A Deadly Business. Desiree Holt
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before heading home.
She raced up the stairs of the building behind hers, let herself in, and hurried to the tunnel, following it to her building. At last she climbed the inside stairway to her flat with weary steps. She had just pulled her key out to unlock her door when the special phone buzzed in her pocket. Her stomach knotted, knowing this meant something serious. She pulled it out and pressed the button to answer.
“Craig?”
“Get the hell out of there. Don’t pack, don’t do anything. You know where to meet me, and I’ll have everything you need. Just get going. This minute.”
Then he said the three words no covert CIA agent ever wanted to hear.
“Your cover’s blown.”
Chapter 2
Arrowhead Bay, two years later
“That’s it, Marissa. Foot sweep. Just like that.”
Marissa Hayes extended her leg and swept her foot as instructed, almost, but not quite taking Justin Kelly to the floor. Sweat dripped from her as the former SEAL, wearing protective gear and a big grin, moved just out of range. The protective gear she wore didn’t help her movements, either.
“Damn!” She swiped her forearm across her forehead, catching the drips of perspiration. “You do it every time.”
“That’s what I get paid for. Don’t tell me you’re ready to quit.”
She glared at him. “Not even for money. Bring it on, mister.”
Justin grinned at her, a curve of his lips that made her body want something other than kicks and jabs and punches.
“Okay, then.”
This was the fourth lesson she’d taken from him. When Vigilance, the elite private security agency that made its home in Arrowhead Bay, began offering both group and private classes in certain forms of self-defense, Avery March, the owner, had urged Marissa to take advantage of it.
“You never know when you might need it,” she’d cautioned.
And in Marissa’s situation, that was more truth than poetry.
When one of the most dangerous men in the world had you at the top of his hit list, you never had the luxury of relaxing. Stefan Maes’s reach, even after losing so much of his empire, was still extensive. And she knew, without a doubt, he’d never give up.
In the two years since her job with the CIA had ended so abruptly, she’d fit herself in to the slow pace of life in Arrowhead Bay, which really suited her. She could be as anonymous as she wanted. For the most part she’d isolated herself from social situations, reminding herself she wasn’t in a position to develop a relationship. Not now. Maybe not ever. Her situation could blow up in her face any time. She never stopped looking over her shoulder. Always double and triple checking locks. Never parking her car in dark places. Ever alert to her surroundings and strangers who could bring danger to her. Never getting too close to people.
She didn’t think she’d ever be able to let her guard down again. She’d always be looking over her shoulder, but that was the tradeoff.
Reluctantly she’d let Avery talk her into these classes.
“You know Justin,” the woman reminded her. “You’ll be comfortable with him.”
That was true. He was an unexpected and unplanned bright spot as she crafted a new life for herself for the third time. She’d also begun to think of him as her safety net. Not only had he been with Vigilance for five years but he was also a former SEAL. She couldn’t get better protection than that if she needed it.
Maybe because of that he was one of the few people here she could relax with.
Sort of.
Because he was also a man who lived in her dreams almost every night. Who woke up parts of her body she’d thought frozen. It didn’t help that she sensed she was having the same effect on him, from the way he looked at her and the tentative signals he’d floated. But he would never make any kind of move unless she indicated she was open to one. It both excited and scared her.
She couldn’t relax too much.
She had to keep repeating that to herself on a daily basis. Letting down her guard could prove fatal to her. Something she never forgot. When she took the CIA assignment, she had suppressed any need for sex, buried any desire for a relationship. She couldn’t do that and her job. Something like that softened her edge, could destroy her, could distract her senses and expose her secrets.
Taking these classes had been a bad idea. Temptation wasn’t something she needed, even if sometimes alone at night she was desperate for the comfort of another human being. And too often, Justin Kelly was exactly the comfort she craved. How she longed to lean into that toned body, feel those muscular arms around her, press her mouth to his lips that looked so firm. At just over six feet, his lean body was solid, toned muscle. Short-cropped light brown hair accented a sculpted face with a square jaw, high cheekbones, and dark brown eyes that reminded her of melted chocolate.
She hadn’t been with anyone for so long she’d almost forgotten what it was like. But, if she was honest with herself, she hadn’t ever felt that same crackle of electricity with any other man. That same hunger. That same throbbing in every one of her pulse points.
And beyond that, he made her feel safe. With Justin, more than with anyone else, she felt one hundred percent protected. Knew if danger came calling, Justin would be there helping her.
She was sure Avery hadn’t clued him in on her real situation. One of the reasons her former boss had sent her here was because Avery had a zipped lip, knew the meaning of security, and had top-of-the-line protection available. To Justin, she was just someone who had moved to Arrowhead Bay, ran a small art gallery, and basically avoided the mainstream of life.
She had no idea what to do with this hot sexual attraction growing between them, an elephant in the room they both were ignoring. Not that he was overt about it. No, that wasn’t his style. But he left plenty of openings for her to send him signals. She saw it in his eyes when he was teaching her certain moves. Or when he helped her to her feet and held her hand just a few seconds longer than necessary. Or removed the protective pads she wore during class and let his hands linger on her skin.
Twice he’d asked her to go for coffee after class. At first, she’d said no, but then she’d thought, I want this. What harm can coffee do? Except, even with a table between them, and casual conversation, the electricity in the air surrounding them was so strong it was almost visible.
Then last week he’d been teaching her a kick maneuver and swept her legs out from under her, taking her to the floor. They lay there for an endless moment, neither wanting to break the intense gaze they were locked in.
Yes! She wanted to shout. Kiss me.
And she was sure he would have, except Avery had come into the room to tell Justin he had a phone call. Her brain told her that was for the best, but the rest of her body had yet to catch up.
Marissa was so busy letting all these thoughts dangle in her brain that she missed it completely when Justin executed a perfect kick to her knees and took her to the mat.
“Hey!” She pushed herself up so she was leaning on her elbows. “That’s supposed to be my move.”
That tantalizing grin flashed again. “Then you best get to it. Come on, or I’ll think you’re a quitter.”
It continued to amaze her the way he could tease her into putting all of herself into this very physical exercise.
“Marissa?” Justin’s voice broke into her tiny reverie.
She blinked and shook her head. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to let my mind wander again. Let’s get to it.”
He cocked his head, studying her. “You sure? We can quit for the day. The hour’s almost up, anyway.”
“Quit?