Page 21 of Fatal Mistake
“Hardly,” he replied, and tucked his hand back into his pocket. “I know what you’re feeling, Tara. Believe me, I know. If there was any way I could take the pain and distress from you, I would.”
Chapter 8
Surprised to see the sun, Tara blinked a few times and stared up at treetops dusted with the golden glow of morning sunlight. She’d slept deeply and had a nightmare-free night for the first time since she’d discovered Oren’s bomb-making supplies.
She closed her eyes again and savored the sun’s warmth, the soft breeze drifting through the window, and the melodic birds singing from surrounding pines. Peace. Heaven-sent peace.
Movement sounded from the far end of the room, and her eyes flew open, her heart racing like a Thoroughbred. Agent Riggins stood looking out the far window, his back to her.
Right. It’s him. He’s still here. Waiting for an answer.
She stifled a sigh to keep from drawing his attention. She’d forgotten that this superagent, this man who infuriated her one minute and sent her pulse tripping faster the next, was in her little home away from the world.
She hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but around two a.m., when the air turned too cool to stay outside, she’d dragged her chair inside, dropped into it to rest her eyes for a moment, and apparently nodded off. At some time, he’d covered her with a blanket. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t felt it.
If it had been Oren…
A shiver raked down her spine, and she forced her attention back to the man who seemed to take up all the space in the room. He’d shed his jacket, revealing a custom-tailored white shirt, wide at the shoulders and narrowing to a trim waist, and he’d rolled up the sleeves. His body looked like it was sculpted from marble, and his heart likely was, too, though he’d shown enough emotions last night to prove that he had a physical attraction to her, one he didn’t want to have.
And here she was letting him get to her, too, even when his actions resembled Nolan’s. If that wasn’t enough reason to guard her heart, Agent Riggins had a singular purpose. Find Oren, and if he had to use people like her or her aunt along the way, then it seemed as if he had no qualms in doing so.
Putting up a solid wall on her emotions, she removed the blanket and folded it. He glanced at her. She waited for his first question of the day—for him to ask if she would voluntarily go back with him or if he’d need to take her into custody as he’d threatened.
He held up a steaming mug. “Hope you don’t mind, but I made coffee.”
She gaped at him. How had she missed the coffeemaker’s ready beep? She really had zonked out if she hadn’t heard the shrill alarm, not to mention feeling the blanket settling over her.
“You needed the rest,” he said, as if reading her mind, before he resumed looking out the window. “Oh, and you should know. I’ve arranged for someone to take your place in the tower. She’ll be here in a few hours.”
Tara eyed him. “You had no right to call anyone, let alone put the wheels in motion without my input.”
“Something you need to know about me.” He turned and faced her full-on, the look of a hunter in his eyes. “I’m relentless in my pursuit of Keeler. I might step on your toes along the way, but I mean no harm in my actions.”
She crossed her arms. “You think a blanket apology in advance will excuse all of your future actions?”
He shrugged.
“Do most people let you get away with taking over like this, Agent Riggins?”
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not sure what you mean by ‘most people,’ but if you’re asking if I behave like this in my personal life, I don’t have a life outside of work, so there’s no one to offend.”
“But would you?” she asked, though she had no business going down this path.
He shook his head. “Relationships require mutual respect. Nothing respectful about not including you in plans that impact your life.”
“And yet you know it bothers me, and you’d do it again?”
“If it moved us closer to Keeler at a faster pace and helped us stop another woman from losing her life?” His breath came in hard fast bursts, his emotions churning in a melee on his face. “You better believe I’d do it again. In a heartbeat.”
She stood watching his chest rise and fall with the passion he exuded for his work. His continued overbearing and controlling attitude should be putting her off. Instead, all she could think was that if he really meant what he’d said about mutual respect between a man and woman, he wasn’t as superficial as she’d first thought, and he would be worth getting to know as a man and not this relentless agent.
Their gazes met and held for a moment, the air seeming to heat up in the space, but she ignored it, he ignored it, and a silent message of understanding passed between them. Though they were attracted to each other, neither would act upon it.
Never had she communicated so much in a single look.
He lazily drew his focus away to glance at his watch. “Now that the sun is up, if Keeler has tracked you, we can’t risk him seeing my car at the gate. I’ll stash it in the woods and grab a change of clothes while I’m out there.”
“Or you could get in the car and drive back to the airport.” Or I could take off while you’re gone.
