“Your weakness for beautiful women is a problem, but an enviable one.”
Ian studied him for a moment, trying to gauge his sincerity. Ian didn’t have a weakness for beautiful women. He had a weakness for Maria because he was in love with her. But he figured LaGuardia already knew that. The SAC was a puppet-master type. He understood human nature well enough to exploit any situation.
“I’m not sure what to say,” Ian said.
“Say yes.”
Having a job lined up would be a major advantage in the event of a misconduct hearing. Ian wanted to work for ICE. LaGuardia would be a challenging boss, but he wasn’t dirty. And he’d basically given Ian permission to spend the night with Maria.
Just one night.
In the morning, he’d have to return to San Diego. He’d have to face the consequences of his actions as a DEA agent. Even if he was cleared of wrongdoing, he’d have no control over his next assignment. He could be sent anywhere in the world.
But none of that seemed important right now. Because tonight, he could be with Maria.
He shook LaGuardia’s hand, sealing the deal.
Chapter 25
Maria held Hugo’s hand until he fell asleep.
He’d told her that he’d been running with Sarai when someone had fired a warning shot. The bullet had struck a boulder near him and bounced off, hitting him just below the elbow. His ulna had shattered on impact. The bone had been reset and his forearm was in a cast. He’d come out of surgery a few minutes ago, heavily drugged.
Sarai had been sedated as well. She’d been uncooperative, even combative, the entire afternoon. She’d refused to leave Hugo’s side in the emergency room. They were interviewed by U.S. customs officers, but Sarai wouldn’t answer their questions. When they took Hugo to the operating room, she’d demanded to go with him. Now she was asleep in the hospital bed on the other side of the curtain. It was against procedure for a girl to stay in a boy’s room, but the nurses let her be. She’d just lost her father. They felt sorry for her.
So did Maria.
One of the nurses appeared in the doorway. “Visiting hours are over. You can come back tomorrow morning.”
Maria nodded her understanding. Before she left, she tucked a blanket around Hugo and kissed his cheek. He looked so much like their father. She couldn’t believe this was the same little brother she’d said goodbye to four years ago.
She walked down the hall, unsure where to go. The cafeteria was still open, and she was hungry, so she stood in line for a hot meal. She felt self-conscious about her tangled hair and dirty clothes. There was grit underneath her fingernails. She wanted to shower, but she couldn’t afford to pay for a hotel room. Maybe she could sit in the lobby all night. She was about to grab a tray when someone cut in front of her.
Ian.
He looked frantic, as if he’d been searching everywhere for her. He had a bandage on his eyebrow. He was as dirty as she was, if not dirtier. And so handsome that tears flooded her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, smothering a sob.
“I thought I’d missed you,” he said.
“I’m still here.”
He hugged her close while the other people in line moved around them. Then her stomach growled, and he let go. “I’m starving.”
“Me too.”
They picked up trays and filled them high. There was arroz con pollo, mixed vegetables, warm tortillas, and vanilla pudding. While they ate the bland food, she gave him an update on Hugo and Sarai. He told her about his job offer with ICE.
“What kind of work will you do?” she asked, finishing her dessert.
“Police work. Investigations.”
“In San Diego?”
“The main office is in San Diego. I’ll go wherever they send me. Most agents are placed on two-year international assignments.”
She put down her spoon. She supposed it didn’t matter where he went. She couldn’t visit him in San Diego. But the idea of him traveling around the world while she was stuck in Mezcala made her chest ache with envy.
“If I could bring you with me, I would.”
“Don’t,” she said, pushing her tray away.
“Don’t what?”
“I don’t want to cry. Not tonight.”
“What do you want to do?”
She just stared at him, unable to voice her desires.
His eyes darkened as if he could read her mind. “There’s a hotel down the street.”
“Let’s go.”
They walked there, hand in hand. He stopped at the convenience store along the way. Although they both needed clean clothes, she didn’t feel like shopping. He paid for a room with cash, his gaze burning into her. She thought he might fall on her the instant they came through the door. He didn’t. He just stood there, breathing heavily.
“I could use a shower,” he said.
She nodded, nibbling her lower lip. “I’ll go next.”
He was in and out in less than five minutes. She almost swooned at the sight of him with a towel wrapped around his waist. There was something about his rock-hard torso and steamy-hot skin that sent her hormones into overdrive. She walked by him, bumping into the door on the way in. He noticed this and didn’t even smile.
Dios mío. What a man.
She knew he’d want to explore every inch of her body, so she got really clean. She used a razor on her armpits, shampooed her hair, and washed between her legs. She brushed her teeth with his toothbrush. When she came out of the bathroom, he was standing in front of the dresser, shaving. He’d filled the ice bucket with warm water. He smoothed the blade over his jaw and swished it around in the soapy water.
She watched him with a languid half smile. It should hurt to be so in love. Instead it felt good, and sort of illicit, like an illegal drug.
He grabbed a towel to wipe his face. “Should I shave my mustache?”
“No. I like it.”
“You do?”