Our Little Secret (34 page)

Damn. Drew blew through the next light.

Traffic was light this close to midnight. Swerving around an SUV, Drew spared a glance at Chapman. The agent’s mouth was set in a grim line as he reached for his seatbelt. Drew had a feeling the detour to Georgetown wasn’t going to go over well. Maybe he should just call Lauren to reassure himself.

“Turn here,” Chapman ordered. “We’re going to Georgetown.”

Cold knifed into him, then twisted in his gut. The emergency was in Georgetown.

“What happened?” he demanded.

He felt Chapman’s gaze from the passenger seat. “Look, I might be wrong. It could be nothing.”

If that was meant to be reassuring, it didn’t work. Drew knew enough about the methodical, organized Chapman to know the agent didn’t react like this to “nothing.”

“
Goddamn it.
” Drew growled.
“What’s wrong?”

“The fax.” Chapman brandished the wrinkled
paper he’d tossed on the seat next to him. “Our guy has spent all his time working in the identity theft department. He’s only had contact with one high-level official since he returned to work. And it’s a name that shows up repeatedly on Marlow’s résumé.”

They did it. They’d found the common denominator, the one person most likely to have selected the agents to aid him with the blackmail scheme.

Drew eased up on the accelerator until the car slowed to ninety, then took his eyes off the road long enough look at Chapman.

Chapman’s lip curled with distaste. “Senator Pierson.”

Drew swore. And floored it.

Pierson’s hand on her thigh made her skin crawl right through her robe. She jumped to her feet, tightening the flimsy belt as she did. “This is terribly inappropriate, entertaining company in my robe. If you’ll give me a moment, I’ll just go put some clothes on.”

She started toward the stairs, but a tug on the end of her belt reeled her back like a leash. “I disagree. You’ll be a lot more entertaining in your robe. Sit.” He patted the couch beside him and pulled on her arm firmly enough that she had to either sit or fall into his lap. She sat.

He was too close and his hand was back on her leg, just above her knee. It might have been a fatherly gesture if not for the avaricious gleam in the senator’s eyes. She wanted to slap his hand away, but had a bad feeling it would only be a signal to play rough.

She cleared her throat and steadied herself so her voice wouldn’t shake. “Senator, what’s going on?”

“What does it look like, Lauren? We’re finally
getting to know each other without your watchdog getting in the way.”

Watchdog? “You mean Drew?”

“Nice boy but a bit too possessive. Too bad his father didn’t teach him to share.”

She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but his hand had begun massaging her thigh. She reacted, pushing his hand away and smoothing her robe with short, nervous strokes. “You’ve been, uh, sharing with Senator Creighton?”

“Let’s just say he never seemed to mind when I dated his ex-girlfriends. Harlan’s not the possessive type.” His hand settled back on her leg, a little closer to her inner thigh than before.

Too many things were wrong with this situation. She lifted his hand this time, setting it firmly on his own thigh while giving him a direct look. “I thought you were married.”

He chuckled. “I know you’re not that naive, Lauren. Your sister certainly isn’t. But don’t worry about my wife causing problems. She’s glad I have my little distractions.”

“Ah. Thank you for clearing that up.” Oh God, what had Meg been doing? She remembered how Pierson had made no secret of his attraction to Meg, but she’d thought it was all a flirtatious act. “Senator, I’m not like Meg.” It was easy to make her voice firm when she was this sincere. “Not at all.”

His lips curved up. “That’s good to hear.” His voice was silky, and his mouth close enough for her to smell the nicotine on his breath. “Meg’s a tease, always putting me off. She’s been making me wait for too long. I’m glad to hear you’re not like that.” His hand
was back, sliding into the curve of her thigh, as far as the robe permitted him to go.

Even without touching her skin, the move was far too intimate. She bolted from the couch like a horse from the starting gate, thinking fast. The only option was to play along until she could devise a way out.

She faced him, eyes hooded, smile deliberately calculating. Stalling. “I’m beginning to understand, Senator. So let’s set some ground rules.”

“The only rule is I’m in charge, and I’m going to fuck your brains out.”

Her heart lurched and her mouth went dry. It was hard to think when he said stuff like that but talking was better than doing. “Oh, yeah. Talk dirty to me.” She lowered her voice to a confidential whisper. “Tell me what you’re going to do.”

“I just did. Now let’s do it.”

A city full of blowhard politicians and she got the one man of action. Her mind was frantically clawing for escape when the cell phone on the table beside her startled her with a loud ring. Before Pierson could stop her, she snatched it up. “Hello?”

“Lauren! Thank God!” The relief in Drew’s voice was a contrast to Pierson’s scowl. The senator didn’t seem to like her being on the phone, which was all the more reason to stay on it.

“Hi, Jeff,” she sang out happily. “I was hoping you’d call.” She thought Pierson relaxed marginally, his eyes showing a flicker of suspicion.

Several seconds of silence crackled over the cell phone while she prayed Drew had enough confidence in her to know something was wrong.

“Is Senator Pierson in the room with you?”

“That’s right!” She smiled brightly, hoping Pierson couldn’t detect her sigh of relief. She couldn’t hide the nervous edge in her voice, but maybe that was a good thing. “How did you know?”

Pierson watched intently. She rolled her eyes for his benefit and mouthed, “My boyfriend,” as if slightly embarrassed to have one. His eyes narrowed, and she realized that making him think help was nearby could make it hard to stall him. “In Michigan,” she added, hoping distance would ease his mind.

“Renke told us about Pierson coming over. I know you’re alone with him.” She listened through another pause and realized Drew was choosing his words carefully. “Is everything okay there?”

Smiling at Pierson, she told Drew, “No, not at all!”

Drew swore. “Has he hurt you?”

“No.” She heard the blare of a horn followed by a screech that sounded like a car braking too fast. Chapman swore loudly in the background, making Lauren’s heart race.

“We identified the other agent,” Drew said, his voice as steady as if nothing had happened. “And there was only one official both agents had worked for—Pierson. We think he’s the blackmailer. I’ll bet he’s the guy who tried to run us down outside the embassy, too.”

“That’s not surprising.” She didn’t know how to explain herself in front of Pierson. They’d obviously misjudged him, but it didn’t seem like the blackmailer would tell them about Senator McNabb.

“Honey, I think he’s been using us to find them, but now we’re getting too many people involved and he has to stop it.”

She bit her lip and glanced at the Senator. “Oh.” Oh
God. Suddenly Pierson’s phone call about Renke and the others being on their way, and his constant clock watching, took on new meaning. “Yeah, I think you’re right about that, honey.”

Pierson watched her closely. Every part of her. His gaze made a leisurely trip down the center of her terrycloth robe, all the way down to her bare feet. He might be the blackmailer, but she was certain that right now his crime of choice was adultery.

Pierson was fit and barely past fifty. She had no hope of fending him off if it came to force. Playing along would be risky, but it might keep him under control until one of the five men who’d been so determined to protect her showed up.

Stalling wouldn’t be enough. She could only think of one course of action, and it scared the shit out of her. Forcing a nonchalance she didn’t feel, Lauren sat on the arm of the sofa across from the Senator and crossed her legs. The robe fell open, revealing her bare legs from the upper thigh down. Pierson’s gaze fell and stayed there. She pretended not to notice his interest as she listened to Drew.

“Lauren, listen carefully, but don’t be scared. If we’re right, sending the others away was probably a trap. He needs to get rid of them in a way that won’t be connected to him.”

“Can’t you do anything about that?” She tried to make it sound like an unsightly mole that should be removed rather than three men who were most likely driving into an ambush.

“We’re working on it.” She could hear the frustration in his voice, and for a moment she felt bad for the
situation Drew was in, torn between crises in two different directions. But just for a moment. She had her own crisis to worry about.

“Okay, honey.”

“Look, I don’t want to alarm you. You may be safe. He’s probably waiting for a call telling him they’ve been taken care of. Until that happens I don’t think he’ll touch you.”

“I don’t agree.”

Pierson looked at his watch, then checked the signal strength on his phone. Letting him get restless was not good. Swinging her leg, she allowed the robe to shift, exposing more thigh and giving Pierson a view that stopped a bare inch from her panties. He stared intently. He seemed to enjoy taking a good, long look before touching. In Drew, she would have appreciated it. In Pierson, it was disgusting. But the longer she kept him watching, the longer she avoided his hands on her.

“You don’t agree with what?” Drew was stuck on her last response. “That it was a trap?” When she didn’t answer, he tried again. “That he’s waiting for a call? That he won’t touch you?”

“That’s the one,” she told him.

“If that bastard lays one hand on you, I’ll kill him.” She heard a deep breath followed by one long exhalation as Drew made an attempt at control. “I’m calling for help.”

Lauren imagined the police arriving with sirens blaring. Afraid of pushing the senator into a violent reaction, she said, “That sounds noisy.” Scrunching her nose at Pierson, Lauren whispered, “He’s in a rock band. Very noisy.”

“Right,” Drew said. “No sirens.”

Pierson lifted his gaze, locking it on hers. Deliberately, he licked his lips. Lauren nearly gagged.

The last two inches of thigh must have been too much. He rose suddenly, walked to the window, and pulled the drapes closed. Then walked to the next window and closed those too.

Making her voice cheery, Lauren said, “So when will I see you again?”

“Fifteen minutes,” Drew growled. “Less if I can help it.”

She estimated Pierson to be ahead of Drew’s schedule.

“Lauren, Chapman’s calling for more agents right now. They’ll probably get there sooner than I can.”

Finished with the drapes, Pierson stood in front of her, close enough that her bare leg touched his pants. “Tell him you have to go now,” Pierson growled.

She could refuse, but he looked prepared to enforce his order. “I have to go now, Jeff,” she said brightly. “I’ll see you soon.”

Tires squealed through the phone again. Drew’s grim voice said, “Damn right you will, sweetheart.”

“Hang up,” Pierson ordered.

Playing along was harder when he towered over her and every instinct told her to fight or run, neither of which would work. She took a shaky breath and smiled as if nothing were wrong, as if he weren’t standing close enough to hear her heart hammering beneath her breast.

“’Bye,” she said into the phone and disconnected. It felt like standing on the deck of the
Titanic
and throwing away the last life preserver. She was on her own.

Pierson took the phone from her hand and put it in his pocket. “We don’t want any more interruptions.”
His finger traced the edge of her robe from the collar to between her breasts. “Do we,” he added, not making it a question.

“Mmm,” Lauren hummed, because her mouth had gone so dry with fear she couldn’t form words. Time to kick up the action if he was going to believe her.

Gerald had told her how to win against Arrogant Government Assholes, and Pierson certainly fit the definition. All she had to do was play by his rules. But since Pierson’s rules seemed to include having sex with him, winning this one was going to require a lot of risk. And a lot of confidence.

She never would have attempted it before knowing Drew. But he’d given her something Jeff never had; he’d made her feel desirable. Sexy. Confident of her ability to drive a man insane with lust, then satisfy him to the point of exhaustion. She just needed to trust her instincts.

Sitting on the arm of the sofa put her at eye level with Pierson’s tie. Taking a deep breath, Lauren pasted on a smile and made herself stroke the tie, because that was far better than stroking him. “I don’t think there will be any more interruptions.”

“I’ll make sure of that.” He didn’t stop her from fondling his tie, but he watched her skeptically.

She lifted her gaze and came embarrassingly close to batting her lashes. “Sooo,” she crooned, “what kind of women do you like, Senator? Adventurous? Dominant? Submissive?” None of the above was probably too much to hope for.

“Which kind are you?” Dodging the question, typical politician.

“Maybe I’m whatever kind you want me to be,” she purred.

That sparked enough interest to make her regret leaving the choice up to him. “Willing and ready would be nice.” He fondled her hair with a thoughtful expression. “But not necessary.”

That about covered it all. She tried not to flinch from his hand as it brushed her cheek. “Willing and ready is easy. I was hoping we could get together from the first moment I saw you,” she murmured.

“Were you.” It was too cynical to be a question.

“I even fantasized about it. But not on a couch. I was thinking a bed might be better, and there’s several to choose from upstairs.”

“Honey, I hope you weren’t planning on the standard missionary position. There’s a lot you can do on a couch. I’ll show you.”

His leer sent her stomach into free fall, and she sincerely hoped this little stunt didn’t ruin her appetite for any of the plans she had for inventive sex with Drew. “It’s not so much the position I was thinking of. It’s the toys.”