Steal My Heart (35 page)

His long fingers pulled a slow stroke to the shiny head and he grinned, and then nodded to her.

“You can continue if you like, but my mind has already undressed you, beautiful. I suggest you come over here and give me that hand—and more—that you promised.” She could hear the scratchy tinge of lust in his voice.

Maggie swallowed, trying to remember how to get her feet to work. Her skin was tingling with the anticipation of pleasure and moisture was already soaking her panties at the gorgeous sight of him. She guessed she must have taken too long because with panther-like grace, Gabe rose from the bed and came stalking towards her, his dark eyes steady and menacingly determined.

“I’ll help you with the clothes,” he growled, and she could sense his impatience.

She suddenly snapped out of her lust-induced coma, and she jumped back away from him. “No! Wait!” She ran to the other side of the room. “You’ll break them! They’re all I have.” She started giggling. “You’re like the…the…anti-clothes villain!”

Gabe laughed and started chasing after her. “Maggie, come here!”

She giggled and darted away from him, pulling up her capris as they started to fall around her hips.

“If I had my way, you’d be naked all the time,” he informed with a laugh, deftly catching her with a strong arm circling her waist.

“No! No! Let me go!” She twisted and chortled as he tickled her. She was doubled over with laughter. Gabe was behind her, laughing malevolently and pretending to be the evil clothes-hating villain that he was.

A knock came from the bedroom door, and they quieted suddenly. Maggie bit her lip, realizing how loud they must have been.

“Gabe? It’s Thomas. It’s almost time for dinner. I was hoping to have a word with you before we go down.”

“I’ll be right out!”

He turned her to him and captured her lips, his tongue snaking in to do a thorough sweep of her mouth. She leaned into the kiss and groaned, hating that he had to go.

He pulled away and grinned down at her, brandishing his perfect white teeth. “I’ll have to zap your clothes later, beautiful.”

Maggie stepped back as he buttoned and straightened his pants. He stole a quick peck of her lips before he strolled away, leaving her with a big stupid grin on her face.

By the time Gabe returned it was the dinner hour. She was slipping her feet into her new stylish pumps when he informed her that Thomas had secured an appointment with Director Miller in the morning. Maggie hugged him, eternally relieved.

“That’s great! I can’t believe he managed it so quickly.”

“Director Miller just left Washington DC, apparently on his way to New York to meet with Senator Schumer. Thomas was able to track him down. Miller is a good guy. He’s tenacious, and very interested in the information on Cane. Thomas really came through,” Gabe said thoughtfully. There was a hint of the affection he felt for his brother lacing his tone.

“I overheard him yelling on the phone earlier. He was pretty angry and insistent. He was demanding to see the director. I guess the Masters name pulls a lot of weight.”

He rubbed his chin and nodded. “We haven’t always gotten along, but I’m proud of him. We’ve had a strained relationship from the time we were boys. Perhaps we can put the past behind us and look ahead,” he whispered.

“I think Thomas would like that too,” she said, recalling his brother’s words from earlier.

Maggie smiled as embers of elation glowed inside her heart. To hear Gabe say such words was a monumental step in healing his tortured soul. It was important for him to have his family’s support. She thought of her own brothers and how much they meant to her. Growing up, her parents had always emphasized the importance of family and unity. There had always been constant laughter and affection flowing about the house.

He hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head up. His soft lips grazed hers and she moaned, deeply content. She let her palms rove over his broad shoulders. He looked gorgeous in a cream shirt and chocolate colored dinner jacket that matched his eyes.

“You look beautiful,” he said against her lips.

She pulled back and smiled, realizing she was just thinking the same about him. “Even though I’m wearing clothes?”

His smile teetered irreverently, and his gaze soaked in her silk blouse and smart capris.

“Yes.” He took her elbow and led her from the room then leaned in close to her ear. “But remember during dinner that whenever I look at you I’m undressing you with my eyes.”

Maggie gulped, a blush spreading over her body. She wondered how she’d make it through the meal.

Kate was already seated when Gabe escorted Maggie into the dining room. He kissed his mother’s cheek then pulled out a chair for Maggie. Maggie felt her nerves start to vibrate. Every interaction she’d had with Gabe’s mother so far had been tense and even hostile. She decided to make an earnest attempt to be amiable during dinner, but as Kate’s eyes followed her with veiled animosity, she realized how difficult the endeavor might be. She was determined, though, to try for Gabe’s sake.

Kate leaned forward, addressing Gabe, who sat across from her.

“Gabriel, you’ve been very preoccupied since you’ve come home,” she observed, flicking a telling glance towards Maggie. “I trust you plan on staying for a while?”

Gabe returned his mother’s gaze. “I’m not sure how long, Mother.”

“Well,” she said, her voice starched. “There are matters to settle. Family business matters that are long overdue. I’d like to have a word with you.” She sent Maggie another glance. “Privately. Tomorrow, then?”

Gabe gave her a decisive nod then turned his head to the doorway. Thomas and Victoria were just arriving for dinner. Victoria had her hair pulled back; her thick glasses seemed to take up most of her face. She gave Maggie a friendly smile and took the seat next to her, Thomas adjusting her chair. Maggie’s gaze flickered towards Kate, and she couldn’t help noticing again that the woman seemed suddenly ill at ease. Kate fingered her pearls, her forehead wrinkling pensively. Maggie chewed her lip, searching Gabe’s face to see if he noticed anything awry, but he was now busy exchanging words with Thomas. She took a deep breath and tried to convince herself that she was just imagining Kate’s discomfiture.

Maggie awoke the next morning in a big empty bed, instantly missing the warmth of Gabe’s body next to hers. She knew he and Thomas had already left to meet with the CIA director, and although she was thrilled that Cane’s criminal activity would finally be exposed, she was nervous for Gabe and Thomas. Cane was still actively seeking them, still trying to get his hands on the research for his nefarious purposes. Gabe had repeatedly assured her that Director Miller was an ethical and trustworthy man who’d do everything in his power to see justice done, especially when dealing with something of this magnitude.

Maggie sighed, anxiety causing goose bumps to march across her flesh. She wouldn’t feel relieved until the information was safely delivered and Gabe was back here with her. Cane always seemed to be right on his trail. He wanted the research and he wanted Gabe dead. She remembered the bruising along Gabe’s jaw and tears misted her eyes. Cane was a tenacious man who had power and wealth at his disposal and was used to getting exactly what he wanted.

Deciding that sitting in bed and stewing in her worries would do her no good, Maggie showered, dressed, and sought out Victoria. Maybe Victoria would join her for breakfast and distract her from the concerns crowding her mind. Besides, she wanted to hear more about the Sonic Scalpel and its exciting potential.

Maggie strolled down the lush carpet of the upstairs hall and stopped at Victoria’s door. She knocked and entered at the command of Victoria’s voice. The room was spacious but not as large as the one she shared with Gabe. Tall widows with an eastern exposure prismed the vibrant rays of the early morning sun and showered the room with a beautiful rainbow.

Victoria was sitting at a desk on the shaded side of the room. Maggie smiled brightly, the effect of the dazzling rainbow lightening her gloomy mood.

“Would you like to go down to breakfast with me?” she asked, approaching the desk.

She frowned at Victoria’s dejected expression when the woman turned around.

“What’s wrong?” Maggie asked, a hand bracing on the back of her chair.

“I’m just a bit concerned about the funding for my research,” Victoria informed, pushing up her thick glasses. “Cane was my biggest supporter. He continued to fund the lab even after I denied him access to the data. He probably figured that he’d someday get his hands on it. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to continue without funding.”

“Well, don’t you have other sponsors?”

Victoria shrugged. “I don’t know who they are. I never handled this part of the project. Cane Howard was the one who actually brought in the other smaller sponsors, through his connections. I was just going through the list of sponsors now. Perhaps I can appeal to them for bigger donations, especially since we’re so far into the process.”

Maggie agreed, turning to the computer as Victoria scrolled through the list in her sponsor file.

“Stop!” Maggie almost yelled as the cursor passed over a now familiar name. “
Oh my God!
” she gasped. She felt a frosty shiver move down her back as absolute dread washed over her.

“What is it?” Victoria asked, her alarmed gaze jetting from Maggie’s face to the computer. Her brows wrinkled when she also read the name.

Masters Communications. It was listed as the second sponsor. Right under The Edge Corp.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Isn’t Masters Communications owned by this family?” Victoria asked, her face pinched with confusion.

Maggie didn’t hear the question. Her brain was too busy rapidly computing the meaning behind this discovery. If Cane Howard brought in the smaller sponsors, he must somehow have a connection with Masters Communications. Yet both Thomas and Kate acted as though they’d never heard of Victoria or about Cryostar’s research.

Maggie rubbed her arms, suddenly getting chilled. She felt her heart stop in her chest, unable to pump against the fear filling her veins. She’d perceived something odd about Kate’s behavior every time the woman was in Victoria’s presence. Kate was always nervous and edgy. Guilty almost. The first time Victoria had walked through the doors of the mansion Kate had looked as though she’d seen a ghost. Had she known that Victoria was supposed to have died in the crash? And didn’t Gabe say that she’d been dating a wealthy business man! Could that man be Cane?

Oh my God!
If that were the case then it was very possible that she’d tell Cane what Gabe and Thomas were planning on doing with the information that had been procured from his office! Cane would do everything in his power to stop that information from reaching the director. They had just received word yesterday of the meeting with the director this morning. Was Kate aware of the scheduled meeting? How much did she know?

Maggie felt her heart slamming against her ribs. The acidic burn of bile rose into her throat. Would a mother knowingly put her sons in danger? Would Kate want Gabe dead? A response rang emphatically in her mind, clanging loud like musical cymbals. Maybe if that mother blamed her son for the destruction of the family and the death of her husband. Maggie had to make sure that Thomas and Gabe made it safety to the director’s office.

She rushed towards the door.

“I have to find Kate Masters!”

Gabe smiled politely when Director Miller’s secretary greeted them at the front desk of a suite of offices the director was renting while in town. He looked around at the director’s private security detail that made no attempt to be discrete. Two men stood vigil in the lobby. Even though he and Thomas had been expected, they’d both been vetted before even getting to the secretary’s desk. Although he’d been loathe to do so, he’d left his gun in the car. But there was no way he’d be allowed to get within a mile of the director carrying a gun. The secretary rang an intercom and announced his and Thomas’ arrival, then rose and escorted them down a long narrow hall. He fingered the flash drive that he carried in the inside pocket of his suit coat, thinking how much it reminded him of the drive containing the research data that had been in his possession for so long.

Assuring himself that it was still safely tucked away there, he took a deep breath, his mind turning to Maggie as it did so often. He’d been anxious and distressed about coming home, not sure about the reception he’d get from his family. The house was a painful reminder of his past. But she’d made it all bearable. She’d made him laugh again. Something he thought he’d never do again in that house, or out of it for that matter. She’d also allowed him to trust. He’d been alone for so many years that he’d grown to depend on only himself. It was time to let others in.

Once the CIA had the information on Cane it would take some time to gather the intel and assemble all the pieces, but it was only a matter of time before The Edge Corp came crashing down. Until then he and Maggie would still have to be wary and remain under tight security, but maybe they could spend the time really getting to know each other. He smiled, thinking of all the ways they could get to know each other.

Thomas cleared his throat next to him, and they exchanged a glance and shared a smile. He knew his brother saw the twinkle in his eyes and had guessed correctly that his thoughts were elsewhere. Gabe smiled again. Imagine that. He and his brother smiling…at each other. He wished that things would start to flow as easily with his mother. He could sense the depth of her anxiety and pain. Perhaps when he spoke with her later today, they could start slowly dealing with the past. The secretary turned down another hallway, pulling Gabe from his musings. She opened the door to a large room and ushered them into Director Miller’s office. She closed the door behind them.

“Good day, Mr. Masters.” Cane Howard sat behind a large desk, a casual smile on his lips. “I hope you won’t be too disappointed that Director Miller won’t be joining us.”