While she normally wasn’t mandated to carry a weapon outside the US, she’d contacted a friend who was a former CIA operative. He’d be kitting her up while she was in Africa. If there was trouble, she wanted to be armed and ready.
Two glasses of full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon left her muscles relaxed, the plush blanket soft against her arms. She’d phoned her sister to check on how her latest chemo session had gone. “My hair is Marine-ready,” Adriana had told her. “I’m going down to the recruiting office today.” Her sense of humor and optimistic attitude while fighting stage three breast cancer were humbling. Gabrielle pressed the end button, hating to say good-bye.
“Your sister?” Max asked.
“On round two now. I should be there with her.”
“But she disagreed.”
“Exactly. I booked vacation days to look after her during round one. Maybe it was my cooking that put her off.” She tried to smile but knew the mirth didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Even people who are very ill still need to feel independent sometimes. They already give up so much, they need some semblance of control.”
He was right. Adriana was just trying to hold on to what she could. “How’s your sister, Max?” She should have asked sooner, but they’d been so focused on the case.
“About the same.” Pain shimmered in his eyes. It was rare to see a man so open about his raw emotions. “Although we didn’t always live in the same house, we spent a lot of time together.”
Right; she remembered that they were half siblings, sharing a mother. She squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry. It’s horrible to watch someone you love suffer.”
“Memories of you and me in Athens help get me through the pain.” His powerful hand slid under the blanket and rested just above her knee. “I’ve missed you, Gabrielle.”
Whoa. She peeled his fingers off her leg. “We live in different countries, have different lives.”
“And that’s why we need to make the most of every moment we have together.”
His hand returned, sliding up her inner thigh. Excitement shot through her body. He made her feel animated, adrenalized. She should resist, maintain her professionalism, but the wine had weakened her resolve. She wanted to say yes.
He pulled aside her lace panties. The cool air tingled on her exposed flesh. She shivered. He thrust two fingers inside her. She gasped.
The flight attendant arrived with a tray of drinks. “Can I offer either of you a nightcap?”
Gabrielle tried to maintain a calm fa?ade so the attendant wouldn’t know what was going on underneath the blanket. “No, we’re good, thanks.” Better than good.
“If I can get you anything else, just let me know,” the flight attendant said, moving down the aisle.
“I have everything I need right here.” Max’s fingers eased in and out deeply while his thumb stroked her clitoris.
She arched her hips in response to his fingers. Her whole body ached for him. What was she doing? A top-level government operative screwing around on a commercial plane. If news of this ever got out, she’d be a laughingstock.
She searched for the strength to stop him, but a wave of pleasure drowned any lingering resistance. Oh, God, if he kept this up, she’d be frog-marched off the plane for screaming.
She was hovering on the crest of a climax; he pushed her over the edge. She stifled a moan as her body rode the waves of pleasure. He made her feel so good, and not just physically.
He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, a genuine smile on his face, but sadness lingered in his eyes. “You are special.”
Dammit to hell. She didn’t think she could stand it if he got all romantic on her. And had she technically broken her one-night rule if they hadn’t had actual intercourse?
Chapter Forty-Two
Thea had ditched Rif while he showered so she could restock her medications and supplies. The local pharmacy didn’t have her regular brand of insulin, but she’d make do. Time-zone changes, stress, and missed meals all wreaked havoc with her blood sugar levels, and stabilization was key to remaining healthy.
Back in her room, she studied the layout of the hotel. Knowing the ins and outs of the building boosted her confidence. Given the litany of recent attacks, she was determined to maintain her situational awareness.
She phoned Hakan.
He picked up on the first ring. “I spoke to Gabrielle Farrah. Disappointing news. The SEAL team recovered a banker who’d been kidnapped six months ago. No sign of your father.”
Of course finding Papa wouldn’t be that easy. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“The press is going crazy with hypotheses about who abducted Christos,” Hakan said.
“The media loves dirty laundry. I guess this situation is too tempting to resist.”
“I have a team looking into the plane crash. Watch your back. Someone didn’t want you making it to Kanzi.” His voice sounded depleted, tired. She was sure he’d been awake around the clock, working every angle with Freddy Winston and the team at Quantum.
“Rif’s piloting skills came in handy.”
“My son works well under pressure. So do you.”