Hot Pursuit (31 page)

Again Izzy said nothing, but there was a tight set to his jaw that Taylor took for a screaming yes. “And thanks to Rains and his double cross, they're after
me
. For some reason, they believe I've got whatever Rains had. His vaccine or his notes. Something.” She shot to her feet. “But I
don't
. You know that.”

“Maybe you do,” Izzy said quietly.

“You think I'm lying?” Taylor's voice turned shrill. “Do you think I could hide a thing like that, information that could save thousands of lives?” Shock blazed into full-blown anger. “Because if you do, Izzy Teague, you can just take that high-tech briefcase of yours and shove it right where—”

“Calm down, Taylor. I believe you don't know anything about it. But that doesn't mean Rains—or even Candace—didn't manage to pass something through. Go over every detail of every second you spent near Rains. Replay all your time with Candace, too. There's got to be something we've overlooked.” Izzy leaned toward the window and eased open a slat in the blinds. “Where's Rodriguez?” he muttered. “She's taking way too long.”

“She hasn't eaten for hours,” Taylor said. “She needed some time off.”

“Until this is done, there
is
no time off. Food and sleep are optional.” He hiked up his skirt, fished inside his boot, and pulled out a cell phone. “She knows that. The whole team knows that. If she can't pull her weight, she's out of here.”

He punched a number into his cell, eyes hard.

“Okay, now you're finally frightening me.”

“Don't waste your energy. Being afraid makes you weak. Instead, start working on those things we discussed. A lot of lives depend on how much you can remember.”

Talk about cold, hard pressure.

“Be prepared to move, too.”

“Where are we going?”

“Not decided yet,” Izzy said tersely. “Stop worrying. Some good people are working this case, Taylor. We know what we're doing.”

Taylor sighed. “I'd still feel better if Jack were here.”

Izzy stiffened at a soft tap at the door. When it was followed by four rapid knocks, he relaxed slightly. “About time she got back.” He shot the bolts and opened the door, revealing a darkened parking lot. He let Rodriguez in and relocked the door. “Why the delay?”

“Davis had to go check on some activity near the street.”

“Anything important?”

“Just some local kids who'd had too much beer. They broke a few windows, then ran off when Davis showed up.”

Frown lines worked over Izzy's rouged face. “You sure that's all it was?”

Rodriguez sat down near the door and rolled her shoulders. “Relax, Teague. You're not the only one who can run a case, okay? Now get lost and let me do my work.” Her head tilted. “Come to think of it, aren't you supposed to be working the street? I hear you got a pimp outside who beats his women good if they don't keep a ten-minute schedule.”

Izzy put a hand on his massive chest and twitched his hips. “Sugar, don't you believe everything you hear. I got my ways, you understand?” At Taylor's stifled laughter, he turned back and grinned. “What? You got a problem with a full-figured woman? Don't you go dissing me, girl. I get bitchy when that happens.”

“I wouldn't dream of it.” Taylor's smile faded. “Be careful.” She looked at Agent Rodriguez. “Both of you.”

“We always are.”

“That's right, honey,” Izzy added, “this ole girl was born careful. Any man messes with
me
, he's gonna be singing with the sopranos come Sunday. You can count on that.” With that, Izzy fluffed his orange wig, hitched up his concho belt, and swaggered outside.

 

“Who in the hell are
you
supposed to be?” Jack paced through the dark motel parking lot, matching steps with the vision in the concho belt and black cowboy boots.

“I'm the woman yo mama always warned you about, sugar.” The deep voice turned sultry. “Wanna have a good time? A hundred gets you something you'll never forget.”

The Day-Glo wig twitched.

Jack snorted. “Dog-ugly, that's what you are, Teague. Give a man a heart attack to get up close to you.”

Izzy batted his heavily mascaraed eyelashes. “Sweet little thing like me? Surely you jest.”

“Be careful, your jive accent's slipping,” Jack said dryly.

Izzy gave a short but very graphic answer. Then his eyes turned serious. “What'd they throw you at HQ?”

“The local Albanians are finally talking. Looks like our man Viktor Lemka farms out to the highest bidder these days, usually in South America.”

“Any news about the missing Navy scientist?”

“Zip. He had a tracking chip on him, but it's throwing out crazy readings. One minute he's in Borneo, the next minute he's in Dallas. Your guys back in the lab think there's a high-tech jamming device overriding the signals.”

“Jamming devices happen to be my specialty. I'll look into it as soon as I can.”

“Negative. You and I are both assigned to Taylor for the moment.” Jack's eyes were hard. “That little stunt with the ketamine shook everyone up. They're sure there's a reason she's so popular, even if we don't know it yet.”

The rain thinned to a cold drizzle as the two men walked on without speaking. Izzy finally said what neither wanted to believe. “There's a leak, isn't there? A damned leak somewhere in our own team.”

“Looks that way,” Jack said grimly. “How else did they nab our bioweapons scientist the one day he was carrying notes? How else did they know Rains was going to be at that downtown charity event? Hell, you and I didn't even find out until the last minute about what was going on that night.”

“Maybe it was simple luck or good surveillance,” Izzy mused. He shook his head. “Yeah, I agree. Shit happens, but it doesn't happen this often. Not without help.” He stared out at the quiet parking lot. “If we have a leak, that changes everything.”

They watched some more. Then Izzy sighed. “Time for you and Taylor to go solo.”

“That's what I figured. Of course, I'm counting on you to be here protecting our backs and finding that damned leak.” Jack smiled tightly. “While you finish hacking Rains' phone, of course.”

Izzy looked resigned. “Where's your car?”

“Around by the Dumpster.”

“Let's go. Suck it in, Broussard. Gotta make this look good.” He made a big deal of reaching out and feeling Jack's butt, then laughing raucously.

“Damn, man. Watch where you're grabbing.”

“Shut up and walk.” Izzy draped an arm over Jack's shoulders, stumbling slightly. “Smiling might help. You look like you just swallowed a rat.”

“That's about how I feel.” Jack gave a smile that was closer to a grimace as he picked up a movement toward the street. “Who's that?”

“Relax, that's just Rodriguez's partner. Tonight he's the barrio's biggest wino.”

Jack scanned the street again. “How long until we leave?”

“I'm still making the arrangements.”

Jack's grimace grew more pronounced as Izzy bumped into him. “Woman who can't hold her liquor shouldn't drink,” the SEAL muttered.

“I can drink
you
under the table any day,
muchacho
.”

“Just how good are these agents, Rodriguez and Davis?” Jack continued quietly.

“Solid records, both of them. Twenty years of street time and a load of citations. They'll handle things right, don't worry.”

“After what's happened this week, I'll be worrying every second.”

When they reached the back of the parking lot, Izzy turned as if drunk and slid into the car beside Jack. In the shadows he pulled a map from one boot. There were no markings anywhere, nor would there be. For safety, all instructions were verbal.

“This plan should keep you two alive, so pay attention.” Izzy pointed to one corner of the map, slashing his finger eastward. “Here's what I have in mind.”

Chapter Thirty-four

Taylor tried to sleep, but nothing was working. She closed her eyes, tossing and turning, fully aware of Agent Rodriguez's quiet breathing from the chair near the window. Jack still hadn't returned, and the weather had turned nasty, with rain hammering on and on.

Cursing, she stabbed her pillow and twisted onto her side, trying to blot out the drone of a television from a neighboring room. She was just drifting down into sleep when she heard a quick sequence of taps at the door.

One loud. Four short and fast.

She sat up stiffly, trying to see into the darkness as Rodriguez moved behind the door, her weapon raised but out of sight. “Who is it?”

A low voice answered. “Oliver Stone sent me.”

Rodriguez slid the chain and opened the door. “Glad to see you. Everything's been quiet here.”

“There's nothing I like to hear more.” Jack put a bag on the floor near the closet and took off his jacket, shaking off rain in the process. “Pretty nasty out there.”

“No problem. We have a van across the driveway. When do you want me to check back in?”

“Two hours would be good.”

“You're leaving?”

“I'm still awaiting orders,” Jack said quietly.

The agent pulled on her jacket and nodded. “I'll be in touch.”

As soon as the door closed, Taylor was out of bed, shooting across the room. She caught Jack so hard that they both swayed.

“Steady, honey. You're safe.”

Taylor hadn't realized until that moment how frightened she'd been, or how vulnerable. Only when she'd heard Jack's voice had the fear churned up from all the little spaces where she had buried it.

She leaned back, studying his face in the dim light. “I have a few million questions for you.”

“I can't tell you everything. The situation's a little complicated.”

Taylor moved closer. “Okay, the questions can wait.”

“Just like that?”

“I've got more important things on my mind.” She slid open the top button of his shirt.

“I'm pretty sure there are rules against this,” Jack muttered as his shirt opened the rest of the way. “In an hour, I might even remember them.”

“Forget the rules for once,” Taylor said huskily, tugging his shirt free. He was hot and hard against her, the scent of rain in his damp hair, and she wanted him, wanted his body covering her until she couldn't think, only feel.

“Hold on.” Jack checked the bolt and slid the chain in place. After that, he shoved a heavy chair against the door. When he turned, his face was hard. “There isn't much time. As soon as I hear from Izzy, we're moving again.”

Taylor went still. “That's not what you told Agent Rodriguez.”

“Pretty sharp, aren't you?”

“Forget the compliments. What's going on?”

“Everything's on a need-to-know basis starting now.”

Fear blocked Taylor's throat. “Because you don't trust your own team?”

Jack cupped her face gently. “Don't read too much into this. The fewer people who know the plan, the safer you'll be.”

“Don't lie to me, Jack. This is too important.”

“There's nothing to worry about. Izzy and I have a plan.” His voice was calm, but she felt the tension in his body as she moved into his arms. “I wish we had all night. Hell, maybe we should get some sleep before Izzy—”

Her lips cut him off, tracing a reckless path down his chest and stopping just above his belt.

“Keep it up and I won't be slow or careful,” he said grimly.

But she knew him now, knew when he was trying to put distance between them because he thought that's what they needed.

Poor, misguided man.

His belt went flying. Her tongue traced wet circles over that gorgeous, rock-hard stomach. She traced the rigid muscle slowly, hungry to see all of him, and he tensed as she moved lower.

Taylor had never seen a more beautiful body. She'd never come close to
touching
one.

She wanted to see all of it right now.

She slid down his zipper, transfixed by the sight of her hands against his skin. Abruptly, the zipper caught.

Jack cursed, stopping her hands. He knew they should sleep, knew he should find the control to step back and do the right thing. But when he did, Taylor was right behind him, warm and sexy.

There in the hot darkness, with rain tapping against the window, he drank in the sight of her pale body, knowing control didn't have a chance. He opened his hands and pinned her against the wall. “Tomorrow you might see this differently,” he said harshly.

“Tomorrow is another century. I want you now. I want you to make me come right here. Then I'm going to see what it takes to make a good man lose all his control. I don't want you to forget tonight. I don't want you to forget
me
, Jack.”

He'd never forget her. And the big news was, his control was already gone.

Her hands moved back to his zipper, cupping him through the straining denim. If he got any harder, he wouldn't be able to walk, and damned if he'd have her rush him through something he'd dreamed about for days.

For his whole life, he realized. Only now he was able to see the face, the edgy, sassy, wonderful face that went along with all those fantasies.

He gripped her shoulders with fingers that were perilously close to trembling.

“Jack, did you hear me?” Her voice was shaky.

“I won't forget you. Not in a hundred years.”

“Maybe you could prove that.”

Her sweater went flying and her breasts filled his hands, warm and heavy. He shoved away her jeans.

When he was done, all she wore was a necklace with a solitaire diamond. The sight left Jack so hard he thought his zipper would split. There was a sudden pressure in his chest, as if his whole life had been leading him right to this place, this moment, this astonishing woman.

He saw her body's response to his blatant stare as dim light from the window brushed over her, with nothing barred from his hot gaze. When he didn't move, she closed her eyes and pressed against him, the hard tips of her breasts touching his chest in a slow, exotic torture.

He made a strangled sound. His fingers circled the smooth weight of each creamy breast while his thumbs found her straining nipples.

His fingers spread. She swayed as his touch grew harder, as he pulled her breasts higher so he could see her while he gently dragged his teeth across her.

She shuddered, swallowing hard. “These walls are pretty thin. I warn you, this might get noisy. If you keep doing that thing with your mouth—”

“This thing?” His teeth gently closed over her. “Or this one?”

Taylor seemed to be having trouble breathing. She closed her eyes as if caught on some sharp edge of pleasure where release hung just out of reach.

“Let it all go, Taylor. Do it now, for me.”

She was too lost to realize he was pulling her closer, his tongue tracing a hot line down to the shadow of curls that were already wet with need.

She took a broken breath. “Knock me out if I start screaming.”

His chuckle was husky, possessive. Without any warning he slid lower, finding the hidden, wet cleft with his tongue and lapping at her intently. She stiffened and her body snapped back in his arms.

He didn't stop, covering her with his mouth and driving her up again as he gave the perfect rough-gentle slide of his tongue between his anchoring fingers while lightning raced out of the night, wrapped tightly around them.

The third time, Taylor closed her eyes and screamed.

Jack almost laughed.

He'd had a lot of women in thirty-five years, but none of them had trapped him between mania and delirium the way
this
woman did. None of them made him want to work his way slowly over her body, inch by inch, and see how many different kinds of pleasure there were to share.

He was hard by nature, a leader by habit. But he knew how to take time with the things that were important.

He tried to remember his patience now with Taylor standing naked, her body a lush fantasy. He didn't have to work at being generous because he was too busy enjoying the feel of her heart slamming against his hand, her hips driving up against him in restless pleasure.

He ran his tongue slowly over her again, smiling at her whimper. Even her taste was unique, salty and sweet, all sex and woman.

She was still quivering when he bent to her again, hungry for that dark taste, hungry for the way her body moved against him, slim and strong as he drove her back up into another explosive wave of pleasure.

And by God she screamed again.

He'd never felt half so much a man, and he hadn't even shucked his pants yet. But thinking was the last thing on his mind as her leg rose restlessly, wrapped around his waist, claiming them both for the taking they could no longer avoid.

 

Taylor closed her eyes, weightless, beyond words, yanking at his jeans to reveal the hard body she'd seen only in dreams.

His size left her awed. His need left her breathless.

Without a word she reached out to touch him reverently, and then her fingers tightened, sliding down to cup his erect tip.

She smiled as she heard him gasp. The more she touched, the more she grew dizzy with her power. She looked up at him in the darkness, saw the tension in his face. “You're not telling me to hurry?”

“Honey, take all the time you want. I'm a dead man already and I'm enjoying the ride.” His constraint was palpable, his body taut beneath her slow hands.

Suddenly Taylor didn't want it slow. Her head fell and she covered him with her mouth, frowning at the bead of salty moisture that met her tongue. Touching him like this was making her own body soften and turn wet all over again.

Outside, rain tapped quietly against the window as her tongue moved delicately down his length.

“Damn it, Taylor.” His fingers dug into her shoulders. “No more. I can't hold on.”

“I don't want you to hold on. I want to taste you when you come inside my mouth.” She'd never wanted that before, not with any other man. Only this hard man with the gentle hands.

With a curse Jack yanked her close, then followed her down and pinned her beneath him. They were both breathing hard, both trembling, caught in a game of discovery older than any words. Now it wasn't calm or civilized anymore.

She shoved at his chest. “No. I want my mouth on you. I want to feel you when—”

“Not this time.” His voice was raw. “Are you protected?”

She stared at him, then shook her head. “I didn't plan—” She took a breath, and her eyes widened when he kissed her hand, then pulled away to sheathe himself. Then his hands were in her hair as he opened her legs and drove into her as his mouth covered hers. She fought him even then, wanting for him the release he'd given her three times, but she couldn't slip free of that hard, implacable body straining against hers.

By his third thrust, she no longer wanted to. Instead she wrapped her legs around him as he rose and fell, giving more of himself each time. Shuddering, Taylor dug her nails into the taut muscles of his back, her body tightening, reaching, and the sight of him was better than all her fantasies as she watched him move down against her, muttering dark, male words that made her blood hammer and her face go hot.

He said them again and she felt the first shimmering edge of climax while she strained against him. When she looked up, there was torment in his eyes and something almost like regret. But there was no time for certainty because the shimmering exploded into a hunger that drove them together, panting, fighting their way across the jagged edge of an intolerable pleasure.

Taylor closed her eyes on a gasp. The earth dropped away and her body surged against him, convulsing.

A heartbeat later he threw his head back, his hands like a vise as he locked her body to his and hammered to a blinding release inside her.

 

Jack rolled weakly to one elbow and glanced at his watch. “Hell.”

“Is it time to leave?” Taylor stretched carefully, pressed against his chest.

“We've got fifteen minutes yet. Better get dressed, because Izzy's running this extraction like clockwork.” Already his control was returning and there was something grim in his voice.

Only later would Taylor realize its significance.

She ran a hand through the storm of her hair and hopped up, bending over in search of the suitcase that had fallen to the floor. There wasn't time for questions or promises. Maybe they both were glad for that.

Jack's eyes narrowed on her backside, then took in her long legs. “On the other hand, don't hurry to dress on my account.”

Taylor hauled the bag over her shoulder and rewarded his blatant stare with an erotic bump of her hips. “You'd better get into some clothes, too. Agent Rodriguez has an eye for a nice male body. I noticed definite interest when she checked out Izzy.” Taylor cleared her throat. “Under the mascara and silicone inserts, of course.”