Traitorous Attraction (13 page)

The waiter arrived with their appetizers and Connor returned a few minutes later. He focused his attention on Kate and heat spread up her back. As he watched her, she felt something akin to desire and excitement. Connor was rougher around the edges than Marcus. He wasn’t as outwardly warm. He lacked the polish of careful breeding. For her, there was still no competition. Connor was it. Connor was the man she could see herself with. Connor made life an adventure. He was strong and confident and made her feel safe and secure, and not just in a physical sense.

She was dying to tell Connor what Marcus had told her about Aiden and La Sabaneta. It was unverified and it could be another false lead, but it was the most promising information she’d gathered.

“Kate, we have to dance,” Connor said.

Connor knew how to dance? It would have been as shocking if he had said he enjoyed painting pottery on the weekends. She wiped the surprise off her face. As his girlfriend, she would know he could. Unless they got on the dance floor and made a spectacle of themselves.

“I’d love to,” Kate said.

Connor circled the table, and the moment his hand touched her waist, she knew he had the moves. Those moves. A man who danced as if it were part of a seduction. His feet glided across the floor and his arms led her, making her feel as if she could dance, as well. Of course, she’d had lessons on the waltz, the fox-trot and other ballroom dances, but Connor took those elementary lessons to another level. His hands guided her; his hips swayed to the music in a sultry, yet completely appropriate way.

“What did he tell you while I was gone?” Connor asked, bringing his mouth close to her ear in an intimate gesture.

His intention wasn’t to seduce her. His intention was to trade information. He could have waited until the end of the night to speak with her, but she knew he was anxious about finding his brother.

“They have Americans inside a prison called La Sabaneta. Aiden may be one of them.”

Connor tensed in her arms. “Can you get us inside?”

“Not yet. Not with my current clearance and not without raising a thousand red flags,” she said. To complicate matters, knowing where Aiden was and getting in touch with him were simple compared to freeing him.

“Then I’m going to work a jailbreak,” Connor said.

“What?” The question popped from her mouth too loudly. She lowered her voice. “What do you mean
a jailbreak?
”

“I mean a jailbreak. I’m trained for it. I need to run surveillance and gather the intel. I’ll get Aiden out.”

“Impossible.” How were he and Aiden going to avoid guards and guns, and get around locked metal doors?

She recognized the determination in his eyes. “Possible. Aiden’s trained on escape-and-evasion techniques. If he’s inside, he’s already planning how to get out. I need to figure out what’s keeping him in and work from the outside to free him,” Connor said.

Sphere agents had training to overcome the most difficult circumstances. Among the skills they had were lock picking, lying without detection and maneuvering to get what they wanted. If the prison had a security flaw, Aiden would exploit it. With Connor working with him, the two could free him.

“That’s a tall task,” Kate said.

“No task is too tall to find my brother.” Connor’s hands slipped to her back and his fingers dangled low over her rear end.

“Your hands,” Kate said. She didn’t mind the touch, but they were in a public, formal place. Despite the seriousness of the conversation, being close to Connor stirred her desires. He was holding her close, her body was molded to his, and she could feel every movement as they circled the dance floor.

“I want Marcus to know we’re together. Nothing inspires a man to impress a woman as much as competition with another man,” Connor said.

“Are you saying your hand on my rear is solely for Marcus’s benefit?”

“Not solely,” Connor said. “But I am taking delight in watching him over your shoulder scowling at us.”

“I implied to him we were having relationship problems,” she said.

“Giving the guy false hope?” Connor asked.

“I need to find out everything he knows about Aiden,” Kate said. Her chest skimmed his and electricity zipped through her. She wanted to return to their hotel room, where she could slip off her dress and back into Connor’s arms.

Chapter 9

W
hen they returned to their table, Marcus stood and held out Kate’s chair for her. Connor said nothing, but Kate noticed his eye twitch. He didn’t like Marcus, which was okay, because she didn’t like Marcus much either. She didn’t know where his loyalty lay and that made him undependable and under suspicion.

“I didn’t realize you were such a skilled dancer,” Marcus said.

Kate heard the possessiveness in his voice. “Skilled dancer? I know enough to fake it. It’s easy to appear competent when I have a talented dance partner.”

“Could you both excuse me?” Connor asked.

Marcus nodded and Kate smiled at him. He was leaving her alone with Marcus. With the current mood, Connor would win the bet. Connor was away from the table for less than three minutes when Marcus tucked his chair close to the table. “Why don’t you extend your trip? Plan to stay a few extra days with me?”

Kate took a sip of her water. “That’s a tempting offer.” She would be staying longer than she had initially told Marcus. Planning a jailbreak would take time, and Connor wouldn’t leave the country without his brother. Similarly, Kate wouldn’t leave Tumara without Connor.

“Think about it. We could be very good together.” He set his hand over hers and squeezed.

Kate would be bringing Connor breakfast in the morning. Kate pulled her hand away and reached for her wine.

A distinguished-looking man approached their table and Marcus stood. Kate did the same, though she didn’t recognize him. Marcus and the man shook hands.

“General Alva, please allow me to introduce you to Kate Swiss. She works at the American consulate.”

Kate recognized the name. He held a prime position in the Tumaran Army and an aggressive stance on Tumara’s handling of the AR. He believed the only way to stop a revolution was to wipe out every member of the AR. He served on the board of advisers to
el presidente.

General Alva didn’t smile, though he extended his hand to her. “Kate Swiss. The name sounds familiar. I’ve seen your signature on some paperwork pertaining to our arrangement with Americans in Tumara who are sympathetic to the traitor’s cause.”

The traitor’s cause—a hostile way of referring to the Armed Revolutionaries. She’d have to tread carefully. She didn’t want to show sympathy toward the AR or Bruno Feliz in front of Marcus or General Alva. However, working at the embassy, she wouldn’t take either side in a political standoff. “Our goal at the embassy is to promote peace and see as little bloodshed as possible.”

General Alva sat in Connor’s seat. He seemed ready to engage Kate in a debate and she didn’t want to argue. The less time she spent with this man, the better. If he mentioned her to any of his colleagues or looked into her position at the consulate, her cover was blown. “We have to root out the source of the problem and take swift and severe action. We can’t allow ignorant, quick-tempered nonconformists to dictate how to run this country. They make unreasonable demands. Bruno Feliz is a child having a temper tantrum. The only way to deal with him is to show him who’s in charge.”

Bruno Feliz was hardly a child. He was at least fifty years old and had captured the hearts and spirits of many in Tumara. The Armed Revolutionaries adored him and were willing to give up their lives for him and the cause. “I understand your perspective,” she said. It was as neutral a comment as she could muster. She didn’t want to agree with him. Even knowing it was lip service felt traitorous to Aiden.

“They are unreasonable, ridiculous and foolhardy,” General Alva said.

Connor arrived at the table and Kate was struck again by how dashing he was in his suit. Seeing him dressed up was a shock to her libido. He owned the polished look. “Connor, hello.” She reached up to kiss his cheek, grateful he had returned, partly worried the general’s comments would inflame him into saying something that would give away their real identities.

General Alva stood and introduced himself to Connor. “You look familiar. Have we met before?” he asked.

Panic rose in Kate. If General Alva knew Aiden, he could see the likeness to Connor, just as the Armed Revolutionaries in the jungle had.

“I don’t believe so,” Connor said smoothly. “This is my first time in Tumara. Unless we’ve met elsewhere. I served in the United States Army ten years ago. Any chance you spent time in America?”

A mental path to lead him away from thinking about Tumara. “Not on military business,” Alva said. He took another sip of his drink and looked around the table. “I’ll leave you to your meal. Marcus, we’ll have drinks later this week. I have a few open issues I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Looking forward to it, sir,” Marcus said.

As they took their seats at the table, Kate braced herself for a tension-filled dinner.

* * *

“Am I getting breakfast in bed or won’t you concede that Marcus can’t wait to get rid of me and get you alone?” Connor asked, pulling off his tie and tossing it on the back of the wooden chair across from the bed. He removed his knife and set it on the bedside table. She hadn’t realized he was carrying it, though she supposed she had never seen him without a weapon close at hand.

Kate laughed. “I’ll concede the point. When you left us alone, Marcus asked me to stay in Tumara for a few extra days to spend time with him.”

Connor came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Just you? How interesting.” He lowered his mouth to her neck and nibbled. Hot pleasure danced across her skin.

Kate let her head fall to the side to give him better access to the sensitive skin at her nape. “Not interesting—not at all. Expected and you know it. I assumed you’d gloat about being right.”

Connor’s hands slid down her dress. “I am not gloating. I like to bet on a sure thing. Wagering on a beautiful blonde in a sexy dress picking up a man? Easiest bet I’ve won in years.”

Kate turned in his arms and began pulling the bobby pins from her hair and tossing them to the ground. “You’re saying all the right things.”

He watched as every strand of hair came free. He brushed his hand along her cheek and into her hair. Flicking her long tresses over her shoulders, he watched as they fell. His complete attention was focused on her and she loved it.

Connor kissed her and Kate melted against him. Her body pressed to his, chest to chest, her heartbeat hammering with anticipation. This was the moment she had been waiting for all night. Connor’s hand tugged at the zipper along the back of the dress and slid it down. His hand followed the zipper, touching her bare skin. He peeled away the top of her dress, letting it fall to her waist. She was bared to him, and she arched forward, encouraging him.

Dropping to his knees, Connor took her breasts in his palms, rubbing his thumbs lightly over her sensitive peaks. White-hot excitement slipped around her body, centered on where Connor was touching her and spiraling out over her.

Fiercely aroused, Kate slid her hands into his silky hair. He pulled her dress to the floor. He swore under his breath when he realized she wasn’t wearing panties.

“Surprise,” she whispered and stepped out of the dress.

“If I had known about this before we left the hotel room, we never would have made it to the restaurant.”

The memory of the heated kiss they’d shared sprang to mind and Kate was eager to pick up where they’d left off.

Connor kissed her stomach and her belly, going lower and then switching directions away from where she most wanted his touch, kissing the fronts of her thighs.

She reached down to take off her shoes and he shook his head. “Please leave them on. Just your heels.”

This was never where she’d expected to be. In this room with a man who was dangerous, exciting and sure to break her heart. She dropped to her knees and her lips found his in a slow exploration. She could have spent the entire night just kissing him.

Kate wanted to feel his naked skin pressed against hers. She took the lapels of his suit jacket and shoved it over his shoulders. It hit the floor and crumpled into a pile. Off came his shirt, falling on top of the suit jacket. She reached for his belt buckle and paused, the significance of what they were doing not lost on her. It struck her hard that this was Connor. Strong, independent, closed-off Connor and he was letting her touch him. She knew the difference between sex and intimacy. This felt wonderfully private and had the makings of a torrid, intense affair.

He looked at her as if he were drinking her in. She unfastened his pants, and he stood, pulling her with him and scooping her into his arms. He carried her to the plush chair in the corner of the room. Kate was a tall woman, but Connor moved with her in his arms as if she were weightless.

Holding her with one arm, he shucked off his pants and sat with her on his lap, pulling her thighs open over his. He ran his hands along the outsides of her legs as she knelt over him. His mouth captured hers in a fiery kiss. Her knees were braced on the cushion under him and against the arms of the chair. It was an unconventional place for two people to make love the first time, and it made her love it that much more.

From the beginning, her relationship with Connor had been different. He hadn’t hit on her or assumed she was a dumb blonde with an empty head. He had protected her and treated her with respect. She loved how she felt when she was with him. Beautiful and smart, strong and powerful.

She loved everything he was doing and she loved him. The realization came so naturally, she didn’t break stride. She looked at him, wanting to remember the moment she’d lost her heart to Connor. The roughened angles of his face didn’t detract from how handsome he was, his shoulders roped with muscle, his broad chest hard and his ripped abdominals sexy and alluring.

She had fallen in love with Connor West. Her instant crush on him had deepened and grown into something more, something built on a pressurized situation she knew made the future rocky.

On the heels of her realization, she knew it wasn’t the time to tell him how she felt. If she spoke the words, he wouldn’t return them. Brushing that aside, knowing it was part of loving a man like Connor, she focused on this moment and how she felt. Warm, cherished and undeniably desirable.

He conjured a condom as if from nowhere and slid it on. Lifting her hips over his body, she impaled herself on him, grasping his shoulders to steady herself. The burn of that first thrust scorched her. His hands clutched her hips and she set the pace. In his arms, she felt light, breathless and carefree.

She rose and dropped, rocking her hips against his and riding him. She took him deep and pivoted her hips, watching his face and his reaction. Pleasure. Happiness. His excitement spurred her to move harder and faster. She gauged what he liked best as their gazes locked and everything that needed to be said was in their eyes. Even if he never spoke words of love, she had this moment, this expression of her love and how he was making her feel.

Being with him was as pleasurable as it was a release of the pent-up stress she’d been living with for months. Connor lifted her hips and his hand went where their bodies met. He rubbed a small circle around the tight bundle of nerves at her core. He found the right spot, pressure and rhythm almost immediately.

She came quick and hard, and he held her tight. When her climax eased, with one smooth motion, he rolled her under him, laying her flat on the chair, her hips and legs over the edge of the seat cushion and her heels flat on the ground.

“More?” he asked.

“Yes, more,” she said. He moved slower as he held his body over hers, and her sensitized nerves were grateful for the care he was showing.

He increased the pace of his movements, and she felt her body responding again, tension building until another tremor ripped through her—this time, taking him with her.

They lay sprawled in the chair, a tangle of arms and legs. With a quick kiss, Connor got up and disposed of the condom. He returned and coaxed her to the bed. She took his hand and they climbed onto the fresh, crisp sheets. She kicked off her shoes and Connor made a face.

“Can you wear them all the time?” he asked.

“All the time?” she asked.

“They look great on you,” he said.

“I’ll see what I can do. If we go back to the jungle, I will not be hiking in heels,” she said.

Connor laughed. “Fair enough.”

Facing her with their legs intertwined, Connor kissed her forehead.

“This is the second time I have been extraordinarily happy you came here with me,” Connor said.

“An unexpected bonus?” Her heart was still racing and her breathing was returning to normal.

Connor appeared more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. Gone was the tense readiness, and his eyes weren’t wandering the room looking for a threat. “I thought you were in love with my brother. Based on that, I wouldn’t have thought sex was an option.”

“I care about Aiden a great deal, but I’ve always wanted you,” Kate said.

Connor gave her a curious look. “Always?”

“From the first time I saw you, I felt a connection. Like you were meant to be in my life.”

“Even though we had never spoken?” he asked.

That finger-snap connection was unlike anything she’d experienced. “Even then.” Though his brother’s memorial service had likely been one of the darkest times in his life, she had been drawn to Connor. Maybe it was the stories Aiden had told her. Maybe it was the legends that were whispered around the watercooler at Sphere headquarters about Connor West. Maybe it was just that Connor was everything she had been looking for in a man and had never found in one person. “Can I tell you something and you promise you won’t say anything back?” she asked.

Connor ran his hand down her arm. “If it’s a criticism of what we just did, I’ll give you advanced warning. I won’t stay quiet. I’m going to plead for another chance to impress you because I thought it was awesome.”

She laughed. “Nothing wrong with what we did in that chair. This is a different but somewhat related matter.” Her nerves shimmered. If she told him the full extent of what she was feeling, would he withdraw? Shut her out? She didn’t want him to feel obligated to say anything to her in response. Her love for him was without conditions.