Chapter 11
Natalia was kissing Jagger. Like full-on, lips-on-lips kissing, in the middle of a dimly lit parking lot, no less. But what was even more surprising than that unexpected development?
He’s kissing me back!
It had taken the poor man a few long, terrifying seconds to catch up after she’d first pulled his mouth to hers. Once he did, it was as if a floodgate of passion had exploded deep inside. Now he was giving back as much as she would willingly take.
I want it all.
If it wouldn’t end with two charges of indecent exposure, Natalia may have given into temptation right there. For now, she decided to take advantage of the moment…and the fact that he’d just coaxed her lips open and slid his tongue inside.
She gave her head a slight tilt, allowing for the kiss to deepen. It was a powerful connection unlike any she’d ever felt. Nearly to the point of being all-consuming.
Jagger tasted of hot, sweet desire, and she greedily feasted in fear of the moment coming to an end. They couldn’t stop. Not yet. Not until she’d had her fill.
But as she became lost in the impassioned man’s warm embrace, Natalia realized one kiss would never truly be enough.
Need more.
“My place,” she whispered as he nibbled his way from her lips to her chin.
“What about it?”
“We should…” A tiny gasp escaped, causing a momentary interruption. “Go…there.”
“Now?”
Her head bobbed with a vehement nod. “Right now.” She opened her eyes, lifted her hands back to his rugged jaw, and guided his mouth back to hers. “You can follow me.” Her lips feathered across his as she spoke. “And don’t worry. I know a short cut.”
Jagger’s rumbled chuckle reverberated from his chest to hers. “Thank God for that.”
“Just make sure you keep up.” She smiled, leaning in for a quick, parting peck.
One long, glorious moment later, he linked his fingers with hers and began walking her to her car.
“Let me guess.” Natalia stole a sideways glimpse of the mouthwatering man. “This another one of your southern gentlemanly duties?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jagger tipped the rim of a hat that didn’t exist.
The corners of her lips curved even higher. This may turn out to be a massive mistake, but after that kiss, Natalia couldn’t bring herself to care. For the first time in a very long while, she gave herself permission to forget.
The case against Sanchez. The job and possible ramifications for sleeping with a member of R.I.S.C. Natalia shoved every complication or source of stress out of her mind and focused solely on the one thing she wanted most.
Him.
Just this once. Just for this one night. And then maybe, maybe Jagger’s face would quit haunting her every dream.
“This is me.” Her voice sounded a touch breathy as they traversed the narrow space between her car’s driver side and the vehicle next to hers. She stopped to look up at the man standing inches away. “See you soon?”
“Not soon enough.” Jagger’s dark eyes burned into hers as he leaned in close. Pulling her bottom lip between his teeth, he gave her a tiny nibble before kissing her goodbye. “Be safe.”
“Just make sure you can keep up.”
His masculine laugh escaped into the frigid night air. Surprisingly, the cold hadn’t fully registered on her skin.
Gee, I wonder why.
Natalia knew exactly the source of the heat coursing through her veins. And he was staring back at her as if he wanted nothing more than to eat her alive.
Right back atcha, partner.
Rather than leave, however, Jagger reached a hand slowly toward her face. With the softest of touches, he feathered the back of his knuckles down the length of her cheek.
“I can never keep up with you, darlin’.” He gave a slight shake of his head.
Her heart kicked the inside of her ribs, her racing pulse fueled by his touch. More than ready to feel those hands of his elsewhere, Natalia turned around and started to open her door.
She froze mid-reach when something on her windshield caught her eye. Her heart pounded for a different reason than before when she saw the small, manilla envelope held in place between the glass and her wiper.
A low curse reached her ears from behind as Jagger reached his long arm over her shoulder to carefully pull the envelope free. “Looks like someone left you something.” He held it out for her to take.
Natalia hesitated to take it from his hand. It was only a slight pause. A fraction of a second, at most. But that was all the time he needed.
“What’s wrong?”
Without a word, she took the offering from his hand. A hand that, mere moments before had been holding her close in a sensual embrace. But that moment had clearly passed, destroyed by some sick freak who seemed to be everywhere and nowhere, all at the same damn time.
Open it.
Natalia flipped the envelope over and began releasing its small, metal clasp. With the flap up, she could easily retrieve the contents.
A folded, clipped article from what felt like an old newspaper slid free. The air in her lungs froze when she opened the printed portion’s two halves. It wasn’t an article but rather a young man’s obituary.
Her eyes burned as she read the name…
Julian A. Miller
It was her friend’s obituary. She had one just like it stashed in a box at the shelf in her bedroom closet. Part of the memories she couldn’t bear to part with but that were too painful to have out in the open.
His death had been one of the hardest she’d ever endured. Julian shouldn’t have died that day in Afghanistan. He should have been able to live a long, happy, and fruitful life. That’s what he deserved.
Instead, he got blown up by a terrorist’s bomb, his body buried beneath literal tons of stone and other inescapable debris.
“Natalia.” Jagger’s stern tone broke through her racing thoughts.
She forced her gaze to lift up to his. With his dark stare locked onto hers, he held out his palm and waited. There was a slight trembling in hers as she gave him the emotional write-up, and it had nothing to do with the cold.
“Julian Miller.” He read her friend’s name. “I take it you know who this is?”
Natalia nodded. “I do. Or rather, I did. Julian was killed on the job three years ago.”
Jagger skimmed the obituary again. “Says here he died in a training accident.”
“It was no accident.” A hard, confident shake of her head. “Julian did on a CIA op. And this…” She held up the envelope. “This isn’t the first one of these I’ve found.”
As she’d feared, Scarlett had messaged earlier to let her know her efforts to retrieve any useable images from the hotel’s security feed had been futile. Whoever had broken in had done so with efficiency and the skills to avoid being caught.
They were still out there. Still messing with her. And Talia had the feeling they weren’t going to stop.
Thirty-five minutes and one freshly brewed pot of coffee later, Natalia was in her kitchen preparing two mugs while simmering with anger. The same asshole who’d left the picture in her hotel room had followed her here, but to what end?
Was it possible one of the hostage’s family members had come looking for revenge? Or were they merely trying to scare her, or make her feel guilty and ashamed for what happened to her friend?
Spoiler alert, asshole. Nothing you do can make me feel worse than I already do.
A splash of steaming hot coffee fell onto the top of Natalia’s hand. The momentary sting in her skin made her jump back into focus just in time to notice Jagger’s mug was overflowing.
“Shit,” she mumbled under her breath, setting the glass pot back onto the coffee maker before reaching for a nearby towel.
“You need any help in there?” Jagger’s deep voice called out to her from the living room.
“Thanks, but I’m good,” she hollered back, quickly taking care of the excess coffee. “You want any cream or sugar?”
“Black’s fine, thanks.”
She’d always preferred the bitter bite of a good cup of dark roast, as well. On a typical day, Natalia wouldn’t even consider drinking caffeine at such a late hour, but tonight was hell and away from normal.
Quit stalling.
Her inner voice was right. She was stalling and for good reason. If she’d gone the rest of her life without revisiting the moment that changed her life forever, it would have been perfectly fine with her.
But Jagger was waiting, and given how infuriated she’d been at him for having deceived her with the whole cancelled flight thing earlier, it would be pretty crappy of her to hold back from him now.
Especially after that kiss.
Natalia’s lower belly began to tingle as she carefully picked up the mugs. If she were being honest, she was equally as upset about her stalker’s untimely interruption as the sick game he was trying to play.
If there’d been no envelope on her car, she and Jagger would most likely be naked by now. In bed—in her bed—having hot, wild, amazing sex. And it would be amazing with him. Of that, she had no doubt. Instead, she was bringing him coffee as he sat fully dressed on her sectional.
Unfortunately for them both, their night of fun had come to an abrupt and unpleasant ending. For Natalia, it was most assuredly about to get worse.
“Careful with this.” She made her way down the short flight of stairs to the townhome’s lower level. “It’s really hot…and full.”
Jagger stood from his spot near the corner of the L-shaped couch and walked over to meet her halfway. “Thanks.” He took one of the steaming mugs from her hand.
Natalia barely controlled her reaction when the tips of their fingers touched. The electrical shock was there, just as it had been before. Only now, since that kiss, it had somehow become exponentially stronger.
“Before I start, I have to admit I’m surprised you don’t already know about Julian.”
“Miller?” Jagger motioned to the clipping they’d placed in a clear storage bag she’d gotten earlier from the kitchen. “Why would you assume that?”
“Don’t be coy, Jagger.” Natalia chose to sit on the opposite side of the couch. “Two minutes, and you and Cutler would know everything about me. Personal. Professional. Even stuff that’s supposed to be sealed.”