Chapter 12
Lane congratulated himself for getting some food into Cassie, even if the meal was light. She’d gone into shock so fast over the news about Drake. It had scared the crap out of him to watch such a capable woman crumble.
If there had been any doubts about the stress of the situation, he had his answer.
She’d taken it all on her shoulders and was stuffing it deep down. She needed to let it go. From the unanswered questions to the grief, she needed a break. So when she stretched out on the couch and fell asleep, he wanted to celebrate.
Instead, he opened his laptop and got to work. He took his time drafting the updates for her boss and Hawk. After a careful review of the most recent events, he hit send.
He reached out to Claudia for any additional details on either Drake, the feds, or Welker Specialists. He reached out to Waylen too. When neither of them replied instantly, he combed through the news reports on the incident at the hospital.
It was too early for an obituary on Drake, but on a whim, he googled the man’s name to see if anything helpful showed up. Another bust. However his life connected with Greenlee, it wasn’t online where Lane could find it.
Which left him with what?
He sat back and cracked his knuckles, thinking. Before he could second guess it, he did a search for Welker Specialists. His cyber skills weren’t on par with Waylen or Claudia, but maybe he could find something that would click for Cassie when she woke up.
Just searching the website made him feel gross with the bogus mission statement and the testimonials of satisfied clients. Objectively, he got it. No one wanting to stay in business emphasized their failings or complaints.
How many corporate clients had fallen for this slick presentation?
Lucky for him, many of the reviews included the company names. Lane poked around the companies with offices in D.C., making a list. Then he searched those companies for any ties to the Pentagon. Nothing intersected with what he knew about Cassie.
Feeling desperate, he looked for companies with a connection to Iowa, Virginia, and Illinois, places he knew Cassie had spent significant time as a kid, training, or on assignment. Unfortunately, no miracles or grand revelations occurred.
Until he clicked through the photo gallery. Faced with too many images of Welker Specialists looking tough and impervious, Lane was too busy rolling his eyes to see it at first. Then he went back through and spotted a face that looked familiar.
The man in the photo wasn’t bald and his biceps weren’t as overdeveloped, but Lane recognized the shooter at the hospital today. The caption labeled him as Troy Welker, son of the company founder and brother of the current company president. According to the bio, after a decorated career—Lane snorted—Troy no longer led field ops.
Since when did glorified pseudo-bodyguards receive medals for service? And what the hell was the man doing all the way out here?
He sent a screen capture to both Claudia and Waylen, along with a short message confirming Troy’s presence in Hawaii.
A few minutes later, his phone rang, and the Caller ID showed Claudia’s name. “Hello?” he answered in a whisper.
“Bad time?”
Lane slipped out to the balcony and slid the glass door closed. “No,” he replied, still keeping his voice low. “Cassie’s sleeping on the couch. Didn’t want to wake her.”
Claudia didn’t reply immediately. “Grief?”
“Yes.” He felt bad for giving up secrets Cassie might want to keep. “She’s coming around, though. Just worn out.”
“This sucks,” Claudia grumbled, darkly.
“Do you know who killed him?” Lane’s money was on Welker.
“The official word is natural causes.”
He paused, sensing a minefield ahead. In his experience, when people tossed the word “official” into a conversation, it was a sure sign of trouble.
“Thanks for being there for her.”
The appreciation was thoughtful, but it made his shoulders twitch. At this point, he’d be here and do anything for Cassie. A pretty big mindset shift and a serious declaration for a man who’d been avoiding any sort of constraint for the last six months.
“You find anything on Troy?” Lane asked, attempting to get back to a safer topic. “I’m no research genius, but I can’t find any connection between that bastard and Cassie. If she knows anything, she’s not sharing it with me.” He didn’t believe she was willfully hiding anything. She’d been remarkably honest with him from the start. He scrubbed at his jaw and repeated the question he’d been asking all along. “Who gains if Cassie’s eliminated?”
Claudia sighed. “Looking at the big picture since her assignment to Judith Knowles, it’s clear things have deliberately escalated.”
Escalated.Lane swore. “There’s a pretty word for attempted murder. To what end?” When Claudia didn’t reply, Lane spit out a theory. “I think Greenlee was supposed to kill both her and Drake and be the big hero to bring Josie home. Welker Specialists to the rescue. But he failed. Worse, his ties to Welker put the company in jeopardy.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Still, it’s a high-profile client and situation. Pentagon employee, child endangerment. Have they ever gone that far on American soil?”
“Not that I’ve found.”
Exactly. “Then whoever dreamed up this plan has to nip the loose ends. Based on what I saw on the website, I’d bet this was Troy’s idea and he’s scrambling to get it contained before big brother finds out.”
He heard what sounded like a pen tapping a desktop. He gave himself points for giving the research expert a viable scenario and making her think. “He’s on this island,” Lane said. “Leaving isn’t easy with the active volcano. Find him and let me handle it.”
“How? You’re not a SEAL any longer, Lane.”
“You’re wrong, Claudia.” Retirement hadn’t dulled his specific skillset. He turned as Cassie stepped out onto the balcony. “Get me a location.”
Ending the call, he set his phone aside and smiled. “How was your nap?” She looked soft and sleepy and he wanted to hold her.
She shrugged. “You look as if you’re ready to go to war.”
“Only for you.” He opened his arms. “Need a hug?”
“I won’t turn it down.”
He let her come to him, willing himself to dial down the vengeful cravings pulsing through his system. Her fingertips skimmed over his bristly jaw and something flickered in her eyes. Not fear, almost a resignation. “You left your laptop open,” she said, her arms moving to circle his waist.
He glanced over her head, his hand moving up and down her spine. “Had to send an update on our situation.”
“Anything I need to know?”
“Right now?”
Her cheek brushed his chest as she nodded.
He could hardly confess what was really on his mind. All he could think about was how much he wanted her. He loved kissing her, longed for the right to strip away her clothing and discover all of her and everything that made her sigh and moan.
His mind was locked up with a sex-math equation. There were three different bedrooms in this condo, along with two roomy showers, the couches, even the chaise just a few steps away. Not to mention the kitchen counters and floor.
He wanted her on any and all of those surfaces. If she was willing.
Her palms rested quietly on his back, even as his hands cruised over her. She’d just lost her partner, a man she’d counted as a friend. She’d come to him for comfort.
Which made him a top-tier jerk for thinking about sex. Unfortunately, as his hand drifted over her hip once more, he didn’t want to think about anything else.
“Lane?”
He’d gone quiet. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. His body seemed to hum all around her. He just wasn’t talking. His heartbeat was strong and steady under her ear, his hands were drifting up and down her spine, into her hair, and over her curves. Hip to breast and back down again. And the arousal nudging her belly was telling her a great deal.
It was a slow, steady seduction and her body responded to each gentle touch. It was as if he ignited something deep within. A glow that lifted slow and sure until it surfaced, eager for more.
“I’m right here.”
She was well aware. She could’ve asked him for details on whatever he and Claudia had been discussing. Could’ve pressed for what he hoped to learn from the Welker Specialists website. Instead, a different need filled her, chased by a faint fear that if she didn’t make a move, she’d miss out on something remarkable.
She lifted her face from the firm wall of his chest. The tension in his jaw had eased. That was a good sign that his mind wasn’t preoccupied with Welker or anything outside of this moment. “Will you kiss me?”
She didn’t need to ask twice. He lifted her into his body and claimed her mouth. Slowly, tenderly, it turned into the best kiss of her life. A delightful conclusion, considering their previous kisses.
His scent washed over her, into her. She sighed, her hands slipping under the hem of his shirt to the heated skin she’d been longing to explore.
He twitched, shifting her hands down and away to his hips.
In the haze of desire, it took her a second. “You’re ticklish,” she accused.
His mouth blazed a path down her throat. “Is that a deal-breaker?”
She was more than half afraid nothing about Lane would be a deal-breaker for her. “Not at all,” she managed as his tongue teased the shell of her ear. Shivering, she distantly wondered why that suddenly felt so good. “How should I touch you?”
“However you want.” The words rumbled against her skin. “I’ll be fine.”
She wanted him to be way better than fine. Tugging at his shirt, she got it off, and just started, overcome by the view of his muscled torso. Of course, she’d seen him on the beach, knew he was fit and tan.
Hot.
On the beach, he hadn’t been close. Hadn’t been hers. A bold claim she didn’t dare speak. But she wanted him to feel it. Feel what he meant to her already. Drawing his head down for more kisses, she stroked his shoulders, the hard planes of his back and lower still. The man had a great butt.
She giggled at herself and he pulled back. “Problem?”
“No.” It dawned on her that they were outside and she suddenly felt too exposed. “Let’s go in.”
“And?”
She blinked at his heated gaze. “And have wild sex in the bedroom.”
To her delight, he boosted her up into his arms and hustled them inside, pausing only long enough to lock the door. They laughed, between lengthy kisses, all the way to the bedroom.
She’d never felt so fizzy or happy when sex was on offer. But that was all the thought she could give to the past. The present had her full attention.
Lane was front and center and stripping away her clothing. His gaze made her pulse skip and desire consumed her. Weak-kneed, she sat on the edge of the bed in only her bra and panties, reaching for him. Needing him.
This craving was real and raw and shocking. “Lane.”
He stretched out on the bed with her, his fingers light in her hair. “I’m here for you, Cass.”
She knew he understood. Heard the same tremors in his voice that were rolling through her body. Maybe he even felt as awed by this as she did.
“Just kiss me,” he said, echoing her request when they’d been hiding.
Those three words were all she needed. Emboldened, she claimed his mouth, then let herself discover all of him, mindful of any ticklish places amid the hard, impervious planes and sharp angles.
He brought her over him, teasing and sucking her nipples through the sheer lace of her bra until the tips were impossibly tight. She was wet and ready and wouldn’t last another five minutes at this rate.
She arched into him, desperately excited for the pleasure he lavished on her, even as she longed to touch him everywhere. Fumbling with the button and zipper of his pants, he took over and while he shed the last of his clothing she wriggled out of her panties.
He stared so intently she started to wonder what was wrong.
“Your tan lines.”
She reached to cover them.
“Don’t.” His voice was rough and her blood raced with anticipation. “I want your secrets, Cass.” He traced the pale lines where her bikini had blocked the sun, tormenting her with his fingers and mouth, even his beard. “These places are just for us.”
Settling himself between her legs, he licked her slick folds. Her hips bucked and he caught her hips, holding her steady.
Or as steady as she could be as he lapped and teased with an exquisite touch, taking her to the edge over and over, until she was begging for release. For him. “Lane, please,” she gasped. Her body ached for him and at last he drove her to a climax that left her limbs quivering.
It was glorious and left her breathless. And still, she needed more. Him.
Again, he seemed to know.
She tried to catch her breath as he rolled a condom over his erection and came over her. If he’d wanted to go slow, it would have to be the next time. She was out of patience, her body feeling too hollow. The only satisfaction was Lane.
She pushed him back and straddled his hips, sinking down over his shaft in one fast, smooth glide. He growled out her name, his fingertips tight on her hips. He fit perfectly, as if they’d been made for each other. She leaned forward to claim his mouth. Then she had to move, riding him until she hit that peak again. Her heart thundered in her chest, pleasure coursing through her in wild pulses.
She gasped as he took over, rolling her back while still buried deep. She gripped his arms, needing the anchor as he thrust into her. Her gaze locked with his, she matched his pace, her legs tight on his hips, her body clenching him with every stroke. This time when she climaxed, he was with her, her name a ragged shout on his lips.
Nothing had ever sounded so sweet.
She didn’t want to let go of the man or the moment.
He kissed her with such tenderness she worried she’d cry. As he got up to deal with the condom, she was grateful for a chance to gather her composure. Her body was satisfied beyond compare and although her emotions were still a bit frayed, she felt perfect, inside and out. As if she’d found something precious and the discovery shaped her into a better version of herself.
She resisted further introspection as Lane joined her in the bed. In his arms, her body relaxed, she reveled in the bliss and contentment he’d given her.
In the aftermath, feeling equally wrecked and energized, Lane wound a lock of her hair around his finger. Cassie’s body was warm and soft against his, but he could tell she was still awake.
“Can I ask a favor?”
She gave a satisfied hum that only revved him up again. As she rolled to her side, the smile on her face was feminine and lovely and utterly tantalizing. She reached up and traced a finger along his jaw. “After that, you can ask me anything.”
He caught her fingertip lightly between his teeth before kissing her again. The woman was irresistible. And with that open invitation, a thousand questions rushed through his mind. Later. There would be time to ask her everything. He’d make sure of it.
“Lane? What’s the favor?”
“Right.” He dragged his gaze away from her mouth and back to her amazing eyes. “Can we leave this particular detail out of the daily update?”
Her eyebrows arched. “Are you asking me to falsify the day’s activity report?” She made a tsking sound. “That doesn’t sound like the above-board, honorable thing to do.”
Be still my heart. She was flirting with him. Cassie, the stoic woman who insisted character and integrity trumped charm, was flirting. His pulse kicked. He wanted her again. Right now. He nudged her over, covering her body with his and running kisses up and down her throat.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
She arched into him, her fingernails skating over his shoulders. “Much later.”
This would be enough. More than enough. After the attacks, the grief, and the unknowns, he was okay with forgetting all of it in favor of the wonder of having her in his arms. In his heart.