In Too Deep (3 page)

“Let’s go,” Brooklyn commanded.

The trio made their way down the metal tube toward a waiting area. Blake paused. He glanced back. The medical staff were bringing the man out on a stretcher. A white sheet was draped over the man’s face. Had the commotion awakened Analeigh? Did she know he was gone? Blake felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Forget about her,” Duncan warned.

Blake turned toward his friend. “Easier said than done.”

“This is why the agency prefers we remain unattached. It’s too dangerous. It will make you compromise your mission.”

Blake jerked away from Duncan’s touch. “I didn’t mess up.”

“Yet.“

Blake glared at him. “Who the fuck are you to lecture me about women?”

Duncan crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t fall in love with them.”

Blake flinched. “I’m not in love. I just met her.”

Duncan reached out and jabbed Blake in his chest. “It’s in your eyes, bro. You’re already gone.”

“Guys,” Brooklyn hissed. “Let’s go!”

Duncan turned and followed Brooklyn through the terminal. Blake took two steps, then stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t leave Analeigh like this. Pivoting on his heels, he rushed back onto the plane. The flight attendants were preparing the passengers to disembark. Analeigh’s eyes lit up when she saw him walking toward her. And he was sure it matched the look in his eyes. Bending down, he quickly pressed his lips against hers. When he pulled away, he cupped her cheek. Her eyes twinkled like stars in the darkest of night.

“I have to get off here,” he said. “But I’ll meet you in Dublin tomorrow.”

She frowned. “My seminar is tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll find you.”

Blake released her. He dashed up the aisle and back into the terminal. His heart felt lighter than it had in ages. Maybe Duncan was right. Could he already be in love?

Brooklyn and Duncan were watching for him when he exited the tunnel. The anger in Brooklyn’s eyes was unmistakable. Duncan simply shook his head. Blake held up his hand to halt any forthcoming lectures.

“I don’t want to hear it,” Blake said as he stopped in front of them.

Brooklyn exhaled. “We’ll talk about it when we get back to D.C.”

“I’m not going.”

Duncan rolled his eyes. “Here we go.”

“What do you mean, you’re not going?” Brooklyn asked.

Blake squared his shoulders. “Just what I said. My duties to the agency are finished, for now. This is my free time.”

Brooklyn placed her hand on her hips. “You know it doesn’t work like that, Blake. In the years that I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you act like this. Why now?”

“For a woman,” Duncan replied in the form of a cough.

Brooklyn raised an eyebrow. “Is this true?”

Blake nodded. “We’ve just met. I’d like to spend some time with her.”

Though the expression on her face softened, Brooklyn shook her head. “I can’t authorize that. The three of us have to return to Washington together. Otherwise I’ll hear about it from
my
boss.”

He exhaled. While he understood the ramifications, he wasn’t going to give up that easily. From the time he’d been recruited into the agency and trained to be an international hit man for the government, he’d never once defied an order. But this was different. There was something about Analeigh that he was willing to fight to discover, come hell or high water. Brooklyn must have read the indecision on his face. She took a step toward him.

“Get your ass on that plane, Callahan,” she said. “Don’t make me tell you again.”

Though he didn’t know Analeigh that well, he felt a tinge of something in his heart that made him want to know more. This life would be ending soon and, at thirty-five, he didn’t want to spend it in a nest of revolving beds. Maybe, Analeigh could be the reason he could walk away from this job as a hired killer.

“Twenty-four hours,” Blake said. “That’s all I ask for.”

Brooklyn set her jaw as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t do that.”

“C’mon, man,” Duncan said. “This chick isn’t worth all this.”

Blake looked at him. “My heart tells me otherwise.”

Turning his back on their dumbfounded faces, he walked toward the ticket counter. He had to do this; otherwise, he’d always be wondering what-if. The brunette counter attendant told him the next flight to Dublin would be in six hours and he quickly purchased a ticket. When he turned back around, Duncan and Brooklyn were gone. It was just as well. This was a mission he had to perform alone. Blake grabbed something to eat, something to read, and a change of clothes from the nearby mall. By the time it was time to depart, he had booked a room in Dublin’s finest hotel. Would he need it? He hoped so. At the boarding announcement, he gathered his things and made his way to the plane.

Two hours later, he landed and took a taxi to his hotel. He checked in, then made his way to his room. Once inside, he flopped down on his bed and checked the schedule for Analeigh’s conference on his phone. She was scheduled to speak at ten a.m.

There was a knock at his door. Blake frowned while he cautiously made his way to the door. He hesitated to open it, even after a second knock shook the door. In his line of work, he couldn’t be too careful.

“Blake,” Duncan called. “Open the damn door.”

He exhaled and yanked it open. Brooklyn and Duncan stood on the other side. Neither seemed too happy to be there. It surprised Blake to see them as he thought they’d be halfway to America by now. Brooklyn pushed past him and into the room. She had changed into a tank top and jeans. Releasing a sigh, she sat on the bed. Duncan was still dressed in the manner he had been on the plane.

“What are you guys doing here?” Blake asked.

Duncan clamped his hand onto Blake’s shoulder. He moved into the room and leaned against the wooden dresser. “We don’t leave our own,” he said. “No matter how unreasonable he might be.”

“Our room won’t be ready for another hour,” Brooklyn explained while taking off her boots. “Once you’ve finished your rendezvous, we have to get back to D.C. They’ve already lined us up for another mission. I’ve stalled as long as I can.”

Blake closed the door. “Thank you.”

“Are you sure about this?” Duncan asked.

Blake nodded. “I have to go with my gut. It’s telling me not to let her slip away.”

Duncan huffed and picked up the room service menu. “In that case, let’s order some grub and go out for a beer.”

Blake smiled. He was glad his friends were here. It reminded him that they were more than a league of assassins. They had his back at all times, and he didn’t want it any other way. Making his way to the bed, he sat beside Brooklyn. The trio settled in to watch a movie, then went to the pub next door for a drink.

Around two a.m., Blake returned to his room alone. He checked the conference schedule again and discovered that he couldn’t register for Analeigh’s lecture because it was sold out. Given the subject of her speech, Blake suspected security would be tight and slipping in unnoticed might be a problem.

With a curse, he lay back on his bed. One way or another, he was going to see Analeigh tomorrow. Just how he was going to do it was the question.

Chapter Five

As Analeigh concluded her lecture, she once again scanned the audience for a familiar face and came up empty. Of course. Why would a busy man like Blake come to this? The last time she saw him, he had gotten off at the London airport, along with that sick man. The man, Analeigh learned, had died en route to the airport. She wondered why Blake got off at that moment. What was so pressing that he couldn’t wait a few more hours until they reached Dublin?

She glanced down at her notes. This was not the time or place to be pining over a man.
Let it go, Ana
. After releasing a deep breath, she began to wrap it up and asked the audience for questions. The auditorium held over one hundred seats and she had noticed that every one was filled.

Forty-five minutes later, she gathered her slides and notes while fielding additional questions and requests to deliver the same lecture at universities in the States and abroad. Disappointment that Blake wasn’t among the well-wishers resonated in her heart, but she reminded herself that this was why she was in Dublin to begin with. After slipping her black raincoat over her navy dress, she walked with a few of the attendees to the entrance of the auditorium. When she stepped into the hallway, she stopped short. Blake was leaning against the wall just opposite the door. His black suit hung from his frame as if it were tailor-made for him. His eyes lit up when his gaze locked with hers. Analeigh’s heart fluttered as she excused herself to make her way toward him.

“You seem surprised to see me,” Blake said as he bent to kiss her cheek. “I told you that I’d find you.”

She laughed at her transparency. “Yes, you did. I was looking for you, but—”

“You didn’t think I’d actually show,” he finished for her.

Analeigh nodded. “I’ve been burned like that in the past.”

He lifted his hand to cup her cheek. “I’m a man of my word, Analeigh. You can always depend on me. Would you like to have lunch?”

“I’d love to. I do have to be back by two to attend a seminar with my colleagues.”

“I promise to have you back by then.”

Butterflies swirled in her stomach. Blake offered her his arm. Analeigh hooked her arm around his and they walked toward the parking area. Once there, he opened the passenger door on a black Jaguar sports car and waited while she slid inside. She watched his tall, muscular physique move around to the driver’s side and settle behind the wheel. Under her breath, she cursed the fact that she had to return to the college after lunch. Spending the rest of the afternoon with Blake seemed to be a better idea.

“What are you in the mood for?” he asked while starting the car’s ignition.

She laughed. “That’s a loaded question.”

He twisted in his seat to look at her with a raised eyebrow. “Is it?”

Analeigh shook her head to release the naughty thoughts that had surfaced since the moment she met him. “Anywhere that has good burgers,” she said.

“As the lady wishes.”

“Did you finish with your business?” she asked.

“I did. Thank you for asking.”

Analeigh thought she saw him flinch but wasn’t certain. They drove to a pub that was less than a mile from Trinity College. Over the best lamb burger and fries that she’d ever had, she discovered that Blake wasn’t just tall and handsome; he was funny, intelligent, and she was falling hard for him. Blake was the kind of man she’d been searching her whole life for. It was too bad she probably wouldn’t see him after today. She was scheduled to leave tomorrow. Would a busy man like Blake want to continue dating her in the States? It was unlikely.

Blake reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “Where did you go, love?”

Analeigh blinked. “Just wondering about what will happen to us after today.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, too. I’ve decided that I want to continue to see you.”

She smiled. “I’d like that.”

“I must warn you that I travel a lot for work.”

“I understand. What’s that expression? ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’?”

He chuckled. “It should be absence makes the dick grow harder.”

She laughed and felt her cheeks flush as she pictured him nude. When she looked at him, her heart danced a jig. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced. But because of being lied to and cheated on in the past, she found herself on guard. Her body, however, had the opposite response. The sensation of her nipples pressing against the soft lace cup of her bra signaled her arousal. The waitress appeared to clear their empty plates, but Blake’s eyes remained locked on her.

“Would you like to have dinner tonight?” he asked.

“I’d love to. I’m staying at the Merrian Hotel.”

“What a coincidence. So, am I.”

“I’m in room 408.”

He nodded. “I’ll pick you up at eight thirty.”

She smiled. “That sounds perfect.”

They left the pub. When they reached Trinity College, Blake walked Analeigh to the lecture hall. Her colleagues watched as he quickly kissed her good-bye, then left her alone to field their questions.

Analeigh’s answers were brief and to the point, only stating that she’d met him on the plane and that they’d had lunch. She attended the lectures in a daze. Her thoughts were on what she was going to wear that evening for dinner. And why Blake had declined and made a quick exit when she asked if she could introduce him to her coworkers. Was he hiding something? No. Of course not. Maybe he simply wasn’t ready to meet them. After all, they weren’t officially a couple.

The rest of the day flew by in a blur. She barely remembered the subjects of the afternoon lectures. At eight thirty, Analeigh stepped out of the shower and wrapped a white towel around herself. She was running behind because her colleagues had wanted to go to happy hour. A knock sounded on her door. With a curse, she rushed into the sleeping area. The outfit she’d finally settled on, a white blouse and black skirt, were laid out on the bed. Sure, she could ask him to wait a moment while she dressed, but she didn’t want to. When the knock sounded again, she clutched her towel as she walked to the door and opened it.

Blake’s frame took up most of the open doorway. He was dressed in a cream cable-knit sweater and jeans. His gaze washed over her as she stepped to the side to let him enter the room. Analeigh heard her breath hitch at the sight of him. Maybe they could stay in instead of going out? After all, she only had a few hours left with him and didn’t want to spend them in a crowded restaurant, fighting the urge to take him on top of the table.

“Hello to me,” he said.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m running behind. It’ll just take me a few minutes to get dressed.”

He kissed her cheek then stepped inside. “That’s okay. Actually, I prefer this outfit to the one on the bed.”

She swatted his arm. When she moved to pick up her clothes, he covered her wrist with his hands to stop her and said, “Why don’t we stay in and order room service?”