Code Name Desire (5 page)

“Me, too.” Jaeda resisted a temptation to
kick off her shoes, preferring to have the spikes on and handy,
just in case.

“It’s a pleasure to have you in my home. Do
you like it?” He leaned toward her with an expectant
expression.

She could tell her approval meant a great
deal to him. Grateful she didn’t have to lie, she said, “From what
I’ve seen, I like it a lot. I have to admit that being in this room
with the fire and the brandy and you, well, it’s been the most
comfortable I can remember being in all my time here in England.”
Okay, where did that come from? Did the liquor loosen her tongue,
or was it his open need for her acceptance?

“I’m glad. Were you surprised I brought you
here?”

“Yes. It’s a wonderful surprise.” She reached
past him for her tumbler, and he swept her hair aside to place a
soft kiss on the side of her neck. She froze, afraid if she moved
he’d stop. His fingers brushing tiny hairs at her nape, he rained a
line of gentle, lingering kisses from the dip above her collarbone
to the sensitive spot behind her earlobe.

“I’ve wanted to do that since we pulled in
front of the house,” he whispered in her ear, the puff of warm
breath caressing the outer shell and sending a shiver of delight up
her spine.

“Mmm,” she murmured, closing her eyes and
putting a bracing hand on his shoulder. “I didn’t know it until
now, but I’ve been wanting you to do this, too.”

His close-lipped laugh sent puffs of air
across her ear, and she shivered with awareness. “Tell me more
about yourself,” he said, settling her onto his lap. He took her
earlobe between his teeth and flicked the edge with his tongue.

“I can’t think,” she confessed.

“Then don’t. Just talk.” Teague ran the tip
of his tongue along the outer edge of her ear then pressed his lips
to her temple near her hairline.

A fog of sensuality surrounded her, filling
her mind and preventing clear thought. Jaeda had a fleeting idea
that this could become an excellent interrogation method. As soon
as the thought occurred, it fled.

“Talk about myself,” she mumbled lazily, more
mindful of his hand stroking her back than the words coming from
her lips. “I’m a simple girl. Woman. I mean, life isn’t simple, and
neither is my work, but deep down inside, I’m not complicated.” Did
she say that aloud?

He trailed soft pecks along the hairline at
her forehead. “Go on,” he said against her skin.

“It’s not easy to talk about myself. I’ve
been so driven in my work that I haven’t really given much thought
to myself.” He moved to her other ear and she turned to give him
better access. “I didn’t start out wanting to work for the
government. I entered the police academy after college. I wanted to
be a cyber-detective. I enjoy puzzles. I guess I made an
impression. I was too good at it. Really liked what I was
doing.”

“You were recruited?”

She stiffened. She’d said too much.

He whispered, “Into what? The IRS? The
Pentagon’s Department of Defense?”

She relaxed and fought relieved laughter.
“Yeah. Something like that.”

Cupping the back of her head, he nuzzled her
cheek. “So what do you want, Jaeda Bennett?”

She frowned.
I want the information you
hide. I want to walk away from this assignment with the
satisfaction of a job well done. And I want you to kiss me like you
did in the car.
“What do you mean?”

“From this, Jaeda. From me. Do you want one
night, or do you want more?” Teague ceased his kisses and caresses.
He simply held her close and waited.

Her ears throbbed as a loud ringing echoed in
her head. For a moment, her heart skipped a beat and sent a sharp
pain knifing through her chest.

More?

Since becoming a secret agent, she hadn’t
thought past the next week. Sometimes not past the next day.

More?

She had dreamt of forever as a little
girl…imagined her wedding day and pretended to walk down the aisle
toward the man she loved. Back then, the man had been her dad. At
what point had she given up on that dream?

Capture his heart
.

Tilting her face to meet his gaze, she
realized only one answer would see her to a successful conclusion
of this assignment. Yet that answer hit much too close to the
truth. It threatened to drown her.

With tears in her eyes and her heart ripping
from her chest, she whispered, “More.”

Oh, God. What have I done?

Teague captured her lips in a sweet kiss that
moved her heart three inches closer to her throat. The director had
ordered her to win his love, but what would she do if he won
hers?

Frightened and confused, she pushed at his
shoulders and backed out of the kiss. “I should go.” She scrambled
off his lap and made to stand, but he grasped her wrist.

“I won’t hurt you, Jaeda.”

Yes, you will.
Even if he didn’t
intend to, his involvement in whatever had instigated the need for
a secret agent would prove his corruptness and break her heart. She
needed to go to her dingy little hotel room and get a reality
check. Then she could start again the next day with a renewed
perspective. A clear head.

Glancing at her watch, she discovered nearly
an hour had passed. Her mind spun. How had that happened? It had
only seemed like minutes.

She eyed her glass of brandy. She could have
a clear head tomorrow. Tonight, she wanted more of that liquid
warmth. She offered him an apologetic smile then retrieved the
tumbler from the table and downed the liquor on a single
breath.

“Whoa,” Teague said, standing and reaching
for the glass.

Too late
, she thought, suddenly giddy.
Heat raced through her veins as though she had taken the brandy
intravenously instead. “Wow. That’s some good stuff.”

“Right.” Cautiously, he took the crystal from
her. “Good thing you’re not driving tonight.”

Her entire body relaxed and she sagged. “I’m
sooo sleepy.”

“It’s the brandy.” He set the glass on the
table and handed her a bite-sized square of white cheese. “Here,
eat something. It’ll help.”

She hiccoughed on a sob. “I don’t want help.
I like this feeling. I’m always in control, you know. Every second
of every day. I’m one of the most disciplined people I know. It’s
disgusting, actually. No, I kind of like this loopy feeling.” She
looked at the ceiling and it tipped. It made her think of her
childhood days when she would spin until the world went sideways.
Spreading her arms, she turned and stumbled. “And I never wear
shoes like this. I could break my neck.”

He chuckled. The wonderful sound fascinated
her, and she stared at his mouth, wishing he’d make that sound
again.

“I’ll call the driver around,” he said.
Moving slowly, he went to the desk and touched a single button on
the telephone. “Caster, I’m sorry to disturb you. Ms. Bennett is
ready to go. Would you please bring the car to the front?” He
paused as the driver responded, then said, “Very good. We’ll meet
you in the drive.” Touching the button again, he gave Jaeda a
serious look. “Caster left the car in the drive, knowing he’d
likely be driving you home.”

“Very thoughtful,” she said with a heavy nod
that cracked her neck and made the floor appear to come racing
toward her. Staggering to avoid a collision with the approaching
carpet, she flailed her arms and regained her balance. Amazing how
one glass of brandy and one very handsome man had erased her years
of experience and reduced her to a rank amateur. Agents who lost
their control like this on an op also tended to lose their lives.
“Okay, then,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

An amused smirk turned up one corner of his
mouth. “Will you, now?”

With a flourish, she sent her coat over her
shoulders and freed the ends of her hair that caught under the
collar. “Yeah. You know, the whole more thing.”

“Right. Brilliant. I’d hoped you hadn’t
forgotten that.” Teague took her hand and walked her from the
room.

“I think there was something in that brandy,”
she said in an accusing tone. “Did you drug me? Are you a
womanizer?”

“A what?” he asked on a laugh, his eyes
bright and dancing.

“You’re an awfully good kisser.” Did she say
kisher
? Nah. She shook her head to rid it of the silly
notion. “Where was I? Oh, yeah. You kiss really well. It makes me
feel like I’m floating. So you practice, right? Lots of women, lots
of practice?”

“Are you accusing me of being a
philanderer?”

Did he have to smile so big? The man was too
handsome for his own good. And who started this conversation,
anyway? “Where are we going?”

“
You’re
going home. Although, if you
want to change your mind, I would fancy it if you stayed a bit
longer.”

“Going home. That’s a really good idea. I
need to go and think, but that brandy did something to my brain.
Honestly, Teague, did you put something in it?” She narrowed her
eyes at him, hoping she could intimidate him into telling the
truth.

“Honestly,” he said with a grin. “I
didn’t.”

She believed him instantly. “Okay. Don’t let
me drink it anymore. Promise.”

“I’ll do no such thing. This is the most fun
I’ve had in ages.”

She poked him in the chest. “Behave.”

“Go home.” He pulled open the front door. The
driver waited at the top of the snow-covered stairs. “And yes, I’ll
see you tomorrow. I’ve got a few calls to make in the morning, but
give me your number and I’ll ring you when I’m done.”

She waved a hand in airy dismissal. She
couldn’t think straight, and there was no telling what number she’d
give him. “
I’ll
call you.” She stepped across the threshold
and slid an inch in the snow.

“Watch your step,” warned the driver,
thrusting out a protective arm. “It’s icy.”

She grasped his leather-encased hand and
ventured the rest of the way out. Around her, snow swirled in thick
clouds, obstructing the view to nearly everything. She could barely
make out the silver car not twenty feet away.

“You don’t have my number,” said Teague from
the doorway.

“Trust me,” she said, finding it inordinately
difficult to descend the wide stairs, even with the driver’s help.
“I can find anything. I’m a computer whiz, remember?”

Chapter Seven

Jaeda sat in the back seat of the Rolls
Royce, slipping in and out of consciousness. During more lucid
moments, she experienced intense panic. For the life of her, she
couldn’t remember what she’d said to Teague. Did she tell him she
was a secret agent? No. He’d guessed IRS. She giggled.

Caster glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
“Are you okay back there?”

“Fine…I think. Brandy doesn’t agree with
me.”

“So it would seem.”

He didn’t have to be so smug. And at the
speed he drove, it would take an hour to get to the hotel. She
stared out the window at the blizzard that hid the world.

The next moment, she woke in a groggy stupor.
How long had she slept? They still crept along in the storm as if
nothing had changed, but her neck had grown stiff. Rubbing the
protesting muscles, she twisted her head from side to side. When
she peered out what limited view the iced windshield offered, the
driver pulled between the stone pillars of Teague’s drive.

“Wait a minute. What’s going on?” She
squinted to read a blue digital clock in the dash. “Ten o’clock?
You let me sleep for an hour?”

“I’m sorry, Miss,” Caster said, sounding
stressed. “I’ll explain in a moment. Let me get you safely to the
house.”

She folded her arms across her chest. At
least she had slept off the effects of the brandy and could think
clearly.

The driver assisted her up the stairs, now
thick with about five inches of snow. Wind gusted and sucked any
warmth she had gained while sleeping in the car. By the time the
butler opened the front door, her eyes watered from pain caused by
the stinging cold.

Inside, she fisted her hands and tried not to
appear foolish as she shivered. Teague stalked out of the study and
made his way to the foyer with a frown. “What happened?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Jaeda said,
clenching her teeth to reduce their chatter.

“Good heavens, you’re frozen.” He took her
hands and rubbed them between his.

“I’m sorry, sir,” said the driver. “The
temperature has plummeted. Apparently the earlier rain in town has
now frozen on the roads. I didn’t dare chance a trip on the
expressway after seeing a number of cars sliding into one another
on the ramp. Not with my precious cargo, anyway.” He glanced
sheepishly toward her.

“I fell asleep and missed it all,” she
explained, her anger quickly subsiding with the driver’s
explanation.

Caster continued. “It had taken us more than
half an hour to make it to the transfer, sir. Without taking the
expressway, it would take all night in these conditions to get her
home. The wind has brought the temperature below zero, and the
heater couldn’t manage. The windscreen was freezing quickly, and
the ice made if difficult to see. I thought it best to bring her
back here.” He gave her a polite nod. “I’m sorry, Miss.”

“You did your best,” she said, guilty for
giving him a hard time.

“Yes,” agreed Teague. “You did the right
thing. It doesn’t look like any of us are going anywhere tomorrow.
Why don’t you put the car away and turn in?”

“Thank you, sir.”

When the driver had gone outside and closed
the door, Teague turned to the butler. “Sutton, have Mrs. Wilson
prepare the lavender room for Ms. Bennett. Then retire the
household for the night. I don’t believe we’ll be needing anything
else.”

Sutton gestured for her to pass him her coat,
but she clutched it at her throat and shook her head. He bowed and
disappeared through a door where the foyer transitioned into the
hallway.