Agent U7: Keegan (The D.I.R.E. Agency Series Book 7)
Read Agent U7: Keegan (The D.I.R.E. Agency Series Book 7) Online
Authors: Joni Hahn
Agent U7: Keegan
Joni Hahn
Copyright © July 2016 by Joni Hahn
Cover by Najla Qamber Designs
Formatted by Author E.M.S.
Kindle Edition
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in the context of reviews.
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To Marilyn Tucker, gifted writer and beloved friend.
Thank you for allowing me in your life. I’m a better person for having known you.
Rest in peace, Sweetie.
Currently Available:
Novella: Special Agent: Austin
Book 7: Agent U7: Keegan
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The D.I.R.E. Agency Series
“I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particularly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is indestructible.”
– John Steinbeck,
East of Eden
So that’s what
I don’t want you
looks like.
From an outsider’s perspective.
Unfortunately, Dr. Clint Robinson had been on the receiving end of that look more times than he could count. Despite his numerous attempts to comprehend them, women remained an enigma, the one mystery of the universe in which he had no hypothesis.
He stared over the rim of his glass, at the handsome couple standing in the lounge entrance. For the second time in two days, he watched Keegan Meeks give a besotted sap a nonchalant goodbye. She pulled away, only to have the journalist tug her back for a kiss. With his tie tucked in his suit pocket and her once, upswept hair down around her shoulders, their promiscuous interlude took place in less than thirty minutes. A half hour earlier, she’d stood beside her sister Natalie inside the hotel ballroom. With Natalie and D.I.R.E. agent Riordan St. James’ wedding coming up in two days, the week proved ripe for more one-night stands.
If only he were so lucky.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t attract women. Especially, now that he’d adhered to the super agents’ strict exercise regimen and taken a little more interest in his appearance. After watching each team member find a beautiful, devoted woman, he figured the buff, clean type had something going for it.
Tonight proved no different. However, after a scintillating conversation - in a bar - on the risks of red wine consumption, she’d up and left without a word.
Smooth operator, Robinson
.
Sipping at his Merlot, he glanced at Keegan again. Truth be told, it was a little hard not to stare. The woman carried herself with an elegance and grace he didn’t see much these days, her appearance almost glamorous in its appeal. He attributed her physical refinement to her seclusion on Cyrus Matheson’s Hawaiian island for over twenty years.
Her licentious behavior from the same font.
On the other hand, he wanted one woman. The right woman. Someone that would be happy raising their kids and welcoming him home from work each day. Someone that wanted soccer games and Disney vacations.
Someone that could be faithful to an obsessive scientist and not grow bored.
His father used to say science was dependable and grounded in facts, while women were flighty, emotional, and changed on a daily basis. It explained why his parents got divorced.
At least, that was part of the explanation.
Turning away from the man, Keegan glanced inside the lounge, her eyes connecting with Clint’s across the expanse. He caught his breath before looking down into his empty goblet. Damn, he hadn’t meant for her to catch him.
A faint, woodsy scent hit him before the swish of her long, navy gown reached his ears. “Is that judgment I see in your eyes, Dr. Robinson?” She slid onto the bar stool beside him. The aroma of sex mingled with the masculine fragrance on her skin.
Without meeting her gaze, he signaled the bartender to take their orders. “I didn’t say a word.”
“You didn’t have to,” she said, in a wry voice. “It’s written all over your disapproving face.”
Shifting his foot on the lower rung of the stool, he kicked himself for being so transparent. Back in college, he would’ve given his autographed version of
Relativity: The Special and the General Theory
to have a smooth-operator facade.
“Is it?” He gave a sardonic chuckle. “I thought I’d used invisible ink.”
Her bark of laughter warmed his chest, giving him a spike of confidence. The bartender set her cola on the bar, his hand remaining on the glass until she looked up. He gave her a cocky grin before she reciprocated with a regal nod of appreciation.
Clint let out a long sigh as the bartender walked away. He never stood a chance with a woman like Keegan. She’d always be a spectator sport.
“What I do is my business, Doctor.” She swirled her cola with the drink stirrer.
He knew that, and knew the reasons for her behavior. She was making up for lost time, for the years spent in captivity. Keegan was living life in the fast lane and frankly, he couldn’t blame her. She just had to be smarter about it.
Pulling the napkin from under his glass, he folded it into sharp angles. “Yes, and what I think is mine.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her eyebrows rise. Her soft voice washed over his cheek. “Touché.”
Frowning, he said, “So, why aren’t you inside the ballroom? Natalie is bound to be missing you.” His napkin now resembled a pirate hat.
Geez, Robinson. What’s next? Balloon animals?
Taking a sip, she set down her glass. “I could ask the same of you and Riordan. Besides, the room is full of my father’s political connections. Not exactly a lively crowd.”
With a hint of envy, he let a jab slip. “The journalist was younger. You sent him away.”
Her tone held a confused wonder. “He was quite good-looking. I didn’t expect him to want to see me again.”
She had to be joking. The woman was beyond scalding in the hot department.
“Why not?” he said. “Contrary to popular belief, not all men jump into bed without some thought of taking things beyond the moment. With STDs the way they are, its foolish to sleep around without knowing where the other person has been.”
Could you sound any more like a prudish, nerd scientist, Robinson? And, you wonder why you can’t get a date.
“Most people haven’t lived in captivity since they were a child.”
He looked at her for the first time since she sat down. Pain etched deep grooves in her flawless brow.
“No,” he said in a low voice, “but, that doesn’t change the dangers.”
Leaning away, she tilted her head. “Is that all you think about when it comes to sex, Doctor? What about the pleasure, the fun?”
“What about the closeness, the intimacy?” he countered. “You’re not getting the most out of it by settling for someone you don’t plan to see again.”
No one can say you didn’t try to die alone, Robinson
.
Yet, he couldn’t change the way he felt. He liked sex as much as the next guy. As a matter of fact, it had been way too long since he’d shared it with a woman he cared about.
She stilled, her exotic, hazel eyes studying him. Keegan had to be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. The journalist probably thought he’d hit the jackpot when she came onto him.
“Are you a virgin, Dr. Robinson?”
Heat blossomed in his face. Sputtering, he shook his head. “Not since high school.”
Well, okay, college
. “Just because I’m more selective, you think I’m a virgin?”
Her narrow, shrewd gaze studied him. “I’ve found most men don’t think that way. I’m just trying to understand why you do.”
Growing up, he’d watched his parents cheat on each other numerous times, only to divorce. Witnessing the pain they’d gone through had been life-changing. He’d vowed never to hurt someone that way.
As for the pain of losing a life…
“Don’t waste your time trying to understand me, Keegan.” Straightening on the stool, he frowned with exasperation. “And, why are we discussing
my
sex life?”
A knowing grin lit up her face, leaving him speechless. He could see why those men didn’t hesitate when she came onto them.
“You felt free to judge my life, so I thought I’d turn the tables.”
He frowned into his pale wine. He didn’t like anyone getting the best of him. “You made an assumption.”
“Which you haven’t denied.”
Ugh. She was right.
He turned back to her. “I’m not a virgin.”
God, only he would get into a situation where he had to explain his sexual prowess to the most gorgeous woman on the planet.
“Are you always so obstinate?” he said.
Now, she straightened on her stool. “Obstinate? I’m just defending my behavior.”
Grinning, he said, “Obstinate.”
Her thin brows furrowed. “You have quite an ego, Doctor.”
“Ego? He bugged out his eyes. “I may be a respectable scientist, but I’m the last to argue about sex with the opposite sex.”
Taking a sip of her cola, she set it back on the bar. “Well, despite what you think, I would do it again. Lance was quite talented. I learned a lot.”
Wine clogged in his throat, choking him. Coughs wracked his chest as he pounded it with a fist.
Learned a lot. That was another facet of this situation. Before Keegan was rescued by Jaydan Rose and Hope Powers, she’d only had sex with Cyrus. From what he’d heard, it had been long ago and always a one-sided event. She was practically a virgin herself.
His voice came out thin and tight. “So, is that what this is?” He coughed into the crook of his elbow. “An educational experience?”
Crossing her legs beneath her dress, she said, “Right now, every situation is a learning experience.”
A cynical chuckle escaped. “So, you’re saying anyone would do? Is that it?”
She shook her head. “No. Someone like you, for example? It would never happen.”
The coughing started over again. Grabbing his pirate hat, he opened it and covered his mouth. While that little declaration was no surprise, it still rankled. He’d been working hard to improve himself.
“Why not?”
She stared him straight in the eyes. “You remind me too much of Cyrus.”
His heart slammed against his chest. He tried hard not to be offended, but failed. Cyrus Matheson was a madman, an egotistical, controlling fiend.
His words came out on a growl. “I’m nothing like Cyrus.”
“I don’t know you well enough to judge your character,” she said, “but you’re blond, a scientist, and you…change people.” She tapped his Einstein lapel pin with her long forefinger. “Way too similar.”
She made his work as D.I.R.E.’s lead scientist sound like a bad thing. He didn’t create clones, or manipulate human DNA for his own purposes. He worked with Mitchell and the entire agency staff to make the world a safer place. How dare she compare him to Cyrus?
“Well, you don’t have to worry your egotistical, little head, Keegan. I’m not interested.” He downed the rest of his wine. “I don’t do sloppy seconds.”
Or thirds…
She turned back to him, her glare laser sharp. “What do you mean by that?”
He blinked in surprise. She really didn’t know that he’d just insulted her?
“You’re easy. You remind me of a girlfriend I had in college.” Did he really just say that?
He’d been drinking. She’d pissed him off.
Yeah, he said it.
He cursed in his head. Tact had never been his strong suit.
Her tortured eyes searched his before she got up and walked away. Damn, two in one night. That had to be a record, even for him.
Of course, she was trying new things. If he were in the same situation, sex would be number one on his list.
Then again, even women that
hadn’t
been in captivity for twenty years didn’t want him. Why would he think a gorgeous, intelligent woman like Keegan Meeks would sleep with him?
She walked out of the lounge and into the hotel lobby, her back ramrod straight. He needed to apologize. Her sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law were two of his closest friends, and Keegan would always be around. She deserved a break after what life had doled out to her.
Besides, after the news Austin Rose and assassin Monica Montgomery told Mitchell, none of them could let Keegan out of their sight. This Madam was tied to Cyrus somehow and they intended to kidnap Keegan again.
He jumped up from his stool and straightened his gray blazer. The bartender slid Clint’s ticket on the bar in front of him. Signing it, Clint glanced up and slid it back. The man gave him a you-screwed-up shake of his head.
No shit, Sherlock
.
Following her out into the cool, October night, he stopped under the lighted porte-cochere and looked both ways. Keegan stood just outside the sphere of a parking lot light about thirty feet away. A man wearing a black hoodie approached her, his face hidden, cigarette smoke billowing from his mouth.
Taking off at a trot, Clint kept his gaze on Keegan as he approached. His mind told him he was a science geek, not a super agent, while something deeper inside him urged him on without hesitation. Despite their heated exchange, he wished no ill will on her. She’d been through enough. Not to mention, Saint and Rose would pummel him if he let something happen to her.
The man grabbed her arm. Clint ran faster. With a determined cry, Keegan shoved the heel of her right hand into his face, knocking off the hood. He stumbled back, releasing her, before she followed with an immediate karate chop to his throat. A gargled, choking sound resonated in the Pacific breeze, his hand clutching his throat.
Keegan punched him in the stomach. A pained groan escaped his injured throat before he doubled over. Showing no mercy, she gritted her teeth and roared as she raised her knee to his face. His head whipped back against his shoulders before he fell to the pavement, rolling onto his side with a groan.