Undercover Captor (Shadow Agents #5)(19)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Sarah had instantly recognized his code word. She would have gone into the back and made contact through a secure system. As a backup—because Drew always believed in backups—he had used his burner phone to check in with Dylan. Now that they were in the town, he’d managed to get a signal strong enough to make the call. His friend and team leader had given him an ETA of less than thirty minutes.

Thirty minutes, and then Tina would be gone.

That’s not enough time with her.

The bathroom door opened with a soft creak. He turned to look at her. Steam drifted lightly from the small bathroom.

A loud crack of lightning seemed to explode outside the motel room.

The room—the whole motel from the look of things—was immediately plunged into darkness.

“Drew?”

Even in the dark, he saw her form easily. Drew had always been gifted with excellent night vision. He stalked toward her. “Told you,” he said softly, “the storms come in and cause chaos in the town.” The lights might come back on in a few minutes or it could be a few hours before the electricity was restored. She’ll be long gone by then.

His fingers lifted and curled around her shoulder. Her bare shoulder. Her skin was like hot silk beneath his callused fingers.

In that one moment, before the lights had flashed off, he’d seen her standing in that doorway. She’d just been wearing a towel.

Desire, need for her, pulsed beneath his skin. He’d be sent back into the field. If not on this case, then out on another one. How long would it be before he saw her again?

Now that she was compromised, now that the crazies with HAVOC mistakenly thought that she was Mercer’s daughter, what would happen to her? She wouldn’t be able to go back to her old life.

Not with that threat hanging over her.

I’ll eliminate that threat.

“My clothes had blood on them,” she whispered. “I just… I hated to put them right back on, but I didn’t have anything else to wear.”

He motioned toward the bed. It was just a big, dark shadow. She probably didn’t even see his hand moving. “Sarah brought you some jeans and a fresh shirt.”

She didn’t move to get those clothes.

“I have a confession,” Tina told him softly. “I’ve…watched you.” Her voice was husky in the dark. “At the EOD offices.”

He’d watched her plenty, too.

Intrigued now, he waited.

“I know I’m not your usual type of…of date—”

“Oh?” He was even more curious now. “You think I don’t go for the smart and sexy women?” Because Tina was most definitely his type. His sleepless nights could attest to that.

“You live on the edge. You love danger and action. And I hide in the background.”

No, she tried to hide in the background. She failed at that job. A woman like her could never just disappear.

“I don’t want to hide from you,” Tina told him. Her hands rose and her fingers settled around his shoulders. She was so small, seemingly fragile in front of him. “I want to be with you.”

He stiffened as desire sharpened within him. “You should be very careful what you say.” Especially to a man like him. A man who’d lived for too long wanting things that he couldn’t have.

One of those things was right in front of him.

“It’s just us,” she said, and her voice was pure temptation. “No gunshots. Not even any lights. Just us. Alone in the dark.” She rose onto her tiptoes.

His fingers locked around her waist. “I warned you before about what would happen if I kissed you again.” Naked. Pleasure…

“I don’t want a warning. I told you, I just want you.” Then she kissed him.

The need, the raw lust that he felt for her, shot through him and electrified his whole body. Her kiss was tentative, and he needed more than that. So much more. He lifted her into his arms, holding her easily despite his wound.

Tina was right. They were alone. He’d been imaging her spread out in that big bed and, with the lights off, with the dark around them…

I’ll make her mine.

And when she was taken away from him, Tina would remember what they’d shared.

Drew knew he’d never forget.

Her lips were open and soft beneath his. His tongue slipped into her mouth, and she arched against him. Two steps and he was at the foot of the bed. His knees bumped into the mattress. He lowered her onto the covers, but he couldn’t make his hands let her go.

There was too much silken skin to touch and explore. The towel had come loose, and it barely covered her br**sts. His fingers eased up her arms. Trailed over her shoulders then moved down her sensual curves.

He got that towel out of the way, yanked it aside.

His mouth followed the path of his hands. Drew kissed her shoulders. He inhaled her sweet scent—still strawberries. Even after everything she’d been through.

Her br**sts thrust toward him.

Thunder rumbled once more.

He bent his head over her breast. Put his mouth on one tight nipple. She arched toward him and her fingers sank into his hair.

He liked the sounds she made when he touched her. But even more, he liked the way she was becoming wild for him.

His arousal strained against the fly of his jeans. He wanted to be flesh to flesh with her, to be as close as he could possibly get.

His hand slid down over the curve of her stomach. Her hips were still lifting toward him. His fingers eased between her legs.

“Drew?”

She was warm and responsive and so amazing to touch. He had to explore her. Every single inch.

The fantasy between them would end soon. But he’d take these moments. He’d hold them tight.

And she won’t forget me.

He stroked her, caressed her and made sure that her desire wound tighter and tighter with every press of his fingers. Her body trembled against his. Her breath came faster.

He found the center of her need. Right there. Right—

A cry of pleasure spilled from her lips. She held him tighter as she shuddered against him.

Hell, yes. And that was just the beginning.

He reached for the snap of his jeans.

And heard footsteps outside the motel room.

Drew tensed.

“Drew—”

He put his mouth on hers and kissed her deeply once more. He could taste her pleasure.

His own body ached. He wanted to drive into her more than he wanted his next breath.

But the footsteps were coming ever closer.

“Outside,” he whispered against her lips.

When she stiffened, he knew she understood. Their visitors could be his backup, or it could be the men from HAVOC.