Colton's Last Stand Read online

  Did it matter? Yes. Fiona had to be here of her own free will, not at the behest of AAG.

  “Wait,” he muttered, even as his body contradicted his words. Somehow, he managed to put enough space in between them to enable his head to clear. “I need to know. Did Micheline or Leigh ask you to come here and...”

  She hesitated, just long enough to give him his answer.

  “Sorry, but no.” This time, he wrenched himself free. Despite his arousal, he moved to stand on the other side of the bed, using it as a physical barrier between them. “You’re clearly not in your right mind. I won’t take advantage of you like that.”

  Staring at him, she blinked. “I promise you, I’m in my right mind. No one is forcing me to be here.”

  “You still didn’t answer my question. Were you asked to come here and...”

  “Get you to stay by using whatever means necessary?” She sat down hard on the edge of the bed, dragging her hand through her long, thick, dark hair. “Yes. Leigh used those exact words with me a little while ago.”

  His heart sank. The rest of him still had not registered the stand-down order.

  “But that’s not why I’m here,” she breathed, her eyes locked on his. “I’m here because I’m incredibly attracted to you. I want you, Jake Anderson. Nothing more than that.”

  Every part of him wished he could believe her. He cleared his throat, willing away his unrepentant arousal. “Leave with me,” he told her, desperate to give her one more chance. “Let me take you away from here, get you some help. Then we might revisit this.”

  “I can’t.” Her sensual mouth twisted. “I can’t leave. I have a very real reason for being here.”

  “Then tell me.”

  She shook her head and pushed to her feet. “Come with me,” she said, holding out her hand. “Let’s walk outside.” She pointed to her ear, then gestured around the room as if to say she thought someone might be listening.

  He wouldn’t be surprised.

  Looking down at himself, he sighed. “I’m going to need a minute before I can walk anywhere.”

  Though she nodded, the way she eyed him, as if she wanted to gobble him up, made losing his arousal even more impossible. Tearing his gaze away from her, he moved into the bathroom. He might need a cold shower, but hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

  Briefly, he considered taking matters into his own hands, just to regain a measure of control. But because he really, really wanted to lose himself in Fiona, he settled for the quick cold shower.

  When he finally emerged again, she still waited.

  “I’m good,” he said, aware she’d no doubt heard the shower.

  “Then let’s go.” And she took his hand.

  Of course, his body jolted again when she slipped her slender fingers into his hand. Ignoring it, he concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, well aware that somewhere Micheline or one of her people would be watching.

  Outside, he took deep gulps of the dry, fresh air.

  They walked in silence, and Fiona didn’t speak until they’d rounded a curve in the drive and put the house out of view. She stopped, tugging on his hand to make sure he did, too. Gazing down at her upturned face, for one heart-stopping moment he thought he might kiss her. But he remembered why they’d come out here, and didn’t.

  “I’m deciding to trust you,” she said, her expression both vulnerable and earnest. “If you betray my trust, for whatever reason, know that you’ll put numerous lives at risk, not least of all my own.”

  Not sure if she was being overly dramatic or her words were really honest, he simply nodded for her to continue.

  She took a deep breath. “I’m really not sure I should do this,” she mumbled. “But here goes. I’m an undercover FBI agent. I’m investigating the cult and Micheline.”

  It took a few heartbeats for her words to even register. Shock. Then, thinking of the way she’d fought, understanding.

  “You’re serious?” he finally asked.

  “Yes. That’s why I can’t leave. And why I don’t need to go see a deprogrammer. Micheline is planning something big, something awful, though we don’t yet know what. In addition to that, we’ve received numerous complaints about her swindling money. Lots of money.”

  “You are serious,” he repeated, shocked and stunned and overjoyed all at once. “That means you really aren’t a brainwashed cultist.”

  “No, but I’m here to play one.”

  Just then he realized the chance she’d taken, trusting him. She’d risked her entire mission—maybe even her life—by trusting him. That was huge. Beyond huge.

  He reached for her and she met him halfway.

  As their lips met, he realized he’d just gained another reason to stay a bit longer. Now that he knew Fiona wasn’t actually brainwashed, he could allow his burgeoning feelings full reign. And if Fiona planned to take Micheline and her cult down, he wanted to be here to see it.

  Keeping the kiss short, he broke away. “Let’s go back to my room.”

  “And finish what we started?” One brow arched, she smiled.

  But it was the vulnerability still lingering in her dark eyes that undid him. “Yes,” he said, grabbing her hand.

  Chapter 6

  Telling Jake made her feel as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest. She could breathe again, move again and let herself make love honestly again. Micheline and Leigh be damned.

  I’ve jeopardized my mission, a little voice whispered inside her head. But no, she’d carefully considered. Jake had wanted to get her out, away from these people. There was no way in hell he was in with them. Especially after what Micheline had done to him.

  They raced through the front door, through the lobby, earning more than a few curious stares. Instead of the elevator, they took the stairs, running up the steps hand in hand.

  Once inside his room, he secured the door by putting the desk chair under the knob. When he turned, the raw need blazing from his face took her breath away.

  “Come here, you,” he said, holding out his arms.

  Without hesitation, she went to him and wrapped herself around him.

  “It’s okay,” he told her, nuzzling her neck. “I’m going to stay a little longer and help you.”

  She pulled him down to her, meeting his mouth with hers. Not only to silence him, but because she needed to kiss him as much as she needed to breathe.

  This time, as they came together, tasting, touching, allowing the craving to blossom, she felt her eyes sting with the beginning of tears. “Please give me your word that you won’t reveal what I’ve told you. I know you won’t, but I just need to hear you say it.”

  “Don’t,” he told her, wiping a stray bit of moisture away with his finger. “I give you my word, you won’t regret this.”

  That made her smile. “Put it off any longer and I might prove you wrong.”

  With a shout of laughter, he kissed her again, deepening the kiss until her head swam and her knees were weak.

  “Too many clothes,” she mumbled against his lips. “Off with them.”

  Again he chuckled. “Patience.” He reached for her shirt. She batted his hand away.

  “You first. I want to see you naked.”

  “Okay.” Keeping his gaze locked on hers, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Once he’d removed that, he went for his belt.

  “Let me,” she demanded, tugging the buckle open. When she undid his jeans and went to pull down the zipper, his erection surged free.

  “Careful,” he rasped.

  “Hot damn.” Slowly pulling his boxers and jeans down past his hips, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

  “Boots,” he said, choking on the word. He dropped back onto the bed, groaning as she knelt in front of him, pretending to be going for his feet. Instead, she grazed her lips over the engorged h
ead of him and then she took him into her mouth. All of him, deep. He tasted like man and salt and sex.

  Moving slowly, she relished the power of her taking him that way. In and out, falling into a rhythm and feeling her own body throb.

  “Enough.” He pulled her up and off him, pushing her back against the mattress. “While that was...extremely pleasurable, I want to be inside you.”

  Grinning up at him, she reached for him. “I want that, too.”

  “Wait.” He grabbed his jeans, located his wallet and removed a condom. Once he’d managed to pull it over his arousal, he went back to her and kissed her again. Deep and fierce, his hands coaxing her back to life, his erection huge against her belly.

  Slowly, she opened her legs and guided him to her.

  One push and he filled her. Completely. For a heartbeat or two, he held himself utterly still, letting her body adjust to his size. “You’re so damn wet,” he groaned.

  “You’re so damn hard,” she shot back, thrilling to the way his body pulsed at her words.

  She arched her back, anticipating his next stroke, and moved to meet him.

  They moved together, fast and furious, a crashing crescendo of desire and need. So raw, so instinctively honest, so...good. When she felt the beginning starburst of release building, she cried out. Her body clenched around him, and she gripped him tight while she shuddered from the strength of her climax.

  A moment later, one final push and he joined her.

  They clung to each other, damp and sweaty, the sweet, musky scent of sex filling the air.

  “Wow.” Totally drained, she rested her head against his shoulder. “That was...”

  “Good,” he finished for her, kissing the top of her head. “Amazing. Unbelievable. Should I go on?”

  Smiling, she shook her head. “You understand what they’re going to think?” she murmured, turning her head so that her mouth was pressed against his ear. “That I seduced you in order to get you to stay. Did it work?”

  His quick bark of laughter made her wiggle and raise her head to look at him.

  “Yes,” he responded, kissing the tip of her nose. “Though honestly, now that I’ve met Ace Colton, I was planning to stick around awhile anyway.”

  Stunned, she eyed him. “You met Ace? When?”

  “Earlier today. After I learned about my true parentage, I drove myself over to Colton Oil. Even though Ace no longer is CEO, I’d read in the local paper that he would be there for some kind of meeting, so I went in and introduced myself. We hit it off. He’s a hell of a nice guy.”

  Unannounced, uninvited, Jake had simply shown up and asked to meet the man with whom he’d been switched at birth. She had to admire his bravado.

  “And he met with you?” she asked, just to be clear.

  Jake tilted his head. “Yes. You sound surprised. Don’t you think he had to be curious, too? Naturally, he’d want to meet the man whose life should have been his.”

  She let her gaze roam over his rugged, handsome face. “You don’t sound bitter. I don’t know that I wouldn’t be, if I were in the same position.”

  “Maybe a little,” he admitted, lifting one bare shoulder. “But it’s forty years in the past. There’s nothing I or anyone else can do to change things. All we can do is move forward, one day at a time.”

  Admirable. She didn’t know that she’d be able to be so sanguine if she were in his position.

  He kissed her again, a quick press of his lips against her temple. “He’s going to introduce me to the rest of his—of my—family,” he said, his eyes drifting closed. “That should be interesting.” He tightened his arms around her, pulling her in close.

  Nestling into his embrace, she marveled at the myriad of complex emotions swirling around inside her. In the space of twenty-four hours, her entire situation had completely changed. On the one hand, as far as Micheline and Leigh were concerned, she’d been a good little cult member and done what they wanted by getting Jake to stay.

  On the other, by revealing herself to Jake, she could have placed the entire undercover operation in jeopardy. Her gut twisted at the thought. But as she gazed at Jake’s rugged profile, she just knew her trust wouldn’t be misplaced. He wasn’t a part of the AAG. Even before learning of his true parentage, he’d been destined for other things. He had his ranch, a life he’d built from the ground up. Soon, he’d have a new family to get to know. The machinations of Micheline Anderson and her merry little cult would figure very little in his world. Especially once he’d left here.

  For Fiona as well. Once she’d completed this assignment, she’d go back to her job working out of the Phoenix office and her tidy little apartment downtown. Until her next assignment. Then this time she’d spent here in Mustang Valley would become nothing but a memory.

  For now, she wanted to simply revel in the moment. She’d learned a long time ago to enjoy the happy moments when she could. Because in the crazy world she worked in, she knew they were few and far between.

  She must have fallen asleep, because when she opened her eyes again, someone was trying to open Jake’s door. Quietly, but clearly attempting to get the stuck door to open.

  “Jake!” she whispered, nudging him with her elbow. He came awake instantly, and she held her finger to his lips to keep him silent.

  Once more, the intruder rattled the door. The chair Jake had wedged under the knob held. Slowly, Jake sat up. “Who’s there?” he asked, his voice stern.

  “It’s Micheline,” a familiar voice answered back. “I think it’s time we had a chat.”

  Talk about timing. Fiona’s first instinct was to panic. How embarrassing! Her second had her burrowing deeper into the covers, thinking letting the cult leader find her here might not be a bad thing. After all, as far as Micheline was concerned, Fiona had simply done what she’d been told.

  “Let her in,” she murmured to Jake, keeping her chin up though her cheeks were hot.

  One brow raised, he asked her if she was sure. When she nodded, he pushed himself off the bed, stepped into his jeans and, after zipping them, he answered the door.

  “Micheline.” He stepped aside, allowing her to see into his small room.

  Fiona waved, just to make sure Micheline saw her.

  “Oh.” Micheline took a quick step back. Fiona had to stifle a smile.

  “Sorry. I was busy.” Jake dragged his hand through his hair. “Maybe you should have considered calling first.”

  “I didn’t know you had company,” Micheline responded, sounding a bit tense. Translation—her spies hadn’t informed her that Jake was with Fiona. “But I had a cancellation, which meant a couple of hours opened up in my schedule. I thought we could get together and talk.”

  Jake glanced over his shoulder at Fiona before gesturing toward a chair. “Come on in. Have a seat. We can talk here.”

  Micheline didn’t move. “Alone,” she clarified. She cut her eyes to Fiona, pasting an utterly false beatific smile on her perfectly made-up face. “Fiona, honey. Would you please go on back to your own room?”

  “Of course,” Fiona replied, dipping her chin. “I’ll need to get dressed first.”

  “What if I want her to stay?” Jake asked, crossing his arms. “Fiona and I have become very close. She can hear anything you want to say to me.”

  Interesting. Fiona watched Micheline, curious to see which way this would go. On the one hand, Fiona was supposed to do whatever the cult leader wanted. On the other, Micheline would want to placate her son. Especially if she ever revealed the truth of his birth to his face. She had no way of knowing Jake already knew.

  Or did she? Fiona frowned, looking down to hide it. She’d long suspected the presence of cameras and/or recording devices, which was why she’d made Jake go outside to discuss her true identity. She generally tried to be super careful with what she said, but perhaps Jake had not.

/>   “Fiona can stay,” Jake repeated when Micheline didn’t respond.

  Micheline ignored him, walking over to stand at the side of the bed and peering down at Fiona. “Honey, my son and I need to have a private, personal conversation. Would you mind going back to your own room?”

  Mindful of the role she had to play, Fiona nodded. “Of course.” She wrapped the sheet around herself, got out of bed, grabbed her clothes and hurried to the bathroom to dress.

  When she emerged a few seconds later, she flashed a shy smile at Micheline and hurried for the door.

  Before she could exit, Jake grabbed her arm. “Wait.”

  She shot him a look, hoping it conveyed a don’t ruin this for me statement. Evidently it did, for he let her go.

  “Thank you, sweetheart,” Micheline purred as Fiona slipped out the door.

  Outside in the hall, Fiona paused to catch her breath. Part of her wanted to rush back in and stand with Jake. But if she wanted to continue to play the obedient little cult member, she couldn’t. Whatever Micheline wanted, Jake would have to deal with it alone.

  * * *

  Bracing himself once the door closed behind Fiona, Jake turned back to face Micheline. He thought about making it easy on her and telling her he already knew, but why should he? Plus, she’d want to know where and when he’d found out, and how. Which would hurt Fiona and her mission.

  Crossing his arms, he eyed the woman who’d raised him and said nothing.

  “You don’t have to look so angry,” Micheline chided. “This is our chance to make up for lost time.”

  “Is it?”

  “Yes.” She reached out, clearly meaning to either hug him or squeeze his shoulder.

  Neatly, he stepped away. If she touched him, he wasn’t sure he could manage to conceal his revulsion.

  Tilting her head, she considered him. “Why’d you leave all those years ago?” she asked quietly.

  One of her tricks had always been to counter a question with another question instead of an answer, so he employed that now. “Did you even look for me? I was seventeen years old, out there on my own. Do you have any idea what kind of horrible things can happen to a boy that young?”