"Forgive me, senora, but Jed Whitlow cannot see through his own ego. It is convenient to let him believe he is the leader of the group. He does most of the work, and he is the conduit to provide the firepower. But once everything is in place, we may find it better to have someone else in charge.""Like you?" Lorena gave an unladylike snort. "That will never happen, and you know it.""No, my dear. I was thinking of you. With me as your silent partner. I cannot, obviously, be the face of this organization." His lips curved in a humorless smile. "Just the actual el jefe.""They'll never approve it," she told him, even as her heart beat just a little faster. "Everyone in that group believes he should be the one at the head of the table. None of them will give up even an inch of their power."She'd lusted for this since the beginning, knowing even then it would be an uphill battle."Then it's up to you to convince them." He drew another slow puff on the cigar. "Or you and I."Lorena s
Silas leaned back in his desk chair and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. His hands felt gritty and dry and no wonder, the amount of time he'd spent looking at the damn screen this afternoon. Normally, he'd assign this kind of research to someone who did it as part of their job, but it was important that he read every bit of the information himself to pick up any nuances. So many times you had to read between the lines.Luis Rojas could win an award as one of the most evil men in the world. He had grown up as a foot soldier in the violent La Regla cartel, regla for rulers, which they had fully intended to become, until the day he assumed the mantle of control. There were whispers in back rooms that Rojas had gotten the throne not because he was the heir apparent but because he had killed off the three men higher than he was in the ranks and the two who had been discussed as logical successors. In dark corners and back rooms they called him asesino. Killer.Si was certain R
The living room was empty when he let himself into the suite. He wondered if Regan was getting ready for bed this early.No. Don't think about that.He walked over to the big window and stood looking out at the lights of the little town below them."All set for tomorrow?"He had not heard Regan come up beside him, and her voice startled him. The carpet in the suite was so thick the sound of footsteps was almost nonexistent. When she touched her fingers to his arm, a powerful electric shock ran through him. The first time they'd touched, a handshake the day they met, the little tingles that surged along his arm had startled him but not given him a lot of worry. He was, after all, a healthy man with healthy appetites. He might not be as young as he once was but that didn't mean his desire had faded. He'd had to keep reminding himself this was not just a business arrangement. It was also an assignment he'd accepted with the fate of the country at stake, so no hanky-panky.So what if they
He licked the surface of her lips, teasing at the corners before very slowly easing his tongue inside. And oh, god, the taste was like an elixir. He licked slowly, letting the flavor seep into his mouth. Regan reached up to place her hands on either side of his head and, when he eased back on the kiss, whispered against his lips."Bathroom." She mouthed the word. "They'll be listening for the water.""You're right."Taking Regan's hand and tugging her along behind him, he strode into the bathroom, slid back the solid glass pane of the shower door, and turned on the faucet full blast. He could adjust it once they were inside. Then he turned, brushed a kiss over her mouth, and stripped off his clothes. He was surprised he didn't pop the buttons on his shirt, as fast as he pulled it off. He kicked off his shoes and yanked his pants and boxer briefs down in one movement, being careful not to do damage to his rigid, protruding cock.Then he turned back to Regan, who stood there with a look
He forced himself to set up a slow rhythm, in and out, back and forth. He held himself back with superhuman effort until he felt her perched just at the edge of climax. His cock filled her, thick and hot and incredibly hard. She wound her legs around him, locked her ankles at the base of his spine, and, pulled him as tight to her body as he could get. He balanced on one arm while he slid the other hand between them, found her clit, and began rubbing it.In mere seconds he saw the expression on her face change and felt the pulsing begin inside her core. Her inner muscles gripped his cock, and he stopped holding back and drove into her harder and faster, setting up a rhythm that she matched. He felt the beginnings of his orgasm just as her inner muscles started to ripple around his shaft, and he drove into her one last time, hot and hard. One more forceful thrust, and they were riding that roller-coaster together.Spasms gripped them as his cock pulsated inside her, her inner walls con
Max couldn't remember the last timeif everhe'd been so emotionally involved in sex. His connection with Regan was a revelation that he could actually have that kind of relationship. They made love again just before falling asleep, slower and very delicious, and all the more erotic because they couldn't allow themselves to make a sound. By now he knew much more than his body was involved.But they had a job to do that came first. Thank god his engrained SEAL discipline would allow him to pack it in a mental closet until this was over. And extra thanks that Regan was on the same wavelength. The assignment took front and center. No question about it.They also knew that while they'd be sharing a bed at the lodge, sex would be off their list of activities."You know the room we'll be given is going to be bugged," Max whispered in her ear as they lay sated and quiet in the dark."No question about it," she whispered back. "All that time we spent with him and his wife still didn't answ
Max shook the proffered hand and nodded. "Good to see you again. Bernardo is grateful you're letting us fill in for him. He's very much invested in this, you know.""I do know. He and I go back a long way. I was delighted when he agreed to come on board."As if he just realized he'd cornered them in the doorway, Jed reached for one of the suitcases. "Here. Let me help you with these. Under normal circumstances, I'd have my caretaker haul them to your room. However, considering the nature of this meeting, I thought it best to give him a few days off.""Good thought."Jed took both suitcases and placed them to one side of the large foyer. Max held onto the briefcase, and Jed just shrugged. Regan would have bet a month's pay while they were occupied in the meeting someone would be going through them looking for any evidence they were imposters. That was one reason why Max's weapons were in the hard-sided suitcase. locked in a special compartment invisible even to the most intrusive in
"Perhaps Ferren Arms and Munitions is not the right partner with you for this, after all." He looked at Jed Whitlow. "You and Bernardo have been friends for years. It's unfortunate that you and I never had much occasion to spend time with each other but, as I'm sure you know, my brother and I each have our own circle of friends. I can assure you he would not have sent me in his place if he did not think I knew what I was talking about." He closed his folder. "As I said before, maybe you need to contact someone else to handle this. Trust is very important. My brother became involved with you because he believes in what you are doing. But if you don't trust us, we have nothing more to say to each other." He pushed back his chair. "Come on, Regan. This has all been a fucking waste of our time."Regan forced herself to appear calm, gathering the items in front of her while the people at the table absorbed what Max had just said. Si had discussed this with them and told them it might happe