Her Undercover Defender Read online

  She didn’t think so. Not from her side anyway. In recent years she’d had plenty of time and counseling to accurately evaluate her feelings. It wasn’t just physical desire. Yes, she had needs she’d ignored. This was more. She wanted David because they could laugh and talk and relax together. She trusted him.

  When they reached her house and Trey’s motorcycle was conspicuously absent, Terri nearly let out a grateful cheer. She shouldn’t be that relieved, but she wasn’t up for another confrontation. He’d told her he was staying with Cade tonight, but she’d expected him to change his mind.

  She stared at the front window, at the sparkling Christmas tree. She thought of the mistletoe tied per Barnhart tradition to the light fixture in the foyer. “Will you come in?” She couldn’t imagine why she felt so shy, considering what they’d been doing on his boat less than an hour ago.

  “Terri—”

  “Trey won’t be home tonight.” She felt David tense up at the mention of her brother. “He and I agreed he’d be happier at his friend Cade’s place.”

  “Problems?”

  She shrugged. Talking about Trey would kill her mood, and she wasn’t ready to let go of the warm, sensual energy lingering between them. “Trey and I will figure it out at some point. Right now I’m not ready to say good-night.” No, she was eager to pick up where they’d left off. He hadn’t wanted to do anything impulsive, which was more than she could say for most guys. If she hadn’t spent the past half hour in the car, a little tipsy from the wine and breathing in his masculine scent, she might appreciate his thoughtful restraint.

  She wouldn’t label what she felt now as impulsive. No, this was an intense longing only David could satisfy. The attraction couldn’t be one-sided, she couldn’t be that dense and he couldn’t be that good at acting. Their friendship had simply shifted to something...more.

  He opened his car door and came around to open hers. She felt his eyes on her legs as she swiveled around and stepped out, her body a whisper away from his. Could he hear her heart pounding? Could he feel her pulse racing as he held her hand on the short walk to her front door?

  She unlocked the door and pushed it open. The glow of the Christmas tree in the family room cast a soft light into the hallway. Giving his hand an encouraging squeeze, she backed through the open doorway.

  He held firm on the other side of the threshold until their arms were extended between them. “I should go.”

  She studied his face, so serious now. What had happened to the lighthearted man who’d planned this perfect night? “Come inside,” she whispered. “Please?” She drew him closer until their linked hands were behind her back and he was standing in the foyer. She looked up, chuckling when he groaned.

  “Mistletoe?” He reached back and closed the door.

  “It’s a lasting tradition for a reason,” she whispered against his lips, hoping he’d stay.

  He kissed her, the moment stretching out until her head was spinning. “I’ll still respect you in the morning,” she promised, breathless.

  His deep laughter transformed his face as the tension lifted. “I don’t want to lose your friendship.”

  “Me, either,” she admitted. She steeled herself for the rejection, but she wasn’t backing down. “On the boat,” she sucked in a breath, “it felt like you wanted me.”

  “I do.” His hands roamed from her waist to her hips and back up again.

  “Then stay. I don’t want to waste any more time wondering.”

  “About me?”

  Her heart took flight as he pulled her toward him. “About anything.” She combed his hair back from his face and pressed her lips to his. The wild scents of the river and harbor clung to his clothing, washing over her as she breathed him in.

  Suddenly, he broke away from her. “You’re sure?”

  She nodded, licking her lips and savoring the dark taste of him.

  He locked the door and then scooped her into his arms. She laughed as he carried her straight through the house and up the stairs. She wasn’t about to argue, though she’d had a nice little fantasy going of making love under the Christmas tree.

  “Which room?” he asked.

  “Second door on the right,” she replied, her pulse dancing in her veins. This was happening. Light-headed, she giggled when he set her gently on her feet at the edge of her bed.

  But he didn’t kiss her, his breath the only movement as he seemed frozen in place. “David?” She couldn’t make out his expression at all in the nearly dark room. She reached for the lamp on the nightstand.

  “Don’t,” he said.

  “Okay.” She had no idea what was wrong or how to fix it.

  His fingers trailed over her shoulder, down her arm. He turned her palm up and lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the pad on each of her fingers. It was outrageously arousing and she trembled with anticipation.

  “Cold?”

  “You know I’m not,” she replied, reaching for the knot of his tie.

  “Good.” He caught her hand, trapped it against his chest. He kissed her, his hand working the zipper at her back as his mouth ravished hers.

  If things had been hot on the boat, she was burning for him now. She put her hands under his jacket, pushed it off his broad shoulders. “I want to feel you,” she murmured into the dark.

  His laughter, rippling across her skin, was sinful. “Me first,” he said, tugging her dress down and away. His hands caressed her body, shaped her, drawing her close enough that his erection pressed against her hip.

  She worked his tie loose, then the buttons of his shirt, desperate need spurring her on until she felt those warm, sculpted muscles under her hands.

  He eased her to the bed and removed her shoes, then stripped away the rest of his clothes before he stretched out over her. For a moment, he hesitated again and she thought he’d changed his mind. He whispered her name; then his mouth found hers, and she knew there’d be no more thinking.

  Her hands roamed over him, seeking and learning every angle of his chiseled body. Breathless, she arched into him as he slid her bra aside. With fingers, tongue and teeth, he teased her aching breasts. She clutched his shoulders as one sensation after another set her body sizzling from head to toe.

  He kissed his way down her belly, slowly removing her lacy panties, the last barrier between them. In the dark, he moved over her once more, her sexiest fantasies come to life as he placed soft kisses to her knee and then higher, until his mouth met her core.

  She cried out as his tongue, hot and urgent, pushed her to a fast, hard climax. She reached that peak, calling his name. He answered her with more of those tender, drugging kisses, his hands soothing her quivering body.

  With an unexpected intensity, she wanted him inside her. She sat up, needing to touch him, to share this pleasure surging through her. He let her take over, understanding her desire without saying a word. She thought his masculine scent alone might carry her to another orgasm as she explored his body in the dark.

  He groaned as she wrapped her hand around his erection, her lips following the ripple of his abs. Suddenly she was on her back, laughing, and David was looming over her. “Maybe next time,” he rasped, settling between her thighs and entering her in one smooth, satisfying thrust.

  For a prolonged moment neither of them moved. Full of him, she’d never felt so much indescribable joy. She’d had sex. This was different. This was a thousand times better. When he started moving inside her, slowly at first, she caught his rhythm. She clutched the bunched muscles in his arms, then smoothed her hands over his back and wrapped her legs snug around his lean hips.

  She didn’t want it to end. Ever.

  Each breath, each touch, revealed another sensual discovery, yet she felt as if she’d known this, known him, all her life.

  Their pace increased, their mingled breath grew ragged, and she pressed hot kisses to the strong column of his throat. The climax shuddered from his body through hers. Perfect was too tame a word. Beautiful too extravaga
nt. Their lovemaking had simply been...right. Long moments later, on a soft sigh, he eased his body to the side, tucking her close.

  He kissed her hair as she curled into him. Her leg over his, her hand at his waist, she’d never felt so cherished.

  6:15 a.m.

  TERRI WOKE WITH her familiar alarm and the unfamiliar sensation of David’s arm draped across her waist. As the night came back to her, she smiled. She felt absolutely blissful. Carefully, she slipped out of bed to grab a shower. If she lingered, if she paused to steal one kiss, she knew she’d be late for her shift in Franklin’s ward.

  As it was, David was awake and half-dressed and more tempting than ever when she returned from the shower. “Good morning,” he said, his voice rough from sleep.

  “Hi,” she managed, mesmerized by the beard shading his jaw and his ripped torso. She caught a discoloration on his side. “What’s this?”

  “More evidence I can’t manage in the dark.”

  She caught her lip between her teeth. “You did all right last night,” she said, though she knew he was referring to the blackout.

  He smiled. “I had better terrain to cover last night.” He buttoned his shirt and looped his tie around his neck as he crossed the room for a quick embrace.

  “Breakfast?” she offered, tugging on the ends of his tie.

  “If you’ve got time.”

  For him, she’d make the time.

  Downstairs in the kitchen he kissed her, distracted her from breakfast prep. It felt so easy, as if they did this every morning while the coffee brewed. She heard the front door open, and David’s body tensed under her hands. “It’s just Trey,” she said, wishing she could laugh it off. “Relax,” she teased. “I’m the big sister. That gives me an edge.”

  “Not from a brother’s perspective,” he replied, but he kept his arm around her waist as Trey walked into the kitchen.

  “Good morning, Trey.” She was determined to keep this civil.

  “Looks like it might be for you.” He glared at David and shook his head at Terri. “Didn’t know you still had sleepovers,” he said, opening the refrigerator.

  She was not going to do this now and not in front of David.

  “Speak to her with respect,” David said.

  Trey closed the refrigerator and glared at him. “Or what? You’ll make me?” He sneered. “That won’t end well for you.” He looked to Terri. “I can’t believe you’re into this guy.”

  “That’s enough. Both of you,” she warned, stepping between them. She smacked Trey on the arm with her free hand as she turned David toward the front door.

  “You deserve better from him,” David said. “I’ll wait and drive you in.”

  “No, thanks.” She searched for patience—with both of them. “I can handle this.” She was used to Trey’s surly attitude, though it was high time he found another coping mechanism. “And I have my car, remember?”

  “If you’re sure.” He paused in the open doorway, his expression so intense her body responded, firing up all over again. “Be careful,” he said, his lips soft at her ear. “You don’t really know your brother anymore.”

  The comment doused her persistent romantic ideas and she followed him out onto the porch. “What are you basing that on?” she demanded.

  “You.”

  His response was so unexpected she felt confused. “I’m not following.”

  “You’ve told me how things were growing up here,” David continued, waving a hand toward the house. “He doesn’t act at all like the brother you described.”

  “I—” She didn’t know what to say to that.

  “If you need something, anything, I’m here. Friends or lovers, that won’t change. Remember that.”

  He turned on his heel and walked away before she found her voice.

  Chapter Eleven

  Friday, December 13, 7:00 a.m.

  David drove back to his place, eager to spend the day staking out Terri’s house and tailing Trey as needed. With her protected by the team at the hospital, he felt it was the best use of his time.

  He needed to do something to keep himself from dwelling on the previous evening. Being with Terri had been damn close to perfect—before her brother had shown up snarling. No, that hadn’t changed his feelings at all. It only made him more determined to protect her. Whichever way he turned it around, he couldn’t imagine making a scene like that with his sisters. Teasing was one thing, but what Trey had implied? That was unforgivable.

  David left his car in the driveway, just to make life easy on Trey if the jerk decided to try something stupid. Walking through the front door, he hesitated, catching a whiff of fresh-brewed coffee. Slowly, he eased open the drawer of the entry table where he stowed a pistol.

  “You won’t need that,” a familiar voice called from the direction of the kitchen.

  David kept the pistol anyway, striding through the house to find Director Casey waiting for him at his kitchen table with a full cup of coffee.

  “Sir?”

  “Late-night stakeout?” Casey asked.

  “Not exactly,” David replied, sure the director knew where he’d been. Probably what he was doing, as well, but David wouldn’t tarnish Terri’s reputation by elaborating on those details.

  “Have a seat and relax, David. I’ve been in the field and I know there are challenges and consequences. I’m not judging your methods as long as the mission is foremost in your mind.”

  “Yes, sir.” David suspected they both knew the mission hadn’t been on his mind at all for several hours overnight. He was grateful he’d managed to get Terri upstairs and away from the bugs he’d planted at her house. When all hell broke loose—and his gut instinct told him that was coming—he didn’t want her embarrassed, too. “You did place me here on a lifetime op.”

  “I did.” Casey smoothed a hand down his silk tie.

  David became acutely aware of his own disheveled appearance. His tie was loose around his neck, his shirt buttoned but untucked, and his slacks were creased in all the wrong places.

  “Being in a permanent situation,” Casey said, “you have to make different choices than you might on a temporary operation.”

  David nodded his agreement. He didn’t have anything else to add to that assessment.

  “As of last night, we’ve been forced to upgrade the threat level here. There’s lots of chatter, but nothing definitive. The team is on the ground, watching potential sites and waiting for guidance.”

  David set the gun on the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. He leaned back against the countertop and waited for the other shoe to drop. “Am I off the case?”

  “No. Just the opposite, in fact. You’ll take the lead when Keller strikes.”

  David tried to hide his relief, but he was sure Casey noticed anyway.

  The director shifted in his chair. “Last night a fire department was robbed while they were out on call,” he began. “Turnout gear for three firefighters is missing, along with a hazmat suit.”

  “From a Charleston fire department house?”

  Casey shook his head. “From a neighborhood department about twenty miles away.”

  “What about the call they answered?”

  “They were responding to a car fire at the home of one of the nurses injured earlier.”

  “You suspect Barnhart is behind it?”

  “We have a report of a motorcycle in the area, but we don’t have a solid ID at this time. What we do have is another destroyed vehicle that previously had access to the MUSC parking garage, along with plenty of chatter about targets around Charleston.”

  David knew Casey wouldn’t be here personally if there wasn’t something bigger going on. “The hospital is on the list. Dr. Palmer’s project?”

  “Not by name, but yes,” Casey said. “Dr. Palmer and the patient have agreed to take the next step earlier than anticipated. The best-case scenario is that Keller is coming after the new biotechnology and making sure his team can get in and out swiftly
.”

  “Redundancies and disguises,” David said. “And the worst case?” he asked, afraid he knew the answer.

  “Assassination of Dr. Palmer.”

  “Bold.” It wasn’t what Keller was known for, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take on a lucrative job. “Does he have some way to use the technology Dr. Palmer’s developing?”

  “I’m sure he thinks so. Or he has a buyer who believes they can reverse engineer it.”

  “But it’s in the patient, right?”

  “So I’ve been told.” Casey’s nod was somber. “Earlier devices were external or resembled a contact lens.” He sipped his coffee. “I’d like to review the other potential targets. It’s possible attacking the hospital is secondary to a bigger strike. Keller likes to make a statement.”

  “Typically hit men don’t run in packs of five,” David said.

  “That, too.”

  “Hang on.” David went to the small coat closet and popped out a panel hidden by the doorjamb. He retrieved a long tube of maps he’d marked up and assembled during the early weeks of his assignment to Charleston.

  “I knew I put the right man on this job,” Casey said, helping him unroll the maps. They pinned the corners with their coffee cups and handguns.

  David started outlining the risk and reward for strikes at various locations around town, starting with areas close to the hospital. As he’d told Terri last night, he’d set out to learn more than the job and immediate community. He’d been digging into Charleston’s past and present, learning all he could so he’d be prepared for any scenario.

  For several minutes they discussed how and where Keller could attack with three fake firefighters. A team that small could infiltrate just about any fire scene.

  “A fire won’t get out of hand easily,” David said. “The historical landmarks are well protected.” He thought of the test-run attack on Dr. Palmer’s ward and tried to envision a scene involving firemen. “The blackout didn’t result in an evacuation, but a fire—a real one—would.”