X-Ops Exposed Read online

  But as he stood there gazing down at Mackenzie, he realized something. If Cooper was right about them being cosmically connected—a possibility that was looking more and more likely by the minute—then he needed to make decisions based on what was important to her, too.

  That was a big leap for him.

  “Okay,” he agreed. “But I do have to brief the deputy chief on what happened today.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but Mike cut her off.

  “I’ll brief the deputy chief,” he said. “Go home and get some rest. Don’t worry. I know what to say to Mason.”

  Which was Mike’s way of telling him that he wouldn’t say anything about the bomb to the deputy chief. If Mason knew it was an assassination attempt, he’d want to put the entire SWAT team in protective custody until they could bring Hardy up on charges. Luckily, it would take a while for the arson investigators to piece everything together.

  But Gage still hesitated anyway. Then he noticed that Mike and the other men were all grinning at him. Gage shook his head. He was outnumbered.

  He turned his attention back to Mackenzie. She still had her hand on his chest as if she could hold him back with nothing more than her willpower. He was starting to think she could probably do it, too.

  “So, Ms. Stone, what do you have in mind?” he asked. “To make sure I get my rest, I mean.”

  She gave him that devastating smile. “Well, I did offer to make you dinner, so how about we start with that?”

  “I don’t suppose we’re invited, too?” Cooper asked.

  “No,” Gage said before Mackenzie could answer. “But since you’re being nice and filling out the reports on the explosion at the meth lab for me, I’ll make sure Emile gets you a table at Chambre Francaise the next time you want to impress a woman.”

  That seemed to satisfy them. After a reminder to take it easy, they headed across the parking lot, leaving Gage and Mackenzie with his senior squad leader and her photographer.

  “Mind if I talk to Mike for a second?” he said. “If I’m going to blow off work early, I need to make sure a few things are taken care of.”

  Mackenzie regarded him suspiciously. “Okay, but don’t be too long. You need to get some rest.”

  Gage wasn’t sure how much rest he was going to get if he went home with her, but he nodded anyway. As soon as Mackenzie and Zak were out of earshot, Gage turned to Mike.

  “I need you to find out where Hardy’s going to be tonight.”

  Mike lifted a brow. “We’re moving on him tonight?”

  “Not we, just me. I’m going to deliver a message to him—one he’ll be sure to understand.”

  Mike’s brows drew together. “You sure you want to do this on your own? A man like Hardy is going to have a lot of muscle protecting him, especially after what he pulled today.”

  “I know, but that’ll make the message that much more effective. I walk in there all by myself and show him I can get to him anytime I want,” Gage said. “I want him focused on me. I don’t want him targeting the entire team like he did today.”

  Hardy might have sent his goons to the restaurant yesterday to pick Gage up, but there was no way for the bastard to know Gage would be in that house today. He’d kill everyone on the SWAT team to get to Gage if he had to.

  Mike glanced at Mackenzie and Zak. They were standing beside the photographer’s car, talking. “I’ll text you the information,” he said. “But how the hell are you going to slip away from Mac? She’s not stupid. If you say you’re running to the store for a carton of milk, she’s going to know what you’re up to. And I don’t think she’s the kind to let you do it.”

  No kidding. She was already looking at him impatiently. “Then I guess I’ll have to make sure she’s so exhausted when I leave that she won’t know I’m gone.”

  And he knew exactly how to do it.

  * * *

  Mac knew what Gage had been talking to Mike about before they’d left the hospital parking lot and it sure as hell hadn’t been paperwork and duty rosters. They were discussing what they were going to do about Walter Hardy and the assassination attempt he’d made on Gage and his team. While she’d been waiting in the hallway outside his room, she’d overheard Cooper tell Mike there’d been a bomb in the house. She’d been terrified Gage was going to make up a reason to leave so he could go to Hardy’s place and beat the hell out of him, at the very least.

  But that had been an hour ago, and since they’d arrived at her place and she’d started throwing together another simple pasta meal, he hadn’t indicated he was going to bail. So maybe she’d been wrong. Or more likely, he simply knew how worried and upset she’d be if he left. And there was really only one reason she could think of that Gage wouldn’t want to worry her. Somehow in the last few days, he’d come to care for her.

  She’d realized Gage had feelings for her earlier today, while she’d been waiting for the doctors to come out and tell her how badly hurt he was. When he’d climbed out of the rubble left by the explosion, she’d been the first one he’d looked for. And when he’d found her, the emotion on his face had been real. She’d seen it, and so had his men. That certainly explained why they’d been so tense around her yesterday, and why Cooper had asked all those strange questions. They knew their boss was falling for her and were worried she was playing with his heart just to get a story.

  The horrible part was that she had been playing him, at least in the beginning. She felt even worse because she’d secretly accused him of doing the same to her. It was obvious now that he hadn’t. His friends wouldn’t be worried about him getting hurt if he had. And after this morning, she was ready to admit she was seriously attracted to Gage, too.

  When that house had exploded, her heart had exploded with it. The whole bottom had dropped out of her world, and all she could think about was running into the smoking rubble to pull him out. Waiting while Alex and the other cops had dug through the wreckage had been like holding her breath underwater, drowning second by second. When they’d finally pulled Gage out, she could breathe again. Suddenly, her whole world had seemed a lot different. And a lot clearer.

  Gage gestured at her plate with his fork. “Aren’t you going to eat any more?”

  She looked down to see that she’d barely touched her food. “I’m full.”

  She expected Gage to point out that she’d hardly eaten anything and that she couldn’t be full, but instead he put down his fork and picked up hers, then twirled some angel hair pasta on it and held it out to her.

  “Don’t stare at it,” he prompted gently. “Eat it.”

  Mac couldn’t help but smile. She’d said the same thing to him in the parking lot of the fast-food place last night. The gesture was so endearing that she opened her mouth and let him feed her even though she wasn’t hungry.

  As she chewed, he loaded the fork again. “I know what you saw today bothered you. But I want you to know that I’m okay. Really okay.”

  When she opened her mouth to respond, he slipped the forkful of pasta right in. She frowned at him, but finished chewing before she answered.

  “I know you’re okay, but it still scared the hell out of me. I didn’t realize seeing you in danger would affect me the way it did.”

  Gage gave her a piece of chicken, then more pasta. He was really good at feeding her—he didn’t even make a mess. Plus, it was kind of sexy.

  “I’m sorry I scared you,” he said softly.

  “It’s not your fault,” she told him equally softly. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

  He kept feeding her, and she kept eating for him. There was something so fascinating about such a big man using her fork so carefully. It made her wonder what he’d be like in bed. Just as slow and considerate as he was at the table, she was sure.

  “I think I really am getting full now,” she said with a smile.

  He sp
eared another piece of chicken. “Eat a little more. You’re going to need your energy for later.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I thought the plan was for you to get your rest?”

  He grinned as he fed her the piece of chicken. “There’ll be plenty of time for rest. I’m off for the next two days, remember?”

  Mac laughed. “I remember. But if we’re not going to be resting, what are we going to be doing?”

  He put down her fork and pushed his chair away from the table, then stood and moved around behind her. He leaned down so his mouth was right near her ear. “I thought we might burn off all those calories from dinner.”

  Mac couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through her. After the last few days of playing the sexual equivalent of hide-and-seek, she was so ready to burn some calories.

  She laughed as Gage tugged her to her feet. She put both her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss as his hands slid down to her waist and lifted her easily off her feet. She wrapped her legs around him as he carried her to the bedroom.

  When Gage draped her across the queen-sized bed, then joined her, she discovered it wasn’t quite as roomy as she’d thought. With Gage’s broad shoulders and long legs, the two of them were going to have a hard time fitting.

  “I think we’re going to need a bigger bed,” she said.

  Gage let out a throaty chuckle. “Don’t worry, we’ll make do. Just stay close.”

  As if demonstrating, he leaned over and trailed scorching kisses along the curve of her jaw and down her neck. God, that feels amazing.

  “I can do close… Close is good,” she whispered, letting her head fall back on the pillow as he nibbled his way along the V-neck of her shirt toward her cleavage.

  She twined her fingers in Gage’s short hair and urged him lower. That earned her another chuckle.

  “Thanks for the guidance, but trust me, I know where I’m headed.”

  “Just wanted to make sure,” she said as he kissed his way to the first button of her shirt. “I know how men hate to ask for directions.”

  That got her a growl and a little nip. “Okay, you asked for it.”

  He reached up and yanked her blouse open, sending buttons flying. Then his hot mouth was on her again, moving over the exposed parts of her breasts. She couldn’t stifle the moan that escaped her lips, but whether it was from the feel of his mouth on her or the animalistic way he’d torn her blouse, she couldn’t say. She’d never had a man tear her clothes before, but decided she definitely liked it—as long as Gage was the one doing the tearing. She wondered if her other clothes might end up in a similar condition.

  Gage kissed his way down to her belly button before moving back up to tease her nipples through the silky fabric of her bra. She couldn’t resist grabbing at his hair again, silently begging for him to stay right there for a while.

  “God, that feels good,” she whispered. “Please keep doing that.”

  He didn’t complain at her additional guidance and direction this time. Instead, he ran his hands up her torso to squeeze her breasts together while he suckled on her nipples. Mmm, she’d always appreciated a man who knew how to take his time.

  He slid one hand under her back and popped the clasp on her bra. And he had nimble fingers, too. That boded well.

  Then his mouth was back on her nipple, this time without the nuisance of the intervening fabric. She arched with a whimper, pushing her breast more firmly into his mouth. Damn, did he have a talented tongue or what? And there were so many other places he had yet to visit with it.

  She was so lost in what he was doing to her nipples she didn’t even notice when he undid the buttons on her jeans. He stopped feasting on her breast to yank off her jeans. When the hell had he taken off her shoes? She seriously didn’t remember that.

  As Gage continued to work his magic on her nipples, she realized she was completely naked—okay, she still had her panties on—but Gage hadn’t taken a single stitch of his uniform off yet.

  That just seemed unfair—and kind of hot.

  Especially when he stopped nibbling and sat back to gaze at her with eyes positively brimming with yearning. Talk about a boost to her self-esteem. Every woman wanted to be lusted after, and that was definitely what Gage was doing right then.

  She laid there trembling as his eyes wandered up and down her body, devouring every inch of her. If all that nibbling and suckling hadn’t made her wet, the heat in those eyes sure as hell did.

  Mac sat up on her elbows, looking at him. “I couldn’t help noticing that I’m almost naked and you’re still completely dressed. Are you planning on doing anything about that?”

  The smolder in his eyes as he grinned was almost enough to make her moan. “There is one thing I could do.”

  Holding her captive with nothing more than his eyes, he tucked his fingers in the waistband of her panties and slipped them off as smooth as silk. She was left gasping by the heart-thudding sexiness of the move.

  Gage moved off the bed to stand there gazing at her—all of her—in absolute hunger. All she could do was lean back on her elbows and enjoy the pleasure of being his object of adoration. She could definitely get used to this.

  “That’s better.” His gaze lingered on the triangle of downy curls between her legs. “Completely naked suits you. In fact, you should stay that way all the time.”

  She parted her legs just enough for him to get a glimpse of the wetness there. “Something tells me I’m going to be this way a lot when you’re around.”

  His mouth edged up. “Probably.”

  Gage seemed more than satisfied to stand there and devour her with his eyes for the rest of the night. But if he did it much longer, she was going to start touching herself. He must have sensed her desperation because he smiled and unbuttoned his uniform shirt. Once that hit the floor, he shed his black T-shirt in that casual way guys did—just whipped it over his head like it was nothing.

  Her gaze immediately locked on the epic display of perfect muscles. Broad shoulders, pecs that looked like they could bench-press a car, and abs so tight they almost made her want to get down on her knees and worship him.

  And there was more where that came from.

  She watched in fascination as he took off the ankle holster holding his backup pistol and placed it on the bedside table. His boots and uniform pants joined the T-shirt on the floor, letting her get a good, long look at his tanned, muscular legs. But as mouthwatering as his chiseled body was, she was almost more captivated by the part of him she couldn’t see—the blatant bulge in his tight, black boxer briefs.

  She was done with passively lying back and watching. Time for her to be in charge of the final reveal. Sitting up, she wiggled to the edge of the bed. Gage chuckled as she hooked her fingers in the waistband of his underwear and tugged him closer until he was positioned comfortably between her legs.

  She was tempted to simply yank down his briefs—there was a big part of her that yearned to see what he was hiding in there—but she controlled herself. She ran her hand over the bulge, teasing herself, and him, a little first. His shaft felt so hard through the fabric of his underwear. Slipping her fingers in the waistband of his briefs again, she carefully hauled them over his erection.

  Mac tried to act nonchalant as his hard, thick cock came into view, but she was pretty sure she failed. He was just so…perfect.

  Giving in to the overwhelming desire to taste him, she dipped her head and wrapped her lips around him. The growl he let loose was almost as rewarding as the flavor that awaited her—almost. She told herself she’d only take a little taste. No need to go too crazy. But once she started, she couldn’t control herself. He tasted like heaven.

  Gage slid his hand in her hair, encouraging her to keep doing what she was doing. She let herself go, licking and nibbling up and down the shaft, swirling her tongue around and around the head, moanin
g as his essence filled her mouth and coated her tongue.

  She didn’t know whether to be thankful or annoyed when Gage took charge and gently nudged her back on the bed. She suspected her lover had other plans.

  Her pulse quickened as he spread her legs and kissed his way up the inside of her right leg. For such a big man, he had the gentlest touch. Her body quivered as he moved higher and higher. By the time he reached her inner thigh, she was practically squirming.

  He lifted his head, a smile tugging playfully at his mouth. “Is this too much? I can stop if you want.”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m fine. Keep going.”

  He chuckled and spread her legs even more, then pressed his very warm lips to the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. But whereas he’d moved quickly before, now he practically went at a snail’s pace, which just about drove her crazy. When he got to the tender flesh just inches from her sex, he lingered there, teasing her. She bit back a scream of frustration and got her fingers in his hair, tugging him right where she needed him.

  He didn’t fight her, and she almost let out a cheer as that talented mouth of his finally settled onto her very wet pussy. His tongue moved up and down the folds, swirling around her clit every time it reached the apex.

  “Oh yeah,” she breathed. “Just like that.”

  He probably didn’t need the directions—in fact, he was doing just fine without them—but she couldn’t stop herself from babbling. Talking soon became impossible as Gage spent more time focusing on her sensitive nub. Moaning was still an option, though. She did a lot of that.

  Mac ran her hands over his scalp, loving the feel of his short hair under her fingers as he ravaged her with his mouth. She especially liked the way he slipped his big hands under her ass and lifted her up to devour like she was a juicy slice of watermelon.

  It didn’t take long before she felt the familiar tingles that told her an orgasm was on the way. She clenched her fingers into the hair on the back of Gage’s head and wiggled her hips in tight, little circles. He must have picked up on her signals because he pulled her tighter to his mouth and focused solely on her clit.