Redeem My Heart (10 page)

Ryland didn’t have to feign being anyone else but himself with Fallon. That was one of the many reasons he found her so attractive intellectually. No one he’d ever encountered in a sexual nature knew anything about his previous vocation. He played the game and said what needed to be said in order to close the deal. Fallon Canna was unlike any other woman he’d ever met and he was fascinated with her need to ascertain a valid excuse for his career choices. Right when he had started to believe it was to soothe her fear of being attracted to such a man, she faced him head-on with her self-confident nature. She didn’t fear him the way she should like most people did once his true nature was revealed.

“Would you answer me a question without your usual flippant answer or giving me this bullshit runaround?” Fallon asked in such a dismal tone that Ryland became immediately on alert.

“That would depend on the question.” Ryland would never place himself in a position of vulnerability and there was no doubt that whoever was in the other residence had access to parabolic listening devices. “I believed we had pretty much covered everything during our initial interviews.”

“Have you ever loved?” Fallon’s question halted them both. She turned slowly to face him, the wind carrying the loose strands of her hair forward and framing her tilted chin. Her blue inquisitive eyes were visible in the moonlight. “Have you ever felt so deeply for someone or something that you were physically aware of the effects?”

Ryland paused before answering, wanting to give Fallon what she desired but not willing to flat out lie to her. She’d gone to tremendous lengths to help him, notwithstanding the reasoning behind her motives, and he wouldn’t be false to her now. He raised a hand, using two fingers to tenderly brush away her hair. He would have given her what she needed if it had been in his power.

“I wish I could tell you I have, but that would be a lie.” Ryland trailed his fingers down her arm, enjoying the softness of her sweater. He had no doubt her skin would be smoother. Once he had a hold of her hand, he brought it up slowly to his lips and gently pressed a kiss to the back of her fingers. “Have you ever truly loved someone like that in your lifetime, Fallon? You know you shouldn’t be here with me, trying to be my savior. There is nothing to salvage of my immortal soul. Your devotion is something an honorable man would appreciate. I am damned to my very own personal bevy of demons.”

“You do actually appreciate what I’m doing here, Travis,” Fallon said confidently. Ryland tried his best not to clench his teeth or show any other sign of irritation at the use of his name. He wasn’t that teenage boy anymore and she couldn’t make it so no matter how often she said the name aloud. “Do you know how I am certain of that?”

“I’m sure you’ll explain it to me,” Ryland murmured, his eyes drifting down to her natural pink lips. He’d waited a long time to claim them and since she’d not heeded his warnings…there was no reason to wait.

“You would have left by now if you didn’t.”

Fallon had a point, but Ryland wasn’t about to get into semantics. He stepped closer and recognized with a small smile the fact that she didn’t back away. Her searching blue eyes remained on his and he found he didn’t want to waste this time allotted to them. The uncertainty of the next minute was what he was used to and that hadn’t changed all because he’d gone into retirement…and especially since this might be his one chance to get back into the profession that defined him.

“Say my name,” Ryland instructed quietly, waiting for Fallon to follow through with his demand. He needed to know she was fully aware of who was about to kiss her. “Tell me who is standing in front of you now at this moment.”

Fallon obstinately pressed her lips together, finally realizing where Ryland was heading with this. She slowly shook her head until he’d gently cupped her face within his hands. He stared at her bottom lip as it ultimately parted in response to his touch. She couldn’t fight this attraction between them, which told him she’d cave.

“Say it.”

“Ryland,” Fallon whispered, and yet there was a defiance within her voice that told him she thought that wouldn’t be the case at a later point. She was beginning to frustrate him to the point he felt something in his chest he couldn’t quite put a name to. He didn’t like that doubt. There was only one thing to do. “Go ahead.”

Fallon’s words gave him pause and he slowly shook his head at the boldness she expressed. She was such a paradox that he wanted to understand. Ryland slowly lowered his head, watching her closely as he brushed his lips gently across hers. She was so still and yet he could hear the slight gasp when he leisurely touched her lower lip with his tongue. It was pure electricity and he realized then that there was no stopping what was about to happen. He deepened their kiss and watched as her long lashes drifted closed. What ethereal thoughts were going through her mind?

Ryland savored the richness of her taste that must have been leftover from the red wine she’d been drinking. It was mixed with her own sweet flavor and she would cause him to become addicted to her if he wasn’t careful. He slid his fingers up into her silky hair, angling her head to gain better access to her. Her lips melded perfectly with his and he’d never known something of such pure delight before. It dawned on him that she would be the one to speed his demise. It was bittersweet, but he would damn well enjoy its duality while he could.

“We should return to the relative privacy of the house,” Ryland murmured against her lips as he gradually pulled away. A stream of satisfaction ran through his blood when her fingers tightened their hold on his wrists. She’d held onto him as he’d taken them away from reality, if only for a brief moment. He would do far more than that if she was so inclined. “Crest has most certainly been alerted to our illicit behavior by those that are currently observing us.”

Fallon glanced toward the house in the distance before inhaling deeply and pulling away. She didn’t appear in the least bit apologetic for what they’d just shared and he was surprised she hadn’t tensed, waiting for just that reaction. It was so unlike him, but he wouldn’t waste time thinking about it further. She turned her brown leather boots on the sand and resumed walking back toward her family’s summer home, her arms not in the defensive pose they had been before.

“What I choose to do or not do in my personal life is none of Crest’s business,” Fallon stated after having cleared her throat. Ryland slipped his hands into the pockets of his khakis as she continued to explain her position. “I won’t deny that there are agents positioned around the property, but it’s for our collective safety. I can imagine you don’t believe that, but it’s true all the same.”

Ryland didn’t reply right away, still enjoying the remnants of the intimate moment they’d shared. Fallon was still obviously affected, which pleased him greatly. He looked out over the churning waves to see the lights of a third boat that had joined the previous two, but this one was farther offshore by at least a few miles. He quickly went through the list of whom or what government agency it might be, but the list was too long. It might plainly be a change of shifts and nothing more, but even that held its own importance as he glanced at his platinum Rolex Daytona Perpetual Cosmograph.

“Are you telling me I could simply leave here tonight without consequence should I so desire?” Ryland asked, more to keep the conversation going while he surveyed the immediate area. That didn’t mean he wasn’t curious as to what her answer might be. “I understand Luxemburg is nice this time of year. I just happen to enjoy a firsthand relationship with the Grand Duke.”

“You won’t leave.” Fallon surprised him with her declaration and he glanced away from the horizon to focus on her arched eyebrow. Had she perfected that in the mirror at an early age? She gave him a sideways look and smiled. “We’ve peaked your curiosity after what you heard here today. I could sense that you were surprised by the fact that Gene Cyril was still alive and the fact that he’d chosen now as the time to reveal himself. You want answers, but pushing you won’t gain the team what we need in return.”

“Which explains why you want me to look over those files to point out whom I might have dealt with back during that fateful deployment period,” Ryland finished for her, shaking his head at her fortitude. “I was thinking of utilizing the rest of the evening getting to know you better.”

“In a physical sense, you mean?” Fallon asked, taking the first step up to the back deck. She took another until she was eye level with him and then turned, ensuring that he was listening. “I’m sure it will happen eventually, but I currently have some important emails to return. Let me know if you find time to further study those dossiers. Tomorrow would sure go a lot smoother if you were to have properly reviewed them and given us the answers that we need.”

“In other words, you’re holding off having sex with me until you’re confident that I didn’t act of my own volition.” Ryland shook his head at her folly and then slowly smiled, watching her pupils dilate in the moonlight at his soft laugh. “I wonder how long we’ll both last when you realize just how mistaken you’ve been.”

Chapter Eight

F
allon was keenly aware of the silence that reigned throughout the house as she made her way downstairs after having showered following her morning run on the beach. It had been a little cold and it wouldn’t be long before she was using the workout facilities downstairs due to the weather. Her day never started out right without her daily exercise routine and she wasn’t about to curse the upcoming day without it, considering this day’s importance. She’d reached the bottom step when the front door popped opened to reveal Townes.

“Good morning,” Townes said quietly, his eyes drifting up behind her. Did he think that Ryland had been upstairs with her last night? She had to admit her surprise when she discovered his suitcases in her closet, but he never attempted to come into the room last night after she’d retired. She wasn’t sure where he’d slept, even though she’d searched the upstairs before her run. Every comforter had appeared in place. “Crest will be here shortly. He had a video conference meeting he couldn’t postpone.”

Fallon didn’t even think to question the comings and goings of Crest. He’d sent multiple emails keeping her up-to-date on the search of Dane Moza and Gene Cyril, unfortunately revealing nothing to date. It appeared that both men had once again fallen off of the radar sans any real leads. Those two weren’t technically as important as locating the person or agency in charge of reinitiating E.D.A.

“Did you get enough rest last night?” Fallon asked, finally stepping onto the wide landing of the double staircase. She’d noticed that he’d stayed downstairs last night as well and she figured he’d slept in the living room from the way the pillows on the sofa had a head-sized indentation. Another clue was that the hardback book he’d been reading had been set on the coffee table next to the couch. What really took her aback was the way he was dressed, so unlike yesterday. He was wearing what appeared to be newer comfort fit jeans and a brown pullover long-sleeved collared polo shirt that he kept untucked so it covered the weapon holstered at his waist. His long hair was pulled back at his neck into a ponytail and he was freshly shaved. He cleaned up nice. “I set the coffee maker this morning, so there should be fresh coffee left if His Highness has left us any.”

“I have a couple of phone calls to make, but I’ll be in shortly,” Townes advised her, not bothering to be the one to move first. It was more than apparent he was waiting for her to walk around the banister and continue on into the kitchen. She must have hesitated a little too long, since his next words conveyed what she’d been thinking. “I’m sure Ryland has filled you in on the details of how our past connects.”

“I’m truly sorry for your family’s loss, also for the fact that it took so many years before you had confirmation of your brother’s untimely death,” Fallon offered gently, not wanting to imagine the pain Townes’ family must have gone through not knowing if their oldest son was a prisoner of war or dead for that number of years. It had to have been extremely hard to discover he’d been murdered and used as a prop in someone else’s grave. “I’m not going to hazard a guess at why Crest would bring you here or utilize your services to protect someone who’s caused you and your family so much harm.”