Undercover Virgin (16 page)

"Anything's possible, but that was a long time ago and it's not a very safe profession. Chances are he's dead or serving time for another murder. Haroldson isn't likely to cough up that kind of information, so we might never know for certain."

Rianna wished they could be sure. She desperately wanted to put all the questions, all the worrying and wondering behind her. She wanted to be able to remember her family without the pain, guilt and heartache. Thinking about them led to another question.

"Did you get the video I asked you to keep for me? The personal one?" she asked.

Donald smiled, his eyes lighting with pleasure. "It's in the living room. We noticed the date on the label, and I can see why it's so important to you."

She gave him a big smile. "Thanks a bunch."

To Kyle, she explained. "When I was searching through Gregory's tapes, I found a series of videos from his annual staff parties. My parents, brother and I are on one of them."

She cleared the thickness from her voice, wondering if she'd ever be able to speak of them without getting weepy. She'd lost everything in that fire, every personal item, photo and small memento of their family life.

"I couldn't risk watching it too much, so I hid it with the evidence tapes."

Their gazes met and held. His reassuring expression eased the tightness in her chest. For so many years, she'd been unable to mention her family to anyone but Donald and Sophie. Discussing them more openly now brought her an unexpected sense of comfort.

"You'll have to introduce me to them later," Kyle told her in quiet understanding.

His sensitivity brought a lump to her throat. She dropped her gaze to her coffee cup, and then took one last sip. Sophie had finished cleaning the kitchen while they talked. Donald shifted back into his deputy director mode.

"Can you stay a while longer, Tremont? At least until I get Sophie back to the city?"

Kyle nodded, and Donald continued. "I'll take the rented truck and follow her back to our apartment. My
car's
in the garage in case of emergency, along with the pickup truck, but you should be perfectly safe here. I've got several guards posted on the property. The fence is electrified and the house is heavily armored. I can have more men and equipment brought out at the slightest hint of trouble."

"We'll be fine," said Rianna. "I know this place is a fortress. I helped plan the security, remember?"

Donald chuckled, but Sophie added motherly instructions. "I want you to relax, get some rest and remember to eat. You're a little too thin and you've got dark circles under your eyes."

Rianna grinned. "I have a good start on a tan, though."

"You'll have to tell me all about your adventure when we can visit longer," she said. "I know Donald's version is always heavily edited. It's nearly impossible to pry information out of him. He's the most closemouthed man I've ever met."

Donald rose from the table, interrupting before she could get started on one of her favorite lectures. "Why don't the two of you get showered and settled a little before we leave," he suggested, deftly changing subjects. "I'll show Tremont around the house, introduce him to the agents and find him a change of clothes."

Rianna rose and stretched. She didn't have to be coaxed. She was feeling stuffed with Sophie's wonderful meal, and getting tired again. After excusing herself, she headed to her own room, stripped and climbed in the shower. A fresh Band-Aid protected her stitches while she allowed the water to pelt her with cleansing strength.

By the time she was dressed again, she felt squeaky clean for the first time in months. The soft, yellow cotton nightgown was nearly transparent, but comfortable. It fell to her knees and clung to her damp body. The matching robe buttoned up the front and wasn't much heavier, but she decided it added a respectable layer of clothing.

Within half an hour, she rejoined the others in the living room. She gave goodbye hugs to Donald and Sophie, saw them to the door, and then watched as they pulled out of the driveway.

"Wonder why Sullivan was in such a hurry to leave?" Kyle reset the security system and followed her back to the living room. "I would have thought it'd be safer to wait until daylight."

"He's pretty fanatic about not letting Sophie get involved in agency business. I'm guessing she promised him she'd leave as soon as she knew I was okay."

"Has he ever used this place for a safe house before?"

"Never. He's always been adamant about security, but also about keeping this little family hideaway private. I'm sorry he's compromising the location now, but I'm sure glad to be here."

"They seem devoted to you."

"They're the best. I don't know what I would have done without them when my folks were killed. They could never legally adopt me since I'd been declared dead, so they had to create a whole new identity for me. They gave me their name along with their unconditional love and support."

"Not to mention risking his career if anyone learned what he'd done."

"That, too," she said.

Kyle moved to the fireplace and leaned an arm across the mantel. "Have you spent a lot of time here with them?"

Rianna perched on the arm of the sofa, near him, yet not touching. "Donald calls it our 'summer place,' but we sometimes spent the holidays here, too."

"They don't have any children of their own?"

"No, Sophie says they were always too wrapped up in their careers to take the time. She's a university professor and they had decided against having children, until I got dumped on their doorstep. I was a confused, traumatized teenager, so it took more than the usual parenting skills to straighten me out. They're pretty special people."

"They obviously love you."

Rianna nodded, but wasn't sure she wanted to discuss that particular emotion. "I can't believe you were jealous." She dared to tease, grinning at him. "Did you really think I'd have one lover deliver me into the arms of another?"

Kyle held her gaze. "I wasn't thinking with my head," he admitted, giving her a look so hot that it seared her.

She wanted to know if he'd been thinking with his heart or his hormones, but she didn't have the courage to ask. Instead, she rose and moved closer to him. He'd showered, shaved and dressed in a borrowed white T-shirt and black sweatpants.

Donald had never looked so good in either.

The shirt molded to Kyle's well-toned chest and hugged his lean, ridged stomach. The pants hung low on his hips, tightening over his strong, muscled thighs. Just the sight of him excited her, making her body tingle with anticipation.

As she drew closer, his arm snaked out and wrapped around her waist, drawing her against him. She flattened her hands on his chest, and then flexed her fingers, kneading him as a cat would do through the thin cloth.

"I'm starving for a kiss," he drawled, his gaze meeting with hers as his head slowly lowered. "Everybody's been getting them except me." His tongue flicked out, bathing her lips with warmth and eliciting mewing encouragement from Rianna.

"Poor guy," she murmured, her breath mingling with his. He smelled of rich, dark coffee. "I'll have to see what I can do about that."

Next he nibbled at the corner of her mouth, and she slid her arms around his waist, rocking closer. Then his tongue bridged the barrier of her teeth. She moaned
,
leaning into his strength as her tongue slid against the hot length of his.

He plundered her mouth, making her weak with need. She felt the evidence of his arousal against her stomach and arched into its hard strength. Kyle made a husky noise of approval, so she continued to rub against him with rhythmic, coaxing pressure.

He raked his hands through her hair, clutching her head and tilting her mouth to fit more tightly against his own. Then he kissed her with steadily escalating passion. Deep, wet, drugging kisses that made her bones melt and her
body turn
liquid with desire. Primitive hunger erupted between them, so hot and fierce that they had to break apart to level some control.

"Damn, all I have to do is kiss you, and I start spiraling out of control," Kyle grumbled against her mouth, his breath coming in harsh pants.

"No complaints from me," she whispered, licking his lips with the tip of her tongue.

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "I want to take my time with you tonight."

"I thought we did that last night."

"No," he argued. "You had your way with me last night. Tonight, I plan to have my way with you."

"
Mmm
… sounds fascinating," she said, bringing her hands up to cup his face. Their gazes locked, and she thrilled at the desire swirling in his eyes. "Couldn't we do both?"

"Both what?"

He seemed momentarily distracted by the curve of her cheek, planting a row of kisses along her jaw until she captured his wandering lips with her own. She couldn't get enough of him. She'd thought the need would abate once they'd become lovers, but it just kept sharpening.

"Couldn't we have it both ways?" she murmured against his mouth. "Hard and fast, then slow and easy?"

Her bold query had Kyle groaning and clutching her tighter. "Careful, beautiful, or you'll throw a monkey wrench into my well thought-out plans," he accused.

Rianna kissed him until they were both breathing faster. Kyle's hands convulsively stroked her back, and then slid to her hips. He grasped her buttocks, gathering handfuls of her gown and pulling her closer.

When they drew apart to gasp for air, he speared her with a dark, turbulent gaze. "Are you wearing anything under this gown?"

"Not a thing," she confessed, clinging to his shoulders. Her breasts were achy, so she rubbed them against his chest while arching her hips against his groin.

Kyle's big hands slid to her thighs, and he lifted her. Rianna wrapped her legs around his waist, straining for closer contact with the part of him that would make them one again.

"Easy." His command was rough with desire. He rocked his hips against the cradle of her body, and then swallowed her moan of pleasure.

Rianna gasped at the exquisite pleasure of being so close to him, his strength and heat. She took his tongue deeply into her mouth and continued to rub herself against him. He was carrying her to her room, but she didn't want to wait. She wanted him right now.

"Hard and fast," she said on her next gasp of air. "Slow and easy." His mouth found the pulse at her neck. He sucked deeply, making her blood run even hotter.

"I can't stand it," she whimpered, arching her head back as his kisses poured over her neck and chest.

Kyle didn't respond. His mouth was too busy burrowing under the neckline of her robe and gown, suckling and seeking like a baby. Rianna brought one hand to her robe and started unfastening buttons. She wanted his mouth on her breasts.

"Stop," he insisted gruffly. They'd made it to her room where she'd left the bedside lamp burning. Kyle kicked the door shut, and then slowly lowered her to the bed.

She tried to pull him over her, but he resisted.

"I'll take care of these," he said, reaching for the tiny pearl buttons. Then, one by one, he slid them out of the holes.

Rianna decided that there was no sense trying to hurry him. She went still except for the heaving of her chest, and watched, fascinated, as he slowly undid her robe. He pushed the sides open and then watched as her breasts swelled against the thin fabric of the gown.

Her breathing grew more ragged as his eyes dilated with hot desire. Her nipples tightened wantonly, and a low groan rumbled from his chest. He reached out to cup both breasts in his hands, using his thumbs to stimulate them even more. Rianna cried out as tension coiled from her breasts to her womb.

When he leaned down to take a nipple into his mouth, she arched against him in demand. His caress dampened the thin fabric and heightened her pleasure. Then he grew impatient with the barrier and slowly stripped off her robe and gown. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction when she lay naked before him. The brush of his gaze over her body made her flesh tingle and her pulse race even more.

Rianna reached out and beckoned him back into her arms. He leaned over her, but wouldn't be hurried. Taking one nipple into his mouth, he lapped it with his tongue while fondling the other breast with his palm.

She sunk her fingers into the thickness of his hair and held him close as pleasure coursed through her body. Impatient, she began to writhe against him and coax him with hungry little sounds that expressed her growing need.

"Slow and easy," he mumbled, sliding down her body to press wet kisses across her ribs, then her stomach.

Rianna clung to his hair, her body growing increasingly tense as his caresses dipped lower. Then he was sliding back over her and taking her mouth with a new surge of passion. She held his face in her hands while they shared
more long
, breathless kisses.

Kyle continued to stroke his hands down her sides to her legs. When one hand strayed to the apex of her thighs, she gasped and stiffened. He drew back slightly and gazed into her eyes.

"Let me love you," he begged huskily.