It hadn’t made a damn difference to him. He’d taken what she offered and still dumped her. She’d been stupid then, just like she’d been stupid a few minutes ago in the bathroom.
What was it about him that made her IQ drop a hundred points and turned her into a quivering mass of bimbo?
“I’m not going anywhere with you voluntarily, and I can’t believe you’d stoop to kidnapping.”
He tightened the tent ropes and stood, wiping his hands on his jeans before he approached. “Look, Lily. I wish I could give you answers. I’m not into anything illegal, but I can’t tell you what I’m going to do with the virus and I can’t let you go, so you’re just going to have to ride along.”
She was about to start another argument with him but that was pointless. He was obviously lying and probably into ‘illegal’ up to his neck. But it occurred to her if she went with him it would be a perfect opportunity to bide her time and recover the virus. If she didn’t go with him, the virus was gone.
And no way could she let that deadly virus get out there in the world. And while she was at it, maybe she’d figure out what Mac was really up to. If she was clever enough, she could wait until just the right moment, uncover his secrets and steal the virus before he made delivery to…whomever. Hell, she could bust this case wide open.
Then again, she’d be bringing Mac down while doing it, and that wasn’t something she wanted to be responsible for.
But she’d figure that out later. First thing she had to do was cooperate, gain his trust. Maybe even ply him with a little seduction.
After all, men thought with their cocks most times, anyway. And she wasn’t above using her feminine wiles to get Mac to give her what she wanted. And what she wanted right now was information, the virus, and her freedom. And it would make her agency happy. Good PR, right?
Okay, so maybe she still carried a big, bright burning torch for Mac. That much was obvious after the episode in the bathroom. Her pu**y quivered at the way he’d backed her up against the wall, the promise in his touch and in his kiss. She wanted more.
But he’d used her ten years ago. Payback time.
As soon as he trusted her and let his guard down, she’d be history—along with the virus.
“Lily,” he said, breaking her thoughts. “I’m sorry this happened..”
She shrugged and sat in front of the fire, not saying anything. She didn’t want to give in too easily. He sat next to her and added another log, the additional flame calming the chills shivering through her body. The night had grown cooler, the wind picking up around them adding a bite. It wasn’t quite summer yet and late spring nights up in the hills could still be cold.
“I remember when you took me up to the point to see the stars,” she said, glancing at the sky.
He smiled. “You said you’d never been out in the country before. I was surprised.”
“Hey, I was a city girl. It wasn’t like my dad ever took camping trips or treks into the hills.”
“You had your head tilted back for so long you ended up with a crick in your neck. You must have gaped at those stars for hours.”
“They were so beautiful. Like tonight.” The bittersweet memories washed over her. Sitting in Mac’s convertible, the sky clear black and the stars so close she felt like she could reach up and touch them. She’d never seen anything like it.
They were like that tonight, too. And the same man was next to her again. He’d been the only one to give her adventures. She’d had to create her own excitement after Mac, and even then it hadn’t been the same, because he hadn’t been with her.
“So you were a cop?” he asked.
She nodded.
“How did that happen?”
She lifted her lips at the incredulity in his voice. “I majored in police science in college, then went to the academy after graduation.”
“What about law school?”
“That was my father’s dream, not mine.”
Mac shook his head. “Bet your dad was pissed about that.”
“Oh, he was so angry.” She grinned at the memory.
“Threatened to cut off my funding, refused to pay for college.
His way of getting me to toe the line. It backfired on him. I got loans instead, determined to do what I wanted to do. When he realized I wasn’t going to back down and return to the fold with my tail tucked between my legs, he relented and paid for my education.” She looked at her hands. “Not that it did me much good.”
“Why not?”
“Three years on the force and he used his influence to keep me off the streets. I got tired of his interference, tired of being assigned desk jobs and fighting him. I quit.”
“And now you’re a PI?”
“Yeah.”
“How did you end up in Chicago?”
“I couldn’t get hired anywhere in Dallas. Dad’s power was too great there. I moved to Chicago to get away from him, so I could actually do my job without him sticking his fingers in everything I did.”
“You own the agency?”
“Not yet. I figure Dad would hinder me less if I just work for an agency right now, so I found someone who I thought couldn’t be bought or manipulated. Maybe someday I’ll start my own. We’ll see how this goes.”
“You like it?”
She shot him a sideways glance. “Actually, I do. A lot.”
“And here I thought you’d end up a lawyer in your father’s company.”
“That’s what he wanted. Hence the ‘pissed’ part.”
“You always enjoyed digging at him.”
She lifted her chin, thoughts of her father inflaming her nerve endings. “He deserves it.”
“Yeah, he does.” He shifted on the log. “And you turned out so damn different than what I thought.”
She wanted to say ‘and you dumping me did no good, did it?’. Instead she kept silent, knowing it would come across shrewish and petty. But she couldn’t help wondering how different things would have been if they’d stayed together, if he’d given them a chance.
“I turned out exactly the way I wanted to.” Sort of. “I did what I wanted to do. Nothing you did ten years ago stopped that.” There. She’d said it.
“I guess not. All those years ago you talked about taking a walk on the wild side. Did you ever do that?”
Had she? She’d changed direction in her life and career, taken risks, but done anything wild and crazy? “Not really.”
“So how about doing it now?”
She studied him, trying to decipher his meaning. Did he mean the trip to deliver the virus, or did he mean something else entirely? Was this about sex, about picking up where they’d left off…where they’d never really had the chance to go all those years ago? They’d barely started before he walked out of her life.
This was her chance to experience bad boy Mac Canfield. In the flesh. At least for a while…as she furthered her career.
He might be a thief and he might be going to jail when this was all over with, yet she couldn’t help but want what she hadn’t had ten years ago.
The experience, the lifestyle. She admitted it. She craved it, wanted to know what it was like to ride on the back of Mac’s Harley and just live the wild life with him.
And she’d get answers at the same time. It wasn’t like she was going to allow him to get away with anything illegal, so why the hell not? As long as she considered it part of her job and didn’t let her foolish heart get involved, then she could handle it, right?
Heat seared her as she met the promise in his dark gaze.
“What about it, Lily? You game?”
“It’s insane.” She shook her head.
“You used to be all in for adventure.”
He was baiting her. “I used to be a lot of things I’m not anymore.”
“Don’t hesitate. Don’t think about it. Just do it.”
He had no idea what he was asking. Then again, he had no clue about a lot of things. She looked up at him, unable to believe how much her body still swelled with heat just looking at him.
She nodded. “Okay, Mac. You’re on. I’ll take that walk on the wild side with you.”
Chapter Three
Mac didn’t believe for one second that Lily had just had an about face and agreed to go with him. She had a plan in mind, no doubt to lull him into some false sense of security, steal the virus from him and return it to her client. Which, of course, was in direct opposition to his assignment.
Not only did she think he was a thief, she also thought he was stupid. Whatever idea she had in her gorgeous head didn’t matter. As long as she came with him without argument, he could deal with anything she tried to pull.
He moved through the thick woods, having used the excuse of hunting for more firewood to put some distance between himself and Lily. He needed to make a call—one she couldn’t listen in on. He had to call General Lee.
As the head of Wild Riders, General Grange Lee was not a patient man. And Mac was already late phoning in his report. His cell had been buzzing incessantly for several hours, but no way could he take a call with Lily lurking nearby.
Grange answered on the first ring.
“What the hell took you so long?”
“I ran into a little trouble.” Understatement, since it was a dump truck of shit kind of trouble. He filled Grange in on what happened at the museum, including being shot at and running into Lily and the fact she was a blast from his past. He also told Grange about Lily’s former occupation as a cop and current job as a PI.
“Christ, Mac. This was supposed to be an easy lift.”
“So you said.”
“Any clue who was shooting at you?”
“None. My guess is someone else who wanted the virus. But who?”
“That’s the billion dollar question, isn’t it? What about your friend Lily. Could she be involved in this virus thing somehow? Do you think she’s dirty?”
Mac laughed. “Lily? Not a chance.” It might have been a decade since he’d last seen her, but no way had she changed that much.
“You did the right thing under the circumstances. I don’t like that she knows as much as she does, little that it is.
And you sure as hell can’t let her go now. Not until you make the delivery. If she’s involved in this somehow, then she jeopardizes your mission. And even if she’s not, she’ll go running to the cops or back to her agency and client with information we don’t want them to have. She’ll have to stay with you.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.” Though it would make his job a lot harder trying to hold onto her while traversing the countryside. Not impossible, just difficult.
“Keep her with you, travel around a day or two longer.
Make a few stops here and there so she doesn’t know exactly where or when you’re making the delivery, then dump her. I don’t want her getting anywhere near her client or her agency until after the delivery is made. And it would be nice if we could somehow figure out who was shooting at you. I’d like to know who wanted that virus. We’ll do what we can from this end to figure that out, too.”
“Got it.”
“And stay in touch. Holler if you need backup.”
“Will do.” He hung up, scrounged for some firewood and made his way back to the campsite.
He hated keeping secrets from Lily, especially this one.
He’d like to show her just how much he had turned his life around in the last ten years, but he owed his allegiance to Grange and the Riders. He had to do whatever was necessary to maintain the integrity of the program, and that meant not telling Lily anything. With a resigned sigh, he broke through the brush and into the campsite. She was sitting on a log near the fire, shivering.
Cold night. He made a mental note to stop tomorrow for clothes and supplies. And if they were going to be riding he’d need to reconfigure the bike so she’d be more comfortable.
She turned her head as he walked up to the fire. “Took you long enough. What? You didn’t shoot a deer for me?”
He grinned. “Forgot my rifle. Sorry. I have some cheese and crackers in my jacket, though. That’ll have to do for tonight.”
“Yummy.”
They sat and ate while the fire kicked up.
Unfortunately, so did the wind. And the light clothes Lily wore were no protection. “We need to get into the tent. It’s getting colder out here.”
Lily nodded wrapping her arms around herself. “Good idea. I’m freezing.”
They crawled inside the tiny tent that really was only designed for one person. Which meant a very tight squeeze.
One blanket, too. Mac traveled light. He hadn’t expected to be housing a guest in his tent. Then again, Lily wasn’t very big.
They’d make do. It’d be cramped as hell in there, but they’d manage.
He slipped off his leather jacket, making sure to hide the vial and his cell phone out of Lily’s reach. “Put this on,” he said, wrapping the jacket around her.
“Then you’ll be cold,” she said.
He couldn’t see her face in the darkness. He really liked looking at her, because her eyes told him so much. “I’ll be fine.
You’re freezing. I can feel you shivering.”
She shrugged into his jacket and he pulled the blanket around her legs. He settled himself onto the icy canvas floor of the tent, resigned to a cold night. He’d suffered worse than this before.
Once they were situated, everything went quiet, the night sounds outside and the crackling fire the only noises.
What was it about him that made her IQ drop a hundred points and turned her into a quivering mass of bimbo?
“I’m not going anywhere with you voluntarily, and I can’t believe you’d stoop to kidnapping.”
He tightened the tent ropes and stood, wiping his hands on his jeans before he approached. “Look, Lily. I wish I could give you answers. I’m not into anything illegal, but I can’t tell you what I’m going to do with the virus and I can’t let you go, so you’re just going to have to ride along.”
She was about to start another argument with him but that was pointless. He was obviously lying and probably into ‘illegal’ up to his neck. But it occurred to her if she went with him it would be a perfect opportunity to bide her time and recover the virus. If she didn’t go with him, the virus was gone.
And no way could she let that deadly virus get out there in the world. And while she was at it, maybe she’d figure out what Mac was really up to. If she was clever enough, she could wait until just the right moment, uncover his secrets and steal the virus before he made delivery to…whomever. Hell, she could bust this case wide open.
Then again, she’d be bringing Mac down while doing it, and that wasn’t something she wanted to be responsible for.
But she’d figure that out later. First thing she had to do was cooperate, gain his trust. Maybe even ply him with a little seduction.
After all, men thought with their cocks most times, anyway. And she wasn’t above using her feminine wiles to get Mac to give her what she wanted. And what she wanted right now was information, the virus, and her freedom. And it would make her agency happy. Good PR, right?
Okay, so maybe she still carried a big, bright burning torch for Mac. That much was obvious after the episode in the bathroom. Her pu**y quivered at the way he’d backed her up against the wall, the promise in his touch and in his kiss. She wanted more.
But he’d used her ten years ago. Payback time.
As soon as he trusted her and let his guard down, she’d be history—along with the virus.
“Lily,” he said, breaking her thoughts. “I’m sorry this happened..”
She shrugged and sat in front of the fire, not saying anything. She didn’t want to give in too easily. He sat next to her and added another log, the additional flame calming the chills shivering through her body. The night had grown cooler, the wind picking up around them adding a bite. It wasn’t quite summer yet and late spring nights up in the hills could still be cold.
“I remember when you took me up to the point to see the stars,” she said, glancing at the sky.
He smiled. “You said you’d never been out in the country before. I was surprised.”
“Hey, I was a city girl. It wasn’t like my dad ever took camping trips or treks into the hills.”
“You had your head tilted back for so long you ended up with a crick in your neck. You must have gaped at those stars for hours.”
“They were so beautiful. Like tonight.” The bittersweet memories washed over her. Sitting in Mac’s convertible, the sky clear black and the stars so close she felt like she could reach up and touch them. She’d never seen anything like it.
They were like that tonight, too. And the same man was next to her again. He’d been the only one to give her adventures. She’d had to create her own excitement after Mac, and even then it hadn’t been the same, because he hadn’t been with her.
“So you were a cop?” he asked.
She nodded.
“How did that happen?”
She lifted her lips at the incredulity in his voice. “I majored in police science in college, then went to the academy after graduation.”
“What about law school?”
“That was my father’s dream, not mine.”
Mac shook his head. “Bet your dad was pissed about that.”
“Oh, he was so angry.” She grinned at the memory.
“Threatened to cut off my funding, refused to pay for college.
His way of getting me to toe the line. It backfired on him. I got loans instead, determined to do what I wanted to do. When he realized I wasn’t going to back down and return to the fold with my tail tucked between my legs, he relented and paid for my education.” She looked at her hands. “Not that it did me much good.”
“Why not?”
“Three years on the force and he used his influence to keep me off the streets. I got tired of his interference, tired of being assigned desk jobs and fighting him. I quit.”
“And now you’re a PI?”
“Yeah.”
“How did you end up in Chicago?”
“I couldn’t get hired anywhere in Dallas. Dad’s power was too great there. I moved to Chicago to get away from him, so I could actually do my job without him sticking his fingers in everything I did.”
“You own the agency?”
“Not yet. I figure Dad would hinder me less if I just work for an agency right now, so I found someone who I thought couldn’t be bought or manipulated. Maybe someday I’ll start my own. We’ll see how this goes.”
“You like it?”
She shot him a sideways glance. “Actually, I do. A lot.”
“And here I thought you’d end up a lawyer in your father’s company.”
“That’s what he wanted. Hence the ‘pissed’ part.”
“You always enjoyed digging at him.”
She lifted her chin, thoughts of her father inflaming her nerve endings. “He deserves it.”
“Yeah, he does.” He shifted on the log. “And you turned out so damn different than what I thought.”
She wanted to say ‘and you dumping me did no good, did it?’. Instead she kept silent, knowing it would come across shrewish and petty. But she couldn’t help wondering how different things would have been if they’d stayed together, if he’d given them a chance.
“I turned out exactly the way I wanted to.” Sort of. “I did what I wanted to do. Nothing you did ten years ago stopped that.” There. She’d said it.
“I guess not. All those years ago you talked about taking a walk on the wild side. Did you ever do that?”
Had she? She’d changed direction in her life and career, taken risks, but done anything wild and crazy? “Not really.”
“So how about doing it now?”
She studied him, trying to decipher his meaning. Did he mean the trip to deliver the virus, or did he mean something else entirely? Was this about sex, about picking up where they’d left off…where they’d never really had the chance to go all those years ago? They’d barely started before he walked out of her life.
This was her chance to experience bad boy Mac Canfield. In the flesh. At least for a while…as she furthered her career.
He might be a thief and he might be going to jail when this was all over with, yet she couldn’t help but want what she hadn’t had ten years ago.
The experience, the lifestyle. She admitted it. She craved it, wanted to know what it was like to ride on the back of Mac’s Harley and just live the wild life with him.
And she’d get answers at the same time. It wasn’t like she was going to allow him to get away with anything illegal, so why the hell not? As long as she considered it part of her job and didn’t let her foolish heart get involved, then she could handle it, right?
Heat seared her as she met the promise in his dark gaze.
“What about it, Lily? You game?”
“It’s insane.” She shook her head.
“You used to be all in for adventure.”
He was baiting her. “I used to be a lot of things I’m not anymore.”
“Don’t hesitate. Don’t think about it. Just do it.”
He had no idea what he was asking. Then again, he had no clue about a lot of things. She looked up at him, unable to believe how much her body still swelled with heat just looking at him.
She nodded. “Okay, Mac. You’re on. I’ll take that walk on the wild side with you.”
Chapter Three
Mac didn’t believe for one second that Lily had just had an about face and agreed to go with him. She had a plan in mind, no doubt to lull him into some false sense of security, steal the virus from him and return it to her client. Which, of course, was in direct opposition to his assignment.
Not only did she think he was a thief, she also thought he was stupid. Whatever idea she had in her gorgeous head didn’t matter. As long as she came with him without argument, he could deal with anything she tried to pull.
He moved through the thick woods, having used the excuse of hunting for more firewood to put some distance between himself and Lily. He needed to make a call—one she couldn’t listen in on. He had to call General Lee.
As the head of Wild Riders, General Grange Lee was not a patient man. And Mac was already late phoning in his report. His cell had been buzzing incessantly for several hours, but no way could he take a call with Lily lurking nearby.
Grange answered on the first ring.
“What the hell took you so long?”
“I ran into a little trouble.” Understatement, since it was a dump truck of shit kind of trouble. He filled Grange in on what happened at the museum, including being shot at and running into Lily and the fact she was a blast from his past. He also told Grange about Lily’s former occupation as a cop and current job as a PI.
“Christ, Mac. This was supposed to be an easy lift.”
“So you said.”
“Any clue who was shooting at you?”
“None. My guess is someone else who wanted the virus. But who?”
“That’s the billion dollar question, isn’t it? What about your friend Lily. Could she be involved in this virus thing somehow? Do you think she’s dirty?”
Mac laughed. “Lily? Not a chance.” It might have been a decade since he’d last seen her, but no way had she changed that much.
“You did the right thing under the circumstances. I don’t like that she knows as much as she does, little that it is.
And you sure as hell can’t let her go now. Not until you make the delivery. If she’s involved in this somehow, then she jeopardizes your mission. And even if she’s not, she’ll go running to the cops or back to her agency and client with information we don’t want them to have. She’ll have to stay with you.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.” Though it would make his job a lot harder trying to hold onto her while traversing the countryside. Not impossible, just difficult.
“Keep her with you, travel around a day or two longer.
Make a few stops here and there so she doesn’t know exactly where or when you’re making the delivery, then dump her. I don’t want her getting anywhere near her client or her agency until after the delivery is made. And it would be nice if we could somehow figure out who was shooting at you. I’d like to know who wanted that virus. We’ll do what we can from this end to figure that out, too.”
“Got it.”
“And stay in touch. Holler if you need backup.”
“Will do.” He hung up, scrounged for some firewood and made his way back to the campsite.
He hated keeping secrets from Lily, especially this one.
He’d like to show her just how much he had turned his life around in the last ten years, but he owed his allegiance to Grange and the Riders. He had to do whatever was necessary to maintain the integrity of the program, and that meant not telling Lily anything. With a resigned sigh, he broke through the brush and into the campsite. She was sitting on a log near the fire, shivering.
Cold night. He made a mental note to stop tomorrow for clothes and supplies. And if they were going to be riding he’d need to reconfigure the bike so she’d be more comfortable.
She turned her head as he walked up to the fire. “Took you long enough. What? You didn’t shoot a deer for me?”
He grinned. “Forgot my rifle. Sorry. I have some cheese and crackers in my jacket, though. That’ll have to do for tonight.”
“Yummy.”
They sat and ate while the fire kicked up.
Unfortunately, so did the wind. And the light clothes Lily wore were no protection. “We need to get into the tent. It’s getting colder out here.”
Lily nodded wrapping her arms around herself. “Good idea. I’m freezing.”
They crawled inside the tiny tent that really was only designed for one person. Which meant a very tight squeeze.
One blanket, too. Mac traveled light. He hadn’t expected to be housing a guest in his tent. Then again, Lily wasn’t very big.
They’d make do. It’d be cramped as hell in there, but they’d manage.
He slipped off his leather jacket, making sure to hide the vial and his cell phone out of Lily’s reach. “Put this on,” he said, wrapping the jacket around her.
“Then you’ll be cold,” she said.
He couldn’t see her face in the darkness. He really liked looking at her, because her eyes told him so much. “I’ll be fine.
You’re freezing. I can feel you shivering.”
She shrugged into his jacket and he pulled the blanket around her legs. He settled himself onto the icy canvas floor of the tent, resigned to a cold night. He’d suffered worse than this before.
Once they were situated, everything went quiet, the night sounds outside and the crackling fire the only noises.
