Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
There was a purplish-pink hue to the sky, the sun having now disappeared, as Liam and Emily walked to their hotel in downtown Santiago. Palm trees lined the streets, and colonial architecture was sprinkled in between the colorful homes in the city.
If they weren’t on a mission, it’d feel almost like they were on a date, just walking along like a normal couple, not undercover as a murdering duo.
“Sorry I slept the entire flight here.” How had he passed out that hard? That wasn’t like him, but when he’d woken up as the plane began its descent to the airport, he’d found his fingers laced with Emily’s. He didn’t remember reaching for her, but maybe he did it in his sleep.
“You needed it.” She played with the blonde bangs of her wig as if annoyed with them cutting across her forehead. “Besides, I need my protector full of energy.”
“Good point.” He surveyed the scene as they walked, checking to see if they had a tail.
“This place is beautiful.” Her eyes were trained on the snow-capped Andes Mountains off in the distance. “I could get used to a view like this.”
He kept his grip on their one bag of luggage and used it to point to the hotel off to their right.
They checked in with no trouble, and when they arrived in their room, she did a three-sixty in the living area and smiled. “The presidential suite?”
He dropped the bag at his side and locked up. “Trying to keep up with appearances.” He turned to find her standing before him—looking like sin. The kind of sin he craved.
Her long blonde hair fell in lustrous waves over her shoulders, and although he liked her natural color—well, the woman looked hot as hell staring at him with her thick lashes framing her big brown eyes.
Hell, she looked like a sexy spy in her leather jacket and brown boots. Someone who could go to bat with bad guys and drop them down with a flick of her wrist.
She was strong. Tougher than he’d realized upon first meeting her.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling she was hiding some sort of pain deep inside, and he knew what that was like, and how it could eat at you.
“We’ll go back out soon to secure a sidearm. I don’t like being without one down here.” He tipped his chin toward the window—to the view of the Andes he made sure they had when he checked in.
“You’ll take me with you, right?” She whirled away from the window after observing the scenery and removed her jacket.
“I don’t like risking bringing you along to buy a gun from an illegal dealer, but I don’t want to leave you alone, either.”
Having her there made him uneasy. Hell, in more ways than one.
The white jersey fabric of her long-sleeved shirt molded to her body, accentuating her breasts. He remembered how her tits had felt cupped in his hands.
He could see the outline of her bra beneath the material, and there wasn’t much padding based on the fact he could see her nipples poking through.
But if she kept staring at him like he was the sun and the fucking moon he’d probably lose his bloody mind.
She strode closer to him, and he wanted to back the hell up.
To take a second to remind himself they weren’t in this suite for fun, but because they were trying to track down the sons of bitches who were after Elaina.
“You good?” she asked, a hint of humor in her tone as if she’d picked up on his obvious desire.
“Still just a little tired,” he lied, hating himself for it.
But what could he say? I want to screw you all day.
All night. Every day after that. And he was more than confident in the fact he’d never grow tired of it.
Of her. And when he made her breakfast in bed, he wouldn’t slip out afterward like the dick he normally was.
She sat on the couch and unzipped her boots, freeing her legs. “Do you think someone might be after Elaina’s mom’s research?”
Her question was the reset to his focus he needed. Thank God.
He grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge in the kitchenette off to his left and handed her one before sucking his dry.
“If that were the case, why not grab Elaina immediately after her mother was in the accident?” He sat next to her but kept enough distance to prevent him from reaching out and touching her.
She removed her wig and held it in her hands. Her brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun. “What if someone caused the car accident to get the research, but they didn’t know Elaina was important until later?”
He considered the idea. “But why put a bounty on her head instead of just grabbing her themselves?”
“Maybe they couldn’t come after her yet, or they wanted to keep some distance to prevent exposure.” She set the wig on the glass-top coffee table in front of her. “I’m just thinking aloud. I don’t know.”
He scooted closer, but if he touched her—if he reached for her—he’d be done.
“I still think the timing is a factor. It’s been too long since her mother’s death, and if there was anything in her mom’s notes about Elaina somehow having some sort of genetic marker in her DNA for memory loss, they wouldn’t have waited to get her. ”
“So, coming after her must be for another reason.”
He stood again, but when he roped a hand around the back of his neck, he remembered Elaina’s words about him. The girl was perceptive. And since she was only eight, maybe she’d grow up to be even smarter than her genius mother. “The question is . . . what?”
“I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.” She joined him on her feet. “And speaking of which, what’s the game plan?”
“Maria’s first class on Monday is at ten. We’ll stop by the lecture hall close to eleven and try and get her to talk.” He looked to the one bedroom that branched off the living space. “You want to wash up before we head out? I could use a shower, too.”
“At the same time?” she said, a playful sweep of her tongue over her bottom lip.
Damn it. As much as he’d love to watch water rolling down her naked body . . . “Funny.” He cupped his mouth, willing his dick to calm the hell down.
“I’ll just clean up, and the bathroom is all yours.”
He grabbed the luggage and carried it to the bedroom and set it atop the bed.
“Were we followed?” she asked, the touch of teasing gone from her tone, replaced with concern.
He unzipped the bag and began removing the clothes Jessica had packed for Emily’s role as Heidi. “No.”
“How can you tell?”
He faced her. “My job is to notice things, remember?”
“Well, um, do you think anyone is watching Maria?”
“It’s possible,” he said, his voice falling flat.
“But we should be safe until we visit her tomorrow?”
He nodded.
“And are we endangering Maria by visiting?”
“If someone wanted her, they would’ve gotten to her already. But that’s also why it’s best if we don’t tell her the truth about Elaina. The less she knows about us and where Elaina is—the better.”
“Makes sense.” She reached around him and grabbed a red bra and matching underwear from the suitcase.
Holy hell. Emily must have slipped a few of her own items inside.
He really didn’t need to know she’d be wearing red lace beneath her clothes. Maybe he should’ve let her unpack.
Once she was in the en suite with the water running, he dropped onto the bed and clutched his cell in his hand. Closing his eyes, he let his mind slide back to the memories he’d stored away from their wedding night in Vegas.
“I can’t think when I’m around you. You make me crazy.” His tongue had roamed her mouth right after, and he had her positioned before him against the wall of the coat closet outside the wedding reception area. “I don’t remember ever wanting someone so much.”
“I want you, too.” She’d moaned against his mouth while tearing her fingers through his hair.
“Then let’s get out of here.”
“Liam?”
He rolled to his side and was greeted by the view of Emily standing in the doorway of the bathroom clutching a towel to her chest. He couldn’t help but look at her legs—legs she didn’t seem to realize were absolute perfection.
“Forget something?” He dropped his feet to the floor and sat up, hands braced on the bed at his sides.
“Yeah. You.”
She let go of the towel and stood naked.
“Liam?”
He jerked upright at the sound of his name. Shit. He’d fallen asleep.
What’s wrong with me?
Emily stood fully clothed at the side of the bed. “Your turn.”
He then followed her eyes to the bulge in his pants. He grabbed one of the pillows and set it on his lap. “So, uh, how cold does that shower get?”