Page 12 of Fully Loaded

“Dani, this is too dangerous to carry out.”

“You don’t understand.” She shook her head. “One of the men who broke into my apartment was a cop with the local authorities. He wasn’t wearing a uniform, didn’t have a radio, and he snuck into my apartment, shot up my doors, and chased me down.”

He lowered his head and pressed the tips of his fingers into his eyes. “Christ almighty. What the hell have you gotten yourself into?”

She chose to ignore his comment. “Maybe these guys don’t work for Ubrigg—maybe they work for the rival company and they want the device before Ubrigg gets to it. And once I hand off the device, they won’t be after me anymore.”

He snorted. “I don’t think that’s the only motivation.”

“What do you mean? He wanted the data.”

“They don’t just want the formula. If Interpol is involved, they want the terrorists—you, Dani.”

His words crashed into her with the force of a freight train. She couldn’t go to prison. She’d never see Serena again, never get to meet her niece or nephew. Oh god, she was an international felon. Her body wavered and her lungs ached as if the rope still circled her throat.

Brock caught her waist and pulled her to his chest. She dropped her face into his warm, citrus-scented shirt and breathed. His hands moved over her back as if memorizing each muscle and vertebrae. Warmth crawled over her skin, easing away her aches and pains. God it felt good to be in his arms. To feel his strength and stability. His hand grazed her lower back and her loins clenched. It had been a long time since she was intimate with a man, since she screamed and came on the mind-numbing ride of ecstasy. She needed it right now. Needed the pleasure he could so easily inflict on her begging body. His cheek rested on top of her head and he muttered soothing promises. Squeezing his shirt in her fists, she concentrated on the cadence of his heart against her ear and forced away all rages of desire.

“It’s all right. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” His voice was gruff and synched with the memories of their lovemaking. He wanted her too, and if he spoke any sweeter, she’d take her panties off herself and straddle him. He wouldn’t protest—that was as certain as his next breath. She broke her cheek away from his sternum, hating the cool air that replaced his warmth.

“We should go,” she said, a tremor breaking her words.

Chapter

Five

Brock kept his hand under her elbow as they descended the path toward his rental car, which was parked in the driveway. Dani had insisted twice already that she was fine, but walking past the dead body, even though he’d covered it with a sheet, had turned her complexion powdery white. Her muscles trembled beneath his hold, but she kept her back ramrod straight. He opened the black Ford Focus’s passenger door, waited until she got situated, then placed her bag in the back along with the food he’d asked the manager to stock before Dani arrived.

He got into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and backed out. He’d have to do something about the body—that was definitely out of the scope of the property manager’s duties. He couldn’t call the cops, not yet. Leaving it there seemed sacrilegious, but they didn’t have many options.

“I don’t understand how he found me,” Dani said, several minutes after they’d hit the road. The moon cast its glow over the asphalt, illuminating their way between the streetlamps.

He’d booked them a hotel in the city using Dani’s encrypted phone. He let his fingers slide down the smooth leather steering wheel and watched her out of the corner of his eye. Her knee shifted side to side as she looked out the window, fixated on the lake’s inky waves. His fingers flexed with the need to touch her leg. He tightened his grip on the wheel.

“Followed maybe?” The desire crunching his dick in his pants prevented him from speaking full sentences. He shouldn’t have been aroused while holding her at Leland’s. Jesus, she’d been through hell, and the last thing he needed to do was make things uncomfortable. He’d get through the next few days—even if he had to jerk off every hour to stay sane.

“I don’t see how. I was so careful.” She shook her head. “If he had, why wait so long to come inside? I arrived in the afternoon.” She gestured at the glowing clock on the dash. “It’s after three.”

“Maybe he was waiting to see if you called someone. Remember, they want to take down everyone involved, not just a secondary player.” Headlights shone in his rearview mirror, bringing his attention to a vehicle behind them. Was someone following them? Man, he was exhausted. Between the long day of traveling and then walking in on someone trying to murder Dani, he was done with the day. He stretched his neck. He’d kill another motherfucker if he had to.

“I suppose you’re right.” She turned her face toward him, and he stole a glance at her turned-up nose, pinched lids, and puckered mouth. “Does Interpol normally strangle their suspects?”

“You got me there.”

“Unless he’s involved. I mean, think about it. If Interpol were after a bioterrorist, wouldn’t they have a whole team of people to arrest me? They’d want to secure evidence, right?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

She harrumphed. “This is so bizarre.” She dragged her fingers over the battered skin on her throat, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss every inch of bruising flesh on her body.

He followed the GPS’s turn-by-turn directions and tipped his gaze to the rearview mirror for the hundredth time. The vehicle tailing them turned, and he let his shoulders relax. Fifteen minutes later they rolled up to the hotel and got out. He collected their bags and rested his hand on the small of Dani’s back, directing her to the lobby. She lifted her chin and stepped away, letting his fingers fall.

“Keep your head down,” he said, as they stood in line.

He had to be careful. His body acted on muscle memory and his brain became utterly complacent when she was around. It was as if his body fell into step with hers, sensing every movement, every need, and absorbed her energy and partial smiles like a sponge did water.

But he couldn’t fall into old habits no matter how badly he ached to be close to her. His knuckles brushed hers as they approached the front desk, and it took all his willpower not to fold her delicate fingers into his.

He handed over his credit card, declined the bellboy who offered to take them to their room, and made his way to the elevator. Dani stayed close to his side, her chin dipped and her gaze on the floral-patterned carpet beneath their feet. The elevator dinged on their floor and he followed her to their room, pulled out their key, and swung open the door.