Fire Burns Hot ((An FBI/ Romance Thriller~ (Book 5))) (30 page)

Maybe one day he’d get a second chance.

If he was lucky.

Elizabeth stood at the top of the stairs and silently watched Callen leaning against the wall, checking hi
s work phone and scanning something. He had a big grin on his face, but that wasn’t the amazing part. He was in a suit and tie. It was a really well fitted one with a red silk tie that matched her shirt.

No wonder he kept asking her if she was still wearing red.

“Hey, sexy. You ready for this shindig?” she called from the stairs.

Callen stared up at the woman at the top of the stairs, and his entire body went completely taut and hard. Well hell, she managed to
outdo them again. Elizabeth was wearing simple, but it was the impact of her body in combination with the fit of the garments. Then there was the low cut to the blouse and the cleavage it showed. Right then he wanted to run his hands down the silky skin peeking through the material. He wondered if she’s stop him.

Elizabeth laughed.

“Christ angel! You look amazing,” he said, crossing the room to stand at the bottom of the stairs. “I almost want to skip tonight and stay home and get naked.”

Elizabeth carefully navigated the stairs in her heels. When she reached him, she took Callen’s outstretched hand. “No way, look at you. You look absolutely amazing!”

“Do I look like Ethan?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “No, you look like
Callen, just in a spiffy suit. I think you’re incredibly sexy,” she said, leaning against his body, his arms wrapping around his waist. “And you smell really good,” she whispered, before bringing her lips to his.

Kissing Elizabeth was the most amazing feeling in the world. Her lips took his and just controlled the entire kiss. There was tongue and teeth, as she bit his lower lip. He held back the moan, only because she’d
break away, and Callen was enjoying it too much. Right now he wanted to be immersed in the feeling of his woman lost in him as much as he was in her.

Finally, the moan escaped
against his will. “God, Lyzee! You look and smell so damn good.”

She giggled. “Okay, so if Ethan was here, would he approve?” Elizabeth asked, stepping out of his arms and turning in a circle.

Whitefox took in the whole package, from the erotic heels, and form fitting clothes. “Yeah, he’d most definitely approve. Can I send him a picture to torture him unmercifully?”

“Callen!”

He whipped out the grin. “Too bad.”

“Well, I wish he was here to see it, but I’ll just try it on for him another day,” she tried to cheer herself up. After all, she still had another sexy man at her side. “Ginny told me that attendance is going to be up for this party,” she stated, linking her fingers with his.

“Really? That’s great.”

“It seems we’re the floor show.” Elizabeth wanted to warn him before they got there
that everyone would be staring.

“Oh,” Callen got it. “Want me to keep my distance?” he offered
. Again, they were a couple, but they tried to keep it out of the workplace. Even though Ethan and Elizabeth’s rings matched, as did hers and his, Callen still wanted her to have the option.

“Hell no,” she stated,
and then elbowed him in the ribs for even suggesting it. “I don’t care if they all talk about me kissing on the sexiest man in the room. It just makes me look good.”

Callen
was relieved and laughed. Never once had she denied him in public, and it endeared her to his heart. “I feel so cheap and used.”

“Then I won’t tell you how Lulu was undressing you with her eyes as you walked out of the strip club earlier.”

“Elizabeth!” Callen was disturbed by that. “Please!”

“I guess you don’t want to know that Christina admitted to wanting to commit felonious acts with you to be scandalous tonight then either.”

Whitefox looked horrified. “Come on!”

She giggled, and then
released his hand, taking his face in her hands. “You’re half of me, and tonight I plan on dancing with you and holding your hand. Let them deal with it. I’m not embarrassed to be shacking up with you both,” she winked.

Everything in him was completely overwhelmed by pure, unadulterated love.
“You’re my heart, Lyzee.”

She melted. “I love you, Callen. Now let’s get to this party. I have sexy Native arm candy to show off and especially in that suit. You look amazing,” she led him to the door, and paused as he helped her into her coat.

“I have the most beautiful woman in the world. I have to look good,” he said, accepting another kiss as she rubbed across the front of his body

“The woman you’re discussing is a very lucky one. She gets to spend the evening with a very sexy man.”

Callen swallowed as she led him towards the door by his red silk tie.

Yeah, it was going to be a long night.

                                 *    *     *

Julian Littlemoon
had Tori navigate to the hotel where the party was being held. As they pulled up, he smiled. It was festively decorated with white lights and looked absolutely gorgeous.

“This place is beautiful,” he stated.

“Elizabeth and Ethan always throw an amazing party at the end of the year. I hear they cover out of their own money what the budget doesn’t.” Tori couldn’t help but smile at the prettiness of the building. All the windows twinkled with light wrapped wreaths. The trees all sparkled and screamed festive.

“That s
ounds like them,” he replied, stopping his car and stepping out. Once he handed the valet his keys and took the tag, he was at Tori’s side, escorting her into the building. Checking their coats, they entered the hotel ballroom that said ‘FBI- Winter Wonderland’.

Inside the room, both looked around. The room was
beyond amazing. There were white twinkle lights and gorgeously set tables. In the center were candles flickering and adding to the ambiance. “Yeah, this is well above the FBI budget,” said Julian.

“This is
damn impressive.”

Ginny saw the
agent and her date and promptly rushed over to greet them. “Welcome to the winter wonderland!” She gave the woman a hug and then followed suit with Julian. “How does it look?” she inquired.

“Ginny, you outdid yourself,” stated Tori.

“It wasn’t me. I just executed. This was all Mrs. B’s grand plan. We visited the site once and this is what she decided on for the party.”

Tori looked around. Who knew that the woman had her hands all over this too? “She did a great job. Is she here yet?”

“Not yet. Why don’t you get a drink and start to celebrate? The tables don’t have assignment, so you can sit anywhere you want,” she stated, rushing past them to greet more people.

“Want something to drink?” asked Julian, taking her hand in his, and waiting for her to relax.

“I really detest wine, but I think I may be forced to suck it up,” she stated, quietly. “I’m pretty laid back and prefer beer.”

Julian grinned. “Be right back,” he said, walking off and leaving her alone. Right then her whole body felt bereft. When Julian wasn’t around, she missed him.

Damn it!

Looking around,
Tori filled her time alone with taking in all the surroundings. Before he spoke or touched her, she just knew he was there behind her again. Turning, he held a beer bottle and a glass of amber liquid. “Thank you, Julian,” she said, taking the glass and tentatively sipping it. “It’s beer!”

He laughed. “Yeah, and it looks like wine, so you don’t have to stress it now,” he clinked his bottle against her glass and grinned. “
It was an easy problem to solve.”

Tori
could feel her heart flip and slip. The man was insistent of making her fall for him. “Pretty clever, Julian.”

“I try,” he said, watching her.

“Thank you for making this easier for me,” she whispered and stepped closer to his body.

Julian swallowed the beer and prayed for control. “Anything for you,
Victoria.”

She believed him, and leaned against him, kissing him softly on the lips. It had to be the stupidest thing she’d done in a long time, and Tori blamed it on the atmosphere, the dreams, and the man standing in front of her.
It couldn’t possibly be her fault, or her feelings. Could it?

Tori
knew better
.

“I told you, Callen. White twinkle lights make all the difference,” said Elizabeth, as they stood behind Tori and Julian.

Tori froze and turned slowly.

Julian began laughing, and took the woman’s hand in his protectively. “It looks amazing, Elizabeth. Who knew feisty could do
festive.”

Elizabeth
smirked at him. “Merry Christmas, Tori,” she said, hugging the woman. “Merry Christmas, Julian,” Elizabeth then embraced him too. “Come sit with us,” she said, leading them to a table off to the side.

“Are you sure?” asked Tori. “You’re the
boss; don’t you want to sit with other bosses?”

Callen took Elizabeth’s hand in his, trusting this was what she wanted, and wasn’t afraid of the blowback of them being a couple in public.

“Tonight I’m simply Elizabeth and this is my date, Callen,” she said, leaning against his body. “There are no bosses here, only people celebrating the holidays.”

Julian really liked Elizabeth. He may have given her a hard time the first time they met, but she was a genuinely good person
inside. Now, he understood why both Native men were attracted to her. Elizabeth Blackhawk had a giant heart of pure gold. Any other boss might not care about the people under her like she did.

“Can I get you a drink?” asked Callen.

“You know what, I need to say hello to some people. How about I get you a drink, my love?” she offered.

Even though his heart flipped in his chest, he covered it with trying to be funny.
“Yay, my own personal beer wench.”

Julian snickered as Callen took a rib shot. “You’d think you’d learn by now.”

Elizabeth turned, placing a kiss on his lips. “I’ll be right back,” she said, clicking away in her heels.

Callen watched her walk away, his eyes never leaving her ass the entire time. When he let out a sigh, again the other man at their table laughed. This time
Julian took the elbow to the ribs from Tori.

“Hey! I didn’t look!”

Tori admonished him. “Consider that gentle. If Elizabeth caught you checking out her ass, you’d be hanging up there with the twinkle lights.”

Julian grinned. “Yeah, I know,” and he did. He loved torturing Elizabeth.

“Julian, I need to save another seat,” Whitefox stated. “Ethan is arriving, but she doesn’t know. Can you help me pull this off without it being obvious?” he whispered, in case she was coming back.

“Can do,” he slipped out of his jacket and placed it on the chair beside him. “She’s going to be excited.”

“That word doesn’t even come close to describing it. Elizabeth is going to lose it,” he laughed. “Shhhh here she comes.”

Walking up to the table, she handed Callen his beer, still in a bottle and sipped sparkling water. As long as he didn’t drink from her glass, they’d never be the wiser. Sometimes it was tough trying to keep a secret. This one was no less difficult.

“Thank you, angel,” he said, taking her hand in hers. “Shall we make the rounds before your speech?” he asked, bringing her knuckles to his lips to kiss the ring on her finger.

“Yeah, let’s get this part done, and then we can start the fun
.” She winked at Tori. “Relax, have beer and tonight, kissy-face is most certainly allowed and expected, or I didn’t do the ambiance the right way.”

Tori watched her boss walk away. “She is nothing like you think she is. I remember thinking Elizabeth was tough and hard to deal with. Now I see it’s all a front.”

“Elizabeth is tough, but only at work.”

“Yeah, I see that now. I was so wrong about her,” Tori leaned against Julian and grinned. “I really like her.”

Now he laughed. “I completely understand. I feel pretty much the same.”

“Later I need to give her a fist bump,” she said, sipping her beer.

“Oh what for?” he inquired, curiously.

Tori laughed. “She’s sleeping with both of those men, manages her life
, FBI West and has a kid too. I want to be Elizabeth when I grow up.”

Julian growled low in her ear. “Yeah, don’t bet on shacking up with two
Native men, but the rest have at.”

She turned and looked at him
surprised, only to have him kiss her possessively. When kissing Julian, Tori tended to forgot everything around her and just went with the ease of the moment. It was nice to feel normal for a change.

Julian broke the kiss and stared into her eyes. “More beer?” he asked,
planning on getting his sexy agent tipsy for the evening.

Then his heart flipped at the idea of her being his. Quickly he escaped, in case his face gave him away.

“Julian!” she tried to protest, but he was already gone to get her another. Honestly, Tori didn’t mind, because suddenly she was thinking about her own very sexy Native man, and what the hell to do with him.

                                 *    *     *

He tried to focus, but all he was consumed with was the events the previous night. The woman was still in his thoughts and making him crazy. All he wanted to do was head back out and find another whore.

No! H
e needed to force himself to have some control. There needed to be days between them. He couldn’t let himself lose his mind and go on a killing spree.

That would be wrong.
When you didn’t plan, you were careless and made mistakes.

Just the women he picked
selectively were to die. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and he’d go back to the strip club and find the girl he wanted next.

It was like mail order catalogs. Pick the size, shape and hair color and then make her yours
; whether she liked it or not.

The excitement flowed through him, and he laid back on his bed
, mentally reviewing the whore inventory at the club. One of them may tickle his fancy.

Then he laughed out loud. Did it really matter? All he wanted was to watch the woman burn.

                                 *    *     *

Making all the rounds took time, and at each table they stopped and greeted the employees at FBI West. Callen stood by
Elizabeth’s side, smiling easily at everyone. He tried to not think about the speculative glares, but he knew they were still getting quite a few of them. First at how close they stood, and then at their joined hands. Whenever Elizabeth leaned into him, the looks were to the other people sitting around them, wondering if they saw it too.

He tried to not let it bother him, but he was more concerned for Elizabeth and her career. His own didn’t matter. He wasn’t an ambitious man wanting to move up the ladder. That was more his brother, but just being a threesome could hurt them
both in the workplace. At the squeeze of her hand, he looked down into her eyes.

Elizabeth
knew he was worried. Releasing his fingers, she wrapped her arm around his waist as they visited the remaining tables.

Elizabeth did the greeting. Many of her staff she knew well enough. They worked together at Quantico for years, and she even recalled many of their wives and husbands.

It wasn’t lost on her that as soon as she left a table, there were whispers regarding her closeness to her husband’s brother. To her it didn’t matter, but Callen was tense.

“I can let you go,” she whispered, “if you
’re uncomfortable with people gossiping,” she said. It hurt her, but she’d do it to protect his heart. Callen and Ethan’s feelings would always come first over hers. In love, that’s how you survived for the long haul.

“Lyzee, I don’t give a shit. I’m worried about you
rs and Ethan’s careers,” he whispered back. “I don’t plan on rising up the corporate ladder. I’ve peaked, but you and Ethan could go further.”

Elizabeth was upset that he was dwelling on something so unimportant. “Callen, we don’t play corporate politics, and if the deciding factor is who I’m sleeping with, then I don’t want the raise
or promotion.”

He sighed
, wishing she’d understand.

Elizabeth stood close to him and took his hands in hers. “I love you, not my job. If I had to give it up for you or Ethan tomorrow, I would. You matter. He matters. This is just my job and not what matters at the end of the day.”

Callen felt so much love for her. Slowly he gave in to it and just kissed her delicately.

Pulling away, Elizabeth knew they had gawkers. In fact, she was standing next to the table with all her techs and doctors. “Hello Chris,” she said, not even having to look over. “
Do you have a smart comment? Because I can still kick your ass in heels.”

He laughed, because she just knew he was going there.
Chris wondered if she could run in those shoes if he had to escape.

Elizabeth turned and faced the table. Tony Magnus was there alone, as was Christina, but Chris Leonard wasn’t. “Cyra, it’s a pleasure to see you at our
party. Thank you for coming,” she said, hugging her and then moving on to her staff. “Merry Christmas, Chris,” she said, patting his cheek.

“Merry Christmas, Lyzee,” he greeted her back.

Elizabeth went to Tony and hugged him too. “Merry Christmas, Tony. How are you?” she asked.

“I’m great, Lyzee,” he answered, clinking his beer bottle off her wine glass. “Great party!”

She smiled. “Tomorrow we have work. Don’t be too shitfaced. Or I’m bringing in a marching band to serenade you nonstop.”

Tony laughed, knowing she probably already had their names and numbers in her phone
, ready to go. Their boss was sadistic like that.

Elizabeth shifted her focus to Christina, and offered her a fist bump, because she saw the first tattoo covering a burn on her arm. “
Very nice tattoo!”

“Very hot, Christina,” stated Callen, grinning.

“Thanks, but man do they hurt!” she stated, patting the tattoo on her arm. But they made her feel better than the hideous burns the explosion left.

“After the fifth or
sixth, you stop thinking about the pain,” answered Callen.

“How many do you have
, Director?” she asked, sipping her wine and trying not to flush in heat, as she lusted after the man. Elizabeth probably wouldn’t kick her ass, but why risk it.

“It’s
Callen tonight and I have around ten, but we all know which one is my favorite,” he snickered, because it was the one with Lyzee’s initials. In Cypress Grove, Elizabeth tricked him into taking off his shirt and becoming Christina’s lust monkey.

“He’s a wuss; Ethan has double that plus some,” she replied, teasing him back.

“You should talk. You have three.”

Elizabeth punched him. “Yeah, but one of those is my whole damn back. You have a scattering of them. When you get
a back tattoo, then talk to me.”

Everyone at the table laughed.

“Have a good time at the party.” Elizabeth led Callen away and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Cyra watched her walk away. “So she’s in a relationship with two men?”

Chris wouldn’t have answered, since he believed in protecting his friend, but she was just kissing him in public. That kind of let the cat out of the bag. “Yeah, she’s married to Ethan, and I guess engaged to Callen. They wear matching rings.”

“That’s very bizarre
and crazy.”

Tony spoke up
coming to Elizabeth’s defense. If anything, both men were loyal, and Tony didn’t care if his friend was trying to attract the woman. “Hardly at all, Detective. In many Native American societies, the braves married the same woman. Usually they were brothers. I really wish they’d let me study them. I could be published in the American Anthropological Journal.”

“I
don’t see the purpose,” she stated uncomfortably. Cyra grew up in a household with a mom and dad, and nothing out of the ordinary. The normal family and she was glad.

“Love
is the purpose,” said Christina. “Wait until you see her with Ethan. It’s definitely love, and I’m jealous as hell,” she added, laughing. “The boss didn’t find it once, but twice.”

Tony snorted. “You think Elizabeth doesn’t know that, Christina? I see the twinkle she gets tormenting you.”

The head lab tech grinned. “Yeah, just like I get warm and fuzzy thinking about Ethan and Callen.”

Chis changed the subject
fast, suddenly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. “Another drink, Cyra?” he asked, glancing over at his date. “There’s the company toast, and then we get to start partying.

“Okay,” she said, still watching Elizabeth with the other director.
Yeah, she still didn’t get it, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to either.

Elizabeth and Callen stood in the center of the dance floor and she whistled. Most of the staff went absolutely silent, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“I promise, you won’t hear that again tonight, but tomorrow all bets are off for anyone at work.”

There was laughter.

“Callen and I would like to welcome you to our annual Christmas party. Ethan wishes he could be here, but duty called at Quantico, and he couldn’t get back in time. I know he’s disappointed to not be here with you. He sends his holiday greetings and well wishes for all of you and your loved ones.”

She took Whitefox’s hand in hers
, answering any of the speculation that may still be circulating.

“
Since the induction of FBI West, we’ve had an end of the year bash to celebrate a few things. First there is the success of a job well done. Without all of you working your asses off, we wouldn’t have the assignment closure rate we have. So for that alone, we thank you all! You make us look really good, and that is appreciated. How you pull it off, we don’t know and honestly, if it involves spells, magic, ritual sacrifice, keep it up and don’t tell us. What we don’t know will keep us out of jail.”

There was clapping and more laughter.

“The second thing we always like to take the time to remember is the team members that can’t be with us here tonight. We lost a couple agents in the field this year. So at this time, please let’s take a moment of silence to never forget the ultimate sacrifice they made for us and the risk we all take when we walk out the door and head to work.”

The entire room went silent
for a moment.

Elizabeth continued. “Tonight is about being alive and happy. Everyone eat, drink and be merry! For those of you working tomorrow,
drink responsibly. You know what a sadistic bitch I will be if you tie one on tonight and come to work hung-over.”

The laughter was even louder.

“Merry Christmas to the baddest ass FBI team in the whole damn world!” she proclaimed, holding up her glass of sparkling water. “To everyone we call our family and friends and to seeing you here next year for another celebration. Salute!”

Everyone began clinking glasses and drinking.

“Now, let the official FBI party begin!”

The music went on, and the fun started.

“That was an awesome toast, angel,” he said, seeing his brother moving through the crowd.

“I wish Ethan was here too,” she
stated .

Callen kissed her cheek. “I have a present for you,” he said, looking into her beautiful blue eyes.

“Yeah?”

Callen pointed across the dance floor.

“Ethan?” she said, eyes filling with tears, as she started towards him.