Chapter 16
Ysabel stood staring out the kitchen window. What her father had said shattered her heart. There had always been a distance between them she didn’t understand. The lack of participation in her life had always been explained away by business, wanting to keep her safe, or any other manner of excuse. Yet she’d always loved him with the adoration of a daughter for her father.
She chuffed a sad laugh and spoke to the universe. “You’d think after all you’ve been through this wouldn’t matter.”
“It matters because you feel betrayed,” Heath said as he walked into the kitchen. She turned, leaned against the counter, and crossed her arms.
“I do,” she admitted. He assumed a position mimicking hers, leaning against the counter across from her. “All of this has been surreal. I’m not sure how to process the hurt and anger.”
“If you need help, I’m here, and we can set up appointments in the States so you can talk to a professional. There’s no need to try to grapple with this alone.”
“When do we leave?” She couldn’t wait to put Paris behind her.
“Guardian is sending a plane for Val and Smith; you’ll be on that. Smith has developed a seriously bad attitude. The doctor won’t let him out of the hospital quite yet. But you’ll be on the plane when they leave. I don’t know exactly when.”
Ysabel snapped her head up at that comment. “I’ll be on the plane, not we?” She shot her finger from herself to him.
Heath nodded. “I’m staying here to wrap up things.”
“With my father?”
“And others,” Heath amended. “It’s part of my job with Guardian.”
“What exactly do you do for Guardian?” She held up a hand. “I think I have the right to know.”
“I’m a troubleshooter. I take care of problems,” he repeated his earlier statement. She shook her head.
“What do you do, Heath?”
Heath walked over to her side of the kitchen and turned to lean against the counter beside her. With a sigh, he told her, “What I do is not something I can discuss in any detail. I handle security breaches, and I eliminate situations that cause danger to innocent lives. That’s all I can say. You’ll have to trust that what I do is important and held in the strictest of confidence. I cannot talk about it.”
“And Val and Smith do this, too?”
“Yes, but each of us has our own area of expertise.”
“And yours is?”
“Classified, as is theirs.” Heath shook his head. “If I could tell you, I would, but there’s a line I can’t cross, and I won’t.” He turned toward her. “Some things shouldn’t ever be discussed. What I do for my company is one of them.”
Ysabel stared at the man she loved. He was trying to tell her something … She blinked and then frowned. “Is what you do legal?”
Heath barked out a laugh and rubbed his neck. “What I do has passed through so many layers of oversight. Each time we’re sent out to take care of a situation, every ‘I’ has been dotted, and every ‘T’ has been crossed multiple times. Of that, I can assure you.”
She looked down at the marble tile of the opulent apartment. “Is it dangerous?”
His finger touched her chin and lifted it up. She gazed into his eyes. “Sometimes, but I am a trained professional. I don’t take risks. Especially since I met you.” He held her gaze. “I know you want more definitive answers, but I can’t give them to you.” He dropped his hand. “I need to know if this is going to cause an issue between us.”
Ysabel frowned. Her emotions were all over the place, but one thing she was sure of was that Heath’s job was the least of her worries. She sighed and shook her head. “Of course not. Why would it? I can understand the requirements you work under. I’m so jumbled in the brain right now.” The timer on the oven went off, and she reached over to turn it off. She turned around and bumped into Heath. “Whoa! Sorry.”
“I’m not. You can be jumbled, confused, worried, hurt, or just plain mad, but none of those emotions should be centered around us. I am here for you, and I will always be as open as I can be about my job, but there will be limitations. I won’t let anything put distance between us again.” He lowered his mouth to hers, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss stopped the swirling thoughts. It stilled her emotional turmoil and halted the anxiety that had been wrapped around her.
“Hey, is lunch?—”
Con’s voice pulled them apart.
“Yeah, sorry. Should I go back to my room now?”
Heath twisted around. “I’m starting to understand the unalive comment now.”
Ysabel frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Heath sighed and turned back to her. “He has a habit of interrupting things he shouldn’t.”
“It’s one of my super skills, along with all things computer,” Con added. “Whatever. Your cooking smells amazing.”
Heath dropped his head to her shoulder. “Feed him before I tape him to the ceiling, please.”
That image popped into her head, and Ysabel laughed. If someone had told her five minutes ago she’d laugh today or even tomorrow, she’d have thought they were crazy. But Heath was a balm for her soul and the one she loved more than life itself.
She hugged her man and said, “Go sit down. I’ll bring you both food.”
Con clapped his hands together and made straight for the table. Heath’s coworker was amusing in a slightly annoying way. She pulled the quiche out of the oven along with a sheet pan of fries. She served the food and retrieved a light salad out of the fridge to accompany the lunch.
“Fries and quiche, I haven’t had this in forever.”
“Thank Heath’s housekeeper; she stocks the freezer well, and I’m not a good chef.”
“She’s being modest.” Heath winked at her. “She makes the best chili and cornbread.”
“Chili?” Con stopped with a forkful of quiche halfway to his mouth. “I know that’s not a thing over here.” He frowned. “Or it wasn’t the last time I was here.”
“I studied at Juilliard in America and lived with a host family. They were from the south. Until then, I’d never cooked. They decided that needed to be remedied, and I learned their recipes.”
“Well, this is good,” Con said before he looked over at Heath. “I have a delivery coming in tomorrow via Guardian.”
Heath nodded and started to speak, but a beeping sound from Con’s watch stopped him. Con glanced at his watch and then smiled. “Val is here and coming up.”
Ysabel cocked her head. “How do you know?”
Con’s eyes shot to her and then to Heath. “Ah … she texted me?” He dropped his arm and scooped up another bite of food.
Of course, she wasn’t thinking straight. Heath wiped his mouth and headed into the living room. She heard Val’s voice and a low conversation before they entered the kitchen. Ysabel stood up. “Would you like some lunch?”
Val shook her head. “Thank you, no. I had cake salé at the hospital with Smith.”
“How’s the big guy?” Con asked, still eating.
“Pissed. He wants to get back to work. I told him we were heading home when the doctor releases him. That wasn’t the right thing to say. Smith can be stubborn, and he wants to see the end of this situation. The Guardian doctor told him that if he had to knock him out with drugs to keep him in the hospital, he would.”
Ysabel almost choked on her quiche. She cleared her throat before asking, “Can they do that?”
Val laughed and shook her head. “No, but that’s what it took for Smith to believe the doctor was serious. I needed to take a shower and get him some clothes. He is so over the hospital. I’m appeasing him by bringing him something other than the ill-fitting hospital johnnies.”
“His injury is my fault.” Ysabel sighed. “I don’t know how to apologize.”
Val held up her hand, silencing Heath, who had opened his mouth to interject. She leaned forward. “Because you don’t need to apologize. Smith wasn’t shot by you. You didn’t stage your own kidnapping, and you had no idea there were armed people down there. There is absolutely nothing for you to apologize for. This isn’t on you.” She glanced over at Heath. “You should have told her that.”
Heath’s forehead furrowed. “I have, and you would’ve known that if you hadn’t shoved your hand in my face.”
Val leveled a look at him. “Did I offend your sense of propriety?”
Con laughed. “You guys are just like children.”
“We’ve been coworkers forever.” Val dismissed Con’s observation. “Did he really tell you?”
“Hey!” Heath lifted his hands in the air. “Like I lie?”
“He’s told me,” Ysabel confirmed. “Still …”
Val lifted her hand and waved off her concern. “Not your monkey, not your zoo.”
Ysabel’s eyes widened. “What does that mean?”
Con snorted. “You don’t have to worry about it.”
Val cocked her head and pointed to Ysabel. “How did you get her here? The assholes are still outside.”
“A disguise. We borrowed some of your things,” Heath replied.
“You’re welcome to anything I have.” She turned to Con. “I’m heading back to the hospital. Would you please do your thingy again for me? Flack wants you to call him. It”s nothing urgent, but he’s had experience with a project you’re working on. Something about flats. I have no idea what that means, but I said I’d deliver the message because I was coming over anyway.” Val got up from the table. “I have to get back before Smith decides he’s over it and just leaves.”
“I’ve got you. Just let me know when you’re nearing the hospital.” Con got up from the table and took his lunch dishes to the sink. “I’ll call Flack after that. I can use all the help he can give me on that project. Ysabel, thank you for lunch.” Con followed Val out of the kitchen. “I’ll lock up after her,” Con said, stopping Heath from getting up.
“That was a whirlwind.” Ysabel laughed.
“Always is with Val.” Heath rose and took his plate and hers to the sink. “I think you should come with me.” He held out his hand toward her.
“But the dishes.” Ysabel turned toward the mess.
“They can wait. I need dessert.”
“Dessert?” Ysabel lifted an eyebrow. She knew what type of sweet the man wanted.
He glanced back at her and winked. “I have a craving for lace.”
* * *
Harbinger wantedto be inside the woman with an urgency he’d never felt. So much in their world was upside down. Her father was a bastard of the highest caliber, and he didn’t doubt Pierre never once told the truth. Especially when Harbinger had questioned him.
He pulled her into the bedroom and shut the door, locking it behind him.
She tapped him on the chest, and he released her. She gasped for breath, but her hands kept moving across his chest. “Take that thing out of your ear and make sure he can’t hear us.”
It took Harbinger two seconds to comply with that wish. He tossed the earpiece onto the dresser after turning it off, and they fell onto the bed together. Ysabel laughed, and that musical lilt was the most beautiful sound in the world.
She pulled at the fabric of his shirt, and he lifted onto his knees over her, pulling it over his head. A button or two popped off in the process, but he didn’t give a shit. Her hands were unbuckling his belt. He half growled, half groaned as her hand slid up and down his shaft when he reached down to take over for her.
He was off the bed and out of his clothes in no time. Then he leaned forward and crawled to her from the bottom of the bed. Stopping at her waist, he licked a strip of exposed skin. She folded in and grabbed his hair. They both knew what was coming next.
Harbinger unfastened her slacks and pulled them down, and she kicked them off before he settled down on his elbows. The mint green lace panties were ones that had been in her drawer when she was gone. He couldn’t believe he was finally able to rip them off her. His tongue traced the small elastic band at the top and flicked over her hot skin. Gooseflesh rose when he gently blew across the wet trail his tongue had left. His fingers wrapped around the thin waistband at her hips. He lifted his head and smiled at her.
“Do it,” she panted.
He snapped the elastic and dropped his head. The taste of her was beyond words. Sweet, warm, and essential as air. He spread her flesh and found her clit. She bucked up to meet his mouth. Harbinger belted her hips to the bed and worked her clit with his mouth as his fingers moved inside her. He loved the small sound she made, the way her hands searched for an anchor in the sheets and her legs trembled as he pushed her toward orgasm.
When she tightened under him, he sucked her clit into his mouth. The action shattered her. She tried to arch under his arm that held her down. Her soft moan pulsed in rhythm with her orgasm. He released her flesh when she crashed below him. He kissed his way up her body, gathered her into his arms, and entered her.
As her arms roped around him, she nuzzled into his neck. She kissed his throat, biting a bit here and there. The zing of that little bit of pain about undid him, and she knew it. His stroke broke when she sucked the skin on his chest into her mouth, marking him. Fuck. He put a bit of space between them, reached down, found her core, and ensured she was climbing that mountain with him.
They moved together, his body and hers in perfect harmony, until she crashed under him. It took two strokes for his orgasm to slam into him and explode his reality into a billion pieces. He dropped his head to her shoulder and shivered when her hand trailed up his spine to the base of his neck. “I love you,” he whispered into her shoulder.
She chuckled. “I’ll never tire of hearing that, but we do need to address this hatred you have for my undergarments.”
He laughed and dropped to his side, pulling her with him. “On the contrary, I love that lace.”
“Love to destroy it.”
“True.” He pulled her closer and draped his leg over hers.
“Everything will work out, right?” she asked after several moments.
“For us?” He looked down at her.
“Yes.”
“They already have.” He dropped down for a kiss. “We’re going to be happy, married and together. Nothing will get in the way of that.” He’d kill to make sure of it.