The Fall (ATCOM Book 2) (6 page)

The comment was directed toward her and her stomach
flip-flopped. She met his gaze, captured by the allure in his. Did he feel it
too? The chemistry between them.

Was she prepared if he did?

Yes. She’d been a long time without a man in her
bed and right now she wanted this man next to her, making love to her, showing
her the passionate side of herself. Because sex with this man would be anything
except mediocre.

Something sparked in his eyes and she knew for
certain he felt it, too.

She better be ready because tonight just might be a
turning point in her life.

Chapter Eight

Brendan did one last perimeter check of the house,
making sure all the doors and windows were locked. Restless energy zinged
through him. Dinner had been amazing. Good conversation, comfortable, the best
steaks and dessert he’d ever tasted. It felt like home, as much as that thought
bothered him. Home for him was anywhere the wind took him.

Jason retired to his room soon after dinner. His
door was closed, but Brendan heard the television. Mia had opted for a shower.
Twenty minutes ago. What did women do that took so long?

He wanted to talk to her about Ray. Something
wasn’t right there. A man like that wouldn’t give up so easily. They needed to
be on their toes until he found out what the man was up to.

“Want a glass of wine?”

Mia stood in the doorway leading to the kitchen,
wearing a pair of sleep shorts and spaghetti strap tank that hugged her curves
and showed her silky-smooth skin. Skin he longed to run his hands over. After
the look they’d shared over dinner he should be running out the door instead of
saying yes to a glass of wine.

“You sit. I’ll get the glasses.”

While she disappeared into the kitchen, he dropped
down on the sofa. She walked in a few minutes later with a bottle of red wine
and two glasses. The glasses she set on the coffee table, the bottle and opener
she handed to him before sitting next to him.

He popped the cork and poured the rich red liquid
into the glasses. Mia accepted one, taking a long sip. Nervous? That wasn’t
like her.

“Thanks for teaching Jason to use the grill,” she
said.

Small talk. All right. “No problem.”

She took another sip, then let out a tense laugh.
“What are we doing?”

“Unwinding with a glass of wine.”

“Is that all?”

Her low tone made him set his glass down and gently
take hers from her hand and put it on the table next to his. Leaning in, he
pressed his lips against hers. Something he’d wanted to do since the moment he
saw her. At first she didn’t kiss him back, then, as if the flood gates on a
dam opened, she opened her mouth and let him deepen the kiss.

God, she tasted like wine and honey. Sweet and
incredible. Like no other woman he’d ever tasted.

A low moan escaped her mouth as she climbed on his
lap, circling her legs around him. The feel of her rubbing against him set his
blood on fire. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back,
allowing him access to her neck where he kissed a fiery trail down to the
neckline of her tank. Her nipples budded through the thin fabric.

A gasp escaped her lips when he nipped the delicate
spot on her throat where her pulse pounded.

“Bedroom,” she breathed, grinding against him.

Brendan rose with her still wrapped around him and
carried her into the master bedroom, trying to focus on putting one foot in
front of the other. Not easy, with the way her tongue licked his earlobe. Damn
erotic.

Once inside, he tossed her on the bed and went to
close the door, hearing her soft laughter. He could listen to that carefree
sound all day long. After locking the door in case Jason got curious, he shucked
his clothes. Mia had already slipped out of hers and lay naked and beautiful on
the bed. For a moment he could only stare. God, she was the most beautiful
woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Soft curves, silky skin, incredible breasts.

And a smile that melted his heart. Unable to
withstand any longer, he lowered himself on the bed and claimed her lips. This
time her response was instant, her tongue melding with his. Her hands were
everywhere, as if she couldn’t get enough of touching him. That only fueled his
need for her.

He traced a path down her neck to her breasts.
Drawing a nipple into his mouth, he circled it with his tongue, causing her
back to arch. Turned on by her uninhibited response, he moved lower, aching to
taste her.

“Yes,” she whispered when he ran his tongue over her
sweet center. Her hips raised, inviting him in. He didn’t hesitate to taste all
of her.

Her hands kneaded his shoulders, nails digging into
his flesh. He gripped her hips, hearing her breath come in pants as she neared
climax. Sliding a finger inside her wet heat he urged her to the edge. Her body
convulsed, a stifled cry escaping her lips as she clenched around his hand.
After tasting every last drop of her he climbed over her.

Breathing still labored, she clutched his shoulders,
drawing him closer. He was so hard he could barely move. Never had he wanted a
woman this badly. Felt like he would die if he wasn’t inside her soon.

“Condom,” she panted, rubbing against him.

Shit. He’d been so caught up in her he’d forgotten
to put one on. What kind of spell had this woman put on him?

Forcing himself off her, he tore through his
wallet, grabbed a condom and rolled it on. Then he was inside her, surging deep,
letting out a feral growl when she took him in. For a second he couldn’t move,
couldn’t breathe. She felt…right. Like coming home.

Her hips moved, urging him on. Unable to hold back
any longer, he thrust, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her hips. She
buried her head in his shoulder to hide her moans as she rose to orgasm.

His own orgasm came in a wave of heat, so strong he
clutched the headboard to hold on. He stifled the shout of pure ecstasy as he
came. She moved with him, clutching around him, milking him until there was
nothing left.

Brendan collapsed on top of her, bracing his weight
on elbows that shook. As he stared down into her soft brown eyes he felt
himself falling. And knew he’d never done anything as dangerous as making love
to this woman.

****

 Mia let out a contented sigh and stretched, her
eyes tracking Brendan as he took care of the condom. Making love to him had
been everything she expected and so much more. She’d never come twice like
that. And never with a man. Ray had been a good lover, but he had nothing on
Brendan. He made her feel things she’d been afraid to feel. Made her feelings
for him grow stronger than she’d imagined possible.

Her body felt thoroughly and utterly sated. Her
mind at ease. Could she stay here forever?

When Brendan returned to the bed and pulled her
into his chest she fought her emotions. Honestly, she’d expected him to leave
her and go back to his own room. He didn’t seem the staying type.

Happier than she’d ever been, she ran her fingers
over the three parallel scars on his chest. She’d noticed them when they made
love, but had been too distracted to mention them.

“How did you get these?” she asked softly.

For a moment she didn’t think he was going to
answer, but then he spoke in a low voice. “Tiger. Swiped me with her claws.”

“Oh my God. How did you get that close to a tiger?”

She sensed his hesitation, but urged him on by
kissing his chest.

“I was kidnapped a little over a year ago. By a man
who wanted my sister to pay for betraying him. She’d been undercover as his
mistress until he discovered who she really was. He…”

He trailed off, swallowing hard. Mia’s heart ached
for him. She didn’t want to dredge up the past, but did she want to know? She
tightened her arms around him.

“Santiago, that’s the drug lord Attie went
undercover for, built a maze of deadly games my sister had to survive in order
to find me. Bastard used me as bait. Knew my weakness and I played right into
his hand.”

“What weakness?”

“Women. I used them to satiate my needs after a
mission. Or, for whatever. And it almost got my sister killed.”

A stab of jealousy shot through her but she forced
it down. “How did he use women against you?”

“He sent a stacked blonde to the airport bar where
I was waiting for a connecting flight home. She said all the right things—I went
back to her hotel. Before I could get there she’d stuck a needle in my neck. I
woke up tied to a chair in the middle of a nightmare.”

The bitterness in his voice made her lift up on an
elbow to look at him. “You couldn’t have known what she was up to. You can’t
blame yourself.”

“The hell I can’t. I was a bastard who used women
for my own needs. And almost lost my family because of it.”

“But you didn’t, right? Attie is okay now?”

Ghosts filled his eyes. “Yeah, she’s doing much
better now.”

“Then you have to let go of the past. What’s done
is done, you can’t change it. Don’t let this ruin you. Believe me, I know what
guilt can do to you.”

His arm tightened around her, letting her know he
understood. She laid her head on his chest, listening to the steady, strong
beat of his heart. “Forgiving others is easy. Forgiving yourself, not so much.
I forgave Ray for all the crap he’d done to me and for not being a father to
Jason. It’s harder to forgive myself for letting my son grow up without a
father.”

“You’ve done a great job with him.”

“Thanks. Doesn’t feel like it most days.”

He kissed her forehead. “Trust me, you’re a good
mom.”

She nipped his shoulder. “How about we stop talking
and make use of the last few hours of nighttime?”

Brendan rolled her beneath him in one smooth move,
making her laugh. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the noise. Sex
with this man was fun. Exciting. Unpredictable. Yep, she was in trouble.

In her ear he whispered, “I like that idea.”

Chapter Nine

Brendan wrapped a vase in newspaper and put it in a
box along with a few other things he’d packed for Mia. He’d slipped back to the
guest room at daybreak, in time to change and meet Jason in the kitchen for
their daily workout. If the kid suspected anything he didn’t show it. He’d had
to cover Mia’s mouth more than once to quiet her. Little vixen had liked it.

For a schoolteacher she’d been more fun and
adventurous in the sack than he’d expected. Every time he looked at her his
thoughts flew south. Picking her up and carrying her into the bedroom seemed to
be the only thing he really wanted to do today. A dangerous thought. He’d never
spent the night with a woman. Always had his fun and left. Staying the night
meant commitment. Something he didn’t do. So why in the hell had he stayed with
Mia? And why didn’t it bother him as much as it should?

An outraged gasp came from the kitchen. Dropping
the candle he’d just picked up, Brendan sprinted into the kitchen. Mia sat at
the table, laptop open in front of her, face pale. She looked up when he
entered.

“What’s wrong?” He scanned the room for signs of
Ray, only to find it empty.

A tear trickled down her cheek. “It’s gone. All of
it. Gone.”

He frowned and walked over to her. “What’s gone?”

She turned the laptop toward him. Her bank account
sat open on the screen. With a zero balance.

“Did you call the bank?”

“Yes. They’re looking into it for me. Seems my
money was transferred out of my account this morning.”

“Transferred by who?”

Mia wiped away her tears. “By me.”

“Do they have the account number of the bank it was
transferred to?”

“They’re looking into it. That’s all they would
tell me.”

Pieces were already falling into place in his mind.
Ray’s odd behavior yesterday. His comment about getting what he’d come for. If
Ray had connections at all he’d have no trouble finding a hacker to do the
transfer. Happened all the time, sadly.

“Let me call my team. We have resources to find out
things the banks can’t.”

Mia looked up at him, hope in her eyes. “You can
help me?”

He would anything for her. Denying it would only
make him a fool. He’d fallen for this woman and her son and nothing could
change that. Not the past, not his mistakes.

“I’ll make a call.” He pulled out his cell phone.

He passed Jason on his way into the living room so
he could speak privately. As he punched in Noah’s number he heard Mia
explaining to Jason what had happened. He knew she wouldn’t blame Ray until
they knew for sure. That’s who she was. Fair, forgiving.

His brother-in-law picked up on the second ring.
“You’re supposed to be on vacation.”

Brendan grinned at the gruff note in Noah’s voice.
“I’m still in Hawaii. I need Rogan’s help.”

“What happened?”

Brendan explained Mia and her son, the ex, and the
missing inheritance. Noah listened patiently until he’d finished.

“I’ll have St. Klare in the air within the hour.”

“Thanks. How’s that sister and niece of mine?”

“Attie is as stubborn as ever and our daughter is
taking after her.”

Brendan laughed. “Sounds about right.”

“Let me know if you need anything else. More backup?”

“Won’t be necessary. Ray is no threat.”

“Let’s keep it that way. Attie would kill me if
anything happened to you.”

His sister loved fiercely. God help anyone who hurt
one of her loved ones. “Tell her everything is fine. I’ll keep in touch.”

They disconnected and he turned to see Jason
standing there, looking upset. “Is it true? Did someone really steal all the
money my aunt left us?”

“I don’t have much information yet, but it looks
like it.”

The kid cursed under his breath. “Who would do
that?”

Brendan decided to keep his suspicions to himself.
“Someone without morals. I have a friend coming over to help figure all this
out.”

“That’s who you were talking to just now?”

“That was a member of the organization I work for.
And a friend. But, he’s not coming. Another operative is.”

“Operative. This is the group you told me about?
ATCOM?”

“Yes.” They had talked about the military and ATCOM
during their run this morning. Jason had seemed genuinely interested in both.

“I’m glad you’re here to help my mom,” Jason said
quietly.

“I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.”

“You think my dad did this?”

Brendan met the kid’s troubled gaze. “We’ll find out
soon enough.”

****

Rogan St. Klare was not what Mia expected when he
arrived a couple hours later. Not as tall as Brendan, but still at least
six-foot, with a deep tan, shaggy, surfer dark blond hair, bold Hawaiian print
shirt, board shorts and flip-flops. In truth, probably the most beautiful man
she’d ever seen. Brendan had told her ATCOM resided in Montana. This guy looked
like he’d just stepped off the beach. Instead of a surfboard, he carried a high-tech
looking laptop and some other equipment.

Brendan grinned when he let Rogan in, clapping him
on the back. “Thanks for coming, man.”

“Anything for you, Indiana.”

Mia stepped closer. “Indiana?”

Rogan turned a pair of ocean blue eyes on her. Good
Lord, the man was too gorgeous for his own good. But, he did nothing for her.
He didn’t get her blood racing like Brendan did. “Well, hello, there. You must
be Mia.” He extended a hand and she accepted. Nope, no zing of energy like when
Brendan touched her. “Indiana is just a nickname we gave Devayne here.”

“Really? Why?”

Rogan grinned. “Because he gets himself into sticky
situations like Indiana Jones. Not to mention his daredevil antics.”

Unease snaked down her spine. Daredevil. Indiana
Jones. She’d watched every one of Harrison Ford’s movies, and of all of them she
found Temple of Doom and Raiders the hardest to watch. Too many daredevil
stunts and dangerous situations. Reminded her too much of the kind of life Ray
led.

“Let go of her hand, St. Klare,” Brendan warned
half-heartedly.

Rogan turned her hand over and kissed her palm
before letting go. Oh, this man was a player. Too bad her heart had already
been stolen by his coworker.

A coworker that lived a life of danger and apparently
liked it. She couldn’t do that again. Couldn’t go through the long nights
wondering where he was and what he was doing.

“You can set up in the living room,” she said.
“There’s a desk and internet access in there.”

They went to get started and she went to make a pot
of coffee. Something to occupy her hands because she sure as heck couldn’t
occupy her thoughts with anything except the fact Brendan resembled her ex in
all the wrong ways. He may not be a criminal, but he lived the life of a
thrill-seeker and that was enough.

Confused, disappointed, saddened, she poured water
into the pot. She’d done it again. Fallen for the wrong man. Only this time it
hurt. Like never before. Losing Ray had hurt after the bitterness wore away,
but not like this. This time her heart tore in half. She wasn’t sure she’d
recover from this one.

 “Mom? You okay?”

Pulled out of her thoughts she looked at her son,
grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge.

“I’m fine. Why?”

“You look upset. Is it the money?”

She wished. Somehow the loss of her inheritance
hurt less than finding out Brendan was the kind of man she’d vowed to steer
clear of. “I’m sure it will work out.”

“Brendan and his friend seem confident.”

“Yes.”

Jason took a swig of water. “You think Dad did
this?”

Some of the fight went out of her. “I don’t know.
It’s kind of odd that he showed up at the same time my money disappeared.”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Of course. You can always be honest with me, you
know that.”

Jason shifted uneasily. “That day you came home
from the grocery store to find Dad here.”

He paused and she moved to his side, put a hand on
his arm. “What did he do?”

“He asked me to brew a pot of coffee so I did. I
thought he would wait in the living room, but when I came out…”

“It’s all right. Nothing you say will make me upset
with you.”

Jason averted his eyes. “I found him going through
your laptop.”

Mia squeezed his arm. “What did he say when you
caught him?”

“Just that he was leaving you a note.”

“You believed him?”

Jason nodded.

She hugged him. “Honey, you didn’t do anything
wrong. This is on your father.”

Jason hugged her back and her heart soared.

“He really is a bad man, isn’t he?”

She’d never wanted him to think that of his father,
but Ray’s actions made it impossible to see him as anything else. Damn him for
using her son to get her account information. “I’m sorry, Jason. All that is on
your father and me. You’ve done nothing wrong. I love you and that will never
change.”

His head bobbed against her shoulder. “I’m sorry,
Mom. I blamed you for taking away my father. Now, I realize why you did.”

She’d never wanted him to see the true Ray. Not
fully. It would only hurt him and she’d do anything to prevent that.

“Don’t hate him. He just made some bad choices.”

“I don’t want to see him if we find out he stole
the inheritance.”

She leaned back. “You don’t have to. It’s
completely your decision and I will stand by you, whatever you decide.”

“Mia? We found something.”

Brendan’s voice ended the mother/son bonding. Jason
looked at her then led the way into the living room where Brendan and Rogan
were hunched over Rogan’s computer screen.

“What is it?” Jason asked.

“Rogan tracked the bank transfer to an account in
the Cayman Islands. Looks like your ex is using an alias. Ever heard of Joey
Lane?”

Her stomach clenched. Joey Lane. The name of the
bar Ray had taken her to on their third date. Said a friend of his owned it.
Now, she wondered if the bar had been a front for Ray and his cohorts’ illegal
activities.

“Mia? Does that sound familiar?”

“Yes. It’s the name of a bar Ray and his friends
hung in.”

Brendan studied her so intensely she wanted to
bristle. He already knew all of her secrets. Even the one that could drive her
son away forever.

“So this proves it? My dad stole the money?” Jason
asked.

“Too many coincidences to think otherwise,” Brendan
answered.

Jason dropped down on the sofa, looking stunned.
Mia went to him and sat beside him, putting her arm around his shoulders. To
Brendan, she asked, “What do we do?”

“We’ve already contacted the police. No doubt it’ll
go Federal. We have enough evidence to prove it was Ray.”

Some of the color drained from her face, she felt
it go. If Ray got convicted of this, he would go back to prison. And probably
never make it out. As much as she knew he deserved it and had done this
himself, didn’t make it any easier to accept. Her son truly would grow up and
live the rest of his life without a father.

“The hacker he hired was sloppy,” Rogan said,
tapping keys on his laptop. “Didn’t cover their tracks good enough. Pretty damn
nice try though.”

Mia didn’t hear the rest of what they said. The
cops showed up, invading her home, the same as they had ten years ago. Déjà vu
hit her like a wrecking ball. Except this time Jason was a teenager and not an
innocent six-year-old. He stayed by her side as things swirled around her.
People coming at her with questions, then at Jason. Brendan by her side,
fielding the attacks. Rogan printing page after page of proof, sealing her
ex-husband’s fate forever.

Finally, when the whirlwind settled, she wrapped
her arms around her middle and shuddered. Jason had disappeared into his room
to process in his own way. Rogan packed up his equipment, preparing to leave.
He’d done what he’d come for. Found enough evidence for the Feds to convict Ray.

A glass appeared in front of her face. Blinking,
she looked up to see Brendan standing there. “Drink this.”

Numb, she accepted the amber liquid and took a
swallow. When it burned down her throat she coughed, but welcomed the way it
warmed her insides.

“I’m going to walk Rogan out. Be right back.”

As if in a dream she nodded, waving to the
shaggy-haired Adonis, listening, but not hearing what he said to her. When
Brendan returned a few minutes later he sat next to her, took the glass out of
her hand and pulled her into his chest. She went willingly, needing his
strength right now. The rug had been pulled out from beneath her so many times
today she couldn’t process it all. Ray stole from her, proving he hadn’t
changed. Her son would never know his father. And, she’d fallen for a man who
walked a razor thin line between danger and safety. Somehow, that hurt worse
than the rest.

Maybe because she would also spend the rest of her
life alone. Soon, Jason would go off to college and she would be by herself. Worse,
she thought she’d finally found a man she could spend the rest of her life with
and he turned out to be just like her ex.

“Is everyone gone?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

“What can I do?”

She snuggled closer, taking refuge in his strength.
“Exactly what you’re doing.” Right now she needed him. Later, she would worry
about letting him go.

His hand stroked her hair, helping release the
tension in her body. How could something so wrong feel so right?

“I suppose you’ll be leaving now?” she asked,
stomach clenching at the thought. “You did what you promised.”

“Is that what you want?”

Sadness filled her heart. It had to be. She
couldn’t take that risk again. “The house is almost packed up and the money
should be back in my account soon so there isn’t any reason for Jason and me to
stick around. My realtor is taking care of the sale of the house. My work is
done here.”