Agent I1: Tristan [01] The D.I.R.E. Agency (6 page)

He whipped around. Rachel stood across the cage, just inside the gate. Fresh from the shower, she wore a teal towel that covered her from breast to mid-thigh. Her eyes were dark, the same color as the towel, her skin dewy and slick.

His body hardened like the bat in his hand. God help him, he couldn’t do this anymore.

“Don’t think. Don’t talk.” 

Tristan dropped the bat.

“Just hurry.”

Whipping his shirt over his head, Tristan stormed across the cage. Rachel reached for the knot in the towel and dropped it to the ground. Stumbling, he stripped the swim trunks from his legs.

The woman was utter perfection, from her full, firm breasts to her flat belly and long legs. And, she wanted
him
.

Reaching her, Tristan hauled her up in his arms. Rachel wrapped her limbs around him. Shoving her back against the fence, he took her mouth with bruising force, his tongue delving deep.

A voice in the back of his mind told him he would pay for going down this road. Yet, having Rachel naked in his arms, kissing her like this… nothing would stop him. Not now.

She smelled of his soap and her own signature scent, the skin of her back soft, smooth along the length of her spine.

Those incredible breasts of hers were crushed against him, full and erect, her long legs locked around his waist, daring him to get away.

Like hell.

His fingers found her warmth, intent on readying her for his invasion.

Oh
… shit
.

She was so ready for him, the evidence trickled down his thigh. He broke the kiss, their groans carrying on the steamy, night breeze.

Rachel bucked against his hand, urging him to move. “Tris, don’t tease…”

Tease hell. Gritting his teeth, he plunged into her.

Rachel’s heat seared him, her center tight and embracing. Over and over he took her, rocking her with all of the pent-up frustration he’d carried around that day, taking her with all of the guilty pleasure racking his body, showing her how much her presence had already changed him.

Her mouth at his throat, her whispered encouragement at his ear, fought his control at every push.

“Tristan…” she moaned, her breath harsh at his ear.

“What baby?”

“I can’t…” She bucked against him with wild abandon, driving him insane.

“
Tristan
.”

Rachel pulsed around him, her climax pulling at something deep inside. He cradled her to him, her vulnerable response humbling, releasing a damn of raw need he’d never dared show the world. Kissing the salt from her brow, Tristan thrust into her again, opening himself to her, letting in her light to shine on his heart that had only seen darkness. He felt new, as though rebirth sat just on the other side of-

Her radiant smile threw Tristan over the edge into a spiral of dazzling brilliance, her kisses on his neck dissolving indifference in their path.

#####

The vibration at her hip woke Rachel. Frowning through the fog and the dinosaur stomping around in her head, Rachel turned in time to see Tristan pull his arm from around her waist and get up from the bed. His perfect rear and tattooed back disappeared behind the bedroom door.

Rachel groaned into her pillow. Tristan had been right.

She
was
ticked off. She should have listened to him instead of her stubborn, raging hormones.

Covering her face against the sunlight intruding on her sleep, Rachel knew she only had herself to blame. She’d had wild sex with Tristan Jacobs in the batting cage, under the shower on the patio, in the surf of the Atlantic Ocean and in this heavenly bed. They had done things to each other she didn’t even know could be done and she’d had no qualms about any of it.

The sex had gone way beyond anything she could have conjured in her fantasies. Thinking about it this morning made her hot all over again despite the fact that she made an utter fool of herself. She’d thrown away any moral conviction she may have carried that sex should only happen between two people in love.

Not that Tristan wasn’t loveable. Beneath that tough, indifferent exterior lived a generous, romantic, witty man. His touch on her skin had been reverent, his teasing lighthearted, his satisfaction second to hers. She could remember every second of his meticulous, bone-melting kisses, every slide of his fingertips along her arm, every brush of his lips on her face.

Rachel threw back the covers and sat on the side of the bed. The room spun wildly. The whiskey alone may have saved her a hangover but mixing it with champagne had been a mistake.

Rising from the bed, she turned and nearly ran right into him. She gasped as heat shot through her naked body and settled in her face. He held a glass of water in one hand and some pills in the other but otherwise, stood gloriously nude not six inches in front of her. Rachel grabbed the comforter off the bed and covered herself.

He gave her a raised brow.

“I’ve got the headache from hell. You’ve got to be miserable.”

Nodding, she took the care package from his hands and tried to pass. He blocked her way.

“Please let me pass.”

His finger skimmed her cheek in a feather light touch. She flinched away from him.

Letting out a deep breath, Tristan turned and walked into the living room.

Thank you, God
.

Dropping the comforter on the bed, Rachel rushed into the bathroom to take a shower. Maybe she’d feel better about all of this once she got his scent off her skin. She could feel him, smell him,
taste
him. Everywhere.

With haste, she brushed her teeth with the extra toothbrush she’d found in the cabinet yesterday. Jumping in the shower, she scrubbed her skin under the hot water, wanting to erase every trace of Tristan from her body. The sight of her engagement ring made her want to bury her head in the sand and never come out.

Admit it, Monroe, Cody means nothing to you
.

Turning off the shower, Rachel covered her face with a towel. It was true. Last night had proven he meant absolutely nothing to her. How could she have ever considered marrying him?

Drying off, Rachel donned her wedding garments. When she got back today, she’d return the ring to Cody. She couldn’t marry him, no matter how many bills they owed or how many jobs she had to work. Maybe Aidan could help more, now that he worked for
D.I.R.E
. Judging by the looks of this place, their agents made good money.

She just couldn’t think about how they went about it.

Studying her appearance in the mirror, Rachel decided if she ever did get married, she would not have a monstrous dress like this. Although it looked beautiful, she would never put her and her husband through the chore of trying to take it off on their honeymoon.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, hoping against hope that Tristan wouldn’t be standing there waiting for her. The room remained as she’d left it, except for the high heels she’d worn at the wedding. Tristan had placed them on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Sitting on the mattress, Rachel slipped the shoes on her feet. She sighed. Tristan really had been attentive this morning, trying to vacate the room before she woke, bringing her ibuprofen for her headache, and resurrecting her shoes.

And, he made love like a superhero rock star.

“Are you ready?”

He stood fresh from his own shower in jeans and a black
Bon Jovi
t-shirt. He’d resumed the same stoic expression he’d carried prior to their trip last night. It was back to business as usual.

A ridiculous, stupid sadness swept through her. It could’ve all been so beautiful under different circumstances. And, no matter what he might have said to her, it wouldn’t have been the right thing to say.

Nodding, she preceded Tristan out to the patio. Taking her hand, he led her down the steps to the beach. Turning around, he held open his arms wide without meeting her eyes.

Rachel wanted to cry.

Wrapping her arms around him, she inhaled his familiar, masculine scent one last time. She felt him press his forefinger to the scanner behind her back. As the plasma hid the beach from her sight forever, he placed a chaste kiss on top of her head.

Chapter 5

The smell of crude oil invaded Rachel’s nose. She heard the squeak of the loose blade on her ceiling fan and felt the loose board in her hardwood floor.

They’d landed in her living room.

“You’re home.”

The sound of Aidan’s voice brought reality crashing down on Rachel. Her home should have been a comfort but, thanks to her brother, she had a huge mess on her hands that she had to straighten out. The sooner she got her life back to normal, the sooner she could feel… alone, stuck.

“Yes, we are home.”

She stepped away from Tristan without a backward glance. Lifting her chin, she met her brother’s questioning gaze.

“I’m sure Tristan is ready to ditch me and get back to his vacation.”

Frowning, Aidan glanced back and forth between her and Tristan. “Yeah Jacobs, I owe you one.” He held out his hand for a shake.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw Tristan take his hand. “You owe me a helluva lot more than
one
.”

Rachel frowned.
What was that supposed to mean? He got hot, wild sex, for goodness sake
.

“Hell, I knew that was coming.” Aidan grinned.

Tristan nodded towards her. “You have Brewster covered?”

He gave a heavy sigh. “He’s going to give me trouble but yeah, I can handle him.”

“Once she returns his ring, he should get the message.”

Rachel whipped around to glare at Tristan. “Who said I was returning the ring?” Even though, technically, she was.

Tristan glared at her. “Rachel, you’re returning the ring.”

Hands on hips, she said, “Since when do you have a say in what I do?”

She swallowed hard. Why did she say that? What if he brought up what they had done last night,
all
night long?

“If you want to go there, we can go there.”

“Hey.” Aidan stepped between them. “You two really don’t get along, do you?”

Rachel stared into Tristan’s long-lashed, indigo eyes and knew he thought of last night, just as she did. Heat bloomed in her face.

“Tristan, thanks for the offer, but we’ll figure out something.” Aidan slapped him on the back.

“Rachel, don’t be stubborn about this,” Tristan said in a low voice.

She lifted her chin again. “I’ll do what I think is right.”

He gave a sharp, succinct curse. “Suit yourself.” Turning away from her, he told Aidan, “Good luck with this one. See you in the field.”

Stepping back a couple of steps, he disappeared.

Rachel released a breath. Great relief warred with that ridiculous sadness in her chest. For some reason, she felt bereft now, unsafe.

What a ludicrous feeling. Her brother stood right next to her.

“I’ve never seen you treat someone that way, Rach.” Squinting his eyes, Aidan studied her.

I’ve never slept with a man I just met, either
.

“Well, I’ve… never been in the company of a professional hit man before.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest. “He told me what
D.I.R.E
. does and how you’re going to be part of the organization. Are you going to be a special agent like the men who killed Dad?”

“So
that’s
what this is about.” He blew out a breath. “Rachel, we’re soldiers. Death comes with the territory. It’s not something we want to do.”

“Don’t patronize me, Aidan. He told me you could be hired to
take out
people.”

He slipped his hands in his trouser pockets. “That’s true, but not just anyone. It’s usually a terrorist, mob boss, serial killer – someone like that. We don’t take out electronics store owners, Sis. We eliminate men like the ones that killed Dad.”

Tears swam in her eyes. Okay, that was it. This talk about her dad and the events of the last twenty-four hours had driven her to the brink. She had to find some peace somewhere or she would go mad.

“I need to go to church.” She turned to walk in her bedroom. “I can make the noon service.”

“I’ll go with you.” Aidan plopped down on her couch and turned on the television. His phone rang. “I wouldn’t put it past Cody to kidnap you himself.”

#####

Twenty minutes later, Tristan shifted his black, Hennessey Venom GT convertible into third as he traveled down North Shore Road in Trunk Bay. He had to get away from the house.

The sight of the clothes she wore folded neatly on the bathroom counter had made his chest burn. His bedroom smelled like orchids and sex, and his batting cage was completely out of the question. So, he’d jumped in one of his cars and hit the road, hoping to clear his mind.

Then Mitchell had to call and chew him out. Now, he felt like teleporting to the German Autobahn.

“What do you mean, what the hell, Mitchell?”

Tristan held the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip. He wanted to rip the damned thing from the dash. Rachel infuriated him. After he and Aidan had gone to great lengths to prevent that wedding, and after she had given Tristan the best freaking sex of his life, he knew she had no desire to marry Brewster.

Rachel Monroe doesn’t concern you anymore. Let it go.

“You act like solid hydrogen grows on trees,” Mitchell growled through his armband. “What were you doing last night?”

Spending time with a woman so beyond me I could never hope to be good enough
.

“Just enjoying my vacation. I think I’m entitled to a few perks considering my workload.”

“I thought something had malfunctioned. Damn, Rome, Paris
and
Scotland? At night?”

Yes, and it had been worth every freaking minute
.

“Fewer tourists. I can get around easier.”

Mitchell sighed. “Let us know the next time you do that so we have a heads up.”

Tristan swerved into oncoming traffic to pass a slow-moving car. “What?  So you can tell me ‘no’?”