Romancing the Alpha: An Action-Adventure Romance Boxed Set (41 page)

Seán’s expression hardened. “Any idea who sent it?”

Katy shook her head and extracted the note from her trouser pocket. “Here you go. Maybe there’s a fingerprint on it. I doubt it, though. Someone who went to the trouble of typing a note probably had the sense to wear gloves.”

“Thanks, Katy.” Seán slipped the note into an evidence bag. “Now does anyone else have something they need to get off their chest?”

A silence coiled with tension descended over the conference room. With every taut second that passed, the weight of unspoken words strained Dex’s self-control.

Finally, Seán’s lips parted in a grimace. “I doubted it would prove that simple to get a confession.”

***

Three agonizing hours later, Katy and Dex emerged from the library. Rick was waiting for them by the entrance, leaning against the wall and sucking on a cigarette. Katy suppressed a groan. The last thing she wanted to do right now was chew the fat with that dickhead.

When Rick saw them, he straightened. “We need to talk,” he said in a rough voice. “I’ll walk you back to your apartment.”

“Actually,” said Dex, “we’re spending the night at Clonmore Castle Hotel.”

“We are?” Katy stared at him in surprise. “Since when?”

“Last-minute cancellation. It’s only for one night, but I thought you’d be pleased. That was before…all this happened.”

Before Mark was murdered. Katy shivered and wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the evening chill.

“How romantic,” Rick drawled.

“It’s your fault,” she said. “You were the one who put us in the same apartment.”

“You can invite me to the wedding,” Rick replied with an edge of acidity. “Now let’s focus on the finding the Fire and Ice Necklaces.”

Katy’s step faltered. Dex squeezed her arm and sent her a warning look. “What are you talking about?”

Rick sneered. “Cut the bollocks, Katy. I didn’t want you on this expedition. One of the backers—a guy called Trevor Masterson—insisted I hire you. The only reason I can think of for Masterson being so keen for you to be part of the team is that you’re looking for the Fire and Ice Necklaces on his behalf.”

“As are you and Dex.” Katy folded her arms across her chest. “Why bring this up now?”

“Because the police want us all to stay in Ballybeg for the foreseeable. No sailing off in boats permitted.”

“What about the expedition?” Katy asked. “Will it be cancelled?”

“I don’t know. At the very least, we’ll lose a couple of days. Looking for that bloody jewel case is the proverbial needle in a haystack. I figure we should team up and split the proceeds if one of us finds it.”

“How can we team up if we’re not allowed to dive?”

Rick squinted at her through a haze of cigarette smoke. “Detective Inspector Mackey wants to see us again after lunch tomorrow. I’ve arranged for Con to take us out in the early hours of the morning. With a bit of luck, we’ll be back on shore before the police notice we’ve gone.”

Dex and Katy looked at one another. “What do we say if they do catch us?”

“That we’re over-zealous academics in pursuit of valuable artifacts.” Rick’s hard stare gave Katy the creeps. “What do you say, Dr. Ryan? One last dive to try to find the jewels?”

A vision of the metal box played in Katy’s mind like a jerky film reel. If it did contain the jewels, her mother’s medical bills would be covered for the rest of her life. “I’m in.”

The room Dex had booked at the Clonmore House Hotel turned out to be a junior suite complete with a hot tub and a bottle of champagne on ice. After a day of tension and tragedy, unwinding in warm water was exactly what Katy needed.

Dex poured bubbly liquid into two glasses and handed one to her. “I bought the bath bombs from the Cottage Café. The woman who runs it said they’re made by a local company.”

“Mmm,” Katy inhaled deeply, identifying ylang ylang and jasmine. “You chose well.”

“They’re from a range called sex bomb. I thought they’d suit you.” He laughed against her ear and clinked his glass against hers. “
Sláinte
.”

“Cheers.” She took a sip from the glass, enjoying the tart taste and the bubbles popping on her tongue. “It seems wrong to be sitting in a hot tub sipping champagne while Mark is lying in the morgue.”

His expression turned serious, a frown marring his usually smooth forehead. “Don’t think about it, Katy. This evening is supposed to help us relax, remember? We’ll need to have our wits about us for tomorrow’s dive.”

She leaned into him and ran a hand over his muscular torso, relishing the feel of his strong muscles underneath her palm. “I’m sorry this expedition ended in tragedy but I’m glad it brought us back together.”

Dex nipped her ear, making her squirm with pleasure. “So am I, cupcake. Whatever the future throws at us, we’ll face it as a couple. Speaking of which: do you want to join me for dinner on Saturday with my brother and his girlfriend?”

“What happened to no-strings until after the expedition?” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Did we both forget?”

“Oh, I haven’t. I’m just ignoring the no-strings part of the arrangement and hoping my seductive charm and sexual prowess will convince you to keep me.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “You are outrageous, Dex Fitzgerald. But the answer is yes. I’d love to get to know your brother and meet his family.”

“Excellent. Now why don’t I show you exactly how outrageous I can be?” He ran his free hand down her side and skimmed her lower back. “I want to make the most of tonight.”

“Hot tub sex, hmm?”

“Oh, yeah.” He placed his champagne glass at the side of the hot tub and slipped both hands into the water to massage her buttocks. The sensation of him kneading her flesh sent a shiver of anticipation through Katy’s body. She arched her back, making her nipples peek out of the water.

Taking the hint, Dex slid a hand upward and tweaked her nipples.

“Harder,” she murmured, “make it hurt.”

He pulled them with more force this time, rolling the pebbled flesh in his fingertips. “Is this hard enough?”

“Mmm…oh, yeah.”

Using her thighs, she angled his knee between her legs and rode it, rubbing her clit against hard bone. The tip of Dex’s erection bumped against her belly. He was rock hard and ready. Her skin burned with need and her body felt hot and wet and achy.

Reaching into the water, she ran a finger down his silky smooth length. He grunted when she took the tip of his erection into her palm and rolled it back and forth. When she switched the movement to up and down, he let out a groan. “You’re killing me, Katy. I want you so damn much.”

“So take me,” she whispered. “Take me now.”

He nuzzled her neck, grazing her skin with rough evening stubble. “You sure about this Katy?”

“Now, Dex. That’s an order.”

He nibbled her ear lobe. “Aye aye, captain. For such a little person, you’re one bossy lady.”

Dex turned her around and pressed her stomach against the edge of the hot tub. His erection pressed into the small of her back. He traced the line of her pelvic bone and slipped a finger between her buttocks.

She gasped when he drew the finger back and forth between her legs, and cried out when he inserted a fingertip between her silky folds.

“You’re wet,” he murmured.

“After what we’ve been doing, does this come as a surprise to you?”

“Cheeky.” He pushed her up against the edge of the tub and slapped the exposed part of her ass just hard enough to sting. “Keep that up and I’ll torture you all night.”

“That’s kind of what I was aiming for,” she gasped, “although the odd orgasm break here and there wouldn’t be unwelcome.”

He slapped her ass again, making her cry out, and pushed two fingers inside of her. “Oh, no. You haven’t done nearly enough to deserve an orgasm.”

She arched her back and bit her lip. “What do I need to do?”

He laughed. “Let me show you.”

In one fluid movement, he pressed her into the side of the tub and parted her legs. Her breasts rubbed against the tiles, the sensation massaging her already tingling nipples.

Dex stroked her tender flesh and parted her lips. The tip of his penis at her entrance was undiluted torture. Finally, he pushed inside her. She gasped and he waited a moment for her to adjust to his size. Then he began to thrust. Where he’d been tender and gentle the night in the shower, he was rough and ready tonight.

Katy leaned forward to allow him deeper penetration. He pounded into her, massaging her clit with one finger. The pressure inside her mounted until she could bear it no more.

When she came, she cried out, one wave of pleasure rolling into another. And after he came a moment later, they collapsed together against the side of the tub, gasping.

“You are a remarkable woman.” Dex turned her to face him and caught her mouth in a kiss.

She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He tasted of champagne and chocolate—two of her favorite flavors rolled into one.

When they broke the kiss, Dex stared into her eyes, melting her from the inside out. His look was intense, the levity of earlier put on hold. “So, Miss Katy. Can we give our relationship another go?”

Katy bit her lip. “I’d like to try.”

“I don’t want to jump the gun and send you running into the sunset, but there’s something I want you to have.”

Dex pushed himself up and out of the tub, giving Katy an excellent view of his bare backside. He unzipped his shower kit and reached inside.

“I gave you this once before,” he said quietly. “You’d always said you didn’t care for traditional diamond engagement rings. When I found this on a dive off Bali, I thought of you. It’s old and not particularly valuable, but when I slipped it on your finger, I truly saw it as a symbol for our relationship.”

He held out his palm and showed her the little silver and jade ring she’d thrown back in his face eight months ago.

“Oh, Dex. It’s beautiful. I loved it then and I love it now. Are you sure you want me to have it?”

“The ring is yours, Katy. It can be a friendship ring, a friends-with-benefits ring, or an engagement ring. Whatever works for you will work for me.”

She allowed him to slip the ring on to her finger. The jewel glinted in the bathroom light. “What if the purpose of the ring should change over time?”

He slid back into the tub and cupped her chin. “Then I’ll roll with that. I love you, Katy. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If that’s not what you want, I’ll cope, but please give our relationship a chance.”

Hot tears burned her eyes. “I love you, too, Dex. Yes, I want to give it another go.”

His face lit up and his beam was infectious. “Seriously? I swear you won’t regret this.”

“I’d better not, Fitzgerald.” She smiled down at the ring and rubbed his arm. “But before we settle down to domestic bliss, we have treasure to find.”

“Deal. Like I said before, my share goes to your mother’s medical fund.”

Katy blinked back tears. “For heaven’s sake, man. You’re making me mushy.”

“I’d rather make you hot.” His grin widened. “We have a few hours before we need to get to the boat. Why don’t we make the most of them?”

She laughed. “It’s a deal.”

In stark contrast to the nervous energy that usually permeated the boat on the way out to a dive, the mood today was subdued. Katy checked her rebreather for the tenth time and took a sip of water from her bottle.

“The pack’s fine, Katy,” Dex said, coming to put an arm around her shoulders. “I checked it this morning before we boarded.”

Rick eyed the sea through binoculars. “Conditions aren’t great today, but it might be the last chance we’ll get. There’s no time to search the entire boat. What’s it to be? Stern area or bow?”

Katy shared a glance with Dex. While she’d agreed to join forces with them on the search, she didn’t trust Rick. And she’d be damned if either of the men beat her to the case after she’d been the one to locate it in the first place. She pointed to an area on the map that wasn’t far from where she’d dropped the case. “Let’s try here.”

Rick’s steely gaze bore into her. “Then that’s where we’ll go.”

Con slowed the boat when they neared their dive point. “See you later,” he yelled over the roar of the engine.

Katy waved to him and hit the water. Dex and Rick followed close behind.

Rick hadn’t exaggerated when he said conditions weren’t ideal. It took all of Katy’s strength not to veer off course. Despite their best efforts, they all landed on the seabed at different points. “Dex?” Katy said into her microphone.

“Rick here.” Hearing the static in her ears was a relief, even if he sounded oddly distant. “I can see you. Hang on.”

“Any sign of Dex?” she asked when he joined her.

“He was right behind me.”

A moment later, she spotted the red stripes on Dex’s diving suit. He landed near them and gave them a thumbs-up. Together, they swam past the mine to the voluminous old fishing net. It looked hideous in the dim light of her headlamp, like floating, malevolent tentacles.

“Do you know where to look for the case?” Dex asked. His voice was barely recognizable through the static.

“Yes,” she replied. “I’m pretty sure I know where it landed. Follow me.”

They swam toward the spot in the fishing net where’d she’d gotten caught during the last dive. It took several attempts before she managed to get a grip on the case. Adrenalin pumped through her veins, the almost forgotten rush of discovery. This was the part she missed from her old life. She’d have to find a new hobby, preferably one that didn’t involve a legal gray zone. Maybe she should take up paragliding…

“Bag it, and let’s move,” Dex said, his headlamp roaming over the terrain. “I’m getting a bad vibe from the currents.”

Katy laughed and dragged the case into her pack. “Yes, boss.” For the first time since Mark’s death, she felt a glimmer of good cheer, of hope and joy for the days to come. Days—and hopefully months and years—that she’d spend with Dex.

In an instant that glimmer was extinguished. How he moved as fast as he did, Katy could never tell. One second, they were all swimming in unison, kicking their way upward. The next, Dex was attacking Rick, pulling at his rebreather violently. Rick, taken by surprise, attempted to move out of the way, but it was too late. Dex tugged Rick’s rebreather off his back and with her heartbeat ringing in her ears, Katy watched in horror as it floated away. She dove for it, dodging Dex and getting in a kick for good measure.