Beyond the Edge (4 page)

He softened his voice and pointedly raked his gaze over her. “What kind of apology did you have in mind?”

Just as he’d planned, his seductive teasing sent her temper soaring. Her shoulders stiffened. At the same time, she lowered her lids but not before he’d glimpsed her response. An angry opponent was not a smart opponent. Right now he needed her off balance.

Would she lash out? Try to slap his face? He should have known she’d have much better control. She took his attempt to manipulate her in stride, and he could only admire her tenacity.

“You owe me an explanation of your criminal activities.”

“I am not—”

“A crook?”

As she repeated Nixon’s famous denial, a spark of amusement lit her eyes. A twitch pulled at his lips, and he almost smiled. Fallon was having quite an effect on his sense of humor as well as an impact on other parts of him. She’d put him on notice that she wasn’t a woman to trifle with. He couldn’t help
wondering if she made love with the same vigor with which she defended herself.

He offered her a glass of wine. “Truce?”

Fallon frowned at it suspiciously and refused his offer. Instead she took the one he’d just sipped from. “Have you drugged me?”

He grinned inside where Fallon couldn’t see it. The risks were too great to tell her the truth, and she’d just given him the lead he’d been searching for to set up a convincing lie. “Drugging you wasn’t intentional. You were not supposed to be in that office.”

Her fingers twisted around the glass stem, sliding up and down. His mouth went cottony dry, thinking how those hands would feel skimming over his neck, his chest, his stomach and lower. Damn it! Not now.

Dragging his thoughts back to the subject at hand, he concentrated on her inquisitive words. “The drug causes hallucinations?”

“Do you recall the scent of almonds?” When she nodded, he continued. “You inhaled the drug. Its side effects are similar but not identical to LSD. Time is distorted and certain memories are forgotten.”

Her eyes, green as the potted palm plants swaying in the breezeway, darted to meet his. “That’s why I can’t remember walking from the stairwell to the parking garage?”

“Exactly.”

“And the drug’s side effect makes me sick?”

“Yes.”

Her full lips thinned into a cynical smile. “But why am I sick only when I leave you?”

“I can’t tell you that.” Kane spread caviar onto a cracker, popped it onto his tongue and washed the salty-crispness away with a sip of wine.

“Why not?”

Because he couldn’t think up a good answer.
“It’s classified.”

“Really?” She raised a delicate eyebrow. “What government do you work for?”

“I can’t tell you that either.”

“Great. I feel much better now. You won’t let me call the police. You won’t tell me who you work for.” She was ticking off her points on each finger. “You won’t tell me why I’m sick. Do you really expect me to believe you?”

Kane leaned forward and held her gaze, assessing her anger. At the radiant flush on her face, the inquisitive gleam in her eye, and the haughty tilt of her chin, admiration welled up and his heart squeezed like a vise. For an instant he regretted what he must do to her, then sternly reminded himself of the lives at stake. He shouldn’t care whether he lied to her or not.

Kane didn’t let his sympathy for her break through the hardness in his voice. “How else can you explain the nausea?”

She shot him a frustrated look, clearly unable to account for the strange illness. “How long will the drug’s effects last?”

“The hallucinations should be gone soon.”

“But?” she prodded.

“Occasional flashbacks will occur, so you should
be prepared for memory lapses. The nausea will continue for some time, I’m afraid.”

“How long?”

Kane contained a sigh. He could hardly tell her it would last until he finished his mission. “Days. Maybe weeks. I’m not sure.”

Her mouth set in annoyance. “You mean I could be stuck with you for an entire month?”

“Yes.” He didn’t dare remind her that he could make the time interesting for both of them. Or that the maximum nausea-free distance between them would keep shrinking.

She drummed her nails on the table. “Instead of scaring me to death, why didn’t you explain earlier?”

“I tried. You didn’t want to listen. So I waited for most of the hallucinogenic effect to wear off.”

She still looked skeptical. “Why did you break into my office, Kane?”

He plucked a handful of grapes, and savored the crunchy pulp and the sweet juice running down his throat, thinking the worst was over. He shouldn’t have let her see the specialized technology at work, but it didn’t matter, not if she thought she’d been hallucinating. If he made another error, she’d think she was having a flashback.

Pleased that he’d covered all the contingencies, he leaned back in his chair. “Someone stole technology from…my people. We want it back.”

Seemingly oblivious to what the sight did to him she folded her hands across her chest, tightening the
blue silk against the soft curve of her breasts. “Let me get this straight.” Skepticism entered her tone. “You didn’t come into my office to steal but to recover stolen property?”

“We thought the thief might have tried to sell our technology and where better than to the Hanover Institute? You have the money, the interest and the facilities to check out this type of technology. You might have unknowingly purchased the stolen work.”

“Why break in? Why not just ask us?”

“My bosses don’t want to draw attention to the problem. If you hadn’t been there, I would have checked your files, and you’d have never known I was there.”

She rubbed her chin in thought. “Don’t you have patents that protect your interests?”

Damn! Must the woman keep poking holes in his story? Fallon Hanover was sharp, he’d give her that. But he was good at this type of evasion. The best. “The government prefers to keep its work private. Patents are a matter of public record and we follow national security guidelines.”

“Then you do work for us?”

“I didn’t say that.” He had to give her credit for neatly trapping him.

“I apologize if my skepticism irritates you. You’re probably used to people believing your lies after you drug them and take them hostage.”

His hand with the wineglass paused on the way to his lips. “You still don’t believe me?”

“So what exactly was stolen?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Come on! You broke into my office and you don’t even know what you’re looking for?”

Kane raised his glass to his mouth and swallowed to cover his grin. She really was an interesting woman when she got past her fear of him. “Nigel James had access to many black projects, top-secret. We aren’t certain which ones he copied.”

“What makes you think this Nigel will attempt to sell your products to a private individual instead of another government?” she asked, her tone mild, her eyes bright with curiosity. “Assuming he stole them, that is.”

“We don’t think he has the right contacts. We suspect he stole formulas that have more commercial applications. For example, the suit I’m wearing is one of our latest projects.”

Her forehead furrowed. “I remember a helmet on that suit.”

She seemed uncertain whether the memory was real. Good. “We fabricated intelligent materials.”

“Intelligent materials?”

“Nano materials change shape on the microscopic level. For example, walls will someday contain honeycomb-like layers that upon request would reshape to the space required. Wall tiles would switch patterns at the press of a button. A simple tug would stretch a tabletop into a new shape. Countertops sensing food would form themselves into the correct sized dish. The uses are endless.”

“With military applications?”

“That’s why your help would be useful.”

“Help you? I’ll die before I betray my country.” She kept her face blank, no doubt wondering how much this “help” was going to cost her in dollars.

“Suppose I gave you my word that you aren’t?”

“Your word means nothing to me.”

Perhaps he could appeal to the businesswoman in her. “When the time comes, you’ll see that the plans do not belong to your government. And to entice you, suppose we make a bargain.”

“I’m listening.” She exaggerated a yawn, contradicting her words. “Sorry. Go on.”

He set down his glass. “It’s late. Tomorrow will be time enough for explanations. Why don’t you turn in for the night?”

“How could I possibly sleep without hearing your bargain?”

“All right.” He kept his tone even, although his excitement leaped. “I’d like your full cooperation and help to catch Nigel and reclaim what he has stolen from my government.”

“And in return, what will you do for me?”

“I’ll give you your complete fantasy.” He held his breath. Her reply mattered to him but he had his emotions under control. He would satisfy her and then walk away.

She sucked in her bottom lip. Her hands shook and she had to put down her wine as if fearing she’d spill it. “Be more specific.”

He didn’t hold back a wolfish grin. “I’d rather show you. However, once we agree there’s no going
back. As long as I’m here, we’ll do this on my terms.”

“And suppose I accept and then change my mind?”

“You won’t want to—I’ll make certain of that.”

She eyed him, her head cocked to the side, clearly interested. Her pulse beat a quick tattoo at her neck. Her eyes dilated slightly, but she held his gaze with a courage that was going to make her ultimate submission such a pleasure. A weak woman was no challenge, but Fallon Hanover was strong and her strength excited him, taunted him, dared him.

Although it was unusual for him to be drawn so quickly to a woman, Fallon was special. Besides, it had been way too long since he’d satisfied the demands of his body. He’d let the past haunt him for too long. It was time for him to let go of his past mistakes—ones he wouldn’t repeat. While he yearned to explore the passion that pulsed between them, he would be certain not to engage his emotions. He’d love to maintain strict control over what happened between them. He hadn’t known Fallon long enough to become deeply involved and he wouldn’t stay long enough for more than a physical fling.

“You’re arrogant.”

He didn’t deny it. He was as certain that he’d catch his thief and place him under custody as he was that their time together would be very erotic, very exotic and very special. “Only because I know I will give you pleasure you’ve never experienced before. Now we’ll begin.”

“I’
LL CONSIDER
your bargain,” she said, hoping he couldn’t hear the desire in her tone, her yen to completely give up control to him. For a change, it would be so lovely not to think or plan or be responsible, just give up all control and let him take over. “But, right now, I think it’s time to retire.”

It didn’t matter how damn sexily he’d couched his words. It didn’t matter that she found him exciting or his idea tempting. Damn tempting. What were his intentions? She restrained the urge to drum her fingers on the table, unwilling to reveal her raw nerves. Instead, she watched him with as neutral an expression as she could manage.

His eyes flashed with disappointment. “Go on up to bed.”

She placed her hands on her hips and bolstered her courage to ask, “What about you?”

He gave her a look hot enough to melt an icicle on a subzero day. “Is that an invitation?”

She almost said yes, just barely refraining. But oh how she wanted to let him take control over what happened next. “I’ll let you know in the morning.”

She left him to fend for himself, wondering how she could barricade her bedroom door—or if she even wanted to. If the locks and security systems at the Institute couldn’t keep him out, she doubted a chair wedged beneath the doorknob would do the trick.

No matter how much she ached to throw caution to the wind, Fallon was too level-headed to take such chances. If she’d only had herself to think about, she might have immediately said yes. But she had responsibilities to her parents, her siblings and her stockholders. She couldn’t simply disappear for however long his mission lasted and have an enticing fling.

Besides, how could she trust the man with her body when she didn’t believe half of his wild story? Some of the best con men in the world had tried to swindle her. She might only be twenty-eight, but she wasn’t naive, and she wasn’t buying his story.

If he’d known she was hallucinating, why had he asked her to drive? She could’ve killed them both. And why was the drug so selective, acting only when she left Kane’s presence?

And his reason for breaking into her office was downright flimsy. It would take ten men five months to search through the Institute’s massive computer banks to find one tiny project. How would Kane have broken the passwords?

As she walked upstairs to her bedroom, she worried over another incident that didn’t fit. She’d aimed that gun at his wide chest. From less than ten feet, it was difficult to miss.

But if she’d missed, where had the bullet gone? It hadn’t smashed into the television screen or splintered the wall behind him. And her white leather sofa sported no ripped fabric or furrows. She scowled at the irony of her attempt to kill the first interesting man she’d met in months, one who even cleaned up after himself in the kitchen.

Yawning, Fallon closed her bedroom door. As she walked across the airy room, decorated in soft turquoise and gold, she left a trail of clothing across the carpet. Louisa would be in tomorrow to straighten the mess.

Louisa—oh no. The maid had a key. Fallon couldn’t let her walk into the house or Kane might take her prisoner, too. In the morning, she’d have to convince him that it would be convenient for him to let her make a phone call and discourage Louisa from coming to work.

After stepping into the shower, Fallon adjusted the spray and wondered what to do. She wouldn’t try leaving. At this hour she wasn’t up to facing the nausea again. But she did have several options—all dangerous. She could set off the panic button by her bed and silently summon the police. But could they get to her before Kane did?

Even if the police arrested Kane, what would she tell them? She’d be lucky if they didn’t lock her up in a cell adjoined to his—a padded one.

However the most dangerous option of all was the one she found most enticing. Suppose she accepted his bargain? Would he come through on his promise
and deliver? Would she really be able to give up control to him? And what if she said
no?
She’d already learned she couldn’t stop him from taking whatever he wanted.

But the man wasn’t into using force. He wanted her to willingly give herself to him to do with as he pleased—an idea she found all too appealing because then she’d have to make no further decisions. From then on, all she would need to do was succumb to his wishes, and enjoy every second.

From the heated looks he’d given her, from the electric connection between them, she had little doubt he was as aware of her as a woman as she was of him as a man. Instinct told her the lovemaking would be fantastic.

Just the thought of being so free, to give herself wholly over to another individual, caused heat to pool in her belly. After washing and rinsing her hair, she soaped the rest of her body, and her skin felt wonderfully sensitive as she imagined Kane kissing her, caressing her with those strong hands and gentle fingers. There was no denying that the idea of his touching her anywhere he pleased, however he pleased, intrigued her.

And he’d made it quite clear that once she agreed, it would be the last choice he’d allow her. She should be horrified, terrified. Instead, her breasts ached and excitement splashed through her veins.

But could she really agree to the bargain? She had no idea.

After stepping from the steamy shower, she
wrapped a towel around her, tucking the corner between her breasts. She applied moisturizer to her face, then dried her hair vigorously with another towel. Not liking to sleep with a wet head, she flipped on the blow dryer and let the warmth and the familiar motions soothe her frazzled nerves.

But somehow she didn’t think she’d sleep tonight, not with him downstairs. Not with his tempting bargain preying on her mind. At least she no longer thought he’d kill her. If he was going to, he’d have done it after she’d tried to shoot him.

Instead, he’d held her a little too close before he’d handed back her gun. She could still recall his arms encompassing her, holding her tight while she tensed, waiting for the fatal shot that never came.

Had it been her imagination, or had a tremor rippled through his muscles as he held her? When she’d turned around, he’d appeared all steely and commanding. Then he’d relaxed while they sparred with words over the dinner table and a new kind of tension had started to grow.

She couldn’t have missed his appreciative gaze that let her know he found her attractive. Once her fear had subsided, she’d begun to see Kane in a different light. As a man. With his dark hair, dark eyes, and a body to die for, he wore his masculinity like a shield. But it was his bargain that dominated her thoughts, twisted into her psyche and made her wonder if the drugs she’d breathed in had lowered her inhibitions. Or was it the man himself?

Whether he worked for some secret government
agency, she didn’t know, but he carried himself with the bearing of a soldier, or one of those martial arts experts who moved soundlessly through the shadows. But her memories might only be hallucinations, and his seemingly impossible feats might have been simply delusions caused by the almond drug. She shook her head, fluffing the last of her hair dry and turning off the blower.

She exited the bathroom and stepped over to the dresser. Tonight she would not sleep nude. She reached for a T-shirt and shorts as if the flimsy material could protect her from him…and her own thoughts.

At the sound of an unnaturally loud click, Fallon spun around. Her towel began to slip. She gasped, her hand grabbing the terry cloth.

Kane stood beside the bed, a faint glint of humor on his lips, his eyes hungry. “I like your outfit.”

F
ALLON POSSESSED
the most incredibly sexy legs Kane had ever seen, trim ankles, sleek calves, shapely knees, and firm thighs, which the skimpy towel did little to hide. He swallowed hard, trying to remember she hadn’t accepted his terms.

At the sight of him, her eyes flashed and her body went taut. “What are you doing in my room?”

“Disabling the panic button.”

A bead of moisture trickled from her temple, down her creamy cheek, onto her full lip. She licked it away with the tip of her pink tongue, sending a flash of heat straight to his groin.

She padded to her closet and pulled out a robe, then donned it over the towel. “I have no intention of calling the cops.”

“So you say. All the same, it’s better to remove the temptation.”

She straightened her spine and jerked the belt at her waist tight. For a moment, Fallon’s fingers played nervously with the sash and then as if she realized what she was doing, she thrust her hands into her pockets.

Kane pulled a screwdriver from the tool chest he’d found downstairs and turned his back to her. Unfortunately, with her, out of sight was not out of mind. Damn it! He had to remember that she might not ever agree to his terms. With a determined effort, he bent to the alarm cover plate. From the corner of his eye, he watched the towel slither from beneath her robe and she kicked it away.

He gritted his teeth. Lord, the woman even had attractive feet with cute high arches and long straight toes. He imagined holding one slim foot in his hand, caressing his way up those fabulously long legs. The screwdriver thudded to the floor, and he knelt by her bed to retrieve it.

Her scent wafted up from the sheets, reminding him that while he might be eager to have her, he couldn’t forget his job. Fallon was sorely testing his strength of will. It took all his self-control to kneel by the switch and place the tool on the first screw without looking in her direction.

“Don’t,” she said, her voice sharp.

“Why not?”

“Any attempt to tamper with the system sends a silent alarm to the police station.”

“Really?”

She drew in a deep breath, and her breasts thrust against the damp material. “Why would I lie?”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Kane countered, peering at her through narrowed eyes. Perhaps she intended to accept his bargain and his hopes rose. Did she have any idea how attractive she looked with her face flushed, her curls framing her high cheekbones?

“As fast as you move, you could get to me before the police did.” A suggestion of awareness flickered in her eyes and then she hid it behind a facade of studied calm.

He raised his brow, wondering how hard she was fighting with herself. Lucky for him, the woman had absolutely no idea what he intended to do to her. As he imagined the courage it would take for her to give herself over to him, all the blood in his body headed below his waist.

He had to stop thinking of her as anything beyond a sex object. Now. This was not his time to let emotions cloud his judgment. Getting closer to Fallon Hanover any way but physically could only lead to disaster.

“And if the cops took you away, I’d get sick again. So exactly what is the protocol to tell one’s kidnapper to get the hell out of one’s bedroom?”

He glanced with regret at the panic button, unwilling to trust her. But to tamper with the backup bat
tery or disconnect the wiring could summon the police. The technology was well within the capabilities of the early twenty-first century. However, too much rode on the outcome of this mission to leave her alone where she could easily call for help. The last thing he needed was the authorities on his tail. Maintaining a low profile had to be his first priority.

He kept his tone casual. “You don’t want me to go.”

“Your mind-reading abilities are way off.”

“You want me. You want to accept my offer. Just the idea of being at my complete mercy is arousing to you. It’s only a matter of time before you yield.”

She shook her head, but she couldn’t seem to summon the words to disagree. Good. He pushed her further. “You’ll have to sleep downstairs with me.”

As she tensed to speak, he watched the protest rise to her lips and die. Without saying another word she spun on her heel and removed some clothing from her bureau. After striding back into the bathroom, she slammed the door. A few minutes later she reappeared dressed in jeans and a well-worn T-shirt.

He followed her out of the bedroom suddenly curious about her, about the men in her life. Her too-brief dossier only contained information pertaining to her worldwide financial empire with few clues to her past, except her CIA connection—which she had yet to admit to.

One last glance over his shoulder into the bedroom didn’t reveal too many hints. The only photograph in the room—a younger Fallon with an older couple,
most likely her parents, standing on the bow of a yacht—didn’t tell him anything about the adult woman. Those facts he’d have to discover for himself.

It couldn’t hurt to find out more about her, especially if they had to spend the next several weeks together. He observed the cute way her hips sashayed as she walked in front of him. She stopped short in the hallway and removed a pillow, sheets and a blanket from a linen closet.

Kane was all too aware of the sparks she kindled in him. He knew too well that while he could enjoy sex on the job, he enjoyed it so much more when the woman fascinated him. And Fallon was one fascinating lady. He couldn’t wait to explore her combination of courage and desire. He couldn’t risk becoming emotionally involved, yet he knew he was smarter than he once was. In his line of work, love wasn’t just a luxury—it could get him killed.

Nigel was an especially cunning thief. Underestimating his quarry would be a mistake.

When they arrived on the ground floor, she interrupted his thoughts. “Where am I supposed to sleep?” she asked in a businesslike tone, but her subterfuge didn’t fool him. She didn’t like the idea of sleeping near him.

“The couch.”

Without looking in his direction, she floated the linen over the plush leather, tucked in the edges, and plumped the pillow. Once she’d lain down, she closed her eyes, and immediately proceeded to toss
and turn. Sleeping in those tight jeans couldn’t be comfortable. And that’s when he realized that she wanted him to take command. She’d given him every sign of wanting him—except a verbal one.

If she couldn’t make the decision to accept what she so obviously wanted, he would make it for her. He might be wrong, but he didn’t think so and decided to test her. If she obeyed, he’d take that as a sign that she’d agreed to their bargain.