs circling her rigid nipples, flicking at the pebbled points. “You want me to put my dick in your pussy again, don’t you, baby? ” She trembled, and with his eyes blazing hunger into her, she forgot everything but Max, and the undeniable need in his words and his tense body. His erection was pressing into her when he drew her fully into his arms, fitted her voluptuous curves to his body, and kissed her again with ruthless seductiveness. When her arms wound around his neck, his hands slid around to cup her bottom. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her back into the bedroom that had been hers since she’d been brought to the Silver Dollar’s command center. Max put her on her feet and stripped off the t-shirt she wore, his hands gliding over her curves eagerly. He slipped one hand between her thighs and probed into her. “You’re wet already, baby, ” he informed her with a smile. “I feel like that’s a perpetual state around you, Max, ” she replied. Forcibly pushing away her fear, Kaylee left him to sit on the bed. She inched backward, her eyes never losing his, until she was in the center of the large bed. She spread her legs and leaned back on her elbows. “Max?”

“Anything you want, baby. ” “I want you to lick my pussy, while I suck your cock.” He unzipped his jeans and quickly got rid of everything he was wearing. Then he joined her on the bed. He settled on his back and when she bent to take his pulsing dick into her mouth, he positioned her knees on either side of his head and held her hips, easing her down until his tongue made contact with her wet slit. The combined sensations was electric, the taste of her and the scent of her arousal, and the riotous waves of ecstasy that began in his cock and washed into every part of his being. She was sucking hard, and he matched her intensity when he caught her hard clit between his lips. She tensed and for a moment, Max felt her pull back from him. “Forget my dick, baby, ” he ordered. “Just sit up and let me get you off. ” She did, carefully, and his tongue slid into her dripping slit, lapping and sucking as he pulled her closer to the edge of orgasm. When his tongue started to flick relentlessly at her clit, she moaned his name, then her body tensed and pleasure exploded through her like a burst of flame. Max continued to work his tongue in and out of her clenching pussy, until she finally fell forward, then slid sideways off him and onto her back. “God, Max! ” “We’re not done yet, baby, ” he assured her and she opened her arms to him when he claimed her lips in a hard, hot kiss. She tasted herself on his tongue and sucked it deeper into her mouth as his body covered hers. He broke their kiss and looked down at her. “Say it, Kaylee,” he coaxed. “Fuck me, Max, ” she breathed. “Hard and fast.” “Again, baby, ” he said. “Fuck me!” She went on saying it like a mantra as he thrust into her, his hard length pounding into her hungry pussy until she was writhing and bucking under him. “God, Max, I love your cock!” Max put his elbows on either side of her shoulders, kissed her forehead, then rose until he was balanced over her. “Watch my dick, Kaylee,” he rasped, knowing she could see him moving in and out of her body. “Your pussy is so wet I feel like I’m drowning in you, baby. ” She angled her hips upward and he thrust into her hard, hitting her g-spot and making her whole body convulse with pleasure. “Yes, Max. That feels so fucking good! Just keep doing that, honey. ” Max eased back enough to grab her ankles and put them over his shoulders, then he drove into her again as her spine curled to accept him. He knew when he pushed harder that he’d hit home again, her eyes almost rolled back in her head. Her body tightened around his shaft, muscles rippling, pulling him deeper. She was clenching so hard Max thought he’d go crazy if he didn’t come with her, then he started driving into her, almost brutal he was moving so hard and fast against her. Her hips came off the bed and she screamed his name, over and over, while his climax hit and he poured into her in gushing spurts that made him shudder. He leaned down, careful to keep his weight on his elbows as her legs came to rest around his waist. Her hands moved over his back, caressing and relaxing his trembling body. “You’re incredible, Max, ” she whispered next to his ear. “More every time.” “You’re only saying that because I’m the first guy who’s ever fucked you senseless.”

Her laughter was like liquid sunshine, and his heart breathed easy for the first time in many days. When he would have pulled out of her, she tightened her legs around his waist. “No, Max, ” she said, and kissed him softly. “I love the way you feel inside me.” “I think I’m going to fall asleep on top of you, Kaylee,” he warned with a grin. “So go to sleep,” she answered. “I’m not moving.” Max groaned and rolled over, taking her with him so she was lying on top of him. “Go to sleep, Kaylee,” he advised. “But when you wake up, I’ll probably be fucking you again.” “Promises, promises.” She put her head on his chest, and as his breathing evened into the easy rhythm of sleep, his heartbeat slowed and the steady thump lulled her to sleep, too. **** “Bit late for coffee, ain’t it?” Tommy said with a smile as he joined her in the kitchen. Like the others, he’d been making himself scarce for several days; when Max and Kaylee were in the same room, they were uncomfortably blind to anyone else’s presence. Amused, inwardly, Tommy had welcomed Max’s surprising orders two days earlier. He’d stopped in to report to the Commander, only to discover the place was quiet as a tomb. Kaylee was alone, fully dressed, and her expression thoughtful as she stared at the almost blank page that was on the table in front of her. She dropped her pen and smiled when he entered. Once he’d poured coffee from the fresh pot she’d brewed, and joined her at the table, Kaylee indicated the mug he held. “Hell, this is what keeps me runnin’, darlin’,” he laughed quietly, answering the faint, indulgent reproach in her pointedly raised eyebrows. “Where has everyone been lately?” He chuckled softly. “Stayin’ out of the Commander’s way, I guess.” “Because of me?” She wasn’t being coy or cute, and he nodded. “It was pretty obvious he wanted you here, and us somewhere else.” She pondered his admission, then let it go at that. It wasn’t difficult to understand why they’d be ill at ease around them; she and Max had spent an embarrassing amount of time in bed recently. They sipped at their coffee, the silence easy and companionable. He was startled a few minutes later when she spoke again. “Would you take me home, Tommy?” Her voice was still low and raspy, but clearer than it had been for days. “Shouldn’t you discuss that with the Commander, honey? ” he evaded with a smile. He had no aversion to complying with the request, he simply didn’t want to be the one to face Max with her sudden disappearance if he didn’t know about her wish to leave their headquarters. “Is it necessary to clear my plans with Max? ” she countered with a teasing grin. Tommy shook his head. She leaned forward, elbows braced casually on the tabletop. “If I tell Max that I want to go home, he’s going to want to go with me.” Tommy nodded in agreement. “He’s made it so easy for me to stay here, Tommy. Safe and

sheltered, not having to face anything alone, even myself. I think I need to know if I can live outside that safety net, don’t you? ” He held her eyes with his for several minutes, then smiled. “Where is he?” “Asleep.” He hesitated for another second, then shrugged. “Get your stuff, darlin’.” **** Less than an hour later, Kaylee was home. She was about to insert her key in the lock, when Tommy’s hand closed on her wrist in light constraint. “There’s a security system in place, Kaylee,” he told her when she questioned him with a look of astonishment. “It won’t recognize you, because this is the first time you’ve been home since Max had us install it.” “Max had you set up a security system for my new house?” It would have been a whisper of amazement even if her voice had been functioning above that pitch. Tommy nodded, and he stepped in front of her. He inserted the key in the lock, waited a moment, then the door opened on its own. “Let me show you how this works,” he suggested when they were inside the house. She was looking around as though she’d expected to find a high-tech invasion in her living room. He grinned in his lopsided, endearing way, and she raised her eyebrows. “Please, do.” The entertainment cabinet that housed her video collection, VCR, and television, now had a new component. He flipped it open and gestured for her to come over to him. “Stand here,” he instructed, then activated a scanner. “It’s pretty simple, Kaylee,” he told her a few moments later, after closing the cabinet again. “The external cameras make automatic sweeps every five minutes; and the motion sensors will pick up anything that crosses them. With the house, you put the key in the lock, stand in front of the peephole, and it activates a retina scan. If the computer recognizes you, the door opens. If it doesn’t, we’ll know. ” “You’ll know?” “The Commander wanted the system linked into our security, ” he shrugged. “You’ve seen the way he drives,” he added with wry humor. “My guess is he’d get here quicker than the cops.” Her smile was ironic, but her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Thank you, Tommy,” she said. “Would you like to stay for a bit? Have a late supper?” she added with wry humor. He suspected her need for company was born of lingering fear, so he took off his jacket and followed her into the kitchen. **** Kaylee dropped the last of her files into the open briefcase on her bed, snapped it shut, and went to place it next to the small suitcase by the door. She’d discarded the cane the previous day, and kept her progress careful to favor her still tender ankle. When she turned around, Max was framed in the doorway that led out to the patio.

Her heartbeat escalated and she fought down the urge to laugh; his presence was as sudden and breath-stealing as it had been the first time she’d ever seen him. God, could it only have been a couple of months ago? Her body tingled with an awareness that no longer frightened her; thrilled her, yes, but, the shocking sensuality that she’d discovered in Max Richmonte’s arms was something she now loved. Kaylee smiled and held out her hand to him. “I got your message,” Max told her when he’d come into the bedroom. His look went to the baggage beside the door. “My leave isn’t over for another month, ” she said softly. He knew that; he’d been the one to arrange for the leave of absence in which she could recover fully, without the intrusion of unwanted questions from her colleagues. “But I do need to go to San Francisco for a few days. Kevin is flying me up there in the morning. ” Max nodded, his eyes smiling. “Kevin is being very accommodating, ” he noted blandly, though the teasing in his smile made her laugh, not take offense. “Kevin has been wonderful to me,” she agreed. “Because of his loyalty to you, ” she added with a smile. “Not completely, ” he denied softly. “Why don’t you come with me?” she proposed. “My business isn’t going to take long, and we could spend a few days together on my turf.” Max looked closely at her, his gaze caressing every inch of her sensuous beauty. He wanted her, badly. Some part of him was already whispering a warning that he was becoming as emotionally needing of her as he was physically. His hand rose, sensitive fingertips smoothing the healing scar that began at the corner of her right eye and vanished beneath the flowing waves of her hair. “This happened to you because of your connection to me.” Kaylee heard the pain in his voice. She didn’t offer platitudes or denials. She merely nodded. “Yes, it did,” she acknowledged. “But it wasn’t your fault, Max. None of it. At least now I can make an informed choice about being with you. ” He was hopeful. “What have you decided?” he asked. “When you had Tommy take you home without telling me, I thought you’d made your decision. When Marg told me you’d called, I was surprised.” “I tried to write a note, explain, but it didn’t make a lot of sense, and I couldn’t find the right words anyway. I just needed to be alone for a bit, Max, ” she assured him. “Time to think and feel safe again without your arms around me.” Max nodded his understanding, and waited for her to answer the question he hadn’t dared to ask. “I can’t… no, I won’t,” she corrected emphatically, “let anger and fear be what rules me. I want you in my life.” Her eyes misted, blurring his cherished, handsome features for a moment. “I need you, Max. You make me feel alive, and it’s been too long since I felt that way. ” “You know what I did, honey, ” Max stated uncertainly. “I can’t make any promises that there won’t be other incidents, Kaylee.” “I’m not asking you to,” she replied with simple, direct honesty. “Just be with me.”

Max reached for her, pulled her into his arms with sudden, fierce desire. Kaylee met his kiss with hungry ardor, and he embraced everything that had led them to this moment, focusing his total concentration on the ravishing, passionate woman he loved. “Are you coming to San Francisco with me?” She asked a short while later. They were standing in front of the patio doors, watching the surf pound the shore. “Did you think I wouldn’t?” “Not really,” she laughed. “What time are we leaving tomorrow?” There was something in his tone that narrowed her eyes and she twisted in his arms and looked up at him. “Why? ” “You’re gonna be late getting to sleep tonight, I promise.” “Why’s that, Max? ” He cupped one of her breasts and flicked at the hardened nipple beneath her shirt. “Well,” he murmured, “the last time I was in your bedroom, I spotted your plaything, and I’ve been imagining all the things we’re gonna do tonight, Kaylee.” “My… plaything?” “Were you thinking about me when you were getting off with a dildo in your pussy, honey? ” She blushed scarlet—just when she’d thought he couldn’t shock her anymore. “What if I say no?” “Then I’ll have to punish you for lying to me, because I know it was my dick you were dreaming about. Your pussy loves my dick, baby, ” he told her, eyes dancing with mischief. “Max, you’re up to something, aren’t you? ” He grinned. “Think of it as research for your next book,” he decided and scooped her up into his arms. “Research? ” She repeated, her voice almost a gasp. “Yeah, ” he nodded, “start thinking about how you’re gonna describe what it feels like to have a vibrator in one hole, and the real thing filling your pussy. ” “You wouldn’t?” His laughter wasn’t inspiring confidence that he wouldn’t do precisely what he’d intimated. She was torn between excitement and a thrill of fear. This was Max, though, and she suspected she’d be all but begging him to do whatever he wanted before long. “Undress for me, Kaylee,” he asked when he was sitting on the bed, eyes lazy. She smiled and started a slow strip tease. “You make me feel like I’m the sexiest woman alive, Max, ” she whispered when she was down to nothing but her high heels. “Where’s your toy, baby? ” “In the drawer,” she pointed to the nightstand. Max leaned back and took it out, laughing when he saw the stain of embarrassment on her face. “Do you play with this often, honey? ” “Not since I’ve had the real thing to amuse me.” She went to the bed and crawled to the center of the soft mattress. Max left the bed long enough to get rid of his own clothes, then he joined her.

Kaylee sighed softly as she leaned into Max’s kiss, the taste of his tongue waking about a million sparks of fire that burned along her nerve-endings as the pressure of his mouth grew hotter. His hands were everywhere, stroking and caressing her eager flesh. She gasped as their kiss ended and his mouth moved to her breasts, sucking intently on her nipples. She looked down and shivered at the sight of him licking her tits, his tongue moving all over the smooth mounds, coming back to their hard peaks to nibble, before laving them again. “Max?” “Stick this inside you, baby, ” he asked, handing her the vibrator. “Fuck your pussy for me.” She flicked the switch that would make the thing pulse inside her and slipped it into her wet heat. He grinned at the slick sound as she worked it in and out with growing speed, her hips rising and thrusting. He dug around in the bedside table while he watched her, and found what he was looking for—lubricant. “Get on your knees, Kaylee.” She handed him the vibrator and laughed when he licked it, then sucked it into his throat. He nudged her and she rolled onto her stomach and rose to her knees. She moaned loudly when Max stuck the vibrator into her with a suddenness that was startling. That thought dissolved into a wild surge of excitement when he started tonguing her tight hole while he fucked her with the dildo. “You know what I’m gonna do now, don’t you, honey? ” His voice was a growl of savage need. “Yes, Max, ” she forced the two words out, barely. “Are you okay with this, baby? ” “Whatever you want, Max, ” she answered. Max took the vibrator out, opened the lube and applied it generously to the dildo, then he positioned it at her anus, pushing the sticky head into her body very carefully. She trembled, but didn’t stop him, and he probed deeper. “It’s okay, Max, ” she rasped. “I want your cock, baby. ” He pushed the dildo into her ass and filled her in almost the same motion, and she screamed, not in pain but in raw, animal pleasure. Max’s body surged with excitement and he started fucking her in earnest, moving the artificial cock in smooth precise rhythm to match his own dick. Kaylee was whimpering and writhing, his name pouring from her with each thrust of his hips. “Kaylee!” He was sweating hard and his breathing was almost strangled. “What?” It was a long, low moan. “I want to put my cock in your ass, honey, ” he told her between labored gasps for air. “Then do it!” He slid the vibrator out and tossed it aside, then carefully angled his dick into her tight hole. The sensation of tight, tight heat almost made him pass out for several seconds. “Oh, Jesus!” “Fuck me, Max, ” she cried. Her hand snaked under her and fingers started working her clit as he began to slide in and out of her backside, his strokes slow and contained. His moans of absolute ecstasy were as exciting as the sensation of his thick cock buried so deeply inside her. She was bucking against him seconds later when orgasm sent her senses exploding outward and Max’s agonized groan was followed by a hot flood of

warmth pouring into her. It seemed like forever before they were able to breathe normally again. After a quick shower, they nestled in bed, and Kaylee curled into Max’s side. “I heard from my publisher today, ” she told him, her voice still thick with contentment. “And?” “They want the book. Maybe even a sequel. ” She grinned up at him. “Do you think you have a sequel to offer me, Max? ” “I’d be happy to work on it,” he laughed. He kissed her forehead, then smiled. “Why the title, Kaylee?” She twisted and rested her chin on his chest. “Well, the first time I walked into your bar, the music that was blaring was Tina Turner’s “Simply The Best”, and then I caught sight of you. That’s when the whole idea started to take shape. So… It seemed like the right title.” She laughed, and kissed his lips in a soft, loving caress. “Besides, Max, I know now that you are the best!” “Flattery like that is gonna get you anything you want, baby, ” he told her. “Hmmmm… I’ll keep that in mind, believe me!” Max laughed. “Go to sleep, baby.

Chapter 9 “You’re not serious,” Max laughed when she sat across the table from him and poured coffee. He put down his fork and waited for her to answer him. They were settled into their beach house, recently purchased from Roger Gilmore at a sizeable profit to him, and while life was better for Max than it had ever been, Kaylee still managed to surprise the hell out of him on a regular basis. “I have to work today, Max, ” she repeated, her grin impish, giving her the appearance of a mischievous child. “It’s Sunday. ” “And I have to have this presentation ready for tomorrow morning,” she replied quietly. “I’ve been working on it since we got back from Hawaii. ” “How long will it take?” “Why? You have a bar to run, remember?” “I was hoping you’d spend the day with me,” he admitted. “Baldwin’s been calling, and I think we need to talk.” She leaned back in her chair and eyed him closely for several minutes. He was right; she’d just been blinding herself to the need to look beyond the happiness she was presently feeling. “Okay, you win,” she decided. When his smile threatened to turn triumphant, she held up her hand. “There’s a condition, Commander,” she added sharply. Max’s eyebrow rose and he gestured for her to go on. “I’m still going to work,” she said firmly. “But, I will use your computer, and have your office for as long as I need it. Do we have a deal? ” “Only if you promise to take breaks,” he grinned. “Max, if you’re going to make this impossible, I’m staying right here—and you’re not!” “But, this is my home, Kaylee,” he reminded her with a grin. “Mine, too, sweetheart,” she returned. “And I need to work as well as…” “As well as?” Max challenged with a wicked gleam in his dark eyes. “Max, I intend to keep my clothes on for at least the next few hours, okay? ” Max held up his hands in mock surrender. “Whatever you want,” he murmured, and she had the distinct impression she hadn’t won in spite of his acquiescence. **** Max looked around his office in mild amazement. There were open files on every available space; classical music, enhanced by the howls of a wolf pack, hummed low and unobtrusive in the background; and Kaylee moved from the computer at his desk to the various file folders she’d brought with her. “What the hell are you planning with all this, a city block? “Nope.” She smiled up at him. “Just a new building complex. ” He shrugged and followed her back to the desk, his hands coming to rest on her

shoulders as she typed in another reference note to her proposal. “You’re supposed to be working in the bar,” Kaylee pointed out, glancing upward at him. “It’s lunch time,” he told her. “I want lunch. ” “Am I expected to prepare it, or complement it?” “You are it,” Max assured her. “Max. ” He ignored the hint of admonishment and sat on the edge of his desk, pulling her carefully from her chair to position her between his spread thighs. He leaned forward and kissed the shadowy hollow that her open neckline emphasized; his fingers were already working the buttons of her blouse. “Max, this is important,” she pleaded softly. “I’m almost finished.” “Then a short break isn’t going to put you behind,” he reasoned with a faintly leering grin. “Max!” He had her silk shirt unbuttoned and opened and was looking at her scarlet push-up bra. “And here you are pretending you don’t want me to notice your… assets,” he teased. “My “assets” are off limits at the moment,” she retorted with a laugh. “Oh, shit! Stop that, Max!” Her body shivered as his hands cupped her breasts and fondled, while his mouth started a slow, sensuous rediscovery of her neck. His lips continued their erotic trek upward until his mouth caught hers in a kiss that was hot and hungry. When she broke the caress with gasp, Max smiled at her. “Can you rearrange this paperwork, Kaylee?” “Sure. Why? ” Max turned and pushed everything to the edge of the desk, then he picked her up and sat her on the cleared surface. “Max, what the hell are you doing? ” He reached under her skirt and hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties, then tugged them downward. He slid the scrap of lace and silk past her ankles and dropped it on the desk, then he unzipped his jeans and pushed them, with his briefs, down to his knees. He smiled as he spread her legs wide and pulled her to the edge of the desktop. “I’m going to fuck you on my desk,” he informed her. “Why don’t you unhook that bra so I can look at your tits while we’re at it.” His jeans were at his feet now, and he stepped free of them. “Max…” He ran a finger along her slit and laughed. “C’mon, baby, you’re already wet and wanting.” She trembled when one of his long fingers started sliding in and out of her in slow strokes. She unhooked the bra and let it and the shirt slip from her shoulders. Max immediately ducked his head and caught one of her engorged nipples in his mouth, sucking leisurely on the ripe bud. “Max?” “What is it, Kaylee?” “My pussy really wants your cock, baby. ”

Max lifted her hips and thrust, buried fully in her tight heat in a single motion. Kaylee’s head fell back and her eyes closed as she let her body melt into his touch. She wrapped her legs around his waist and Max started a slow, steady rhythm, fully caught in the waves of rapture that flooded over him with each thrust into her slick, wet heat. “Max, you feel so good.” He slowed his body and lifted her into his arms. Still maintaining their joining, he walked to the couch and carefully knelt, lowering her onto the creaking leather while he stayed buried inside her. When they were comfortable and secure, he started building their rhythm again, and Kaylee met him thrust for thrust, urging him on with words and soft moans of agonized pleasure. Her hips rose as her climax hit and Max groaned at the sudden clench of her body around him; he pushed deep into her and while her muscles held him tight his orgasm crested and spilled into her rippling channel. He closed his eyes and their foreheads touched as sanity returned, and their bodies relaxed. “Max?” Her voice was soft and blurred with satisfaction. She kissed his cheek, then claimed his lips in a slow, sensual caress. “I love you. ” “I love you, too, Kaylee.” “Maybe we should get dressed now?” She made the suggestion with a grin, her fingers smoothing over the perfect planes of his face. “You really are gorgeous, Max, ” she murmured, and kissed him again. “Get dressed, baby, ” Max said a short while later. “We’ll go have lunch. ” “I thought I was lunch, ” she quipped. Max’s eyes raked over her when he stood up, and he smiled. She was so hot, and so utterly sexy that he was already itching to make love with her again. He shook his head. “When we get back, you’re dessert, honey. ” Kaylee’s laughter was low and seductive. “Oh, Max, ” she breathed softly. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this.” “Used to what?” He asked, pulling his pants into place and zipping them. He tossed her underwear to her and watched as she slipped into them. “You wanting me so much. ” She was about to put her bra on again, and Max took it from her and handed her the discarded shirt. “Max, for crying out loud. Give me that,” she demanded, reaching for the bra. He shook his head and laughed. “Just wear the shirt, honey, ” he requested. “You can practically see through the shirt,” she snapped. “I know, ” he grinned. “I want to see your tits,” he whispered. “I love it when your nipples get tight and beg for my attention. ” His fingers closed over her breasts and squeezed, caressing until her nipples were erect and pressing into his palms. “I don’t believe this,” he murmured, pressing her back to his chest so she could feel his cock, hard and eager already. “I want you again, baby. ” “Animal, ” she purred. “You drive,” she told him after she’d turned in his arms and covered his crotch with her hand. She rubbed the hard ridge of his arousal. “I’ll take care of this while you find a nice place for lunch. ” Max’s eyes darkened as she watched and he kissed her deeply. “If you’re planning what I hope you’re planning,” he said softly, “then lunch is going to be someplace quite a few miles from here.” “Well,” she replied, tone breathy with eroticism, “since I’m planning to suck your

cock the whole time, I hope it’s not too close by. ” Max groaned and they headed for his office, only to be stopped mid-step a moment later by the sound of angry pounding on the outside door to the bar. The playfulness left Max’s mood as she watched, and a cold chill rushed up her spine. “Stay here,” he directed, unconsciously adopting the tone he used to issue orders to his team. Kaylee recognized the change in his voice and merely nodded as he left the office. A nebulous chill kissed the back of her neck and she hugged herself tightly, stepping to the two-way glass to stare down into the barroom. Max disappeared from sight as he went to the front door and she unconsciously held her breath. He returned a moment later, and Kaylee jumped back, despite her knowledge that the window was a mirror on the other side so her presence was hidden. Three men had come into the bar, all heavily armed. The leader held a gun to Max’s back and spoke in a language that sounded familiar to Kaylee, but wasn’t clear enough for more than surface understanding that she did know it. Forcing her body to move, Kaylee silently went to Max’s desk. She kicked her purse beneath the desk, blanked the screen of her work, opened the top drawer and found his cell phone. She snatched the phone, then spotted the gun that was at the back of the drawer. Shaking, she took a deep breath and grabbed the weapon, too. She closed the drawer and glanced around. The only immediate escape was the hall, or the bathroom that adjoined the office. Footsteps in the short corridor made the decision for her and she darted into the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind her. **** Max waited, every nerve in his body alive and alert. He didn’t ha ve to understand the language being spoken to know that the man at his back was issuing orders to have the bar searched. He schooled his face to careful neutrality, and hoped that Kaylee would escape with her life. His stare never wavered as one of the black-clad intruders went into his office. **** Kaylee watched through the crack in the nearly closed door, her heartbeat roaring so loudly in her ears she was certain it would give away her location to the man who prowled Max’s office. He came toward her and she waited, dread creating a cold sweat between her shoulder blades. The door began to move inward and she stood behind it, flattened to the wall, mentally pleading for a miracle. It came. A shout from the bar ended his intrusion, the cursory glance he gave the room all the attention he deigned to waste. She waited again. Several minutes passed in silence before she flipped open the cell phone and dialed. **** “Nothing, Muammar.”

An instant later the second of the men returned and nodded his agreement with his partner’s assessment. Max ignored them, his mind already searching for a way out, and an explanation for how Kaylee had escaped detection. There was also the detail of the Whitney Wolverine he kept in his desk. Kaylee’s Christmas gift to him whe n they’d known each other several months and celebrated the holiday together for the first time. It wouldn’t have been overlooked in a search, which meant she must have the weapon in her possession. That thought didn’t comfort him in the slightest—Kaylee hated guns; the necessity of her actually having to use one wasn’t something Max wanted to face. “What’s this about?” he asked casually, the conversation an automatic reaction, something he was hardly aware of as he measured the men who’d taken him so unexpectedly. “We’re here for Windsor,” the leader of the trio announced. Max’s eyebrows rose and he laughed. “Your Intel’s a little dated, gentlemen, ” he replied, tone ironic and sincerely surprised. “He retired awhile back.” “Then you will tell us where we can find him,” Muammar smiled without warmth, his heavily accented voice adding distinct threat to the simple statement. “I don’t think so,” Max answered with feigned regret. His reward for the refusal was a sharp blow to the lower part of his back. He stumbled forward, gasping. **** “Damn!” Kaylee glared at the phone and broke the ringing connection. She’d tried Tommy and Marg, neither of them was answering, only their services. She didn’t know how to reach Kevin Johnston. She thought, desperately; and finally gave up. She dialed another number, and waited. A few rings into the call a sleepy voice mumbled into the phone. “T.J.! Thank God. I need to reach Carter. Tell me how?” “Kaylee?” “Yes, how do I get through to him, T.J.? It’s urgent.” “What’s happened to the commander?” The sleep had left his voice and it was calm and controlled, comforting. “Nothing, yet,” she responded in a harsh whisper. “I can’t reach Tommy or Marg. I don’t know who else to call. I’m in the bar, and Max’s being held at gunpoint downstairs. They haven’t found me yet.” “Leave it with me,” he assured her. “Stay put, Kaylee,” he added firmly. She flipped the phone shut when the line went dead, and huddled in the corner, the gun awkwardly held in her free hand. **** “He’s still not here,” Max told the intruders, once he’d caught his breath and was able to stand up straight again. “This does not have to be your last day, Commander Richmonte,” the group leader laughed.

“Glad to hear it,” Max answered. The man the others had addressed as Muammar walked to the bar and picked up a telephone. He brought the instrument back and offered it to Max. “Call him, Commander,” he ordered. “And you can go back to whatever it is you do here.” **** Kaylee’s heart all but leapt from her chest when the low chirp of the cell phone sounded. She dragged in a gasp of air and flipped open the phone. “Kaylee?” Tears flooded her eyes and she nodded, before realizing the wordless response couldn’t be understood. “Carter, someone has Max downstairs. I’ve been listening from his office. They’re speaking Arabic among themselves. I think they’re looking for T.J.,” she concluded. “How is it you recognize Arabic, Kaylee?” “I used to study languages. I wanted to be a translator in a former life. If you must know, I speak half dozen different languages, fluently. ” He accepted the information without comment. “How many are there?” “Three that I’ve seen. ” “Do they know he’s not alone?” “No.” “I’ve called the team,” he told her gently. “Stay hidden. We’ll get you both out, I promise.” She smiled at his kindness. “You know better than to make that kind of promise, Carter,” she reminded him in a tone that was warm and mild chiding. His ironic chuckle held the same warmth, and she smiled unconsciously. “Thank you. ” “Keep the pho ne close, honey, ” he advised, then broke the connection. **** “Who sent you here?” Max asked, ignoring the proffered phone. “Don’t force me to make this a most unpleasant meeting, Commander,” Muammar smiled, his eyes betraying just how much he would enjoy inflicting suffering on the American officer. Max shook his head, and braced for more pain… **** Kaylee bit the side of her hand as she watched Max being battered to the floor. She felt the reverberations of his agony and her stomach churned in shared anguish. She almost dropped the phone when it sounded, its tone muted from inside her pocket. “Yes?” “Hey, darlin’.” She forced herself to turn away from the window and forget Max for a moment. Tommy’s smooth, casual tone was ridiculously soothing and reassuring.

“They’re beating him,” she whispered. “They want T.J., and he won’t cooperate.” “Where are you? ” “The office.” “Do you know where the command center is?” “The basement, but I don’t know how to reach it.” “There’s a door at the back of the office,” he told her. “Looks like it leads to a receiving entrance. Get to it,” he directed. “Keep this connection open. ” She’d reached the door as they spoke and now peered intently into the hallway. The three intruders were fully occupied with their assault. She took a deep breath, closed the door again, then darted toward the rear of the club. She dared to breathe. “What now, Tommy?” “Open the panel on the wall.” “Got it,” she answered. “It’s the lighting panel? ” “Move the bottom right switch to the right.” She did it, and shook her head when the panel shifted downward to reveal the keypad and scanner of a security access system. “I’m not in the security system here,” she told him, faintly dismayed. “Marg entered the codes,” Tommy informed her. “My guess is she’s got you in, probably the same code as your house.” “If you’re wrong?” “Then Max’s guests will know he’s not alone. Your call.” She punched in her home code, then pressed the ball of her thumb to the flickering panel. When the low click of the locking mechanism sounded, she bit her bottom lip and swallowed a cry of relief. “What do I do now?” she asked, once she’d closed the door behind her. “Nothing,” he answered immediately. “Nothing!” “You’re safe where you are.” “Max isn’t!” she snapped, her husky voic e roughening with the depth of her anger and fear. “We’re going to get Max out,” Tommy reasoned gently. “It’ll be a lot easier with you…” Kaylee broke the connection and punched in T.J.’s number; a few seconds later, his welcome voice growled into her ear. “It’s Kaylee…” “Yeah, I know, ” he stated, tone short. “Tommy’s already told me. They’re on the way.” He paused, then added; “Stay where you are, Kaylee. Max’s going to be as worried about you as you are about him.” “I have to do something, T.J.,” she insisted, though she knew the moment the words were out that she hadn’t a clue precisely what it was she could offer in the way of help. “You don’t do anything, Kaylee!” T.J. snapped, this time giving the simple words the tone of an order. “The Commander’s gonna need to stay sharp, and if you get yourself…” “I get the point!” Angry, she ended the conversation and slipped the phone back into her pocket. It was hardly out of her hand when it rang again. “This is going to be a lot easier if we can all talk,” Marg announced when she

answered. “See if there’s a headset in the command center.” Kaylee searched the desk and found what she was looking for. Marg told her how to activate the communications link, and she had it in place and operating a few seconds later. “Can you hear anything at all?” “Kaylee?” It was Tommy’s voice again, concern and impatience making his tone curt. **** “Sayid, help Commander Richmonte to a chair,” Muammar directed with morbid friendliness. Max bit back a groan of pain as he was hauled to his feet and flung onto a chair. Seconds later his hands were securely bound, then his feet. He knew the instant his head was jerked back with a solid yank that the pain was just beginning. This was the moment that Muammar had been anticipating; been hoping for, even. Max was startled when the Libyan solider slid a small handgun from a holster at his back. He smiled, and allowed Max to see the gun clearly. “An impressive weapon, wouldn’t you agree, Commander Richmonte?” He turned the gun casually, permitting Max to identify it: an expensive German Heckler and Koch, a smooth- firing weapon that was lightweight, compact, and used 9mm cartridges, 8 of them. Lethal, and perversely elegant. Max braced for the blow, expecting it to land in the vicinity of his temple. Muammar didn’t disappoint him. The bar grew hazy and grey for indeterminable seconds, then slowly swam into focus, albeit wavering focus. He was dimly aware of angry voices, and a rush of words in a language he didn’t understand.

Chapter 10 “Marg? ” “I’m here, Kaylee,” she answered immediately. “I have Max’s gun, the one I gave him. How the hell do I use it?” “Kaylee! Stay put.” She ignored Tommy’s annoyance. “What’s happening? ” Marg questioned calmly. “They’re having a rather loud discussion about who is going to kill Max. I’m not planning to wait for the winner to be decided.” There was enough ice and steel in her voice to alert the mercenary team to her rage; and to the futility of trying to reason with her. “Marg? ” Kaylee was making her way back to the rear door that she’d used to gain access to the basement. Half her mind was already preoccupied with controlling the fear that wanted to paralyze her; the other listened as Marg quietly and dispassionately took her through the steps of checking the clip, taking off the safety, and a few encouraging words about actually pulling the trigger. “We’re less than five minutes away, ” Kevin inserted into the static lull that followed Marg’s instructions. “In five minutes he may be dead,” Kaylee replied with patently false detachment. She said a silent prayer, took a deep breath, and slipped back into the corridor that would lead her to the main room of the bar. **** Max knew his time had just run out. Whatever they wanted with T.J. had now become secondary to killing him. The sounds of tires screeching broke the unnatural silence and he dared to breathe again. A blunt order was issued; Muammer’s two comrades headed for the doors, front and back. Max stared at the remaining man for a split-second, already seeing the bullet in his mind’s eye. The gun rose, and the air exploded with the report of a single shot. Seconds later, several others ripped through the club, then the silence deepened in aftershock. Max’s senses reeled when his look shifted from the dead man at his feet to the cringing figure less than two yards away. His stomach churned wildly, and he cursed furiously when he tried to move and couldn’t. Tommy burst into the room, gun raised, eyes everywhere. “Sir?” “There were only three of them, ” Richmonte ground out, tearing his hands free the instant the sniper loosened the cords that bound him. Marg and Kevin slipped into the room from the corridor, nodding in response to his unasked question. **** Kaylee slid down the wall, shaking violently as the bar faded in and out of clear

focus. The noise still rang in her ears, deafening… raging… condemning… Her awareness was erratic, she heard the voices of her friends, but they didn’t quite reach her. **** “Max, ” Marg touched his arm and held him back when he would have gone directly to Kaylee. “Give her a few minutes,” she advised, her voice barely above a whisper; pale blue eyes filled with apprehension. Tommy and Kevin glanced at each other, uneasy and awkward in a situation that neither would have flinched at under normal circumstances. “Kaylee?” She looked up at Max’s soft murmur, her expression shaky. Marg went to her side, bent, and took the gun from her limp fingers. Kaylee’s gaze moved to her and she slowly climbed back to her feet, only then aware that she was no longer standing. “Is he dead?” Tommy nodded when he saw that her look had fallen on him. She winced, and hugged herself, chilled. For a few heartbeats she stared at Muammer’s still body, her gaze fixated on the seeping stain of blood that was spreading over the floor. She shuddered, then turned away, running for the sanctuary of Max’s office. Marg’s cell phone chirped and she reached into a pocket, answered it, then handed it to Max. “It’s Baldwin.” He took the phone and walked the few paces to the bar, rubbing the back of his neck and wincing at the stabbing pain his action woke through his body. He was going to be painted with a vivid array of colorful bruises by day’s end. **** Kaylee looked around the office for minutes that felt eternal, then gradually forced herself into motion. She refused to think about what had happened; and made her mind concentrate on the simple process of gathering her work. She had blueprints rolled and her briefcase closed when she sat at the desk and stared at the door. She stuffed her hands into her pockets, felt the small weight of the cell phone and took it out. She put it back in the drawer, and left the headset from the command center next to it. A short while later she was about to reach for the doorknob when the panel swung open and Max stood in front of her. She had her briefcase in one hand, the blueprints tucked in the crook of her other arm. Max took the bundle from her, confusion written all over his handsome features. “Where are you going?” “Home,” she whispered. “I need to finish this presentation. I told you that.” He touched her chin, made her look up at him, and she shut her eyes, refusing to comply with his need to see what was in her heart. “Let me go, Max, ” she pleaded softly. “I can’t stay here right now. I can’t.” His touch fell away and she lifted the books from his hands again. “I’ll drive you…”

“No!” It was too sharp, and she stepped back, out of his mesmerizing orbit. “No,” she repeated, quieter, calmer. “I’ll call you later. I just want to be alone. To clear my head.” He didn’t know how to deny the request, despite his certainty that the last thing she needed was to be alone. She didn’t wait for his response, she darted past him, and headed for the rear exit to avoid the rest of his team. Her steps faltered briefly when she almost tripped over the body of another of the dead men. Biting back a scream that felt more like a sob, she flung the door open and headed for her car. **** Max leaned back in his chair, careful not to stretch too ma ny still aching muscles; his bruises were only hours old, and they hurt like hell. The bar was packed, and he’d been bumped and jostled so often in the couple of hours he’d spent tending to his business that he’d finally sought the haven of his office. The quiet had helped ease some of the pulsing headache, and one by one he’d dealt with the members of his mercenary team, and their less than subtle concern for him. He appreciated their caring, but he was too worried about Kaylee Masterson at the moment to be preoccupied with himself. Kevin had passed her house on his way down the coast and had told Max that he’d seen her on the beach. So far, she hadn’t made the promised call to Max, and he was growing more concerned with each hour that it was delayed. The ringing of the phone distracted him, and he glanced at the instrument, surprised to see it was his security line; not the one that would have been picked up down at the bar. He snatched it and settled back again. “Richmonte.” “Commander. How are you, sir?” Max smiled, genuinely pleased. “I’m fine, T.J. How’s Hawaii?” “Never better,” was the laughing reply. T.J. paused for a second. “Is Kaylee around?” “No. She wanted a few hours alone,” Max told him. “Have you tried the house?” “I’ve been trying to reach her all evening. I figured she’d be staying close to you after what went down. ” Max straightened in his chair, alert and tense. “She left here hours ago, T.J. I thought she’d call you as soon as she got home. That’s why I let her go.” He had assumed that she’d turn to T.J. automatically; their friendship, and Windsor’s past with Max, made him the logical choice for her to reach out to in her confusion and fear. Max had no illusions about what this had cost her in emotional terms; but Marg had been firm in her declaration that if he pushed, Kaylee would bolt. Again there was a hesitation before T.J. spoke. “What happened, Commander?” “She killed one of the tangos before the others arrived.” He could have said more, but there was little point in details; T.J. understood her better than Max did in many ways. “I’ll be in touch in about an hour, I’m going to see if she’s home and not answering the phone.”

He hung up and rubbed at his eyes, suddenly suffering an entirely new set of aches, internal hurts and fears that wanted to give way to the smoldering rage that had possessed him from the minute his bar had been invaded by the rogue Libyan soldiers. A few minutes later, he was in his car and headed for home. **** Kaylee stifled a yawn as tiredness threatened to make her collapse. Her knees had been none too steady for the past eight hours, and the long flight to D.C. had drained what little reserves of energy she’d still had left. She handed the smiling hotel bellman an overly generous tip, and closed the door quickly. He’d been almost too helpful, and she wanted silence, not chit-chat that was meant to impress her but fell far short of the intended mark. The day had been a true nightmare for her, but there had been comfort in the flight to DC, the simplicity of it had been welcome. She was having a hard time adjusting to certain aspects of Max Richmonte and his unusual life. He had no real family outside his team, but in Carter Baldwin was the essence of a father, and Kaylee needed to know that part of her lover’s life, even if was only a shadow of what the reality might have been. Carter knew Max better than anyone, and he knew the business involved. She could have talked to Max about her fear, and the grief that was tormenting her, but she suspected they’d end up making love. While that was a pleasant enough refuge, what she needed was perspective. That required some distance and an objective eye, both things that were readily available in Carter’s presence. The shower beckoned, and she decided to indulge. She passed through the cozy sitting room of the small suite, tossed her overnight case on the bed and began to strip off her travel clothes as she headed for the bathroom. **** Max slumped in an armchair and brooded in the silence of her house. He’d been waiting several hours, and there was still no sign of her returning. He’d checked with her answering service, and their neighbors. No one knew where she was. He’d checked the security systems, and knew she’d come home at some point. There was nothing to suggest that anything out of the ordinary had taken her from the house. His mind wouldn’t shut down, and he finally decided to go to bed and wait. He placed a short call to the Silver Star, told Janelle to lock up, then headed for the bedroom. **** It took nearly two hours of phone calls to finally reach the man she wanted to speak to, and Kaylee’s nerves were frayed to the very limits of her composure when Carter Baldwin’s voice came on the line. “I don’t think it would be this difficult to contact the President,” she said in exasperation. “Kaylee?” She heard laughter and surprise in his voice, and smiled in spite of her edgy mood. “Why didn’t you use my private number?”

“I don’t know it, Carter,” she informed him pertly. “T.J. called you this morning, not me.” It could have been simple, if she’d wanted to call one of Max’s friends to get the number, but she wasn’t ready for them to know where she’d gone. “What can I do for you, honey? ” Baldwin asked warmly. “Is your wife expecting you home for dinner?” He paused, and she could feel the change in his manner before he asked; “Where are you, Kaylee?” “About a mile from your office, if you’re in the Pentagon? ” “Is Max with you?” “Max doesn’t even know I’m not in San Diego,” she admitted. “I’ll send a car for you, ” Carter said after another brief hesitation. “Why don’t you come here,” she requested. “We can talk privately while we eat. I need to talk to you, Carter,” she added, unable to keep her voice completely steady. “I’ll be there in about twenty minutes,” he assured her and she told him the name of the hotel she was staying in. **** “Dinner was lovely, Kaylee,” Baldwin said with a smile as he sat on the sofa and she handed him a drink. She curled up in a chair that faced him, thoughtful and uneasy. “You haven’t said much, ” he observed after several moments passed in expectant quiet. “Tell me about Max, ” she asked. “You know him better than I do, honey, ” Carter replied with sincere affection. “The things I know about Max have very little to do with what you know about him. I need to know that part of him, too, Carter. If I can really understand it, maybe I won’t be so afraid all the time.” She bit her lip then sighed heavily. “He’s a stranger in so many ways. Like there are two different people living in the same body, and I only know one face in many. I know you’ve asked him to go back to work for you, and he’s considering it.” “Max’s a highly trained killer, Kaylee,” Baldwin said with surprising candor. “He’s the best at what he does, and I’m damn glad he’s on our side and not one of the enemy.” “I do know that, Carter,” she whispered. “If I’d had any doubts, they were put to rest today. I saw it, clearly, in all of them. Tommy, Marg, Kevin. It’s a job they do. They were so calm. So detached.” “And you weren’t?” he guessed, correctly. She laughed, a harsh spurt of bitter irony. “Detached? Very. I thought I was going to lose my mind when I saw those men attacking Max. There was nothing rational or…” “It’s not your job, Kaylee,” he inserted into her frightened pause. “You weren’t trained to handle weapons and life or death situations. You’re not a killer.” Her eyebrows rose, and again there was nothing but irony in her tone when she spoke, her smile cool, masque- like. “But I am, now, ” she breathed smoothly. Baldwin measured her barely contained emotions, his mind and heart responding to her turmoil on many levels. She was frightened, and that fear dominated everything else she was presently feeling. It was what had driven her to him; to the man she saw as Max

Richmonte's mentor and father figure. She was more than a little bit correct in her assessment of their friendship. In many ways, he’d grown closer to Kaylee Masterson than he was to his own daughters, and he knew without doubt that it was Max she really needed close to her tonight. “Is that what scares you? That you killed a man?” “Isn’t that enough? ” “Did you have a choice?” She shook her head, then shrugged. “There’s always a choice. I could have let them murder Max. If you count that as a choice.” He didn’t. “And you’d do it again.” “In a heartbeat,” she replied without an instant of reflection. “That’s what terrifies me. How easy it was to take someone’s life from them. All I could think about was losing Max.” Her fragile, over-strained composure shattered with the words and she tried not to choke on the scream that suddenly wanted to burst from her. She closed her eyes, tried vainly to stem the tide of tears, and sobbed quietly when Baldwin’s hands pulled her from her chair and led her to the sofa. He sat next to her and she curled into his arms, crying uncontrollably. **** It was the middle of the night and Max paced the house, sipping coffee. He didn’t bother with lights. He was standing in the kitchen, at the French doors, looking down at the pounding surf of the ocean, when the phone rang; he grabbed it off the counter and activated it. “Kaylee!” “Max?” He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. “Baldwin, I have a situation here, can this wait?” Carter laughed lightly. “I think I might have what you’re looking for, Max, ” he told the younger man. Max listened, vaguely confused, as the Director’s cell phone audibly changed hands. “Max?” He sank into a chair when she spoke. “Where are you? ” he snapped, the words sharp and tense. “Washington, ” she whispered, her voice still raspy with the after-effect of a torrent of tears shed on Baldwin’s shoulder. “I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon. ” “Are you all right?” It was ridiculous question, but he couldn’t prevent it from escaping him. “Better now, ” she murmured quietly. “How are you? ” “Tired.” “Go to bed,” she laughed gently. “I’ll explain everything tomorrow. ” “Let me talk to Baldwin again. ” As he waited, Max heard the phone change hands again, and Kaylee’s soft, “Goodnight, Carter.” Then, a door closed quietly, and Bald win came back on the line. “How is she, really?”

“She’s going to be fine, Max, ” Baldwin assured him. “Then why is she in a hotel room in Washington, with you, in the middle of the damn night!” Baldwin’s laughter wasn’t the response Max was prepared for, no r was he in the mood to be the butt of the Security Director’s amusement. “You and Kaylee have a helluva lot more in common than either of you realizes,” Carter noted dryly. “Jealousy, for one thing. She’s a beautiful woman, Max, but she is not the slightest bit interested in any man other than you. ” “What did she want from you? ” Max asked, mollified in spite of the preposterous spurt of irrational anger that had evoked his previous statement. “She wanted to talk about you, ” Baldwin answered after a few moments of considered silence. “What?” “She’s scared, Max, ” Baldwin said quietly. “Under the circumstances that’s not surprising, or difficult to understand.” “Why didn’t she talk to me?” “What would you have told her?” Not much, his mind supplied instantly. “That’s what I thought,” Baldwin murmured into the momentary lull, distinct irony in his tone. “Well, what exactly did you tell her?” Max demanded, irritated all over again. “To talk to you about it,” he smiled. “And now I’m going home. I’ll see that’s she’s safely on board the first flight out in the morning. ” “Let me know when she’s due in,” Max asked. He was about to hang up when he stopped and smiled. “Thanks, Baldwin. ” Baldwin laughed quietly then broke the connection. He rose, and was at the door when the adjoining one opened. Kaylee stood motionless for a moment, then came back into the sitting room of the suite. “Stay for awhile, Carter,” she asked softly. Baldwin was thoughtful as he met and held her grey eyes with his. Fear was a neartangible entity that enshrouded her and filled the space that separated them. He loosened his tie and took off his jacket as he went back into the room and sat on the couch. While he called his wife, Kaylee called her assistant in San Diego and told him to reschedule a morning conference call. **** “Where is she?” Max looked up from his desk, eyes narrowing for a moment when he met the challenge in Tommy’s flashing hazel eyes. “Washington. ” He decided to answer casually, choosing concern as Tommy’s motivation for the demand, rather than look for something that could cause unnecessary problems in his life. “She went to see Baldwin. ” The surprise on Donovan’s face made Max smile in spite of his tension. “She wanted to talk.” “And not to one of us.” Max shrugged and leaned back in his chair, watching Tommy come into the office. He scooped the basketball out of an armchair and sat, spinning the ball between his

hands. “She gonna be able to handle what happened here yesterday, sir?” He didn’t look at Max when he spoke, but met the steady brown gaze squarely as he waited for a reply. Max had been wondering that himself, and he still didn’t have an honest feel for what might be the reality of the aftermath. Kaylee was a designer, not a mercenary. She hated violence and guns. She could, conceivably, not want to see any of them again. “I hope so, Tommy, ” he said quietly. “Have you heard from T.J.?” Max nodded. “Several times.” “What’s he think?” They both knew T.J. might be better able to gauge her emotional state than any of the m presently could. “That she’s looking for answers, trying to make sense of what we do.” Tommy laughed shortly. “If she finds an answer for that one, Commander, tell her to let me in on it.” “I’ll do that, Tommy,” Max smiled. “When’s she due in?” “I’m waiting for a call from Baldwin. ”

Chapter 11 Max paced in restless agitation, glancing incessantly at his watch, then at the arrival gate. Passengers had been filing into the terminal for the past twenty minutes, but Kaylee hadn’t been among them. Baldwin had said that he’d put her on the flight personally. Max ran his hands over his hair and started to go in search of the information desk. As he turned, he spotted her. His relief was muted by annoyance when he saw she was walking with a man who, from Max’s vantage point, appeared to be a little too interested in impressing her. Kaylee looked tired and distracted. She smiled, albeit weakly, and caught her flight bag as it began to slide from her shoulder. Her companion, a tanned, sun-bleached, smiling surfer-stereotype, made a grab to assist her, and she physically pulled back a step. She was shaking her head and thanking the young man when Max met them. He reached over and lifted the bag from her shoulder, slinging it over his own as he nodded to the other man. “Max, ” Kaylee took his hand and held it as she leaned up to kiss his lips very briefly. “I didn’t expect you to be here.” Max smiled, but he wasn’t looking at her; he was measuring the unreasonable amount of hostility in the stranger’s dark green eyes. “Ms. Masterson, ” the young man turned his attention back to Kaylee and inclined his head curtly. “I hope we’ll have a chance to talk again.” “I’ll look forward to it, Scott,” she assured him. Max heard the lie in her voice and waited until they were well away from the stranger before he spoke again. “Who was that?” “Scott Edwards. He was in the seat next to me,” she said, too tired to feel any aggravation at the demand in his tone. “I asked to move, but the flight was full. He was very pleasant, but too talkative.” “Does he know where to find you? ” He tossed her case into the back seat of his car and opened the door for her. When he was behind the wheel again and they were leaving the airport, he glanced at her. “Kaylee?” “He’s a student,” she answered and leaned back, eyes closed. “He wants to intern at my office.” Max wasn’t cheered by her announcement. It wasn’t jealousy; he told himself that repeatedly. It was a gut level reaction to the guy’s interest in her, and his response to Max’s unanticipated presence. “Max?” He stopped at a red light and looked at her. “How are you? ” He almost laughed, but her eyes were fixed on the angry gash near his right temple, and the bruise that was fanning out around it. Wait 'til she saw the rest of him, some macabre voice inside him mocked. “It’s not as bad it looks, honey, ” he said with a smile.

“I saw what they did to you, Max, ” she chided gently, averting her eyes as they moved into afternoon traffic. “I should have done something…” She wasn’t aware of having spoken aloud until he pulled off the highway and cut the engine. “Look at me, Kaylee.” The tone brooked no argument, and she didn’t have the strength to fight with him had she wanted to. She shifted in her seat, stared intently at him; at his impossibly handsome, beloved face. Filled with too many erratic emotions, Kaylee leaned over, wrapped her arms around his neck, and tried not to cry as she clung. “I was so afraid of losing you, Max, ” she murmured shakily. “I know what you did, but it didn’t seem real. Until yesterday. ” She gulped in air and tried to still the trembling that shook her. Max’s hands held her face, fingers tangled in the windswept mane of her hair as he pulled her into a fierce kiss. Kaylee clutched at him, desperate to hold him as close as she possibly could, for as long as could. Weariness and fear warred with passion and need. Eventually Max eased back and kissed her forehead, his breathing faintly strained. “You should have stayed with me,” he said roughly. She kissed him again, light, breathy whispers of contact that covered his features, and ended at his mouth as her tongue traced his lips then slid between them in an intimate, provocative caress. Long minutes later, she reluctantly left the shelter of his embrace and settled again, a heavy sigh escaping her as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. **** Kaylee was restless and agitated, her mood dark and brooding. She gave up and tossed back the bed linen. It took less than five minutes to find where Max had dropped her flight bag and change her clothes. The beach beckoned, and she strolled in that direction, walking aimlessly while her chaotic thoughts slowed and gradually began to flow into some semblance of reason again. Each time she ran the events of the previous day through her mind, her heart brought her back to the same inevitable conclusion—if she had waited, Max would have died. And waiting would only have laid the responsibility for Muammer’s death on someone else’s shoulders. The Libyan soldier would still be dead; she suspected Tommy would have shot first, and asked questions later. None of it really mattered in the aftermath. She had taken a life to save one she cherished. There had been no choice. Carter had patiently spent a number of hours drilling that into her head. She sighed, lifted her hair off her shoulders and let the ocean breeze pour over her in soothing waves. The aches of exhaustion were stealing her stamina rapidly, and she forced her lethargic limbs to move on. She almost passed a small coffee bar, reconsidered and went inside. **** The bar hadn’t changed a bit, but somehow every inch of it felt different when Kaylee walked in. The early evening crowd was just starting to fill the place, but it might as well have been empty as she continued into the main room. In her mind, she saw Max tied to a chair, defenseless as a gun was pointed at him. The remembered explosion of

sound deafened her, and the shock of seeing the soldier fall made her sway for an instant. “Kaylee?” She shook off the ice and anxiety, focused on the shyly smiling bartender who had come to a halt at her side. “Are you okay? ” Janelle asked, concern flickering over her lovely face. “Yeah, I’m fine,” Kaylee replied with a crooked smile. “Is Max in? ” Janelle nodded, and watched her for a moment as she headed for Max’s closed office door. “It’s open. ” Kaylee smiled and went into the office, closing the door behind her. “I thought you’d sleep through the night,” Max remarked when he looked up to see Kaylee placing a cup of coffee on his desk. She took the lid off the second cup she held and sipped at it as she walked to the two-way glass that overlooked the bar. “I should be asleep,” she said after a long hesitation. “But, I can’t seem to make my mind shut down. ” Max picked up his coffee, opened it, and went to stand beside her. They drank in silence for several minutes, with him covertly observing the shifts of emotion that she couldn’t hope to hide from him. ‘They drank in silence for several minutes while they looked out over the activity in the bar, Kaylee’s face reflecting her thoughts while Max covertly observed the shifts of emotion that played across her features. A small frown knitted her arched brows. “It doesn’t look any different,” she noted quietly. “So why does it feel different now?” Her eyes scanned the rooms as if looking for scars left by the bloodshed she remembered. “Violence leaves an imprint that doesn’t go away for the people who’ve lived through it,” he answered thoughtfully. “I doubt your view of the bar has changed the way mine has.” She stated with a selfdeprecating smile. “I’ve lived through a lot more violence than you have,” Max said, his eyes scanning the crowd. Even as he spoke, his spine tingled with recalled fear and made a lie of his casual dismissal of the previous day’s events. Kaylee went on surveying the crowd and drinking her coffee. Max scrutinized her, his sharp gaze missing none of the changes in her. Her profile was rigid with tension; there were lines of fatigue etched into her face; her eyes were alternately dulled and tearbright with the shift of her thoughts, and she was visibly shaking as she tried to fight mental and physical exhaustion. “Have you eaten anything since yesterday? ” “Carter had dinner with me last night,” she murmured vaguely. Which did and didn’t answer his question, he thought wryly. Max took her cup and deposited both on a nearby table, then he put his arm around her shoulders and led her from the office. Five minutes later they were in his old apartment. “Go take a shower while I make dinner,” he advised and nudged her in the direction of the bathroom. “Go on, ” he added with a grin when she stared at him. A tiny smile flitted across her features, then she obediently headed for the bathroom. Less than a half hour later, Max turned to find her standing in the doorway of his

compact kitchen. He smiled, an expression that swiftly became a grin as his look swept over her; she was wrapped in his robe, a garment that was too big for her and gave her the appearance of a little girl. Her make-up was scrubbed away and her hair still showed ample signs of wetness despite the blow dryer he’d heard running minutes earlier. She took his breath away. “Can I help?” Her voice was rougher than usual; whether it was tiredness or awareness of the sexual tension they created in a room, Max wasn’t certain. He indicated the table; it was set already. “Light the candles, and pour the wine.” “I think there’s a romantic lurking somewhere inside the mercenary, ” she laughed quietly. “Maybe,” Max agreed and kissed her temple when he came to a halt at her back and leaned over to put a plate at her setting. He continued to his side of the small table and waited for her to sit. “This looks wonderful, Max, ” she said softly, her smile more genuine than it had been since arriving back on the west coast. “You sound surprised,” he teased. “Maybe,” she tossed back with a grin. They ate in comfortable quiet for awhile, and Max wondered if it was wise to make her talk about the incident that had sent her running to Washington, putting an entire country between them in her fear and confusion. “You haven’t said much about yesterday, ” Max broached the subject carefully, keeping a close watch on her reaction to the topic. Kaylee swallowed the last tasty bite of her omelet, washed it down with a mouthful of the sparkling wine, then met his expectant eyes. “I don’t really know what to say, Max,” she confessed with a slight shrug of one shoulder. “Carter and T.J. have listened…” “I haven’t,” he said firmly, interrupting the dismissal he felt coming in her words. “Kaylee,” he coaxed, “I owe you my life because of yesterday, but I do know that it cost you some part of yourself, baby. ” “Nothing that I wouldn’t give again if circumstances forced me to choose,” she replied, her voice low but shaded with unmistakable conviction. “Do we have to talk about this right now?” she asked after several awkward and tense moments. Max hesitated, weighed his options; and what might result if he pushed too hard. He finally shook his head. “No,” he acquiesced with a smile. He leaned back in his chair and watched her pour the last of the wine into his glass. She rose and cleared the table while he savored her presence and the simple enjoyment of having her in his life. When she was done, she joined him on the sofa and she curled into his side. She yawned and kissed the side of his neck. “Aren’t you supposed to be running a bar?” He nodded. “So why are you here?” “Are you throwing me out?” “No,” she laughed. “But you do own a business.” She giggled in spite of her attempts not to. Another huge yawn caught her and she gave him an apologetic, if somewhat

dopey smile once she’d shaken off the wave of sleepiness. “Time to put you to bed,” Max decided, and pulled her to her feet when he stood. “Are you going back to work?” She slid between the sheets and settled on the far side of the bed, still wrapped in his robe. The room was shadowy; he hadn’t bothered to turn on a light, but Max heard the tiniest quiver of uneasiness in her voice and shook his head. He offered her a soft, ‘no’ , in response to her question. When he’d undressed and climbed into bed next to her, Kaylee moved into his arms and was asleep in minutes. Quietly, he picked up the phone, asked Marg to close the bar, then reached for the television remote control. It was nearly 1 A.M. when Kaylee stirred again. Max felt her pull away from him, glanced over and saw his robe being shed. With only the light from the television in the room, Kaylee’s naked skin looked silvery for a moment before she slipped back into bed and curled into his side again. “Will Carter want you to go there?” she asked, looking directly at him, not the news broadcast he was watching. “Iraq? I don’t know, ” he shrugged. “How long have you been awake?” “Not long, ” she murmured and smiled as she shifted her position to a seat across his hips. His sharp intake of breath chased the playful grin from her face and she leaned over to snap on the bedside lamp. Concern flooded her features and she skimmed his body with fingers that barely touched him. “My God! Max…” His torso was a dramatic array of vivid bruises, in colors that ranged from purple-black to shades of blue and angry red. “I told you it looks worse than it is,” he said instantly. When tears of empathetic pain slid from her eyes, Max eased her down to meet his kiss, determined to forget the beating he’d taken the previous day—determined not to have her relive it while he watched her fear resurface. She tried to move off him and he held her where she was, his hands smoothing familiar curves with sensual purpose. “Max…” He ignored her attempted protest, rolled over and quickly had her pinned beneath him. “Max, we don’t have to do this.” He laughed. “Yeah, honey, we do, because the only thing that’s gonna make me forget how much I hurt is having my dick buried in your lovely pussy. ” He grinned in the subdued light of the room. “Plus, if I remember correctly, you promised me you were going to suck my cock before we were interrupted in the bar.” “So, what do you want me to do right now?” His tongue was tracing circles around one of her nipples, and he was doing wonderful things to her pussy with his fingers. “Tell me you want me.” “I want you, Max. ” “How much? ” At least two of his fingers were sliding in and out of her in a slow, steady rhythm, and his thumb was working her clit in the same sensuous strokes, pushing her into a writhing frenzy. When her hips rose and she moaned in agonized pleasure, Max ignored the pangs of objection his body made and slid into her willing heat. ****

“Max is a lucky man, ” Marg laughed. She’d spent the day with Kaylee in an effort to gauge how well she was coping as a favor to Max that was no favor at all—she’d grown to really admire and like his beautiful lover. “I didn’t want to love him, Marg, ” she said, suddenly serious again. “I don’t think either of us wanted to get this involved, it just happened. Max is used to his freedom. I don’t want to take that from him.” Marg’s expression was teasing. “After everything that’s happened, I don’t think freedom’s an issue anymore.” “I said I didn’t want to take his freedom from him,” Kaylee repeated softly. “That’s the logical part of my brain speaking. Reality is another story entirely. It makes me crazy every time I see some woman coming on to him. Jealousy isn’t something I do well.” Marg nodded. She’d seen their arguments on more than one occasion; the ones incited by their shared jealousy. They fought with the same passion they loved with, and it was painful to see the vehemence they could attack each other with when roused. “Max doesn’t do that one well, either,” she remarked wryly. Kaylee reached across the table and touched Marg’s hand, curling her fingers around her friend’s. “I’m trying to accept Max’s work as part of who and what he was, Marg, ” she said quietly. “I knew it was the only choice I had. He trusted me enough to reveal that side of himself, and I have to at least try to understand it if I want to be part of his life. If he changes that, he won’t be Max Richmonte. That’s the only answer I have, really.” “It’s not really that simple, Kaylee,” Marg chided. “Max is lucky. Trusting you wasn’t a mistake. He owes you his life.” “He doesn’t owe me anything, Marg. ” Marg hesitated for several seconds, then she looked Kaylee straight in the eye. “How are you dealing with what happened? I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it, but something’s always messed up our plans to get together.” Kaylee shuddered, her memory vividly replaying the death of the Libyan soldier she’d shot. For the first few weeks, she’d wondered if the image would ever leave her. “It’s starting to fade, just a little. I know there was no choice. If I hadn’t done it, Max would be dead.” “Logic doesn’t always chase away the nightmares,” Marg stated solemnly. “No, it doesn’t,” Kaylee agreed quietly. “But when I’m lying next to Max, watching him sleep, I know I did what I had to do. That’s the best I can ask for. The rest will have to take care of itself.” Before Marg could comment further, the owner of the bar emerged from his office and headed for their table. “Well, my two favorite ladies,” he grinned. “Can I buy you girls a drink?” “Not me,” Marg smiled. “I’ve got shopping to do, or my cat’s going to leave home permanently. ” She stood up, grabbed her coat, and bent to hug Kaylee. She tossed Max another smile, then left. “Did I interrupt something? ” Kaylee shook her head, thoughtful for a moment; then she straightened in her chair and grinned up at him. “What?” Max’s tone was laced with suspicion. “You look worried,” Kaylee teased.

“I am,” he admitted. “What’s on your mind?” “You. ” He laughed. “What about me?” “I’m envisioning you naked on that sofa in your office,” she taunted, licking her lips with the tip of her tongue; the sensuous gesture unconscious as the image took shape in her mind. “With me sitting between your legs, and your beautiful dick halfway down my throat.” Max smiled, sat down across from her and leaned closer, elbows on the table. “You’ve got my full attention, ” he assured her, voice pitched low and seductive. “I was hoping for something more… tangible than that,” she returned, husky voice breathy with erotic insinuation. She stood, walked the couple of steps that put her in front of him, then slipped her arms around his neck. Max spread his legs and pulled her closer, feeling the shiver that rippled the length of her body when they made contact. The kiss was evocative and exploring, arousing a fire that always smoldered close to the surface between them. “Why don’t we go into my office?” he suggested minutes later, his hands smoothing the curve of her back, then coming to rest tantalizingly close to her breasts. “That way I can get you naked, too, and while you’re sucking my dick I can see how far inside you I can get my tongue.” Kaylee was suddenly unaware of anyone else, her world consisted of Max’s intense dark eyes, and the heat of his touch. She kissed his temples, his forehead, then caught his mouth with hers again. Max drew back from the caress, took her by the hand and pretended he didn’t notice the amused stares that followed them as he headed for the privacy of his office. They were hardly over the threshold when Max slammed the door shut and pinned her against it with his body. Kaylee’s gaze locked with his and he smiled, deliberately slowing the sudden frenzy that had seized them. She relaxed subtly and drew his mouth down to hers, the kiss provocative, arousing, and willfully controlled. **** “Where’s Max? ” Janelle popped up from behind the bar, startled by the curt demand. “His office,” she said when Tommy’s fingers drummed impatiently on the gleaming surface of the counter. When he would have headed in that direction, Janelle grabbed his wrist, then withdrew the light hold the instant he spun back to look at her. “He’s not alone,” she offered with a small smile. “Kaylee and Marg were having drinks. When Marg left, she went into the office with Max. ” Tommy’s expression was expectant. “I don’t think you should disturb them, ” she said weakly. “Why? ” He knew he was asking the obvious, but he needed to speak with Max. “How long have they been in there?” “Not long enough, ” Janelle replied with a tilt to her head. “I’ll have a beer,” Tommy decided, glancing at his watch. ****

“Kaylee?” Max whispered her name, indulgence and contentment texturing the softly murmured word. She breathed a low sigh and snuggled closer to him on the couch, oblivious to the fact that they had barely enough room to lie together. As it was, she was more on top of him than next to him. Max settled a little more comfortably and smiled to himself. A quick glance at his watch told him she only had a short time before she had to be back at her office for a special meeting. He rubbed his eyes, then let his forearm shade the already muted light in the room. **** “Uh, oh. ” Tommy turned to see what had caused the sudden stillness in Max’s pretty bartender. Carter Baldwin had come into the Silver Dollar and was striding toward Max’s office. There was no way to intercept him. “Max, we have a…” Baldwin stopped mid-sentence. Max’s glare would have sent most men running; in this case it simply slowed the intruder to an uncharacteristic silence. He was still pinned effectively beneath Kaylee’s supple body, and she was just rousing back to full consciousness. Neither of them was wearing a thing, and her lazy smile vanished instantly when she spotted Baldwin. Max slid a little, shielding her as much as he could manage from the awkwardness of their position. “Remind me to lock the door next time,” Max mumbled. “Would you mind giving me a few minutes?” He directed the irritated query at Baldwin, who spread his hands in a gesture of surrender and left the office. Ten minutes later, Max was in the bar. He went around the counter, grabbed a beer, then indicated the corner table to Baldwin. Tommy nodded from the end of the bar, but didn’t join them. “Max…” Richmonte looked closely at him, then laughed a little. “I don’t believe this,” he said quietly, “you’re actually embarrassed.” “I didn’t expect Kaylee to be here,” Baldwin admitted with a smile. Before Max could answer, she came out of the office and joined them. “Carter,” she couldn’t control the slight rush of color that stained her cheeks when she looked at him. “Call me, Max, ” she murmured when she leaned over to kiss him lightly. Max nodded, watched her leave the bar, then met Baldwin’s gaze squarely. “What are you doing here?” Max asked, cutting straight to business. Baldwin smiled. “I have a situation brewing, one that may require your services.” Max grinned. “Where?” “Iraq,” Carter replied after Janelle had put a glass on the table in front of him and left. “Is it safe to drink this?” he enquired with a wry smile. **** “What did you want to talk to me about, Max? ” Kaylee asked the question with a

dreamy vagueness that belied her wanting an answer. “It can wait,” he answered with a grin. They were sitting in the sand, side by side, staring out at the restless ocean. Kaylee’s head was on his shoulder and her hands held one of his. She was more content than he’d ever known her to be, he could sense it in every look and each breath she drew. “Good,” she murmured, then slid away enough to face him. Her gaze swept over him, eyes memorizing his face in near visible concentration. He took her breath away more now than he had the night she’d met him. “You’re so beautiful, Max, ” she whispered, before the words could be stopped. His eyebrow rose and he smiled, mildly embarrassed by the earnestness in her eyes and voice. From any other woman, he would have laughed; from Kaylee, it was the compliment she meant it to be, the voice of her love for him. Max reached for her, sat her astride his hips as he leaned back in the soft, warm sand. He pulled her down over him and into a kiss that left them shaking against each other. Kaylee smiled, kissed him lightly, then eased back to sit gazing down at him. She tilted her head to one side, then slid the thin straps of her filmy dress off her shoulders. A tug had the ivory material pooling at her waist and Max’s hands quickly covered her bared breasts, strong fingers caressing firm flesh before his thumbs began brushing tantalizing circles around her nipples, making the already hard tips rigid with excitement. Kaylee pressed herself tighter to him, her hips moving in seductive, rhythmic insistence while she leaned down and offered her breasts to his mouth. When his teeth closed over one aching nipple she moaned quietly, lost in the well-known madness of Max’s touch. The world spun wildly as Max’s arms encircled her waist and he changed their positions. Her legs parted to accommodate his weight and he thrust into her, the thin material of his pants straining against his erection. She arched in pleasure, her spine curling as he repeatedly teased first one nipple then the other. She raised her hips, pleading wordlessly as her hands ran over the broad expanse of his back, smoothing tense muscles. She reached between them, her fingers tracing the ridge of his arousal, then moving lower, pressing urgently, inciting soft groans from him. She yanked at the snap on his pants and he rolled away with a gasp. Kaylee rose to her knees and shed her dress, laughing when his eyebrow rose in faint surprise to see there was nothing beneath the thin garment. He’d left his t-shirt and shoes on the deck. All that remained were the white pants and briefs, and she took them down the long length of his legs when he lifted his hips to give her the freedom to finish undressing him. Kaylee’s gaze stroked every inch of him as she stared, and Max’s blazing eyes held hers for indeterminate moments when she finally met his look directly. She mo ved again, and Max’s breath left him in a hiss of startled pleasure when her mouth closed over him with sudden, fierce pressure. The play of her tongue over him was blissful, and her hands were anything but idle. His fingers twisted in the soft waves of her hair and he held her gently, slowing her sucking rhythm as he watched her head rise and lower over him. He finally eased her away completely and pulled her down to meet his kiss. When she drew back with a gasp, Kaylee smiled at him then sat up, tossing her hair over her shoulders as she guided him into her eager body. She bit her bottom lip and her back arched as sensation exploded throughout her. Max’s hands at her waist held her as he pushed deeper into her and his name was a moan of elated pleasure that spilled from

her lips without conscious awareness. For several moments she was motionless, enjoying the spasms of bliss that rushed through her veins. When she finally began the slow, rocking rhythm that would sate their lust, Max held her firmly in place, hips rising to meet her with each thrust. Long minutes later, Kaylee cried out, shaking violently against him, her breathing strained and shallow; and the convulsing muscles of her body pushed him over the edge and into his own shuddering climax. When her breath returned, Kaylee leaned down to kiss him, tossing her hair back over her shoulders again. “What are the neighbors going to think?” Max grinned. Kaylee was thoughtful for a few moments, then she shivered and stretched, satisfied and subtly sensuous. “Mrs. Fulton is probably green with envy if she’s watching,” she informed him with a smile. “I’ve been told that if she was even twenty years younger, I’d have serious competition for your attention. ” He laughed quietly. “She’s older than my mother.” “Mmmm…” Kaylee kissed his chest then rose to her feet, still laughing softly. “But she’s not dead. She thinks you’re incredibly sexy, Max. ” “And what do you think?” he taunted. “I think I’m glad she’s older than your mother!” Kaylee quipped. “Now why don’t we go in and shower away some of this sand?” “Then we’re gonna have to talk, baby. ” Some of the light left her spirit and she nodded, suddenly afraid to the core of her being. She knew already. Max was going back to work for Carter Baldwin.

Chapter 12 Kaylee smiled at the pretty blonde behind the bar as she came into the Silver Star Bar and headed toward Max’s office. Janelle waved and shook her head, shrugging. If the bartender didn’t know where her boss was, Kaylee did. She nodded her understanding, then continued down the corridor, went into Max’s office, and headed for the secured entrance to the basement command center. She opened the lighting panel, activated the security clearance system, placed her thumb on the scanner, punched in her access code, and waited. The door slid open soundlessly and she entered the center via a short flight of stairs. She stood at the foot of the stairs for a few seconds, watching the mercenary team assembling their weapons for another mission. Max emerged from the storage room and her heart leaped into her throat as her gaze swept over him. He was dressed completely in black; tightly laced boots; inky-dark pants; a sleeveless t-shirt that was lost beneath a Kevlar vest; and an array of weapons that made her knees weak with fear. There was a knife sheathed at his left shoulder and an automatic rifle in one gloved hand; the other was adjusting something at his thigh that she couldn’t identify. Tommy spotted her first and he stopped in his tracks; Marg followed his look and she, too, halted her activity. “Max. ” Richmonte caught Marg’s tone, looked at her, then glanced toward the stairs. Startled, Max’s eyes did a quick sweep of her, the reaction to her unexpected presence automatic now. She was wearing beige silk and velvet, creating the image of earthy sensuality that had drawn him from the moment he’d first seen her. Her skirt was almost floor length, but the slit that ran up the right side stopped just short of her groin; her silk top was low-cut, and he didn’t have to touch her to know she wore nothing beneath the shimmering material. It took a moment to force his body’s surge of lust into submission, especially when he read a reflection of his own reawakened desire in her dark eyes. “What are you doing here, Kaylee?” She stepped closer, her gaze still drifting over him, shocking her with the thrill of seeing him this way for the first time. The man himself was a weapon, exceedingly lethal, and dangerous beyond her understanding. “Max is a highly trained killer, Kaylee… He’s the best at what he does…” She should have been turned off, not attracted even more to him. “I haven’t got time right now, honey, ” Max said, strong voice tinged with curiosity, and faint impatience. The tone shifted her focus radically, and she saw the twitch of disappointment he didn’t entirely conceal. “Neither do I, Max, ” she said, voice cool with feigned composure. Max handed his rifle to Tommy, then walked over to stand directly in front of her. He touched her face, and she tilted her head to one side, fingers moving up to skim his partially gloved hands. Max bent to kiss her, a soft, lingering caress that she returned gently. “I came to say good-bye,” she told him. “I’ll be home in about a week.”

“Where are you going?” There was genuine demand in his voice, and his deep brown eyes gleamed with annoyance at her unanticipated announcement. “New York,” she supplied, her absent smile directed at Nick and Kevin, who’d just come into the center and waved greetings at her. “New York! Why in hell didn’t you tell me this earlier?” She met the anger in his eyes and controlled her reflexive irritation. “When, precisely? ” She countered quietly. “I didn’t know myself until last night. I was planning to tell you, but you didn’t get in until three o’clock; and you weren’t in the mood for chatting,” she added pointedly. “This morning Carter called before eight, and you were gone shortly after.” “Why are you going to New York?” Max asked. “I’m going to make a multi- million dollar presentation for Design Central, ” she told him. “Don’t you ever listen to me when I’m telling you stuff like this?” “I listen, Kaylee!” “Then you know this is important for the company. I need to go, Max, ” she concluded with forced patience. She did not want to be having this discussion with him when he was clearly preparing for a mission, but timing was working against them— again. She knew better than to ask him where he was going; Baldwin’s call had been all the warning she’d needed to know that the elite group was being sent somewhere that might result in their being killed. “Kaylee, for God’s sake!” “I’ll see you next week,” she repeated, and leaned up to kiss him. Despite her awareness of his team members, she wrapped her arms around his neck and made the caress a long, passionate, desperately loving kiss. “Be safe, Max, ” she whispered, acutely conscious of the fact that she might be seeing him for the last time. She eased free of his arms and stared at each of them in turn. “Look after each other,” she murmured, then spun away. “Kaylee?” She was at the foot of the stairs when his voice stopped her again. “Call me in three days.” “I will.” She’d gone only a few steps when she stopped and turned back, unable to leave without looking one last time at him. Max smiled up at her, dark eyes warm and reassuring despite the mission he was concentrating on. Before he could say anything, she sprinted up the stairs, leaving him with the fleeting images of shapely legs, streaming brown hair, and too-bright eyes. “Max?” Marg’s voice intruded, brought him back to his work with a jolt. He banished feelings to a place in his mind that wouldn’t interfere with his work, then went back to concentrating on the mission they’d been given. **** “Can I come in? ” Marg’s eyebrows rose and she stepped aside to let him come into her apartment. She followed him through to the small, orderly living room. He walked straight to the bar, poured a generous shot of whiskey, swallowed it, then poured another. This time, he held

it between hands that shook ever so slightly. “What’s wrong, Max? ” “I need to talk to you. About Kaylee,” he answered after a brief pause. Marg hid her surprise and nodded, coming into the room to join him. He sat on the couch, and she curled into a chair opposite him. “Is she back from New York?” He nodded. “What happened?” “Nothing,” he shrugged broad shoulders and stared at the amber liquid that swirled within the cut crystal glass he held. “I went to the office, waited, and she walked away from me when I tried to talk to her.” Marg’s surprise was evident this time. “Carter was fairly certain she was all right,” Marg offered weakly. His glare was potentially lethal, and she waited for him to control his anger. He rose and the wrath- filled agitation began to bleed out of him with motion. “I thought we were past this, Marg, ” he said eventually, after pacing her living room several times. “I never should have agreed to stay an active part of the unit.” Marg smiled. “You didn’t make any effort to tell her, did you? ” Anger sparked the brown depths of his eyes, then he nodded, accepting the truth of her observation. “Kaylee’s a lot more complicated than you realize, Max, ” she said gently. “She’s not just another pretty woman passing through your life. She’s intelligent, and almost too sensitive to you. She knew you’d never be content to let the rest of us take risks you weren’t going to take yourself. She told T.J. as much. ” “T.J.!” he muttered. “T.J. and I are going to have a long talk, too, if I can ever find him!” “T.J. is her soul mate, Max, ” Marg laughed. “It doesn’t make a helluva lot of sense, but he’s got insight into her that baffles me. She should belong to him, not you. ” “Is that supposed to make me feel better, Marg? ” Max asked sarcastically. Marg’s look chided silently. He relented with a shrug. “You have to talk to her about all this, not me,” Marg advised quietly. “I just don’t know what the hell is going on! ” he erupted in fury. “One day everything’s fine, then she’s shutting down on me and I can’t reach her.” “You need to give her some time, and some space,” she informed him with icy composure. “She’ll work it through in her own way. ” Marg went to him, touched his arm and smiled, irony in the expression. “You spend so much of your time treating Kaylee Masterson like your favorite plaything, you forget that there’s more to her than the passion you incite.” “I don’t treat Kaylee like…” “Yeah, Max, ” Marg interjected softly, firmly. “You do.” “T.J. said pretty much the same thing. ” Marg shrugged one shoulder delicately. “And you resent the hell out of that, don’t you?” Marg whispered. “You want my opinion? ” He nodded. “You’re lucky it’s not me you’re dealing with; I’d have shot you

ages ago for being such an insensitive jerk.” He actually gaped at her, and she grinned. “If you want my advice, find her and talk to her, Max. Don’t charge in and sweep her off to the nearest bedroom. Talk to her.” “You didn’t see the way she looked at me this afternoon, ” he remarked dryly. Marg smiled. “No, I didn’t,” she agreed, then added very seriously, “and you didn’t hear her when she thought you were going to die right in front of her.” The observation hung between them for several moments, then he bent and kissed her forehead. “Thanks, Marg. ” She saw him to the door and watched him as he jumped into his car and roared off into the night. “Think he’ll listen to you? ” Marg shut the door and turned to smile at Tommy, who was leaning against the doorframe of her bedroom, dressed in a towel that barely wrapped around his waist. She shrugged. “If he wants to hold on to her, he’s going to have to change the way he deals with things.” Tommy’s eyebrows rose and he laughed softly. “I don’t think the Commander’s gonna have an easy job persuading her of anything this time,” he observed. “I think you’re right,” Marg agreed, her eyes clouding with regret. “We should have told him ages ago,” she continued once she’d reached him and slipped into his embrace. “He should have told her himself,” Tommy corrected, then forestalled any further conversation about their boss by kissing her thoroughly, and leading her back toward the bed. **** Kaylee poured another glass of wine and stared out at the crashing surf. The buzz in her head had ceased, replaced by welcome numbness. She felt nothing, completely devoid of pain or pleasure; just calm, controlled order within her mind. Freedom. It had taken all day to achieve this state of tranquility, and she wondered if she’d be able to maintain it when morning came. She’d spent years in this uncomplicated limbo state of serenity; and it had worked well throughout her life. She needed to find it and hold it again now. Grief was as familiar as breathing to her, and that knot of anguish was tidily stored in a deep recess of her mind, carefully hidden away from her immediate scrutiny. She’d examine that particular agony some day when it no longer mattered quite so much. She downed the wine and peered intently at the empty glass. “We need to talk.” Ice trickled down her spine, and pooled. It froze into a lump of panic within the space of several heartbeats. “Go away, Max, ” she finally managed, surprising herself with the lack of emotion in the words. “No.”

She actually laughed at the simple, direct refusal. “I don’t have anything to say to you, sweetheart,” she informed him, finally daring to look at him when he dropped to the sand in front of her. The lights from her patio barely reached them, but the golden glow gave enough illumination that she was able to see the stubborn set of his jaw. “No?” he mocked softly. “Seems to me you have a lot that needs to be said. I’m listening. ” He moved, sat beside her, and kept a watchful eye on her highly unpredictable mood. “Apparently not,” she denied with exaggerated sweetness. “I said ‘go away’ and you’re still here.” He smiled. “You’re drunk.” She smiled happily. “So I am,” she agreed. “Go away. ” “I want to talk.” She shrugged. “Find someone who wants to listen. I’m tired, Max. ” “So am I.” “Just leave me alone, please? We’ve been here too many times. There’s nothing left. Not that there was much to begin with, of course,” she added with a hint of bitterness. “God, I’ve been so stupid it’s almost laughable.” “Why? ” “Thinking we could be anything more than a casual diversion for you, ” she answered with a seriousness that made him want to shake her. She saw the thought in his eyes and smiled. “I infuriate you, don’t I, Max? ” “Sometimes,” he conceded. “Right now you’re doing a damn good job of confusing the hell out of me.” “What is there to be confused about?” she queried. “It’s over. That’s pretty straightforward.” “Why is it over?” “Because I want my freedom, Max, ” she replied, and her eyebrows rose at his astonishment. “That shocks you? Why? Because I always cling to you so desperately?” “I’ve never seen you clinging to me, Kaylee,” he said quietly. “And what’s between us goes way beyond casual. ” “There’s nothing between us, Max, ” she objected. “Don’t you see that? Won’t you see that? You’ll never let me be more to you than a warm body at night.” She stared outward for a few moments, then hugged her knees to her chest. She leaned forward, and twisted her head to look at him. “You know me in ways no man’s ever known me, Max Richmonte. But you don’t know me at all. Did T.J. tell you to talk to me?” “Marg, ” he answered with wry honesty. “I couldn’t get hold of T.J.” “And that doesn’t suggest to you that we have nothing to talk about?” she laughed weakly. “Listen, Kaylee,” he snapped in irritation. “I’ve been running around in circles since last week. I’m not real happy about it, but I’m trying my best to understand why you’re suddenly shutting me out of your life.” “You’re not really in my life, Max, ” she retorted. “Well, really, I’m not in yours.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? ” he asked sharply, answering the accusation in her tone more than her words. “What do we have in common outside of a bedroom, Max? ” she wondered, eyes huge and luminous in the growing moonlight. “The fact that we love each other!” “Why do we love each other?” she countered softly. “It doesn’t seem to be our genuine understanding of each other. So what is it? Sex? That’s never been an issue. We have great sex. Hardly the basis of a meaningful relationship, is it?” “It’s more than some people have,” he snarled, furious at her dismissal of his sudden vulnerability. The admission that he loved her had not come easily to him from the start, and each time it was voiced, he felt exposed and vaguely afraid of the power it gave her. “You scare me, Max, ” she told him with heartbreaking simplicity. Her voice finally betrayed her pain and tears, and she glanced hastily away. “Scare you? ” He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. He touched her back, long fingers splayed across the smooth curve as he tangled strands of silky hair into his grasp. “You can’t be serious.” “Don’t, Max, ” she requested, pulling away from any physical contact with him, however innocent. “I…” she tried again after a gasp for breath. “I can’t be on the outside of your life, Max, ” she sobbed loudly, angry at herself for losing control of her emotions. “And I know damn well that I can’t be part of it!” “You can, ” he disagreed. “Hell, you are! I have no secrets from you, Kaylee,” he implored as he held her face and made her see him. “Not anymore.” “You don’t even know me, Max! ” She almost shouted in frustration. “I’m a glorified interior decorator! You’re a soldier, a mercenary! That’s like James Bond and the local librarian!” He grinned at the comparison, unable to not respond to the unintentional humor. She stared for an instant then laughed herself. “We’ve already been through this.” She stood and bent to retrieve the wine bottle and her glass. Max already had them in his hands, and was waiting for her to precede him back to the house. “Not yet we haven’t,” he murmured as she walked ahead of him. Kaylee went straight through to the shower, and Max stayed in the kitchen. He put on a pot of coffee, and located her favorite herbal tea. When she came back into the room twenty minutes later, he was seated at the table, coffee mug in front of him, and her tea and some dry toast was placed opposite his seat. She smiled and sat. “I thought you’d be gone back to the bar,” she commented quietly. “I told you we needed to talk,” he reminded her. “We’ve still got a lot to cover.” She took a sip of the tea and smiled. “Thank you, Max. This is nice.” He grinned. “You’re the not the best drinker I’ve ever met,” he teased. “Why is talking so important to you all of a sudden? ” “You’re trying to leave me, and I’m not going to let that happen. ” He looked intently at her, drank some of his coffee, and leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting over her. “I do love you, Kaylee,” he said, needing for her to know that without doubt. She nodded. “This isn’t really about love, is it, Max? ” She took a bite of the toast, chewed, and swallowed, her eyes never leaving his. “I spend a lot of time walking around in my own

fantasy of what we’re all about. In a lot of ways, it’s safer than looking at it realistically. You’re my lover, my friend, and my hero. Then I ask myself precisely what I can be to you. It never balances.” “You’re my lover, my friend, and my sanctuary, ” he replied, choosing her whimsical word play to answer her the most honest way he could. “What doesn’t balance?” “You almost sound like actually you need me,” she smiled, forcing down the lump in her throat. “I do,” he stated firmly. “Why can’t you believe that?” He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her palm, never loosing eye contact. “You’ve known a lot of women in your life, Max. I watch them fall all over themselves trying to get your attention. I don’t know how to stop feeling threatened and that worries me. I’ve never been that way. God knows my ex was never the type to flirt with every pretty woman he met, and that seems as natural as breathing to you. ” “You don’t flirt?” he challenged. “Not consciously,” she said, uncertain. “Do I?” He laughed, wholeheartedly, for the first time that evening. “I guess not,” he said when his mirth had subsided. “It’s my imagination that men like T.J., Tommy, or even Kevin, are ready to jump to your defense without provocation. You and Marg have a way of playing a guy without even knowing you’re doing it.” “Sometimes we know it, Richmonte,” she retorted sweetly. She yawned widely, then smiled at him, sheepish. The wine was making her sleepy. “I’m tired. Can we finish this conversation tomorrow?” He finished his coffee, cleared the table and started to follow her into the bedroom. “The guest room is at the end of the hall,” she pointed in that direction. Max stared at her. “You want me to use the guest room? ” He couldn’t believe she was serious. “I need to think, Max, ” she replied. “I can’t do that with you lying next to me.” “If you can’t think with me beside you, that’s a pretty clear message,” he stated, annoyance in his tone. “The guest room or your apartment,” she shot back ins tantly. “You decide. But it’s not going to be my bed tonight.” “Why don’t I just use the guest room? ” he said, sarcasm and irritation screaming from his voice. An hour later, he was still punching the pillows and trying to get comfortable. He finally settled on his back and stared up at the ceiling. This house was his home. And Kaylee was his, body and soul. He did know that, despite her recent behavior toward him. Gritting his teeth, he flung back the bedclothes and got up. He was not going to sleep in the damn guest room! He walked down the short corridor to the master bedroom and went inside. She never closed the door, and he stood there for a moment, watching her. The moon had risen and its silvery light filtered through the sheer curtains at the French doors. She was turned away from him, long trails of dark hair spilling over the pillows, smooth, ivory sheets gathered at her waist. She was asleep, however lightly. Max went to the bed and slipped in beside her. She turned immediately and he looked at her. “I’m staying. ” Before she could say anything, he slid closer, draped an arm around

her and snuggled into her back when she resettled. “This isn’t fair, Max, ” she whispered eventually. Max grinned. He moved and was suddenly looming over her when he pushed her onto her back. “This isn’t fair,” he murmured, slipping his knee between her thighs. He nudged her legs apart then settled between them, pushing his hips into hers deliberately. The thin barrier of his briefs and her nightgown did little to block their response to each other. It had been over a week since Max had touched her, kissed her. He wanted her. Badly. Kaylee tried to push him away, and he caught her wrists and held them to the pillows on either side of her head. He bent, his mouth covering hers with sensual purpose. The kiss was seductive and evocative; a hot, wet promise of passion he intended to satisfy. He let his lips linger, his tongue tasting hers, caressing her lips against his as he measured the sincerity of her resistance. If she truly didn’t want him, he’d back off. He suspected the denial was going to be short- lived for her, too. Her body softened beneath him, sensuous curves instinctively molding to him. He felt her surrender long minutes later, and released her hands, shivering against her when her fingers glided over his back and her hips rose to meet the easy thrust of his. **** Max was vaguely uneasy when he woke to find himself alone in the bed. Kaylee was nowhere to be seen, but when he listened closely, he heard the sounds of activity in the adjoining bathroom. Sighing heavily, he wondered what things would be like this morning? They’d made love several times throughout the night, but few words had been spoken after each of the passionate interludes. Was she going to be receptive to him in the light of day? Or shut him out more adamantly than she had the previous afternoon? He was still pondering the possibilities when she came back into the bedroom, dressed in lacy ivory-colored panties and bra. He feigned sleep and watched he r as she selected a forest green skirt and jacket from the closet, and a rust colored t-shirt from one of the dressers. His curiosity rose when she sat at the vanity and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She touched the faint scar that was still visible, then she stood and began to dress. Max didn’t often have the pleasure of seeing her getting ready for work, and he smiled as she zipped the skirt over the t-shirt she’d pulled on, then tossed the jacket across the foot of the bed. High-heeled shoes were next, then she twisted heavy streams of curling brown hair into a loose knot and secured it with a velvet scrunchie. No make- up, only lip gloss and her glasses. “Where are your keys, Max? ” He laughed and opened his eyes completely. “How’d you know I was awake?” “I can feel you watching me,” she replied with a grin. She came over to the bed and surprised him further when she didn’t sit next to him, but hiked the skirt up around her thighs and straddled his hips. She bent to kiss him, and the t-shirt fell open just enough to permit him a glance of her superb tits encased in sheer lace. His hands rose, and his palms covered her, pressing firmer when her nipples hardened in response to his touch. “Where are your keys?” she asked again, shivering when his hands continued their

sensual stroking of her breasts. “You’re not seriously leaving now?” he murmured, tugging at the t-shirt until he had it free of her waistband and pushed up to expose her bra. He hauled her closer, and his teeth closed over the lace-covered nipple, biting gently. “I have to go to work, Max, ” she whispered huskily, gasping unconsciously when he bit a second time, harder. “When? ” “I have a meeting in thirty minutes,” she replied, then groaned softly. The clasp of her bra opened and he held her breasts as his tongue began to play over first one nipple, then the other. Moments later, her skirt was being pushed aside. “Aren’t you tired this morning?” she asked, voice hoarse, but curious. “I’ll sleep later,” he muttered, then closed his mouth ove r one breast, sucking hard. Her back arched, and she moved over him, hips thrusting into his. Her hands held his head, pulled him away just long enough to allow her to pull the t-shirt over her head and throw it aside. She slipped the bra off her shoulders and unzipped the skirt. All that remained were the lacy panties, and Max’s fingers slid inside the flimsy silk and quickly found the wetness between her legs. She dropped her glasses on the bedside table and leaned back to remove her shoes. They were flung back off the bed and she fell forward, hands on either side of Max’s head as her hips pressed into the motion of his thrusting fingers inside her. “God! Max…” She closed her eyes, moaning low in her throat. Max withdrew his hand and grasped her waist, twisting until she was lying flat on her back, gasping loudly. Disentangling himself from the bed linen, Max rose to his knees and smiled at her. Still holding her gaze with his, he hooked his fingers in the panties and dragged them the long length of her le gs, then tossed them aside. He spread her legs wide and lifted her hips off the mattress as he bent to stroke hot, wet flesh, his tongue probing into her repeatedly as she trembled violently. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she bucked against him, hold ing him to her as the first orgasm tore through her spasming body. His name was a near scream, and the waves of pleasure poured over her as he continued to lick and suck. She was still shuddering when Max lifted his head and crawled over her. Kaylee’s legs clamped around his waist and her spine curled into an arch of exquisite pleasure when he finally thrust into her, buried deeply for several seconds before he began to move with her. Their voices were rasps as they exchanged barely coherent words, and each answered the need of the other. Max felt her fingernails bite into his back, then she curled her hands into fists and he thrust harder, establishing a rhythm that was creating near pain. Kaylee cried out and her body tensed, then clutched with a force tha t left him groaning in her ear as release finally sent him reeling into the ecstasy that had swept her away seconds before. Max collapsed over her, gasping desperately for breath, feeling the tremors slowly fanning out to encompass every part of him. Kaylee’s body, beneath him, was hot and slick with sweat. Her heartbeat thudded wildly in his ear when he rested his head against her chest. Minutes later the ringing of the phone pulled them from the near stupor they’d fallen into. Max groped for the receiver, and he rose to balance on his elbows, smiling down at her dazed and dreamy-eyed satisfaction.

“It’s for you, ” he mumbled, and passed her the phone. He didn’t move, and she finally loosened the grip her legs had on his waist. Still nestled between silken thighs, Max began to nuzzle her neck. “Reschedule the meeting for an hour from now, Damon, ” she said thickly, and Max wondered if the guy on the other end was laughing at the sound of her voice. She wasn’t purring, but just barely. He was decidedly pleased with the effect. When the phone fell on the floor instead of back in the cradle, Max lifted his head and grinned down at her. “An hour from now?” “I have to go to work, Max, ” she said, albeit half- heartedly. “I could persuade you to stay, ” he speculated. “Oh, I do know that,” she agreed with a low, sensuous laugh. “But I hope you won’t. One delay is enough. Allan Shields is not a patient man, sweetheart.” Max’s smile deepened. “My keys are in my jacket,” he told her, finally answering her initial query. “Why?” “I have to move your car,” she informed him. “And get dressed again.” “I’ll drive you to work,” he offered. “After we shower.” “Max…” It was a moan of protest, and he rose from the bed then scooped her into his arms. She was still objecting to his presence when he turned the shower on and joined her under the warm spray of water. **** Forty-five minutes later, they were enroute to the Design Central offices. Max’s grin was solidly in place when he stopped in the parking lot a short while later and leaned over to kiss her. Kaylee returned the caress eagerly, her tongue probing deeply into his mouth as the kiss lengthened, grew hungry and intense. She was so very tempted to cancel her work for the day and drag Max back to her house. She knew he was perfectly aware of her thoughts, too, when he ran his hand along her thigh through the slit in her skirt. “Do you still want to go to work?” “No,” she replied roughly. “If you want to know the truth, what I’d like to do is tie you to my bed and indulge every wicked thought that comes into my head.” “I can get on board with that, baby, ” he assured her. “Tell me more.” “Max, I want to fuck your brains out, honey, but I can’t cancel this again!” Max laughed heartily at the frustration she couldn’t conceal. He took her hand and kissed it “You’re not going to leave me, Kaylee.” He made it a statement, not a question, and she nodded thoughtfully. She looked closely at him, saw the fear, not quite hidden, in his dark gaze. She touched his face, let her fingers linger over the fullness of his bottom lip. Then she kissed him softly. “I’ll never leave you, Max, ” she whispered. “It’s taken me awhile to understand that, but I do now.” Max hugged her with fierce strength, then he kissed her temple and released her. “Go,” he directed roughly. “Before I change my mind.” She got out of the car and walked around to the driver’s side. “Will you pick me up at about four o’clock? I’ll make dinner for you, and serve it in front of the fireplace.”

“What are you planning to wear?” Max questioned, brown eyes gleaming. “Whatever you’d like,” she replied. This time it was a purr. Max smiled. “Go,” he murmured, “while you’ve still got that look on your face.” “What look?” “Fuck me.” He smirked. “It looks great on you. ” “Let’s hope Allan Shie lds thinks so,” she smiled softly. “Look at him like that and Allan Shields is going to have trouble concentrating on anything but the hard on in his pants, honey. He’ll agree to anything while he’s dreaming about your tits and wondering if he can get into your pussy, ” he assured her with a huge grin. “See you at four,” he added, and watched her run into the building before he headed for the Silver Dollar. She’d promised never to leave him. For now, it was going to be enough to get them through yet another phase of their relationship. A relationship that had begun as a fantasy and turned into the sweetest reality Max had ever known… The End About the Author: Denysé is a native of Atlantic Canada, born in the country’s Easternmost province, Newfoundland, and raised in Nova Scotia. A lifelong dreamer, she began writing at an early age and can’t recall a time when she wasn’t creating in some artistic form. An active interest in the American West, and to a lesser extent the American Civil War, has been a lifelong obsession. Cowboys have been a love affair that began at the tender age of three, and eventually expanded to encompass an equally timeless passion for pirates, Greek Gods, and Ancient Egypt. The other side of the Old West intrigue is an affinity for Victorian England, particularly the 1885-1895 part of the century. As a result of her love of Greek Mythology, Canadian publishing house Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy, has just bought the novel As Fate Decrees, a time-spanning fantasy epic that may, in future, include several sequels. At this point in her career, Denysé has had published in the vicinity of 400 stories and novellas, in almost any genre you can name. “The only thing I haven’t tried yet is hard-core science fiction, and horror. Since I don’t consider vampires as I write them to be the fodder of horror, I classify those stories as Dark Fantasy. ” Many of her vampire stories have appeared in Margaret L. Carter’s anthology, The Vampire’s Crypt, and Night To Dawn, published and edited by Dawn Callahan for the first two years, and now published by author/editor Barbara A. Custer. Denysé’s poetry has been published internationally, as well. She has also been the recipient of numerous awards, most notably the Fan Quality Award, which is given annually for excellence in fan-written fictions based on film and television. As of May 2004, there are four awards in her collection, and no less than a dozen nominations to her credit. Also in 2004, Denysé was chosen as a winner in the Amber Heat Wave, an annual contest held by Amber Quill Press. Since then, AQP has published, or have on their

“coming soon” pages, no less than two dozen Erotic Romance short stories, novellas, and novels in various genres. One of these novellas, Mirage, is included in the AmberPax collection Suits, Ties, and the Water Cooler, which was nominated for the EPPIE, a prestigious award given for excellence in electronic publishing. More recently, Denysé has formed a partnership with actor/producer/singer Branscombe Richmond to create and write a serial best described as a modern-day western. (Think motorcycles in place of horses!) Installments of the book will begin appearing on websites initially, and hopefully in paperback in a year or so. The first episode appeared in April 2006. Other projects include a new Historical/Western romance, an adventure/fantasy, and possibly a sequel to As Fate Decrees in the near future. To stay current with all these projects, or to just say hello, please feel free to visit Denysé on the web at: www.denysebrid ger.com

Meet LSB Authors At The House Of Sin Lsbooks.NET We invite you to visit Liquid Silver Books LSbooks.com for other exciting erotic romances. MOLTEN Silver Edgier, naughtier – from Summer 2006 Featured Series: The Zodiac Series: 12 books, 24 stories and authors Two hot stories for each sign, 12 signs The Coven of the Wolf by Rae Morgan Benevolent lusty witches keep evil forces at bay Fallen: by Tiffany Aaron Fallen angels in hot flight to redeem their wings The Max Series by JB Skully Meet Max, her not-absent dead husband, sexy detective Witt, his mother… And many, many more!