Aegis 01 - First Exposure (3 page)

By the time he reached the lobby, his nerves were strung tight. Marley met him at the door. She handed him a backpack and file. “Here’s your itinerary, passports, all the info we’ve collected about Melody Carmichael’s disappearance. I’ve got you set up in a beachfront bungalow. Should provide enough privacy so you can come and go unnoticed. I’ve also got Miller and Smith on standby, in case you need them.”

“Couldn’t get the boss man to put you on backup duty?”

Marley frowned. “Do you ever see a day when that will happen?”

Cade chuckled and slipped on his Rēvos. “No, and not for the reasons you think. Thanks, Marley. I’ll be in touch.”

“Wait, Cade.” She held up a small rectangular box. “Don’t forget this.”

“Always by the book, huh, Marley?”

She smiled. “It’s why I get paid the big bucks. Stay safe.”

He pushed the outer door open. Warm air washed over his face and body. Early June in the Kentucky hills was already sultry, but where he was headed it was going to be hot. Scorching hot. And not just from the temperature.

He fought back another burst of heat that bloomed all along his skin as he climbed into the back of the sedan, tossed his backpack on the floor, and opened the folder on his lap. The driver shut the door and moved around the vehicle. At his side, he felt Avery’s gaze zero in on him, and though it was unnerving and only amped his awareness more, he didn’t look up. “Yeah?”

“That’s all you have to say to me after twelve years?” Avery asked. “‘Yeah?’”

He clenched his jaw as the car pulled away from the curb and finally met her gaze. And was thankful, this time, that he had the protection of sunglasses so she couldn’t see into his thoughts. “Does ‘Hi, how’s your life been?’ suit you better?”

Those pretty, pouty lips he’d watched kiss dozens of other guys on-screen turned down into a frown. “It’s a start. Why didn’t you tell your boss you knew me? I did read that correctly, didn’t I? He doesn’t know about us?”

Memories of that “us” flittered through his mind. The same memories he’d played over in his head countless times late at night when he couldn’t sleep. Of the way her naked body had felt wrapped around him in that dive of a motel room they’d run off to in Spokane, of how having someone care about him had changed him in fundamental ways he hadn’t realized until years later. But he forced them back. Reminded himself getting lost in those memories now wouldn’t do him any good. And they wouldn’t help her find her friend. Besides which, he was over her. Long over the girl she used to be.

“No,” he said, looking back down at his papers. “Ryder doesn’t know, nor does he need to. This isn’t personal, sweetheart; it’s business. And I’m good at what I do. If you’re uncomfortable with me, we can turn around and you can get someone else.”

She didn’t say anything, and he didn’t try to read her expression. But from the corner of his vision, he noticed she turned to look out the window.

He tried to focus on the words in front of him, but they blurred together on the page, and after several moments, he gave up. Closing the folder on his lap, he glanced toward her profile. The sleek line of her jaw was obstructed by a few strands from the ridiculous dark wig hanging to her shoulders, but her skin looked as creamy and soft as it had when she’d been a kid. The years had been good to her. At twenty-nine, she’d matured from an innocent girl into a beautiful woman. This close, he couldn’t see any sign she’d had work done, and though it went against every professional instinct he had, he hoped she never gave in to Hollywood pressure and turned to plastic surgery. He wouldn’t want to see all that perfection ruined by a scalpel. “If my being here bothers you so much, why didn’t you tell him?”

“It doesn’t bother me,” she said nonchalantly, still looking out the window. “‘Us’ ended a long time ago. All I care about is finding Melody. If you’re the best person for the job, then that’s all I care about. I’m an actress, Blackwell. A very good one.” She turned those pretty brown eyes his way again, but this time they were flat. Resigned. Jaded. Not a thing like the eyes he remembered. “I can pretend like the past didn’t happen as well as you can. After all, it’s just business,
sweetheart
.”

She looked back out the window, but in the silence, Cade’s heart sped up. And a bitter truth hit him square in the chest with the force of a freight train.

He’d lied to Jake, but most of all, he’d lied to himself. This was, without a doubt,
the stupidest
thing he’d ever done. Twelve years hadn’t changed a damn thing. He was still head over heels for Avery Scott.

And that meant he was compromised in every way possible.

A
very wasn’t sure about this. She’d been colored, plucked, waxed, airbrushed, and at the moment was trying to stuff her C-cup breasts into a B-cup bustier. It wasn’t working.

“This doesn’t fit,” she muttered under her breath. Then louder so Mr. Dark and Irritating outside the door could hear, “There’s no way this is going to fit!”

The private jet Cade had herded her onto after her little “makeover” session hit an air pocket, and she stumbled against the sink in the bathroom, catching herself from going down by bracing her hands on the counter.

She looked up at her reflection, then faltered because she barely recognized herself. They’d given her a temporary color wash so her normally straight blonde locks were now a warm shade of brown and curled all around her face. Cade had picked out green contacts, the makeup artist had edged her eyes in dark charcoal, given her a mole high on her right cheekbone, and they’d both decided a trendy pair of tortoiseshell glasses would disguise her even more.

Okay, so maybe she didn’t look half-bad. In fact, someone would have to take a really close look to realize it was her. But the corset had to go. It showed way too much skin. Her breasts were all but falling out.

It’s not the breasts you’re worried about. It’s the guy on the other side of the door.

Cade Blackwell, for crying out loud.
Cade Blackwell!

“This is a bad idea, Avery,” she mumbled, dropping her head. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Helping,” a male voice answered at her back. Her head jerked up, and her eyes met Cade’s dark ones in the mirror. “Hold still.”

She didn’t have time to do anything else. He grasped the laces at the back of the corset and pulled tight.

“Oh my…
God
,” she gasped, gripping the sink tighter. “Are you trying to cut off my” —she pressed a hand against her stomach— “air?”

“Just accentuating the positive, princess.” He tied the laces with swift fingers, then something metal and cool landed against her chest, followed by his warm fingers at the back of her neck.

“Now what are you doing?”

“Snapping the latch on this necklace. There.”

His fingers slid down her back, rested at her hips. He looked into the mirror over her shoulder, his gaze fixed on the heart-shaped locket resting against her skin. “A gift from Aegis. Wear it at all times while we’re at the resort.”

She reached up to finger the locket. Couldn’t help but wonder what was inside. “Why?”

“Because if we get separated for some reason, this is how I’ll find you.”

She was still processing that when his warm hands swiftly followed the boning in her corset up to just beneath her breasts. Heat slid all across her rib cage, but she barely had time to get lost in the sensation because his fingers spread, and then he cupped her breasts and lifted.

Shock and disbelief raced through her. She jerked away. “Don’t touch me like that.”

He chuckled, and in the mirror, she caught the humor sparking in his eyes, a hint of the boy he used to be. But it faded quickly when he dropped his hands and stepped back. “I thought you said you were a good actress, princess. You react to my touch like that and every person at Indulgence is going to know we’re not a couple.”

Her temper ebbed—just a touch—when she realized he was right. But irritation over the fact he’d used that same stupid term of endearment when they were kids zinged in right on its heels. She pushed past him out of the bathroom, ignoring the warmth of his skin and that spicy, masculine scent she’d always associated with him, and moved into the jet’s lavish bedroom. “I am a good actress, and once we’re at Indulgence I’ll be on, don’t worry.” She jerked the slim black jacket with three-quarter sleeves from the bed and slid it on, fluffing her hair out from under the collar. “But between now and then, I’d like a little warning before you pull a stunt like that. Besides which, where we’re heading, your touching me isn’t going to be all that necessary. It is a swingers club, after all.”

She didn’t bother to look at him—didn’t trust herself. Just being close to him rattled her in ways she hadn’t prepared for. And now she had to pretend they were a couple? Nerves humming, she moved out of the bedroom, through the galley, and into the main area of the plane, cursing the stupid heels and skinny jeans they’d dressed her in. Yeah, she didn’t have a problem getting into all kinds of costumes for different roles, but having to face Cade Blackwell again, she’d be much more comfortable doing it in her comfy faded jeans and a pair of flip-flops than this brainless Barbie-doll outfit.

She dropped into one of the captain’s chairs, crossed her legs and reached for a magazine. The chair spun with force, and, surprised, she dropped her magazine in her lap, then gasped when Cade gripped the armrests and leaned close.

“Let me explain a few things to you, princess. There are three types of couples who frequent resorts like this. The first are voyeurs. They’re in a committed relationship, but they’re bored and curious. They get off watching or being watched, and this is the perfect place to do both. The second are more adventurous. They’ve been in the lifestyle for a while. They frequent clubs back home, and a place like this is their idea of the perfect vacation. They’re the couple that will come up to you, start up a conversation, and convince you to
play
. He gets off watching his wife with other men, and she gets off watching him with other women, but at the end of the day, they’re still totally into only each other. For the most part, both of these couples are harmless. When they play, they play together. It’s the third you have to watch out for.”

Avery stared into his eyes. They no longer held an edge of humor but were hard and serious, and there was a darkness there that set her on alert. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know about the third couple.

“The third comes pretending to be part of a couple since singles aren’t allowed in, but it’s clear to anyone with two eyes that they’re both there for only one reason: to fuck anything that moves. He’s the guy who pays little attention to the girl he brought, and she’s the one who’s not bothering to look back as soon as things heat up. A single woman roaming around usually isn’t a threat, but a single man stands out like a sore thumb. He might be completely harmless, or he could be a total head case, into kinky shit you don’t even want to know. But either way, every couple involved in this lifestyle knows to be on the lookout for
that
couple, because in a resort setting like this, they equal trouble.

“If your goal is to go in there and find your friend, then you’ve got a choice. We can be like couples one and two, or we can be like couple three. Personally, I think couples one and two are going to get us the furthest without drawing attention, but if couple three is your goal, then by all means, go right ahead and jerk out of my touch. That’ll send a clear signal to anyone around that we’re the ones to avoid.”

He let go of her chair and rose to his full height. Avery’s pulse raced as she stared up into his familiar face and hard, dark eyes. A mixture of emotions raced through her. Fear. Frustration. Arousal. But in the silence between them, she also realized he was trying to intimidate her. Why, she wasn’t sure. Maybe to keep her safe. Maybe to keep her close when they reached the resort so she wouldn’t wander and go looking for Melody on her own. Most likely, though, he was trying to make sure she did things his way and followed
his
rules. And for reasons she wasn’t about to examine just yet, that sent every independent urge she had straight to the forefront.

Slowly, she pushed out of her seat. Wearing the ridiculous wedge heels, she was only a few inches shorter than him, and right now she was thankful for the added height. It put them on the same playing field.

“I already told your boss I’m not interested in being couple number two. So don’t even think that’s about to happen.”

One corner of his lip curled. A tiny hint of a smile she didn’t want to see. That smile had done her in as a kid. And right now, when just being close to him was enough to make every cell in her body vibrate, she didn’t need the added firepower that smile could unleash. He was making a point? Good for him. She could make one too.

“I can do couple one, though.” She laid her hands against his chest—his very hard, very muscular chest—and pushed.

Wariness crept into his eyes, but he dropped into the chair. Then he flicked her a nonchalant look that said he wasn’t so sure. “I’ve seen your movies, princess. You’re not
that
good an actress.”