Intensity (5 page)

“New info has come in.” He held out a file to each
of them.

Grey stepped forward to accept one. With deliberate
action, he sank to the cushion beside her, trapping one of her legs
between him and the back of the sofa. Her expression never changed,
but when she shifted, she kicked him.

“You two going to work out?”

“It’s a mission, Cooler. I’ve done plenty of things
I’d prefer not to.”

Grey kept his comment contained. His marital
problems weren’t any of this man’s business. They had nothing to do
with him and everything to do with the woman to Grey’s left.
And
we’ll definitely deal with it.

He read the file and shook his head. “If things are
so dangerous for him, why don’t we just put him somewhere secure
and go after those threatening him?”

“Same thing I asked,” Sarah said, voice now crisp
and clear. “Seems this person likes the danger. Seems if he wants
to be out there and not heed advice, we’re wasting time and
resources to keep him safe.”

Grey glanced at her. “I agree. Who is he?”

Cooler shrugged. “We don’t know; your man set this
up, not ours.”

Sara’s low comment showed her opinion on it. He
refocused on the man who’d arrived. “So, we just attend places he
does or shadow him?”

“There’s this event. You two are on the guest list.
The chatter is that an attack will be then.”

“What’s the highlighted line?”

Cooler scrubbed his head. “An event the girlfriend
wants to attend.”

He blinked. “You getting us tickets?”

Cooler glared at him. “Not me, this isn’t my op.
I’ve been relegated to delivery boy.”

A deaf man could have picked up on the anger in his
tone.

“It’s been sold out for weeks.”

“I can get us in,” Sarah stated. “Just let me make a
call.” She reached to the table beside the couch and grabbed her
phone. She yawned as she placed the item to her ear. “Kendria, hey,
it’s Sarah. Yes, I know. Look, I’m in Hamburg and would love to
come to a concert. Can you get me and one more in? Tickets at the
door? Awesome. Have them for Mr. and Mrs. Sorenson. Yes, that’s…
Oh, hush.”

Grey didn’t miss the look she slanted at him.
Wonder what she said.
He merely settled back, pinning
Sarah’s leg.

“We have tickets at the door.” Sarah pushed her
phone in her sweatshirt pocket.

“How’d you swing that?” Cooler asked.

“I know the jazz singer, Kendria Bohner.”

The name rang a bell of familiarity to Grey, but he
kept mum.

The three of them spoke at length until Cooler rose
to his feet. Grey swore some sort of silent communication passed
between him and Sarah. He didn’t like it.

“We’re around, Bug.”

“I know.” She pulled out her phone and sent a
message on it.

Grey remained beside Sarah as Cooler exited the
room.

“You can move, now,” she stated in a bored tone.

“How do you know the jazz singer?”

She adjusted on the couch, pulling her leg free, and
crossing them. He took it as a good sign she didn’t move away.

“You met her. Home. Last time I ran into you at the
school.”

“That little thing?”
I remember what happened the
previous time to that. Summer. At the falls. Marathon round of sex
with his wife before she clammed up, dressed, and rode away on her
Harley.

“Yes.”

She tugged up her sweatshirt sleeves, exposing her
USMC anchor and globe tattoo on the inside of her wrist.
Personally, he had no use for the Corps.
Except when it comes to
her.
Nothing against them, but no use for them.

On Sarah, the tattoo was sexy.
Sarah
Sorenson.
He hated she used her maiden name. Again, something
to discuss later. She left the couch, ran her hands through her now
unconfined hair and went to her bag. He stared unabashedly at her
ass as she moved.

Graceful. Coiled. Deadly.

He turned slightly and angled himself to continue
watching her. “How’d you get to be called Bug?”

“How do any of us get our names.”

With Sarah, it wasn’t ever a question, a statement.
Normally, he would let it go; however, as it tended to, come to
Sarah, he couldn’t—or was that
wouldn’t
—let it go.

So, he nodded. “Humor me.”

“People accept them and truly don’t pay them
attention. On the other hand, I’m a pest and the name stuck because
I wouldn’t give up. Admiral Davies began calling me Bug.” She bent
at the waist, her pants pulling taut over her ass as she stretched
then stood upright. “Name stuck.” He tracked her as she moved
around their suite. “I’m going to—”

“Why?” he blurted out.

She stopped near the couch he remained on. “Why
what?”

“Recon.”

She whirled and faced him. “Why not?” No heat
existed in her tone, but her eyes told a different story. Her anger
was there, fresh and raw. She despised him questioning her. It’s
what he’d asked her about back in their hometown. Sure, that time,
he’d been distracted, but with the anger radiating from her, he was
positive she wouldn’t agree to more sex. Not at the moment,
anyway.

He leaned over the back of the couch and snagged her
shirt hem, drawing her toward him. She allowed it and moved until
the back remained the only thing between them. Saran had scars on
the backs and palms of her hands, like he did. However, hers were
still feminine and delicate compared to his.

“Seems an odd choice.” He stretched out his fingers,
coming in contact with the smooth flesh of her belly. Her pupil
dilation was the only indication he affected her.

A cutting remark about how he said that once because
she was a woman was what he expected. Again, she surprised him.

“Not to me.” With the lifting of her eyelashes from
her blink, all desire had been wiped away. “Are you done stroking
my stomach?”

“Hell, no,” he admitted. “Do you know how long it’s
been since I’ve been able to touch you, Sarah Sorenson?”

Emotion rippled along her features before she went
as blank as an empty wall and stepped away. “I have to get some
rest; mind getting off my bed?”

Anger tore through him, not solely at her, for he
couldn’t deny her chill towards him was his fault, as well. Shoving
to his feet, he glared and stomped to the bedroom where he slammed
the door behind him.

“Damn you, Sarah. Damn you for being the only person
in this world with the capability of getting under my skin as
you’re doing.”

Chapter
Four

Sarah stared at the ring on her hand, marveling she
was actually wearing her wedding ring. Even more impressed that he
had them with him. What man travels around carrying not only his
but his estranged wife’s wedding ring?

She spun it around once more. It wasn’t ostentatious
but a lovely white gold infinity band with a solitaire diamond. The
two interweaving paths were laid with pavé diamonds. She had fallen
for it the moment he’d pulled it from his pocket and slid it on her
hand. His band of white gold had four diamonds evenly spaced around
it. Seeing it on his finger again was a jolt to her system.

She scanned the room and looked at the man they were
supposed to be protecting. He was having a make-out session with
girlfriend. Sarah continued perusing the room until her eyes landed
on Grey.

He stood on the other side of the room, talking to
another man as they sipped their drinks. She didn’t pay them that
much attention about what they spoke of; he was making small talk.
Her eyes wouldn’t leave him. He had dressed for the evening in a
tux that had been fitted for his body. A one-button peak, satin
lapel, which emphasized everything beautiful about the man. His
physique, movement. All of it. A classic look. His long hair he’d
tied back, and she longed to pull the band free and allow his hair
to fall to his shoulders.

Before she could gather the wherewithal to tear her
gaze from him, he lifted his aquamarine stare to her. Sure, she was
across a room from him, but damn if his look didn’t burn her,
create longing in her no other had even come close to
producing.

“Excuse me,” he said to the man he spoke to.

Eyes remaining on her, a glass of champagne in one
hand, he traversed the room to her side. He didn’t slow until he
was before her. Even that didn’t stop him. He just snaked out an
arm and drew her in close until his lips were on hers.

Lust washed over her like waves pounding against a
rocky crag. She whimpered into his mouth as he sank his tongue
between her lips. His taste, a flavor she’d missed for so long,
flooded her, and she pressed into him, desperate for more. She
curled her hands into the lapels of his tuxedo jacket, using him to
keep her upright. Her panties were damp, and her breasts craved his
touch.

“Umm hmm.”

Cooler’s clearing throat smacked her with the
realization of where they were. Her eyes snapped open, and she
found herself once again ensnared by Grey’s gaze.

“Not sure what brought that on, but don’t you two
think you should be getting to your seats? The show is about to
begin.”

Grey didn’t release her nor did he drop the ironclad
hold he had on her with his stare. “I’m a man madly in love with my
beautiful wife,” he said in a low enough tone the others around
them couldn’t hear, but the ones on the comms could. “Kissing her
makes all the sense in the world to me.” He lowered his mouth back
to hers and brushed their lips together once more. “All the
sense.”

He placed his hand on the skin of her back, exposed
by the dress she wore, and guided her to their table, slightly
behind the ones they had to keep an eye on. She allowed him to seat
her, doing her best to put aside her own raging lust for the man at
her side and focus on her mission.

Get it together. You’ve never been so distracted
before. Just because Grey is at your side, there’s no reason to be
so distracted.

The lights dimmed moments after they’d taken seats.
She slanted her gaze to her partner.
No he’s more than that.
He’s my husband.
The kiss he’d planted on her had reawakened
emotions and feelings buried since their first time together and,
more recently, the time the summer past.

That one blissful week when she went and—

Well, damn!
Kendria stepped out on stage, and
the room fell to a hush. Beside her, Sarah picked up on Grey’s
singular comment, mimicked by the men in her ear. She cut her gaze
to the man who, for the second time, had slipped her a wedding ring
to put on her finger.

He watched her and winked, setting off a flurry of
butterflies in her stomach. Maintaining her composed expression,
she deliberately faced the stage, setting her champagne flute on
the table.

I never realized just how amazing she truly is.
Hearing at school is one thing, this…
this
is totally
different

Haunting. Chilling. Sexy.

Kendria had mesmerized the entire room. Sarah had
goosebumps. Under the cover of the scalloped tablecloth, Grey
pressed his muscled leg along hers. She lowered her hand to move
him away, only to find herself snared. Her heart kicked up in
speed, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she sat there listening
to a fabulous singer weave her magic about love and passion.
Holding hands with her husband.

Kendria finished, and the crowd erupted in applause.
Grey released her, and she tried not to think how regretful she was
by that. Standing, she clapped and walked after the duo they were
there to protect. The woman branched off and headed to talk to a
few other people, apparently in no rush to leave.

“If something was supposed to happen tonight, it has
to be now,” she said, sliding her arm into the crook of Grey’s.

“Car clear?” Grey’s confident voice posed the
question.

“Just finished,” Liver said, words falling smooth
and easy.

She watched everything she could, trying
unsuccessfully to find something that was out of place.

“We’ve got them,” Owl said.

“Stay behind and note who leaves.” Cooler’s order
was expected.

A brunette walked toward the restroom, and Sarah
released Grey’s arm. She’d noticed this woman before, hanging in
the shadows and speaking quietly, even though she was alone. “I
think I’m going to powder my nose.”

His stare burned into her, but she never once looked
back. “Why?” His question came.

She bristled. Her team, the ones she worked with,
wouldn’t question. They would realize she had good reason to make
the comment. Had she actually needed to use the bathroom, she would
have just gone,

“If I have to explain what I’m doing to you, then it
takes away from my concentration. Let us do our job, Navy. Don’t
worry; the Marines are here.”

His glare went from questioning to damn near arctic.
The chill raked along her back. She smirked and continued on her
way.

Pushing into the small room, she gazed about. There
was a small settee of deep burgundy and gold across from a large
mirror. In the other section were the bathrooms and sinks. She
progressed into the other part and stood at one sink while the
brunette washed her hands at another.

Using the mirror over her sink, she ensured they
were alone. “Who sent you?” She placed her silver clutch on the
counter.

“I’ve got five.” Owl’s comment nearly had her
smiling.

“No way, a brunette in a dress? Three.” The medic,
Windy, added his statement.

“I’m in a dress,” she muttered.

“Yeah, but you’re Bug.” Liver sounded confident.

“True,” she replied. Focusing back on the woman who
was staring at her as if she were completely insane, Sarah arched
an eyebrow. “I asked you a question. Who sent you?”

“Who sent you?” She loosened her shoulders and
lifted a switchblade from her own purse.

Sarah sighed, of course it couldn’t be easy. “Sounds
as though you’re from Ballymoney. Aren’t you a bit far from home?”
Sarah adjusted her stance and waited for the assailant to make the
first move.