Steal My Heart (14 page)

“It’s okay, Maggie. You’re safe.” He ran a palm over her silky hair.

He enfolded her in his arms and cradled her head against his solid chest, marveling at how perfectly she fit against him. She was warm and soft, now radiating a serenity that soothed him to his core. Her arms crept around his waist and his lips brushed against her forehead. He stayed like that for a while, unusually content, until the accelerating drum of his heart disrupted the tranquil quiet.

“There’s coffee,” he informed, and couldn’t help but graze her lips with his before he eased away.

She gave him a demure smile, tucking away the locks that had escaped from her rubber band. “Sounds great.”

“Nothing gourmet, I’m afraid. Motel Six blend.” He rose from the bed. “Milk? Sugar?”

“No thanks. It can’t be any worse than mine.”

“Then yours must be God awful.” He poured the steaming brew.

She bobbed her head in agreement and accepted the paper cup. “It is. David calls it swamp sludge.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She took a tentative sip of the black liquid and favored him with a radiant smile. “Delicious.”

“You really are crazy.” His lips tilted seductively. “One day I’ll make you
real
coffee. Just the smell will make your mouth water.”

Maggie’s head popped up, her large blue eyes wide, her gaze colliding with his. He cleared his throat and looked away
.
Silently he turned and took a seat at the table, his back to her. He pulled a small laptop from his backpack and busily punched at the keyboard.

Damn, had he made a reference to the future? One that included her? And mouths watering?
Damn. His did whenever he contemplated that luscious body.

He
was the one who was crazy. He’d have to be more circumspect with his words and his emotions, he chided himself. He knew she’d hoped to be rid of him by now. It was just yesterday that she’d desperately tried to flee. In a few days this nightmare would be over and she’d go back to her life. She’d asked if he was curious about her. He was. Much more than he should be, but he couldn’t indulge in that curiosity. He didn’t deserve to.

That evening he took a seat at the desk and plugged the flash drive into his laptop. He found he’d developed a nagging curiosity about the research and couldn’t explain why. Some of the data was very technical and took some time to decipher. Maggie, who’d been plaintively idle throughout the day, pulled a chair up beside him and read silently. In response to her persistent badgering, he’d allowed her two phone calls. One to her job to offer an excuse for her absence, and the other to her parents. He’d drawn the line at calling her friend David and for that had incurred nothing but hostility for the rest of the day. She’d made the call using one of his spoof phones. He explained that even though the spoof phone scrambled the calling number and made the call untraceable, she still had to keep her calls short. Standing menacingly close, he’d monitored her conversations. She was obviously not pleased, but in the end had dutifully behaved as instructed.

He sharpened his focus and reread the paragraph on the screen. He supposed the reason for his lack of concentration was the woman sitting close beside him. More than once he felt her reproving gaze slide over him. No doubt she was still concerned about the future of Dr. Rollins’ research.

“Are you still planning on selling this data?” she asked again, and he hated the condemnation in her voice.

He exhaled a frustrated sigh, wishing to avoid another pointless lecture.

Maggie disregarded the irritation liberally flowing from Gabe. She studied his strong aristocratic profile and frozen posture as her own annoyance brewed. Something had been on her mind since yesterday.

“The man in the picture? Is he the one you stole the data for? Is he Cane?”

She answered his staunch silence with a puzzling shake of her head. “I’m confused. I don’t understand why Victoria Rollins’ friend would steal from her.”

Gabe’s head snapped up. His dark eyes suddenly black and probing as they locked onto hers.

“What did you say?”

Maggie hesitated, suddenly wary. The look he gave her was eroding her mettle. “The…the man in the picture…I thought I recognized him. He used to come to all of Dr. Rollins’ lectures. He would sometimes introduce her and talk about how long he’s known her, and how proud he was of her accomplishments.”

“Shit!”

“What?” She frowned.

“The bastard said he’d never met them.”

“Who? What? Cane?”

Gabe sprung from the chair and pulled the spoof-phone from his bag while Maggie watched in alarm. His fingers jabbed at a sequence of numbers then he held the phone to his ear. His eyes were focused somewhere in the distance, lethal intensity sharpening his features. Maggie listened closely as he bellowed into the phone.

“Harry! What the hell is going on? What’s Cane’s connection to Victoria Rollins?…Don’t fucking lie to me!...
Shit!
” She watched anxiously as he speared his long fingers through his hair. He listened intently, then his voice suddenly softened. “I know you’re scared, Harry. Don’t worry. I’ll protect you, but you gotta be straight with me. Not on the phone. Tomorrow, we’ll meet tomorrow….”

“What?” Maggie asked after he’d clicked off the phone and tossed it in the bag. He stood, his fist clenched and jaw a rigid protrusion.

“
What?”
Maggie asked again, agitation jumping through her like crickets.

Gabe locked his gaze with hers, his face chillingly impassive. “Cane owns Cryostar. The Rollins work for him.”

Maggie shook her head, confused. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would he hire you to steal from his own company?”

Gabe scrubbed a hand across his chin. “Why, indeed?”

It was way into the night when Gabe signed off his portable laptop. He’d spent hours doing internet searches. He’d circumvented a few fire walls and used backdoors to access confidential information. He’d found nothing that even hinted at a clandestine relationship between Cane Howard and Cryostar. The only thing he found was a multi-specialty law firm that listed Dr. Paul Rollins and Cane’s holding company, The Edge Corp, as previous clients. They had successfully represented Dr. Rollins in a large malpractice case. It was a big firm with thousands of clients so other than being noteworthy, it was inutile information.

The worm that he’d planted at Cryostar to corrupt the research files had succeeded and had infected all related software. After stealing the research, Cane had wanted to make sure there was not a pebble of data left for the doctors to rebuild on. Right now the computers at Cryostar were so zombied they couldn’t even give the right time.

Why would Cane Howard pay him so extravagantly to steal research and disable his own company? And if he and Victoria Rollins were so close, why would he so thoroughly destroy her?

He shook his head in puzzlement.
And
, he asked himself cynically, why should he really care? He had been hired for a mission that required his unique skill set. It had been successfully executed, and as long as he got paid, why should he be concerned about the particulars? He never had been before.
Was it because a peculiar blonde minx was rooting under his skin?
No. He mentally protested. He just didn’t like being played. He didn’t like all the mystery shrouding this job, didn’t like the fact that someone was on his tail. That someone he was sure was Cane now, and he knew the man would be relentless until he possessed the drive.

Maybe Harry could give him some answers. Hopefully he could give him some information he could use as leverage to keep him and Maggie safe long after this job was over and he’d moved on. And what if he didn’t get any dirt on Cane? Then what? He’d just have to bluff, or maybe even resort to threats. Cane wasn’t invincible. If he weighed his life against harming two people who were not a real threat to him, perhaps he’d think twice. Perhaps. Gabe would have to stipulate the conditions when he handed over the research. Harry was patently terrified. Cane knew Harry was the only connection to him, and must be really working him over. Tomorrow he’d give Harry a key and directions to a place where he could disappear for a while, a place no one knew about. He could stay there until it was safe.

Maggie stretched languidly and buried herself into the solid warmth at her back. The enticing hills and grooves molded against her shoulders and buttocks, sealing her into a cozy shelter. Gabe’s fresh masculine scent floated over her like an intoxicating cloud, and she sighed as she breathed him in, pulling his essence deep into her lungs. The arm curled around her shifted slightly and a palm glided slowly across the curve of her belly. Tingly sparks followed the movements, leaving a blazing trail in their wake and rousing her consciousness to chase away any remnants of sleep. She rolled over onto her back and peered up at the handsome face looking down at her. Her stomach performed a brisk series of aerobics, and she swallowed her angst.

“I’ve been trying to wake you for the last ten minutes. You were out like a log,” Gabe informed, a reticent smile dancing on his lips. He was on his side, elbow bent, and head cradled lazily on his palm. She took a deep breath, again taken aback by his devastatingly handsome face.

She pursed her lips in surprise. “Really? I’m usually a light sleeper.”

“Is that so?”

She watched his lips twitch with amusement and felt the need to elaborate. She also found his nearness disconcerting and started to ramble nervously.

“Yeah. Any little noise wakes me. When I lived at home, my brothers would snore like chainsaws. They all agreed that I should have the room farthest away from everyone—so I wouldn’t be disturbed.”  

His dark eyes lit up, crinkling at the corners, and she watched a smile spread slowly across his face, giving a peek at his even white teeth. She would have pondered his expression had the hand still resting on her abdomen not started to paint delicate strokes over her belly, sprinkling hot embers onto the sensitive skin. Her muscles tensed when his fingers met the waistband of her shorts and his hand stilled. Her body kicked wide awake. The desire to feel his touch was alarmingly powerful and caused fine tremors to shake her limbs. Moisture slid from her sex, evidence of the need building inside her. From the look on his face she could tell he’d misinterpreted her response. He searched her eyes for guidance.

“Please…touch me,” she managed, her voice a thick rasp.

That was all he needed. Expelling a groan, his large hand tunneled under her shorts, his long fingers delving into the hot niche below. She parted her legs to allow him access to the treasure he sought, and he caressed and fondled that waiting treasure. His finger pads glided slowly over her slippery folds, sending flames licking through her sex. Her back bowed off the bed when he ran an adept digit over her throbbing jewel; he teased the gem with slow tormenting sweeps.

A moan gurgled from her chest, and her lips twisted as a finger probed lower into her flesh, promising more pleasure but then retreating. She was aware that his gaze branded her face and learned her expressions, but she was too far-gone to care. All that existed was this consuming need swaying inside her like a molten ribbon of lava. Her scent filled the air and her bottom lip was almost raw from her frustration. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling as if she was bursting out of a skin too tight. Her nipples stretched until they ached, and her core throbbed for a fulfillment only he could provide.

“Maggie…look at me.”

His words startled her gaze to his face and her eyes widened in surprise. She saw the same intense need reflected there. His charcoal eyes were colored black with desire, and the muscles of his face pulled taught with yearning. His dark hair tumbled over his forehead, giving him a sexy, rakish look.

“I want to fuck you, Maggie,” he whispered harshly, delving a finger deep into her channel. “
God
, I need you.”

She gasped, his admission sending her passion berserk. It wasn’t just the bold words, but the desperate longing that wove through them. At the same time he quickly withdrew his finger, leaving her quaking. She grunted something inaudible, orgasmic spasms already starting to shimmy through her. Her heels dug a hole in the firm mattress, and her hip writhed on the sheets.

“I need you too.”

A wave crashed in her ears and they drowned in each other’s eyes, and she couldn’t help feeling that they weren’t simply referring to sex. She felt like she was peering over the wall, seeing the Gabe that made her heart melt with emotion.

The thought flew away as he swooped down and captured her lips with a throaty groan, his skillful tongue learning the secrets of her mouth and sharing his own. She leaned up to the kiss, eager and responsive, swallowing another groan from him. The sheets were rucked up about them in a tangled mess, and he impatiently yanked them off. With a twist of his wrist he unsnapped her shorts and dragged them down her legs. Maggie watched him undress her in silence, her eyes never leaving his gorgeous face. She loved his awed expressions as his eyes devoured her body. She heard his soft intake of breath as he sat her up and drew her shirt over her head and exposed her firm, slightly pendulous, breast. On his knees, he bent to savor their tips, bathing the tight flesh with his tongue, sending a maelstrom of pleasure shooting through her.

She moaned, needing to touch him, and ran her palms over the solid definition of his smooth chest. She reveled in the way the hard muscles bunched and swayed beneath her fingers. She flicked a nail over his flat nipple, and a sharp gust blew from between his clenched teeth. The boxed ridges of his abdomen flexed in response, and she followed them down to a trail of dark fur that disappeared below his waistband. His thick thighs were solidly planted, and the large protrusion of his cock eagerly strained the fabric of his black jeans. Maggie ran a hand over the intimidating mass, and with a grunt, he bucked into her shaky palm.

“
Maggie
…” he implored, gently brushing her hands aside. He quickly undid his jeans and jerked them down his hips.