Phantom in the Night

  "Go."

  The officer strolled down the incline in no real rush. So that probably meant he'd left another armed officer inside.

  Nathan had ten minutes to get a look at that container and find out if the cop inside knew if Terri had been there or not. The cop would think he was the guy who had broken in before. That alone might create enough fear Nathan wouldn't have to hurt him to get an answer.

  Battery-operated lights had been set up outside the container. Not the best scenario to stay covert, but he didn't have time to wait for a better situation, Terri's life could be at stake. He had to find someone who knew where she was or how to reach her.

  He took a circuitous route to reach the front without crossing the lighted area. One glance at the guard shack confirmed the second officer was in no rush to get back out here in the cold rain.

  Nathan eased around to the front of the container. The open door blocked the view of his body from the guard shack, which was bad planning on their part but a benefit for him. The light spilling out from the glow inside the container clicked off.

  Damn. Nathan had to catch the cop before he walked out of the box. He peeked inside the now dark container. Where was the cop? All Nathan could see was a flashlight someone had turned on and placed on the floor. A shoe-scuffing sound came from behind the stack of boxes next to the flashlight.

  Three long steps and Nathan reached the spot as the person stood up, pointing a weapon at him.

  "What in the hell are you doing here?" Terri hissed.

  "Shh! Don't make any noise," he ordered.

  "Noise? The only noise you're going to hear is my gun going off if you don't stop sneaking up me." She glared at him.

  What was she ticked about? What about what she'd put him through for the past hour? Nathan bit his tongue to keep from replying since the uniformed officer could be back any minute.

  "Hey, Terri?" The cop was back.

  Her eyes flashed from angry to worried in two seconds.

  For him? Damn, that worked.

  "Yes, Ed?" She looked all around her, then pointed a finger down at the spot between her and the two crates.

  Nathan crouched just as heavy footsteps crunched outside the container.

  "How's it coming in here?"

  "Great. I'll be through soon," she answered.

  She was through now. Nathan cupped a hand around her leg and squeezed.

  When she shot him a quelling look, he smiled and mouthed the words, "Leave now."

  "The next shift is coming in any minute. Your car isn't ready. The mechanic said he can get his hands on the part first thing in the morning. Lucky for you it didn't start in the parking lot or you'd have been stuck on the highway. I can take you back to the precinct or give you a ride home. Your choice."

  Nathan squeezed her leg again to get her moving.

  She kicked his shin.

  He clenched his teeth against a curse, then decided on a quicker tactic to get her attention. He ran a hand up the inside of her leg to her left thigh and massaged the firm muscle.

  Her mouth fell open. She licked her lips and finally blurted out, "I'm ready... now."

  So was he after that comment.

  "Uh, how about warming up the car?" Terri told the officer.

  "Sure, I'll be right back to get you." His footsteps moved around.

  Nathan slid his fingers a little higher and she squeaked.

  The footsteps paused. The cop asked, "What, Terri?"

  She bared her teeth at Nathan. "I said, don't, uh, bother coming back. I'll lock up and be right down."

  "You've got one minute tops. Philborn called while I was down at the guard shack and reamed my ass over leaving you alone so long."

  He should. Nathan wouldn't have been so kind if she'd been harmed.

  "Okay," she said, breathless. But the second the footsteps faded, Terri slapped Nathan's hand away. "What do you think you're doing?" she seethed.

  "Getting you the hell out of here, now. Have him drop you at home. Pick up your car tomorrow."

  "Where are you going?"

  "To your house, too."

  "Good, because we've got a few things to discuss." She snatched up her tote and flashlight, then stopped at the door.

  Nathan was right behind her and leaned down to whisper, "I'll stay close until you're in the car."

  "You may want to keep your distance with the mood I'm in."

  He'd thought she was just caught off guard by him showing up here, but she sounded as though something else was going on.

  "I hear Ed coming back," she warned, still angry.

  Nathan melted away, keeping an eye on her while she locked the container and Ed escorted her back to his squad car.

  Once Nathan reached the Javelin, he called Stoner to let him know he'd found Terri. They agreed to touch base in the morning so Nathan could share what he'd learned from Jamie's USB stick. Terri was probably angry because Nathan had disrupted whatever she'd been doing, but he didn't care.

  Worrying about her had turned him inside out. All he could think of was her at the mercy of Marseaux, a man incapable of giving any mercy.

  Nathan clutched the steering wheel so tight with one hand his knuckles were white. She was safe in the car ahead.

  No matter what he told himself, he couldn't relax until he had her within reach.

  Starting now, Terri was staying by his side. He wouldn't listen to any argument.

  She was dancing to his music until this was over.

  *

  Terri thanked Ed and strode up her driveway. She had a few choice words for Nathan, who came very close to having his family jewels reset tonight. If Ed had seen them together she'd have never been able to explain Nathan. Philborn would hit the ceiling and BAD would... what? Kill her?

  Terri shook her head. Don't think about Tee's temper. She couldn't be that bad, could she? Terri had dodged Carlos twice today, promising information by tomorrow. He was probably expending a lot more energy on the India event since she hadn't come up with a solid lead in the Marseaux case yet, but she couldn't dodge him much longer without causing suspicion.

  At her back door, Nathan appeared.

  She jumped. "Dammit, would you stop doing that?"

  "Sure. If you agree not to scare me out of a year's growth again."

  An edge cut across his words. Terri unlocked the door and eyed Nathan. What was he upset about? As if he had any reason to be. She had an investigation that had jumped track, missing container contents, a missing cop, and a possible attack of some sort happening by Monday if Conroy's guess was on the mark.

  If she knew who was planning the attack, what kind of attack to expect, and the location or persons targeted, she could alert the proper agencies. But as it was, she couldn't even clue in BAD, because Conroy had convinced her the people behind this secret attack had infiltrated law enforcement at many levels. DEA, FBI, local police... who was to say they weren't in BAD?

  Until she found the source or firm information on the attack, she couldn't risk sharing with the wrong person in a law-enforcement group who would kill her.

  Terri made two steps inside the kitchen, where the vent light burned, dropped her purse on the table, and swung around to give Nathan a piece of her mind.

  He slapped the door shut and walked toward her.

  "You put me on the spot tonight." She wanted her gripe on the table first.

  "You scared the hell out of me tonight." He didn't slow down until he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

  And, boy, did he kiss her.

  Terri was lost from the second his fingers touched her. She forgot her anger, forgot the floor beneath her feet since she seemed to be floating on her tiptoes. His lips roamed over hers, urgent, desperate. She had no idea why he'd changed his mind, but she wasn't arguing.

  Her heart pounding, she rubbed up against him, daring him to back away. Nathan's sharp intake of breath only encouraged her to do it again.

  Terri ran a hand down to his chest until she
felt his heart slamming against her palm. She pulled away. "What's wrong?"

  "I couldn't find you tonight. You didn't answer your phone. Thought Marseaux had you." The savage fury in his eyes should have scared her, but she knew it wasn't directed at her. He'd been scared she was hurt, or worse.

  He cared for her. He'd lost so much she could see how he wouldn't want to feel anything for another person again, which had to be fueling his anger.

  "I'm sorry, my phone died on me. I got mad and pitched it into the passenger floorboard. Then the car wouldn't crank and I was in a rush to get to the container, so I forgot my phone in the car." She kissed his face, neck, lips.

  He hesitated. She sensed the war that went on inside him to do the honorable thing and back away. Not if she had anything to say about it, and she fully intended to have her say. Terri would find a way to sort out his situation and save him from himself.

  She wouldn't let him just slip away into the night. He'd lived in the dark too long and deserved the light. She grabbed a fist of sweatshirt on each side of his jacket and pulled him to her. "Touch me. Everywhere."

  Nathan swallowed at her command. Don't say that. He clung to a sliver of flimsy control when it came to Terri. He hadn't meant to touch her at all, but the minute he'd walked into the house and faced her, all hope of staying away from this woman had been lost.

  Her lips brushed his.

  He could use a little help right now.

  "Don't you want me?" She whispered it so closely, he felt the words slide across his skin, branding him with her desire.

  She had to ask if he wanted her with a raging hard-on shoved up between them? Nathan opened his eyes and stared into the face of passion.

  Back away. Back away. Now.

  He'd wanted her since the first time he'd inhaled her scent and last night had only increased the level of that want. She smelled like a lifetime of gifts all wrapped in soft skin and sweetness, Nathan teetered closer to the edge, debating, searching for the strength to give her up.

  She uttered, "I'm hot and wet for you."

  All the blood in his body rushed to his groin to celebrate.

  The fall this time came faster and harder.

  He wrapped his arms tighter and lifted her up, lips meeting in a smoldering kiss that might never end. Her arms locked around his neck, drawing him closer and closer to the flame.

  She wanted him now, in the dark of night, but what about later when the sun invaded their world again?

  Terri moaned against his mouth, then growled demands he couldn't refuse. He'd worry about later when her lips weren't honing a razor-sharp need that ripped across his skin.

  He backed her up to the wall and shoved her arms above her head. The fierce kiss spiraled out of orbit, along with his ability to reason and think. She curved her body up against his, rubbing his erection, which pulsed with each touch.

  Nathan released her arms and shed her jacket, then unbuttoned her shirt, letting the material fall loose.

  The sight of her body, dusted with light, this time really took his breath away.

  Lush curves, supple skin, perfect breasts. She was a real woman and spectacular.

  Terri reached for his shirt, lifting it up madly. He held her face in the palms of his hand and kissed her, lost in the feel of her mouth on his. His zipper ripped open and she drifted away, shoving his jeans down.

  His muscles clenched at the wild race of her hands over his skin, but he sure as hell wasn't going to complain.

  She slipped her fingers inside his shorts and inched them down while kissing his abdomen and teasing his belly button with her tongue. She cupped his erection, lifting gently, then brushing her finger over the wet tip.

  Nathan slapped both hands on the wall above her and fought to keep from coming, then caught his breath.

  She grasped his sac in her other hand and slowly rotated her fingers.

  He hissed and clenched against the surge in his groin. He reached for her, sliding her up the wall until she stood again, releasing him.

  "I want you, want this, but if I don't stop now and get a condom... it won't happen."

  "There's one... in my nightstand," she squeezed out between breaths.

  He lifted her, loving the feel of her in his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist. He stepped out of his clothes and strode to the bedroom, where he lowered her to her feet and kissed her. His fingers reached for the nightstand, found the knob, and opened it while she tortured him all over again. If she kept it up, this would be faster than the first time he ever had sex. This time he could see in the drawer and felt a certain amount of relief that there wasn't a large boxful of condoms.

  Terri whisked the condom from his hands and sent him up the wall when she sheathed him.

  She raised the tawny-green eyes of a tigress to his and licked her lips. Blood roared like hot lava through his veins, damming in his erection.

  He was going to explode, but not until she did.

  She pushed him back until he was against the wall and ran her hands down along his hips, closer to his cock. He grabbed her wrists in one hand and raised them above her head, then swung her around to the wall.

  He kissed her again. Man, she was hot and spicy all mixed together.

  Slowly, he knelt, teasing his tongue along the smooth skin. He paused to lounge at her breasts, feasting until her cries threatened to destroy him. Nathan peeled her pants down until they circled her thighs and stopped.

  He kissed the slip of silk panty shielding his target, then slipped a finger between her legs and gently rubbed across the taut material.

  She quivered and gripped his shoulders. "Nathan!"

  He ran a finger under each side of the dainty underwear and slowly worked them down along with her pants to the floor until she was free of them. He kissed the shapely, sculpted legs on the way. Smoothing a hand along the inside of one leg, he returned to the juncture and delved inside her heat, gently teasing the folds.

  Her high keen rocked the room, threatening to disintegrate his waning discipline.

  She spread her legs wider, allowing him access to paradise.

  He lathed the delicate region. Her raspy breaths and strained cries drove him harder to please her. She tensed for what seemed a long, long minute, straining to reach that plateau, then buckled with a hard shudder. Her soft cry of victory echoed through the dark room.

  Nathan supported her as he rose back to his feet, then cupped under her arms and lifted her into the air.

  Passion burned in her heavy lidded gaze. Her legs went around his waist and he had to bite down against the need to drive into her at that moment. He lifted her higher, kissing her nipples, then circling his tongued around and over. She writhed, rubbing harder against him.

  "Now... want to feel you. Now."

  Nathan ran his tongue over the sensual path between her breasts, then up to her chin and ear and lowered her slowly, pressing the head of his erection inside her. Every muscle in his body quivered with the strain of waiting, held taut in anticipation of the moment her heat would surround him.

  Terri's nails dug into his shoulders. Her body arched rigid, breasts pressed against his chest.

  When Nathan pushed all the way in, she gasped. He groaned and held still a moment, trying to keep enough blood in his head to stay upright. Nothing in his past endeavors matched the honest response of the woman in his arms.

  Kissing her had driven his fantasies to new levels.

  Watching over her had been a pleasure filled torture.

  Making love to her was beyond his imagination. And he considered himself a pretty creative thinker.

  Terri moved up and down, insistent for more.

  Nathan sure as hell wasn't telling her "no" at this point, but more like "not yet."

  He leaned in, pushing her back so the wall supported her. His fingers brushed over the pebbled tips of her nipples and her nails dug in for dear life. Rocking his hips forward, he drove deep and backed away, a slave to her whimpers. He toyed a thum
b over one nipple, gently worrying the anxious tip, then reached between them with his other hand.

  The pressure in his groin threatened to go at any minute, but he fought the urge ruthlessly. The ride would be longer this time. He shoved deeper, deeper, then faster.

  "Come on, baby," he coaxed her, loving her response.

  The need, for his own release twisted his insides, dangerously close to overtaking him. He fingered her curls and toyed with the wet heat he found.

  Her legs clenched his back and she bowed up, snatching another ride on ecstasy When she tumbled back to him, Nathan cupped her bottom with both hands and pushed one hard time to the hilt.

  His control snapped, ricocheting spasms through his center. Muscles gave into the wild rush. He didn't know when the shudders ended, only that one minute he lost touch with reality and the next he was holding her close to him, kissing the top of her head, both of them catching their breath.

  A foreign thought swept through him, freed from the dungeon of his soul before his conscience could block it.

  He wanted this woman, today, tomorrow... forever.

  Terri kissed his chest, Nathan tasted salty and masculine. Their lovemaking hazed the air.

  She clung to him when he carried her across the room and lowered her to the bed, then watched him walk away, headed toward the bathroom. Not an ounce of fat on that ripped body.

  The first time she'd felt him in the dark she'd figured he was a gym rat. Just hadn't guessed it was Club Fed.

  He returned with a damp cloth and she let him clean her, then he climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close, wrapping his body around her protectively.

  Nathan had rescued her more than once, but this time from the jaws of despair. It wasn't that she didn't know what she wanted. Or that she wasn't the marrying type.

  Terri finally saw the truth. She'd never wanted to risk caring about one person the way she cared for Nathan and had never met a man she was afraid of losing. But she didn't want to think about losing him now, not when she'd just found him. An unexpected contentment settled over her heart, warming her soul.

  What about Nathan? Would he be willing to fight for his freedom and stay? He believed he had no chance at life. She'd gained his trust, but could she gain his heart?

  The afterglow began to cool.

  Insecurity butted her contentment aside. She'd told him she wasn't looking for a commitment, to keep things simple. But something changed and now she didn't want to give him up, no matter what.