Love & Deception (Agents in Love - Book 1) (12 page)

Carlie nodded. “If I wasn’t in so much pain,
I might argue with you about what I need.”

Nick groaned, feeling himself getting
semi-rigid at the thought of her in that bed, ready and willing.
“You’re killing me, Carlie. Really. I’m going out to the couch now.
Who knows when I’ll get to sleep.”

“Sorry.” She didn’t sound particularly
chastised.

“Never apologize for being sexy. You can’t
help it.” Forcing himself to leave before he changed his mind, Nick
switched off the lights and closed the door.

Paul would probably still be awake, getting
ready for the flight to Washington D.C. in the morning, but Nick
didn’t want to call him. If S.A.T.O. investigated Carlie because of
her connection to Maharla and not terrorists, Nick might still have
trouble.

He sank onto the couch, allowing himself to
relive every sweet moment of their kiss. Fighting his growing
attraction to Carlie was impossible. When he believed she was a
terrorist, it had been just barely manageable. He’d told himself
she was a beautiful woman on the outside with a rotten heart, just
like so many he’d known before. Finding out the inside was actually
more beautiful crushed his willpower. He cared for her.

She wasn’t safe. Paul had been willing to
almost kill her in an effort to get Nick into her inner circle.
There had to be a reason, and he didn’t think it was because
S.A.T.O. wanted to do anything good to her.

Nick could probably figure out the problem
with the assassins and get her away from them, even if it meant
personally flying to Africa to provide her parents with a safe
phone that was actually safe. However, if Nick was going to save
her from the United States government, he had to figure out what it
was they were really after. If just her death would suffice, Paul
could have completed this mission long before he ever brought Nick
into the fold.

If they knew who she really was and this
wasn’t about her being a terrorist, there had to be a reason Paul
and the President wanted her trust. Figuring out why they wanted
her—while keeping Carlie alive and not provoking Paul’s ire—would
take all the skill Nick possessed.

Maybe more.

Carlie woke to sunlight streaming through
the window. It took a few seconds to get her bearings and remember
what happened. Actually, considering the beating she took, the pain
wasn’t as bad as expected. Then again, she hadn’t moved yet.

The bathroom door opened and Nick walked
out, rubbing a towel through his wet hair. He had on a pair of
jeans, but nothing else. Hard muscles defined his chest and arms,
every bit as sexy as she imagined when stroking his torso last
night. His stomach formed a rigid six-pack. Nick’s skin glistened
in the sunlight, and all Carlie could think about was rubbing her
hands all over it.

Maybe while kissing him again.

The kiss last night had been short and left
her longing for more. It was satisfying to know Nick didn’t trust
himself to behave if he stayed in the room, but it would have been
nice to cuddle. She liked being with him.

He glanced at the bed and caught her
watching him. A sexy grin lit his face as he tossed the towel down
and ran his fingers through his dark hair.

“Good morning, beautiful.” The deep rumble
of his voice sent chills racing down her spine.

She struggled into a sitting position,
feeling pain in places she hadn’t known muscles existed. “Morning.”
Her voice sounded gravely and talking flared pain throughout her
neck muscles. “Not sure about the good part yet.”

Nick crossed the room and sat on the edge of
the bed, putting his hand beneath her chin and lifting upward.
Carlie tipped her head back, wondering if he would kiss her again,
though quickly realized he inspected her bruises.

After a few seconds, he released her chin.
“I should go finish the bastard off.”

It felt nice having him want revenge for her
injuries, but that wouldn’t solve anything. “How about you do
something better than that?”

“What?”

“Teach me those defenses we talked about
over dinner.”

Nick nodded. “As long as you’re up to it.
Maybe we should wait until you’re not so sore.”

“Moving will help ease the stiffness, as
much as it doesn’t sound like fun.” She looked down at herself,
remembering she only wore underwear and Nick’s t-shirt.
“Ummm...maybe you could take me home so I can get fresh clothes
first?”

“We should probably practice at your house
anyway. The people staying downstairs wouldn’t appreciate the noise
of us throwing each other around.”

Even if it was on the bed?

Warmth crept up her cheeks. Fortunately,
there were so many different colors on her face, Nick probably
couldn’t tell the difference. She barely knew him, yet her
attraction was strong. Never before had her thoughts gone
immediately to the bedroom like they did with Nick.

He raised an eyebrow. “What’s that little
grin all about?”

Oops.
She shrugged. “It’ll be good to
have you teach me.”

“Really? That’s all you were thinking
about?” He licked his lips, and his eyes dipped to her chest
briefly. “I was thinking how hard it’s going to be to keep my mind
on training.”

Carlie knew the ‘little grin’ probably
spread across her face again. “That too.”

“Good to know it’s not just me.” Nick stood
up. “Why don’t you get into a hot shower and loosen your muscles?
I’ll order breakfast.”

Her stomach rumbled at the mention of food
and they both laughed. “I guess I’m hungry.”

“It’s been a while since dinner,” he agreed.
“By the way, I sent your clothes to the laundry. They should be
back soon, but I think the sweater might be beyond repair. At least
you’ll have pants to wear over to your house.”

He thought of everything, it seemed.
“Thanks. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m not normally so
needy, I promise.”

Opening a drawer, Nick pulled out a gray
t-shirt and pulled it over his head. Although Carlie was sad to see
his muscles blocked from view, maybe it would make it easier to
think about training instead of how long it had been since she
spent alone time with a man—at least, a man she wanted to be close
to.

He faced her. “You’re not being needy. I
know you’re independent, Carlie. I’m not trying to take that from
you, but I hope there’s room for another person in your life. I’d
like to continue seeing you.”

“Even with all my troubles?” She hadn’t
wanted to think about whether or not he changed his mind
overnight.

He winked. “Danger’s my middle name. I
thrive on excitement.”

She laughed again, surprised at how happy
that made her feel. Maybe she could have a normal life, if she
could figure out how to outsmart the assassins. “Let’s keep things
a tad less exciting than last night.”

“Or at least exciting for different
reasons.” A lopsided grin curved half his face.

That made her worry, actually. “Is it safe
to go back to my house? What if Stephen’s waiting?” She paused,
shaking her head. “Or someone else?”

“I’m not going to leave you alone. Besides,
I think Stephen will stay away from us.”

She wished she felt as certain as he seemed
to. “What if the people who hired him are waiting for me?”

He crossed the room and put his arm around
her, squeezing gently. “I don’t want to worry you, but Stephen
knows I’m the one who stopped him last night. If they decide to
come after you, they’ll probably look here second.”

Carlie couldn’t stop the tremor that spread
through her body. “I didn’t think of that.”

Leaning in, Nick placed a soft, lingering
kiss on her lips. “I’m not going to let them get to you. You’re
safe with me. I promise.”

Nodding, she tried to put a brave face on.
“I trust you, but I
am
afraid. In the past, I’ve always run
when they found me. Staying is pretty frightening.”

“If they come back, I’ll deal with it.” He
stood and clapped his hands together. “Now that we’ve got that out
of the way, do you like your eggs scrambled or over easy?”

She couldn’t help but smile. If Nick decided
not to worry about the assassins, she’d have to trust he had things
under control. “Scrambled would be wonderful.”

Carlie watch as he left the room. She wasn’t
sure if the little blossom of hope growing in her chest was good or
not. Part of the reason she never had many relationships after Ryan
was because she never knew when she’d have to run. That meant
dropping anyone she became attached to. Now she had the business,
new friends, and something starting with Nick that felt right. When
he looked at her, she was sure he felt something too.

But hope was a fragile, delicate creature.
Her enemies could snatch everything away in an instant.

***

Nick ordered breakfast after Carlie went
into the bathroom. He needed to call Paul, but hopefully the boss
was in the air so Nick could leave a message.

A knock sounded on the door and Nick
answered, accepting Carlie’s clothes and his jacket before handing
the maid a tip. He walked to the bedroom, laying the clothing on
the unmade bed. Carlie’s slacks and sweater actually looked okay,
but his jacket was beyond salvation. Dark stains covered the
sleeves. Nick hung it in the closet so it wouldn’t upset her
again.

After Carlie finally turned on the shower,
Nick knew he couldn’t put off the phone call any longer. He stepped
into the sitting room.

The phone only rang once. “Hello?”

Damn.
“Hey, boss. Checking in. I
wanted to let you know Carlie didn’t say what I expected to hear
last night. She explained where she came from and why she just
popped in out of nowhere, however.”

“What’s her story?”

Nick quickly relayed the information about
her marriage and the Prince’s subsequent murder, curious what
Paul’s reaction would be. “So I don’t think there’s a reason for us
to investigate her, sir.”

“That’ll be for the President to decide,”
Paul barked, irritation clear in his voice. “Months I’ve spent with
agents on this investigation. If it was all for nothing...”

“About that.” Nick sucked in a breath,
wondering how foolhardy it was to make demands, but knowing he had
to. “Stephen Chance is going to stay away from the target. I don’t
want any other agents near her, ruining my chances if the President
thinks we need more information.” That sounded plausible at least.
Hopefully Paul bought it.

He grunted. “Stephen won’t bother her, but I
also promised you wouldn’t take repercussion against him.”

The swelling and dark marks across Carlie’s
face and neck turned Nick’s stomach. He couldn’t let her be abused
like that again. “If your boy stays away, I’ll honor that.” He
paused, struggling to control his voice and show no emotion. “But
since it’s my job to make the target trust me, I’ll have to do
something if he comes around again.”

“Agreed.”

That was easier than Nick thought it would
be. Either Stephen wasn’t important to the organization, or the
boss was pissed he didn’t obey orders.

“Stay with her for now,” Paul decided. “I’ll
check out her story and speak with the committee to see what they
want us to do. If she is truly a princess hunted by assassins, we
may want to keep an eye on her anyway.”

“Fine. I’ll stick to the original plan until
I hear differently.”

The phone went dead in his ear and Nick
tossed it onto the coffee table. It made him nervous, wondering
what S.A.T.O. might have in store for Carlie. If the government
already knew who she was, what did they want from her? Paul seemed
surprised and upset by the information. If he already knew, he was
a better actor than Nick figured.

The only thing he knew for sure was his time
with Carlie was limited. He tried to tell himself that was okay,
that he didn’t feel a connection with her. She was a target, just
like any other job.

It was sad. As good a liar as he was to
everyone else in his life as a spy, Nick couldn’t lie to his own
heart.

***

Carlie walked into the bedroom, wrapped in
the scratchy hotel-room towel, to find her clothing on the bed.
Though she tried to dress quickly, stiffness slowed her motions to
a crawl. While practicing defenses sounded like a good idea,
perhaps a day of rest was in order.

She threw her towel on the floor with Nick’s
and smoothed her hair down before walking into the sitting
room.

Nick sat on the couch. Aromas from the food
cart next to him caused her stomach to grumble again. He glanced up
and smiled. “Feel better?”

After picking her way carefully across the
floor, Carlie sat gingerly next to him. “Actually, worse.”

Nick nodded as though he expected that all
along. “We’ll put off training until tomorrow.” He grabbed a plate
off the cart and handed it to her. It was loaded with bacon,
sausage, scrambled eggs, and toast. “Is this okay?”

“Perfect,” she assured him.

They ate without talking much, hungry after
the eventful night. Carlie darted glances at him under the cover of
eating, wondering if he changed his mind while she was in the
shower. Asking him to protect her from something so huge...it felt
like too much.

Nick opened a bottle of ibuprofen once they
finished eating and shook out two pills, handing them to her with a
new bottle of water. “These should help the pain some. I wish I
could do more.”

Swallowing them, she shook her head. “You’re
doing more than enough.” She wanted to ask him if he was sure about
helping her, but bit her tongue. He said he wanted to, and she
needed him.

Nick cleared their dishes, and then pulled a
fresh icepack from his basket of supplies. He shook it before
handing it to her. “Maybe we can spend today watching TV and
visiting while you rest. There’s a lot I’d like to know about you.”
He raised his eyebrows with another grin. “And maybe a little more
kissing wouldn’t hurt your bruises too much?”