All Tied Up

“Nicole is fine,” he replied. “She’s right here beside me. Brenda, this is Agent Constantine Vega.”

“What’s wrong?” Brenda demanded. “Are you sure Nicole is safe?”

“Yes, she’s safe.” He didn’t look at Nicole because he was about to share some harsh words with her sister. “Your safety is the concern, and I’m not going to mince words here. The man hunting your sister means to kill her. He’ll use anyone he can to get to her, but he prefers pretty women as targets. He’ll do his homework. Probably already has. He knows how important you are to Nicole. If he gets his hands on you, he’ll be brutal because he enjoys pain. He’ll enjoy your pain. Stay where you are.”

Silence. “I don’t know what to do. My father says—”

“We aren’t dealing with your basic criminal type here. Believe me, far worse. Does your father want the death of both his daughters on his conscience?”

More silence. “How is Nicole?”

Constantine glanced at Nicole for the first time since the call started. Her knees were drawn to her chest, sheet clutched in her fist, apprehension etching her features.

“She’s beyond worried for you. If you go home, I’ll have to tie her down to keep her here.” Nicole’s eyes went huge and he winked.

“I know who you are. She told me. You’re the man from the bar.”

He didn’t like that statement. “Stay where you are, Brenda.”

She hesitated. “I’m going to catch all kinds of heck for this, but I’ll stay. Can I talk to Nicole?”

“Yes.” He hesitated, though, eventually handing the phone to Nicole.

Nicole talked to her sister for a minute and hung up. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so very much.”

He tugged the sheet away from her and pulled her into his arms. “Thank me in that shower I never finished. After that, I am fairly confident I’ll need to make love to you again.”

He scooped her up. Standing with her in his arms, he carried her to the bathroom, a heated image playing in his head of what he planned to do to her once he got her there.

***

HOURS LATER, Nicole woke, lying on her stomach. The room was dark, night having fallen during their sleep. She smiled to herself. Constantine’s hand was on her bare butt. Definitely a butt man.

She sighed softly, thinking of the hours of lovemaking they’d shared. Lovemaking. His word, not hers. But what had happened between them had been far more fulfilling, far more potent than any sex she’d experienced before him. Indeed, lovemaking. What she’d had with her ex had been pure sex. This…this experience with Constantine ran deeper than simple pleasures of the body. It drew her into a mind-set where the rest of the world faded into a place she shared with only one other—with Constantine.

Her mind traveled to his comments about trust. She did trust him. What he had done with her sister blew her away. He’d come through for her, protected Brenda and done so for her. Yes. She trusted him. Mostly. With her life. But with her heart? That thought brought her back to her fears.

He scared her. No. Her reaction to him scared her. He reached inside her and saw everything she would hide from another. She didn’t want to be hurt. Letting him get too close would only make saying goodbye harder. He was wrong for her, but he felt so right. The questions he made her ask of herself were difficult, but somehow necessary.

Here in Constantine’s arms, she had found a different sort of comfort. Yet something inside her screamed to run from this feeling, to push him away. He’d leave soon, this would all be over. Back to her life, back to alone.

As if he read her thoughts, he pulled her into his arms, her back to his chest, into the shelter and out of the storm.

Chapter Nineteen

SILENCE FELL BETWEEN Nicole and Constantine as they prepared to leave the hotel room they’d called a safe zone for two weeks. The storm had long ago passed, danger had calmed as the hotel remained a secure hideaway. Knowing Flores was the leak had allowed communication to flow between her and her boss. Meanwhile, she and Constantine didn’t speak as they packed what few things they had to take with them. There was so much to say, yet they said nothing at all.

They’d made love the night before. It had been passionate, heartfelt, perfect. She’d never felt this kind of connection to another person in her life. It was invigorating, exciting, scary as hell. She’d truthfully seen herself as a loner for the rest of her life, and perhaps she’d seen that in Constantine when she’d met him. What happened when two loners came together?

She didn’t know. Maybe she needed to go home and find out if this was real. But there was no denying the idea that leaving this room and never feeling this way again burned a hole in her gut.