Liaising Kai

Chapter 1

Special Agent Davis Nishidalooked up from his desk at the soft curse from his colleague, Special Agent Carter Lennon. Lennon was staring avidly at his computer screen, his eyes narrowed and a distressed expression on his face. Not at all like the handsome blond agent Davis knew. He was a lean, wiry man who had a certain athletic grace about him—tough and with endless stamina, and the kind of drive to root out evil wherever he found it. Which pressed every button Davis had, so they were kindred spirits. Most of the time, Lennon had an utterly engaging grin on his face.

They worked together at the Coast Guard Investigative Service in San Diego, California. Davis had been there for almost a decade.

“Bad news?” he asked, but Lennon didn’t respond. He was just staring at the screen. “Lennon?” Still no response. Davis rose from his desk and walked over to Lennon. “Carter? What’s up?”

He blanked his screen before Davis could see what was on it. “What?” He had that determined set to his chin, a sign that he was on some kind of a trail, like a bloodhound.

“I called you a couple of times,” he said quietly. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just got an…expensive quote for my roof repair.” He blinked and looked away. “Damn inflation,” he growled.

Davis narrowed his eyes and set his palms flat on Lennon’s desk, leaning forward. “What’s up with that chin of yours?”

“It always sticks out that way when I’m pissed.” Lennon sighed heavily, his expression evening out. A warped grin appeared, and there was a touch of wry humor in his voice. “Right, it’s that ornery and bullheaded Lennon trait.” Davis stared at him for a moment, his gut telling him something was off. Before he could question him further, Lennon said, “Hey, how about you and I get together tonight for a drink.” He completely changed the subject, telling Davis that it wasn’t important enough to continue, or was that just a good dodge?

“I’m meeting my dad at Halloran’s for dinner. How about you join us?” Maybe then he could pump Lennon for more information.

Lennon smiled and nodded. “I love your dad. He’s such a character. I’ll be there. What time?”

Lennon knew how to get him. His chest filled with emotions connected to his tough and funny dad. “Seven o’clock work?”

He rose, grabbing his keys. “Yeah, that works.” Gathering up his gun and badge, he moved around the desk. His voice dropped, as if they were sharing a secret. “I’ve got to go take care of this roof issue. Could you cover for me for some personal time? I’ll see you tonight.”

“Sure, no problem.”

Davis watched him walk out, almost dismissing his initial reaction as burnout. Davis had been lighting the candle at both ends during an undercover mission involving gambling in the Coast Guard. The last time he saw that kind of look, it was on Special Agent Jason Hollow’s face when he’d been preoccupied with Kelly Hu, the ME for NCIS, who was now Kelly Hollow. Did that look on Lennon’s face reflect some roof problem or woman troubles?

He glanced over at Jason, who was on the phone, and shifted. Rubbing at his tired face, he went back to his desk to finish his report, chalking it all up to the fact that it was none of his business. It was hard to turn off that investigative edge when he did it for a living. Better to give Lennon his space to work it out. At least his assignment was over, with several arrests for illegal gambling on the part of several Coast Guard enlisted.

He wished he could go home and go to bed, but his weekly dinners with his dad were now a tradition. His dad was lonely after Davis’s mom had passed. His heart tightened, and he blinked back the sting in his eyes. He missed his mom like hell. She’d left a hole in his life and his dad’s. He was also at loose ends with the woman he’d been seeing, Abigail Poseidon. She’d been a prosecutor in the San Diego DA’s office and had left California to take a position as a US attorney in DC. She’d wanted him to transfer to DC, but he just couldn’t do it. Something held him back.

Later, as he sat on a barstool at Hallaran’s, he realized what that something…someone was.

Kai Talbot.

Well, fuck, if that didn’t come out of the blue.

The often-prickly Supervisory Special Agent in Charge of the Camp Pendleton NCIS Office. He saw her in the mirror over the bar. She was sitting in a booth behind him, a glass of deep ruby red wine in front of her, looking as beautiful as he remembered. Her gaze was lowered, those thick brown lashes hiding her pale amber eyes. She looked as good now as the last time he’d seen her. Her face was a smooth and delicate oval, her skin creamy with a slim upturned nose and a mouth that begged to be kissed. She was dressed as if she was looking for a good time, and he couldn’t take his eyes off the sexy charcoal gray dress with itty, bitty straps holding up the silky material that clung to her upper body, draping over her tantalizing half-exposed breasts.

With her honey brown hair upswept into some cool kind of twist, the nice tone there in her shoulders and arms stood out. He had no doubt the woman knew how to kick ass.

From the moment he’d met Kai, years ago when he’d taken on the investigation into an assault on Neve Michaels, she’d been in his fantasies. He’d worked with her again, just recently on a case concerning an NCIS/CGIS joint collaboration, involving Jason and Kelly.They had investigated the deaths of medical personnel and ultimately had tracked down a serial killer.

His phone buzzed, and he looked at the incoming text. It was from Lennon.

I’m not going to make it. Sorry. Something came up. Raincheck?

Davis texted him back that it was no problem. Then his phone buzzed again. This time the text was from his dad.

Sorry, son, I’m caught at work. Can we reschedule?

Davis smiled and texted his dad back, mentioning that he would be free for lunch or dinner on Saturday. His dad opted for dinner.

He downed the rest of his drink and rose from the bar, throwing cash on the smooth top. It would be best if he kept his distance from Kai. She had shut him down a couple of times regarding his request for drinks, then dinner. He suspected she just wasn’t as into him as he was into her.

But then he made the mistake of looking into the mirror again. This time her head wasn’t lowered. She was staring at nothing in particular, and he could see the sad look in her eyes, dulled by alcohol, the inner pain she didn’t bother to hide, and he felt her torment and heartache deep in his chest.

His mind reeled, his feet rooted to the spot as he watched her struggle. He’d never seen Kai like this; she had always had her professional demeanor in place, but this was a moment when she thought she was alone, showing her soul-deep and painful vulnerabilities that kept him from getting too close. He should have gone, but instead he closed his eyes and released a hard breath. He just couldn’t leave her like that, and he damned himself for caring so much. No good could come of it for either one of them.

He flagged down the bartender. “Two scotches,” he said and waited while the bartender poured them. Then he turned and walked toward her table like the stupid ass he was.

As he approached, she didn’t acknowledge him, didn’t look at him, unaware that he was even there. He couldn’t exactly see what that dress was covering from the bar, but up close, his mouth went dry as the full effect of her outfit hit him full force. The barely-there dress showed a lot of skin, cleavage, and left no room for her to wear a bra. The soft fabric molded to her sweet breasts, as well as the curves, all the way down to mid-thigh. A diamond-studded belt was loosely slung around her waist, which matched the exquisite choker around her throat, and the thought of removing everything but the choker made him hard as stone. Then there was her footwear. God help him. She had on a pair of fuck-me boots, reaching just below her knee, dominatrix black with stiletto heels, metal grommets all over the upper portion, showing her skin beneath.

He groaned and shoved those images right out of his head as he came to a stop across the table from her. “Special Agent Talbot,” he said. “Of all the gin joints, you had to walk into mine.” He went for levity because he suspected she didn’t want to talk about what was on her mind right now, and she certainly wouldn’t be receptive to him, a man she knew and had spurned, witnessing what was an emotional meltdown.

Her head jerked up and she focused on him, then stiffened. Those defensive walls of hers quickly went up. “Davis,” she said, using his first name. Something she hadn’t done…ever. Why now?

“I was sitting at the bar, and I got stood up,” he said, putting a mock sad look on his face.

Her expression evened out, the initial shock receding.

“I’m sure that was quite a blow.”

“Twice,” he said for effect.

“That must have put a kink in your…ah…after dinner plans.”

He smirked. “They were both guys,” he said for even more effect.

She cast him a dry look and returned her attention to her wine. “I’m sure you’re not on that path.”

“There are many ways to get to a destination, and I’m pretty focused on my own way. It was a friend from work and my dad.” Her eyes widened. “Yeah, I have dinner with my dad every week, and my coworker and I have been friends since the Coast Guard Academy.”

She inclined her head as an invitation to sit. She focused on the two drinks.

“You looked like you could use something a little stronger than wine. Scotch was invented for times like these.”

“Times like these?” she said softly, curling her hand around the glass he set down in front of her.

“Want to talk about it?”

She blinked quickly, as if she were afraid to take her eyes off him for even a fraction of a second. But she held her ground, brave as always. And his heart squeezed painfully, and he clenched his jaw against it. Tension rattled through them like the portent of thunder booming in the distance. There always seemed to be danger when it came to Kai. He was torn between the need to protect himself from this woman, and his need to learn all he could about her.

She picked up the glass and downed the scotch, swallowing as it burned its way down her throat and into her stomach. She set it down and smiled with pain and secrets lodged in her eyes. “Nothing to talk about anymore.” She looked at the glass, then said, “Another one, please, Davis.”

He heard the strain in her voice, and he wanted to comfort her so badly it made his teeth ache. Just the way she said his name made his body twitch to life all over again. He understood that there was a wealth of things to talk about that was attached to her mood right now, but he let her slide. It really wasn’t any of his business, just a chance meeting in a bar.

“How about dinner to go with that?” he asked, concerned about her reckless expression. Alcohol never solved anything, not a goddamned thing.

“You turning this into a date?” she asked. He could hear it in her words. I’ve turned you down so many times. Why don’t you give up?

“Just two people who know each other having a meal together. Nothing on the line. Simply a good time, good conversation. Connection. What’s so bad about that?”

She leaned forward. “Nothing bad about it, and I’m not opposed, but it’s not why I came here looking like this.”

She was here for a hook-up. That was clear to him from the outset and his presence at her table put the kibosh on any other guy approaching. That suited him fine. In his youth, he’d been looser, but he’d lost the urge for one-night stands a while ago, when he’d come to realize sex for sex’s sake left him feeling empty and craving something deeper that had so far been elusive to him.

His pulse kicked up, and his body tightened in immediate response. He debated on whether to get into it here or wait to see how things panned out. Any advantage with this woman would be good, but with that look on her face and the dark shadows in her eyes, Kai had unknowingly robbed him of any action, and quite easily, too.

“We’ll see where the night takes us, Kai,” he said, opting for blunt honesty. After all, it had gotten him pretty far in the world.

Her eyes widened and her throat worked, but when she responded, her tone gave no indication of how she felt about his unwanted presence. Still the cool beauty.

They ordered dinner, and he got her another two fingers of scotch. “So, how goes it at NCIS Pendleton?”

“I have the best agents working for me. Derrick and Emma are doing great, as is Austin and Jenna.” Derrick Gunn had married Emma St. John. She was the sister of Petty Officer Lily St. John whose son had gone missing. They had fallen in love on that case. Austin Beck had also fallen in love with and married a woman from his case, a murder investigation into the death of Sarah Taylor, Jenna Webb’s cousin who was a Navy pilot assigned to the Blue Angels.

“And Amber?” Amber Dalton had gone on a routine friendly fire incident at the Warfare Training Center involving a Marine that turned into a harrowing murder, kidnapping, and human hunting case that had almost taken her life. If it wasn’t for Tristan Michaels, the master sergeant who had been assigned to assist her, and his mad mountain skills, she would have perished.

“Happy as hell with her husband and daughter.” Her voice caught for a moment, but she took a bite of her salad and swallowed hard.

The mention of Amber and her husband reminded him all over again of his first joint case with NCIS. “I heard Neve and Russell moved to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and she’s teaching at the Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer’s School there.” Amber was married to Tristan Michaels who was Neve’s brother. Davis smiled remembering how those two had been so contentious with each other. Now they were happily married, compromising and raising their three-year-old twin boys.

“She is. They’ve come a long way according to Amber. I’m happy for them both.”

He nodded, thinking how much he’d like what they had, but he could never seem to see that with any woman, not even Abigail. “And Andrea? Where did she end up?”

“With Chris at the shipyard in DC.”

“Nice.”

She nodded. “He is singing her praises, and we miss her. But we have a new probie. Lucy Montgomery. She’s a petite ball of energy.”

“I’m sure she’s getting the best mentors at NCIS,” he said.

Kai Talbot blushed in such an endearing and sweet way. He was so surprised. “I can see that Jason and Kelly are doing extremely well,” she said, moving him off the subject. “She’s got a perpetual smile on her face, and that’s saying something for a medical examiner. Kiko, their daughter, is flourishing as well. They’re blessed to have found each other again.”

He nodded. It was true. Jason was over the moon, now married to the woman he’d been in love with for so long. Once they faced reality and owned up to their fraternization, their obstacles were resolved, opening up a sweet happily ever after. Again, he envied what they had.

Soft music had been playing ever since they were served their dinners. It was the band that started up later in the evening. Usually, he and his dad were gone by then.

He rose and offered his hand. “Care to dance?”

“You are determined to turn this into a date.”

He stared at her, not pulling any punches. She knew the score. He hadn’t been subtle about his attraction to her. What he didn”t know was what was holding her back. He couldn’t hide the layers of interest he had in her and he was sure his expression showed it.

Catching a ragged breath, Kai looked down as if working on her own equilibrium. His was shaky, and she’d had more to drink than he had…by design. He had noticed all the guys in here giving her panting looks, and him dark ones as if he was their ultimate cockblock. No one was getting close to her tonight. He would make certain of it.

She rose, and he could almost hear the silent collective groans. She was magnificent in that dress, but Davis knew more about her than her killer body, and he craved it just as much as anything physical with her.

She took his hand, and her touch was electric, running through him like a live current, comfortable in his role as her shield.

He took her out to the dance floor and drew her against him, the pressure of his hand against her bare back pressing her deeper into his embrace. Her forehead nestled against his jaw, and she sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck as he tried to hold in all the emotions rolling through him. Inhaling unevenly, Davis rested his head against hers, his arm tightening around her as they began moving to the music, drawn into the intimacy of this private space. The sensual, intimate tempo folded around them, the power and eloquence of the lyrics expressing everything he thought about her.

She leaned back and looked up into his eyes and the pain was back, deep and sharp. The muscles in his jaw tensed. There was a need for comfort, for connection, a need for him to simply hold her, and tell her everything was going to be okay.

After the song, he took her wrist and drew her back to the table. He pulled out some cash and set it down.

“Davis,” she said, and she affected him all over again by the aching need vibrating through his name. All soft and vulnerable and his already overheated body tightened even more along with a spot inside his chest.

His voice quiet and a little gruff, he said, “I’m taking you home.”

Sensing how fragile she was, he didn’t say anything until he got her outside. The chill of the night air made her shiver, and he drew her against him. His arm across her back, he stopped and shrugged out of his leather jacket and slipped it around her, holding it as she pushed her arms through the sleeves. Matching his stride to hers, Davis hugged her against him, and she huddled there, telegraphing sensual tension that made his breath falter.

Suddenly his need turned into something more. The thought of being locked fiercely against her, of having her lift her hips against his groin, made his pulse race, and he closed his eyes, so overwhelmed by a rush of hot desire. He hadn’t brought those drinks over to her table, or listened to her while she talked, or danced with her for this. It wasn’t the culmination of the date she thought he’d wanted. This wasn’t a date. It was a rescue.

He pulled up to her house and was around the car in a heartbeat, opening the door for her. He took her hand as she emerged, and he marveled at the sight of the house that looked like a beautiful English cottage with a white picket fence and gate threaded with bougainvillea vines wrapped in a charming and colorful elegance.

She stumbled halfway up the slate walk, but he already held her tightly, supporting her until she regained her feet. On the porch, he heard the jingle of keys, and she unlocked the door. They walked into the foyer, and she set her bag and the keys on a table in the hall.

She clasped the back of his head and pressed her mouth to his. Even as he responded, he knew it was wrong. And he didn’t give a flying fuck. He was finally getting a taste of Kai Talbot. Too bad it was like this.

As a man in tune with her, he understood the complexity of that one tiny breath caught in the back of her throat.

If this had been a planned date, not saturated with her desperation to escape the pain so clearly driving her, he would have crushed her mouth to his, overwhelmed them both right off, so neither would have a moment to think or react until it was too late, the deed finally done and out of the way, no longer taunting him with its promise. But his maturity and determination gave him the edge he needed…and that little hitch in her breath drew him back to that woman in the bar…weary, stressed, aching with a pain beyond imagination, her guard definitely down. What little cool she’d managed to collect had come from sheer willpower.

That one little hitch…and he gentled the kiss, soothing rather than inflaming, caretaking rather than conquering. She tasted so damn sweet, but she felt fragile and vulnerable, and his mission was to save her.

He kissed the corners of her lips, unable to resist taking her mouth once more. This could very well be the last time he kissed her.

When she sighed into his mouth, urging him on with a little moan deep in her throat, the part of him that was rock hard wanted to go all the way. But the man he was wouldn’t allow it.

He broke the kiss and tipped her head back just enough so he could look into her eyes. He forced a smile and a soft tone. The haze of alcohol and desire still clouding her amber eyes made it both difficult and easy.

“You should drink plenty of fluids and take some aspirin before you go to bed, Kai.”

She frowned. “What?” she asked, her gaze dipping from his eyes to his mouth, then back again.

His body ached and throbbed so much that he had to fight not to give in, and it took a lot more effort than he wanted to admit. “I’m not the man you expected to end up with tonight, an uninvolved stranger for just sex.”

Her chin lifted a fraction, showing a hint of her stubborn personality. “I was clear in the bar, Nishida. There shouldn’t be any surprise here.”

Back to his last name. That was telling. Rejection had a way of making people close down, especially when it came to being intimate. With a stranger, she wouldn’t have had to be at all vulnerable. A dumb-ass barfly would have just fucked her and be gone in the morning, but he hadn’t been able to handle that. He knew she was suffering.

“I need…this,” she whispered softly, pulling back just enough to slide her hand between their bodies and cup his thickened shaft in her palm. “I want more,” she said huskily as she stroked and squeezed the heated length of him. “A whole lot more.”

He groaned, circled her wrist with his fingers, and pulled her hand away. “You need me, but not like this.”

She stiffened slightly and tried to pull away. “Can we stop talking about this? My bedroom is through?—”

“No. I’m not here for that,” he said quickly, not letting her go. “I’m not going to take advantage of a vulnerable and intoxicated woman.”

Her quick retreat behind cool amber eyes triggered even more determination in him. “Then you’ve wasted my time. Just leave.” The defensive note to her voice was unmistakable. He needed to choose his words carefully.

He stared at her, a thick, heavy silence hung in the air around them as their gazes clashed. He hated leaving her like this, but she would thank him later…possibly…maybe.

She started to tremble, and he felt sick with what was going to happen. It was in the way she wrapped her arms around herself, like she was trying to hold herself together.

Before the first sob broke free from her lips, he was there, holding her.

“No,” she said, covering her face with her hand. “Don’t touch me.”

Her body was so stiff, and yet shaking so badly.

“Kai,” he said, wanting to help and yet feeling so helpless.

“No.” Another sob broke free, and then another, and she dropped her hand, looking at him, everything awful showing in her stricken gaze.

He moved in closer. This was going downhill in an uncontrollable way.

Tears streamed down her face in dark tracks of smudged makeup, inch by inch, he felt her crumble and begin to slip toward the floor. He tightened his grip, with predictable results.

She sobbed and slapped him. It had been there in her eyes when he caught her. The tension she needed to release with alcohol and sex wasn’t going as she planned. All because of him. So, he let her take it out on him.

The side of his face stung like hell, but he couldn’t have cared less about getting his face slapped. Not when everything was welling up inside her and getting ready to break her in a hard, aching way.

He felt hot and annoyed by his own principles, fierce and wild for her. Trying to wall away the emotion that clogged his throat, he said, “I’m so sorry about what you’re going through.” He held her in a rough, desperate embrace. “I want this to happen, Kai, but not now.” His words were gruff and ferocious, and she inhaled raggedly. “In the future, yes. But when you’re on even ground and can consent with your heart and mind balanced and committed to more than a feel-good moment.” His rib cage expanding and contracting, his voice raw and strained, he said, “I’m just not that guy. I’ll never be that guy for you.”