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He watched her movements, heard the sweet sounds she made when she rubbed her pussy. So hot. He felt the end result in the tightening around his shaft. She was going to go off, soon. So was he. It was burning him up inside, the storm swirling around his spine and getting ready to explode. Each time he pulled back and shoved inside her, it was more difficult to maintain control.
“Mac,” she said, her voice shaky. “Mac, I need to come again.”
It was a desperate plea, and one he was all too happy to help her with.
“Yeah, baby. Come for me.”
This time, it wasn’t a little moan. It was a loud, riproaring scream, accompanied by a tight squeezing around his cock as she climaxed. He went at the same time, his orgasm rushing through him with such a powerful force he had to hold onto the shower door as it ripped him from the inside out. He emptied inside her with several hard thrusts, then he pulled out in a hurry, holding onto her as they both panted and gasped.
Lily’s heart beat so fast, mirroring his own jackhammering beats. It’s a wonder he could even stand.
No woman had ever done that to him.
No woman was like Lily.
He washed them both thoroughly, taking his time to stroke her gently as he cleansed her. She smiled up at him.
“Are you okay?”
“Perfect,” she said with a knowing smile.
He traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “Yeah. It was.”
Too damn perfect.
And things were about to change. God, he really hated his job. Okay, not true. He loved his job.
But not lately.
They dried off and dressed.
“Are you hungry?” Lily asked.
“A little.”
“I’m starving. Let’s go see what’s in the refrigerator to eat.”
They decided on hamburgers, so while Lily got out the meat and started peeling potatoes to make homemade fries, Mac went outside to start the grill. Perfect opportunity to make a call and check on Tom. He answered on the first ring.
“How are you two doing?” Tom asked.
“We’re fine.”
“How about your tail?”
“No sign of anyone lurking. I’ve scanned the surveillance equipment and nothing’s been picked up, so I think we’re in the clear. We lost him.”
“Great news. When are you planning on hightailing it out of there?”
“First light.”
“About the same time I’ll be back. If I don’t meet up with you before you leave, I’ll be back inside the house shortly thereafter, so the virus won’t be left alone.”
Mac lit the fluid on the charcoal and stepped back as flames poured up from the grill. “Good. I don’t like the idea of the virus being left here without anyone watching over it, though your security is pretty damn tight.”
“Yeah, you don’t need to worry about that. And I’ll try to get out of these meetings sooner so I can make my way back there before you leave.”
“I’d feel better about it if you were back before we flew out of here.” He’d held tight to the vial since he’d grabbed it out of the museum. He wanted to make sure it was safely handed off before he left it in someone else’s care. He trusted Tom, but he didn’t trust that someone wouldn’t be after it.
“I’ll do my best. And is my baby still tucked in and locked up?”
Mac grinned. “You bet. Are your plans to deliver the virus all set?”
“Yeah. Contact is in place. Don’t worry. This will go off without a hitch.”
“Good. The sooner I offload the virus and finish this assignment, the better. I’m ready to go home and get off the road for a while.”
Chapter Eleven
Lily’s heart beat so hard she could almost hear it. She fought to swallow, but couldn’t. The world crashed down around her and she couldn’t think straight. It was like trying to drive through a blinding rainstorm—she couldn’t see. So she did the only thing she could think to do. She leaned her back against the rock of the basement wall and struggled to breathe, to regroup and put everything in place in her mind. The cool darkness helped. She needed this right now—the isolation, the blackness all around her. It would help her focus.
Mac was still talking on his phone, so she had some time. He couldn’t find her like this. Then he’d know she’d heard, and she didn’t want him to know.
She’d come downstairs to find some canned goods, and heard voices. The small window at the back of the basement near the door was open. She could even see Mac’s boots. He’d been talking to someone, so she thought maybe Tom was back, but she didn’t see anyone else. As she rummaged through the basement pantry, she realized it was only Mac’s voice she heard, which meant he was on the phone. And the more she heard of his one-sided conversation, the more nauseous she became.
It didn’t take long before she had it figured out. Tom was his contact for the virus, and Mac was offloading it here.
And he hadn’t told her anything about it.
All this time she’d thought they were moving forward, that he was trusting her, telling her things.
One step forward, ten steps back.
Secrets and lies, as usual. The hallmark of their relationship. She wrapped her arms around her middle and fought back the rush of tears.
No. She was not going to fall apart, was not going to let emotion rule her. Not in this, and not over Mac.
She had a job to do, and she’d conveniently let her heart get in the way and overrule her common sense. She’d accused him of using sex to distract her. She’d been right, and she’d fallen for it so easily. How stupid he must think she was.
That stopped now. It was time to think clearly and logically about what to do next.
First, she had to push emotion to the background, bury it deep and not let it surface. Letting her heart rule her actions could mean the difference between a successful outcome and a critical error. This time, she intended to win.
That meant logic. Perhaps Mac just hadn’t told her yet.
It was possible he and Tom had just now settled on this plan while they were talking on the phone, and Mac was going to let her in on the details tonight. She’d allow him that much and give him the benefit of the doubt. Give him time and see if he’d reveal the plan. He told her to trust him, right? So, she would.
She’d give him the chance to tell her. If he did, great. If he didn’t, she’d have to come up with a plan on her own.
Which meant she’d need to tear this place apart and find out where the virus was, then figure out how to put Mac out of commission so she could sneak the virus out of there before Tom returned.
She hoped it wouldn’t come to that, prayed that Mac would come clean with her and tell her what was going on.
Sucking in a deep breath, she gathered her composure, grabbed a can of green beans and headed upstairs. Mac was standing in the kitchen.
“Hey, there you are. I was wondering where you’d disappeared to,” he said.
She plastered on an Academy Award-winning smile.
“No canned goods up here so I went downstairs to see if Tom kept any spares in the pantry there. I was right.” She held up the can.
He grinned and kissed her. “Great investigative work.”
She skirted around him and started to make patties out of the hamburger. “Hey, it’s my job, you know.”
“Yes, I know. Anything you need me to do?”
“Just cook the burgers. I’ve got everything else covered.” She finished the patties and handed the plate to him.
“You got it.”
As soon as the door closed, she exhaled, moving about the kitchen like a robot. She finished the potatoes and put them in the oil, then opened the can of beans and put them in a pot.
Taking a quick peek outside to make sure Mac was occupied with the burgers, she made a mad dash around the house, opening drawers and closets, looking for any place where Mac and Tom could have possibly hid the virus. She didn’t make much headway since she had to keep running into the kitchen to turn the potatoes and check on Mac, but she did find one thing in Tom’s medicine cabinet—prescription sleeping pills.
Those might come in handy later. She opened the bottle and slipped two of them into the pocket of her shorts, hoping like hell she wouldn’t have to use them. She’d find out soon enough, because she intended to give Mac every reason in the world to tell her the truth.
By the time Mac brought in the burgers, she had everything else on the table. Though she wasn’t at all hungry, she made an effort to appear relaxed, ate a little of her food, and tried to figure out how to broach the subject at the forefront of her mind.
“I thought I heard you talking to someone outside a little while ago,” she said. “I got really worried, wondering if someone had breached security.”
Mac swallowed and took a drink of soda. “No, there was no one around. I was talking to Tom on my cell.”
At his admission, hope sprang to life. Was he going to tell her about the phone call with Tom? Her stomach tightened.
“Oh yeah? Everything okay with him?”
“Yeah. He’s fine. He just called to tell me about a bass he caught this morning.” Mac laughed. “Big sucker, too. Too bad we won’t be around to see it.”
“We won’t?”
“No. I think we’ve stayed long enough. I took a look at the perimeter security tapes. No one’s been skulking about. I think we did a good job giving them the slip at the rally, so since it looks like we’re in the clear, it’s time to take off.”
“Really.” She tried to keep her hand from shaking as she lifted the fork to her lips. “When?”
“I figure we’ll head out first thing in the morning. Tom said he’d be back home sometime later tomorrow, but we need to get moving.”
“Have to deliver that virus to…whoever, right?”
At least he had the decency to look away for a second.
But then he made eye contact with her again. “Yeah. I have work to do and I’m on a tight deadline.”
“Okay, then. Tomorrow it is.” And just like that, her hope crashed. She didn’t need to nudge him or ask leading questions. She already knew he wasn’t going to tell her anything about the virus or the fact he was leaving it with Tom.
His plan was to keep her unaware, to let her believe he still had it.
They’d be heading out tomorrow, but without the virus.
And as soon as he knew they were safe, he was going to dump her.
Fury boiled inside her, an anger the likes of which she’d never felt before.
Ten years ago when he used her and left her, she’d been crushed. Heartbroken and miserable, because she’d loved him.
Now the cold realization smacked her across the face—she’d been in love with a man who had never loved her back; a man who was wholly incapable of the emotion. No man who claimed to love her could treat her with such utter disrespect, could touch her and take her to such heights of passion, could promise to be truthful to her, and then in the next instant lie to her with the clear intent of severing all ties with her.
Her days of heartbreak over Mac Canfield were over. It was time for her to do the right thing, to do her job. That focus kept her from crumbling, gave her the direction she needed.
“You’re kind of quiet.”
She looked at Mac. “Sorry. Just a little tired I think. All that sunshine and…activity today.” She batted her lashes and smiled, at the same time her stomach knotting with pain.
His lips curved and he reached for her hand. “So does that mean you’re too tired for another round tonight?”
Surprisingly, the thought of making love with him again didn’t repulse her. Which didn’t say much for her character, did it? She hated that he lied to her, but she still wanted him. She would always have a physical response to Mac. Normal, right? And besides, she’d already vowed to do whatever necessary to make sure he trusted her, so when the time came, she could turn the tables on him. It was payback time, and in big way.
