Veiled Target (A Veilers Novel) (14 page)

“Kensie,” she interrupted, “slow down, would you?” If she didn’t interject, Kensie would go right on talking, having a conversation all on her own and deciding on facts that suited her.

“Sorry. It’s just I reckon you’ve had a ripper time and I’m so happy for you. I’m assuming the frangers came in handy?”

Oh my god! Oh no, no, no, no.
The condoms. Hugh had seen the condoms. She wanted to bury her head under the covers and never come out. Did he think she’d meant to use them last night with her blind date? Her armpits grew wet, her skin heated. Despite the fact she was alone, embarrassment like being on stage and forgetting what to say gripped her.

“Tess, you still there?”

Kensie’s voice shook her back to the conversation. “I’m still here, Kens. Listen, I don’t have a lot of time to talk. I actually called to tell you I’ve started my next assignment so I’ll be gone for the next few days. If Christian asks, let him know, would you?”

“Not so fast girlie. How was the date?”

Dammit. She wasn’t getting off the hook. “It was great.”

“Oh, I’m so glad. I knew the two of you would get along. I want all the details when you get home.”

“How much does Francesca owe you?” Tess knew they’d wagered on her date. She’d overheard them talking while getting ready. Kensie was the romantic and Francesca the cynic.

Kensie laughed. “Fifty bucks. You don’t mind if I tell her what a good time you had, do you?”

“Not at all. In fact, tell her it was one of the best nights of my life.”
Because it was.

“Aww. Good luck with the new job. Keep us posted.”

“I will.” She reached for the clothes at the end of the bed. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

The soft jeans fit like a glove and the trendy T-shirt was as comfortable as her favorites tucked in her drawer at home. She owed Blanche a thank you. Hugh too. Depending on her mood when she saw him. And depending on breakfast. She thought she smelled bacon. Bacon definitely warranted a thank you.

With the blue dress hanging in the closet, the bed made, the shoes from hell in the wastebasket sitting in the corner, she ventured a turn of the door handle. She knew it would open since she’d never heard it click when Hugh left. He probably wasn’t worried about her slipping out during waking hours because he could hear every move she made.

What worried her was that she had no intention of sneaking off.

Chapter Ten

It was a huge mistake keeping Tess close.

Hugh’s pulse didn’t race. Ever. Yet the second she walked into the kitchen everything in his body revved up. She’d looked amazing in that blue dress, but seeing her just out of bed with casual clothes that hugged every curve of her body and noticing that she was comfortable by the confident way she moved, upped her sex appeal tenfold.

He bit the inside of his cheek to stop any lusty sounds from escaping his mouth. The animal in him wanted to strike.
Down boy.

“You know,” she said, her voice upbeat, “you’re getting yourself into big trouble by doing all the cooking. Dinner last night. Breakfast this morning. One more meal and I’m going to inform you the duty is all yours.”

She blessed him with a bona fide look of appreciation and sat down at the table.

“I figure if I do all the cooking you can’t poison me.” As much as he wanted to exchange pleasantries with her, it would serve him well to keep some distance between them. Make sure her assignment never left the room despite the fact they were working together. If he let himself forget about that, he’d surely topple the rest of the way over.

“I gave you my word that wouldn’t happen until our partnership is over.” Goodbye appreciative look. “When I give my word, I mean it.”

She mumbled something under her breath that sounded a lot like “dumbass.”

If he issued another uncooperative remark it would keep her kindness at bay, and he needed to do that, but when he caught the hint of hurt in her green eyes, he couldn’t do it.

Wait. Green eyes?

He stepped to the table with two plates of eggs and bacon and looked more closely to be sure he was right. “You’ve got green eyes this morning.”

“So?”

“So last night they were blue.”

“Green T-shirt. Green eyes. Blue dress. Blue eyes. I’m just lucky that way. Confuses people all the time. Do you know how to cook anything besides eggs?” She picked up a piece of bacon and brought it to her mouth.

“Lunch is grilled cheese sandwiches.”

“Cool. So what have you been up to this morning without me? Made any progress or discovered anything I should know about? Or am I privy only to information I’m awake for?”

He deserved that. “I spoke with Dane this morning.” A forkful of scrambled eggs went into his mouth. He wouldn’t tell her it was his second breakfast. “Since last night, everything’s been quiet. There’s no word on Trey or the Wolf Seekers. The Banoth’s been taken care of and the factory cleaned up.”

“Did you expect anything different?”

“I expected some word on the position of the Wolf Seekers. Dane’s got someone who usually gets us what we need to know.”

She got up from the table and went to the fridge. He took in the slope of her neck, her narrow shoulders, her toned arms. The redness around her wrists was gone and he gave silent thanks before his gaze moved to her backside The jeans fit perfectly and allowed him to see what the dress had hidden. An ass he’d follow around the world.

“What’s the deal with you and Dane anyway?”

“The deal?”

“Yeah, you know, what are you guys? Because it seemed to me you were friendly but not friends. I’m guessing he doesn’t like you as an authority figure.” She pulled some orange juice out and examined the carton for an expiration date, he guessed. Satisfied, she found a couple of glasses on the first try and poured.

Hugh took the glass she dangled in front of him. “Thanks. You’re right. Dane hates the fact that I’m the alpha. Hates even more that Trey is my second in command and being groomed to take over.”

She sat back down and took a sip of her juice. “So Dane doesn’t like Trey very much?”

“Actually he likes him a lot. His beef is more with me.” He and Dane had much more history.

Tess studied him, her emerald eyes completely capturing his attention. “A beef over a girl?” She blinked away the connection, redirecting her gaze to the food on her plate.

How the hell had she guessed that? If he had any doubts regarding the undeniable chemistry between them, she was wiping them away. She might be the one woman who could read his mind. Scratch that. She
was
the one woman who could.

“Not how you might think.”

“Explain it to me.” She put a forkful of food into her mouth.

He didn’t like remembering this part of his past. His jaw clenched, his chest ached. “I’m not sure I can.”

A minute of silence passed while she ate more of her breakfast. Then she looked back into his eyes with so much concern that he relaxed enough to finish his eggs. “I’m positive my knowing will help us work together. I can tell it’s painful for you, so why don’t you just give me the abbreviated version?”

The sweet sound of her voice completely unnerved him. Kick-ass one minute, kind the next—she had no idea how much she complicated things for him. He’d planned on keeping the upper hand here, working together under
his
terms. But when she got personal and said shit like “I can tell it’s painful for you,” with genuine concern, he had the urge to spill everything and let her run the show.

“It was a long time ago.” Five years next month. “Nothing I plan to elaborate on now.”

“Oh, come on.” She pushed her plate to the side and leaned on the table. “I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

He stayed quiet.

“I know. You both fell for the same girl, you won, and Dane still hates you for it. Am I close?” Long eyelashes reached her arched eyebrows.

The look on his face must have confirmed she was damn close because he didn’t need to say a word for her to beam as if she’d discovered every secret about him.
Shit.

“It wasn’t me,” he relented, torn with feelings of wanting to share and keeping the memories bottled up inside.

“There’s no way Dane got the girl over you.”

Flattered—no, horny—because she thought that, he still couldn’t come out and say it. He did have a strong desire to toss the table to the side, grab her and carry her to his bedroom. Probably his way of transferring the emotions plaguing him. At least that was what Gavin had told him on more than one occasion. “He didn’t.”

“You’re wasting precious work time, Hugh. Would you just come out and say it already?” Tenacious as
he
was, she’d continue until she dragged it out of him.

“Dane’s college sweetheart dumped him for my brother, Max. Her name was Heather and the moment she and my brother met, they fell in love. The kind of love that comes around once in a lifetime. Max took her as his mate.”

“Mates are for life, right?”

“Right. Dane was devastated. Not because he wanted Heather for a mate, but because he was embarrassed and ridiculed by some of the other younger pack members. Myself included. My brother was the leader so it was without recourse that he and Heather became matched. They were madly in love, deeply connected. Their union lasted only a year before Heather passed away. Without her, my brother died inside. I tried everything to bring him out of his depression. Nothing worked and three months later, he was gone. Dane expected to take over the leadership position.”

“But you did.”

“Yeah.”

There was more to it than that, but he didn’t want to delve deeper into what had cost him his best friend and mentor. He’d looked up to Max more than anyone, wanted to be just like him. Wished every day he was still around.

Tess got up from the table, picked up the plates, then put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry about your brother.”

She lingered there for a long moment. He didn’t look up, opting to keep his gaze level with the empty chair across from him. If he looked at her, he was sure her beautiful face would completely rattle him. He had to remind himself that love was a curse, that he didn’t need anyone. Not now. Not ever. Shutting down his growing feelings might not be easy, but it was necessary. When his partnership with Tess ended, he needed to walk away and not look back. The pack depended on him.

Which also meant he had to figure out a way to avoid the hit. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her move to the sink and wondered how far she’d go. If she’d really eliminate him with something between them. He had no doubt she was ruthless, knew she’d killed before. The job required it. What were her requirements? Did she stop to think about what she did, or had she been trained not to think for herself?

She leaned against the kitchen counter to look out the window. She got up on tiptoes, extending her arms to add a little more height. The simple act was hot as hell. He held on to the side of the chair so as not to get up and go to her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and see if the side of her neck tasted as good as her lips. He wanted to press against her—press
inside
her—and never let go. The urges she stirred were so goddamn strong he worried if he took advantage once, he’d be a goner for good.

She whipped around with a huge smile on her face and he nearly fell backwards, chair and all, from the sheer thrill he saw in her twinkling eyes. “You’ve got a Ducati?”

“You like motorcycles?” Why was he surprised? He ought to nickname her daredevil after her performance last night.

“Oh my God. I love them.” She twisted for another peek out the window. “And that’s an 848 Superbike, isn’t it?”

Was there anything about her that would make him reconsider she was his perfect match?
Fuck.
Trouble didn’t begin to describe his ass right now.

“Yes it is.” He got up and joined her at the counter, keeping a good foot between them. He’d taken the bike out of the garage earlier that morning before he’d been derailed by his conversation with Dane.

“Can I take it for a ride?” she asked, like a kid pleading to stay out past curfew.

“
We
can.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s much better suited for one-up riding. I promise I’ll come back if that’s what you’re worried about. I am on assignment now, which means you’re stuck with me.”

Like he needed the reminder. He should give her the bike and let her ride away. Forget this temporary alliance. But goddamn it, he couldn’t. He couldn’t picture letting her go now that he had her. “Come on. We’ll manage the both of us.”

She bopped up and down, excitement rolling off her. “Okay, fine. But I’m driving.”

“You think I’m letting you drive?”

“You bet you are.” She dazzled him with a smile, and he knew he’d give her anything she asked for. “I need a pair of shoes though. You didn’t—”

“By the front door.”

“Fantastic.” She pushed back up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Let’s do this. And I hope you like speed as much as I do.”

Frozen. He stood frozen to his spot as she strode away. Everything in him, every thought, every belief, churned out of control. The familiarity, the passion, the feel of her lips on his face undid him to the point of no return.

Tess wiggled the nail file in the lock of her bedroom door as quietly as possible. Her heart beat a little faster than normal. She sucked in a deep breath. If she didn’t get the damn door open in the next thirty seconds, she was going to scream.

She stepped back, closed her eyes and relaxed her shoulders. She could do this. It would be a hell of a lot easier if it wasn’t pitch dark in the room, but she couldn’t risk turning on the light. It pissed her off that Hugh still didn’t trust her after working together without incident for the past couple of days.

Not that she really blamed him. But the thought of being stuck in the room one more night made her claustrophobic.

Maybe a nail file wasn’t the tool to do the trick? It didn’t seem to be connecting to the locking mechanism. God, she sucked at this. Good thing burglary wasn’t in her job description. She tiptoed to the small desk and found a pen in the drawer. She pulled it apart so she held the thin ink cartridge topped with a ballpoint head. It slid into the tiny hole of the door handle, and after carefully pressing it just the right way, the door unlocked.

She moved down the hallway with light steps, trying her damndest to keep quiet. When she reached the living room, she sighed with relief. An ambient glow spilled into the room from the dim recessed lighting in the kitchen and she methodically made her way around every piece of furniture in search of anything that might help her learn more about Hugh. With his watchful eyes on her during the day, she’d barely been able to notice the types of magazines on the coffee table.

She’d kept her head down while looking around, but lifting it now to take in the room as a whole, she wondered how on earth she’d missed
those.
Three pictures in dark wood frames on the fireplace mantle.

The first photograph was of Hugh and another man, their arms around each other’s shoulders and huge grins on their faces. The kind of grin that made her wonder what had made them so happy that day. Her gaze traveled to the next picture, a black and white candid shot so beautiful and personal she sucked in a breath. A man—the same one in the shot with Hugh—had his hand near a woman’s ear, his fingers toying with her long hair. He was staring down at her, she was looking up at him, their faces mere inches from each other. Her palm lay flat on his chest, and Tess could feel the beating of their hearts inside her head. The look of adoration that passed between them was palpable.

She didn’t have to ask Hugh who the couple was. It had to be his brother and his wife. Something fluttered in Tess’s stomach as she wondered what it would be like to love someone that much. Because in looking at the photo, there was no doubt they’d loved with an intensity she never had. A lump lodged in her throat. She swallowed and sidestepped to the last photo.

Her legs almost gave out as she stared at an unguarded Hugh. He sat at a formal table, wearing a tuxedo, his arm bent, a hand covering the smile she knew he wore because his eyes crinkled in the corners. His attention was on his brother and sister-in-law, whose arms were intertwined, champagne flutes in their hands, grins on their faces.

Tess backed away, almost falling over the coffee table. Suddenly, she couldn’t take any more. She didn’t want to know anything more about him. Because big, bad, prideful Hugh had a soft spot whether he admitted it or not. And the very real images he kept a part of his home captured something she hadn’t felt since she was a little girl. Unconditional love.