Racing the Tide Read online

  Liquid flame engulfed her. She wound her arms around his neck, arched her body seeking his. His tugged on her nipples with his fingers, then his mouth as he sucked each one between his lips and into the heat, until she was twisting in agony.

  “Fuck me, fuck me, now.”

  “You’re killing me, beautiful. I need protection.” It took a moment for understanding to dawn. What did he need protection from?

  “Uh, in the night stand.” He opened the top drawer and grabbed the small box, shaking out a silver-wrapped package. He tore it open with his teeth and rolled it down over his cock. She lay back on the bed and spread her legs for him, enjoying the lust that darkened his eyes even further, their shine visible under the glow of the night light.

  He came to her then, his massive body looming over hers as he ran his hands all over her until she was trembling with pent-up passion. Caressing, tugging, kissing. treasuring her flesh as he nibbled his way down her body, not missing anything. She thrashed her head back and forth on the pillow, her desire to be possessed and loved overcoming any thought of shying away.

  She came right off the bed as he ran a finger down her pussy, spreading the quivering lips. Every nerve ending alive, her blood sang with the thrill. He pushed a finger deep inside her channel, into the center of her heat, sending more pleasure zinging through her body. His warmth breath teased the sensitive tissues, dancing across her swollen clit and turning her to liquid flame. Every part of her was wide awake, searching, hungry, seething with unbridled lust, the pressure almost too much to bear.

  “Please, please, fuck me,” she said, her voice so low and throaty she barely recognized it.

  “Not till I taste you, beautiful.”

  His words electrified the very air she was breathing.

  He pressed his mouth against the juncture of her thighs, hot breath searing, velvet tongue lapping. She let loose wild moans, her small body too full of anticipation to keep it all inside. When she could handle no more, she mewed her surrender, driven nearly insane.

  “Please, Cole,” she whispered, so needy she could not imagine existing one more second without release from the unbearable pressure.

  He moved, seeming to understand her desperateness. Centered himself between her shaking thighs and entered her in one amazing thrust, sending her senses reeling and reaching for climax.

  “Oh, sweet heaven above,” she moaned, hands firmly planted on his ass, forcing him to push into her as far as possible. Wonderful thrusts of intensive pure pleasure over and over until they became one bucking beast. One connected energy. And went over the top of the mountain together.

  Her phone rang, jarring her from the afterglow of the best sex of her life. Wiping the stinging perspiration from her eyes, she fumbled to answer it.

  “Hey, Silk,” she said, trying in vain to sound normal while breathless, her heart hammering. Had it been that good between them? They might not see eye-to-eye on other issues, but right here—right now—in this bed, they saw things the same. And yes, if she had any say, there would be lots of this kind of action. Oh no, I’d been thinking one tryst would solve my giant inch. So much for that idea. Cole completed her. Made her feel things she had only imagined possible. And she was beyond certain at this moment he needed her just as much.

  “What’s up? You sound out of breath.”

  “Just raced for the phone. I was in the shower. What’s the deal?”

  “I’m checking in to let you know Chang’s crew is on the move in the van. We’ve got a team following them right now.”

  “Where are they headed?”

  “Not the docks, if that’s what you were thinking. Okay, they just pulled up in front of an old apartment block. We’ll keep you keep you posted if anything happens. Could you check on who owns it?”

  “Sure.”

  She scrambled for a piece of paper and scribbled down the address of the building.

  “Catch you later.”

  She looked over at Cole who had sat up, preparing to leave the bed. He tossed the used condom in the wastebasket, still turned away from her.

  “You want to shower together?” she asked, running her hands down his back and experiencing the thrill at all that glorious undulating man muscle. “We got a couple more hours. Maybe take a nap after?”

  “I’ve got to get going. Time’s wasting,” he said in an abrupt way, standing up, shaking her hand off.

  “You still need to get cleaned up,” she shot back, trying to hide her disappointment. “There’s fresh towels in the cupboard under the sink.”

  He grunted and strode away, giving her a perfect view of his tight ass. And his obvious desire to get away as soon as possible.

  A few seconds later, she heard the water running.

  She sat there, fuming for a few seconds. Benefit of the doubt, Gabby. She recalled her words of earlier about meaning no harm. Yeah, easier said than done. She got up and pulled her robe on then walked into the tiny kitchen and made a pot of strong coffee. When it finished percolating through the machine, she filled a thermos with the hot brew.

  A few minutes later, she heard his bootsteps echoing on the hardwood floors of the hallway before he emerged near the front door visible from the kitchen. He looked so damn good, fresh from the shower, his hair still damp. But his tight expression said it all. Closed for business. So much for all her good intentions.

  “Here. Take this.” She thrust the coffee at him, almost hitting him in his broad chest.

  “Uh, Gabby, I’m sorry, for what it’s worth. I told you I’m no good for you.”

  “Fine. Whatever.” Never trust a man. I should know better. Just when she’d let herself think there might be some hope, damn it, he pulled away as though she was some kind of nuclear device.

  “Don’t be that way.”

  “What way is that, Cole, the same as you? Pretending this”—she pointed at him, then herself—“wasn’t the best sex of your life? That there’s no instant connection going on that defies all reason? Because I can do that, too. Shut this down, whatever this is.” She crossed her arms over her chest and pressed her lips together, fighting tears. She was promising something she knew was impossible, but he didn’t need to know that. And right now, no matter what the cost, she was no crybaby.

  He looked as if he was going to say something more, then just shook his head and walked to the door. He turned back.

  “I’ll catch up with you at TETRAD. I’ve got some tech work to do. And, Gabby, for what it’s worth, I don’t mean you any harm. I want you to be happy and that’s just not possible with the likes of me.”

  She bit her lip, unsure of herself, and not knowing the words that would convince him to stay. An impossible situation. They had no choice but to be in each other’s company for who knew how long. It was going to be fucking torture, no doubt about it. She sighed, holding back the tears, and hurried off to shower. Keep your mind on the job. Nothing else matters.

  * * * *

  Day Four: 2:35 a.m.

  What the hell was I thinking? I’m broken. It’s far too late for me to even think I’m capable of being with another woman. I’m the worst person possible in the world for her. But even as he thought it, a small frisson of hope sparked and an ember came to life inside his soul. The missing part he was achingly aware of every moment of every day, the deep wide wound impossible to bear, began to close, defying all odds. But it was too unsettling. He tamped all such thoughts back down, headed to his truck. He had made his decision and now he must abide by it. Keep Gabby safe.

  He drove to TETRAD, needing to be submerged in work. He found the office empty, thank God. Last thing he wanted was a discussion with anyone about anything other than getting Sara home.

  Concentrating on discovering the owner of the apartment block Chang’s van had parked at and channeling through a labyrinthine smokescreen that hid the true owner, he didn’t hear the footsteps until it was too late.

  He shut down the screen, spun around in his chair. “What the hell are
you doing here?” He recognized the men. Chang and the two young men from the café. The unsmiling trio had him at a disadvantage. And he didn’t fucking like it.

  “It’s time we became acquainted. You and your friends have been snooping around Chinatown and asking about me and my business interests. You should have come to me, no one else. Only I can set the record straight. Confucius very clear on this point. ‘Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves’,” Chang said, his sidekicks silent bookends, their appearance similar in the black clothing.

  “And as Sun Tzu said, ‘it is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin’. And what makes you think we want revenge, anyway? For what? Have you done something you care to share?” Cole narrowed his eyes, bristling with indignation.

  “Ah, you like The Art of War. So, you know, ‘appear where you are not expected’?”

  “What do you want, Chang?” Cole decided to cut through the bullshit.

  The older man did not like to be confronted, that was obvious as his sallow skin tightened, wrinkles etched across his forehead. He tugged at his chin whiskers. “I would like the respect due. You asking questions is interfering with my business. Stirring things up. Not necessary. I am just a regular businessman, nothing more. Everybody tell you that.”

  The false sincerity in the man’s tone was cloying and Cole’s stomach began roiling with anger. An anger he had to contain as releasing it was a cheap luxury he could ill afford. Chang had Sara. If Cole hadn’t known that for certain before, he knew now.

  “If you are just a businessman, why are you even here, Chang?” Cole had an idea to further annoy the man, make his visit seem senseless. “Besides, we’ve already discovered that you’re an honest businessman. We intended to give you a pass, anyway.”

  Chang’s eyes hardened with a glint of steeliness, demonstrating his anger was barely under control. Cole had scored a direct hit. “I came today to tell you to save you the trouble of continuing your harassment.”

  “Asking a few questions in your neighborhood hardly constitutes harassment. But like I said, it’s all good.” Cole shrugged to demonstrate his indifference, keeping a tight clamp on his emotions. They knew where to look and letting Chang know that would only cause further harm. The brief satisfaction of confronting the man would be offset by the damage of letting him in on it, much as he wanted to grab him by that coiffured hair and beat it the hell out of him.

  “You need to keep your word and stay out of Chinatown. Stop sending in cops to do your job,” Chang advised, needing to get in the last word.

  “Sorry, can’t do that. Somebody knows something we need to know.”

  “What? Maybe I can help?”

  “Not if you are just an ordinary businessman. You are not in the information loop. What can you possibly offer us?” Cole scoffed and shook his head, keeping his cards pressed to his chest. No way would he give the man one iota of information.

  The man’s tell was obvious—he hated being seen as out of the loop. Useless. Made him look small and not the big man of Chinatown fame. Good, keep the asshole on edge. Best chance to learn something, have him make a mistake.

  “Still, I will let you know if anything unusual happens. Chinatown is my island. My world. Best keep to yours.” Chang gestured at his still and silent bookends. “Let’s go. We’re done here. Nothing else to be learned.”

  Chang and crew turned on their heels and Cole switched the computer screen back on, using the door security camera to watch the men exit the building and climb into last night’s van. He shook his head, unhappy with himself. If he’d been paying attention, he would have seen them arrive and been better prepared. He needed to add a code that would send an alert when someone came through the front door. He thought of the simple low-tech bell solution at Paradise Massage. Had that been just this morning? So much had gone on in the interim, too much really to make it all fit. And the way things stood with Gabby. God, no, I can’t go there right now.

  He set to work, made the quick adjustment to the security system and had just gotten to work when the front door buzzed as it opened. Looking up, he just got a quick flash of Beau coming his way. Damn it. Last person he needed or wanted to see right now. Why hadn’t he had the decency to wait at the hotel until this was all over?

  “Hey, bro.” His brother’s grating voice trying to sound young and hip set his teeth on edge.

  “Morning.” He managed the single word with eyes focused on the computer screen.

  “Got a sec?”

  He groaned, not bothering to hide it. “First Chang, now you. What is it?”

  “Who’s Chang? Pretty late or early for visiting.” Beau ran a hand over his hair. He’d gotten a haircut since Cole seen him last, making him an exact ringer for him. Just great.

  Cole glanced at the time on the bottom right of his screen: five-thirteen. The clock ticked all the louder inside his head. Was Sara okay? Was she wide awake as well, staring at the dismal walls of a dingy storage container? Or was she inside a smaller cage? He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. So young. She must be so frightened. Another thought burned even stronger in his soul, pushed itself to the forefront, escaping its bounds. Was this was had happened to his son? Had Mathew been caged? Left to suffer? God, no, not now, I can’t handle this right now. His thoughts tumbled, steamrolled through his tired mind, an out-of-control freight train. But, and it was a big but, if he could save Sara, that would count for something, right? Save another parent the anguish of never knowing what happened to their child? Allow some semblance of peace for others, if God found him worthy of taking up the cause? He clung to that hope as he turned to face his brother.

  “Chang’s just a guy. Not important for you to know. Why are you here now? I’ve got a ton of work to do.”

  “I’m sorry. Okay, no need to be a grouch about it, but I just had to see you. There’s a lot you don’t know—that I couldn’t tell you before.”

  “Fucking great, now I’m the grouchy one.” Cole let some of the huge well of anger stored up over years of frustration with his brother vent. Immediately regretted it.

  “Look, Cole, I know you got a lot to be upset with me for.”

  “Ya think.”

  “But I’m trying here. If you could meet me even a little of the way, this would all be so much easier. Give me a chance to explain.” Beau’s tone had the ring of sincerity, his eyes filled with pain.

  Damn it. Now he was the asshole in the room. But the guy pushed all the wrong buttons.

  “Sorry. I’m just worried about a case,” he mumbled, fidgeting with his wireless mouse, pretending to concentrate on the computer screen.

  “We all have worries, Cole. It’s the nature of living.”

  Sanctimonious prick. Since when did you ever worry about anything except where your next high was coming from? Resentment simmered. He swallowed it down, taking a few deep breaths. He’d read somewhere that was supposed to help. So why wasn’t it working?

  “Why are you here right now, Beau? Bit early in the morning for you to be out and about isn’t it? In fact, how did you even know I was at work?” Rude but effective. Beau had the grace to look caught in the act. So, he’d been in touch with someone else at TETRAD. Silk maybe? She had a soft spot for family.

  “Silk told me, if you must know. Said we could have a bit of quiet this morning if I came by. Give us some time to talk.”

  “So, you knew I was here. You know, if you think I’m ever going to forget what’s happened between us, you need your head examined.”

  “By the way, I’ve had my head examined lots in the last year. And it does help. Maybe you need to consider it, as well. You’re obviously carrying a lot of grief and anger. Not healthy to do that.”

  “Who are you to tell me what I need to do!” This time, his anger exploded.

  “A man who’d fallen into the dark abyss, same as you, and come back. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, hope, and I pray you find that out, and soon, broth
er. You’re going to fuck up the rest of your life if you don’t. Fuck up every new chance at having a good life.”

  Cole saw red. It pulsated over his vision, staining the room.

  Beau handed him a card. He took it. Tried to read what it said, his hands shaking with the effort to contain himself. It took a few seconds for the few words to make any sense.

  When you are ready, we’re here to help.

  He turned it over and read the address and phone number.

  “Call them, Cole. They can help. Set you up with a person to talk out your problems. I guarantee you will gain from the experience. Find a better path.”

  “I’m on the right path. Helping others is what I do.”

  “Yeah, but what about you? You’ve got enough baggage to choke a horse. And I’ve heard from Silk that there maybe someone new in your life, someone deserving of your best efforts. Do you really want to hurt someone else by being like this? By not being available. You need to give life another chance. If you don’t want to take a chance on me, fine. I can handle it. I’ve been through worse, though I might not like it. I had big hopes coming here that we might set the past behind us. But Silk says this woman’s a good person. Hell, she must be, to give a McClintock a chance. And it’s never too late, Cole, not unless you’re dead and you’re a long way from that.”

  Anger raged hotter, fueled by having his brother talking about him behind his back. Thinking he could come here and talk about his personal shit like this. Like he had any fucking right.

  “Don’t talk about her like you know her. You know nothing, Beauregard, absolutely nothing about it.” He moved a step closer to his brother, fists clenched at his side. “If you don’t shut the fuck up and get out of here right the fuck now, I won’t be held accountable for my actions.”

  “If you’ll just let me—”