Chapter Nine
Trinity woke the moment she heard the alarm beeping on her phone signaling that someone was at the front door to the suite. Again. Turning her head, she saw that the readout on the clock said it was barely four in the morning.
If it was Maxwell, she was going to kill him.
But no, it couldn’t be him.
She’d shown him the alarm she had placed on the front entrance after they’d finished their meal and warned him about it again before she’d gone to bed. They had both retreated to their separate bedrooms not that long ago, but neither of them had wanted to go to bed alone.
The magnetism between them was almost unbearable.
Maxwell had brushed his lips lightly over hers as he’d wished her goodnight. The move had surprised her. She could have avoided the contact but had decided to let it play out instead. He’d kept the kiss light so it was barely a whisper of a touch. It hadn’t been enough. She’d wanted to grab hold of him and deepen the kiss, letting the lust take over, but she had restrained herself.
Maxwell wasn’t the type to creep around in the middle of the night, especially since he had a sense of what she was capable of. Trying to surprise her was a really bad idea and would definitely be hazardous to his health.
She heard movement coming from the hallway outside of her room and slid silently from the bed, grabbing her Sig Sauer as she did. She pulled a pillow into place where she had been lying minutes before and threw the cover over it so it looked like someone was still sleeping there.
With her weapon trained on the closed door, she moved to the partially opened bathroom door and turned off the light she’d left on, enclosing her in the darkness. Heart thundering in her chest, she fought a vicious battle within herself to contain the fear that tried to immobilize her.
She fucking hated being in the dark.
Someone tried to turn the doorknob but found it was locked. A few seconds later, she heard a soft clicking sound as whoever it was went to work on picking the lock. Her fear of the dark turned to anger that someone would dare try to sneak into her room while she was sleeping.
Obviously, whoever it was had a death wish.
And she was more than willing to grant it.
The lock clicked open and the door opened slowly, admitting a large man dressed completely in black. As the man approached the bed, she saw the moonlight glisten off of a knife he held in his hand. Her anger surged to pure rage when she caught sight of a loaded syringe in his other hand.
The son of a bitch thought he was going to drug her?
Hell fucking no.
Pissed now, Trinity took aim at his knee and pulled the trigger. He fell to the floor with a howl and she reached into the bathroom and flicked the switch back on, flooding the room with light. Scowling down at the man on her floor, she pointed the gun at his stupid head.
“Oh, you think that hurts? Just wait till I put another one in you. Maybe I’ll shoot you in the nuts next. Fucker.”
The door to the bedroom bounced open as Maxwell rushed into the room, his dark-blond hair disheveled from sleep and his muscular body covered only by a pair of dark blue silk pajama pants. His blue eyes narrowed as he took in the injured man lying on the floor, then they went wide with shock as he got a good look at Trinity.
She looked down at herself and swore.
Christ, was everyone going to see her naked?
Maxwell’s jaw tightened as he saw the various scars marring her golden skin and struggled to contain his anger. This woman, this warrior, had led a difficult life, and the map of her experiences was right there for him to see. He felt an unfamiliar wave of tenderness flow through him as he studied her. Those marks did nothing to detract from her beauty, but they made him want to wrap her in his arms and shelter her from anything that would harm her.
Mixed in with the scars were several tattoos he hadn’t seen earlier. She had a wicked tribal design on her outer right thigh that stretched up and wrapped around her hip. As she turned, he also saw a large intricate cross between her shoulder blades. He had never been one to get turned on by ink before, but surprisingly enough, he felt the desire to trace each line on her body with his tongue.
“Well, I guess you were telling the truth about sleeping with a gun next to you,” he said, trying for levity. He slowly walked further into the room and picked up the discarded robe she had left on the upholstered bench at the end of the bed. He held it out to her, trying his very best not to stare at her gorgeous body.
“Thanks,” she muttered as she took the robe and put it on.
“I need help! Call an ambulance!” the man moaned.
Maxwell glanced back at the man bleeding on the floor and his eyes narrowed with fury. He saw the knife on the floor, along with the syringe filled with liquid. This sorry excuse for a human being had snuck in there with the intent to take Trinity or put more scars on her precious body. He swore he would kill the man himself before he gave him a chance to touch her.
Not that she needed the help.
He sighed. “That blood is going to stain the carpet.”
A snort of laughter escaped from Trinity’s lips. “You’re ice, blue eyes. I like a man that has a sense of humor in a situation like this. Sorry, my stunner is in my bag. I’ll try and use that next time.”
He grinned back at her, then sobered as the man on the floor continued to scream and moan. “If you don’t stop screaming, she’s going to shoot you again.”
The man’s eyes widened with terror as his pain-filled gaze tracked back over to Trinity. “Keep that crazy bitch away from me.”
She raised an eyebrow as she stared down at the man. “Max?”
“Yes, love?”
“Do me a favor, go call the police from your bedroom.”
“Trinity…”
Her eyes met his and she sent him a small smile. “Plausible deniability, baby. Take your time. I should be done by the time you get back.”
He hesitated for a moment, then gave in with a nod and left the room.
Trinity grinned down at the man writhing on the floor. “Now, then. You and I are going to have a little chat…”
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long to make him spill.
In the short time she was alone with the asshole, she discovered that he had been paid five thousand dollars to sneak into her room and kidnap her. The man didn’t know who had hired him since the transaction had been brokered over the phone.
The man, John Alverez, had been paid half of the fee in cash. It had been left for him in a paper bag that was taped under a seat on the ferry that had brought him over to the island earlier. He was supposed to leave her at a motel on the mainland where the second half of his payment would be waiting.
Trinity was always irritated by the procedures she had to deal with after shooting someone, though she understood the dance well enough not to argue. Thankfully, Jackson wasn’t one of the cops who showed up after Maxwell had made the call to 911.
Even though she was technically the victim, the cops had given her the hard eye until she had made a call to Tara. They had arranged for the prisoner to be taken to the hospital to be treated under guard. In the morning, he would be escorted to the mainland, where an agent would be waiting to take him into custody.
John Alverez would be interrogated again, then locked away, quick and quiet. Trying to kidnap an IAD agent, even one on medical leave, came with a heavy price. Although he hadn’t known exactly who he had been coming after, ignorance was not a defense.
Basically, that dude’s life was now totally fucked.
When the cops left, Trinity closed the door behind them and Maxwell ended a call on his cell phone, placing it on the buffet table in the living room.
“Your room will be fixed tomorrow afternoon. I’ve arranged for it to be dealt with while we’re out touring the renovations. We can move your stuff into my room. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She studied him for a moment. “Or I could just get a new room.”
“You could,” he said carefully. “But I don’t want you to. I want you here with me. I want you, Trinity. But I won’t push for anything more than having you where I can hold you for the night. Will you let me?”
She considered it for a long minute. It probably wasn’t wise, but she realized she really didn’t give a fuck about that.
Answering honestly, she said, “I’d like that.”
In a matter of minutes, they moved all of her stuff into his bedroom. Not that she had much. She’d been impressed when he had barely raised an eyebrow at what had occurred earlier but found herself being a little apprehensive when he didn’t blink at the arsenal she scattered around his bedroom.
The man was too damn calm, and it was weirding her out. Turning around with her hands on her hips, she scowled at him after she finished storing her suitcase in the large walk-in closet.
“What’s the deal?”
That arrogant brow rose. “What’s what deal?”
“This—” She gestured her hands in the air in circular motions. “All of this tonight. How can you want me here with you when I just hid four guns and six knives around the suite?”
“Was it six? I only saw three. Perhaps you should show me where you put them again so I don’t accidentally cut myself.”
“See! That’s what I mean. How can you act like this is all normal to you?”
Maxwell sat down on the bed. Before the cops had arrived, they had both dressed in shirts and jeans. Those jeans were now constricting his burgeoning erection as he valiantly tried to focus on her question instead of the fact that she would be in his bed in a few minutes.
“Nothing about this situation is normal, Trinity. Am I pissed about what happened tonight? You’re damn right I am. That fucker could have hurt you! This is my hotel. Mine. You were attacked while I was only a few feet away. I find that intolerable. I’ve upgraded security in the hotel, but until we know who is after you, there is very little we can do to ensure your safety. So, no, I’m not worried that you’ve taken precautions that will make it easier for you to defend yourself here.”
She stared at him silently, and he wondered what was going through that fascinating head of hers. Her hazel eyes looked almost golden in the dim light and her beautiful hair lay loose around her shoulders and spilled down her back. She was like a temptress luring him to his doom, but he realized that he would gladly follow wherever she led him.
The sexual tension was there between them, so thick he could almost taste it. A part of him knew that this could be a huge mistake, though it didn’t feel like it. Lust was the obvious choice of excuse, but there was something more between them now. Something inside him that had lain dormant had awakened as he had gotten to know her over dinner. She was bold and bright, like a glowing star in an otherwise pitch-black night.
And he wanted that light.
He wanted, no, he needed the vibrancy of her in his dull life.
The silence while he waited for her to respond was almost unbearable. His muscles strained as he fought to stay where he was and not jump up and grab her. But when she did speak, he grew even more rigid with tension.
“I slept with someone a few nights ago.”
“Fuck.”
She let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Yeah, actually that would be more accurate. Normally, I wouldn’t be telling you this. But in the scope of full disclosure, I needed to tell you since this thing between us is leading to us doing the same if I stay here with you tonight.”
He found her honesty refreshing even though her words infuriated him. “Was it someone on the island?”
“Does it make a difference?”
His teeth clenched as he fought to keep calm. “Yes, it does.”
She sighed as she sat down on the bed beside him. She told him about meeting Jackson after she’d almost been run off the road and briskly glossed over the rest of the evening with him.
“I know I can be…annoyingly outspoken at times, but I’ve found honesty and getting to the point makes my life a whole lot easier. I live and work in a world of shadows and need clarity when it comes to my personal life. Jackson was…uncomfortable with what happened between us. Where it happened, to be more specific. But this isn’t the first time I’ve made a man run scared.”
“I know Jackson. I’ve met him several times when I’ve visited the island before. So, it’s over?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know. He never called, so I guess so.”
“Then, he’s a fool.”
He could tell that startled her by the way her eyes widened as she glanced back at him. His heart melted when he saw the uncertainty there in her beautiful hazel eyes.
“I’m not exactly the normal type you go for, Max.”
“No, you’re not. What you are is brilliant, both in mind and heart. My brother and Tara said you were injured recently working a case, but you never hesitated to jump right into another to help your friends out. Then, when you have barely recovered from that, you come down here because a friend asked you to. Yes, I called them before I went to sleep,” he admitted before she could ask. “I thought it was only fair since I’m sure you’ve read all about me as well.”
She smiled at that. “True.”
“Someone tried to kill you, twice now, and yet, here you are. Tell me, have you considered leaving the island even once?”
“No. Well, yes, briefly, to go get more weapons. But I would come back after I stocked up.”
He smiled at her quick reply. “Your loyalty and dedication to your job and your friends speaks volumes of you. Yes, I’ve noticed that you tend to speak your mind, but honestly, I find it refreshing. Although it isn’t quite the same as your world, mine is also filled with individuals who lie and try to prevaricate instead of just telling the truth. I like knowing that you will tell me what you’re thinking. I find I like it quite a lot.”
Trinity’s breath caught in her throat at the gentle smile he gifted her with. Could it be possible that Maxwell could want her just the way she was? The real her? Over the years, she had gotten used to being rejected for her outspoken ways. She found comfort and acceptance with her friends and fellow agents and told herself that was all she needed.
But the truth was, she was looking for love.
Jackson’s rejection of her had hurt her more than she’d fully admitted to herself. It was something that a small part of her had been expecting. If you expected it, then it couldn’t hurt as much.
Or so she tried to believe.
Wanting to be completely clear, she bolstered her courage and said, “I’m not looking to be one of many, Max. You say that you want me, all of me, but if we do this and then you bail before we see where it goes, you’re going to make me hate you.”
“I think we could have something great between us, but we won’t know until we try. Are you willing to try, Trinity?”
“Yes.”
Her breath quickened as his gaze heated and his blue eyes darkened with hunger.
For her.
Only for her.
“Did Jackson taste that sweet pussy of yours, Trinity?”
Oh, damn. He got right to the point.
“No. No, he didn’t.” She felt her pussy grow instantly wet at his slow, sensual smile.
“Well, then. I will have that pleasure first. I’m going to eat your pussy until you beg me to stop, and then I am going to make you mine.”
“I don’t beg easily.”
“I certainly hope not. Take off your clothes, love. Take them off and lie down on the bed for me, spread wide.”
Uncertainty tainted the moment for her. “Max, I really wasn’t kidding. I really don’t take orders well.”
“Try for me, love.”
Some of her pleasure dimmed as she felt slightly cheated. Men saw her as a sexual creature. They always had. However, she hated being treated like a pretty face with a pussy, and that was exactly how he was making her feel.
She was a sensual woman who enjoyed sex. That wasn’t something she was ashamed of. But she needed respect and to be treated like an equal in order to keep her interested in more than just a night or two. Some women loved when a man took total control in the bedroom, but she wasn’t one of them.
That didn’t make it right or wrong.
It just wasn’t her thing.
She sighed as she stood up, pulling her T-shirt off, baring her breasts to his gaze. Her nipples should have tightened as the cool air hit her bare skin, but they remained slightly soft, the dark quarter-sized areolas barely puckering. She took off her jeans, kicking them aside, not liking the feeling of being on display.
She knew she had a good body, with full breasts, a slim waist, and a bare mound that she got waxed so it was completely clear of hair. She’d always like the feeling of a bare pussy, even though getting a Brazilian hurt like a motherfucker. She moved back toward the bed, only to be stopped by Maxwell as he stood.
“You’re so beautiful you take my breath away.”
“Thanks.” She flashed him a smile, covering what she was feeling.
His brows furrowed as his gaze deepened, searching for something. “This isn’t right.”
Her smile disappeared as her own eyes narrowed in embarrassment and a healthy dose of anger. “You could have fucking said something before I got naked.”
“I meant, I was wrong. This is not the way to begin this. To begin us.” His arms came around her waist, drawing her closer to him so her nipples brushed against the material of his shirt. She could feel his hard cock constrained in his jeans rubbing up against the bare flesh of her pussy. “I haven’t even kissed you yet, and I tell you to get naked and spread for me? Forgive me. My only defense is that I want you so much that it’s difficult for me to think straight.”
“That’s okay.”
He shook his head slowly. Holding her gaze, he leaned in to brush his lips against hers. “No, it’s not. You deserve more. You deserve this to be special. For me to show you that I want more than just a night of passion with you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Trinity,” he said softly. “I want there to only be truth between us.”
“Fine.” She took a deep breath. “How could you tell?”
“I’m an observant man, Trinity. I can read your body’s reactions, and surprisingly, I seem to be able to read your eyes.”
“And what did my eyes tell you?”
“That I messed up. I’m used to being in control in the bedroom. But sex with you is more than just a power play. Plus, knowing you could kick my ass also changes things a bit. If that’s not what turns you on, I will try to dampen that part down. I don’t need it with you. It’s just what I’m used to.” He paused, then asked, “Did I miss something?”
She was about to let it go but opted for honesty instead. “I have some bad stuff in my past, Max. We, all of us agents, have to see someone after a mission to make sure we’ve got our heads right, but some stuff stays with you. I’ve got triggers, you could say. If you treat me like I’m just a pretty pussy to screw, that’s all this will be. I’ll shut down. I can’t help it. Most men like the way I look, but they don’t see the real me.”
“I see you, Trinity.”
She nodded slowly. “I think you do. But try to get lucky without even kissing me again, and I might just have to knee-cap you.”
He smiled. “I’ll definitely remember that.”
“Now, why don’t you get naked, too? I’m feeling a little underdressed here.”