Page 48 of Close Pursuit

She nodded, too overcome by lust to speak.

“Now,” he ordered. “Come for me, now.”

He didn’t even have to penetrate her with his finger. Just the thought of it plunging into her female heat made her detonate. She went up like a rocket, incinerating in a blazing glory that ripped a cry from her throat. On and on it went, tearing her apart from the inside out. She only belatedly realized it was Alex’s name she was sobbing, so overwhelmed was she by wave after shuddering wave of unbearable pleasure.

Her knees did collapse then, but Alex lifted her hips in his strong hands and set her back on her feet and pulled her upright.

He held her in his arms, pressed back tightly against his body. In the mirror, his hands were tanned and strong against the pale flesh of her stomach. She smiled at him and was shocked at how sultry and well pleasured she looked.

“You really must teach me how to do that to you,” she sighed, relaxing back against him.

“You’re proving to be a more apt pupil than I anticipated,” he replied in a detached tone.

“And the absent professor is back,” she murmured drolly.

He frowned at her, and she couldn’t resist grinning back at him. “Never fear. I like both sides of you, Alex.”

Truth be told, she was beginning to suspect there were many sides to this complex man. She probably ought to fear some of them, but mostly she was fascinated at the prospect of unraveling the mystery.

“You’re such an open book,” he commented.

“Is that bad?” She could envision a man like him wanting a complex and challenging woman.

“Lord, no. It’s just unexpected. I’m so used to women with hidden agendas that I find myself not knowing exactly how to react to you.” As she started to frown again, he added, “I like your honesty.”

If only she was being as fully honest as he thought she was. How would he react if he found out her brother had sicced her on him to watch him? Or that she was intentionally trying to get him to let down his guard and tell her all about himself? Or that she had a tracker in her back?

Would he let go of the dark streak he was currently keeping so tightly in check? The notion thrilled her like nothing she’d ever felt before. And it made her nervous. No question, she was playing with fire.

She barely recognized the woman she was becoming, all of a sudden. Since when was she such an adrenaline junkie? Since they’d nearly died on a mountainside and she’d learned how piercingly satisfying the thrill of cheating death could be?

She turned in Alex’s arms and gave him a lopsided smile. “I think I hear the baby.”

8

Exhausted by their recent trek and by the emotional roller coaster of being with Alex, she crawled into bed while he took a shower and she promptly fell asleep.

She was awakened sometime later by Alex calling her name urgently. “Katie, wake up.Now.” She sat up sharply, but was deeply disoriented for a moment. Hotel room. Dark outside. Crib—oh, yeah. Dawn. Where—oh, yeah. Osh. What?—

“Get up. We have to go right now. Hurry.” Alex didn’t look like he was kidding.

Alarm surged through her, and she was abruptly wide awake and scared stiff. “What’s going on?” she asked as she flew out of bed and yanked on her new clothing.

“I went out for food, and I was followed.” He rushed around the room wiping down surfaces with a handkerchief and stuffing Dawn’s baby gear into the baby bag he’d bought earlier.

“Who followed you?”Americans? Russians? Someone else?

“Gather up our wet clothes. Put them in a bag. We’ll toss them in the trash outside the hotel,” he ordered tersely.

He’d purposely ignored her question of who’d followed him.

Fully into the spirit of holy shit, she snatched up one of the shopping bags and stuffed their wet clothes into it. Into Dawn’s baby bag, she tossed the toothbrushes, razor, and hairbrush he’d bought them.

She followed him quickly from the hotel room. No surprise, he headed for the back of the building and the service elevator. They entered it in tense silence.

The doors whooshed closed and Alex said quickly, “The good news is I don’t think they know I spotted them.”

“And the bad news?” she asked reluctantly.

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